Environmental Racism and Climate Change

Introduction

The relationship between the environment and race is a complex one. It's a subtle form of racism, based on systemic inequity embedded in Canada's history. This post examines how climate change intensifies racial and colonial disparities, placing racialized communities as the frontlines of environmental disasters. While environmental racism has historical roots, the acceleration of climate change has created a new level of inequality: who is displaced, who breathes clean air, and who survives the next wildfire or flood.

Where Pollution and Race Overlap

Environmental racism is not random. Polluting industries and hazardous sites are overwhelmingly placed near racialized communities, exposing them to toxins that have long-term impacts on their health (Waldron, 2024).

Even here in Canada, Waldron (2024) describes a disturbing national pattern: Africville, Shelburne, Lincolnville, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Grassy Narrows, and Pictou Landing all faced landfills, petrochemical emissions, mercury contamination, or industrial runoff. Often without meaningful consultation or political recourse.

These patterns reflect a broader reality: racialized neighbourhoods are treated as “sacrifice zones,” where environmental harm is made acceptable because the residents lack political power or public visibility. This is not just environmental mismanagement, but a deliberate racialized land policy.

Climate Change Amplifies Existing Inequalities

Climate change does not create inequality; it magnifies what already exists. Racialized populations are more likely to live in hotter neighbourhoods, in housing without adequate cooling, and near major sources of pollution (Berberian et al., 2022). As heat waves intensify, low-income and racialized residents face disproportionate health risks due to “urban heat islands,” which are hotter, concrete-dominated neighbourhoods with fewer trees and parks. These communities also experience higher asthma rates, increased cardiovascular risk, and reduced access to green spaces.

This is where environmental racism and climate change intersect: pollution weakens health, and climate stressors exploit that vulnerability.

Wildfires and the Intersection of Race, Geography, and Colonialism

The Rapid Review published by the Public Health Agency of Canada reveals that wildfire impacts are highly unequal (2024). Indigenous communities make up only 5% of Canada’s population, but represent 42% of wildfire evacuations.

This disparity is not accidental. Colonial land displacement has forced many First Nations into remote regions that are more fire-prone, isolated, and lacking in emergency infrastructure. The review documents (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2024):

• Higher asthma and pneumonia rates during wildfire seasons among Dene and Inuit communities (p. 10)

• Long-term mental health impacts, including PTSD and “solastalgia” — grief caused by environmental loss (p. 11)

• Evacuation trauma mirroring earlier colonial displacements, such as residential schools (p. 11–12)

Because many Indigenous peoples rely on the land for cultural, spiritual, and economic practices, wildfires destroy not just homes but entire ways of life.

Discussion Question

If climate change disproportionately harms racialized communities, what kinds of climate policies would we need to change about the status quo?

References

Berberian, A. G., Gonzalez, D. J. X., & Cushing, L. J. (2022). Racial Disparities in Climate Change-Related Health Effects in the United States. Current environmental health reports, 9(3), 451–464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-022-00360-w

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2024). Rapid review: An intersectional analysis of the disproportionate health impacts of wildfires on diverse populations and communities. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/rapid-review-intersectional-analysis-disproportionate-impacts-wildfires-diverse-populations-communities.html

Waldron, I. (2024). Environmental Racism in Canada. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/environmental-racism-in-canada