In the US, Black moms in poor neighborhoods tend to have dirtier air and water than wealthy white men. This is because various forms of privilege intersect: It’s not just systemic racism or only socioeconomic disadvantage that makes those moms so susceptible to the impacts of pollution and climate change, but the one-two punch of both.
Knowing how environmental issues affect different groups of marginalized people in unique and often overlapping ways can help us build a more sustainable and equitable world. Fortunately, many organizations and individuals are already hard at work with intersectionality at the heart of their fight for environmental justice.