Minorities Suffer from Green Hype

The Contra Costa Times reports today that minorities in the San Francisco Bay area suffer disproportionately from air pollution coming from industrial plants. The “evidence” is contained in a report released by environmental activists, titled “Still Toxic After All These Years.” This report finds that Latinos, African Americans, and Asians or Pacific Islanders compose 62 percent of people living within a mile of industrial facilities that report “toxic air emissions” to the federal government.

Is this an injustice? Hardly. All it actually shows is that some minorities chose to live in more affordable housing near these facilities. There is no evidence that their health suffers as a result. If any suffering is involved, it stems from the needless fear that activists incite among minorities living in these communities.

on the topic of air pollution and public health produced by Joel Schwartz of the American Enterprise Institute shows how such claims are grossly exaggerated. Check out Joel’s website for a wealth of other great information. For some of the best and most thorough research on the topic of environmental justice, check out The Promise and Peril of Environmental Justice, authored by Brookings Institution Scholar and University of Maryland professor, Christopher Foreman