As a society it has been ingrained into our subconscious that humans reign over and control the land. Some argue that patriarchal cultural structures which revolve around symbolism like the creation stories in the book of Genesis actively justify this domination (Hobgood-Oster 4). However, within ecofeminist readings like “The Ecology of Feminist and the Feminism of Ecology” author Ynestra King described a very different relationship between nature and humans. In particular, that “life on earth is an interconnected web, not a hierarchy. There is no natural hierarchy; human hierarchy is projected onto nature and then used to justify social domination” (King). Thus, in order to created a healthy and balanced ecosystem humans must change their perspective on nature. Rather than viewing themselves as dominating over nature and its nonhuman inhabitants. Humans must take into consideration that nature is in a constant conversation with us as it reacts to the pressures we place on it daily.
Unfortunately, as frequently as humans dominate and harm nature, we also do the same to one another. Within the reading “The Complexity of Identity: ‘Who Am I?'” by Beverly Daniel Tautm, the author describes the complications associated with figuring out ones true self. This is due to the fact that people tend to be a multidimensional mirror in which we see ourselves, “male or female; young or old; wealthy, middle class, or poor…the social, cultural, and historical context is the ground in which individuals identity is embedded” (Tautm 9-10). In 1989 Kimberle William Crenshaw became the first person to encapsulate this multidimensional mirror in one word, Intersectionality. Originally used to highlight the discrimination faced by black women in America. The term has evolved and is often used to help illuminate just how interconnected race, class, gender, disability, sexuality, caste, religion, and age are to the discrimination, oppression, and identity of not just women, but impoverished individuals and the natural environment.
Sadly, within the United States a false narrative has formed that views poverty as a voluntary condition, rather than an inescapable one. Currently, approximately fifty percent of U.S. residents live at or below the poverty line, while twenty-five percent are unemployed (Carter). As a result, an individuals race and class places a big role in where someone lives. Often individuals of color and those suffering with poverty are 
forced to live in areas surrounded with power plants and waste facilities. Generally, African Americans are two times more likely than a white person to live in an area with polluted air. They are also five times more likely to live walking distance to a chemical plant or waste facility (Carter). Thus, it is no surprise that obesity, asthma, and heart disease rates are rising within these communities. Without the proper funding or education the individuals living within these communities are unable to improve their environment and ultimately their health.Nonetheless, initiatives like the “Greening the Ghetto” movement started by Majora Carter have restored a sense of pride in the neighborhoods. In particular the “Greening the Ghetto” movement focuses on the South Bronx in which joblessness and environmentally born health problems kept community members from realizing their full potential. In order to improve living conditions one of the first projects focus on the Bronx River. The rivers restoration not only created new jobs in the community, but also created a cleaner environment for residents.
Whether we realize it or not intersectionality plays a big roll within our personal lives and also the environment. At times it may be easier to see how environment degradation effects those living within low income countries where women must walk miles to get fresh water from the river. However, what we seem to forget is that within one of the most developed countries in the world like the United States environmental racism is quite prevalent. For instance, the Flint Water Crisis is a blatant reminder of things that seem to go unperceived on a daily, like an individual’s ability to financially afford to purchase access clean water or their inability to move away from such terrible conditions.
Sources:
https://medium.com/black-feminist-thought-2016/the-necessity-of-black-women-s-standpoint-and-intersectionality-in-environmental-movements-fc52d4277616
https://umassd.umassonline.net/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_1486028_1&course_id=_21926_1&framesetWrapped=true
https://www.american.edu/ocl/volunteer/upload/beverly-tatum-the-complexity-of-identity.pdf
https://www.theroot.com/greening-the-ghetto-1790869239
Hello Angela,
I could not agree more with this blog, that we made a hierarchy in our society and project it onto our world. There not a food chain, but a food web. That we use to live like a food chain, there is the base and from there, one consumes the other going up the ranks. Well that is not how it works, rather it is an integrated process where there are producers and consumers, but they are all integrated, one needing the other and working together to keep moving forward. It is sad that as you pointed out, in America which is suppose to be the wealthiest (economy) nation in the world, then why does half of the country live at or below the poverty line? how does such a wealthy country allow such a state of affairs? It is sad to see that poorer communities which consists more of minorities than whites are the ones that get pushed around. That have to live with undrinkable water, near chemical plants, near nuclear waste deposits. Most communities live by NIMBY, which is not in my back yard, lucky for those communities they have the means to keep these hazards out of their community. The poorer and impoverished communities not only cannot really fight to keep these hazards out of their community, but usually get incentivised, literally being bribed to live in substandard conditions, not really giving them a choice to say no to that chemical plant. Overall I enjoyed your ideas and you made some well defined points of disparities between the poor and wealthy commonly the minorities Vs the majority.
Hi Angela! After reading your blog I wanted to talk about how you talked about, “Greening the Ghetto” movement started by Majora Carter, which has restored a sense of pride in the neighborhoods. In particular, the “Greening the Ghetto” movement focuses on the South Bronx in which joblessness and environmentally born health problems kept community members from realizing their full potential.” I really liked this example because it shows no matter where you live, who you are, or your background, you can have a positive impact in your community and connect to nature in ways you never thought possible. I also wanted to mention that I really liked your example of intersectionality shown within Flint Michigan and the Flint Water Crisis. It is crazy to think that something like that exists in the 21st century where normal everyday people do not have access to clean water or have to walk miles to get it. Have you heard that Jaden Smith, Will Smiths’ son, recently founded the creation of and donated these things called, Water Boxes. They are devices that they put in the areas of flint Michigan that need freshwater the most and are used to allow families to bring empty jugs to them to fill up and bring home. Here is a link to the official website if you want to know more about it! https://www.501cthree.org/
I also just wanted to point out that I really liked that you added a video to the TED talk about the Greening The Ghetto topic, it was very interesting to watch and allowed me to understand the topic more! Overall, great post this week and I look forwards to reading more.
I connected with your post especially this certain comment “Unfortunately, as frequently as humans dominate and harm nature, we also do the same to one another.” It’s so sad the amount of black on black crime that I see everyday. Or just crime on crime done to humans. In the past two weeks 4 kids have passed away due to shootings. Yes you heard me right KIDS. 2 were teens, 2 were school age. It’s so disheartening to see how we treat nature and once we compare it to humans we realize we are doing the same thing. I know coronavirus has been so negative but crime rates are going down, the earth is breathing, not a lot of people are driving so the air isn’t as polluted. The earth can heal when everyone respects it, same goes for humans.