Climate change isn’t just an environmental problem. It’s a matter of fairness, hitting those with less money and power the hardest.

This past year I have fully embraced sustainability and climate change preparedness. Through reading books like Enviromedics and Saving Ourselves, I discovered risks and effects I hadn’t known about. One was how the wealth disparities would raise the negative effects of climate change on the middle class and below. This will make it difficult for those in the lower class to survive, let alone thrive.

I read an article about the LA fires. It discussed how wealthy people were buying hard-to-access resources and private firefighters to save their homes. It made me realize that it’s no longer theoretical; this is our life now. 30 lives have been confirmed as lost due to these fires.

Understanding Wealth Disparity

Wealth disparity is the unequal distribution of wealth in a population. Here in the United States, we have a large wealth disparity. The top 10% of households hold 60% of the nation’s wealth. While the bottom 50% only hold 6% of the total wealth.

Having a large wealth disparity on its own can lead to social and economic problems. It can lead to tension between the different groups in society. It also limits economic opportunities for the lower class. Add in stressors like climate change, and you magnify and add to these problems.

Climate Change Impact on Disparities

The effects of climate change are not equal across society. Some groups are more affected than others. Ironically, it’s the people who contributed the least to climate change who will be hurt the most by its effects. They are going to experience poverty, lack of access to resources, and even discrimination.

Examples of the disparities we will see:

• Poorer Countries: Globally, poorer countries are going to be the most affected. Poorer countries often don’t have the resources to fight climate change impacts like droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events.
• Coastal Communities: Globally, coastal communities are vulnerable to rising sea levels, flooding, and storms.
• Indigenous Communities: These communities rely on the land to give them what they need. This makes them more affected by changes in their environment.
• Communities of Color: Due to continuing systemic inequalities, communities of color experience higher environmental hazards and less access to resources.
• Low-Income Communities: Don’t always have access to life-saving resources, like transportation during evacuations or air conditioning during heat waves.

These disparities highlight the injustice of climate change. Addressing these disparities will take work and focus on these communities.

Disproportionate Effects on Low-Income Communities

Low-income communities are hit harder by climate change than wealthier ones. There are a few factors that cause this:

• Environmental Hazards: These communities are usually located in areas with a lower cost of living, near factories, highways, or dumps. These locations have a lower cost of living because they release pollution and harmful substances. This makes these communities the first and worst affected by climate change.
• Lack of Resources: People in these communities often have limited access to healthcare, healthy foods, and adequate housing.
• Limited Political Power: Their voices aren’t often considered when decisions are made about environmental protection or disaster relief.

Climate Change Effects Felt by Wealth Disparity

Health impacts because of the lack of healthcare and healthy food are a major concern. Some health conditions we can expect are asthma and other respiratory infections from air pollution. Also expect higher rates of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes due to the lack of healthy foods.

We’ll also see economic strain. Those with low income are going to be harder hit during economic downturns or disasters. Since their earnings are not or barely enough to cover living expenses, there isn’t much left for savings. So, if the banks are hit hard or they lose their jobs, they quickly run out of reserves.

The lack of housing and infrastructure is often experienced, as many can’t afford the repairs needed after extreme weather. Since these areas also have lower taxes, officials can skip regular improvements to water and sanitation systems.

All of this creates a cycle of disadvantages, making it difficult for individuals to escape poverty. As with all social injustices, the only way to remedy this is to level the playing field. We need to make sure everyone has a say in how we solve the climate crisis.

Solutions and Mitigation Strategies

So how do we help this? Here are a few strategies to lessen this disparity.

• Invest in resilient infrastructure. We need to channel more money to low-income communities to build stronger buildings and bridges. This allows them to hold up better in extreme weather, protecting the people and property.
• Improve access to resources. Low-income communities need to have access to good healthcare, clean water and sanitation, and affordable energy.
• Support sustainable livelihoods. Help people in low-income communities find jobs in industries that won’t be negatively impacted by climate change.
• Implement fair policies. We need to encourage our local and national governments to create policies that reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Provide financial assistance. Richer countries and organizations should help with disaster relief and recovery.
• Empower local communities. Give people a voice in discussions that will affect them.

When wealth disparity and climate change meet, it creates an unjust crisis for those least responsible for climate change. This isn’t a future threat; the impacts are already being felt in events like the LA fires, with tragic loss of life.

If you have conflicting or more ideas, please comment to let me know. To do any good we need to understand the problem to solve it. This requires communication between different perspectives. Let’s work together to build a more just and sustainable future for everyone.