RLSP - Equitable Living , Summer
RLSP City to Rural Living Sustainability Report for Equitable Living, Summer is an overview of four summer seasonal observational data showing detail of equitable challenges, benefits, or adjustments for those of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) living in Colorado’s rural areas. While some living habits may not be aware for homogeneous communities, the summer in rural areas presents an increase in challenges that are uncomfortable to address but a necessary concern for those considering relocation.
Equitable Living, Summer (July - September, 2021-2024)
Summer months in rural area consists of the following challenges and adjustments for BIPOC relocatees, seasonal visitors, or long-term residents:
Wellness & Mental Health
Environmental Preparedness Deficiency (EPD)
Environmental Equity Adjustment (EEA)
Wellness & Mental Health
For those living in high crime areas or dealing with urban air quality issues, summertime in rural areas can seem very appealing for those considering relocations or a break from urban chaos. While the idea of taking a vacation or making the switch of city to rural can be a solution for those opting for cleaner air, minimal social interaction, and trying out new outdoor activities, through observation, many visitors testing rural life, experienced challenges after three days. Observing subjects visiting rural Colorado showed the following issues: three days - quietness, calm, and lack of access caused anxiety for some; within two days - breathing issues for others; and within one day - stress from lack of access of resources, comparable in city or suburban areas such as: fast-food, high-speed internet, on-road driving. The appeal of summer wears thin for those who have difficulties adjusting to a slower, quieter environment. Within seven days, those who stayed without the impeding altitude sickness, experienced an improvement in breathing, hearing, and found themselves less concerned with outside factors. Daily admiration of nature, access to sun, and clear skies had also been championed by BIPOC subjects as a form of “grounding” (Ober, 1998) for many BIPOCs that have low interaction with nature.
Grounding, also called earthing, is a modern term for an ancient therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth., Ober, Earthing®
Racial Trauma
This calmness is unfortunately met with intense Racial Trauma when momentarily leaving rural life to visit the city or even encountering tourist or local residents not used to seeing BIPOC visitors. While these encounters may not seem intense as a common micro aggression in the city, the juxtaposition of calm to extreme intimidation for some was immediately noticed. Some examples were noticeable anxiety and headaches when encountering silent intimidation. Subjects stated, “While nothing may be said, the multiple car alarm activations, look or fear of seeing (BIPOC) visitors caused a shift in energy.” When returning to rural areas, the subjects instantly noticed the anxiety leave, 2-6 hours later. Other detailed incidents were tailing or following within local stores, or when driving, primarily by tourists or by guest of residents. These incidents were not primarily instigated by White residents but reported a high increase from White visitors; Black or Latin residents, that sometimes escalated with an occasional notification of authorities for simply seeing BIPOC in public areas.
Due to this issue, some of the recommendations that will be noted in the final report acknowledged, White Colorado rural residents were fair and supportive to those living in the area, regardless of race. Many authorities and county workers are residents themselves and extremely supportive of anyone choosing to live year-round in rural areas of Colorado. It had been important to notify neighbors of visitors. Residents' main concern had been unruly tourists. In Colorado, the general unruly tourist is primarily White, but a young tourist (16 - 30 years, regardless of race) is profiled due to prevalent citations that include littering, destruction of environment, trespassing and unlawful hunting/shooting . During summer tourism seasons, a reported increase of crime (Longwoods International, 2019) and property theft, creates uncomfortable assumptions by residents, that can heighten social anxiety for POCs who decided to visit.
Environmental Preparedness Deficiency (EPD)
RLSP report stresses the importance of having a clear understanding of what type of environmental factors can dampen a rural area visit or an intent to stay in the summertime or beyond. Environmental Preparedness Deficiency (EPD) is a Tscion Research term that defines the lack of awareness of environmental changes by those unaware of common environmental challenges. EPD prevents quick and important decisions, leaving the victim unaware of how to immediately prevent, protect, or provide support during natural disasters. For those visiting or transitioning to live long term in rural or unpopulated areas, EPD showed frequent environmental challenges. Unawareness of communication, transpiration, and emergency response methods that can prevent or add to difficulties that occur during rural area summer seasons. Rural area summers in Colorado are faced with extreme rain that can result in road erosion or falling boulders. Other environmental incidents include deer or other wildlife encounters while driving or walking; heat related issues; lightning strikes; dust storms that can create breathing difficulties for those with allergies. Understanding how to protect oneself from any of these issues, noted during the 4-summer observation showed there is a need to better inform and decrease assumptions.
Environmental Equity Adjustment (EEA)
Tscion Research and RLSP’s Environmental Equity Adjustment (EEA) is an observational assessment based on the need for increased environmental education for suburban and city living visitor or soon to be residents and the access or lack of access that requires compromise or adjustments for equitable living. These subjects may have constant common access to resources such as cellphone towers or internet access but in rural areas, there are dead zones that have “no service.” The adjustment for dead zones (Pond, 2023) may not be addressed to due to constant communication access. Some may not be prepared to adjust for no communication that lasts as far as 10 miles, and for those not used to low access to internet or phone access, 10 miles showed increased anxiety and fear due to lack of control. Rural low communication also can affect travel, with recommendations of traveling on busier roads in an emergency. Other recommendations also include, having a portable battery booster/charger, at least 2 gallons of gas, a flashlight, and a designated person to walk for support. It is also recommended to inspect a vehicle that travels off-road to paved roads, leaving, and returning home, due to encountering unstable road conditions. Whether at home or traveling it is important someone always knows when you are leaving home in event an environmental factor inhibits access. This includes heat related issues, lightning strikes, general hiking injuries, and animal confrontations. Having access to water in rural areas is particularly important, albeit walking with a water bottle, or knowing where public water areas are located.
It is always important to be aware but, in rural areas, it is important to understand how to safely assist any BIPOCs in need of support with gas, information, or even access to the water when scared or concerned about unfamiliar surroundings. Just as it would be scary for a rural area resident to visit a high crime area in the city, a city area resident will have equally concerned issues in a rural area. All areas on this planet are subject to necessary resolutions or preparedness.
Ober, 1998 URL https://www.earthing.com/pages/what-is-earthing
Longwoods International, 2019 URL https://oedit.colorado.gov/sites/coedit/files/2021-08/2019_colorado_resident_sentiment_study_0.pdf
Pond, 2023 URL https://www.weboost.com/blog/how-to-get-cell-reception-in-a-dead-zone
