Racism and ecological injustice combine in 'reckless, racist' Atlantic Coast Pipeline fight

#perspective

We have a moral problem in this country when it comes to environmental injustice. Although it is not new, under the current administration, powerful and wealthy corporations are given free rein to despoil and destroy our sacred and treasured lands and threaten the health of our people. Here in the South, we know all too well what that looks like.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a project that starts in West Virginia and cuts through Virginia and North Carolina. It poses a threat to poor, rural, black, and indigenous communities across those states, highlighting the fact that marginalized communities still bear the bulk of our nation’s environmental burden.

This pipeline, if built, would traverse some of Virginia’s best-preserved forests, rural areas predominantly populated by people of color and low-income households, and ultimately end in a predominantly Lumbee Indian community in southern North Carolina.

The owners of the pipeline, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, have not demonstrated a genuine need for this costly ($7 billion) natural gas pipeline to meet our energy demands1. The fight against climate change and racial injustice are deeply intertwined, emphasizing the connections between workers’ rights, land use, and how people are treated.

It’s essential to address both systemic racism and ecological crises to create meaningful solutions2. In fact, a UN human rights expert has emphasized that addressing racial legacies is crucial for tackling the global climate crisis.