Ensuring Massachusetts vulnerable communities have equal access to a clean environment msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Kathleen Theoharides
This Earth Day it is not enough to celebrate past environmental success and ramp up strategies to combat climate change. We must also recognize that certain Massachusetts communities – low-income populations, communities of color, and communities with limited English proficiency – have been disproportionately burdened by environmental harms like pollution, while having limited or incomplete input into environmental decision-making.
This past year, long overdue public conversations on racial injustice have placed a spotlight on these inequalities in environmental impacts. Meanwhile, as we’ve grappled with a global public health challenge, studies have shown that air pollution makes people more vulnerable to diseases like COVID-19, highlighting the human cost of these disparities.