Lead the Change

While rising sea levels, extreme heat, and unpredictable weather affect everyone, the consequences fall hardest on communities already burdened by economic, racial, and systemic inequities.

A recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States—reveals how certain populations are disproportionately exposed to climate-related hazards. Read on for a closer look at the EPA’s findings and the intersection of climate, health, and justice.

Who Is Most Affected by Climate Change?

True environmental justice is when all people and communities have the right to live and thrive in safe, healthy conditions with equal environmental protections. This is far from our current reality, as climate change is a social issue.

While climate change affects all Americans, regardless of socioeconomic status, the EPA reports that there are four socially vulnerable groups of people who are the least able to prepare for, cope with, and recover from the impacts of rising sea levels and temperatures, shifting snow and rainfall patterns, and other extreme weather events: 

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

How Climate Change Disproportionately Impacts Vulnerable Communities 

The EPA report analyzes six primary climate change impacts:

1. Air Quality and Health

In terms of air pollution, the health implications of climate change include respiratory and cardiovascular issues caused by higher levels of fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone, wildfires, and windblown dust events.  

The EPA study found that:

• Black and African American individuals are 60% more likely to reside in areas with the highest projected rates of premature mortality from climate-driven changes in fine particulate matter.  
• Black and African American children are 41% more likely to reside in areas with the highest projected increases in asthma diagnoses. 
• Across the US , children in low-income households are more likely to reside in areas with the highest projected increases in asthma diagnoses. 

2. Extreme Temperature and Health

There are several reasons why socially vulnerable groups are more susceptible to extreme heat- and cold-related deaths. For example, those in impacted communities may have jobs that require them to work long hours outdoors, or they may have limited access to air conditioning and heating. 

According to the EPA report, Black and African American individuals are 40% more likely to live in areas with the highest projected increases in extreme temperature-related deaths.  

3. Extreme Temperature and Labor

Extreme temperatures often result in a reduction of work hours for individuals who work outdoors or in indoor environments without air conditioning. For instance, those who work in industries such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing, may spend less time working on hot days, or may not be able to work at all, which further exacerbates economic inequality.  

The EPA report found that:

• Hispanic and Latino individuals are 43% more likely to live in areas with the highest projected reductions in labor hours due to extreme temperatures. 
• Individuals with low income or no high school diploma are 25% more likely to live in highly-impacted areas and experience losses of labor hours. 

4. Coastal Flooding and Traffic

Drivers already face weather-related delays across the country due to extreme heat and heavy precipitation that age and crack road binder materials. On top of that, rising sea levels are making tidal flooding increasingly common. These conditions cause traffic delays as drivers are forced to navigate damaged roads or take longer routes to avoid roads that are closed for maintenance or repair. As a result, some drivers have more difficulty getting to work or accessing necessary services like healthcare, which further exacerbates health disparities in low-income communities. 

Compared to non-minority individuals, the EPA report found that Hispanic and Latino individuals, Asian individuals, and Pacific Islanders are respectively 50%, 23%, and 28% more likely to live in coastal areas with the highest projected increases in traffic delays from flooding. 

5. Coastal Flooding and Property

Adaptive measures, such as seawalls and beach nourishment, are meant to protect coastal homes and other properties from high-tide flooding. However, areas with lower market values—where socially vulnerable communities are more likely to live—are more likely to be excluded from receiving such protections. 

According to the EPA report: 

• American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are 48% more likely to live in areas where the highest percentage of land is projected to be inundated due to rising sea levels. 
• Individuals with low income and no high school diploma are 13% and 14% more likely to live in areas that may be excluded from receiving adaptive measures. 

6. Inland Flooding and Property

Inland flooding occurs when excessive rainfall collects across a watershed and causes a river to overflow. Extreme flooding affects health, property, infrastructure, and natural resources, and it can also result in injury or death. 

Overall, the socially vulnerable groups analyzed in the EPA’s report are not projected to experience disproportionately higher risks of living in areas with the highest rates of inland flooding. However, individuals ages 65 or older are slightly more likely to live in areas with the worst flooding damage. 

The Role of Policy in Environmental Justice  

Quality of life is political. Despite what disinformation detractors will spread, non-white individuals with secondary education and lower income are most likely to be harmed by the health impacts of climate change. The importance of policy in environmental justice cannot be overstated, as it either alleviates or perpetuates these disparities. 

For example, during his first week in office in January 2021, former President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Among other provisions, this executive order established the Justice40 Initiative. It was the first time in US history that the federal government made it a goal to allocate at least 40% of climate and clean energy investment benefits for at-risk populations that are overburdened by pollution. Investment categories included affordable and sustainable housing, the development of clean water and wastewater infrastructure, clean transit, and more. 

According to the Ecology Center, Justice40 allocated about $600 billion across over 500 programs in 19 federal agencies, making it the largest distribution of federal funding to benefit marginalized communities in American history. 

On the first day of his second term in 2025, President Trump issued several executive orders to reverse Justice40 and many other federal environmental justice initiatives. Harmful actions such as these only underscore the critical importance of using your power to support climate and clean energy initiatives at the local and state levels to create ripple effects of positive change.  

Tackle Climate Injustice with an MS in Environmental Policy 

Regardless of political shifts, the pursuit of environmental justice for all must continue. If high-impact work addressing pressing sustainability issues is your calling, a Master of Science in Environmental Policy will give you the science-based tools, real-world experience, and career guidance to turn your passion into action. 

At Bard, our MS program uses an interdisciplinary approach that integrates science, economics, law, and US and international policy. You’ll have several opportunities for experiential learning, such as a 6-month professional internship, faculty-mentored capstone project, and community-based learning in upstate New York and Oaxaca, Mexico.   

To learn more about what career trajectories are possible, explore Bard’s Guide to Getting an Environmental Master’s Degree. Your path to protecting the planet for future generations starts here.