Vehicle exhaust fumes do more than just irritate your lungs; they present significant health risks throughout life and can tragically lead to premature death. Beyond these immediate effects, the broader issue of climate change, largely driven by heat-trapping gas emissions, profoundly impacts public health and the well-being of entire communities. Climate change is responsible for the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, posing a particular danger to vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Furthermore, rising sea levels, prolonged droughts, and devastating wildfires, all consequences of climate change, can decimate local communities and infrastructure.
It’s a stark reality that low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately bear the burden of higher levels of air pollution. Often marginalized by historical urban segregation in cities across the United States, these communities are frequently located in close proximity to major freight transportation hubs and heavily trafficked roadways. This geographical disadvantage is compounded by a lack of adequate resources to effectively adapt to air pollution and climate-related damages, or to relocate away from these hazardous environments. This environmental injustice highlights a critical disparity in the impact of modes of transportation.
Analysis of emissions stemming from cars, SUVs, trucks, and buses reveals a deeply concerning inequity in exposure to harmful particulate air pollution. The data paints a clear picture of unequal risk:
Asian Americans, on average, are exposed to PM2.5 concentrations that are 34% higher than the average across all Americans. Black individuals face concentrations that are 24% above the national average. Latinos (defined as those identifying as Hispanic or Latino) experience a 23% higher exposure compared to the general U.S. population. In contrast, the average exposure for White individuals is 14% lower than the national average. These statistics underscore a significant disparity: on average, Asian Americans and Black individuals are exposed to 56% and 44% more PM2.5 pollution, respectively, than White individuals. This unequal exposure is directly linked to the means of transport and infrastructure choices that disproportionately affect certain communities.
