Poverty & the Environment - Making the Link in NC

Inspired by a recent seven week series on Grist online magazine on poverty and the environment, we will launch a weeklong discussion of the topic “Poverty and the Environment in NC” on our blog starting Monday April 24. Here’s a preview of what’s to come…

Our own Grady McCallie will start things off with an analysis of the link between poverty and environmental issues in North Carolina.  Then three grassroots activists will be adding their thoughts, starting with Kathy Knight, the Director of the Area Wide Health Committee of Concerned Citizens of Tillery.  Kathy offers some clear advice to environmentalists on working with poor communities:

What needs to be understood is that poverty creates its own priorities. Those who would damage the environment are clear about those concepts. That’s why they choose poor communities to bring the destruction to. The community of people who wish to protect the environment need to understand those realities as well.

Frank Warren, President of Greene Citizens for a Responsible Environment, will discuss the effort to fight mega-landfills being proposed in eastern NC:  

Landfills feed on poverty – it is essential for their development.  They are drawn to areas of job loss and low income – as are all environmentally disastrous businesses or endeavors.

And Hope Taylor-Guevara, Director of Clean Water for North Carolina, will discuss how safe drinking water is an issue that especially affects low income communities.

As Clean Water for North Carolina has found in working with communities across the state, people with the lowest incomes are the least likely to know of nearby contaminated sites or other possible threats to their water, the least likely to test their private well or know how to get state or local agencies to help with testing, and the least likely to get access to a safe replacement water supply when contamination is found.

Be sure to tune in next week and add your thoughts to the discussion.  Or feel free to start the discussion now!