111: Intersectional Environmentalism; How Race and Culture Impact Your Identity as an Environmentalist

We’re speaking with Leah Thomas, of GreenGirlLeah. Perhaps you’ve seen her viral Instagram post with the title slide of ‘Environmentalists for Black Lives Matter.’ We’re speaking today on Intersectional Environmentalism – defining it, relating it to feminism a bit, and talking broadly about how different cultures experience nature and those human-environment relationships historically. We also touch on climate racism, and why black, POC, and marginalized communities are experiencing the most severe public health risks from environmental degradation. Additionally, we talk about the cognitive dissonance around why we may be experiencing disconnect from natural disasters and environmental degradation.

Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator based in Southern California. She’s passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism. Her work has been featured on The Good Trade, Buzzfeed, Vogue… her ideas of ‘intersectional environmentalism’ are literally changing the environmental world as we speak. Find her online at greengirlleah.com + on Instagram, @GreenGirlLeah.

Additional episodes on equity, climate racism, human-environment interactions and injustices, etc:

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