How racist is the air you breathe?

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Monday April 28, 2014 · 8:53 AM PDT

2014/04/28 · 08:53

If you're Asian, Hispanic or Black it's quite racist, dirty and probably harming your health. If you're white not so much. A new study by the University of Minnesota has concluded that race is a determining factor in who is most affected by air pollution. The conclusion is that non-whites breathe air that is substantially more polluted than the air that white people breathe. Think Progress reveals why air pollution is a race issue.

According to Julian Marshall, who led the University’s research, race outweighed income in regards to who is most affected by poor air quality. When low-income white people were compared to high-income Hispanic people, the latter group experienced higher levels of nitrogen dioxide. Altogether, people of color in the U.S. breath air with 38 percent more nitrogen dioxide in it than their white counterparts, particularly due to power plants and exhaust from vehicles.
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Other evidence has also pointed to disproportionately high levels of air pollution in low-income and non-white communities. A 2012 study conducted by Yale University researchers revealed that “potentially dangerous compounds such as vanadium, nitrates and zinc” exist in locations with high concentrations of people of color, including African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. Unfortunately, people of color contribute the least amount of air pollutants, despite being the most heavily impacted by them.

The effects of racism permeate our culture negatively affecting the health and well being of minorities. This is not just true in the US. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced throughout the world, it will be the poor and those of color who will be affected first and most profoundly.

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