Opinion| Climate change is disproportionately affecting minorities. Here is how PVAMU researchers and students can help.

The climate change debate is real these days at different levels and scales. It is essential to remind ourselves why we continue discussing it. The simple reason is that a changing climate has impacted how we work, how we live, how we play, and how we do business; it is impacting all aspects of our lives. Since that’s the case, it is natural to talk about it, discuss its effects and, more importantly, exert our utmost efforts as a global community to take the necessary measures that help us adapt to and, for the best of circumstances, mitigate its effects. Since climate change is a worldwide phenomenon, will its impact be the same globally, across all communities and economic levels?

The simple answer is no.

While climate change is an inherently global issue, its impacts will not be felt equally across Earth. Its bearings are expected to have different magnitudes and rates of changes in different continents, countries, states and regions within the same state or country. Some nations will likely experience more adverse effects than others. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) February 2022 report, small islands and lowland coastal areas are most vulnerable to sea-level rise resulting from climate change and present the most urgent need for investment in capacity building and adaptation strategies. The report and several other studies revealed that climate change disproportionately affects those with limited resources and minorities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report released in September 2021 shows the most severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities who are least able to prepare for and recover from heat waves, poor air quality, flooding and other impacts. Specifically, the report indicates that Black and African American individuals are likely to face higher climate change impacts than all other demographic groups.

For example, the report illustrates the potential impact of 2°C (3.6°F) of global warming on Black and African American communities. This population is 34% more likely to live in areas with the highest projected increases in childhood asthma diagnoses. This rises to 41% under 4°C (7.2°F) global warming. In addition, 40% are more likely to live in areas with the highest projected increases in extreme temperature-related deaths. This rises to 59% under 4°C of global warming.

Hispanics and Latinos who have high participation in weather-exposed industries, such as construction and agriculture, are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. With 2°C (3.6°F) of global warming, Hispanic and Latino individuals are 43% more likely to live in areas with the highest projected reductions in labor hours due to extreme temperatures.

So, why are African Americans, Latinos, and limited resources communities excessively affected by climate change compared to other communities living in the same state or even the same city? To answer this question, it is important to remember that a community’s susceptibility and resilience determine the impacts of climate change or any natural disaster. Two critical components of climate susceptibility are pre-existing health status and living conditions.

According to a Princeton report¹, people of color are more likely to die of environmental causes, and more than half of the people who live close to hazardous waste are people of color. In Baltimore, Maryland, 60% of African Americans live within one mile of a toxic release industry, and 70% percent of African Americans live within two to four miles of one. The burdens of pollution, toxic waste and poisoned resources are not equally distributed across society.

A 2020 study by the Brookings Institute² revealed the net worth of a typical Black family is one-tenth of that of a white family. This lower income level, combined with limited access to education and poorer health status, is more prevalent in African American communities than non-Hispanic white communities.

The Biden administration established the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council to “Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations” as part of the presidential Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad announced in January 2021.

“We know that we cannot achieve health justice, economic justice, racial justice or educational justice without environmental justice. That is why President Biden and I are committed to addressing environmental injustice,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “This historic White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council will ensure that our administration’s work is informed by the insights, expertise and lived experience of environmental justice leaders from across the nation.”

As we celebrate Earth Day 2022, Prairie View A&M University researchers and students need to be on the front lines of dealing with the climate crisis. Their effort is essential to promote the communities of color’s response to the impact of climate change and contribute local knowledge to climate solutions. After all, providing data about the challenges and potential solutions are critical components of climate resilience. It’s essential to enhance curricula and support research and outreach activities around climate resiliency for all people, regardless of race and ethnicity, for a resilient and prospered humanity.

Ali Fares, Ph.D., is an endowed professor of Water Security and Water-Energy-Food Nexus at Prairie View A&M University.

1 https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/8/15/racial-disparities-and-climate-change
2 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/