Historical Redlining Is Associated with Present-Day Air Pollution Disparities in U.S. Cities

Environmental Science & Technology Letters, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(4), P. 345 - 350

Published: March 9, 2022

Communities of color in the United States are systematically exposed to higher levels air pollution. We explore here how redlining, a discriminatory mortgage appraisal practice from 1930s by federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), relates present-day intraurban pollution disparities 202 U.S. cities. In each city, we integrated three sources data: (1) detailed HOLC security maps investment risk grades [A ("best"), B, C, and D ("hazardous", i.e., redlined)], (2) year-2010 estimates NO2 PM2.5 levels, (3) demographic information 2010 census. find that have consistent nearly monotonic association with grade, especially pronounced (>50%) increments between most (grade A) least D) preferentially graded neighborhoods. On national basis, for substantially larger historical grade than they race ethnicity. However, within racial ethnic exposure persist, indicating redlining was only one many racially policies impacted communities. Our findings illustrate 80-year-old policy, continues shape systemic environmental States.

Language: Английский

---

Disparities in Air Pollution Exposure in the United States by Race/Ethnicity and Income, 1990–2010

Environmental Health Perspectives, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 129(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2021

Background: Few studies have investigated air pollution exposure disparities by race/ethnicity and income across criteria pollutants, locations, or time. Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify throughout the contiguous United States for six during period 1990 2010. Methods: We quantified among racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic (any race), Asian) multiple spatial units (contiguous States, states, urban vs. rural areas) years (1990, 2000, 2010) carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5; excluding year-1990), ≤10μm (PM10), sulfur (SO2). used census data demographic information a national empirical model ambient levels. Results: For all group highest average minority group. In 2010, disparity between lowest national-average largest NO2 [54% (4.6 ppb)], smallest O3 [3.6% (1.6 intermediate remaining pollutants (13%–19%). varied U.S. state; example, PM2.5 in exposures were at least 5% higher than 63% states Black populations; 33% 26% Asian populations, respectively; no White populations. Absolute larger categories (range pollutants: 1.1 21 times larger). Over studied, absolute declined 35% (0.66μg/m3; PM2.5) 88% (0.35 ppm; CO); relative 0.99× i.e., nearly zero change) 0.71× (CO; ∼29% reduction). Discussion: As concentrations (and lesser extent, relative) also declined. However, remained levels, areas, pollutants. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8584

Language: Английский

---

Redlines and Greenspace: The Relationship between Historical Redlining and 2010 Greenspace across the United States

Environmental Health Perspectives, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 129(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2021

Introduction: Redlining, a racist mortgage appraisal practice of the 1930s, established and exacerbated racial residential segregation boundaries in United States. Investment risk grades assigned >80y ago through security maps from Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) are associated with current sociodemographics adverse health outcomes. We assessed whether historical HOLC investment 2010 greenspace, health-promoting neighborhood resource. Objectives: compared normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) across previous using propensity score restriction matching. Methods: Security map shapefiles were downloaded Mapping Inequality Project. Neighborhood included A (best, green), B (blue), C (yellow), D (hazardous, red, i.e., redlined). used satellite imagery to calculate average NDVI for each neighborhood. Our main outcomes annual summer NDVI. areal-apportioned 1940 census measures restriction, matching, targeted maximum likelihood estimation limit model extrapolation, reduce confounding, estimate association between grade following comparisons: Grades vs. A, B, C. Results: Across 102 urban areas (4,141 polygons), ±standard deviation (SD) was 0.47 (±0.09), 0.43 0.39 0.36 (±0.10) A–D, respectively. In analyses adjusted ecoregion region, 1940s measures, population density, values estimated at −0.039 (95% CI: −0.045, −0.034), −0.024 −0.030, −0.018), −0.026 −0.037, −0.015) C, respectively, 1930s. Discussion: Estimates characteristics indicate that neighborhoods worse 1930s reduced present-day greenspace. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7495

Language: Английский

---

Green gentrification in European and North American cities

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13(1)

Published: July 2, 2022

Abstract Although urban greening is universally recognized as an essential part of sustainable and climate-responsive cities, a growing literature on green gentrification argues that new infrastructure, greenspace in particular, can contribute to gentrification, thus creating social racial inequalities access the benefits further environmental climate injustice. In response limited quantitative evidence documenting temporal relationship between greenspaces across entire let alone various international contexts, we employ spatially weighted Bayesian model test hypothesis 28 cities 9 countries North America Europe. Here show strong positive relevant for at least one decade 1990s–2000s occurred 2000–2016 17 cities. Our results also determine whether plays “lead”, “integrated”, or “subsidiary” role explaining gentrification.

Language: Английский

---

Integrating remote sensing with ecology and evolution to advance biodiversity conservation

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 6(5), P. 506 - 519

Published: March 24, 2022

Language: Английский

---

A social-ecological-technological systems framework for urban ecosystem services

One Earth, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 5(5), P. 505 - 518

Published: May 1, 2022

As rates of urbanization and climatic change soar, decision-makers are increasingly challenged to provide innovative solutions that simultaneously address climate impacts risks inclusively ensure quality life for urban residents. Cities have turned nature-based help these challenges. Nature-based solutions, through the provision ecosystem services, can yield numerous benefits people multiple challenges simultaneously. Yet, efforts mainstream impaired by complexity interacting social, ecological, technological dimensions systems. This must be understood managed ecosystem-service provisioning is effective, equitable, resilient. Here, we a social-ecological-technological system (SETS) framework builds on decades services research better understand four core associated with solutions: multi-functionality, systemic valuation, scale mismatch inequity injustice. The illustrates importance coordinating natural, technological, socio-economic systems when designing, planning, managing enable optimal social-ecological outcomes.

Language: Английский

---

Deep learning as a tool for ecology and evolution

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13(8), P. 1640 - 1660

Published: May 30, 2022

Abstract Deep learning is driving recent advances behind many everyday technologies, including speech and image recognition, natural language processing autonomous driving. It also gaining popularity in biology, where it has been used for automated species identification, environmental monitoring, ecological modelling, behavioural studies, DNA sequencing population genetics phylogenetics, among other applications. relies on artificial neural networks predictive modelling excels at recognizing complex patterns. In this review we synthesize 818 studies using deep the context of ecology evolution to give a discipline‐wide perspective necessary promote rethinking inference approaches field. We provide an introduction machine contrast with mechanistic inference, followed by gentle primer learning. applications discuss its limitations efforts overcome them. practical biologists interested their toolkit identify possible future find that being rapidly adopted evolution, 589 (64%) published since beginning 2019. Most use convolutional (496 studies) supervised identification but tasks molecular data, sounds, data or video as input. More sophisticated uses biology are appear. Operating within paradigm, can be viewed alternative modelling. desirable properties good performance scaling increasing complexity, while posing unique challenges such sensitivity bias input data. expect rapid adoption will continue, especially automation biodiversity monitoring discovery from genetic Increased unsupervised visualization clusters gaps, simplification multi‐step analysis pipelines, integration into graduate postgraduate training all likely near future.

Language: Английский

---

Socio‐eco‐evolutionary dynamics in cities

Evolutionary Applications, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 14(1), P. 248 - 267

Published: July 13, 2020

Abstract Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature human society. Characteristics of society—including culture, economics, technology politics—underlie social patterns activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence be influenced both ecological evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology biology has coincided with growing interest in eco‐evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the reciprocal evolution ecology. Research dynamics frequently focuses contemporary species have potentially substantial ecological—and even social—significance. Still, little work fully integrates rarely do researchers either these fields consider role Because cities fundamentally activities, inherently interconnected undergoing economic transformation, they represent an opportunity for ecologists biologists to study “socio‐eco‐evolutionary dynamics.” Through this new framework, we encourage integrate drivers increase understanding conservation ecosystems, their functions contributions people within outside cities.

Language: Английский

---

Land Use and Ecological Change: A 12,000-Year History

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 46(1), P. 1 - 33

Published: Oct. 18, 2021

Human use of land has been transforming Earth's ecology for millennia. From hunting and foraging to burning the farming industrial agriculture, increasingly intensive human reshaped global patterns biodiversity, ecosystems, landscapes, climate. This review examines recent evidence from archaeology, paleoecology, environmental history, model-based reconstructions that reveal a planet largely transformed by over more than 10,000 years. Although always sustained societies, its ecological consequences are diverse sometimes opposing, both degrading enriching soils, shrinking wild habitats shaping novel ones, causing extinctions some species while propagating domesticating others, emitting absorbing greenhouse gases cause climate change. By ecology, literally paved way Anthropocene. Now, better future depends on strategies can effectively sustain people together with rest terrestrial nature limited land.

Language: Английский

---

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover

Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 375(6586), P. 1275 - 1281

Published: March 17, 2022

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients associated with the of clines 47% throughout world. Variation strength was explained changes drought stress and vegetation cover varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes 26 revealed urban-rural best adaptive evolution, but degree adaptation Our results demonstrate urbanization leads at global scale.

Language: Английский

---