Bombay Beach was once the playground of Hollywood’s ultra-rich. Today, its residents have disproportionately high rates of cancer and nosebleeds. In a state renowned for its environmental protections, this municipality is a monument to California’s greatest ecological disaster. Decades of water diversion and pollution have created dunes of toxic dust from the withering Salton Sea, wafting over a population of those who will not or cannot leave. The residents are notoriously distrusting of outsiders – understandably so, after being abandoned by the state and wealthier, urban communities. I saw fewer than ten people during my weekend visit. When one of the few locals, a young girl, shyly asked about my camera, her mother quickly called her away.
With this series, I hope to spark conversations about humanity’s impact on the environment and subsequently itself, urging Californians complacent with their progressive eco-conscious legislation to recognize and address the social and economic impacts of environmental destruction.
