Ecology Essay Sample: Air Pollution

Air pollution is a big problem in Bronx, New York to the extent that residents of the community have an environmental justice organization in response to high rates of asthma that stem from the air pollution. SouthBronx Unite is the organization that has been formed by residents of the Bronx in response to high levels of pollution. The demographics that are affected by the high levels of air pollution in the Bronx, New York are African Americans and Latinos (Walshe, 2015). Given that minority groups are the ones that have to grapple with high levels of air pollution in the Bronx, New York, it is not farfetched to state Whites, and minority groups in the United States of America breathe different quality of air (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). The level of air pollution that residents of South Bronx have to contend with is tantamount to environmental racism (Walshe, 2015).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Air pollution in the Bronx is caused by a concert of factors. There are four major highways that funnel commercial and other forms of traffic in and Manhattan. Truck exhaust is a major cause of pollution in South Bronx. There are fossil fuel plants nearby; there is also a sewage treatment facility nearby, a printing center and a sewage treatment facility (Walshe, 2015).

Levels of pollution in the Bronx are too high to the extent that individuals have developed asthma and later compelled to use nebulizer compressors on a frequent basis for respiratory therapy. Over population of South Bronx neighborhoods play a major role in aggravating asthma. Without nebulizer compressors, breathing for many residents of South Bronx would be difficult. The individuals with asthma also walk with inhalers in case of an asthma attack that may be fueled by fumes from passing diesel trucks. Dealing with asthma attacks has become a daily activity for many residents of South Bronx. Studies have revealed that African Americans and Latinos are the demographic with the highest rates of Asthma in the United States. As a matter of fact, twenty-five percent of children who belong to minority groups suffer from asthma, and asthma-related deaths among minorities are five times that of the national rate (Walshe, 2015).

Proposed recommendations on how to deal with the problem of air pollution in the Bronx includes stopping the relocation of the proposed FreshDirect trucking business to the Bronx, testifying at public hearings and protesting against the proposed relocation. Lobbying of politicians is also being used by SouthBronx Unite organization to ensure that the proposed relocation of the trucking business does not come to fruition. The organization has also filed law suits to prevent the relocation of the trucking business. Using of human blockades could help in preventing the relocation of the trucks.

References

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2015, June 10). Environmental Justice. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljusticeWalshe, Sadhbh (2015). Environmental racism: Bronx activists decry Fresh Directs Impact on Air Quality. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/09/fresh-direct-south-bronx-clean-air-environmental-racism