Justice Advances in Cancer Alley; Trump, Glyphosate and Cancer; Stinky Seaweed Menace and more.

About this episode

The episode discusses a trial for pollution discrimination in Cancer Alley, glyphosate's health impacts, and the ecological threat of Sargassum seaweed.

Descendants of enslaved people fighting pollution in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ have been greenlit for a trial. Their lawsuit alleges the St. James Parish government discriminated against Black residents by repeatedly permitting industrial plants in predominantly Black districts while shielding mostly white districts from industry. Also, President Trump has deemed glyphosate as essential for national security even though some 200,000 people have complained they have gotten cancer or other adverse health effects, while using it as directed. Meanwhile a Missouri state court has given preliminary approval to a class action settlement plan for people sickened by Roundup, which contains the herbicide glyphosate. Why some in the Make America Healthy Again movement feel betrayed by the Trump Administration’s support for glyphosate. And though the floating seaweed known as Sargassum provides critical habitat for many species in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic, it is now finding a fertile home in southern waters, where it’s wreaking havoc on coastal communities and ecosystems, with impacts to respiratory health, tourism and sea turtles. --- Join LOE and Inside Climate News for the…

People in this episode

Guest: Hannah Ritchie

Topics covered

• environmental justice
• cancer and health
• glyphosate controversy
• pollution
• coastal ecosystems
• Sargassum impact

Keywords

• Cancer Alley
• glyphosate
• pollution
• environmental justice
• Sargassum
• Roundup
• Trump
• health effects
• Louisiana

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: St. James Parish government, Make America Healthy Again

Products: glyphosate, Roundup

Books & works: Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers

Places: Cancer Alley, Louisiana, Sargasso Sea, Missouri, southern waters

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