Eriq Ahmad, Micro-Activity #11

The topic that I’ve decided to write for my Annotated Bibliography is Pollution.

Notes while doing research between both Racism and Pollution:

Research on Racism:

• Spain has seen increased racial violence. The growing economy invites immigrants from North African countries such as Morocco. However, the poor conditions that immigrants have had to undergo and the already racially charged region has led to friction and confrontations.
• Racism is the belief that characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply on the basis of their race and that some racial groups are superior to others.
• Racism and discrimination have been used as powerful weapons encouraging fear or hatred of others in times of conflict and war, and even during economic downturns.
• From the institutionalized racism especially in colonial times, when racial beliefs — even eugenics — were not considered something wrong, to recent times where the effects of neo-Nazism is still felt, Europe is a complex area with many cultures in a relatively small area of land that has seen many conflicts throughout history.

• “We have to stop thinking about racism simply as someone who says the N-word,” she told Iqbal. “This book is centered in the white western colonial context, and in that context white people hold institutional power.”
• But over the course of 20 years of doing trainings around race and diversity, DiAngelo has discovered that white progressives who say they want to be allies to people of color are often nonetheless uncomfortable examining the impact of their own behavior.
• After all, within the white, western colonial context, DiAngelo points out: “Racism is a white problem. It was constructed and created by white people and the ultimate responsibility lies with white people. For too long we’ve looked at it as if it were someone else’s problem.” 

Research on Pollution:

• Pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides and other chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
• Many things that is useful to people produce pollution. Cars spew pollutants from their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to create electricity pollutes the air. Industries and homes generate garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Pesticides—chemical poisons used to kill weeds and insects—seep into waterways and harm wildlife.
• Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. It can make people’s eyes burn and make them have difficulty breathing. It can also increase the risk of lung cancer.
• Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and swimming. Some people who drink polluted water are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them sick years later. Others consume bacteria and other tiny aquatic organisms that cause disease. The United Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every day from drinking dirty water.
• Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When people consume the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases.
• Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and waterways. Austria and Switzerland have the highest recycling rates. These nations recycle between 50 and 60 percent of their garbage. The United States recycles about 30 percent of its garbage.

Summary: The two topics that I’ve chose were Racism and Pollution. Both topics have many negative effects. I’ve learned that there are many types of pollution and each any every type that exists gets people sick and can even kill them. No matter how much people do to try and stop pollution, it barely has an effect which would probably never go away. Also, I’ve also learned that the white people created racism as a problem and saying the N-word is considered racism which I didn’t know that white people hold unpleasant power for.

Questions:

1. What are the different types of solutions for the different types of pollution?
2. What are other examples of Racism?
3. Out of all the different types of pollution, which one is the most dangerous? Which is the least?
4. What are the solutions for Racism? How and when will it go away?