Air pollution: Healthy neighborhoods are free of pollution and toxins that undermine safety, health, and well-being.
Insights & Analyses
- Nationally, The air pollution exposure index for cancer risk is 13 points higher for people of color than for white people. The index for Black people is 17 points higher than for white people.
- The air pollution index for cancer risk for people of color living below poverty is 13 points higher than for white people living above poverty.
- Although the air pollution exposure index for cancer risk has declined for most racial/ethnic groups since 2010, it increased slightly for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as well as for white people.
- On-road and off-road mobile sources contribute 4 points each to the air pollution exposure index for cancer risk for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, which is more than for other racial/ethnic groups.
- The air pollution exposure index for cancer risk is highest for Black residents in the cities of Sacramento and Fresno. It is lowest in the City and County of Honolulu and the city of Lubbock.
Drivers of Inequity
Research has shown that Black, Asian American, Latinx, and low-income communities in the United States are disproportionately exposed to air pollution. And despite higher PM2.5 exposure caused by the consumption habits of white residents, Black and Latinx breathe a disproportionate share of that pollution. This disparity of uneven exposure to air pollution is reflective of ongoing racial segregation forged through historical practices such as racially exclusive housing covenants and zoning laws, as well as discriminatory hiring and mortgage lending. These practices have dispossessed communities of color of economic and political power. As a result, communities of color are often located closer to highways, industrial plants, and other pollution sources.
Strategies
Grow an equitable economy: Policies to promote healthy environments for all
- Ensure development processes and land use planning produce healthy neighborhood environments.
- Require health impact assessments of new developments for potential threats to air quality.
- Prioritize green affordable housing near transit and institute safeguards to prevent displacement.
- Reduce hazardous chemicals, pesticides, and emissions from industrial plants, automobiles, and diesel engines.
- Increase community voice and leadership in planning and policymaking.
- Grant local government the authority and capacity to take legal action and enforce indoor air quality standards and laws.
- At the federal level, create programs that subsidize electric car and bicycle purchases for people with low incomes, pass a robust infrastructure bill that improves clean water and air in all communities while creating good jobs, and invest in public transportation to reduce private vehicle emissions.
Strategy in Action
Alabamans use peer education and ground-sourcing to mobilize for cleaner air. The Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP) organizes and empowers local residents to fight for climate sustainability and environmental justice. Many low-income communities in the Birmingham metro area have long contended with poor air quality, often due to proximity to pollution-heavy industry and transportation. As a result, many families in these communities grapple with chronic respiratory issues. GASP employs an array of strategies to improve local air quality and mobilize residents around environmental justice efforts, from joining litigation against local polluters to informing ordinary residents about the science of air pollution and the health consequences of poor air quality. Through the organization’s website, residents can report local sources of air pollution, which supports GASP organizers in identifying regional problem areas and building a comprehensive vision for a healthier future. Learn more.
Resources
- Reports: US Black and Hispanic Minorities Bear Disproportionate Burden from Air Pollution; Historical Redlining Is Associated with Present-Day Air Pollution Disparities in U.S. Cities; How The Principles Of Environmental Justice Can Improve Health Equity; Air pollution exposure disparities across US population and income groups
- Data: EJSCREEN: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool; Air Quality Index; EPA EnviroAtlas
