Local Exposure to Toxic Releases: Does Ethnic Diversity Matter?

Matthew Cole, Robert Elliott () and Khemrutai Khemmarat

Discussion Papers from Department of Economics, University of Birmingham

Abstract: This paper examines the role played by community characteristics in influencing local environmental quality, focusing specifically on ethnic diversity. In contrast to the previous literature, this study argues that it is the fractionalization and/or polarization of ethnic groups that is the relevant consideration, rather than the population share of ethnic minorities, since such diversity may significantly increase the difficulty of co-ordinating community action. Using toxic release data for the period 1990-1995 and, for the first time, 2000-2005, we find that measures of ethnic diversity do indeed influence local toxic release emissions. This finding persists across a range of robustness exercises.

Keywords: pollution; ethnic diversity; fractionalization; polarization; community characteristics; environmental justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D70 Q53 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2010-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-mig and nep-ure
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bir:birmec:10-29

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