Environmental Justice in Los Angeles
The minorities and marginalized communities in the United States have been oppressed racially, socially, economically, and even environmentally. It is for this reason that several governmental and non-governmental organizations have been formed for the sole purpose of protecting and providing redress to the African American, Hispanic, Persons with Disabilities, Women, and any other group that does not enjoy the white privilege which is prevalent in the United States. Environmental injustice is quite prevalent in the United States as the minorities are the people greatly affected by it and it has not been awarded the magnitude it accords as there are very few organizations that address the issue of environmental justice. This paper will evaluate the operations of STAND LA in Los Angeles in its advocacy against oil drilling and how they carry out their daily activities.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines Environmental Justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of gender, race, color, or income to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws. Kyle Whyte in his book defines Environmental Justice as the problem the African American and Hispanic community, women, persons with disabilities are likely to live in a toxic environment as compared to the white community making them susceptible to environmental hazards that are detrimental to their health and hope they relate as a community in the day to day lives ( Whyte, 2016). This is mainly caused by the unfair distribution of environmental resources and benefits, it is for this reason that organizations such as Standing Together Against Neighborhood Drilling Los Angeles commonly known as (STAND LA) were formed.
STAND LA is an organization that advocates for the fair distribution of environmental resources and benefits for communities specifically the African American community that has been affected by the oil drilling that has been taking place there. The organization has been formed through the unity of the different communities in Los Angeles, it is vital to note that Los Angeles is a highly black-dominated community and it is safe to safe to say that they are facing environmental racism. The organization fought against the oil extraction method that is taking place near the homes of Los Angeles residents making the environment unhealthy, contaminated, and unsafe for the people of Los Angeles to live there (2020). It is important to note that, environmental justice has been an unending culture in the United States but very few measures have been taken to address the matter.
It is critical to look at the health hazards affecting the residents of Los Angeles attributed to the oil drilling near their homes. One of the notable health risks of drilling oil is the emission of hydrogen sulphide gas which is hazardous to the respiratory system of the human body even at low percentages. The oil extractions also increase the risk of one contracting cancer, even to children as the oil drills are located near homes, schools, and parks leading to children being exposed to harmful and toxic gases. The residents also live in constant fear of accidents that would take place in the oil drills putting the whole community in danger of injuries and worst-case deaths. Oil spillages and acids are also dangerous as the foods they consume are contaminated with the effluents and the gases emitted to the air( Collins et al, 25). Expectant are also at risk of premature births, increased chances of miscarriages, defects in the child leading them to be born disabled and respiratory complications in both the mother and the child.
STAND LA advocates for the fair distribution of resources and benefits of the less privileged communities in Los Angeles through sensitizing the community of their role in participating in petitions, taking part in peaceful campaigns and demonstrations and how they can use their voice and social media to fight for their rights; a healthy and safe environment (2020). The organization also ensures that the industries in the neighborhood are concerned with the health and environmental risks of the people who reside around them, therefore should take the necessary precautions to ensure they are vigilant of their health and the environment.
The organization was formed in 2013 when the health effects of oil drilling were being felt by residents of Los Angeles. The group consists of; Communities for a Better Environment, Holman United Methodist Church, Black Women for Wellness, Physicians for Social Responsibility among other groups that are in constant support and assistance of the noble course carried out by the institution (2020). The organization is supported by a good number of the institutions in California and Los Angeles that want to achieve environmental justice for the minorities and marginalized communities in L.A. The organizations include; Alliance for Community Transit – Los Angeles, Center for Biological Diversity, Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles, Earth Justice, Natural Resources Defense Council and Californians Against Franking. There are other organizations which gave not been listed but are great supporters of the works of the organization.
STAND L.A in conjunction with Fenceline residents, has worked hard to steer the Phaseout Drilling report which is a necessary step in erecting a 2500 foot health barrier that will aim at protecting the health of the residents and provide a safety measure to reduce the negative effects of the oil drills. STAND LA has been relentless in pushing for the report as its results are tremendous and would provide a great shield for the people of Los Angeles. The government has been bent on not implementing the report even after a tanker triggers a gas explosion and Phillips 66 refinery fire in Carson which endangered the lives of the residents and people near the area of the accidents on March 17, 2017(2020). In addition, the organization has also instituted several petitions to close several oil drills until they have safe and environmentally friendly ways of disposing of effluents and necessary equipment and measures to protect their neighbors.
STAND LA is very vocal and active on its social media platforms. The organization has a website that updates its activities as well as provides updates of the various reports of their works and the progress of their current affairs. The group also has information about their formation, operation, and some of its members. It also provides a brief history of when it was formed and how one can take part in their course through signing up or taking part in their campaigns and petitions and how they can be accessed since they have the office in Los Angeles. Their office is accessible to all members of the communities who are conversant with environmental justice and seek redress to protect their community for a healthy and safe future. The group is very active on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook which is attributed to the advancement of technology on social platforms. The different social media platforms provide a one on one interaction with its audience and also a way of documenting the activities of the group in their everyday affairs. It is also through twitter that petitions are shared for people to take part in and sign them.
The board of members as well as staff members comprises residents of Los Angeles both from the wealthy and the less privileged community. The rich from Beverley Hills and other wealthy areas are also affected adversely by the oil drills but the circumstances are different as their residences are protected to some extent from the pollutants and accidents and due their financial status they can afford protective gears and masks to protect them from the harmful gases from the areas. They are also able to seek medical assistance on time before the situation deteriorates causing deaths or permanent effects. The middle-class people as well as the low class suffer most since they cannot afford medical services as well the oil drills in their areas are not environmentally friendly and no protective measures have been taken by the oil and gas companies in their efforts to extract oil and produce energy.
The intersectional analysis is the evaluation of the theoretical framework that helps an individual understand how aspects of a person’s social and political identities form unique forms of discrimination and privilege. An instance of intersectionality on environmentalism is racial environmentalism, gender environmentalism. Racial environmentalism is quite evident in the United States as African Americans are associated with living in areas with very bad security, high crime rates, and underdeveloped areas. In Los Angeles, we also get to see that the African American and Hispanic communities are the most affected by the oil drills endangering their health and safety is at high risk (Pulido & De Lara, 45). The minorities and indigenous communities are always associated with coming from toxic, polluted, and unsafe environmental conditions. This is discriminatory as not all African Americans and Hispanic people are from areas that are polluted by industrial effluents and emissions. The white community enjoys the privilege of being associated with a clean and safe environment the major part of their life.
One of how intersectional analysis is needed to environmentalism on the ground is racial and gender environmentalism. Racial and gender environmentalism is an instance where a woman is discriminated against for her gender, race and from the environment, she resides in a black woman is likely to be associated to come from a toxic and unsafe environment as compared to a white woman (Banzhaf et al, 16). Such an instance is critical as one gets to see the perspective of why environmental justice is key in the lives of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. The intersectional analysis helps in identifying such scenarios and coming up with the necessary measures of how to address such issues, for example, the sensitization of communities on environmental justice especially to women from black communities as there are the people that face the highest form of discrimination from other members of the communities both from their own and others.
STAND LA has explored how the different people in Los Angeles interact and the different ways those patterns affect their course of environmental justice. There are a number of factors that they have looked at, such as race, gender and financial status in the communities as well as their physical appearance of whether a person is physically fit or is a person with disabilities or aged. The first factor they have integrated into environmentalism is race; African Americans and Hispanic communities are the most affected because of their skin color ( Carter, 67). It has been reported that claims sought by black communities have not been addressed but the white community their grievances have been heard and it is for this reason that STAND LA provides a voice to such a community. The organization does not discriminate or prefer one community over another but aims to ensure that there is fair and equitable distribution of environmental resources and benefits to all people. It is also critical to note that, the white community enjoys the privilege of living in areas that are rich in natural resources as compared to other communities.
The group has also integrated the concept of women in their campaigns, composition of the group, and committee. Women are facing gender discrimination and the situation is even worse for a black woman who lives near an oil drill that emits toxic gases and releases effluents to the soil and other natural resources available to them. It is for this reason that the organization ensures that there is a clear representation of the different communities that they seek redress on their behalf to avoid being called discrimination and set an example of equality (Sze, 56). The integration of intersectional analysis is significant in any organization as it provides a guide on the possible issues that they may arise and how they can address and avoid putting aside important aspects.
Environmental justice can be defined as the process of advocating for the environmental rights of the less privileged people in the society who are facing other forms of discrimination, therefore, taking the initiative to ensure that they are enjoying a safe, healthy and clean environment that their oppressors or rather the higher community enjoys by ensuring the fair distribution of environmental resources and benefits. This paper has adequately addressed the aims of STAND LA and how it carries out its operations in advocating for environmental justice for the residents of Los Angeles on the health hazards of oil drilling.
Works Cited
- [online] Available at: <https://www.stand.la/take-action.html> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
Banzhaf, Spencer, Lala Ma, and Christopher Timmins. “Environmental justice: The economics of race, place, and pollution.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 33.1 (2019): 185-208.
Carter, Eric D. “Environmental justice 2.0: new Latino environmentalism in Los Angeles.” Local Environment 21.1 (2016): 3-23
Collins, Mary B., Ian Munoz, and Joseph JaJa. “Linking ‘toxic outliers’ to environmental justice communities.” Environmental Research Letters 11.1 (2016): 015004.
Pulido, Laura, and Juan De Lara. “Reimagining ‘justice’in environmental justice: Radical ecologies, decolonial thought, and the Black Radical Tradition.” Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space 1.1-2 (2018): 76-98.
Sze, J. (2004). Gender, asthma politics, and urban environmental justice activism. New perspectives on environmental justice: Gender, sexuality, and activism, 177-90.