Highwire Earth

Revisit Prof. Laurel Mei-Singh’s article on environmental justice.

Yesterday, a federal judge in Michigan gave preliminary approval to a $641 million partial settlement of lawsuits filed by victims of the Flint water crisis. Last week, former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was charged with two counts of willful neglect. U.S. District Judge Judith Levy wrote in yesterday’s court opinion, “there may be no amount of money that would fully recognize the harm the residents of Flint have experienced.” This settlement will be one step on a long road towards justice for the community.

From Prof. Mei-Singh’s article: “I recount this history to show that, when tackling environmental racism in Trenton, a narrow focus on the intentional decisions of racist individual policymakers cannot possibly address the myriad environmental injustices that the people of Trenton face. Rather, the issue of lead poisoning and the failure of those with political power to address this problem cannot be separated from long and overlapping histories of racism, capitalist restructuring, and careless development plans literally built into the environment. Addressing this issue requires first and foremost an awareness of the many processes that have historically produced the organized abandonment of the city.”

Full article at the link in bio!

Wondering how to give more effectively this holiday season? Check out Tim Treuer's guide to carbon offsetting!

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