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Environmental Racism

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1. The sacrifices that everyone should endeavor for the greater good of the environment includes reducing one’s carbon footprint. Driving a vehicle emits more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, therefore by purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle it thereby releases a smaller amount of greenhouse gases and reduces America’s reliance on oil (EPA, 2016). The notion of sacrifices can start by minimizing driving habits by utilizing public transportation, avoiding products that can’t be recycled and/or reused, being cautious of water usage, and choosing the option to go paperless on bills to avoid a surplus of mail (Miller & Spitzner, 62-63, 2011). Furthermore, the EPA states by improving the efficiency of energy usage in one’s home it can as a result reduce greenhouse gases; by using Energy Star lightbulbs in light fixtures, and properly sealing air leaks with insulation, it can reduce the amount of air conditioning needed to cool or heat a home, as a result reducing greenhouse emissions (EPA, 2016).
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Environmental racism is demonstrated in many lower socioeconomic areas, furthermore large-scale factories and waste dumps are placed specifically in these regions, due to the the lack of resources to confront major companies and due to lack of support from environmental activists (Flowers & Zeese, 2013). Environmental classism can be referred to as the connection between the space of ecological deprivation and lower socioeconomic communities (Corkum, 2014). Environmental classism concentrates on minority groups in the United States. As a result, waste and industrial companies prey on poorer neighborhoods, which are prime areas for these companies to place waste products (Corkum,

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