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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

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Donald Trump wins US presidency and the GOP flips the Senate; UT electric provider taps into the potential of 'virtual' power plants; Ohio State course bridges science and faith in polarized times; MI mayor prioritizes health, climate with 'health-in-all-policies' plan.

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Trump wins the White House. Republicans will take over the Senate after flipping several seats, and seem to be on track to hold the House. In spite of bomb threats and charges of fraud, a very high-turnout election mostly went smoothly.

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Abortion care can be five minutes away in California or 11 hours for women in Texas, rural living proves a mixed blessing for veterans, an ancient technique could curtail climate-change wildfires and escape divisive politics on World Kindness Day.

Environmental racism threatens Hoosier communities

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Friday, September 6, 2024   

A new report found Hoosier homeowners and renters face significant challenges from environmental hazards and climate change.

"The State of Fair Housing in Indiana" report from the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, highlighted a growing concern over environmental issues like air pollution, lead exposure and rising water levels, which are disproportionately affecting Black and brown communities and families with children.

Brady Ripperger, deputy director of administration and advocacy at the center, called it environmental racism.

"If you've not heard of that, it's really important to be aware of that as we discuss climate change in our state and ensuring that our formerly redlined communities are not the ones that are the least protected when it comes to environmental disasters," Ripperger asserted.

The report showed many Superfund sites, polluted areas needing extensive cleanup, are in historically redlined neighborhoods, primarily home to communities of color. The areas often suffer from poor air quality, lack of tree coverage and higher heat exposure, particularly in cities like Gary and Indianapolis.

Ripperger pointed out one alarming finding in the report is the effect of regional airports, such as Purdue University Airport, where nearby residents face higher risks of lead-based airborne pollution.

"Regional airports that use smaller aircraft still use lead-based gasoline," Ripperger explained. "We specifically in the report looked at West Lafayette and found that there's a large despair of impact for individuals of color, specifically Asian Americans and Hispanics or Latino residents."

Ripperger argued without action soon, environmental hazards will continue to haunt and harm Hoosiers.

"There're major issues across the country in housing stock," Ripperger outlined. "There might be more prevalence in locations to Superfund sites or brownfield sites, there might be lack of tree coverage which is so important as the environment is getting hotter and hotter, and then there're also issues such as air quality."


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