Environmental Inequality in the American Mind: The Problem of Color-Blind Environmental Racism

Abstract

Despite research showing that public beliefs about the distribution of resources in society is a crucial factor in the reproduction of inequality, we do not know what Americans believe about environmental inequality or what factors structure those beliefs. Results of a novel national survey (n = 1000) show that Americans poorly understand environmental inequality, often view inequalities as fair, and are only marginally supportive of a range of key policy tools. Regression analyses reveal that the dominant factor explaining Americans’ views of environmental inequality is what I term color-blind environmental racism. Color-blind environmental racism refers to a specific manifestation of color-blind racial ideology, wherein belief in a post-racial society obfuscates and justifies environmental racism and reduces support for policy solutions. Given the pervasiveness of color-blind environmental racism in the American mind, it is likely a substantial cultural barrier facing the environmental justice movement, from local siting disputes to the passage of federal policy. Future research should build on this study to further explore the roles of public opinion and color-blind environmental racism as barriers to achieving environmental justice.