Fears, D., & Muyskens, J. (2023, May 11). City planners targeted a black community for heavy pollution. Can the damage be undone?. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/07/oakland-freeways-environmental-justice/
Due to economically motivated discriminatory planning, construction and expansion of freeways in Oakland have disproportionately affected low-income neighborhoods- increasing pollution and health risks. The struggle for equitable distribution of resources, a healthier environment, and the abolishment of these racist policies in the city continues, with activists and organizations in Oakland beginning with the proposal of an investment in public transportation and the creation of green spaces.
The article reviews the deliberate placement of freeways and pollution-heavy industries in Black communities like West Oakland, exposing residents to harmful traffic and industrial pollution. This has led to environmental justice issues, as the community faces higher rates of health problems like asthma that can be linked to air quality. It’s upsetting to me to see how systemic racism influenced infrastructure decisions in a way that exploited and disadvantaged minority communities not only environmentally but also health-wise for decades. I hope that the city will take action to help correct this wrong from the past and also focus on assessing pollution burdens.
My topic was air pollution, and I read a few articles about how disproportionately low-income communities were affected by pollution, similar to this. I think something federally needs to be done about this because it is hard to undo. What do you think? How should problems like these be fixed?
Thank you for reading my post. There is not one single solution to problems like these, but a first step would definitely be to make the powers included in decision making more inclusive!