Identifying an issue of environmental racism within your local community, as well as develop research questions to further your understanding on the environmental problem.
Assignment Directions
Define the concepts of environmental racism and environmental justice.
Research examples of environmental racism in America. Suggested examples include hazardous waste landfill, Warren County, North Carolina; Cancer Alley, Louisiana; Flint, Michigan; nuclear waste, Western Shoshone’s Yucca Mountain; and so on.
Identify one local example of environmental racism.
Develop five sociological research questions particular to the example under study. Some questions to consider are the following.
When did it begin and what is its history?
Who is responsible? Who contributed?
Who is affected by environmental racism and how are they affected? Are poor and racially diverse communities affected more than upper class and white communities?
How does environmental racism affect local communities?
What are the impacts on the community with specific reference to social and health consequences on communities?
Why do many believe that more must be done to safeguard the rights of all Americans around environmental health?
How big of a problem is environmental justice?
What are some communities doing to address the problems?
Assignment Deliverables
Your assignment this week is to write a two-page APA paper (not including cover page and reference page; no abstract required) about the issue of environmental justice and racism affecting your local community. You will use the guiding questions provided under tasks to organize your paper. Complete a Reference page where you cite sources and/or websites in APA format.
