Category Archives: Beat

The Great Canadian North in Crisis

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photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

The Canadian Arctic is changing, fast. Facing warming rates double the rates of the rest of the globe, Canadian northerners have no choice but to adapt to survive. Worry is pervasive in the region that already suffers from isolation, food insecurity, and chronic poverty. Parents must send their children to school hungry because the decline in wild game populations and good berry harvests can no longer balance their diets. Once routine, safe and prosperous hunting trips now leave families anxiously praying for the safe return of their loved ones. The weather has become unpredictable and the ice uncharacteristically thin. Cultural, traditional and physical survival hang in the air.

When most people think of the Canadian Arctic, it is the region’s majestic landscape that comes to mind. Magnificent boreal forests and sweeping tundra stretch across the region. The region contains a staggering 40% of the Canada’s landmass and includes 70% of Canada’s 200 000 km long coastline. It is so cold that 90% of the region is uninhabitable yet humans have lived there for 20 000 years. It is an icon of beauty and pride to all Canadians, north and south.

But for the 100, 000 people, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit, who call the Canadian North home this is a landscape at risk. They make up 56% of the population of the north, more than anywhere else in Canada, and stand to lose the most. Their cultures are so tied to the land, animals and plants of the region that their livelihoods, traditions, and mental and physical health are at grave risk. The indigenous people of the Arctic are already feeling the effects of climate change, and they are some of the least responsible.

As a proud Canadian, I refuse to accept such injustice as the norm. Throughout the semester I will examine the current and predicted impacts of climate change on the lives of the indigenous cultures in the North. I will explore gaps in policy that are leaving fellow Canadians behind. My hope is to expose current injustices and highlight proposed solutions. When you can’t reverse climate change, what can we do to strengthen the communities threatened by it?

Opportunity Blows in the Wind

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offshore-power

Offshore wind turbines offer clean energy and jobs to MA

Swirling autumn leaves, winter blizzards, sweet summer breezes. What if our classic New England weather could be our source of energy too? A largely untapped renewable energy source, offshore wind offers clean energy and a boost to the local economy that Massachusetts can capitalize on.

With recent international agreements and Obama’s proposed plan on climate change, the United States energy sector is at a precipice of change and opportunity. In the midst of retiring power plants, energy sources are in flux. Natural gas and renewable energy compete to takeover as major energy sources. Infrastructure commitments made today will last for 60 years, with far reaching consequences for the climate. The choices we make today are critical.

As a global issue, climate change requires global collaboration. But this starts with a local commitment to clean energy. Here in Massachusetts, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that this commitment is both feasible and beneficial. Massachusetts is already a leader for energy efficiency. And with our coastal location and classic New England weather, Massachusetts is poised to become a leader in offshore wind production as well. In August, Governor Baker of Massachusetts signed a historic energy bill with a major commitment to offshore wind. The bill commits to 1,600 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind, the largest pledge to this renewable energy source in the United States. Once implemented, this could power 240,000 homes in the state. This was a bold move considering that the infamous Cape Wind Project off Cape Cod failed after 15 years of public opposition and controversy.

The Massachusetts government is willing to gamble on offshore wind, due in large part to economic considerations. Massachusetts is 45th in total energy production and almost three-quarters of the state’s electricity generation is fueled by imported natural gas. Without local ties to the energy production, Massachusetts has the freedom to try energy alternatives. And investment in offshore wind will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution, it will also create local short-term and long-term jobs. Offshore wind can bring energy production for Massachusetts to Massachusetts.

If Massachusetts’s new commitment to wind energy is going to avoid the same fate as Cape Wind, there are some big questions that need to be answered. What lessons can be learned from the failed implementation of Cape Wind? How can a repeat be avoided in future offshore wind projects? And in contrast, what lessons can be taken from the successful European large-scale offshore wind projects and applied to Massachusetts? Are local utility companies willing to cooperate with offshore wind production companies? Achieving the offshore wind commitment outlined in the energy bill will not be simple. As the failed Cape Wind Project demonstrated, economics, politics, and public opinion complicate the process and require careful, deliberate approaches. By investigating current offshore wind technology, lessons from previous energy projects, and the political tensions of state energy, I will examine the possibilities and challenges of implementing this energy source in Massachusetts.

The Invisible Evil of Fossil Fuels

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With your eyes on the road and foot on the gas, the world is yours… until the gas symbol glows amber. Your first thoughts may be, “How far can I possibly make it before my tank is empty?” or, “Oh great, another chunk of my paycheck going to the pump.” Drivers are oil and gas consumers, and our first concern is often related to our pocketbook. Environmental do-gooders may go further by thinking about reducing their contribution to carbon emissions when they fill up. However, an invisible evil persists in the fossil fuel industry that few think about: air pollution in poor communities. Local human health effects are largely influenced by the production of fossil fuels, yet most people and environmentalists ignore such local concerns, instead focusing on global climate change.

Nosebleeds, asthma attacks, and cases of childhood leukemia are pervasive in Galena Park and Manchester—two primarily Hispanic neighborhoods near the Houston Ship Channel, a seaport area dominated by the petrochemical industrial complex. Toxic chemicals float in the air surrounding homes and playgrounds. Benzene, a carcinogenic chemical also responsible for birth defects, leaks from oil pipelines transporting oil and gas for processing. Residents here cannot ignore oil refinery air pollution; it is part of their everyday life. Many homeowners work in the petrochemical industry and rely on that income.

Oil refinery air pollution is a part of everyday life for this family at Hartman Park in Manchester. Daniel Kramer

Air pollution from the oil refinery is a part of everyday life for this family at Hartman Park in Manchester. Daniel Kramer

Galena Park and Manchester are just two neighborhoods among many that face the consequences of air pollution from fossil fuel production. These are examples of environmental injustice, which the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) defines as occurrences in which “people who live, work, and play in America’s most polluted environments are commonly people of color and the poor.” Issues of environmental justice are particularly important to cover, as many of those affected do not have adequate resources to combat these issues alone, especially against powerful industries, such as the oil and gas industry in the United States.

I will explore the political, economic, and scientific aspects of toxic air pollution from fossil fuel production using the interdisciplinary background that I have developed in environmental studies. My goal is to amplify the voices of various communities in the United States affected by air pollution from fossil fuel production in order to spread awareness beyond affected communities. After studying environmental issues as a student at Wellesley for three years, I strongly believe that issues of environmental justice must be brought to the forefront of discussions within the mainstream environmental movement, which can serve as a powerful ally to improve environmental conditions for communities that are often overlooked.

 

People Power: The Fight for Environmental Justice Continues in Southeast Los Angeles

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Community members rally in front of a school near Exide in Maywood, CA.

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The unexpected closure of the Exide Technologies facility in Vernon, California in March 2015 left the communities of Southeast Los Angeles with more questions than answers: What is the full extent of the Exide’s contamination given their egregious record of environmental violations? Why are governmental agencies not responding more quickly to this public health emergency? And why is there a lack of resources and funding allocated to address this environmental justice issue? Although Exide’s contamination is a local problem, the answers to these questions provide ethical, political, economic, and social implications that are transferable to other communities negatively impacted by the activities of the lead-acid battery recycling industry.

Recent news reveals that over 10,000 homes in East and Southeast Los Angeles have been contaminated with lead, arsenic, and other hazardous chemicals that are characteristic of Exide’s activities. In the process of separating parts of lead-acid batteries and melting the lead that could be reused, Exide was responsible for emitting lead and other chemicals into nearby communities. The sheer number of homes and people affected should have prompted a quick response, but the failures at the Department of Toxic Substances Control prevented such action. Although the Department earmarked $9 million to remediate about 200 homes, the thousands more homes that require remediation could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. These revelations have created outrage and distrust among community members who believe the Department continues to perpetuate environmental injustice despite the fact that it was created to protect the public’s health.

Exide’s history in Vernon is not an anomaly, but it is representative of how a politically and socially disenfranchised community continues to be marginalized even after overcoming the hurdle of closing a polluting facility. Documenting the aftermath of Exide’s closure would increase visibility of this issue and also create a historical account for future reference.

 

How Do You Like Them Apples: An Exploration of the “Underside” of GM Crops

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We’ve heard about the benefits of genetically modified crops to consumers in developing countries. We’re also aware of the ubiquity of GMOs in the American food supply, and we’re familiar with the anti-corporate and environmentalist arguments against them. Above all, we are well acquainted with the debate on GMO labeling—all news sources highlight US consumers’ great mistrust of GM crops. A recent Wall Street Journal article explained that consumers are so wary of GMOs that producers will pay to label their goods “GMO free,” even when their products – like salt – contain no genes to modify at all. This stigma, contradictory to the scientific opinion that GM crops are safe to consume, has fueled the controversy surrounding GMOs, and has stifled potential innovation. While we’ve heard about Golden Rice and increased cotton yields in India, we’ve heard little about GM products aimed toward US consumer tastes. Such technologies, like the non-browning Arctic Apple and carcinogen-free Innate Potato, would provide direct gains to US consumers and could potentially shift opinion on GM crops.

For my beat, I will highlight stories like these – exposing the “underside” of GMOs. I will synthesize GMO research from a nuanced perspective, bringing to the public’s attention potential uses for and issues with the technology. Are farmers in the US following proper protocol to keep environmental problems surrounding GMOs at bay? Could GMOs be used to grow more food in the face of drought in California? Lesser explored questions like these are crucial to problems facing our future food supply, and providing consumers with balanced information is our best strategy for finding solutions.