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Saint James Parish and Cancer Alley

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Our web case focuses on Cancer Ally and Saint James Parish, Louisiana. Saint James Parish is a community that has faced many changes from exposure to air pollution to changing landscape and public harm on the community. In Saint James Parish, many petrochemical companies are being built which is posing a threat to this community. The build-up of petrochemical companies is releasing toxins and pollution into the air, making it challenging to live in this type environment. This is due, companies producing large amount of plastics. In addition, it is also affecting plant-life and many plantations when it comes to harvesting crops. Due to this, Cancer Alley, an organization created by Sharon Lavigne, was created to fight against Formosa Plastics and prevent future petrochemical companies from being built. So for our web case, our area of focus is to raise awareness on the going air pollution issues caused by petrochemical industries and the harm it poses for the St. James community. As well as, the health effects that occur due to exposure to air pollution. 

 

What is air pollution? Air pollution is liquid and gaseous chemicals are released into the atmosphere. This causes unfit living conditions for humans, animals, and plants. Areas with high air pollution tend to have low wildlife, unsafe water, lack of greenery, and high rates of respiratory and cardiac diseases within the people who live there. An example of an area that is exposed to air pollution is the Saint James Parish in Louisiana. This is an area of predominantly black families who have lived there for many generations. Saint James used to be an area filled with lots agricultural products and harvests. However, since the introduction of polluting industries that are using petra chemical plants, they are destroying the environmental structure of the community and increasing rates of cancer in local residents. So for this web-case, our area of focus is to raise awareness of the ongoing air pollution issue caused by petrochemical industries/organizations in the community of St. James and the expansion of “Cancer Alley”.

 

Therefore, more attention and awareness needs to be given towards health and environmental crises to prevent the loss of life and irreversible global damage. This can help to slowly create changes and help the community work together with others to improve air pollution.

 

A photograph by Emily Kask, taken from a factory Reserve in Louisiana in August 2021

 

 

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