En(in)dangered

Photographed in January of 2021 near Roan Mountain at Carvers Gap on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, this photo highlights the Southern Appalachian red spruce-Fraser Fir. These woodlands are considered one of the top two most endangered ecosystem types in the U.S. and contain multiple federal and state-listed rare species. The most significant threat to these forests is climate change.
 
Much like these majestic woodlands, studies have found that Black communities will feel the brunt of climate change more than any other community in the U.S. According to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, U.S. and U.K.-based researchers found that by midcentury, the top 20 percent of proportionally Black census tracts will be at twice the flood risks as the 20 percent of areas with the lowest populace of Black people.
 
This recent study adds to the litany of other findings highlighting the overwhelming climate burden Black communities will face due to racist policies like redlining. From coastal communities that are predominantly Black facing the highest risk of sea-level rise to Black people being 40 percent more likely to live in areas that will see the highest increases in extreme heat deaths, the parallels are undeniable.