In a recent PNAS study, Pascal Polonik and Kate Ricke of the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego and colleagues simulated various strategies to reduce emissions to meet US greenhouse gas reduction targets. They identified strategies that reduced overall emissions, but exacerbated inequalities, as well as strategies that succeeded in reducing the inequality in air pollution exposure for people of color. Give us an example Pascal?
“So, what we know from looking at the data is that there is a long history of racial inequity in the distribution of air pollution in the United States. The city of Jackson for example…But the idea of targeting racial disparities with environmental policy, in general, is very legally and politically fraught. And so, the idea of targeting low-income communities for air pollution reduction instead is less legally and politically fraught. And, historically, income and racial minority status—those are correlated, right? And so, we’re examining whether it’s possible to enhance equity in terms of racial equity in environmental protection by targeting low-income communities instead. And what we find is that that doesn’t work…”