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Environmental Studies have shown that not all individuals are equally exposed to pollution. For example, toxic waste sites are more prevalent in poorer communities, and the single most important factor in predicting the location of hazardous-waste sites in the United States is the ethnic composition of a neighborhood.The fact that the wealth of a community is not nearly as good a predictor of hazardous-waste locations as is the ethnic background of the residents reinforces the conclusion that racism is involved in the selection of sites for hazardous-waste disposal. Environmental racism takes international forms as well. Dangerous chemicals banned in the United States often continue to be produced and shipped to developing countries. Additionally, the developed world has shipped large amounts of toxic waste to developing countries for less-than-safe disposal. Energy Production The world cannot continue to rely on the burning of fossil fuels for much of its industrial production and transportation. Fossil fuels are in limited supply; in addition, when burned they contribute to global warming, air pollution, and acid rain. Nuclear energy as an alternative is opposed by many because of the massive devastation an accident can cause. The accident at the Chernobyl' nuclear power plant in 1986 scattered radioactive contamination over a large part of Europe (see Chernobyl' Accident). Approximately 135,000 people were evacuated, and human health has been dramatically affected. The World Health Organization released a report in late 1995 attributing the "explosive increase" in childhood thyroid cancer in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia directly to the accident. One reasonable solution is to combine conservation strategies with the increased use of solar energy. The price of solar energy relative to traditional fuels has been dropping steadily, and if environmental concerns were factored into the cost, solar power would already be significantly cheaper. Although it is desirable to have a wider range of energy options, other alternative sources of power (such as wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric) are not likely to provide large-scale solutions in the forseeable future. KOther Issues Global environmental collapse is not inevitable. But the developed world must work with the developing world to ensure that new industrialized economies do not add to the world's environmental problems. Politicians must think of sustainable development rather than economic expansion. Conservation strategies have to become more widely accepted, and people must learn that energy use can be dramatically diminished without sacrificing comfort.

 

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