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Environmental Justice Quiz
Environmental Justice Quiz
Take our quiz and learn about environmental justice (this quiz was coauthored by NAACP and EARTHDAY.ORG)
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Where was the first major action that people consider the birthplace of the environmental justice movement
In 1982, a small, rural community in Warren County, North Carolina was designated to host a hazardous waste landfill which was approved by the state of North Carolina and well as the federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This landfill would accept PCB-contaminated soil that resulted from illegal dumping of toxic waste along roadways. Because of this, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and others staged a massive protest. More than 500 protesters were arrested, including Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., from the United Church of Christ, and Delegate Walter Fauntroy, then a member of the United States House of Representatives from the District of Columbia.
What year did the United Church for Christ Commission on Racial Justice publish its pivotal findings regarding race being the pivotal indicator for toxic waste placement (Toxic Wastes and Race)?
In 1987, the UCC released a historic report that highlighted that race was and continues to be a predominant factor in the placement of hazardous waste. Here is an excerpt from the report: “Recently, there has been unprecedented national concern over the problem of hazardous wastes. This concern has been focused upon the adverse environmental and health effects of toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances emanating from operating hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities as well as thousands of abandoned waste sites. Efforts to address this issue, however, have largely ignored the specific concerns of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans. Unfortunately, racial and ethnic Americans are far more likely to be unknowing victims of exposure to such substances. This report presents findings from two cross-sectional studies on demographic patterns associated with (1) commercial hazardous waste facilities and (2) uncontrolled toxic waste sites."
Children from families in low-income communities, historically excluded groups and/or communities of color are more likely to be at risk of exposure to environmental contaminants because they:
Children are particularly at risk for environmental contaminants because they may absorb more contaminants and metabolize differently; also, their developing nervous systems are more susceptible to chemicals. From conception through adolescence, children have critical developmental windows when the nervous system is more susceptible to damage. Both of these occur at significantly higher rates among low-income communities, historically excluded groups and/or communities of color.
What is the term that former NAACP lead, Dr. Ben Chavis, helped coin to explain environmental disparities in frontline and fenceline communities?
Dr. Ben Chavis, former CEO of the NAACP, shared that while he was jailed for protesting the PCB landfill site in Warren County, he began to recognize that in public policy as well as traditional conservation organizations, the connection between racial discrimination and environmental hazards was not being made. He also noted that he came to this conclusion due to the small numbers of Black and other people of color in environmental organizations.
True or False: Environmental Impact Statements (at a federal level) or reports (at a local level) are not supposed to include information to fully describe the impact or harm of a project in the community. A short summary that gives the high-level summary is appropriate
Environmental Impact Statements and reports are mandated for many new projects and are utilized to inform policy makers, community members, and others about the impact the project will have on the area. Because of this, the description of the impact on the community must have enough information to inform decision-making.
The average income of residents living within three miles of a coal power plant in 2000 was ___ less than the national average.
The presence of power plants and fuel resource extraction operations place a significant environmental burden on neighboring communities. Low-income communities and communities of color are directly and disproportionately affected by these facilities and are rarely included in decision-making processes related to where they are located.
What is a “forever chemical” that is seen in many communities, but is more prevalent in frontline and fenceline communities and finally got federal oversight in 2024?
PFAS are associated with a wide range of health risks in both human and animal studies—including cancer, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, interference with vaccine effectiveness, reproductive harm, and abnormal fetal development. It is considered toxic at any level, however in 2024, the EPA took steps to regulate PFAS in drinking water, plastic containers, and other sources.
True or false, areas that were redlined have been fixed and no longer have areas with higher air pollution
The discriminatory practice of redlining, which was a federal government- backed mortgage appraisal process to draw lines around Black communities labeling their houses as risky for mortgages continues to perpetuate environmental injustices. Decades later, these communities still suffer from poor air. In fact, people of color across the country are more likely to suffer from poor air quality regardless of socioeconomic levels.
Although people of color make up 42% of the overall population of the U.S., they are ____ of the population in counties with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and ____ of the residents in counties with the worst air quality.
People of color are disproportionately affected by poor air quality. According to a 2024 report, about 68.9 million people of color live in counties that received at least one failing grade for ozone and/or particle pollution. Over 27.5 million people of color live in counties that received failing grades on all three measures, including some 16.8 million Hispanic or Latino people.
True or False: People in low-income communities, historically excluded groups and/or communities of color are more likely to suffer negative health impacts due to climate change.
The conditions that increase vulnerability to the health hazards of climate change are overwhelmingly concentrated in low-income communities, historically excluded groups and/or communities of color. Further, communities of color are also more susceptible to suffer from energy insecurity, meaning they may not be able to properly heat or cool their homes. This means that the threat of environmental hazards and severe weather events are amplified in these communities in the era of climate change, causing increased negative health impacts.
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