Question

What is environmental racism? How does it apply to environmental crime? What demographics/communities are most impacted by environmental pollution/environmental crime? Why do these demographics impact the effect of environmental crimes/pollution?

Answer 1

Environmental racism refers to the type of racism that perpetuates discrimination and negligence in the environmental policies and laws towards minority groups' areas of habitation. It is the classic situation of dualism seen in environmental policy stance where one side gets the more strict and friendly environment laws and regulations that contribute to better quality of life, protected and up to date housing facilities and safe environment and other side comprising of minority groups that bear the burden of bad and weak environmental laws where all the bad work goes on like dumping of waste disposal, poor housing facilities and establishment of toxic and harmful waste operations. All these activities mark environmental racism and contributes to exposure of harmful substances, diseases and number of problems in the well being for the socially weak sections of the society.
Environmental racism is directly related to environmental crimes which highlight the activities that contribute to harming the environment. When a geographical area is subjected to environmental racism, its weak environmental policies become safe places to do environmental crimes such as dumping of hazardous wastes, depletion of rivers and aquifers, deforestation etc.
The communities most affected by environmental crimes includes minority groups subject to racism, people of color etc. For example: African Americans.
These demographics/ communities have low economic and social stances and their general unawareness about their rights have huge impact on the implementation of environmental crime/ pollution.Sometimes these communities are aware about the ill effects of environmental crimes, but these activities also become a source of conflict and confusion when there are only source of income opportunity available to minority groups.