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What is the correlation between income inequality and environmental degradation?

Joycelyn Littefair

There is a connection between how rich or poor people are and how damage to the environment affects them. Inequality makes it harder for poor people to protect their health and the natural world.

When poorer people can't afford good food, housing or medicine, they might suffer more from pollution, climate change, and other environmental problems. For example, if they live near a factory that pollutes their air, they might get sicker more often. If they don't have the money to buy fresh food or move to an area with cleaner air, their health could suffer even more.

On the other hand, wealthier people tend to have more resources to protect themselves from environmental problems. They might live in areas that are less polluted or have cleaner water. They might be able to afford things like air purifiers or water filters. They might also have more political power and influence to demand better environmental policies in their communities.

So, income inequality can lead to environmental degradation because it affects the health and access to resources of poor people. To combat this, we need to work towards reducing inequality and ensuring everyone has access to the tools needed to protect themselves and the planet.