Environmental racism is almost definitely a class issue, but where race often comes into play is in the way cases like these are not addressed (if they’re even addressed at all) with the same level of concern/furor if those affected had been white. Media, political officials, law enforcement, activists just don’t get as riled up about it. The consequence of course is that perpetrators know they are unlikely to be held accountable.

But I think that might be (very slowly) changing, as there’s been more focus on environmental racism in the last decade. At least, some environmentalists and activists are taking note.

A little more information from the World Council of Churches website: Old Wine in a New Bottle.

I encourage you to read the original study (which I would be happy to send you if you email me). I think the ABC/AP journalists are taking advantage of American scientific illiteracy and our country’s unfortunate history of screwing over the poor and minorities to push a sensationalist piece that seems to reflect reality very poorly. I actually read the original scientific article (and blogged about it over at http://bio-rocks.blogspot.com). Before it ever reaches lawns (or the store, this product is commercially available), the “sludge” is composted for 45 days and then pasteurized (which, incidentally, is how we make milk safe to drink). The substance they used is actually an organic compost fertilizer and not “sludge” or human wastes, as the article claims. As part of the study, the researchers measured the amount of toxic chemicals (actually: trace amounts of lead, zinc, and other substances found naturally in soil) in the compost fertilizer (which turns out to be extremely below the EPA’s safe limits, and also negligible compared to what was already in the soil).

One reason I wish more journals were open-access is that the media couldn’t exploit people who don’t have access to the original research and make false claims. What we have here is an environmentally-friendly, organic way to deal with human waste, that has been on the market for many years. These journalists make it seem like the scientists poured raw sewage on poor people’s lawns. They did not.

You can email the study to ms dot theologian at gmail dot com.

To me it seems that the issue is one of informed consent, and it certainly seemed from the three articles that this was not present.