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.

中文翻译：

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大都会美国的社会资本和工业空气污染

摘要美国大都市地区之间存在着严重的工业空气污染差异，但我们对造成这种不平等的原因知之甚少。使用有关工业空气污染和社会资本组织的数据，我展示了“互联”社会资本中较高的大都会区域（成员具有与大城市区域其他组织的社会联系）与较低的污染相关。相反，“孤立的”社会资本较高的大都市地区（成员的社会联系相对孤立）与更大的污染相关。含义集中在社区联系与环境不平等之间的联系上。