Scientists say that the intensity of hurricanes has been increasing due to rising global temperatures. As the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season starts, this is ill news for Puerto Rico and other Caribbean countries that are still trying to recover from the devastation of last year’s Hurricane Maria.
Maria was the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in 85 years. It caused massive power outages, $92 billion in damages, and close to 4,600 deaths. Many of the deaths happened months after Maria hit, mainly due to the lack of access to medicine and treatment.
The government’s response to the disaster, largely through the Federal Emergency Management Administration, has been sorely lacking. Aid was deployed slowly, and President Trump’s offensive rhetoric toward the people and local leaders of Puerto Rico distracted from the actual recovery efforts.
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Nearly a year later, the island’s infrastructure is nowhere near the level of resiliency needed to weather this year’s hurricanes. The problems with Puerto Rico’s infrastructure are rooted in a history of oppressive colonial and economic policies there. These problems were laid bare by Hurricane Maria.
For example, 29 landfills full of coal ash and 18 superfund sites (sites contaminated by hazardous waste) cover the island of Puerto Rico. More than half do not meet federal standards. Coal ash contains toxins that can leach into the water when not properly contained. These sites are located mostly in low-income and communities of color. Advocates warn that hurricanes like Maria will continue to increase levels of coal ash contamination in Puerto Rico’s water supply.
Puerto Rico’s experience with Maria provides no assurance that the U.S. will readily be able to help vulnerable populations when climate-fueled disasters strike. Ironically, Puerto Ricans use only one-third as much energy and emit less than half as much carbon dioxide per capita as the rest of the U.S. Yet, they are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
In the wake of Maria, however, Congress has an opportunity to begin to reverse the trend of institutional racism and oppressive colonialism toward Puerto Rico. For example, in rebuilding the island’s electrical grid, Congress could provide incentives to encourage climate-resilient infrastructure. This action alone will not make Puerto Rico invulnerable to climate change, or erase the history of institutional racism. It would, however, represent a first step in good faith to reverse the trend of environmental injustice in Puerto Rico.