How acknowledging environmental privilege is the first step to institutionalized change.

Environmental privilege is a tricky subject. We all come from different places with different opportunities and availability of resources; if we are able to make the choice to reduce our consumption or switch the way we eat, we are privileged. It is critical that this is acknowledged within the environmental movement. So many are burdened with fuel poverty, food deserts, air quality issues, limited access to nature, insufficient waste removal services, and so on. Environmentalism is a white privilege issue, with people of color disproportionately affected by environmental catastrophes and more likely to live in fuel poverty and food desert areas. I’m not saying we should feel guilty about our ability to choose to live in this way, but we should recognize, each and everyday, the privilege involved in having the opportunity to make these choices. Research shows that acknowledgement is the first step to dismantling these oppressive power structures.