Jose knows the Salton Sea intimately--he lives here, works here, (significantly) he breathes here, he enjoys getting on the water on a boat and even for a swim. So, sure, the Salton Sea is not without problems, but perhaps branding it as a toxic sump is not quite a fair portrayal. But I think what really strikes me is that Jose’s affinity for the Sea shows that no matter how strange, weird, ugly, or problematic a place may seem to an outsider, to the people who live there, it’s one thing--home. I think the Salton Sea serves a good example of how we need to be thinking of our planet as a whole: yes, there are ecosystems we have degraded, places we’ve made desolate and problems to be found everywhere, but it’s still the place where we live, and that means we’d better start working towards some solutions if we want to continue living with a quality of life we are accustomed to.
Remembering that the Salton Sea is not just one of several strange yet photogenic sights in the desert, but a place that people and communities live, is another important lesson from hearing Jose’s perspective. I felt empathy and pity as I imagined how I would feel if outsiders came in to a place that was special to me, and judged it as dying and made interesting only by its symbolism of decay. How many times have I expressed my privilege just by being in a place too briefly to appreciate the fact that for some people that is their home, the place all the ups and downs of their lives play out each and every day?
These questions and perspectives lead into the heart of what environmental justice means to me. When I think about environmental justice I think about communities and their health and wellbeing--both human and natural communities, which are interconnected and inextricably linked and inseparable from each other.
For those who have not heard the term environmental justice before, it is typically defined as “the belief that all citizens, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic class, should equally share in the benefits of environmental amenities and the burdens of environmental health hazards.”
Inspired By Nature
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