seattleDIRT

According to a new report from the EPA climate change will affect homeless and other vulnerable populations (elderly, young, sick) first and foremost. These populations risk “exposure to harmful agents, interact with biological factors that mediate risk (such as nutritional status), and/or…the ability to adapt or respond to exposures or early phases of illness and injury,” the report stated.

In a time of economic instability, it’s easy for Seattle’s middle-class residents to feel the pinch. Local papers print tips on how to save a buck and local T.V. stations run sound bites of Seattleites struggling to adapt to rising gas prices and increased food cost. But these people get a paycheck. They have resources—a roof, car, neighbors, refrigerator, savings account. Others aren’t so lucky.

Photo by Matt Lutton. Day with Timothy Leary Byrnes. Homelessness Project, Seattle, WA (see below for details on Lutton’s photography exhibit at Seattle City Hall).

In 2006, 36.5 million Americans were living in poverty. Considering the state of the economy, that number can only be expected to grow. And that means more people surviving rather than living a quality life. More people living on the street. More people unable to pay for medical treatment. More people vulnerable to their environment and global climate change.

“Even in the United States, the greatest health burdens related to climate change are likely to fall on those with the lowest socioeconomic status (O’Neill et al., 2003a). Most affected are individuals with inadequate shelter or resources to find alternative shelter in the event their community is disrupted,” the EPA report stated.

In January, King County did a one night homeless count; “At least 8,439 men, women, and children were homeless during this one night. Hundreds of volunteers counted 2,631 people without shelter in parts of thirteen cities and unincorporated areas. The same night, staff at nearly 200 emergency shelters and transitional housing programs completed surveys about the 5,808 people staying in their programs.”

Climate Change increases the frequency of natural disasters and severe weather conditions. Imagine being one of the 17,000 King County residents on any given night who don’t have sufficient resources to accommodate weather extremes.

According to the EPA report, “Categories of persons susceptible to environmental risks and hazards include racial and ethnic groups (Bolin, 1986; Fothergill et al., 1999; Lindell and Perry, 2004; Cutter, 2006), and groups defined by economic variables of wealth, income, and poverty (Peacock, 2003; Dash et al., 1997; Fothergill and Peek, 2004). Overall, research indicates that minorities and the poor are differentially harmed by disaster events. Economic disadvantage, lower human capital, limited access to social and political resources, and residential choices are social and economic reasons that contribute to observed differences in disaster vulnerability by race/ethnicity and economic status.”

The disenfranchised are more than just a count of heads, though. They are people with families, life stories, dreams and fears. Until we (the more stable residents of Seattle) address exactly how our addiction to oil affects all populations, people will continue to slip through the cracks.

Event:
From now until August 1, photographer Matt Lutton’s “Homeless in Seattle” photography exhibit is hanging at Seattle City Hall. Lutton started the project in 2006 as a commission for a local charity, but soon took it on as a personal project and has worked on it since. “I’ve tried to capture a different, less stereotypical view of what it means to be homeless and who these people are as individuals,” Lutton said.

Official show description:
“This project started in the summer of 2006 as a small commission from Jewish Family Service in Seattle, and then expanded into a long-term personal project made possible by the generosity of the people in the pictures and the organizations that serve them. I have tried to show a faithful and accurate portrait of what homelessness in Seattle is today and to expand our perception of who these individuals are. Some of the images are portraits of people who have become my friends, others are quick photographs of people I have met briefly, and all have confounded my view of what being homeless means and looks like. I hope to challenge your expectations and to encourage a more humanistic view. I feel strongly that the issues in these photographs require critical and moral attention from all citizens: these are our neighbors, real people, suffering and succeeding – living lives, with the same ups and downs as the rest of us on the streets and in overcrowded shelters. I hope you take from these images an expanded, more nuanced view of what being homeless means in Seattle today, and that this moves you to give more support to this community in need.”