Summary, part 2

Chapter Three — Unpacking Privilege

It is important to understand and talk about privilege so we can address our problems and create systemic change. Unpacking privilege will bring us closer to “a greener and more equitable future for all” (p. 62).

What is Privilege?

According to Thomas, “[p]rivilege is a set of unearned advantages, positive perceptions, and outcomes based on identity” (p. 62). In addition, biases, stereotypes, and assumptions—which are shaped by society, media, and cultural norms—are tied to larger aspects of our identity. When an identity aspect (a piece of someone’s identity) is assigned a higher value in society, “those who possess it are more likely to hold power” (p. 62). That is privilege. 

What is an Identity Aspect?

Identity aspects explain the components of someone’s overall identity. There are eight major identities that compromise eight identity aspects: age, ability, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion.

What is a Social Construct?

According to Thomas, “a social construct is an idea pertaining to interpersonal relationships and societal norms that has been created and accepted by the members of a society” (p. 63). 

Many people have written about social constructs and privilege. W. E. B. Dubois, for example, wrote about the psychological wage afforded to white Americans but not Black Americans. In 1988, Peggy McIntosh wrote an article titled “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies,” where she outlined 46 examples of unearned societal privilege, including the following: the ability to be reasonably sure that your neighbors will always be neutral or pleasant, the ability to go shopping alone most of the time without being harassed or followed, not having to educate one’s children on safety measures, and the ability to be reasonably sure that when you “speak to the manager,” they will be of your race.

Let’s Take a Look at the Data

Thomas lists several examples of how identity aspects are tied to systemic advantages and disadvantages.

• The Wage Gap — In 2018, the average Black worker earned 62% of what the average white worker made. This was less for women of color and even less for LGBTQ+ people.

• Upward Mobility — White children from low-income families were more likely to move into a higher income bracket than their Black counterparts. Black children born into higher-income brackets are almost as likely to fall into lower-income brackets as they are to stay in their current bracket or move upward.

• Education — Primarily BIPOC schools receive $23 billion less in funding than primarily white schools, leaving students of color with more barriers to access AP classes or college preparation materials.

• Financial Assistance — Although illegal, loan discrimination happens and people of color are more likely to have their mortgage application be denied than white people.

• Criminal Justice — Despite similar usage rates, Black Americans are more likely to be arrested and jailed for drug-related charges. Black Americans are denied bail at higher rates and receive harsher sentences than their white counterparts.

The Horatio Alger Myth

Horatio Alger wrote several novels that perpetuated the idea that if one works hard enough, one can make it in life. While ideal, it fails to acknowledge that not all people are afforded the same starting hand at life. This “pick yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality is a myth and implies that people who don’t succeed aren’t ‘trying hard enough.’ 

Thomas outlines two scenarios to demonstrate how this mentality is a myth. The first is person A: someone who grew up in poverty in a single-parent household. A is unsure how to navigate the college search process because their parent never went to college, and A has to work part-time jobs to help pay rent thus cannot participate in after-school activities. A’s school also receives less funding. Person B, on the other hand, grew up in a two-parent household with college degrees, participates in after-school activities, and is able to attend costly college prep courses. While both have the same chance to achieve their goals, it is easier for Person B to do so than Person A.

Does Having Privilege Make You a Bad Person?

According to Thomas, having privilege does NOT make you a bad person. Instead, the process of understanding privilege “allows the veil of denial to be lifted in order to reveal a pathway toward more understanding, empathy, and equity” (p. 70). Rather, “it’s what you do with it and how you acknowledge it that matters” (p. 70). Thomas acknowledges her own privileges, such as growing up in a two-parent household, attending a top private school for most of her education, and growing up able to code-switch by living in predominantly white spaces.

How Do Privilege and Environmentalism Intersect?

Thomas opens this section by plainly stating that “[t]hose who hold more power and privilege in society are less likely to be exposed to environmental injustice and hazards” (p. 73). Examples of this in the environmental space include a racial funding gap that exists for things like parks, community gardens, and green spaces. Additionally, redlining—which was ”the refusal to insure mortgages in and near Black neighborhoods”—siloed communities of color in areas with more environmental injustice (p. 73). Furthermore, people of color are also more likely to experience an air pollution burden in which they experience more pollution than they cause. Even more so, nearly half of the nine million Americans living near hazardous waste sites are people of color. Finally, Black Americans are three times more likely to die from air pollutant exposure than their white counterparts

One case study Thomas uses is Flint, MI. In 2014, city officials wanted to cut costs and switched the water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Flint was one of the “poorest cities in the U.S. with a majority Black population” (p. 73). The water in Flint became discolored and malodorous with health consequences that are still felt to this day. Lead was in the water, more than seventy times the EPA drinking water action level. It took years of media scrutiny for the government to reach a settlement with the Flint community. Thomas writes that “[i]t’s very difficult to imagine this same scenario playing out in a wealthy, middle-class, or primarily white neighborhood” (p. 74).

Another case study Thomas uses is Hurricane Katrina. The worst damage was felt in predominantly Black neighborhoods, but the relief was far slower and inadequate BIPOC and low-income communities receive less protection before, during, and after natural disasters. If nothing changes, these communities will continue to bear the brunt of natural disasters.

How Can We Use Privilege to Create Change?

Thomas recommends that advocates “[a]mplify the voices, efforts, and concerns of historically excluded groups that have been negatively impacted by social and environmental injustice” (p. 80). Additionally, she recommends diving into “the systemic racism and discrimination that also exist within the environmental movement to acknowledge how many protections haven’t been equally extended to BIPOC communities” (p. 81). Ultimately, it is important to understand your privileges and how your identities intersect.

Chapter 4 — Who’s Affected: The Reality for BIPOC Communities

Before beginning this chapter, Thomas acknowledges two things about data collection. First, much of her data relied on the U.S. census which has historical flaws and inaccuracies. Additionally, she used the American Public Health Association Report “Climate Change, Health, and Equity: A Guide for Local Health Departments,” which she encourages people to explore even further.

Black Americans and Climate Injustice

In 2016, Black people made up 13.3% of the population and are expected to make up 15% of the population by 2060. To understand the state of climate injustice today for Black Americans, one must understand their historical and social determinants. Thomas mentions the U.S. Slave trade, where 388,000 people were kidnapped from Africa and enslaved in the U.S. She also mentions Jim Crow laws that upheld the racial hierarchy following slavery, and redlining—the denial of Black citizens loans for homes in well-maintained neighborhoods—which affected where Black people live. In a 2009 USC study titled “The Climate Gap: Inequalities in How Climate Change Hurts Americans and How to Close the Gap,” researchers found that “though less responsible for climate change, African Americans are significantly more vulnerable to its effects than non-Hispanic whites” (p. 87).

Some vulnerabilities Black Americans are exposed to include, but are not limited to, air quality and extreme heat. Regarding air quality, one statistic of note is that 71% of Black people live in counties that are in violation of federal air pollution standards. Regarding extreme heat, one statistic of note is that 43% of Black people live in urban “heat islands”—neighborhoods with fewer green spaces, diminished tree cover, and increased asphalt that retains heat and leads to increased temperatures.

Latinx Americans and Climate Injustice

In 2016, Latinx people made up 17.8% of the U.S. population and that is estimated to be 27.5% by 2060, being the largest ethnic minority in the U.S. Like with the previous section, Thomas outlines the historical and social determinants that explain why climate injustice occurs for the Latinx community today. Thomas mentions the gold rush and Mexican-American War where the U.S. invaded Mexico, committed to their Manifest Destiny, and took any land as its own. Because of this, there were long-lasting impacts on Indigenous and Latinx people through social stigmas and policies. After migrations in the gold rush, Latinx immigrants continued to face racism and discrimination. Today, discrimination still exists. In 2014, 26.5% of the Latinx population don’t have health insurance, ⅕ families live in poverty, 60% of Latinx communities are impacted by air pollution, flooding, and extreme heat

Some of the vulnerabilities Latinx Americans are exposed to include, but are not limited to, extreme heat and issues with air quality, food security, and agriculture. Regarding extreme heat, a statistic of note is that 21% more likely to live in heat islands than white Americans. In terms of air quality, food security, and agriculture, two statistics of note are that nearly 50% of Latinx people live in counties that violate clean air and ozone standards and 21% are food insecure. 

Indigenous Communities and Climate Injustice

According to the U.S. census, there are 5.2 million self-identifying Native Americans. Historical and social determinants that impact Indigenous communities include their genocide and inhumane treatment. When Christopher Columbus arrived in North America, he and his people spread disease, were violent, forcibly relocated Indigenous people, and destroyed Indigenous cultural practices. This led to the collapse and genocide of Indigenous people. Thomas writes that “[i]n the present, the painful legacy of conquest and colonialism contributes greatly to the environmental and social injustices that Indigenous communities face” (p. 93).

Some of the vulnerabilities Indigenous communities are exposed to include, but are not limited to, air quality, food scarcity, water access, and displacement. Regarding air quality, a statistic of note is that 12% are impacted by asthma—double the national average. Regarding food scarcity, something to note is that a significant amount of the Indigenous community face food apartheid, lack of access to food, and higher costs of healthy and nutritious foods. Regarding water access, a statistic of note is that Indigenous people are the least likely to have access to safe running water. Regarding displacement, Indigenous people are continuously displaced for U.S. government-mandated land-use projects.

AAPI (Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders) and Climate Injustice

The AAPI community makes up 5.9% of the U.S. population and is expected to rise to 9.1% by 2060. There is a lack of data about the historic “intersections of health, social justice, and environment” (p. 96). The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on anti-Asian hate, which stems back to the California gold rush that was very xenophobic and taxed Chinese miners. Another thing to note is the 1893 coup overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii after Queen Lili’uokalani assumed the throne. Next, the attack on Pearl Harbor raised racist concerns over those with Japanese ancestry, and led to the creation of internment camps. 

Some of the vulnerabilities the AAPI community face include, but are not limited to, several statistics. For example, Chinese and Korean Americans have the highest mean cancer risk from air pollution exposure. Additionally, 84% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander neighborhoods in Los Angeles are located within one mile of a Superfund site with high concentrations of hazardous material contamination—the highest of any racial demographic. 

Global Examples

Thomas goes on to provide global examples in subsequent sections. She writes that “[c]limate activists in the Global South are not receiving the same support and recognition as climate activists and organizations in the Global North, even though southern climate issues are just as urgent and need global support” (p. 100).

International Waste Disposal

Just one example of global environmental injustice is the international waste trade. The Global North disposes of a significant amount of its trash in the Global South, particularly China—most of it illegally despite efforts to regulate the industry. This process leads to many environmental hazards that pollute the air, soil, and water.

Sea Level Rise and Island Nations

Because of climate change, the temperature warms, ice melts, and sea levels rise. Small island nations like Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands are already dealing with contaminated clean water sources from sea level rise. When their islands are no longer habitable, where will they go? Who will provide refuge?