In addressing the crisis of climate change, environmental racism is oftentimes ignored or sidelined. Black, indigenous, and people of color are more likely to live near polluted areas, resulting in severe health problems such as asthma or high blood pressure (Newkirk, 2018). When addressing environmental racism, specifically in South Florida, the issue of climate gentrification arises as a sharp indicator of injustice. Climate gentrification, the concept “in which some properties become more valuable than others due to their ability to better accommodate settlement and infrastructure in the face of climate change”, is perpetuated by the interest of capital gain as lower-income communities are pushed out of their neighborhoods in order for developers to build property. The role of climate change in gentrification continues to disadvantage communities already vulnerable to serious health issues, economic disadvantages, and the repercussions of extreme weather events. To learn more about the toll of climate gentrification in Miami-Dade and Broward County, click the link below!
file:///Users/mayagowda/Downloads/Climate%20Gentrification%20Research%20Paper.pdf
Maya Gowda & Emily Vo