Blog #8

Is there evidence of environmental racism in your community/state/country? Yes, most recently in 2018, LA county had several elementary schools testing positive for lead. The drinking fountains tested 120 ppb when the federal level allowed is 5 ppb. The district has spent more than $50 million dollars to address the problem, yet none of the plumbing has been replaced. Where did the money go?

• Have you heard of environmental justice before? NO, not before this class.
• Have there been any environmental events in your area that would fall under the purview of environmental justice? Yes, In the central valley where there is much cultivation of agriculture, farm workers are constantly exposed to pesticides and made to work without proper protection.
• When you hear the phrase "social determinants of health" do you think of environmental justice as one of them? How can we incorporate environmental justice into our work to address the negative social determinants of health? When I hear the term "social determinants of health" I did not think of the term of environmental justice, but I do think about health disparities among the poor. We can incorporate environmental justice by providing more education to the poor, because they are more likely to be affected than more affluent populations.