Reduced climate protections increase racism

   During his Presidency, President Trump proposed to allow coal and oil companies to release more pollutants into the air in order to boost U.S. production and decrease manufacturing costs. He presents this as a way to improve the U.S. economy, return more energy jobs to the U.S., and have greater energy independence from foreign imports. 

   Some students--and community members-- see any attempt to introduce the topic of racial inequity into this discussion as “playing the race card” for political gain of the Democratic party. 

   A useful question for teachers and other discussion leaders is, Has anyone seen any information on air pollution and COVID-19, the virus pandemic that ravaged communities all over the world in 2020? 

   Recent studies in Europe and out of Harvard University suggest a link between higher levels of exposure to particulate matter (PM), small particles put in the air by coal and gasoline use, and susceptibility to COVID-19. More people of color live in big cities where they have a higher risk of PM exposure, lung and heart disease and ultimately death than people in suburban and rural areas. People of color suffer more from environmental pollution. 

Perhaps the students or other learners in the room could do a quick phone or computer Google search for the Harvard study or other info and consider its connection to COVID-19 and the effort to reduce pollutant controls. 

   Such activity shows learners how to step out of “politics” and into the facts of a deeper analysis of news that directly impacts their lives and those of others. With careful listening to each other and deeper analysis, learners can uncover an institutional cause of racial disparity that is sometimes hidden—and avoided—because people don’t know how to talk about race.   Published July 3,  2020