This is the second in our weeklong series examining "Poverty & the Environment in North Carolina."  This entry was excerpted from a longer article by Kathy Knight, the Director of the Area Wide Health Committee, a program of Concerned Citizens of Tillery, in Halifax County, NC.   Click here to read the full article.

So first, let’s get literal with this ... environment is synonymous with surroundings, location, atmosphere, situation.  Poverty is synonymous with shortage, deficiency, scarcity, and lack.

What needs to be understood is that poverty creates its own priorities. Those who would damage the environment are clear about those concepts. That’s why they choose poor communities to bring the destruction to. The community of people who wish to protect the environment need to understand those realities as well.  The thing is, it goes back to the haves and the have nots. What would make one think about air quality in the face of homelessness? Is it relevant to one who has no way to heat water, that the forest is being destroyed?

Many issues around maintaining optimum health are affected by poverty. Has anyone paid attention to where and how low income housing is built? ... Mobile homes generally have carpet throughout and dust mites thrive in carpet. What if your child is diagnosed with allergies to mold and dust mites? Imagine having to pay for allergy medications without health insurance. ... Remember that single adults don’t get Medicaid in NC.  That, my friends, is a situation.

When you plan an event, do you think of what part of the month it is to take place?  When do most folk get paid? ... Then there’s the issue of location. Are you asking people to come to a location that may be uncomfortable to a person with minimal funds? ... Take a little time to learn about people living with poverty. You may find that they like hearty food, don’t feel the need to count calories and carbs at every meal. ... This may sound trivial to some, but cultural competence is more than having a “friend” of another race.

Know that the environment is important, but understand that the situation includes consideration of the lack of funds as well as the shortage of time off. There’s often a poor quality of communication when it comes to poverty and the environment. It will take people from all walks of life to get the work done; we’ve got to act like we know that. I’d love to hear thoughts from others on this.

Click here to read the full article.