Smokestack Bonanza = Petrochemical Pollution

I want to take a step back and talk about the scenery during our long ride day from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, specifically the 90 or so middle miles that we biked once we exited NOLA city limits but before we hit Baton Rouge.  

Without a doubt, parts of this ride were breathtakingly beautiful.  We were riding along the Mississippi and passing some historic plantations that were decorated with live oaks whose trunks were the size of small cars.  

However, there is a more ominous nickname for this stretch of road: cancer alley.  

The industrial nature of this area is unlike anything I have ever encountered before in my life.  There are reports of nearly unmatched instances of pollution and rates of cancer, both of which have caused concern.  

Finally, it is important to note the socioeconomic and racial demographics of this region. Lower income individuals and underrepresented groups overwhelmingly inhabit this sliver of industrial America.  Talk about systematization of inequality.  

Here is a map to put the situation into a better perspective and an infographic about the types of carcinogenic pollutants overwhelming the region.  

Finally, a quote by Robert Bullard: "The South has a legacy of unequal protection - why would the environment be any different?"