Campaign Against Environmental Injustice

Introduction: Environmental Injustices

Environmental injustice is an unethical practice against humanity and the environment when corporations build environmentally detrimental infrastructure in minority communities.  Corporations or local government facilities allow hazardous waste and chemicals to flow into the environment causing pollution in water and the air.  Citizens living in communities where chemical and waste facilities are disproportionately located affect the health of all citizens whether it is through water and/or air contamination. According to research done by Dr. Robert D. Bullard (2002), professor at Clark Atlanta University Environmental Justice Resource Center, there are over “1.3 billion individuals worldwide live in unsafe and unhealthy physical environments” (para. 1).  

Environmental threats is associated with economically depressed locations where there is unequal political interest and powers that have allowed these economically depressed communities to become dumping grounds for wealthy corporations who lobby for weak regulation that allows lands to become toxic environments. Bullard (2002) describes how corporations trade human health for profits by choosing locations where there are a large minority population.  His findings from the EPA suggest:

·      Nine out of ten EPA regions have racial disparities in the location of hazardous waste facilities.

·      People of color comprise 28.5 percent of Region 4.  However, people of color comprise the majority of residents living within two miles of the 67 commercial hazardous waste facilities.

·      Region 4 included Alabama (66.3%), Florida (52.7%), Georgia (55.9%), South Carolina (43.9%), and Tennessee (53.8%).

Identifying Environmental Injustices

Environmental Injustice in not only a problem within the United States, crimes against the environment is being committed internationally.  Identifying environmental injustice can be detected by viewing the visuals pictures below:

This picture is from a plant that contains gases and chemicals, the manufacturing produces smoke within the facility causing air pollution from solid or liquid gases. Facilities that specialize in burning chemicals contaminate all things related to the environment and human health.

As you can see, this picture is from a chemical spill by a corporation called Freedom Industries, Inc.  As the caption notes, the water has a consistency of motor oil.

Campaigning Against and Raising Awareness

This blog was started back in 2012 as a campaign for food sustainability.  As you can see, the blog has over a thousand visitors.  A contaminated and polluted environment affects the agriculture process of growing food.  Factors that should be consider when fighting against injustices is how environmental contaminate affects our food and water supply.  Not only is this a health concern for humans but also for all living things caught in the path of environmental corrosion.  Blogs can be updated daily with stories regarding environmental injustices committed around the world.  The blogger has the ability to report from their specific location and identify areas where there may be a direct violation of environmental crimes.  The blog can be shared by linking it to Facebook and Twitter.  When building a blog for raising awareness or starting a campaign, the blogger has the ability to share important information with a larger segment of society.  Feel free to check out other important information on the blog and leave a comment.

Bullard, R. D., Ph.D. (2009, September 5). A real-life example of the deadly mix of "waste and race" [Web log post]. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://hempembassy.blogspot.com/2009/09/environmental-justice.html

Bullard, R. D., Ph.D. (2002). Poverty, pollution and environmental racism: Strategies for building health and sustainable communities. Environmental Justice Resource Center. Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/PovpolEj.html

What You Really Need to Know About Meats that are Consume by Humans: Overuse of Antibiotics in Animals

Raising awareness of food is very important and people must become educated about the sources of which their food products are derived.  People must be enlighten about the production of food and start taking the processes out of the hands of the corporation and bringing farming back within the community. Industry insiders are convincing the world that the food supply will not be sufficient to keep up with a growing population.  In order to keep up with the increase in population, the food system must take on an automated system that pushes out production at a higher rate.  These processes consist of a scheme of acquiring small farm and making farmers adhere to the rules of using genetically modified seeds, toxic pesticides, and medicating ill animals with antibiotics.  All of these factors are risking the health of humans and the ecosystem.  According to a report released by the Pew Charitable Trust (2010), “antibiotics often are used on industrial farms no only to treat sick animals but also to offset crowding and poor sanitation, as well as to spur animal growth.” (The link to Food Animals Production para. 3).  Overuse of antibiotics causes a resistance if used in excess and should not be used to avert viral infections. An oversupply of antibiotics is likely to have the same effect on both humans and animals. More research conducted the Pew Charitable Trust (2010) suggest, “up to 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are given to healthy food animals” (The link to Food Animals Production para. 3).  This startling projection shows that treatment is being considered without proper cause.  The systematic preventative measures taken on the account of the animals show that there is a disregard for human safety.   It is up to community citizens to call attention to the unethical treatment of animals because they will often end up on our dinner table.  Which one would you prefer to eat?

Factory Farm Chickens

Free Range Chickens

Hello Everyone!


Sustainability Growing with the Flow is one of the many extensions
of Core Change Cincinnati. We want to change the dynamics
of food production in our inner city core. We know that
the inner city core correlates to the survival of a state which
spreads out to the Nation. If we do not recognize the dire situations
of our poorest communities we will eventually collapse
as a nation. We need all communities to function to its full capacity
in order to compete with an innovative world. The only
way that we can do this is by recognizing that every human
must have their basic needs met to be a productive citizen. We
will need a diet that is organic and free from the harmful toxins
that are presently destroying our ecosystem. The motto that we
must live by is “If It Does Not Have A Mother or Grown From
the Ground, it is Not Ingestible”.

CoreChange Cincinnati