Environmental Sustainability & Studies

  The Hidden Truth About Man-Made Chemicals: Toxic Chemicals In the U.S  By: Kyanna Gonzalez In Kirsten Stolle’s exhibit titled Only You Can Prevent a Forest , Stolle used multiple art pieces to highlight the horrific acts major chemical companies commit upon the environment and its people. More specifically, the language and propaganda used by major chemical production companies were showcased in artistic ways, capturing the irony of how chemical agents advertise their products to consumers in the U.S. Positive pop art and bright colors in advertisements found in magazines continue to mask how deadly and problematic these chemicals are when used on a global scale. While research has shown that these chemicals are negatively affecting the environment and human health, these chemicals are still being distributed and used within the United States. Historically, the green revolution introduced the use of pesticides and fertilizers to produce higher-yielding crops and crops in are...

Urban Heat Islands: Political or Environmental Concern?      By: Kyanna Gonzalez      Political ecology can be used to illustrate how social inequality is tied to power, politics, and the environment on a global scale. For example, geographic maps of the U.S city of Baltimore depict contrasting levels of heat and income depending on the region in Baltimore, MD. The maps of Baltimore suggest that lower-income households experience higher levels of heat than wealthier households. This can be shown in the maps as areas with the least amount of income generated are correlated with areas that suffer hotter surface temperatures. The surface temperature is the hottest at the center of the map and gradually decreases as you leave the center of Baltimore. One possible explanation for this increased heat at the center of Baltimore could include that this is where the urbanized city is located. Cities are more densely populated than suburban areas and could contribute...

  The Black Experience in America: Social and Environmental Racism By: Kyanna Gonzalez Environmental racism and injustice can be seen in many forms throughout the world. Environmental injustice refers to how the unequal distribution of land and its resources can negatively affect poor and marginalized communities when compared to communities with more generated wealth and economic status. Poor and marginalized communities are often negatively affected by the environment that they reside in due to an inability to escape hazardous areas of toxic chemical manufacturing, resource extraction, and other human-driven impacts on the environment as a whole. Systems and policies implemented by the government and its institutions are used to economically limit racial minority groups. These policies such as redlining can directly impact racial and ethnic minority groups within the U.S and their ability to obtain environmental justice.  In Louisiana USA, a town called Reserve is considered...