A river ran red, a population in fury. A result of incessant aniline pollution from nearby factories, the Sarandí Canal in Argentina darkened to a disconcerting blood red. Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened to the residents.
When questioned on this topic, a local, María Ducolms, stated that the canal has turned several other colors in the past, i.e., “bluish, greenish, pink, purplish,” and sometimes appears to have an oil-like substance floating on the surface. This sentiment was further reinforced by another local, Silvia, who recalled the river turning yellow. She also identified an “acidic” smell that made her and other residents feel “ill,” according to BBC. The citizens of Sarandí have made complaints to the local legislature in the past, but made no progress. A recent complaint made to the Buenos Aires Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Services has made way for an investigation, as per the Associated Press.
Injustices such as these exist throughout the world, often affecting those powerless to object, unable to seek reparations. According to the EIP, “22 of 36 Houston-area air monitors recorded levels of ozone that violated the most recent federal ozone standards.” Where “black children were still over twice as likely to receive a diagnosis than white children”, as per the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Furthermore, those most affected by this pollution are low-income households. Of the ten neighborhoods that surround these air monitors, 43-53% were listed as such. And what has the Texas government done about this? A letter with the gubernatorial seal was sent to the EPA requesting that they reclassify a number of counties with pollution deemed “serious” back to moderate. Pollution in Texas remains an enormous issue. Cities like Dallas, Austin, El Paso, and many others continue to deal with similar problems as a result of their ineffective legislature. But why are such practices allowed to persist? Greed.
Had the power plants been in compliance with standards set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), profits would have decreased. Had the necessary reforms to mitigate the harmful effects of their pollution on the surrounding population been implemented, profits would have decreased. According to Reuters, ExxonMobil, one of the largest oil producers in the world, based in Texas, CEO Darren Woods received $36.9 million in 2024 alone, a 3% increase from 2023. While it may seem miniscule, that small shift represents an over one million dollar increase. According to Forbes, executives are paid on average 290 times the average employee’s salary at their company.
During the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election, Greg Abbot’s campaign received a total of $71,842,556. Many of his top contributors had, and continue to have, major stakes in the oil and gas industry. Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer, which alone operates 125,000 miles of oil pipelines, donated $1 million to Abbott’s campaign in 2021. Oil tycoon Richard Kinder’s wife, Nancy Kinder, donated $250,000 to Abbott, also in 2021. Jeff Hildebrand, founder of Hilcorp Energy Co., has donated $500,000, as per Transparency USA. Other top contributors include several energy corporations and investment companies. In exchange for their large donations, Abbott appoints these donors to governmental agencies, boards, commissions, etc.
A byproduct of greed, pollution plagues our earth—often unchecked. The subjugation of our representatives only furthers the ever-increasing accumulation of wealth seen within the top echelons of society. Executives will continue to get richer, and the general populace poorer, unless there is a sustained effort to prevent private entities from furthering their agenda at the cost of the public.
