In recent news, the state of Texas has been hit with a cataclysmic snow storm and power outage, causing mass destruction and off-setting the lives of citizens. On a grim note, the Austin American Statesman claims the Texas crisis can reportedly be linked to half of the “more than 70 deaths” due to climate crises in the country. Texas is in dire need of assistance and support at the moment, because they are not equipped for an emergency at this level or magnitude, considering the fact that snow isn’t a common occurrence in the state. This crisis, however, is an environmental justice issue.
The freezing condition in the state of Texas is an environmental justice issue because of the direct effect it has had on the more impoverished and underrepresented communities. Environmental justice not only involves discrimination based off of race or gender, but also class and affluence. The less affluent areas of Texas were overlooked and their residents were left to deal with the issue alone and in fear. Sadly, the wealthy people and those in power have the opportunity to leave Texas in chaos while everyone else has to struggle with no way out. The justice implications of this catastrophe include the distrust and resentment of citizens to the state officials. The ice/snow storm can be identified as a “near-miss.” This “near-miss” means that it happened to a certain group of people, but no effect personally. This near-miss does not mean we should ignore the issue, rather, we should aim to grow from it. Hopefully, this will encourage the local and national government to identify this failure and take the opportunity to analyze their own infrastructure to maintain it. May they also work harder to protect the poorer areas and ensure their protection at all costs.
The local response in Texas has been incredibly underwhelming. Senator Ted Cruz decided to take a vacation at a rather considerably convenient time when his state is struggling. On the other hand, the national response, specifically by President Joe Biden, has been to approve the Texas Emergency Declaration. Overall, I feel as though this entire situation could potentially have been avoided if only the officials and people in power had been prepared for a situation such as this. May they learn and adapt from this, and may others who aren’t being affected personally assist citizens in any way that they can.
SOURCES
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/weather/winter-storm-weather-thursday/index.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/19/power-outages-texas-california-climate-crisis
- https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-tx.pdf
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/02/14/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-texas-emergency-declaration/
The freezing condition in the state of Texas is an environmental justice issue because of the direct effect it has had on the more impoverished and underrepresented communities. Environmental justice not only involves discrimination based off of race or gender, but also class and affluence. The less affluent areas of Texas were overlooked and their residents were left to deal with the issue alone and in fear. Sadly, the wealthy people and those in power have the opportunity to leave Texas in chaos while everyone else has to struggle with no way out. The justice implications of this catastrophe include the distrust and resentment of citizens to the state officials. The ice/snow storm can be identified as a “near-miss.” This “near-miss” means that it happened to a certain group of people, but no effect personally. This near-miss does not mean we should ignore the issue, rather, we should aim to grow from it. Hopefully, this will encourage the local and national government to identify this failure and take the opportunity to analyze their own infrastructure to maintain it. May they also work harder to protect the poorer areas and ensure their protection at all costs.
The local response in Texas has been incredibly underwhelming. Senator Ted Cruz decided to take a vacation at a rather considerably convenient time when his state is struggling. On the other hand, the national response, specifically by President Joe Biden, has been to approve the Texas Emergency Declaration. Overall, I feel as though this entire situation could potentially have been avoided if only the officials and people in power had been prepared for a situation such as this. May they learn and adapt from this, and may others who aren’t being affected personally assist citizens in any way that they can.
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- https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/weather/winter-storm-weather-thursday/index.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/19/power-outages-texas-california-climate-crisis
- https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-tx.pdf
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/02/14/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-texas-emergency-declaration/
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