Warehouses are buildings with several storage racks, where raw materials and manufactured goods are stored before they are exported or sold on the market. In general, warehouses are large plain buildings located in industrial parks or on the outskirts of cities and towns.
Warehouses rely on a lot of energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and their machinery. Taken together, this leads to a significant amount of carbon emissions, especially when the warehouse is dependent on a nonrenewable resource, such as fossil fuels.
The idea of warehouses traces back to early civilizations, which built granaries to store surplus food. During approximately 3000 BCE, small storehouse structures were used in Mesopotamia and Egypt to store agricultural produce, precious metals, and other commodities. However, the warehouses that individuals are familiar with today are attributed to the ancient Roman empire, where the need for warehouses became transparent, due to massive amounts of trade occurring, which required storage in the exchange process.
The Romans built the Horrea Galbae, which was a massive network of warehouses near the Tiber River, nearly two thousand years ago. These buildings were meant to store the grain supply of the empire, and imported goods, such as olive oil, wine, and clothes. Yet, the term “warehouses” was first officially coined by the British in the 1300’s.
Warehouses that consist of more loading docks and parking spaces attract traffic and tend to be associated with the highest nitrogen dioxide levels, contributing to air pollution, which can lead to a variety of health issues, ranging from asthma to lung disease. Furthermore, warehouses can result in exposure to harmful substances. This is because inhaling toxic chemicals, which are particularly in fertilizer warehouses, may lead to damage in the respiratory system.
Moreover, exposure to radioactive chemicals could cause organ damage or cancer. In addition to this, improper lifting, holding, or carrying of heavy objects might stress the neck or back, thereby leading to acute or chronic injuries.
Communities with large racial and ethnic minority populations are most likely to be located near warehouses, which makes them more prone to inhaling nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. A study by George Washington University found that the proportion of Hispanic and Asian folk living in near proximity to the largest amounts of warehouses was approximately two hundred percent higher than the nationwide average.
Environmentally burdened communities are usually low-income neighborhoods, who do not have the luxury of being able to move, due to highly polluted air. It is said that people of color endure nearly eight times higher rates of pediatric asthma from exposure to nitrogen dioxide and thirty percent higher rates of dying prematurely from exposure to fine particulate matter, which is a serious area of concern. Moreover, those who work in warehouses to support their livelihoods may be exposed to higher concentrations of toxic chemicals, or lack the training needed to avoid slipping or having a box fall on their head.
WAREHOUSES: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
When it comes to the ecological effects of warehouses, the most prevalent is the air pollution emitted by these buildings. Heavy-duty trucks transporting the goods to and from warehouses lead to major emissions, as well the energy needed to light, heat, and cool the buildings. Additionally, census tracts have shown that cities with warehouses generally have higher rates of noise pollution, disrupting both human and wildlife.
Packaging material used by warehouses tends to end up in landfills, which could destroy the natural habitats of species. New warehouses and parking lots have added more impervious surfaces, which means rainwater cannot penetrate to the ground. As a result, pollutants wash off more easily in each rainstorm, which can cause increased flooding. Moreover, warehouses usually take large amounts of land that could lead to the loss of several critical ecosystem services.
The Inland Empire has seen an unprecedented growth of warehouses being built, with approximately four hundred already existing, and more being planned for construction. There are residents in the Inland Empire that are extremely concerned with the impacts of warehouses on the air quality, and surrounding environment. Cases of children waking up with bloody noses have been reported, leading to individuals expressing their concerns, which they hope will curtail the air pollution and traffic levels from increasing.
In the year of 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill, known as “Assembly Bill 98”, which was meant to limit where distribution centers could be located. Supporters of this bill claim this will protect their neighborhoods from traffic and lead to cleaner air. However, business groups have stated that this bill could lead to a loss of many jobs in a booming industry that could negatively impact those who rely on this income.