Feature Article: Addressing Racial Disparities in US Port Development through Inclusive Port Decarbonization Planning
ADDRE SSI NG RACIA L DIS PA RIT IES IN US P O RT DE VE LO P M ENT T HROUGH INC LUS IVE P O RT DE CARBO N I ZAT ION PLA NNING AMANDA ULLMAN Amanda Ullman is a first-year PhD student in the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC Chapel Hill. Her research is aimed at investigating the environmental and equity impacts
of energy systems development in Latin America and the Caribbean. NOAH KITTNER
Noah Kittner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering with adjunct appointments in the Department of City and Regional Planning
and Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program at UNC Chapel Hill. His research focuses on
the transition to clean and low-carbon electricity systems from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
ABSTR ACT Container ports are widely known as hubs of economic activity offering businesses access to international markets. The nation’s largest ports move hundreds of billions of dollars of goods annually and often provide income to local communities on the order of $50 billion. The vessels and equipment that operate at ports, however, are responsible for high levels of greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions. These emissions contribute greatly to global climate change and have detrimental health effects on near-port neighborhoods, which have historically been composed of low-income Black and Latinx community members. This article suggests strategies and research needs to rectify environmental and health-related disparities in U.S. ports.
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