Congratulations go out to Zoraya Berlanga Aguilar who was selected as the Environment and Sustainability Initiative Graduate Fellow with her project “The Silent Cost of Space Exploration: How Corporate Power and Economic Promises Shape Community Responses to Environmental Harm.” This fellowship seeks to empower and advance graduate students who are dedicated to conducting impactful research and/or creative activities related to environmental and/or sustainability topics or themes.
Zoraya's project tackles one of the main paradoxes in environmental sociology: the gap between the environmentally destructive behaviors of corporations and the failure of communities to oppose these conditions. This paradox is particularly evident in Boca Chica Beach, Texas and the surrounding areas, such as Brownsville, Olmito, South Pader Island, Port Isabel, and Los Fresnos, where corporate operations have caused significant environmental harm, including air pollution and coastal ecosystem destruction. Despite these consequences, the local community has largely accepted the presence of the corporation, raising important questions about the dynamics of corporate influence and community acquiescence. Zoraya's project tries to understand how communities come to accept corporate behaviors that contribute to environmental degradation and exploit local resources. Through a case study of SpaceX in Boca Chica Beach, Texas Zoraya will conduct interviews with residents and analyze secondary sources, such as local newspapers and public meetings, to understand this complex and often contradictory relationship between industry, community, and environment.