ePub The USAF in Korea: Campaigns; Units and Stations 1950-1953 by Judy G. Endicott; Air Force History and Museums Program in History

Description

From St. Louis to New Orleans; from Baltimore to Oklahoma City; there are poor and minority neighborhoods so beset by pollution that just living in them can be hazardous to your health. Due to entrenched segregation; zoning ordinances that privilege wealthier communities; or because businesses have found the ‘paths of least resistance;’ there are many hazardous waste and toxic facilities in these communities; leading residents to experience health and wellness problems on top of the race and class discrimination most already experience. Taking stock of the recent environmental justice scholarship; Toxic Communities examines the connections among residential segregation; zoning; and exposure to environmental hazards. Renowned environmental sociologist Dorceta Taylor focuses on the locations of hazardous facilities in low-income and minority communities and shows how they have been dumped on; contaminated and exposed. Drawing on an array of historical and contemporary case studies from across the country; Taylor explores controversies over racially-motivated decisions in zoning laws; eminent domain; government regulation (or lack thereof); and urban renewal. She provides a comprehensive overview of the debate over whether or not there is a link between environmental transgressions and discrimination; drawing a clear picture of the state of the environmental justice field today and where it is going. In doing so; she introduces new concepts and theories for understanding environmental racism that will be essential for environmental justice scholars. A fascinating landmark study; Toxic Communities greatly contributes to the study of race; the environment; and space in the contemporary United States.