responding

Respond to the two topics with a one paragraph for each.

1. Environmental Health Risks

I was actually somewhat surprised by the results of poking around on the subject of race and environmental concerns. I learned that Black and Hispanic communities are disproportionately affected by health concerns like lead poisoning, air quality, water contamination and more. Now, most of those didn't surprise me, but the air quality portion did. My bias is that I live downtown in Portland and with the amount of brake dust I smell, the exhaust, the cigarette smoke, etc. made be feel like air quality would effect people fairly equally. What I wasn't considering was proximity to industry which is a huge air quality/health risk. Because of these strong correlations, I believe race is a a reliable way of determining exposure to environmental risk.

I believe this environment is and isn't not due to racism. My (progressive and idealistic) mind believes that many of the people in the Portland community care for the concerns of their non-white brothers and sisters. Even if this is true now (and I'm sure many would argue it isn't - I hear you), the non-white community still suffers from racism of the past. Let's not forget that all black people were banned from Oregon in 1844 - absolutely disgusting. We can't pretend that the transition from that dark moment in Oregon history doesn't still effect black communities. So why do I say environmental disadvantage is and is not related to  racism? I feel like if I polled the populace of Portland, there would be overwhelming tolerance for non-white races, but instead it is the past racism that causes the disadvantage. Is this just my way of excusing my responsibility for the problem? I argue no. Just like it is unfair to hold a disadvantaged non-white individual accountable for the lineage of racism that causes their current disadvantaged situation, I don't believe that I, a white man, can be held responsible for the racism of my ancestors. This isn't to say I don't feel I like I should help solve the problems of my non-white peers. The biggest effect I feel I can current cause (as I have limited resources as a 20-year-old college student) is being warm and welcoming to all people and do my best to treat everyone with e respect I want for myself. 

Would love to hear others' thoughts on this...

Place's I visited:

- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(18)30219-5/fulltext

-https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2016/04/25/136361/5-things-to-know-about-communities-of-color-and-environmental-justice/

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zci9LD-Ay1I

2. The neighborhood that I reside in is located in the Bethany area in Beaverton, Oregon. The neighborhood is a great place with lots of access to different resources such as restaurants, groceries, banks, and other services. There are many paths for pedestrians and walking trails that are in great condition, which really does a great job in encouraging me to stay healthy by going out and exercising. Since there are a lot of green spaces and scenic views, it motivates me a lot more to go outside and go on runs since I enjoy running in my neighborhood. It is also not hard for me to maintain a healthy diet in my neighborhood because of the presence of many supermarkets that offer a variety of different ingredients. There also isn’t much fast food restaurants nearby, which is a positive thing since fast food chains often promote an unhealthy diet since they are cheap but does not provide much nutrition. 

There aren’t really any health barriers that I can think of in my neighborhood. I feel safe to go out and exercise since the an enhanced sheriff’s patrol district. The conditions of the paths and trails are always in good condition and fixed as soon as possible whenever there is damage to it since they are looked after by the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District. One barrier I can think of is travelling to distant places, however, there are bus stops around my neighborhood that can take me to nearby train stations. The only downside is the amount of time it takes, which is quite a lot when compared to just driving a vehicle.

I think that there is definitely a correlation between health and place based on both the readings and my own experiences. There are many factors of our built environment that is correlated to our health including sanitation, accessibility to services, workplace safety, access for people with disabilities, amount of green space, etc. This can lead to a range of health conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, depression, violence, and many other social inequities. Unfortunately, there are minorities who face environmental racism and are exposed to pollution as well as less access to resources. As a result, their health are negatively impacted. On top of that, there are many other factors that contribute to both place and health such as socioeconomic status, poverty, racial segregation, etc.

References:

-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447976/

-https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(18)30219-5/fulltext

- https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/01/401251/poor-health-when-poverty-becomes-disease