Social Capital and Industrial Air Pollution in Metropolitan America

Abstract

Large disparities in industrial air pollution exist between metropolitan areas in the United States, but we have little measurable sense of what shapes this inequality. Using data on industrial air pollution and social capital organizations, I show how metropolitan areas higher in “connected” social capital–where members have social ties that extend to other organizations in a metropolitan area–are associated with less pollution. Conversely, metropolitan areas higher in “isolated” social capital–where members’ social ties are comparably insular–are associated with greater pollution. Implications center on how community connectedness links with environmental inequalities.