Oil, Gas, and the Effects of Environmental Racism

Jamali Maddix talks with an environmentalist about how drilling for fuel usually means pushing contamination into the places where lower-class people live.

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[TheJestersDungeon]

Lmao you all making fun of the title when it was the man being interviewed who said it. He is saying it because his people are being affected by this pollution and it is keeping them down. He isn't saying it is direct racism, but a form of oppression that has to do with the care of the land. And you can agree that statistically there are more "non-white" races in lower class, so that is why he called it "Environmental Racism."

[choysum]

These oil companies need to get the frack out of there.

[Ovoid]

The story of exploitative environmental pollution usually has two chapters:
1: Targeting / consuming places that are cheap to destroy (people who happen to live there are collateral damage),
and 2: Failure by the public and the government to notice or stop the damage and abuses, and letting them continue and/or go unpunished.
#1 is about putting profits over human life, it doesn't target certain groups per se, it just targets their resources and doesn't give a shit about them.
#2 really IS classism and usually racism, because we as citizens are deciding to exclude that group from the rights and justice that all citizens should be given.

Basically, "environmental racism" is a bad term for it since it's only half accurate and will seem absurd to free market conservatives and GOP who are 100% sure they're not racist

[sarahrudy]

To everybody who is scrutinizing the term "environmental racism" - please do your homework. The term was coined in the 1980's and is also alternately referred to as "environmental justice", so it's not new, and it developed as part of a movement against environmental hazards disproportionately impacting people of color. And news flash to all the people saying "it's classism not racism" - people of color make up the majority of the poor, not to mention the two social issues are historically interrelated. VICE should have definitely added more context as the average viewer is not going to be familiar with the background of this issue.

[tjredcorn]

White America likes the Indian culture but not the indian. Same for the black culture as well.

[Webeliftingang]

It's racism and classism, learn something and get over yourselves. Stop being butt hurt over a title.

[MaureenMurphy_]

Y’all are so ignorant in the comments it makes no sense

[macbookproearly]

God damn disgrace, native americans get land back then the government turns it head to how they are treated? I know how deeply many native americans feel about land and their ancestors, dude is struggling with his ties to the past and just becoming another consumer with no identity except rich or poor.

[bambooblue]

If it's having a disparate impact on only those communities where red, brown and black people live, then there is definitely a racism component. Not sure where all you naysayers live, but in my part of the country, utility companies push through the permitting process and all of their toxic facilities end up in places where there are higher populations of the groups aforementioned.

[storminnormansgunworks]

For this year's celebration Day of 420 (April 20), will Viceland help reduce the Veteran Suicide rate (24 a day) by having a charity (Celebrity Boxing Match between Desus/Mero and DJ Envy) and donate the proceeds to the "WEED 4 WARRIORS" foundation to help reduce the current Veteran Suicide rate? That would be an awesome way to help Veterans AND gain mad publicity for

[DontBeAKumquat]

Why do white people love to always point to the economics of a situation rather than the structural racist ideology that our class system and legal structure is built on? It is RACISM. Not classism. RACE places a major part in class. A 30 year study proved that there is a racist element in American Society that hinders black and brown people. When you take black boy who grew up in the same neighborhood, came from a middle class background, and had both parents in the household in 99% of cases the black boy invariably ends up falling into the lower class while the white boy ends up maintaining family wealth, thriving and growing in our society. That's RACISM not classism. This country has a RACE problem that also built into inequality. That's not to say that classism also doesn't exist. But this man used the correct terminology in describing what his people is dealing with.

[moto]

Let’s not forget Jabari has taped glasses haha I died

[luckyluciano]

We need to do something about our planet
i need say no more

[travisburkley]

They need to come to Coffeyville and do a story. The refinery here is ruining everything

[NeonOpan]

This whole episode dances around the Osage reservation never mentioning their mineral council which own most of the oil in the area

[ScorpioSilver]

kina ironic with a shirt that says "Obey All Power"

[bonnememoires]

you need to quit driving your car buddy you are contanimating the air.

[alexgatillofull]

It's up to tbe people to put local politicsl bias aside and get to know the public servant candidates if you want changes

[ari-jv]

So they’re not gonna even mention where this is? What a load of BS

[i-never-look-at-replies-lol]

Vice: we bring up racism waaay too much to not be racist