Pollution so racist? Pollution does not affect everyone equally.

Brentin Mock

Brentin Mock writes about a new map that highlights how pollution and the ability to process it in a community affects residents of low-income or high-minority neighborhoods.

Chicago suffers from inequality in many forms, including uneven exposures to pollution and toxins throughout its many neighborhoods. Now, a sophisticated new map of the Windy City shows how, even among the dirtiest streets, not all pollution is created equal.

That’s because some neighborhoods are better equipped to handle these environmental risks than others—perhaps because they’re wealthier, or have more time, or enjoy closer access to their political representatives. Meanwhile, residents of low-income or high-minority neighborhoods can sometimes be all but forgotten by their representatives. It’s a distinction of which policymakers must be mindful when planning new developments in Chicago.

Created by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the new map combines both the environmental and socio-demographic characteristics of each Chicago neighborhood. It considers factors such as cancer and respiratory risks from air toxins, lead paint exposure, and proximity to Superfund sites; on the socio-demographic side, it incorporates poverty, minorities, linguistic isolation, and the percentage of young and old people.

Read the piece and see a high res image of the map at CityLab.

Scotland: enough wind energy for every household for a month!

An Alternative Universe

We interrupt the constant obsession with the US election to bring you some good news.

With alternatives available instead of polluting fossil fuels, the question remains, why use fossil fuels? More and more we are hearing success stories of communities and countries that get their energy needs met through cleaner sources than traditional fossil fuel-based generated electricity.

To me it is a complete failure of imagination to continue to use death-inducing fossil fuels when life enhancing alternatives are currently available. Yes, I said death-inducing. I feel strongly about this.

Stirring up political will

Of course what we lack is political will. We also face incredibly low-priced carbon intensive energy sources. But investing in cleaner sources of energy has immediate health benefits and can potentially create a stable locally produced energy.

Writing for the Independent, Paul Ward offers some good news regarding alternative energy sources.

Scotland Generates enough wind energy to power almost every household for an entire month: Wind power is helping Scotland avoid ‘over a million tonnes of carbon emissions a month’

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: “Thanks to a combination of increased capacity and stronger winds, output from turbines surged by more than a quarter compared to the same period last year – supplying power equivalent to the electrical needs of over two million homes.

As well as helping to power our homes and businesses, wind power is helping Scotland to avoid over a million tonnes of polluting carbon emissions every month.

Also learn about five countries leading the way to a fossil fuel future

Generational Curse? A different view of pollution

Back in the day when I attended Pentecostal Holiness churches, in addition to believing most people were chock full of demons, my ministers also warned us of generational curses. The sins of the fathers fall upon the heads of the sons to the third and fourth generation.

Is it a Demon, a Curse, or Both??

When no amount of repenting rid us of our homosexual inclinations, the ministers assumed we have a naughty ancestor (usually a sailor) who must have diddled with another man. As a result, like a demonic gene mutation, the man on man lust got passed along to us. They insisted we must break the power of these curses if we wish to live a good, clean life in the future.

Well, drawing on that experience, I present to you Elizabeth Jeremiah, a fierce minister of the Gospel, with a word for you. And like often happens with this character, she doesn’t end up where you might expect her to go. She has a thing or two to say about our evil, sinful, polluting ways.

Introducing Elizabeth Jeremiah!

The Day the Whales Rejoiced, then got into hot water.

We love getting submissions from Climate Stew followers, so I was thrilled when Jen in PA wrote me about her recent trip to the New Bedford whaling museum and important connection she made to our modern fossil fuel pollution problem.

I’ve written about New England whaling and energy before. (see: Whaling, Quakers, and Alternative Energies)

Jen provides a novel twist to the story of whaling including the glee whales might have felt when they were no longer being targeted in such a large scale. A new form of energy made their oil far less valuable. Ah, but there was an unseen cost.

The Day the Whales Rejoiced

On a recent visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, MA, I learned that one of the events which contributed to the decline in the whaling industry was the discovery of oil in Titusville, PA in the mid 1800s.

I then came across the following cartoon across the street at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, published in 1861, of sperm whales having a party to celebrate this discovery (because they won’t be killed as much, as crude oil would replace the highly valued sperm oil). Note the sign in the background that reads oils well that ends well. Whaling did still continue but eventually declined.

Salvation at a cost–Ocean Acidification

Little did these 1861 partying whales know that the discovery of this oil was not their salvation but the beginning of just another means to their end. Now over 150 years later, our oceans are suffering from falling ph levels and increased acidification, affecting the food chain, posing starvation for our whales. Mollusks (and other shelled creatures including corals) pull the ingredients they need to build their shells (calcium and carbonate) from the ocean.

But as our oceans are absorbing increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, the chemistry results in increased acid and reduced carbonate; as a result, baby mollusks are forming deformed and weak shells and are dying because they have insufficient carbonate (see PBS Nova: Lethal Seas, May 2015, a great explanation of this chemistry for the lay person). Whatever eats the mollusks also suffers, and so on and so forth all the way up to our partying sperm whales.

Save the People!

So, while the 1861 sperm whales were living large thinking their ship had come in (puns actually intended), it was not to be so for their descendants. I wonder if anyone could foresee in 1861 that this oil well discovery would lead to some of today’s problems.

And beyond whales, it’s a major problem for humans, as more than a billion people depend on the ocean for food, not to mention all the industry dependent on it.

Like Marvin Bloom says, it’s not just about the polar bears (but Marvin, we need to care about them too so please don’t take this and complain about whales to Peterson!)

Maybe someday there will be another cartoon and this time the sperm whales will be celebrating as the infrastructure switches to clean renewable energy such as solar.

Lessons for a more stable, sustainable future

Can we learn from this cartoon – that when we exploited one natural and unsustainable resource (whales) and replaced it with another (crude oil), it was cause for a false celebration because it was just a temporary solution?

I would hope that the great transition that Timothy Meadows refers to in the Climate Stew podcast is the final party for our whales, with no hidden or unknown dangers that could hurt the whales of 150 years in the future (and us for that matter), so this time, we have the most healthy and sustainable solution for us all.

The only known photo of Marvin Bloom

Thank you, Jen! Note: I contacted Marvin Bloom for a statement about Polar Bears. He writes,

“Polar bears are dangerous and disgusting creatures, a lot like humans, so I guess if we are going to save people, we might as well save the polar bears too. Great piece, Jen!”

If you would like to contribute an article you wrote, a reflection, a link to a resource, or an idea for a video or podcast episode, just contact me here at Climate Stew.

Behold the Scapegoat! Jesus burning fossil fuels???

I am so glad I ran into the wacky and wonderful Elizabeth Jeremiah. This Southern preacher lady has a way at looking at the world that is both ridiculous and profound. Unlike what you might imagine, she is actually concerned about things like global warming (while not surprisingly also still completely stuck when it comes to “The Homosexual.”)

She shares her bizarre insights into who is to blame for fossil fuel pollution. You can tell she has a big heart as she tries to move people away from blaming ancestors for our current crisis. She even drags Jesus into the fray providing Biblical support for the burning of fossil fuels while also maintaining we need to find a new way. Take a listen to this silly and yet serious take on pollution, Jesus, and how to make the world a better place (transcript below)

Now before Peterson cuts me off the air I can assure you there is a climate connection to all of this. Environmentalists love to shame us into behaving differently. They wag their self-righteous green fingers at us and our parents and grandparents. They accuse us of being greedy wasteful wicked consumers. They insist that our ancestors are responsible for destroying mother earth. They hate the modern period. Instead they hearken back to some pre-industrial utopia. Where people supposedly lived at peace and harmony with the land. loving each other in some sort of eco-friendly matrilineal Shangri-La.

Let’s be honest, some of them ancient folks murdered, sacrificed the innocent, fought over pieces of property, and took advantage of each other just like we see some people do today. They just didn’t have as much technology and energy resources to do it on a global scale.

So that’s why I take offense when people go on and on about how our direct modern ancestors are evil guilty of bringing climate change woe upon our heads. These accusers do not acknowledge that our ancestors helped humankind. Think of all the advances in medical science,, in our homes, with transportation, and education. Think of all of the extra time people have had to explore the world, learn new things, and to be with their loved ones. Technology coupled with so inexpensive energy helps get all the important work done—work that women and girls mostly do.

Our great great grandparents had no idea that they were pumping into the air chemicals that ultimately would harm us. They simply used their God given ingenuity and creativity to build, expand, and dream.

The same thing happened with the asbestos. What an amazing naturally occurring mineral. They dug up and used asbestos even before the time of Jesus. Plentiful and inexpensive, asbestos, which is fire resistant, is the best product for electrical insulation, sound absorption, and building insulation. Unfortunately asbestos also kills people. My daddy for instance. As a young man, working class, struggling to make his way in the world. He worked for time installing boilers. As a result he breathed in a bunch pounds of asbestos fibers. Sadly later in life, although he didn’t smoke a single cigarette, which is a disgusting vile habit, he’s succumbed to lung cancer. His doctor said likely it was the asbestos. And now he is with the Lord.

So what do we do when we have something like asbestos or fossil fuels like coal and petroleum? They work wonders, and they are dangerous. Here’s another example My own niece, Vileen, is a fierce wonderful stay at home mom. Last year she took her one-year-old child to the doctors for his annual check up and was shocked to discover the child’s lead levels were through the roof. She couldn’t believe it. Her house, Their home, their safe space, was filled with a substance that could potentially affect her child negatively for life. Lead poisoning is bad and leads to neurological disorders and learning disabilities. so what did Vileen do? First she educated herself. She went online, she read books, she’s talked to experts, and then she and her husband, who is a wonderful man of God, set about to rid their lives of lead paint. It took them a lot of time and inconvenience and money. But The safety and health of their child is more important than anything else.

People get angry and scared when they discover a threat lurking in their homes and in the very air they breath. We look for scapegoats. And yes while there have been greedy business men who have ignored warnings by their own experts, for much of our history, people did not know that the burning of coal and the use of petroleum would bring about global warming and these out of control weather events. Even Jesus, the greatest scapegoat that ever lived, Jesus himself, the spotless son of God, released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Of course he breathed it out like the rest of us. But also, it is recorded in John chapter 21 that he burned fossil fuels. The disciples, discouraged after Jesus’s arrest and execution returned to their fishing. Jesus, all resurrected sat on the shore. The disciples in their boat did not recognize Jesus at first. After he gave them helpful fishing advice they then knew it was their very own teacher sitting on the shore. And in verse 9 it says “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.” Yes, Jesus released greenhouse gas into the atmosphere in order feed his friends.

And that is what humans have been doing for over one hundred and fifty years. They have been feeding family and friends and delighting them with gifts and trips and helping them with medical care and books and computers and what not. And yes, we need to find new sources of energy. But let’s stop all of this name calling and maligning our ancestors. Instead, let’s thank them for all the advances they gave us so that we can live better lives. This has been Elizabeth Jeremiah, from the Elizabeth Jeremiah Global Worldwide Ministries in Jesus, may God bless you and keep you and your whole household too.

NASCAR and Formula One Racing Take on Pollution

I was pleasantly shocked to discover that both NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (the folks who bring us Formula One racing) are both working hard to reduce pollution and even raise awareness about climate change. Solar powered race tracks, tree planting, electric racing cars. Who knew?

In my Climate Stew radio program I have a segment from the future, the year 2165. Usually I make up most of it, imagining what the future might say about us and the many ways we addressed our climate crisis. But in this segment EVERYTHING has already happened. It’s a short piece, so have a listen. (Transcript below)

Here are some links you might find useful

Transscript

I am Timothy Meadows. It is Saturday, September 7, 2165 and time for That Day in Climate History. In the early 21st Century, one of the most popular sports was car racing. (race car sounds)

America’s National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile with its Formula One Series captivated the public with fast cars, flashy drivers, and great a deal of petroleum products.

Formula E Electric Race Car

Aware of the negative impact their sport had on the planet, both NASCAR and Forumla 1 made the necessary changes to clean up the sport. They also strove to raise awareness among their many fans about the need to take responsibility for pollution.

Starting in 2008 NASCAR Green inaugurated eco-friendly programs. They turned to solar energy in some of their biggest tracks including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They also launched the largest Waste Diversion program of any professional sport. Instead of dumping tires in landfills, they recycled over 120,000 them every year. In addition, they also recycled and re-refined motor oil. In order to offset their massive carbon footprint, NASCAR Green began a tree planting campaign. For each car in the NASCAR series, they planted a tree. NASCAR Green also launched a digital tree planting efforts giving fans the opportunity to donate a tree in an area of need across the USA. According to NASCAR’s records, in just 2014 300,000 trees were planted. In order to transition the sport to cleaner energy while maintaining the thrilling speed fans expected, NASCAR partnered with innovators to introduce new technology including biofuels, fuel cells, and electric cars.

In 2014 Forumla One held the first ever fully-electric international car racing series. Significantly quieter than other race cars, these first generation electric automobiles accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds and reached a maximum speed of 225 km/h. The creation of the Formula E series helped drive innovation. It also proved to fans that fast cars did not need to pollute.

On this day in 2165, we remember That Day in Climate History

6 ways to promote economic equality and climate action at the same time

Ben Adler writing for Grist has some advice for progressives as they formulate their message. He says that it is a mistake to overlook the growing climate crisis. In fact, this is a time to address economic inequity while also taking on climate change.

To help progressive leaders develop such a plan, here’s a list of six policies that would help cut carbon pollution, clean up the air, strengthen our cities, and redistribute tax dollars from fossil fuel companies and rich individuals to the poor and middle class.

I am pleased that the first item on his list of six is a carbon fee and dividend idea, one that sounds identical to what we are proposing through the Citizens Climate Lobby. To me it is the most elegant and just way of both curbing carbon pollution while also keeping in mind the needs of the poor and working class.

Citizens Climate Lobby

Impose a carbon tax and redistribute the revenue to citizens. Currently, polluters pay nothing when they spew CO2 into the air, despite the massive costs that the emissions impose on society by worsening climate change. Discouraging emissions through taxation of big polluters would help get climate change under control — and it could also generate huge amounts of revenue. That money could be spent in any number of ways; one of the more progressive would be to rebate some of it to low-income taxpayers and use some of it for social programs. Even simply cutting carbon pollution is progressive, since the worst effects of climate change will fall disproportionately on the poor. And by getting our country off of coal and oil burning, we would also reduce the particulate pollution that plagues low-income, minority, and inner-city neighborhoods.

Read Adler’s whole article to see his other five recommendations. 6 ways to promote economic equality and climate action at the same time

Environmentalists and #BlackLivesMatter Protests

Brentin Mock consistently writes insightful articles about the intersection of race and environment. This week he wrote a very personal piece based on his own very real health-scare. He reflects on the many ways mainstream society fights against isolating a problem while at the same time missing the big picture. Promoting the slogan #AllLivesMatters undermines the current and long time on-going injustices experienced by Black people in the USA.

Brentin Mock (photo credit: Demand Clean Power

In his piece Why environmentalists should support the Black Lives Matter Protests Brentin helps spell out the connections between the institutional racism in law enforcement and criminal justice systems with the environmental racism that chronically plagues Black lives and bodies. He admits it is not a connection that immediately resonates, particularly in the middle of a protest over very immediate harms. But he beautifully weaves together the themes and deepens the slogan #BlackLivesMatter. I quote the central point of the article after he talks about the rage he felt after hearing the Grand Jury in NYC decided not to indict the officer who killed Eric Garner.

These were the thoughts in my head as the days went by, as the pain in my back gradually subsided, and as the #BlackLivesMatter protests elevated. That’s when I came across this story in The Washington Post: “The racial divide in America is this elemental: Blacks and whites actually breathe different air.” It’s a story I’ve done a dozen times for Grist, about how air pollution falls more heavily on predominantly African-American communities than others. I’m glad that the mainstream press is acknowledging it. But then I realize that the story is about Eric Garner.

Garner was “obese” and an asthmatic, as Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) was so quick to remind us. As the article explained, smog pollution induces and exacerbates asthma, especially for African Americans in urban heat islands, like Garner’s home in Staten Island, N.Y. But, No, I thought, We are not going to exploit Garner’s death to illuminate an environmental issue. Medical examiners ruled Garner’s death a homicide, strictly from the police officer’s chokehold — even accounting for the asthma — and that’s all that matters, I reckoned.

“Let’s be clear: Eric Garner was killed by a policeman not pollution,” I fumed on social media.

And then I got the learning. Eddie Bautista, the longtime environmental justice advocate and director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, was quoted in the article saying about Garner’s death, “There are [a] number of ways that racism plays out … The asthma is just one more example.”

thought the article used a poor occasion to illuminate racial asthma disparities. Bautista explained the larger context to me, though, saying, “The [article] doesn’t take the cops off the hook; on the contrary, it further indicts institutionalized racism in the U.S. for permeating the very air we breathe.”

The article is well worth reading in full.

Also check out Brentin’s short video about how climate destabilization is a human rights and environmental justice issue.

It’s so pretty, but… Stunning Video reveals pollution paths

NASA recently released a video, A Year in the Life of Earth’s CO2, a super computer model that shows pollution in action. I’ll admit I thought it would be boring or obvious, but the imagery drew me in immediately, and I learned a great deal about both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide pollution, its sources and how it spreads globally. It’s just three minutes long and includes good music and compelling graphics. I had no idea pollution could look so pretty, well in a graphic that is, in our lungs and in the our atmosphere? Not so much.

Hat Tip to Dailykos and Prescott Allen Hazelton

Tag: carbon pollution