Climate change has become an even more important issue in recent months than it has in the past, with increased global warming, rising sea levels, massive species extinction and dramatically polluted and contaminated areas. Many corporations often contribute to carbon emissions and pollution for the sake of profit. This leaves ethnic minorities to deal with the environmental consequences.

Indeed, many privileged, wealthy whites benefit most from environmental destruction, for they are usually not exposed to environmental hazards from industrial production. Today, the poorest ethnic minorities in America are the indigenous populations, who have experienced the brunt of injustice — environmental or otherwise.

Throughout histoy, American natives have experienced widespread destruction of sacred areas and food and water sources; a contemporary being the Keystone XL Pipeline. Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline for economic gains will contribute to climate change, disproportionately affect aboriginals of Canada and the Dakotas and promote environmental racism against people who have already experienced continual inhumane treatment by Westerners.

Many politicians in the United States deny that global warming exists. They continually support jobs that emit carbon and destroy natural areas, pollute water supplies and eradicate entire species. The Keystone XL Pipeline is only one instance out of many that promotes the growth of wealth and employment while contributing to climate change and increasing environmental hazards.

Industrial capitalism has been one of the root causes of environmental injustice committed against indigenous peoples; governments and corporations historically destroyed sacred land, homes and food of native peoples unfairly and often without consent, all for the sake of profit and success. The Keystone XL Pipeline may create new jobs and lower the cost of oil, but the demand for cheaper oil will increase and subsequently result in the creation of more oilrigs and pipelines which will further environmental damage.

The current assertion that Keystone has met environmental standards is in fact not correct. Pipelines and oilrigs spill, as was the case with the 2010 British Petroleum oil spill. According to a Global News article by the Canadian Press, the section in Alberta has already spilled close to 60,000 liters of oil in the Red Earth Creek Province. While there are no reports of damage to wildlife and ecosystems, this is not the first spill the company has had, and it is only a matter of time before oil spills onto biologically important land areas.

Native peoples in the Alberta oil sands region must deal directly with these consequences. Oil spills can contaminate water and destroy the species on which native peoples rely. Increased carbon emissions and pollution will also facilitate the spread of cancer and disease through exposure to the toxic chemicals involved in pipelines. Companies like TransCanada may promise to work with the indigenous, but violating the environmental rights of natives, who have already been dealt the most injustice out of minorities, is just cruel.

While the Keystone XL Pipeline may provide jobs and economic benefits, these benefits are usually only seen by the wealthy, while ethnic minorities experience the catastrophic consequences that come from the construction and operation of the pipeline. It is important to be energy independent, but American leaders must focus on renewable sources of energy that sustain the country while being environmentally friendly. Too often, talk about native peoples is put on the sideline in favor of “more important” economic or political issues. This should not be a political or economic question, but a moral one — how can America truly be the “land of the free” when only the privileged, wealthy few can have clean air and clean water?