Reflecting on technology's advancements throughout history, it's difficult not to cringe at innovations previously deemed beacons of progress. Once history proves certain developments to be unhealthy, harmful to the environment, or both, ideally they are laid to rest and replaced. Unfortunately for Chicago's predominantly Latino residents of Pilsen and Little Village on the southwest side, coal-powered plants are one of technology's dinosaurs refusing to die.
Let's be clear: this is not a problem faced by Latino residents in Chicago alone. According to the League of United Latin American Citizens, 39% of the Latino population in the US lives within 30 miles of a power plant and over 50% of Latinos live in areas that violate federal standards for ozone, a leading cause of asthma. Latinos living below the poverty line are particularly vulnerable, as they often have less say in affordable housing options.
The struggle for residents of Chicago's southwest side against Fisk and Crawford power plants has been ongoing for decades; however, April 21st marked an important moment in the struggle: the City Council hearing for the Clean Power Ordinance. And once again, those calling the shots have tabled the ordinance until the next Council meeting.
While this issue faces yet another political stalemate, the dynamics at play are worth reflecting on; considering politicians were dragged to the steps of City Hall for an issue that they previously wouldn't think twice about. Several key demographic shifts have influenced this: according to Metroplanning.org, Pilsen has seen a mammoth influx of young, white (generally skinny-jean-clad) people. Between 2000 and 2008, this neighborhood has experienced a 28.2% increase of whites; in contrast to the rest of Chicago's increase of only 6.7%. Similarly, the neighborhood's increase in young folks has doubled that of the rest of Chicago. Yet Pilsen's overall population is shrinking. To employ some deductive reasoning here, Pilsen appears to be steadily growing whiter, younger and less congested.
While the Latino-led green community has been active in these neighborhoods for years, today the issue has achieved unprecedented press coverage and has effectively perked the ears of politicians across the city. This could be merely a microcosm of an intensified focus on environmental issues nationwide. Certainly the diligence of organizations like Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (P.E.R.R.O.) and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) should not be underestimated in mobilizing politicians. Yet, it's crucial not to overlook the possibility of a correlation between the white-ifying and the green-ifying of Pilsen.
How influenced were these politicians by the rapid and dramatic gentrification of Pilsen? Did they feel that they could more easily sweep this issue under the rug when this neighborhood was almost exclusively Latino and had less money or political voice? At the hearing itself, protesters donning "Clean Power Ordinance" t-shirts and chanting "Save our Air" were overwhelmingly young and white. Did they live in Pilsen? Regardless, this demonstrates that young, white people have taken a relatively newfound interest and involvement in the neighborhood. How much has this dynamic influenced decision-makers' choice to champion this cause?
Political clout behind the Clean Power Ordinance is imperative. We should celebrate that the green political bandwagon is growing in both power and volume. Yet something smells fishy when politicians, like Solis, take several decades to achieve a sudden, transformative and enlightened perspective on Mother Earth. Does it take a bunch of white kids to move in for politicians at long last to hear the environmentalists? While the idealist in me would love to think not, idealism becomes naïveté when race's role goes unexplored.
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Lets be clear, pollution from Fisk and Crawford Generation Station is not a problem that is faced by Latino residents in Chicago alone, but all Chicago residents. To develop a political voice it is necessary to include the entire city and just to remind you, the ordinance requires a minimum of 26 aldermen to co-sponsor.
It shouldn’t matter if these “overwhelmingly young and white” people live in Pilsen because as Joe Moore said at the Feb. 14th ad hoc hearing “air knows no ward boundaries.”
I agree that Alderman Solis’s sudden change of heart is suspicious, but it seems you haven’t questioned his connection with Mayor Dailey and Chicago’s political climate change.
Outside of the hearing you seem to have mistaken “Save our Lives” for “Save our Air” which was never chanted. “Save our Lives” was in response to the out of state workers who were chanting “Save our Jobs.” You may have unknowingly combined the chant “Whose Air? Our Air!” with “Save our Lives.” If you would like to more information about what was chanted you can find then through the #chicoal on twitter which was used to give real time updates from the hearing.
Although gentrification and white privilege is an important topic to explore, focusing on white privilege, in this situation, is an over simplification of the complexities in the issue.
I hope you continue to support environmental justice in Chicago or wherever you may be.
Sincerely,
Marie Socha
I appreciate your input. To clarify, Latinos are not the sole victims of coal power pollution in Chicago (see my comment below). However; I do think that a crucial racial dynamic is at play.
Here are some nationwide statistics: Latino, African-American, and Asian/Pacific Islander mothers are more than 2 times as likely to live in polluted counties than white mothers; the highest rates of asthma in the US are among inner city Puerto Ricans (roughly 20%); in Chicago specifically, this number goes up to 34%, as opposed to 20% of white children with asthma. Still other racial factors affect this: Spanish-speaking Latinos are four times as likely to be uninsured as whites.
To not examine how race (among other factors) is involved at all in this issue is to participate in a system that perpetuates these racial inequalities. I am not saying this to the exclusion of other factors, Chicago's political climate changes among these.
In regards to the slogans, I hope I didn’t mislead anyone in confusing “Save our air” with “Save our Lives.” Apologies.
Sincerely,
Cali
I think that instead of or on top of our government buying home heating oil/natural gas so low income people can heat their homes in the winter, the country as a whole would be better served if solar power and hot water were installed on these homes for free. This would accomplish the same thing, people not dieing of the cold and have the added benefit of saving the residents money all year long, reducing strain on the power grid and being good for the earth. The rub is it doesn't put money in the utilities pockets and they are the ones driving legislation not the poor.