Kourtney Kardashian faces backlash after speaking out on controversial issue: 'So she basically said dump it where the poor people live?'

The wildfires that decimated Los Angeles in January were horrific. Many people lost their homes, their places of worship, and their schools. Entire communities were destroyed.

Unfortunately, the horrors of the fires didn't end when they were finally contained by the brave firefighters battling them. A massive amount of debris was left in the wake, and now, Los Angeles residents are trying to figure out how to dispose of it all — and no one seems to agree on where it should go.

The popular socialite Kourtney Kardashian recently came under fire on Reddit for joining a protest against dumping some of the debris near her well-off neighborhood of Calabasas. On the subreddit r/Fauxmoi, the post shows Kourtney holding a sign that reads, "Protect Calabasas No Toxic Fire Waste!"

The picture was accompanied by a lengthy caption explaining that Kourtney Kardashian has gone over her monthly allotted water limit by over 100,000 gallons. The poster also pointed out that she regularly travels by private jet. 

Removing all the debris is a tall order. The Army Corps of Engineers and the L.A. Sanitation Department say hazardous materials have already been separated from non-hazardous waste and disposed of separately. But people are worried there could still be toxic materials in the soil and ash that include lead, asbestos, PFAs, arsenic, and mercury.

Calabasas was chosen because it is close to some of the devastated neighborhoods in the Palisades. The proximity limits the length of truck trips hauling the debris and, therefore, limits the amount of dirty diesel fuel that needs to be burned in the process.

The controversy on the Internet focuses on the fact that excessive water use and private jet travel lead to substantial pollution and negative effects on the health of our environment. Therefore, while she has a point about firefighting substances being toxic, many have felt the protest from Kourtney Kardashian is overall hypocritical and more self-centered than in keeping with genuine public interests.

Of course, personal responsibility regarding our own consumption makes a huge difference on the health of our environment. Recycling, monitoring our water use, and traveling in environmentally responsible ways are just a few individual choices that could make a difference.

Commenters on the original post were understandably frustrated. Many worried about where the waste would end up. 

"So she basically said dump it where the poor people live?" 

Another focused on a practical solution to her excessive water use: "Water should just get cut off to your house if you go over[.]"

Should we be digging miles beneath Earth's surface? No way 👎 Definitely 👍 Depends what it's for 🤔 Depends where we do it 🗺️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.