Excessive air pollution in certain areas of the US affects the decision of households to move, but only wealthier families can afford to settle in areas with satisfactory air quality, researchers from Lancaster University have found.
Their study, published in the journal Environmental and Resource Economicsexamines county-to-county migration data from 2010 to 2014 provided by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Instead of relying only on aggregate migration flows, the researchers used more detailed data on moving households, such as income data, which showed them a clear link between households’ economic status and their choice of new living environment.
The results show that there are inequalities in exposure to the most polluted areas – poorer families are most affected, while wealthier households choose to move to cleaner and healthier areas, which tend to be more expensive.
“This shows that it’s not just improvements in air quality standards and toxic emissions inventory reporting that are important when it comes to environmental justice – income inequality also needs to be considered, as it’s clear that some families may be forced to live in polluted areas that can lead to an unhealthy life,” says co-author of the study, Dr. Anita Schiller.
Polluting companies “choose” poor areas
The study by experts from Lancaster University builds on a previous study by academics that investigated the behavior of polluting firms to determine whether these firms strategically choose their locations depending on the demographic characteristics of the population.
Focusing on Texas, the researchers found an association between lower-income areas and an increased likelihood that potentially polluting companies would locate in those areas.
“This creates a vicious cycle where companies strategically place polluting facilities in poorer areas, while the environmental burden falls disproportionately on vulnerable communities.” In the meantime, wealthier households can effectively ‘vote with their feet’ and avoid these negative impacts,” pointed out Professor Dakshina De Silva, co-author of the study.
Milena Maglovski
Source: energetskiportal.rs
