Voices for the earth: Environmental Justice
Hello and welcome once again to a new action project for my humanities class. This time my class unit is called "Hxstory". In this unit we discussed Race, Gender, and class. We learned and discussed Brown V. Board of Education, Interest Convergence theory, Reparations, and intersectionality. For this class we talked to Anthony Holmes who is the first known torture survivors. We also talked with Isabel Strauss, a designer and architect who is investigating the ability of architecture to create an egalitarian society. Keeping these lessons in mind, we were asked to create a news story or podcast episode that reports on an issue of race, gender, and/or class 100 years in the future based on present-day activism. I created a podcast that captures the effects of oil drilling. Take a listen and enjoy!
We have seen this issue before. In 2023 we saw the Willow Project which was a $6 billion proposal from ConocoPhillips COP.N to drill oil and gas in Alaska. The project got approved by the Biden administration angering climate advocates and setting the stage for a court challenge. This motivated protestors to fight ten times harder. Protestors encouraged others to vote against Biden in the 2024 presidential election. The Willow Project took 7 years before drilling started, therefore, the protesters believed a new president could stop the approval of the drilling go farther. Drilling projects operated around the clock generating pollution, fueling climate change, disrupting wildlife and damaging public lands that were set aside to benefit all people. We saw the pattern of companies like COP.N taking advantage of low income neighborhoods to drill. Drilling took place on land owned by Indigenous communities or rural communities who may not have the same level of political or economic power as the corporations seeking to exploit the resources. This created power imbalances and exacerbated existing inequalities. Many of these oil wells were right smack in the middle of residential neighborhoods. In fact, the report from Liberty Hill found that "one quarter of active wells in the city were located on residentially zoned land" and 70 percent of wells in LA were located within a 1,500-foot buffer distance from residences or areas that present a high level of vulnerability for the land and the people who lived near it. According to Capital B news, living near sites of oil and gas drilling has been linked to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, severe respiratory illnesses, and depression. It also contributed to maternal health of mothers-to-be.
Many of the dozens of active oil wells in South Los Angeles were in historically Black and Hispanic communities that have been marginalized for decades. These neighborhoods are already considered among the most highly polluted, with the most vulnerable residents in the state. The lung function of 747 long-term residents , ages 10 to 85, and living near two drilling sites were measured and it was found that the closer someone lived to an active or recently idle well site, the poorer that person’s lung function was, even after adjusting for such other risk factors as smoking, asthma and living near a freeway. This research demonstrates a significant relationship between living near oil wells and worsened lung health.
We saw many different organizations taking a stand against drilling, like STAND-L.A. They made their voices heard on social media platforms, at protests, and public speaking events. After a decade of organizing and advocacy, the LA city council passed an ordinance to phase out oil drilling across the city becoming the first major city to do so. Stand LA demanded change while celebrating major community victory for environmental justice in LA as the city moved to phase out drilling. In September of 2022, there was a "yes" vote to uphold the contested legislation, Senate Bill 1137 (SB 1137), which would prohibit new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals and require companies to adopt health, safety, and environmental requirements in California. However this did not go into effect until many years later and did little to address health concerns for residents who lived near existing wells. Gov. Gavin Newsom had also proposed to phase out oil extraction, but the proposal would allow oil wells to continue operating until 2045. When oil production at a site stopped, it was observed that significant reductions in such toxins as benzene, toluene and n-hexane in the air in adjacent neighborhoods. These chemicals are known irritants, carcinogens and reproductive toxins. They are also associated with dizziness, headaches, fatigue, tremors and respiratory system irritation, including difficulty breathing and, at higher levels, impaired lung function.
Since 2045 until 2120, research showed that residents' health in areas where oil drilling is no longer active, improved significantly. Because of the improved health of these residents it allows them to work and eventually help give back to the community. This also gives them the opportunity to remove the stigma about lower income communities.
Today in 2123, we see people protesting to get a federal regulation passed. We are talking about HB 1140. This bill will prohibit new oil and gas wells within 4,000 feet of homes, schools, cities, neighborhoods, hospitals, and nursing homes in all 50 states. This bill would ensure that residents in these states' health will not be put at risk. This bill will also make sure that lower income communities will never be put through this again.
Today we have a special guest, her name is Addison Jordan . She is the representative behind EEA also known as the Equity Earth Alliance. Addison and her team go around the city making sure people are aware of this new regulation trying to be passed. She is here to talk about why this regulation is important and ways you can help and use your voice to get HB 1140 passed.
Me: how are you doing today?
Addison: Good, how about you?
Me: I'm great, so let’s get into it, how did you get involved in environmental justice?
Addison: Well growing up my mother was very into protesting for what she believed in and speaking at public events.
Me: wow, so you kind of just followed in her footsteps?
Addison: yeah i think i kind of always knew that i wanted to follow in her footsteps, she was always so proud of the work she did and i wanted to feel like that some day.
Me: Did you go to college to get more knowledge on environmental justice or did you major in something else?
Addison: Yeah, so I majored in environmental science. As someone who grew up in a polluted and neglected community I wanted to Learn how I could combat that through policy.
Me: So what advice would you give to someone who wants to help pass this regulation?
Addison: I would suggest that through public outcry we can demand changes in policies and regulations as it's important that young people express their voice through voting, protesting and writing to congress.
Me: That's amazing, thank you so much for joining us today. That's all we got today folks, I'll catch you on the next episode of voices for the earth.
Cited Sources
Jill Johnston Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine, and Bhavna Shamasunder Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy. “Los Angeles' Long, Troubled History with Urban Oil Drilling Is Nearing an End after Years of Health Concerns.” The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2023, https://theconversation.com/los-angeles-long-troubled-history-with-urban-oil-drilling-is-nearing-an-end-after-years-of-health-concerns-175983.
Nilsen, Ella. “Biden Administration Approves Controversial Willow Oil Project in Alaska, Which Has Galvanized Online Activism | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/13/politics/willow-project-alaska-oil-biden-approval-climate/index.html.
Wattenhofer, Jeff. “Report: Oil Drilling Runs Rampant in LA's Poor, Dense, and Non-White Neighborhoods.” Curbed LA, Curbed LA, 12 Nov. 2015, https://la.curbed.com/2015/11/12/9900930/los-angeles-oil-drilling-vulnerable-neighborhoods.
“7 Ways Oil and Gas Drilling Is Bad for the Environment.” The Wilderness Society, https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/7-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-environment.
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