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What quotes from this text are exemplary or particularly evocative?

annika

“...Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty (Bullard et al., 2007) revealed that communities of colour and poor communities were still being used as dumping grounds for all kinds of toxic contaminants. The authors discovered evidence that the clustering of environmental hazards, in addition to single sources of pollution, presented significant threats to communities of colour. Furthermore, the research showed that polluting industries frequently singled out communities of colour in siting decisions, countering the “minority move-in hypothesis”: the claim that people of colour voluntarily move into contaminated communities rather than being targeted in situ by dirty industries.” (122)


“Bullard (1990) has highlighted the problem of “Black Love Canals” throughout the United States, where issues of environmental injustice are deeply connected with environ- mental racism. For example, Bullard highlights the case of toxic DDT water contamination in the African American community of Triana, Alabama. In 1978, in the midst of the national media attention focused on Love Canal, residents in Triana raised complaints over ill-health effects and contaminated fish and waterfowl. Lawsuits in Triana against the Olin Corporation continued throughout the 1980s. Although the case is noted within environ- mental justice histories (see Taylor, 2014), it is not widely recognized or commemorated.” (126)


“Underpinning the slow, structural violence (see Galtung, 1969; Davies, 2019) of unequal and unjust toxic exposures is the problem of “expendability” … Pellow (2018) proposes that indispensability is a key pillar of critical environmental justice studies (alongside intersectionality, scale, and state power). This idea builds on the work of critical race and ethnic studies scholar John Marquez (2014) on “racial expendability” to argue that, within a white-dominated society, people of colour are typically viewed as expendable.” (127)

“National and international media headlines followed the Flint water crisis story as it unfolded, but, after the initial shock, Flint faded from media attention. It shifted from being a spectacular disaster to a case of slow violence. This paral- lels the dynamics of public memory surrounding many toxic disasters, struggles, and legacies.” (128)

What is the main argument, narrative and effect of this text? What evidence and examples support these?

annika

The author’s main argument is two-fold. Acute environmental disasters (e.g., Chernobyl, BP Horizon Spill, Hurricane Katrina) that garnered public attention leave behind legacies of increased support for environmental action and legislation, although the public attention span is often too short for lasting change. At the same time, these disasters have received a disproportionate amount of public attention compared to the many more slow-moving toxicity disasters that affect people in more systematic but often less visible ways. Examples of this disparity include the contrast between the 1984 Bhopal disaster coverage, and the persistent toxicity in the area in the time since then in the form of industrial waste and infrastructure that is not maintained. It is additionally important to note that the cases that don’t receive much attention often affect marginalized groups (by race, socioeconomics) disproportionately.

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xiaox
Annotation of

Life Box is designed for help people who are victim of nature disaster, such as flood, tsunami and earthquake. It is an air-droppable, foldable box housing with releif goods, such as water, food and so on. When natural disaster happen, relief providers sometimes could not reach to some disaster zone. For example, it could be landslide and stop the road after earthquake, therefore Life Box could be sent to the zone before the relief providers arrive and help the victims. 

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xiaox
Annotation of

Live Box is designed for disaster zone after the natural disaster. Particularlly the area that relief providers can not arrive immediately. Live Box offers three usage types for different needs which are "air", "land" and " water". For example, the "air" type could be sent by aircraft to the area if the roads are blocked after earthquake. The "water" type could be used for flood-affected areas and it could be used as a shelter on water and land. Similarly, the "land" type could be used as temporary hospital or emergency centre. 

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xiaox
Annotation of

Live Box is an innovative design. It offers three types for diverse situations and it can be used for help people after a natural disaster. The product can be used easy and quickly, and also convinient for transport. It can solve victims' difficult situations in emergency. The materials are common and the cost is inexpensive. This product is a good design for manufacture and can be used for helping people. 

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xiaox
Annotation of

The media mention the Live Box is good to use for natural disaster and helping people. As well as the transport is important, the more resource can be sent to disaster zone, the more people can be helped and saved. It not only can send by car, but also airdrop. There are 192 Life Boxes could be fit into a 50 feet long truck. An Live Box could be carry by two people and easy to use. (Link: https://www.fastcoexist.com/3023120/after-a-disaster-these-inflatable-s…;

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/life-box-disaster-shelter)