Dart, T. (2018, January 29). After Harvey, Houston suburb suffers a persistent

problem: Waves of foul air. Retrieved August 5, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/29/houston-manchester-hurricane-harvey-texas-foul-air

Air pollution in Houston disproportionately affects low-income communities. Research done by the Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services discovered that a carcinogen concentration was 174 times higher in the poor Harrisburg-Manchester area than in the affluent west Houston neighbourhood, where the cancer risk is 30% lower. When families complained of stenches wafting into their homes, the EPA issued a statement claiming that the benzene leak “does not indicate levels of concern for the community”. By turning off monitors and eliminating environmental rules during Hurricane Harvey, the government downplayed the need for reliable air quality data in times of natural disasters.

This relates to Environmental Science because human interference with air quality and natural resources is a large part of the problem facing the environment today. It is important to note that industrial activity is not only fatal to humans but the rest of the Earth’s inhabitants as well. It is frightening that these residents of Houston are in obvious need of protection yet the government does not find it necessary to give it to them. While exploiting resources may seem necessary during times of disaster, it is essential that the government think with regards to sustainability and how we can maintain our environment.

Griswold, E. (2018, June 09). The Resource Curse of Appalachia. Retrieved August 4,

2018, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/opinion/sunday/appalachia-environment-resource-curse.html

Economists use the  “resource curse” to explain why countries with more fossil fuel tend to be impoverished. They claim that easy money displaces productive economic activity and fosters weak governments. This is evident in Appalachia, where corporations control local politicians and businesses, but education is not a priority. With the cash from mineral leases, larger landowners get rich, while small landowners pay for oil and gas extraction. An environmentalist group has banded together to fight the government on this. While the Environmental Rights Amendment may appear liberal, the idea that citizens could be exempt from obeying large corporations is conservative.

The discussion of resources in this article can be traced back to the significance of natural resources in our textbooks. The manner in which we as humans interact with natural resources plays a huge role in the well being of the environment and the population. It is essential that humans use resources in such a way that maintains them for future generations. I find the idea of limited regulations when it comes to resources discussed in the article extremely frightening because a majority of people in the universe consider only themselves when deciding how to make use of these resources.

Conversation, T. (2018, May 14). Fossil Fuel Regulations Threaten Environmental

Justice in Colorado. Retrieved August 3, 2018, from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2018-05-14/commentary-reduced-us-fossil-fuel-regulations-threaten-environmental-justice-in-colorado

Trump has eliminated many environmental and energy-related rules. Deregulation and “fracking” combined have increased the oil and natural gas supply. Having states in control makes hydraulic fracturing much easier to carry out. The people affected by this lack of regulation are powerless. Colorado is an example of how oil and gas production affect people’s lives when the public is powerless. Colorado’s state Supreme Court ruled that the state government has complete control over where and when fracking occurs. Throughout America, people of color and low-income communities are more likely to be exposed to environmental risks and hazards from industrial facilities.

There is a strong connection to the significance of cellular respiration in this article. Cellular respiration is what keeps us as humans alive and functioning. With the surge in industrialization, pollutants in the air are making the oxygen we breathe insufficient for what our body needs. This is what is causing the upsurge in asthma and other health issues described in the article. I think it’s tragic that our country has reached the point where capital is of greater significance to a human life. I believe this deregulation to be working against progress.

Milman, O. (2018, February 01). Air pollution: Black, Hispanic and poor students

most at risk from toxins – study. Retrieved August 2, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/feb/01/schools-across-the-us-exposed-to-air-pollution-hildren-are-facing-risks

Black, Hispanic and low-income students are at the highest risk of exposure to harmful toxins at school. Researchers Grineski and Collins classified schools based off their level of exposure to over a dozen neurotoxins. They discovered some alarming statistics such as that five of the 10 most polluted school areas have non-white populations of over 20%. New York and New Jersey are suffering the most from these pollutants. These toxins not only affect the health but the education of these students. Only 12% of high schoolers in Camden meet expectations in English language tests.

This article indicates the immense effect of industrialization on our society. Just as the textbook explains, overpopulation alongside industrialization is placing many people in unhealthy conditions and traumatizing the planet’s well being. I found the connection to education equality especially interesting because I now feel that aiming to lessen the amount of environmental injustice could aid many in acquiring better jobs. It goes to show the extent to which the environment’s well being and humans’ wellbeing act in unison.

Pierre-louis, K. (2018, April 03). Dr. King Said Segregation Harms Us All.

Environmental Research Shows He Was Right. Retrieved August 1, 2018, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/climate/mlk-segregation-pollution.html

Martin Luther King advocated that segregation had a negative impact on the entire nation, which now applies to environmental issues today. Segregated American cities tend to have more pollution than less segregated cities. Poorer people tend to experience more pollution than wealthier people, but for African Americans, race beats income. Residents of a city like Memphis are exposed to more pollution than those living in a city like Tampa, with less segregation. White residents in segregated cities were better off than residents of color in those cities, but white residents were worse off than white residents in less segregated cities.

This article and our textbook both explain how much that occurs within our environment can be credited to human involvement and interactions. It is surprising to me that the increased pollution in segregated communities has not encouraged greater integration. I believe that this is because people are oblivious to the reasoning behind these statistics. I continue to be amazed by the everlasting relativity of Dr. King’s ideas. I feel that this is a perfect example of a historical figure/event serving as a guide in making decision in the modern world.