All of us have read of our rich culture, of India’s
rich heritage, read about the amount of gold we had, are aware of our past
glory of acquiring the numerous resources then unknown to the outside world.
And yet we are a developing nation now. Our cities are termed as being highly polluted,
our standards inhuman, our means wrong and our economic growth hampered while
on the other hand those nations which looted our wealth are the developed
nations. Have we ever thought why it is so? Ever given a penny for thoughts as
to where the huge amount of waste actually goes that is
generated by the
developed nations which are so clean and tidy?
Environmental Racism --- a term coined to define such
injustice which involves inequality of standards among nations. It refers to
the geographic relationships between environment degradation and low-income or
minority communities. It can be defined as a kind of racism between the
developed nations and the developing ones. It is a racism which is grasping us
all in its poisonous claws. The waste produced in the developed nations are
dumped in the developing nations degrading the environment of that developing
nation in the progress and then grumbling of its unhygienic conditions and its
backwardness. These wastes which are by no means harmless pollute the
environment, spread diseases and degrade the environment but the developed
nations belittle their hand in this heinous crime and point fingers at the
developing nation of being a threat to the world.
It all started in the 1980s when in Warren Country
of South Carolina, USA filed a report against dumping of toxic wastes by
companies and thus degrading its environment. Thereafter various reports have
been issued, various cases filed all for the justice of environment. Uneven
environmental procedures, uneven environmental impacts, intentional targeting
and dumping wastes in minority communities where people are not so affluent and
not aware of their rights or insufficient of environmental amenities are most
susceptible areas of environmental racism. Thereafter, Chicago, Pennsylvania,
Dickson in USA; Guiyu, China; Bhopal, India and numerous have all have been
subjected to improper disposal of wastes. These places being not so developed
have been the disposal centre of wastes and in turn have degraded their
environment.
But sanity
has not become extinct. While there is still time, people have become aware of
the larger picture. Drafts and acts have come up. Large companies which do not
actually give a heed to these grave issues are being combated with public
hearings, meetings with company representatives, legislations and lawsuits.
Waste reduction should be a top most priority as the capacity of this world is
limited. Just dumping of goods at the garbage place does not make them
disappear. Discarding electronic goods at such an alarming rate amounts to the
huge e-waste generated. Instead of blindly and shortsightedly dumping such
goods, one should give a thought to the outcome of it. E-wastes generated by
the whole world is generally dumped in India, China and Pakistan where due to
improper machinery and facility, they are not safely disposed of. This results
in various diseases, mutations and degradation of the environment. The developed
nations should be responsible for their own wastes and try and disarm their
wastes in their own countries instead of harming developing nations of Africa
and Asia. They should look beyond the ‘monetary-benefit’ and think of the
larger picture which involves the whole world. This way, environmental racism
can be washed off the face of the world and a greener; less polluted world can
be lived in.
“Judge not by colour: For the darkest colour may radiate the most illuminated Light.
 |
| Environment and Humans are intricately intertwined. Realise it and Abolish the Racism! |
“Judge not by colour: For the darkest colour may radiate the most illuminated Light.
Judge not by creed: For the Lowest creed may be the most Educated.
Judge not by race: For the most humble and unknown races may change History.
Judge not by living standards: For they are the Fathers’ of Civilization.”
Judge not by race: For the most humble and unknown races may change History.
Judge not by living standards: For they are the Fathers’ of Civilization.”
