Who's to Blame: An Examination of Environmental Inequality
Loading...
Authors
Bennett, Krysta
Issue Date
2025-04-03
Type
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Description
Environmental inequality is exacerbated by multiple systems of oppression. Environmental
crises aren’t only created by systems of nature they are also affected by systems interacting with
the crisis. These systems interact in complex ways that disproportionately affect marginalized
communities which creates environmental inequality. Those systems of oppression are the
medical and science system, the legal system, and the government. We can see these systems
interact by examining the Michigan PBB crisis and the Flint Water Crisis. The PBB crisis
happened in 1973 when a chemical plant mixed polybrominated biphenyl into livestock feed and
contaminated cows throughout the state. This contamination began to affect the humans that ate
the livestock affected by the contamination. The Flint water crisis happened in 2013 when a
government-appointed official switched the water source for the city of Flint to the Flint River
without treating the pipes. This caused the residents of Flint to have lead in their homes and
eventually in their bodies. While these two crises differed on their timeline, scope, and
populations what is similar is the lack of or slow structural response, lack of accountability taken
from the systems, and a disproportionate impact on class or race. In each of these crises the
medical and science systems, the legal system and the government interacted to oppress those
affected by the crises. Looking at the history of Michigan allows us to see what we can do to
hold these systems accountable, examine environmental inequality through a new lens, and
hopefully find solutions to stop the further oppression of communities.