Skip to content

Bi-Weekly Discussion - Environmental Justice & Healthier Cities

Photo of Brian B.
Hosted By
Brian B.
Bi-Weekly Discussion - Environmental Justice & Healthier Cities

Details

We're currently hosting our discussions at Café Walnut, near the corner of 7th & Walnut in Olde City, just across the street from Washington Square Park. The cafe's entrance is below street level down some stairs, which can be confusing if it's your first time. Our group meets in the large room upstairs.

Since we're using the cafe's space, they ask that each person attending the meetup at least purchase a drink or snack. Please don't bring any food or drinks from outside.

The cafe is fairly easy to get to if you're using public transit. With SEPTA, take the Market-Frankford Line & get off at the 5th Street Station (corner of 5th & Market), and walk 2 blocks south on 5th and then turn right on Walnut Street and walk 2 blocks west. With PATCO, just get off at the 9th-10th & Locust stop and walk 3 blocks east & 1 block north. For those who are driving, I'd suggest parking in the Washington Square parking deck at 249 S 6th Street which is just a half block away.

----------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & HEALTHIER CITIES

UNPACKING THE DEBATES OVER CLEAN WATER, AIR POLLUTION & HEALTHY FOOD IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION:

The central concept of this meetup is "environmental justice", defined by the EPA as "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws." "It will be achieved," says the EPA, "when everyone has the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work."

In the 1st section of our discussion, we'll look at the debates about environmental injustice in America, especially as it relates to the health & life expectancy gaps between urban & rural populations, the wealthy & the poor, and whites & minorities.

Then in the next 3 sections, we'll look at several debates over how cities should make the urban environment healthier & safer. We'll consider not only what city gov'ts should ideally do from an environmental ethics perspective, but also how economists suggest they pay for these reforms, and what potential problems social scientists foresee when we try to translate ideal policies into political realities.

In the 2nd section, we'll look at the state of municipal water systems, particularly in the wake of revelations about widespread problems with lead levels and overdue water bills leading to water shutoffs for poor people.

In the 3rd section, we'll look at the role of mass transit systems in reducing air pollution & traffic accidents and encouraging walking, and we'll discuss the various reasons that many commuters can't or don't want to ride mass transit.

In the 4th section, we'll look at the relationship between urban poverty and "food insecurity" - defined by the USDA as "limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate & safe foods". We'll explore how this ties into the debates over public policies that aim to not only encourage healthier diets but also discourage tobacco, alcohol & junk food consumption.

RELEVANT MATERIAL FROM PAST MEETUPS:

Back in March, we had a meetup entitled "Is The Working Class Dying of Despair?" where we discussed the negative effects on the working class's life expectancy from suicide, drug & alcohol abuse, and obesity & smoking. In recent years, the life expectancy of the white working class (i.e. whites without a college degree) has declined even as the life expectancy of blacks & Hispanics has continued to improve, leading them to now exceed that of the white working class.
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/wpjnnqyzfbwb/

Way back in September of 2017, we had a meetup on healthcare reform, and some of what we learned may apply to gov't efforts to reform urban environments to make them safer & healthier. One of the major insights that relates to public health was the economist Robin Hanson's argument that the average layperson who favors expanding healthcare does so primarily out of an altruistic impulse and for "social signaling" - i.e. it's a way of "showing that you care" - rather than because they've engaged in a detailed cost-benefit analysis. Hanson found that healthcare access doesn't have nearly as much of an effect on a person's level of health or life expectancy as most people assume, due largely to the fact that doctors can't control patients' lifestyles and the fact that medical treatment sometimes causes harms that outweigh its benefits (e.g. opioid prescriptions can lead to addiction).
https://www.meetup.com/Philadelphia-Political-Agnostics/events/zgmddnywmbfb/

While Hanson's critique of the healthcare system may make us wary of expecting big results from public health initiatives, we discussed the "lead-crime hypothesis" in a Skeptics meetup back in 2017 which suggests eliminating lead from paint & gasoline played a big role in the crime rate decline of the 1990s. The theory is that less lead exposure improved children's brain health & executive functioning enough that less of them turned to crime as adolescents. Some public health advocates think that further efforts to improve air & water quality and encourage better diets & more exercise could yield similarly impressive gains in quality of life & social outcomes.
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/239822337/

-----------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

The videos & articles you see linked below are intended to give you a basic overview of some of the major debates over environmental justice & environmental economics as it applies to cities. As usual, I certainly don't expect you to read all the articles & watch all the videos prior to attending our discussion.

The easiest way to prepare for our discussion is to just watch the numbered videos linked under each section - the videos come to about about 44 minutes total. The articles marked with asterisks are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.

In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

----------------------------------------------
I. "ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE" AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES IN HEALTH & LIFE EXPECTANCY:

  • IS THE "ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE" ACCURATE - I.E. IS THERE A TRADEOFF BETWEEN INCOME GROWTH & THE ENVIRONMENT?

  • IS THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE EXPOSED TO POLLUTION WITHOUT GETTING MORE INCOME UNJUST? IF SO, HOW SHOULD WE REMEDY THAT DISPARITY?

  • ARE U.S. CITIES MORE POLLUTED THAN RURAL AREAS? IF SO, WHY ARE U.S. CITIES STILL LESS DANGEROUS THAN RURAL AREAS?

  • ARE THE WEALTHY & MIDDLE CLASS HEALTHIER THAN THE POOR MOSTLY DUE TO LIFESTYLE OR INEQUITIES LIKE POLLUTION, DANGEROUS WORK & LACK OF HEALTHCARE?

  • ARE RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEALTH MOSTLY EXPLAINED BY INCOME, LIFESTYLE & URBANIZATION? IF NOT, IS THERE INTENTIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM?

1a) Grist, "Environmental justice, explained" (video - 3:33 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREtXUij6_c

1b) PBS w/Raj Chetty, "How geography changes life expectancy for America’s poorest" (video - 5:33 min.)
https://youtu.be/SalpZwgze58

1c) CBS, "Study: LA Air Quality Cuts Life Expectancy By 8 Months" (video - 1:44 in.)
https://youtu.be/mFNhjrzEuXY

.
II. CLEAN WATER AS A "HUMAN RIGHT" AND LOWERING WATER BILLS & IMPROVING WATER QUALITY:

  • IS CLEAN WATER A HUMAN RIGHT? IF SO, DOES THAT MEAN IT MUST BE 100% PURE & FREE?

  • IS WATER POLLUTION A HUGE PROBLEM FOR MANY CITIES, OR HAVE WE OVERESTIMATED THE HARM?

  • SHOULD THOSE WHO CAUSE WATER POLLUTION BE TAXED? IF SO, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE REVENUE?

  • DO CITIES NEED RESIDENTS TO PAY THEIR WATER BILL IN ORDER TO FUND MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER SYSTEM?

  • WHY DO ECONOMISTS DISPUTE WHETHER OR NOT MUNICIPAL WATER IS A "PUBLIC GOOD"? WHAT DOES THIS SUGGEST ABOUT THE GOV'TS ROLE IN SUPPLYING IT?

  • IS WATER CONSERVATION A CIVIC DUTY?

  • SHOULD CARWASHING & WATERING THE LAWN BE CONSIDERED A LUXURY?

  • DO PEOPLE STOP DRINKING TAP WATER AS THEIR INCOME RISES? IF SO, SHOULD HEALTH CONCERNS SHIFT TO OTHER COMMON BEVERAGES?

2a) RT, "Hundreds of US cities have water contamination worse than Flint" (video - 4:27 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Tlv33MhpM

2b) Grist, "Detroit's unaffordable water hints at a U.S. crisis to come" (video - 3:01 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U69QBI6MK_A

.
III. CLEAN AIR & SAFE STREETS AS "HUMAN RIGHTS" AND REDUCING AIR POLLUTION & TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS BY REDUCING CAR TRAFFIC:

  • IS CLEAN AIR A HUMAN RIGHT? IF SO, DOES THAT MEAN IT MUST BE 100% PURE OR AIR REMEDIATION (E.G. AIR FILTERS) MUST BE FREE?

  • SHOULD THOSE WHO CAUSE AIR POLLUTION BE TAXED? IF SO, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE REVENUE?

  • IF AIR POLLUTION IN THE U.S. IS LESS HARMFUL THAN 2ND HAND SMOKE, HAVE WE OVERESTIMATED ITS HARM?

  • IS SAFE TRANSPORTATION A HUMAN RIGHT? IF SO, DOES THAT MEAN ALL STREET TRAFFIC MUST BE BANNED & MASS TRANSIT MUST BE FREE?

  • ARE THE STREETS A "COMMON GOOD"? ARE TOLLS & CONGESTION PRICING JUSTIFIED TO AVOID A TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS?

  • DOES TRANSIT ENCOURAGE "WALKABLE" CITIES? IF SO, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT?

  • SINCE TRAFFIC PRODUCES "NEGATIVE EXTERNALITIES", IS RIDING MASS TRANSIT A CIVIC DUTY? ARE PEOPLE WHO AVOID RIDING IT IMMORAL, OR CAN THEY HAVE GOOD REASONS LIKE TIME CONSTRAINTS, "TRANSIT DESERTS" & CRIME?

  • HOW FEASIBLE IS ELIMINATING CARS & MAKING TRANSIT FREE? WHAT SHOULD CITIES WITH TOO MUCH SPRAWL OR TOO LITTLE TAX BASE TO FUND MORE TRANSIT DO?

  • AS CITIES DISCOURAGE CARS, SHOULD TAXIS REMAIN AS AN ACCEPTABLE LUXURY?

3a) Wochit News, "In America, People Are Still Dying From Air Pollution" (video - 1:00 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZrWihvbluU

3b) City Beautiful, "Let's Make Mass Transit Free*" (video - 5:42 min, listen to 4:16)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccxVYborUcU

3c) Lauren Fix, "The War On Cars" (video - 5:33 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Lo0ieyQtQ

.
IV. HEALTHY FOOD AS A "HUMAN RIGHT", ELIMINATING "FOOD DESERTS" & CRACKING DOWN ON FAST FOOD, ALCOHOL & TOBACCO:

  • IS HEALTHY FOOD A HUMAN RIGHT? IF SO, DOES THAT MEAN IT MUST BE OPTIMALLY NUTRITIOUS & FREE?

  • WILL MOST PEOPLE EAT FRESH PRODUCE IF IT'S CHEAP & AVAILABLE?

  • SHOULD THE GOV'T TRY TO DETER PEOPLE FROM EATING JUNK FOOD, SMOKING & DRINKING?

  • SHOULD FATTY & SUGARY FOODS BE TAXED LIKE ALCOHOL & TOBACCO? IF SO, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE REVENUE?

  • DOES USING ZONING TO PROHIBIT FAST FOOD, TOBACCO & ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTORS IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH?

  • HAVE WE OVERESTIMATED THE HARM FROM FAST FOOD, ALCOHOL & 2ND HAND SMOKE?

4a) PBS, "Building an oasis in a Philadelphia food desert" (video - 7:53 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tayxf5q5y8c

4b) 6abc Philadelphia, "'Stop and Go' liquor sale crackdown to begin in Philly" (video - 2:38 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQK_J-EQanE

4c) John Stossel, "The Philly Soda Tax Scam" (video - 4:51 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzxyiHyrJ0

Events in Philadelphia, PA
Photo of Philadelphia Political Agnostics group
Philadelphia Political Agnostics
See more events
Philadelphia Political Agnostics
Photo of Philadelphia Political Agnostics group
Cafe Walnut
703 Walnut Street · Philadelphia, PA
Photo of Philadelphia Political Agnostics group
Philadelphia Political Agnostics
public group