In the articles, “Racial Capitalocene” by Francoise Vergès and “New York’s Invisible Climate Migrants” by Sophie Kasakove, there was a sense of discussion when it came to race playing a big factor when it comes to environments. Both articles established the idea that the environments that people live in are influenced heavily by their race and it can serve as a detriment.
In the article, “Racial Capitalocene,” by Francoise Vergès, it states, “It showed that race was the single most important factor in determining where toxic waste facilities were sited in the United States and that the siting of these facilities in communities of color was the intentional result of local, state, and federal land-use policies…The report demonstrated that “three out of every five Black and Hispanic Americans lived in communities with uncontrolled toxic waste sites.” Many minority people are surrounded by toxic waste sites that are not controlled and it goes to show the lack of the amount of care that corporations and the government have for the people. The fact that many minorities live in areas with toxic waste sites establishes the idea that there is not much concern being put for their lives and well-being and it displays how race influences the environments that people live in.
The article, “New York’s Invisible Climate Migrants,” Sophie Kasakove, states, “In the Rockaways, in Queens, and Brooklyn’s Canarsie, the median asking rent is $1,837 and $2,000, respectively, compared with an overall median of $2,199 in Queens and $2,500 in Brooklyn…In 2017, in Canarsie and neighboring Flatlands, 62 percent of the population identified as black and the homeownership rate was 57 percent, the highest of any neighborhood in Brooklyn.” The areas within New York that are more available to people of the middle class are the same areas that do not have good public transportation and they have to deal with climate change. Many minorities are within those areas and they have to put up with the circumstances that they have within their environments. Kasakove states, “Many who applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are still waiting today. And flood insurance rates have increased in some neighborhoods by as much as 18 percent per year…” The people within the areas that suffered from climate change have to deal with agencies not giving the money to recover from the climate change and they also have to pay higher flood insurance rates within those areas. Many minorities are from those areas and they cannot afford living in other areas in the city due to the high prices and they have to deal with the climate change in their environments. Race is an influence for the environments that people live in.