Roth, S. (2020, October 08). These maps show how air pollution and Covid-19 can be a deadly mix. Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2020-10-08/boiling-point-air-pollution-and-covid-19-can-be-a-deadly-mix-boiling-point
COVID-19 and climate change have a large similarity between the two in that they both are much more harmful for the poor and minorities than for richer and whiter people. Decades of racist housing and environmental policies have made minorities and poor people more likely to live in areas contaminated with pollution that can harm lungs and health. These same policies make it harder for minorities to receive decent healthcare and the compounding of these issues mean COVID-19 is a much larger issue for disadvantaged communities. This article examines the intersection of these issues in Los Angeles.
I’m really not surprised by this news as seeing the news during the course of the pandemic I’ve seen how the health impacts are much worse on low income communities, both because they have more contact with others and are more likely to get it and they have worse health care so are more likely to suffer. There is perhaps no clearer example of climate injustice than environmental damage disproportionately affecting the poor, and them dying at a higher rate as a result. I am quite disappointed to learn of how painful this intersection of pollution and COVID-19 is specifically in California, especially as Los Angeles is arguably the epicenter of the pandemic where a large portion of the population has gotten COVID, and a lot of people have died from it. This is a pressing issue that must be addressed by the Los Angeles and California governments. We must consider climate science going forward when crafting housing and healthcare policies as a way to fight policies that have led to higher pollution in minority communities that worsens the health of those in it. This article also underscores just how impactful climate science is as it affects policy regarding areas such as housing, and unexpected crises like a pandemic.
What would you recommend the CA government to do to fight this issue?
I agree with the fact that it’s not surprising how low-income communities are more negatively affected in these scenarios. In that sense, have there been any government policies or agreements to try and combat this? I feel as if there will not be as many solutions to these issues as the people in the government tend to be in the higher income bracket.
Do you think after such a large scale disaster like COVID the government will pour more resources into the low income community to help them in the future so if something like ever happens again that they can be more prepared?