Building a PFAS-free future

How exactly do PFAs impact people + planet? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAs for short, are harmful forever chemicals found in consumer, commercial, and industrial products. In this episode, we’ll explore what PFAs are + what scientists, environmentalists + retailers are doing to remove them from our environment. And we’ll learn from Maine Farmland Trust - a nonprofit supporting Maine farms impacted by PFAS and advocating for agricultural policy & research to address the PFAS challenge nationwide.

Script + Narration by @ariellevking
Research by @ariellevking + @diandramarizet
Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
Produced by @diandramarizet + @sustainablesabs
This episode is sponsored by @keen

Episode Transcript

Introduction

Welcome to the Joy Report— a podcast by the organization, Intersectional Environmentalist, dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice, grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in for a dose of climate joy and actionable steps you can take to help protect people and the planet. I’m your host, Arielle V. King, an environmental justice strategist and educator passionate about making environmentalism inclusive, practical, and irresistible. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.

This second season of The Joy Report is being brought to you in partnership with our friends at KEEN, a family-owned, values-led shoemaking company on a journey to make the world’s cleanest shoes. In this episode, we’re talking all about PFAS and the ways leaders — particularly in the outdoor industry— are taking practical steps to usher in a world without forever chemicals. KEEN started its PFAS Free Detox Journey in 2014 and successfully removed PFAS from their hybrid footwear in 2018. Since then, the brand has published papers and content to create a roadmap for other brands to do the same. We couldn’t think of a better partner to help bring this episode to life.

The Problem

There’s been a serious uptick in news and lawsuits surrounding PFAS over the last few years. You may have even contributed to the explosion of searches for “what are PFAS” or the term “forever chemicals” on Google over the last six years. And perhaps you’re one of the 53% of adults in the US who are at least “somewhat concerned” about the effects of PFAS, according to a recent study by CivicScience. While these chemicals are just about everywhere, they can be difficult for the everyday consumer to identify, understand, or conceptualize, so let’s start with a little debrief…

PFAS, also known as Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances is a man-made chemical with about 5,000 different compounds. These compounds, commonly called “forever chemicals”, have been used in industry and consumer products for over 70 years because of their useful properties. However, the chemical compound does not break down easily in the environment once introduced. Throughout this episode, we will be using the terms “PFAS” and “forever chemicals” interchangeably, and they are both intended to refer to this massive, growing list of manmade chemical compounds.

Unsurprisingly, this harmful chemical can be tied to the fossil fuel industry. The chemical first hit the commercial market when petroleum and pipe maker MW Kellogg, now known as KBR, commercialized it in the 1950s. The first commercial PFAS-based treatment for clothing was introduced by the company 3M in the 1940s under the brand name “Scotchguard”. This revolutionary technology offered remarkable water and stain resistance to fabrics, making it highly desirable for various applications, including outdoor apparel and textiles. The popularity of PFAS-based treatments continued to grow throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. Many leading outdoor apparel brands incorporated this treatment into their products, as they were widely available, cost-effective, and delivered excellent performance.

Today, forever chemicals are added to products that: help keep food from sticking to packaging or cookware; make clothes and carpets resistant to heat, grease, water, and oil stains; and create more effective firefighting foams. PFAS can now be found in fish and other wildlife, and studies have found that increased exposure has been linked to a long list of health effects in humans, including increased cancer risk, hormonal disruption, and decreased fertility.

As a result of these health impacts, and a growing awareness of the risks these chemicals pose to people and the planet, we are witnessing a shift in awareness and action toward creating a PFAS-free world.

“The sad fact is that in America, foods, drugs, and pesticides are regulated before they go into products and for all other chemicals there’s no regulation. So we can know there are serious problems with a chemical and they can end up in our consumer products.”

That was Arlene Blum, a biophysical chemist, author, mountaineer, Research Associate in Chemistry at UC Berkeley, and and executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute. The institute has been a leading voice in helping prevent the use of six classes of PFAS in children’s sleepwear, furniture, electronics, and other products worldwide. Green Science Policy also keeps track of PFAS-free brands on their website.

Even PFAS-related lawsuits have been on the rise in recent years, with plaintiffs citing health issues related to increased exposure. One of the biggest lawsuits in recent history was the January 2023 class action lawsuit against Thinx, the sustainable menstruation undergarment company. As a result of the settlement, anyone who purchased these products between November 2016-2022 was eligible to join the class action and receive reimbursement. These prodicts were advertised in a way that led customers to believe that they were a safe, healthy, and sustainable choice for menstruating people, and the media attention following this settlement led to an uptick in public awareness and concern about the prevalence of forever chemicals in items we consider healthy, safe, and/or sustainable.

So far, entities including the Environmental Protection Agency have made large strides in PFAS research, however, they don’t yet fully understand how to manage and dispose of PFAS, or the full extent and impact of regular exposure. As such, there is a strong need to phase out our use and reliance on these forever chemicals,

At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “I thought this was ‘The Joy Report’. What’s joyful about an unregulated, ubiquitous chemical harming people and the planet?” To answer that question, there is nothing joyful about forever chemicals, but it is important to know about them, and understand that because they are manmade chemicals being leached out of manmade products, there are ways to cultivate a PFAS-free future for all.

Intervention

While we can’t necessarily get rid of the forever chemicals already in the environment, the goal must be to eliminate them from products as fast as possible to avoid increasing their presence in our water, soil, and bodies.

When considering the role of companies in ensuring a PFAS-free world, Matthias Foessel of Beyond Surface Technologies is quoted saying, “Giving up PFAS could be a small, temporary step backward for some of your products, but a big step forward for the health of our population and planet.”

The Thinx lawsuit is a great reminder of our power as consumers.

Our spending power is a form of accountability and has more influence than you may think. Consumer demands and an increased desire for more sustainable options have led to a notable increase in businesses adopting more creative and circular strategies that limit the development of new PFAS-based merchandise.

This has led to a significant increase in the use of: recycled materials, as opposed to virgin ones; regenerative models, as opposed to ones that merely extract from the earth; and natural materials, like leathers made from cacti and pressed apple scraps, as opposed to chemicals like PFAs. Andd this is all thanks for consumers like you.

In short, by promoting more systems of circularity we are doing two things—

One: we are addressing how forever chemicals can be re-used - or at least used until solutions are found to safely break them down, and two: we’re finding alternative bio-degradable materials to meet the demands that PFAS are currently filling so we can limit, to ultimately end, our reliance on these harmful chemicals.

Speaking of durability: recycling goods, especially those with PFAS, is important - but a huge part of creating a sustainable future also involves addressing how PFAS have been used to make goods more durable to extend the life of a good. Durability is absolutely a form of sustainability. A true phase-out of PFAS requires reasonable alternatives that serve the same functions. As such, solutions to limit PFAs production must perform, if not outperform this harmful chemical for other businesses to feel incentivized to adopt them.

For example, PFAS are often used to treat hiking shoes to ensure they are waterproof, but there must be other ways to keep water out of our socks when we step in a stream during a hike, right? The industry seems to have relied so heavily on this chemical for so long that sometimes PFAS-free alternatives don’t even seem possible.

That’s why we were so interested in what’s happening behind the scenes at KEEN.

Brands like KEEN have found PFAS-Free water repellency alternatives that maintain durability, without toxicity. When switching to PFAS Free, KEEN tested bio-based high-performance textile finishes that repelled water just as well as PFAS-treatments. In other words, detoxifying products does not have to affect performance or durability.

While not necessarily related to PFAS, there is another growing framework for businesses to address circularity.

“Design for Recycling” or DFR models, are all about designing products so they are easier to recycle. One of the worst feelings is throwing out our tech or other large investment items that were purchased to last just because one part is outdated or broken. Especially considering that the UN reports that electronic waste (or e-waste) is the fastest-growing solid waste stream in the world, increasing 3 times faster than the world's population. Currently only about 20% of it gets recycled. This is especially concerning, considering the detrimental impact mining for the materials to create this tech, like cobalt and coltan, have on people and the planet— as we’re seeing in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Manufacturers are now using DFR to design electronics with small components that can be easily replaced once they become outdated or faulty, which reduces electronic waste. Apple is a good example of consumer demand pushing for DFR. Criticisms of Apple have validly pointed out aspects of their product design that hinder recyclability - like how difficult their products are to disassemble; and the use of proprietary components and fasteners - which requires specialized Apple tools to be used on their goods; and in the lack of repairability - instead of joining parts together like well-designed lego pieces that can be taken apart, glues prevent everyday repair shop owners from helping people fix their apple products. In 2017, A vice article came out exposing Apple for having "must shred" agreements with recyclers that bar them from salvaging any e-waste. These design choices contribute to shorter product lifespans and higher electronic waste generation. Thanks to consumer demand, technology, packaging, apparel, and all kinds of goods are being reimagined so they can be recycled more easily.

I know this episode is about PFAs, not circularity systems, but I want you to feel grounded in the accountability systems we have that support our journey to a PFAs-free future. And businesses being held accountable for the chemicals they use and the waste they create are deeply connected issues that, when addressed simultaneously, can help us reimagine production in the critical ways we just learned about.

I now want to invite you all to engage in a practice of radical imagination (which, if you weren’t aware, we have a whole episode on in season one)— what would a PFAS-free world look like? What would it feel like? What rules might need to be put in place to make that happen? How will companies be incentivized to ensure these chemicals stay out of their production?

Main story

As consumers, we shouldn’t have to idly accept being poisoned by the products we buy, and many of us haven’t. There’s been a tremendous amount of consumer pressure, backed by government action, for companies to become more active participants in the creation of a PFAS-free world.

Last December, the company 3M announced that it would stop manufacturing and using PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025. While 3M has not had the best track record on impacts related to people and the planet, this announcement is a huge deal and a step in the right direction that has been spurred by a desire by consumers to have safer products in their homes.

From a community perspective, there are opportunities for people who have been impacted by PFAS contamination to get involved in direct advocacy. The National PFAS Contamination Coalition is a grassroots community-led group founded in 2017 in Boston that has since grown to include 30 other community groups across the country. The coalition is made up of PFAS-impacted individuals with stories to tell, who are fighting to have federally enforceable drinking water standards for 6 PFAS chemicals. The coalition is part of the National PFAS Conference and helps ensure that community members who have been impacted by PFAS contamination have the opportunity to tell their stories before every presentation. Ensuring impacted communities can tell their stories and be involved in solutions is a central element of environmental justice.

On the regulatory front, we are seeing advancements at the state and federal level.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is accelerating its work to regulate PFAS. In February of this year, EPA released two proposed regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (or RCRA) to protect communities from PFAS and other emerging chemicals of concern.

Both California and New York, two states well-known for advancing innovative environmental laws that require major changes for industries, have recently passed laws banning PFAS.

California’s Assembly Bill 1817 prohibits PFAS in textiles beginning on January 1, 2025, and New York’s Bill S5648A prohibits the sale of certain products that contain intentionally added PFAS on and after January 1, 2026; One question to consider with the passage of these types of laws is what is going to happen to all the existing inventory that has PFAS in it? We’ll explore this in episodes later this season.

Fortunately, these two states are not alone in taking action to eliminate PFAS in fabric treatments and other items. As of January of this year, 8 states have passed legislation taking action to eliminate PFAS in fabric treatments and other textiles, and there are 139 adopted policies across 29 states banning the use of PFAS in a wide range of consumer products.

A new law in Maine (Public Law 477) requires the reporting of all products containing PFAS as of January 1, 2023, and prohibits products with PFAS from being sold in the state starting in 2030. One major risk with PFAS is contamination in soil, and fortunately, solutions are being developed to ensure this doesn’t happen, like the work being done at the Maine Land Trust.

“When Maine began testing for PFAS on farmland, impacted farmers were facing so many unknowns about how to navigate the situation. Maine Farmland Trust came together with farmers, partner organizations, and state policymakers and agencies to listen to what farmers needed. In the short term, it was emergency relief to help farmers stay afloat while figuring out next steps, and banning any future land application of sludge on farmland to reduce further contamination. In the medium term it was establishing a $60 million state fund to help farmers continue to farm where possible, through adaptations like water filtration systems, pivoting their management practices, or buying clean feed for animals; or in some cases, helping farmers move forward in other ways if contamination is too severe. And in the long term, it’s research, to help understand how PFAS accumulates in crops and livestock, and to determine safe levels for consumption; and to find a path toward soil remediation so that contaminated farmland can be returned to agriculture.” Tricia Rouleau, Farm Network Director

The increased public attention, coupled with increased regulation has led to major shifts by retailers in the way they’re engaging with PFAS in their merchandise.

Last year, major outdoor retailer REI Co-Op released its third iteration of its sustainability, social equity, and environmental impact standards for the all brands that sell in its stores. There are three main focus areas this time around: fighting climate change, advancing inclusion in the outdoors, and managing chemicals, in an attempt to keep the co-op and their over 1,000 brand partners accountable as the company address the issues that are most important to their community. As a result, starting this fall, REI will not allow partner brands to sell apparel or footwear containing PFAS, which is a huge decision worthy of congratulations.

Dick’s Sporting Goods may also be banning PFAS in their merchandise within the next few years, and Patagonia is on track to remove PFAS from all apparel by 2025— already successfully removing forever chemicals from many of their fabrics, laminates and coatings.

Individual brands are also making strides to avoid PFAS in their production. In addition to KEEN, Fjallraven has been PFAS-free since 2015, and Solomon just announced they were going PFAS-free as a brand.

And again, none of this could have happened without the advocacy and support of consumers just like you and I. Part of radical imagination is living in the world as it is and believing that something different and better is possible. As such, we have to keep pushing the envelope and holding industries accountable to ensure the change we hope to see.

Call to Action

While we are seeing technological and regulatory advancements to lessen our reliance and exposure to forever chemicals— and the responsibility to do so should absolutely be held most heavily by industry— there are still some things you can do to limit your exposure to forever chemicals and help advocate for a PFAS-free future.

First, do your research - there are great resources to learn more about PFAS online to help you make the best decisions for your health and safety, like the Green Science Policy Institute website that we mentioned earlier in the episode. You can find their website linked below in the show notes. And if you want to do a deeper dive into actions being taken against PFAS, we recommend you watch the 2019 film Dark Waters, which follows the story of an environmental lawyer who sues a chemical company, and exposes a lengthy history of pollution along the way.

Spend your money in ways that align with your values whenever possible.

Continue advocating for a PFAS-free future by supporting local or statewide campaigns to get these chemicals banned near you.

Other positive climate news

Because we know that the opposite of despair is action, we want to make sure you’re aware of some of the solutions and positive climate news already happening in our world to help keep you hopeful. So gere’s some other positive climate news you should also know about.

• A land back victory occured in Berkeley, CA when Berkeley’s City Council voted unanimously to give a 2.2 acre plot of land to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, a San Francisco Bay Area collective led by women that work to return land to Indigenous people.

  • Source: https://apnews.com/article/berkeley-tribal-land-returned-b310527bcaba81fcbbc9fd9f6ff0af93

• The U.S. Military can no longer perform live-fire training at Mākua Military Reservation in Hawaii after 25 years of community advocacy.

  • https://earthjustice.org/press/2023/hawaiis-makua-valley-forever-protected-from-explosive-military-training

• President Biden has proposed an increase on taxes for private jet fuel, in an effort to improve fairness and ensure greater accountability for the disproportionately high emissions produced by these vessels

  • Source: https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/03/12/polluting-private-jets-could-face-a-400-fuel-tax-increase-under-new-biden-proposal

Additional IE updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

• IE recently launched the Intersectional Environmentalist Database - a database that showcases orgs and efforts all over the U.S. by state and by key topic areas. IE has long served as ‘movement-connectors’ through our educational resources, and we’ve utilized IE’s platforms to center intersectional environmental orgs + efforts all over the world. This new database is meant to strengthen IE’s capacity to connect you with local environmental + grassroots efforts.

• In case you missed it, IE recently launched a toolkit called “Environmental Justice Issues in Palestine”. The Goal is to empower those learning about the connection between colonialism and climate change—resulting in social and environmental injustices for people + planet through the lens of Palestinian climate resistance. Thank you to all the professors, teachers and local educators who have used our tool-kit during this urgent time to demand critical action like a ceasefire and the distribution of aid. If you want to take further action, download the 5calls app to receive easy to use scripts and phone numbers to call your reps today.

• Coming up this week, the Earth Sessions team is excited to be hosting two shows in the Bay Area: a collaborative event with CalAcademy’s NightLife on April 25, and an event with Pinterest on April 27. Earth Sessions are climate justice gatherings that combine music and environmentalism to strengthen community, celebrate the role of art in movements of change, and provide multicultural education to new audiences.

• Atmos Financial and IE have teamed up to create a limited edition debit card that supports climate leadership right from your account. Together, your deposits can fund climate-positive infrastructure while giving back to IE with every swipe. Visit joinatmos.com/ie-debitcard to learn more and sign up for an account with Atmos!

• If you love this podcast and want to support IE’s ongoing resource development, please remember that sharing our resources across platforms, rating our podcast episodes, and donating to IE helps us continue this work.

Outro

And remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

Our individual actions do have power, and they’re strengthened when we do them as a collective. Tune in next episode where we’ll be exploring the intersections of conscious consumerism and climate.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Joy Report.

Show Notes

Check out 'the Green Science Policy Institute’s database: https://greensciencepolicy.org/resources/consumer-resources/.

Maine Farmland Trust is rooted in the belief that the future of farming depends on farmland and the future of our communities depends on thriving farms. Learn more about their efforts to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance the future of farming at www.mainefarmlandtrust.org.

The Joy Report Season 2 is Here

Welcome back to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. This season, we’ll be exploring a wide range of topics— from conscious consumption and microplastics to funding for climate justice— while featuring success stories that can help us turn our feelings of climate doom and despair into climate optimism.

The first five episodes of this second season are brought to you in partnership with our friends at KEEN, a family-owned, values-led shoemaking company on a journey to make the world’s cleanest shoes.

Script + Narration by @ariellevking
Research by @ariellevking + @diandramarizet
Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
Produced by @diandramarizet + @sustainablesabs

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Trailer Transcript

Welcome back to the Joy Report, a podcast by Intersectional Environmentalist dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism!

This podcast is a labor of love that we see as an extension of the work IE does to make environmentalism accessible by amplifying the stories and contributions of historically under-recognized individuals and communities. We aim to help combat climate doom by sharing some of the multitude of solutions already in the works to combat the climate crisis, and ways you can do your part to protect people and the planet.

I’m your host, Arielle V. King— an environmental justice strategist and educator— and I am so excited to share that after a bit of a hiatus, season two is coming your way soon!

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who listened to the first season. Thanks to you, our positive climate stories and insights amassed over 33,000 streams and had listeners in 66 countries, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

In this upcoming season, we’ll be exploring a wide range of topics— from conscious consumption and microplastics to funding for climate justice— while featuring success stories that can help us turn our feelings of climate doom and despair into climate optimism.

The first five episodes of this second season of The Joy Report are being brought to you in partnership with our friends at KEEN, a family-owned, values-led shoemaking company on a journey to make the world’s cleanest shoes.

In addition to sharing stories about innovative climate solutions that are already underway, every episode will include tangible steps we can take as individuals to support the topic discussed, additional positive climate news you should know about, and updates from the Intersectional Environmental ecosystem.

If this sounds up your alley, make sure to hit subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you’ll be notified when new episodes are released, and make sure you listen to the first season if you haven’t done so already. And don’t forget to follow Intersectional Environmentalist on Instagram to stay up-to-date in between episodes.

Happy listening!

Intersectional Education: Overcoming Book Bans

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing books and the ongoing fight for truth and inclusion in education, publishing, and storytelling.

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda:

In this special episode, we’re talking all about books and the ongoing fight for truth and inclusion in education, publishing, and storytelling.

Topic Background Info

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov once said, “any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” So why have more than two thousand five hundred book bans been enacted from July 2021 to June 2022 in 138 school districts throughout 32 states? During this short timeframe more than sixteen hundred titles have been removed from school libraries and one clear theme and rationale has arisen: these books are predominantly written by and about the lives and experiences of diverse, but particularly historically marginalized, people. In fact, 4 out of 10 banned books analyzed by PEN America had LGBTQ+ characters or themes, and 4 out of 10 had protagonists or characters of color.

Unfortunately, this wave of limiting students’ ability to think critically, freely, and with a heart open to difference is not new. Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the United States, and the practice began in the 17th century.

Children’s literature is often the primary target of censorship, prompted by the fear that young people’s impressionable minds will be improperly influenced by a book’s contents. Today, many people opposing book bans believe that teaching a more inclusive history actually harms students.

Lately, much of the controversy has centered on a framework called Critical Race Theory, coined by the prolific legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who also coined and popularized the term Intersectionality. Critical Race Theory has been used as a catch-all for wokeness, political correctness, and leftist-indoctrination. Some other prominent reasons for challenges and bans across the country include non-traditional values, LGBTQIA+ content, indoctrinating kids, anti-police sentiments, promoting a homosexual lifestyle, white privilege, and more.

So how does book banning actually work? Generally, a book must be challenged before it is considered for banning. The initiator of the challenge must read the whole book, fill out a challenge form and explain why, how, and where in the book the offensive material takes place, and finally present a case in a hearing. From there a decision will be made on what action should be taken, with options ranging from complete removal from the library, thus completely restricting access from students, or diminished access to a book through relocation of the book to a different section of the library or the requirement of a signed permission slip from a parent or guardian before a student can check a book out from the library.

However, many book challenges come from individuals who have never actually read the books they want to be removed. Often excerpts from these texts are taken out of context to villainize the authors who wrote them and the teachers and librarians who share the books with young people. According to Penn America, almost 40% of the time parents initiate book challenges, and only about 1 percent are initiated by students.

[Recording pulled from this clip at 00:35] “I think those books… I don’t want to even see them. I think they should be thrown in a fire.” “Just cooperate with me, I’m sure I’ve got other colleagues here, I’m sure we’ve got hundreds of people out there who would like to see those books before we burn ‘em. Just so we can identify within our community that we are eradicating this bad stuff.”

The voices you just heard were two members of the Spotsylvania, Virginia School Board discussing the removal, and even the potential burning, of any “sexually explicit” books from school libraries in the district. This uproar was spurred by a parent who was upset that her high school student was using their school library app to access and read what the parent called “LGBTQIA fiction”.

Some of you might be wondering why we’re talking about books on The Joy Report. What do books have to do with climate justice and sustaining movements? And to that questions, I would challenge: what don’t books have to do with these things?

[Recording pulled from this clip at 01:30] “It makes me furious that we, as a world, are prohibiting knowledge. How many of you have ever read the book The Giver before? It is a phenomenal  book, but that is not why we are talking about it. If we continue to pull books off the shelves, we are going to end up in a world like that, where we can only see things in shades of white, gray, and black, where every single person is the same. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to live in a world like that.”

That was youth advocate McCartie McPadden during a youth TEDX talk in Fort Worth Texas, who makes abundantly clear that they do not want to live in a world with restrictions on knowledge.

Regardless of where you live book bans impact us all. Censoring what and how people can learn limits the ways that we can interact and connect with one another. It limits our ability to envision a future— or present— beyond a straight, white, middle-class America. Limiting access to media increases division among those with different lived experiences because often books are a powerful means of connection. As people working toward a better world, we must recognize, honor, and uplift the voices of those most marginalized by society. Books written by these voices being ripped from library shelves can limit the ability of the next generation to understand difference and contribute to a more inclusive world. Now more than ever we need books written by these authors because we as a society have so much to learn from the rich, diverse perspectives of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other authors from from the global majority.

Author Roxane Gay once said, “Salvation is certainly among the reasons I read. Reading and writing have always pulled me out of the darkest experiences in my life. Stories have given me a place in which to lose myself. They have allowed me to remember. They have allowed me to forget. They have allowed me to imagine different endings and better possible words.”

I’m not sure there’s any better way to explain the value of books. This quote really leans into the idea of radical imagination that our last special episode was all about. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, I’d definitely encourage you to do so.

Because we believe in radical imagination and ensuring that all voices are included in environmentalism, as an organization, Intersectional Environmentalist is continuing to amplify the voices of underrepresented voices in the environmental space and make environmental education more inclusive and accessible by gifting free books to our community. This year we launched a series of intimate music and educational events that serve as an entry point into the world of environmental justice called Earth Sessions. We had Earth Sessions shows in New York and California this year with more in the works for 2023 , and during these shows we started giving out free environmental and liberation-centered books by diverse authors to attendees.

Fortunately IE is nowhere alone in this fight to work against censorship. Organizations and institutions are working against book bans all over the country, including in states where censorship is steadily increasing:

Like the group of librarians in Texas, the state with the highest number of book bans nationally with over 800 bans in 22 different school districts from 2021-2022. These librarians invited families, authors, other librarians, teachers, students, and parents to come together to share and highlight the diverse books that bring them joy, and bring the support of readers to the attention of the Texas Legislature. The organization, called Freadom, now runs monthly campaigns to support the freedom of reading and resources for those interested in getting involved. In the show notes for this episode you can find the website they’ve created with templates and guides with resources for things like how to write a letter to the editor, how to speak at a school board meeting, how to start a local group to support school board races, and so much more.

Diverse books also provide opportunities for adequate representation for students. Did you know that in an average classroom of 20, there are likely at least two kids who are trying to figure out their gender identity or sexual orientation? Pride and Less Prejudice is an organization that provides LGBTQ-inclusive books to Pre-K through 3rd-grade classrooms in North America to help students and teachers “Read out loud, read out proud.”

In the three years that the organization has been around, they have helped educators create more inclusive learning environments by raising over one hundred thousand dollars to disseminate LGBTQ-inclusive books to over three thousand classrooms in the US and Canada. 44 different teaching guides to accompany the donated books have also been created, and the organization has held 10 professional development workshops to help more than 400 educators.

Unsurprisingly libraries have been the biggest advocates against book bans, and all over the country librarians are going to great lengths to ensure that banned books remain on their shelves. You might even remember your local librarian, whether at school or in a local library, excitedly putting together the banned book exhibit each year. Banned Book Week, created by the American Library Association, has been bringing attention to school censorship for over three decades.

Currently, over 25 organizations have partnered with the American Library Association for their Unite Against Book Bans campaign to empower individuals and communities to fight censorship and protect the freedom to read. This coalition of advocacy groups, education leaders, businesses, and civil rights groups all believe in the principles of reading as fundamental to learning, the right of leaders to access a variety of books, and the need to work together to protect that right.

Through their Books UnBanned initiative, The Brooklyn Public Library now offers anyone ages 13-21 across the country unlimited access to the libraries eBook and audiobook collections, including banned titles. As of April, Scholastic, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan Publishers have partnered with the New York Public Library to offer anyone in the country access to commonly banned books through a free e-reading app called SimplyE.

And these aren’t the only places in New York where you can access to banned books and books from diverse authors.

Featured Story:

Did you know that during the 1970 and 80s there were woman-of-color-owned feminist bookstores and radical Black-owned bookstores throughout the United States? These bookstores not only served as places to preserve and support diverse literature, but they were also used as meeting places to host book clubs and discuss current events.

In a society where the things that make an individual or group unique are either tokenized, vilified, or poorly replicated, safe spaces to read, create, and just be are so crucial, especially when these spaces center the voices of historically marginalized people. That’s why projects like the Free Black Women’s Library in Brooklyn are so important. This nontraditional library is a social art project, interactive installation and book collection that celebrates the brilliance, diversity, and imagination of Black women and Black non-binary authors.

Since 2014, Brooklyn native OlaRonke Akinmowo has been setting up free installations with books written by Black women in places like art galleries, community centers, block parties, and churches throughout New York City, and in other cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia.

[Recording pulled from this clip at 30:34] “I always call Toni Morrison like the gateway drug I don’t know if that’s disrespectful but I feel like if somebody reads one of her books it’ll kind of make them want to read more of them, or books like them, and it’ll cause like a tumbleweed, kind of domino effect because that’s what happened to me and that’s what happened to a lot of women I know. Like reading The Bluest Eye and then after that I think I read The Color Purple and I was like, oh my goodness, another girl like me, you know? And then I read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and it’s kind of dominoed into just reading those types of books all the time.”

According to a 2019 Teen Vogue article, one goal she has for this project is for it to help people realize that their high school and/or college reading curriculum likely excluded important names. Passionate about ensuring that the names of these Black woman literary heroes aren’t forgotten, the Library’s website even includes a tab that lists countless Black women writers in alphabetical order from all different genres. Throughout the website you’ll find images of different Black women writers throughout history in their element: reading, writing, resting, and taking up space.

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. These staples of Black women-authored literature are the same books being removed from both libraries and bookstores alike. However, they’re finding a new safeguard in The Free Black Women’s Libraries. Like the way Alice Walker made sure that the late Zora Neal Hurston’s writing was shared with the world, and that she had a proper headstone for the grave after Zora passed away, this library is safeguarding and uplifting literary works created by Black women that history might have forgotten, or that frequently end up on banned book lists and making sure that these authors’ legacies are as long-lasting as they deserve to be.

Science fiction author, the late Octavia E. Butler’s private journals were released in 2016 by The Huntington Library in California as part of a large exhibit in her honor. In 1988 some of the goals and affirmations written down in the journal of the now best-selling author who was first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship included the following:

I will travel whenever and wherever in the world that I choose.

I will help poor Black youngsters broaden their horizons.

This is my life. I write bestselling novels.

My books will be read by millions of people.

I will find the way to do this.

So be it. See to it.

And so she did. Octavia would’ve turned 75 this year, and the New York Times has created an interactive article in her honor. If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage everyone to read Octavia’s two-part “Parable” series because there are unprecedented parallels to what we’re witnessing today in our world. While Octavia has many critically claimed books, including Kindred, which is getting turned into a tv series on Hulu set to release on December 13th— both Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents remind readers of the value of community, resilience, and caring for the planet as a means for survival in a way that few other books can. Places like the Free Black Women’s Library help ensure that Octavia’s dreams remain realized, even in the midst of book bans.

[Recording pulled from this clip at 12:01] “Coming from a place of Black feminist praxis, that means that I am taking the theory that is Black feminism, the political-social-cultural theory, and I am putting it in practice through this work. And how am I doing that? I’m using books to build community.”

Since starting seven years ago, the Free Black Women’s Library now features over four thousand books, zines, journals, books on tape, and more. There’s also now a reading room located in the heart of the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The reading room is a literary hub, creative co-working space, and central location for the library’s book collection operating under the library’s take-a-book, leave-a-book model. The Reading Room is also a space for all of the library’s special events, which range from workshops, story circles, performances, film screenings, cultural conversations, monthly reading club, and so much more. The library provides an inclusive and loving space for reading, writing, rest, learning, creating, and connecting. The goal of the reading from is to dramatically increase the library’s impact and allow people to engage with its offerings on a deeper level. The founder considers it a community hub, a love letter, and a resource that welcomes people of all races to browse the stacks of Black, female authors from every genre for audiences of all ages.

They’re always looking for volunteers, so if you’re in New York City, consider donating a bit of your time to the library. I’ll definitely be taking a trip there next time I’m in the area, and we’ve put the address for the reading room in the show notes so you can also add it to your New York City visit itinerary. If you aren’t in New York, you can still support the library by subscribing to their work on patreon, donating to the gofundme, sharing about the library on social media, and by sending in your favorite Black women-authored books to ensure that the library can continue to grow, thrive, and support free access to Black literature. If you’re feeling extra inspired, you might even consider developing a branch of The Free Black Women’s Library near you. Right now, there are branches in Atlanta, Georgia; Detroit, Michigan; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Richmond, Virginia. Soon you’ll also be able to shop their online store for bookmarks, mugs, tote bags, and so much more.

Topic related calls to action

I hope by now you’re feeling fired up and ready to fight against book bans no matter where you live. Here are some ways to support diverse authors and combat literary censorship:

First, find banned books and read them.

Everylibrary is the first and only national political action committee dedicated to building voter support for libraries. They help public, school, and college libraries ensure stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come, and in April they launched their online Banned Books Store. There’s also a page on their website with a list of petitions to support libraries across the United States.

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s organization, the African American Policy Forum, recently launched Books Unbanned: From Freedom Riders to Freedom Readers Book Club in the spirit of the 1960s Freedom School movement. You can attend or host Freedom Circles all over the country and receive updates by signing up for the group’s listserv.

You can also start your own banned book club. This can be done as formally or informally as you feel comfortable. Some convene online and others, like the Vandegrift High School Banned Book Club in Texas, become official student groups in order to be able to meet in school after hours.

Show up for librarians and educators during school and library board meetings as a concerned community member and protest when books are challenged or banned, like the student-led racial and social justice advocacy group, Panther Anti-Racist Union, did when their Pennsylvania high school’s all-white school board banned books by and about Black life, culture and history.

Support and utilize libraries and your local bookstores. They provide essential community services and resources, and there are few things better than receiving a book recommendation from someone who lights up when talking about books.

Oppose legislation in your state that would censor books, programs, or curriculum. Hold your elected officials accountable and communicate with them via email, phone, or social media to encourage them to oppose book bans.

Write an op-ed or letter to the editor for our local newspaper, community newsletter, or listserv. The American Library Association’s Unite Against Book Bans campaign team has created a toolkit with resources and tips on how to write these types of media.

If you’re able, create your own free library in your neighborhood. These stand-alone community-maintained lending library boxes have gained a lot of momentum over the last few years, and adding books to them, but especially banned books, is a great way to ensure that people can enjoy them for free.

If you learn about new challenges and book bans, you can contact the American Booksellers for Free Expression via email (abfe@bookweb.org) or by calling their hotline.

Finally, proudly display your support for inclusive education and access to literature. Personally, I have a “I read banned books” pin on my favorite jumpsuit and it’s a great conversation starter.

Conclusion

Positive News Stories

Here’s some other positive climate news you should know about

On Sunday, October 30th Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil, a win with HUGE implications for people and planet. In Lula’s words, “Brazil is ready to resume its leading role in the fight against the climate crisis, protecting all our biomes, especially the Amazon forest.” Lula will officially take office in January 2023.

In early November the French Senate approved new legislation that will require all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – to be covered by solar panels. Starting July 1, 2023, smaller parking lots with between 80 and 400 spaces will have five years to be in compliance with the new measures, and those with spaces for 400 or more cars must comply within the next three years.

In the wake of plants facing more environmental stressors than ever, a recent study in the journal “Plant Science” shows that plants are not only rapidly adapting to the adverse effects of climate change, but they're also now transmitting these adaptations to their offspring.

In October the village of Modhera became India’s first solar-powered village, serving more than 1,300 residents (or about 30 acres of homes) with solar power every single day!

The Nature Conservancy has just purchased a first-of-its-kind insurance policy in Hawaii in an attempt to repair coral reefs impacted by Hurricanes.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

In 2023, IE wants to continue creating resources and empowering experiences that reach millions of people and help reshape environmental education to ensure it’s rooted in justice, equity, and inclusion. This means more Earthsessions and other in-person activations, more educational resources, and more book giveaways. In fact, our goal is to purchase and distribute 5,000 books written by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and other authors of the global majority next year.

In order to do all of this, we need your help. We’re running a fundraiser campaign throughout this holiday season and here are a few ways you can support:

• Share our campaign on social media to increase the fundraiser’s reach

• Donate if you’re able to via Instagram (at intersectional environmentalist) or on our website (intersectional environmentalist dot com)

• Recommend IE for your company’s match-back + grant programs

IE also wants to hear from you! We want to know what books broadened your horizons about the world, explained just how interconnected social movements are, or encouraged you to get involved and take action to protect people and the planet. For me, this answer evolves every time I read a new book that broadens my understanding of this work, but one of the first books that really opened my eyes to the ways we can make a change to protect the planet was Bill McKibben’s Oil and Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist, which was assigned to me during one of my freshman year environmental studies classes in college. I recently finished reading music artist Janelle Monae’s book of short stories called The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer, which reignited in me a passion to create art and strive to build communities where all are welcome. What’s your book and how has it changed you? Make a post on social media and make sure to tag IE and use the hashtag #IEawakening for a chance to be featured on our Instagram.

Closing Statement + Reiteration of Calls to Action

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you so much for listening to this special episode of The Joy Report.

Ecosystem Restoration + Mending Our Relationship with Nature

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and its importance in protecting and providing for people + balancing the earth’s natural resource cycles. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect people and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate.

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda

In this episode, we’re discussing ecosystem restoration and it’s role in protecting and providing for people and planet.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Guayaki Yerba Mate – yes the one in the yellow can & bottle! Guayaki is more than just a yerba mate brand - they're focused on personal, social, ecological and cultural regeneration through their commitment to regenerative practices, such as partnerships with Indigenous South American communities to grow yerba mate and steward rainforests. Yerba mate is a naturally caffeinated drink that comes in a variety of formats from loose leaf to cans to bottles. Guayaki’s mate is all organic, non-GMO and sure to make you come to life with all the goodness packed inside. Visit their website linked in this episode's show notes to learn more and find it near you.

Topic Background Info

There has never been a more crucial time to restore our ecosystems. Centuries of irresponsible human actions have caused massive-scale environmental degradation and biodiversity loss that is contributing to current environmental harm experienced by people and the planet. We are seeing this first hand all over the world, and those who have contributed least to the degradation— namely BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities— are experiencing the impacts first and worst.

Ecologists in the early 20th century believed that ecological harm could be reversed if harmful practices ended. However, by the 1960s, ecologists were beginning to write about the idea that an ecosystem can be so damaged that it loses the ability to repair itself. Decades later, the news and IPCC reports are making it very clear that we are very close to reaching that point, and with recent discoveries that rainwater is now unsafe to drink due to forever chemicals like PFAS, some might argue that we’re already there. That’s why we must prioritize the preservation and restoration of ecosystems that have been destroyed and can no longer regenerate themselves.

So what is ecosystem restoration?

Ecosystem restoration is the act of giving nature the ability to replenish the Earth. Our planet has the ability to heal itself and restore balance through the water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles which distribute and balance essential nutrients to all living organisms. These complex, yet perfectly working cycles create the well-balanced ecosystems we live and thrive in. Native plants and animals, clean air, water, soil, and human respect for nature are all necessary components of a healthy ecosystem. Restoration aims to reintroduce these natural properties to ecosystems in order for the cycles to renew and self-regulate the environment. Human-caused environmental degradation in tandem with the removal of indigenous people upsets this balance to such a severe degree that ecosystems cannot restore equilibrium by themselves. The responsibility falls on humans to rectify the harm we’ve caused to nature and ultimately ourselves. The importance of ecosystem restoration not only amounts to beauty, it purifies the air we breath, the water we drink, the soil we grow our food from, and the relationship we have with nature.

Those were the words of one of IE’s research fellows, Ramsey Elshiwick (rum-zee el-shu-wick).

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ecosystem degradation can lead to more frequent and dramatic weather events, drinking water contamination, decreases in water availability and air quality, ocean pollution, an increase of disease in humans and animals, and loss in land productivity.

In 2020, Project Drawdown released a report outlining actions that should be taken to effectively address climate change. Ecosystem restoration and preservation projects— like coastal wetland and tropical forest restoration, peatland protection, and restoring abandoned farmland— were very well represented on this list due to their ability to sequester carbon. But even without the current state of climate catastrophe we’re experiencing right now, there will always be a need for ecosystem restoration. Restoring our ecosystems can reverse air and water pollution, recover native biodiversity, preserve plant and animal species, balance the carbon cycle, increase access to green spaces, in addition to mitigating some of the impacts of climate change. Ecosystem restoration also gives us an opportunity to mend and deepen our relationship with the planet.

Robin Wall Kimmerer once said, “repair of ecosystem structure and function alone is insufficient— restoration of a respectful, reciprocal relationship to the natural world is also essential for long term success. In many cases, it is not only the land that has been broken, it’s our relationship to the land that has been broken. So our work in restoration needs to heal that relationship, as well as the land.”

California State University East Bay Associate Professor, Enrique Salmon explains it this way: [0:07- 0:57, https://youtu.be/8SFzfBgJOi8]. Professor Salmon has coined the term “kincentric ecology” [0:1:19-1:58, https://youtu.be/8SFzfBgJOi8]

This concept emphasizes the fact that we as humans are keystone species to our environments. Our presence in nature significantly impacts the ecosystems of this world. Kincentric ecology can be a useful framework to understand our interconnected relationship to nature while highlighting the importance of climate justice and ecosystem restoration. To destroy nature is to destroy humanity. To restore it is to restore ourselves.

Ecosystem restoration is more than just planting hundreds of trees and hoping that will save the world alone. We’ve tried that. Most tree planting efforts prioritize the number of seedlings planted over tree maintenance, biodiversity, and working with local communities.

For example, in 1978 officials in China began a tree planting campaign to stop the rapid expansion of the Gobi Desert, which has become the fastest growing desert on Earth due to mass deforestation, overgrazing, and high winds that speed up erosion. The program, nicknamed the Great Green Wall, [aimed at planting trees along a 4,500 kilometer stretch](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/planting-trees-climate-change-carbon-capture-deforestation#:~:text=The concerns are myriad%3A There's,very different amounts of carbon.), has now involved millions of seedlings being hand planted and dropped from airplanes. A 2011 analysis showed that up to 85% of the plantings failed because the species of tree chosen were nonnative and couldn’t survive such an arid environment.

This isn’t to deter people from planting trees, but to encourage that those who do, ensure the trees planted can thrive and contribute positively to the ecosystems they will now inhabit.

Proper ecosystem restoration requires understanding the historical context of the landscape, knowing what plants and animals will thrive there, and engaging the people who live in the area.

Restoration efforts that don’t incorporate community input have an increased likelihood of failure. That’s why organizations are beginning to take on restoration projects that actively engage local communities in all parts of the process. Community-based solutions not only produce the traditional benefits of ecosystem restoration projects, but also offer the ability to center indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, address economic wellbeing within the community, prioritize individual and community wellbeing, and contribute to community autonomy, stewardship, and self-determination.

In Uganda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is working in the eastern part of the country to enhance the resiliency of the lands and communities that depend on the lands for their livelihoods. This initiative is supporting farmer managed natural regeneration to implement forest landscape restoration. The program has trained local farmers and technical personnel in 3 districts to promote the regeneration of lands that had once been cleared for farming. Not only does this project help increase tree cover and biodiversity, but it allows residents to become active contributors to the ecosystem restoration.

Author of Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Williams College, Dr. Laura J. Martin explains that knowing the history of ecological restoration, its pitfalls and predecessors and how the past has led to where we are today, is powerful knowledge to have in order to empower people to become, what Martin calls, “agents of political change.”

Ecosystem restoration brings back biodiversity and, if done right, has the potential to increase and evolve environmentalism to become more inclusive and intersectional.

The future needs of ecological restoration work is not simply about a shift in technological measures and applications—it also calls for a necessary cultural shift. A shift in mindset and upliftment of women, LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC, youth, and ancestral/elder voices, needs, political power, and knowledge. Embedded within the need to restore ecosystems is the need to also address and rectify social imbalances and create a more equitable future for all. Currently, only about 30 percent of jobs in the restoration ecology field are held by women, and within that 30% women of color make up less than 25% of the workforce.

As Indian scientist and ecological activist Vandana Shiva once said: [43:14-44:54, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soBLeuRGnSQ

Ecosystem restoration must include all perspectives in order to be successful. As Indigi-queer land steward Tiffany Joseph explains: [4:55-5:35, https://youtu.be/iYUo2er-jdw ]

Ecosystem restoration work not only has the power to protect and preserve our planet, but it has the potential to mend cultural and historical relationships with nature.

In doing restoration work it is important to understand a project holistically— understanding the historical, social, and economic impacts in addition to the environmental benefits.

Featured Story

Deep underwater you can find a plethora of animals and plants like king ragworms, kelp forests, and sea anemones living on the ocean’s floor. In the swath of ocean connecting the United Kingdom, Europe, North and South America, the Caribbean, and the western part of Africa, the sea floor is also home to ruins from the traumatic, gruesome journeys of the Atlantic slave trade. According to the trans-atlantic slave trade database, approximately 35,000 ships were used to bring over 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic between the 15th and 19th centuries. During this time, an estimated 500 to 1,000 ships wrecked before reaching their final destination, but only five have been found and two have been adequately documented.

Diving with a Purpose is one of the many organizations working to bring this history to the surface and honor the nearly 2 million Africans who lost their lives during these voyages. Diving to bring life to these stories has also opened the door for opportunities for crucial underwater ecosystem restoration work within the organization.

[0:01-1:32, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/09/17/cfc-whitfield.cnn ]

The organization provides educational and training programs to youth and adults in coral reef ecosystem restoration and maritime archaeology, with a mission to research and restore the coral ecosystem and to educate and empower traditionally disenfranchised people and coastal communities. The organization’s work with both African American youth and adults across the U.S and the Caribbean is not just about their maritime archaeology and ecological restoration work. The purpose of **the organization includes inner work. https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/us/cnn-films-shorts-diving-with-a-purpose-charles-todd/index.html

In 2021, a documentary called “Lessons from the Water: Diving with a Purpose” was created in partnership with CNN Films. The opening of the documentary addresses the stereotype that Black Americans are afraid of the water. In an interview with the documentary’s director and filmmaker, Charles Todd, he shared: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/us/cnn-films-shorts-diving-with-a-purpose-charles-todd/index.html

[9:44-10:28, https://youtu.be/tUnxBQzzPCA ]

Using outreach, data collection, and scientific study, Diving with a Purpose is reconnecting links to historical events and restoring crucial underwater ecosystems. The organization also helps young people develop tangible skills and a hands on understanding of why restoring our marine ecosystems is essential:

[ 3:36-3:56, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/09/17/cfc-whitfield.cnn ]

Topic Related Calls To Action

How can you get involved in ecosystem restoration?

While it’s important to ensure that our elected officials are advancing ecosystem restoration, there are ways we can all get involved as individuals.

• Volunteer on a restoration project. Tons of projects are already underway. Find one near you and get involved. The Society for Ecological Restoration has a great database of restoration projects happening all over the world.

• Support the cultivation of native species in whatever space you have to do so— whether that be a backyard or a balcony. Just imagine how beautiful it would be to look outside your window and see butterflies.

• Remember, ecosystem restoration starts with ecosystem preservation and protection. Join a neighborhood cleanup or start your own! Follow Tuesdays for Trash (@tuesdaysfortrash) on Instagram created by Sharona Snyder to get inspired to make an impact wherever you go.

Conclusion

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

• Oakland, CA will become one of the first cities in the US to return land to indigenous groups. In early September the city council approved 5 acres of a city-owned park land be returned to select local indigenous organizations

• Chicago, Illinois just announced that it will become the sixth city in the US [committed to powering](https://www.utilitydive.com/news/chicago-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-at-city-facilities-by-2025/629614/#:~:text=Chicago will become the sixth,using renewables to some extent.) 100% of its municipal buildings with renewables or zero-emissions power by 2025.

• The Bureau of Land Management recently announced project allocations for $26 million received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to begin the work of ecosystem restoration following the Department of the Interior’s allocation of more than $68 million for 125 ecosystem restoration projects in over 20 states, Tribes and territories. The BLM expects to fund dozens of projects across the country in 2022 from the additional dollars.

• Returning for the 2022 season, The Fort Belknap Indian Community and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Grassland Restoration Project features trainings for Native youth from the Aaniiih and Nakoda tribes to collect data and seeds that can be used to restore prairie grasslands. The training also aims to empower young tribal members by teaching them how to heal the land.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

A friendly reminder to follow our events page on Instagram at Earthsessions dot IE (earthsessions.ie) to keep up to date on upcoming in-person events if you haven’t done so already. A huge thank you to everyone who has come to one of our Earth Sessions shows so far! We have lots of exciting activities in the works so stay tuned :)

This is the final episode of season 1 of The Joy Report, and we just want to say thank you! The goal of this podcast is to share positive climate news and solutions so listeners can feel inspired to learn more and get involved in the fight to preserve our planet. I sincerely hope we’ve been able to do just that. I hope you’ve felt inspired by to learn more about new topics, and encouraged to continue contributing to the creation of a better world. Together we’ve explored joy in movements and radical imagination; learned more about the Landback movement and the need for cannabis justice as an essential part of environmental justice and liberation; we spoke to experts about making the outdoors more inclusive and about energy justice; we explained the importance of regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and acknowledging the rich history and relationships cultures all over the world have had with plant-based diets for centuries, and we shared some lessons learned from the resurgence of the labor movement.

We quoted one of IE’s favorite authors, Robin Wall Kimmerer, often, specifically writings from her 2015 book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, because there seemed to be a perfect quote to pull for nearly every topic we discussed this season. If you haven’t done so already, the team at IE strongly encourages you to read this book.

Through it all, you have listened with open hearts and minds and provided us with helpful feedback so that we can continue to learn and grow together. For that, and so much more, I want to again say thank you. If you haven’t done so already, please make sure to leave us a rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Tell a friend how much you’ve enjoyed listening to the podcast, and let us know on social media what topics you hope we explore next season.

Thank you to all the contributors of this season— the land stewards, activists, and revolutionaries whose stories we had the privilege of spotlighting during this first season. Your work inspires us to stay involved and reminds us that we belong in this space.

Finally I personally want to thank the incredible team at IE for bringing this podcast to life. Special shoutouts to IE’s Co-Founder, Media Lead, and The Joy Report producer, Phil Aiken, who asked if I could be a part of this beautiful project and makes sure everything runs smoothly; our incredible researchers Jarre Hamilton and Ramsey Elshiwick; Eileen Tran, our Creative Director behind our website, episode teaser reels, and the beautiful graphics associated with the podcast; Mikayla Byfield and Amira Chandi Dhanoa for their support on script editing throughout the season; and the reason all of our transitions flow and we have good music for the podcast, our audio Engineer Kayin Malcom.

Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Joy Report. See you next season!

A Just Energy Transition is Underway

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing what energy justice is + why energy ownership must be re-imagined to overcome the current priority of profit over maintenance, affordability, and human health. A true just transition will create opportunities for people who have been excluded from the start of the renewable energy movement to become recipients of intentional investments, benefactors of job training in the renewable energy sector, and key thought leaders in this space.

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda

In this episode, we’re discussing energy justice + working towards more decentralized energy systems.

Topic Background

It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that our current energy system is in need of a major overhaul. Our current, fossil fuel-dependent grid is owned by a small sliver of the population who have prioritized profit over people, and caused significant harm to people and the planet. But before we dive into this concept, let’s take a step back and explain what the grid is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fwh86X-G04 [1:28-2:07]

To sum it up, electric system, which includes electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, is owned by a mix of entities, including private, public, and government. Currently, about 72% of U.S. electricity customers get their energy from less than 200 companies. About 3/4 of utility consumers get their electricity from investor-owned utilities. This ownership model issues stocks owned by shareholders, and accounts for nearly 40% of energy generation, 80% of transmission, and 50% of the distribution. Unsurprisingly energy disparities arise since investor-owned utilities are always looking for opportunities to increase profits.

The current grid creates inequities in the amount people pay for their electricity, who can access cleaner, more renewable energy sources, and who experiences the health risks associated with garnering electricity from fossil fuels. The environmental impacts of electricity generation, extraction, production, and transportation can contribute to large-scale regional environmental concerns, as well as localized concerns that affect the area directly surrounding the source.

Disparities within the current grid give rise to sacrifice zones, which are areas where a small segment of the population disproportionately bears the burden of living near an industry. Although everyone benefits from these industries, mostly low-income and BIPOC communities experience the environmental consequences

One example is the 85-mile corridor in Louisiana called Cancer Alley, where nearly 150 refineries, plastic plants, and chemical facilities heavily pollute the air and harm those who live there. In fact, yet another plastic factory that is set to be built in Cancer Alley which will discharge toxic chemicals into the already heavily polluted air and water. This is part of the fossil fuel industry’s push to turn an oversupply of fracked natural gas into more plastic, causing further harm to the people living in this area and the planet.

In the energy context, as Michele Morrone and Geoffery L. Buckley’s book titled *[Mountains of Injustice](https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1j7x69w#:~:text=Mountains of Injustice,-Book Description%3A&text=Research in environmental justice reveals,power plants%2C and polluting factories.)* explains, sacrifice zones are characterized as “an unfortunate product of high demand for energy coupled with the lack of comprehensive energy policy designed to protect areas that generate the energy sources modern society takes for granted.”

In the United States, 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared to 56% of the country’s white population. Living near these [types of facilities](https://surgery.duke.edu/news/despite-studies-health-effects-coal-burning-power-plants-remain-unknown#:~:text=A review of studies over,disease and other health problems.) increases death rates at earlier ages, risks of respiratory diseases, lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and other health problems. For the preservation of our planet and all its inhabitants, we cannot continue on like this.

That’s why we need energy justice and a just transition to clean, renewable, affordable energy. Here’s what Dr. Tony Reames has to say about energy justice

[insert 1:40-2:35 https://youtu.be/HwrzCMebgmg]

Dr. Reames is the Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy.

[insert 2:42-3:09 https://youtu.be/HwrzCMebgmg]

Changing our grid may seem like an impossible task since it’s been this way forever, right? Before the grid existed, humans hunted whales and used their oil for candles. Around the same time that whale populations began to decline from this practice, petroleum was discovered in Pennsylvania in 1852. Soon after, other fossil fuels became a more popular and reliable source of energy. By 1935, the energy grid evolved into the one we’re essentially still using today. In other words, change is possible even when it seems insurmountable. In less than 150 years we have transitioned from using whale oil to light homes to harnessing the earth’s naturally replenishing resources to provide energy to whole communities.

A better way to produce energy already exists in ways that benefit people and planet. Environmental justice advocates and scholars have been talking about the “just transition” for years now. This movement away from fossil fuel dependence is defined by the Climate Justice Alliance as a “vison-led, unifying, and place-based set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.” The transition must be just and equitable— it must redress past harms and create new relationships of power for the future through reparations.

Now is the time to reimagine energy ownership. A just energy transition must be built to create economic justice and equitable access to reliable, clean, affordable energy. We must find ways to overcome the energy sector’s current priority of profit over adequate maintenance of infrastructure as well as impacts to human and planetary health.

We need energy democracy, which is defined by Shalanda Baker as a means of opposing energy corporations on a large scale by replacing investor-owned utilities with publicly owned, democratically run alternatives. It also means creating opportunities for economic justice. This includes ensuring equal access to high-paying jobs and training in the renewable energy sector for those who have worked within the fossil fuel industry. It requires creating opportunities for equal access to energy resources and education so people can make informed decisions about what happens in their homes. Energy democracy also looks like distributed ownership of new energy production, like community solar farms.

Featured Story

Like many other industries, there has been a relatively small, homogenous group of individuals who have been benefitting from advancements in the energy sector, with a 2019 study from the Solar Energy Industries Association on diversity in the solar industry finding that 85% of senior executives in the solar sector are white and 80% are men. A true just transition will create opportunities for people who have been excluded from the start of the renewable energy movement to become recipients of intentional investments, benefactors of job training in the renewable energy sector, and key thought leaders in this space.

Fortunately, we are already beginning to see shifts toward this equitable, inclusive, just energy transition, and Black women are at the forefront.

IE’s founder, Leah Thomas recently sat down with Shalanda Baker on IG live to discuss energy justice.

IG Live convo with Leah & Shalanda: https://www.instagram.com/tv/ChIZTwHsyz4/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D [21:27-20:37]

The Justice 40 initiative that Shalanda mentioned is President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that at least 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. And here’s what she had to say about getting involved and leading the charge for this initiative:

IG Live convo with Leah & Shalanda: [https://www.instagram.com/tv/ChIZTwHsyz4/?](https://www.instagram.com/tv/ChIZTwHsyz4/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D) [17:57-16:10]

This unprecedented amount of attention to equity and justice issues can be seen not only in the federal government but also within the private sector. Updating infrastructure and ensuring that intentional investments are made in communities that have been historically overlooked for this type of aid and environmental protection is exactly what environmental and energy justice is all about.

Kristal Hansley Interview Audio

After attending a Black Women in Energy brunch hosted by Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy a few weeks back, I had the opportunity to sit in downtown DC on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon with Kristal Hansley, the founder and CEO of WeSolar.

Kristal Hansley Interview Audio

Of all the different types and sources of renewable energy available, why solar? Why community solar? Here’s what Kristal had to say in response to this question?

Kristal Hansley Interview Audio

It’s about access, it’s about equity.

Kristal Hansley Interview Audio

It’s about options, economic resilience, and creating opportunities for communities to regain control. It’s about energy democracy:

Kristal Hansley Interview Audio

Calls To Action

So what can you do to support energy justice in your community?

First, educate yourself on renewable energy sources, the just transition, and energy usage structures around you.

Clean Choice Energy is a great resource for learning about renewable energy options near you by zip code.

Solar energy international has a free online course where you can learn more about renewable energy.

If you’re in the US, the environmental protection agency has a tool which tells you what sources generate electricity in your area and compares emissions to the national average level. You can find the link in the show notes or by googling “EPA power profiler”

Demand your school, employer, or city end their investments in fossil fuels. You can find resources online to help you get started at go fossil free dot org (gofossilfree.org)

Support local political candidate who do not accept campaign funds from fossil fuel companies, and who are committed to reducing your city or county’s fossil fuel consumption and investments.

And as Kristal would tell you:

“You have to mobilize!”

Does your state or municipality allow community solar? If not, support organizations working to make that change.

While switching your energy source may feel impossible, especially if you don’t own your home, see if there’s a community solar farm near you.

If you live in New York state, Wildgrid will be able to help you make the switch.

In Texas, Go Solar Texas would be a great resource.

If you’re anywhere else in the country, Solstice should be able to help connect you with a community solar project near you.

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

In May, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Lab broke the world record for solar cell efficiency by creating a solar cell that reaches nearly 40% efficiency in real-world conditions.

After 5 years, a case brought by youth climate activists in Portugal against 32 European countries for their inaction on climate change will finally be heard in front of 17 judges at the European Court of Human Rights.

The permanently closed Tegel airport in Berlin, Germany is set to be transformed into a sustainable 10,000-person residential community and research hub.

The UK government committed to spending 44 million pounds on tree planting in 13 existing community forests across England.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

We have an Earth Sessions show happening during NYC Climate Week on September 23rd in Brooklyn. Be on the lookout for the announcement about tickets.

Make sure you’re following our new events page at (@earthsessions.ie) to stay up to date on our in-person events.

This episode was created in collaboration with Wildgrid, a BIPOC, female, queer-owned, New York-based company on a mission to cut through the confusion and make it simple for anyone to find the best solar option for them.

Closing Statement

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

Tune in next episode where we’ll discuss ecosystem restoration

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this episode of The Joy Report

Regenerative Agriculture + Decolonizing Food Systems

This episode covers regenerative agriculture through an intersectional lens. While many agricultural practices have had detrimental impacts on the land, especially coupled with the impacts of climate change, there ARE practices that support a more beneficial way to grow food, repair soil, and restore landscapes.

Regenerative agriculture covers a variety of practices— from agroforestry to ecological grazing, permaculture, and others— but the main function is to replicate how natural ecosystems work.

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda

In this episode, we’re exploring regenerative agriculture: what it means, where it comes from, and what its role in decolonizing agricultural systems is.

Topic Background Info

Nature has the ability to heal itself if we let it. While many agricultural practices past and present have had detrimental impacts on the land, especially coupled with the impacts of climate change, like droughts and excessive heat, there are practices that support a more beneficial way to grow food and sustain landscapes. Regenerative agriculture covers a variety of practices— from agroforestry to ecological grazing, permaculture, and others— but the main function is to regenerate how the landscape works.

Regenerative agriculture consists of practices and systems that nurture the land and the people who work on it. This holistic land-stewarding practice helps increase soil quality and biodiversity in farmland while producing nourishing products. Doing so avoids harm from pesticides and exploitative techniques to the landscape and those working on it.

Dr. Lauren Baker of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food explains that, “to address accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, rising food insecurity and growing inequality we need to repair the relationship between people and nature. Agroecology, regenerative approaches, and Indigenous foodways are a direct response and counterpoint to the dominant, industrial food system. The industrial food system, defined by chemicals, concentrated livestock, monoculture, and ultra-processed foods, comes with a cost we can no longer afford.”

Historically, food has been used as a way to colonize the body, mind, and physical landscape. As such, while there is no single way to be a responsible and conscious consumer, there are ways we can all work to disrupt systems that cause and perpetuate harm to people and planet. The food system is a powerful place to start.

When we have the option to do so, we should all be striving to support groups and engage in practices that care for people and the planet. Fortunately, we are witnessing an emergence of mutually beneficial agricultural practices that are deeply connected to decolonization in the mainstream agricultural system that are helping create indigenous sovereignty, and preserve our planet. Traditional, pre-colonial food systems were sustainable and regenerative. Indigenous communities worldwide have been farming regeneratively for millennia, and we’re continuing to learn and benefit from those practices.

But as Robin Wall Kimmerer explains in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, “Old-growth cultures, like old-growth forests, have not been exterminated. The land holds their memory and the possibility of regeneration. They are not only a matter of ethnicity or history but of relationships born out of reciprocity between land and people.”

Respectful stewardship of the land is an essential element of ensuring a livable future. The Landback movement— which we explained a bit about during episode 4— and other efforts to regain land sovereignty have led to an increase in mainstream access to indigenous plants, ingredients, and other natural resources. This movement has also led to an increased understanding for the need to decolonize many of the systems that are deeply woven into the function of modern society. This episode is all about the food system.

The CDC’s native Diabetes Wellness Program released a report “Traditional Foods in Native America”, which explains that a primary tenant of the global food sovereignty movement asserts that food is a human right, and to secure this right people should have the ability to define their own food systems.”

Food sovereignty, especially as it relates to land sovereignty is a key element to the restoration of landscapes and the preservation of our planet’s essential resources.

There are numerous organizations and farmers all over the world committed to engaging in regenerative agricultural practices, developing food sovereignty, and sharing their knowledge to counter the harmful practices that exists within mainstream agriculture.

Like Regeneration International, the Rodale Institute, the Soil Foodweb Institute, and the Indigenous Food Systems Network to name a few.

The author and earth steward Leah Penniman and the team working at Soulfire Farm in upstate New York puts it like this:

https://youtu.be/zvQJP8QP-Ng [5:47-6:33]

Kelsey Ducheneaux is a member of the Lakota Sioux Nation, a fourth-generation beef and cattle rancher, the youth programs coordinator and natural resource director of the Intertribal Agricultural council, and and the owner of DX Ranch in South Dakota.

https://youtu.be/1slB62EK_rg [0:31-0:49**]**

In her own words, she “helps young people realize that the wide-open spaces we call home are not just ‘the middle of nowhere,’ but instead a place to call home, full of resources and the potential to grow food to feed their family.”

https://youtu.be/I5NuxWOmAxE [0:01-1:01]

That’s the voice of Chris Newman, an afro-indigenous farmer who runs Sylvanaqua Farm in northern Virginia:

https://youtu.be/Zd2rvT5jR0I [17:54-19:09]

Featured Story

Let’s talk about bison.

Bison have been in the news quite a bit over the last year, from a recent sighting in Big Bend National Park, populations of bison being returned to tribes in Montana, and the successful reintroduction of bison populations in other parts of the United States.

Bison have deep cultural and ecological significance.

In the early 1500s an estimated 30-60 million bison roamed the landscape freely throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico, and from New York to the Rocky Mountains.

As the largest land-dwelling mammal in North America, these giant, powerful grazing animals stand at about 5-6.5 feet tall, weighing about a thousand pounds on average. They provided food and sustenance in the form of meat and marrow; and raw materials like bones for tools, hide for clothing and shelter formation/creation. Because of all the resources that could be derived from them, bison formed the basis of the economy for numerous tribes in the Great Plains region.

Bison roamed the western and central plains of Texas in large numbers; with four main herds existing within the state. By the late 1800s, after already hundreds of years of colonization, in an attempt to cause further harm and eradication to the Indigenous populations of Texas and continue Westward expansion and industrialization via the Transcontinental Railroad, the bison were hunted and killed to nearly extinction—with fewer than 1,000 animals remaining. Only through the efforts of Indigenous tribes and non-Indigenous Texas ranchers over the past twenty years, has the number of bison grown in Texas.

Earlier this year, five buffalo were reintroduced to Lipan Apache lands in Texas to join their existing herd, through a program by the Nature Conservancy which has given 270 bison back to Indigenous nations throughout the country.

https://youtu.be/FL_JMK94IvA [1:16-1:26]

Restoring bison populations can help restore prairie ecosystems while improving issues of food insecurity and food sovereignty for indigenous communities, while also helping to mitigate the adverse impacts

https://youtu.be/FL_JMK94IvA [0:39- 0:50]

The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project is one of many organizations working to restore bison populations. The project is dedicated to healing the generational trauma of the Lipan Apache descendants, as well as other tribes in geographic proximity, with the ultimate goal of returning the bison to Texas.

https://youtu.be/FL_JMK94IvA [1:28-2:05]

Calls To Action

How can we as individuals support farming practices that protect and nourish people while restoring the planet?

First, be thoughtful and conscious of how and where you’re purchasing your food. When you can, buy local, since it’s often a lot easier to find out where and how things you’re buying are produced.

Find a regenerative farm near you. Buy food from them, get to know the farmers, take advantage of volunteer days.

Learn about where your food comes from and different production systems. Help get the word out about the benefits of regenerative agricultural practices.

Get involved in a community garden if you’re able to. Contributing to greening the place you live, especially in a way that’s focused on producing food for your community is an incredibly powerful experience.

One great resource to help you find a farm near you can be found by googling “regeneration international” and searching for the farm map on their website. We’ve also linked the website in the show notes. There are tons of different filters to help you find the right farm for you. (https://regenerationinternational.org/regenerative-farm-map)

Support tribal and indigenous led agricultural organizations whenever you can.

If you have the means to do so, support organizations focused on developing, expanding, and teaching about regenerative agricultural practices.

Spend as much time as you can outside. Build your own relationship with the land around you. Developing an individual relationship to land and the food you eat makes supporting regenerative agriculture and practices a no-brainer. As Robin Wall Kimmerer once wrote: “Restoring land without restoring relationship is an empty exercise. It is relationship that will endure and relationship that will sustain the restored land.”

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

On July 28th, the United Nations General Assembly declared access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment a universal human right

Canada has passed the Select Luxury Items Tax Act, and starting on September 1st the country will begin imposing a new “luxury tax” on the sale and importation of high-value cars, planes, and boats

Earlier this month, New Jersey’s governor signed a law authorizing the state Department of Environmental Protection to buy electric school buses and charging infrastructure. 3 $15million grants will be distributed over the course of three years to at least 18 school districts or bus contractors for the electric buses, with half or more of those grants going to communities that are low-income, urban, or overburdened by pollution.

President Biden has signed the biggest piece of climate legislation in American history into law. Among other things, [the Inflation Reduction Act](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/19/fact-sheet-the-inflation-reduction-act-supports-workers-and-families/#:~:text=The Inflation Reduction Act lowers,union jobs across the country.) will make significant investments in renewable energy, decarbonized transportation, public lands management, and funnel funding toward advancing environmental justice priorities.

The San Diego, California City Council has voted unanimously to update the city’s climate action plan to include a ban on natural gas from all new residential and business construction.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

We’re hosting an Earth Sessions show in Berkley on August 27th. If you’re listening to this episode on the day it airs there’s still time to reserve your ticket if you’re in the area.

And be on the lookout for an update on when tickets release for our next Brooklyn Earth Sessions show scheduled for Friday September 23rd

For a limited time IE is selling a bundle of print publications, which includes our first print magazine, The IE Agenda; a copy of our founder Leah Thomas’s book “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression”, The Intersectional Environmentalist edition of Good Newspaper, plus a free “The Future is Intersectional” poster. You can order the bundle using the link in the show notes or in our Instagram bio while supplies last.

Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action

Remember that fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to leave a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or whichever platform you’re listening to this episode, if you haven’t done so already.

Tune in next episode where we’ll be discussing energy justice.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this episode of The Joy Report

Radically Imagining a Better Future

The Joy Report team wanted to take a moment to invite you all to radically imagine a better future with us, because doing so might be the exact antidote we need right now.

“As an organization, Intersectional Environmentalist is working on being the change we hope to see, by contributing to the larger movement of individuals radically imagining a better future. We want to hold space for art, joy, rest, and community, and invite anyone interested in joining us, to do so.” - @kiana.kaz

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda

In this special episode, we’ll be diving into the ways we can radically imagine a better future

Topic Background Info

To be honest, it’s been incredibly hard to be joyous lately. The climate crisis has been impacting us in ways we’ve never experienced before. Not a single person can deny the extreme heat, excessive flooding, wildfires, and other abnormalities plaguing our planet right now. And on top of that, rights are being stripped away and governments are not taking sufficient action to protect people or the planet.

Fortunately, as people trying to create a better world we aren’t required to be joyous all of the time. We must give ourselves grace and time to process our feelings, then think about solutions in a pragmatic, optimistic way. From the words of Intersectional Environmentalist’s Executive Director, Diandra Marizet [Diandra reading Instagram caption from 2020]

Truman State University professor of psychology Yuna Ferguson has explained that positive thinking and optimism are predicators of resilience that can initiate action and commitment to goals, and help us more effectively cope with stress.

For these reasons and so many more, The Joy Report team wanted to take a moment to invite you all to radically imagine a better future with us, because doing so might be the exact antidote we need right now.

Some of you might be asking: what does radically imagining a better future actually mean?

One of the simplest ways to understand radical imagination is thinking to yourself, What would our world look like if we actually got this right?

A section from ecofeminist Susan Griffin’s essay “To Love the Marigold” sums this up beautifully when she explains:

Like artistic and literary movements, social movements are driven by imagination… Every important social movement reconfigures the world in the imagination. What was obscure comes forward, lies are revealed, memory shaken, new delineations drawn over the old maps: it is from this new way of seeing the present that hope for the future emerges… Let us begin to imagine the worlds we would like to inhabit, the long lives we will share, and the many futures in our hands.

And IE’s founder Leah Thomas recently shared what radical imagination means to her during our first ever Earth Sessions show in Brooklyn this April: (25:02-26:01 - https://youtu.be/4onJGlhQP50).

Physician and children’s book author, Dr. Sayantani DasGupta, once explained that in order to deal with all the social, emotional, and environmental injustices in our world, we need radical imagination. It might even be beneficial to tap into our child-like wonder and remember a time when we were unrestrained by the limitations placed upon us by society.

[Insert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTbMjVqoWxs 3:14-3:24]

Kids approach the world with a sense of play and curiosity. They ask big questions and believe that the world can and should be better than what it is. Throughout the pandemic, Nivi Achanta, the founder of a digital platform aimed at helping zillenials learn and do more to help our planet called Soapbox Project, realized that spending more time with her children helped joy become a fundamental core value in the work she does. In a June 2022 article she recalls a time when her now eight year old was learning about climate change and coming up with ideas like, “what if we have a big kitchen where everyone goes to get their food?” Or “what if a train comes to pick everyone up at their house?” That’s the type of imagination we need to fix the biggest problems in our world. And to those questions we have to ask ourselves: why not?

Radical imagination is not just a passive action or something that simply exists within us. It’s active, it is something that we do, that we use, that we exercise and bring into existence outside of our physical being. And a large part of radical imagination is joy.

Comedian, actor, and organizer Dallas Goldtooth once said,

[“It’s so easy for us to get stuck in the pits and fully submerge ourselves with climate anxiety. In order for us to radically imagine a different future, we have to imagine and allow ourselves to experience the joys of this world and see ourselves being happy in the future. That can only manifest if you start now, if you find joy in the moment, and you use love for the land, love for our lives, and love for our people to drive us forward — as opposed to anxiety, anger, and frustration driving that.”]

Joy is an indispensable force. It can strengthen our resolve, help us uncover creative solutions, and bolster our resilience. It’s a statement to ourselves and the world that we are still here, undefeated.

When we do things that bring us joy, the brain releases neurochemicals that can relax our muscles, increase oxygen flow into our bodies, and make us feel excited, peaceful, or anything in between. A 2005 study published in the Review of General Psychology explains that while 50% of our happiness is determined by our biology and genetics, the other 50% is based on our intentional activity and our life circumstances. Of the parts of this equation, intentional activity has the highest chance of changing our happiness levels. The small things we do every day to make ourselves feel good like exercising, eating a nourishing meal, meditating, or working toward a personal goal can have a significant impact on our overall health, our wellbeing, and our joy.

Featured Story

We’ve already spent a full episode discussing how joy enhances and sustains movements, but it’s important to note how essential tending to our individual wellbeing is in ensuring that we can stay involved in movements without getting burnt out. We need everyone involved. There’s so much work to do.

[****https://youtu.be/9hE3kJQgnBE,**** 0:41-0:58]

The voice you heard was that of climate justice activist Vic Barrett. We had the privilege of showing their whole short film, titled “Reclaiming the Earth” during our second Earth Sessions concert in LA in mid-July.

Another critical element of radical imagination, and the future we hope to create with it, is community. In her book Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change, Pema Chodron wrote, “We’re all in this together, all so interconnected that we can’t awaken without one another.”

We have to take time to stop and listen to the human and nonhuman world around us. What’s needed? What’s a problem that you individually can start to work toward? How can you connect with people already doing that work?

During our Brooklyn Earth Sessions show we also heard from Tony Hillery, who started a youth-centered food justice organization with a mission to inspire young people to lead healthy and ambitious lives called Harlem Grown, who provided us with a perfect example of this in practice: [ 26:21-26:39 https://youtu.be/4onJGlhQP50]

Art plays a critical role in radical imagination. Social movements depend on communication and the conveyance of a message. This is a prime space for artists and their work to thrive. Art has the power to bring alive a collective voice through activating all the senses. It also reinvigorates those on the frontlines and behind the scenes doing the work. Participating in artistic practices can be healing and rejuvenating to the body, our emotional wellbeing, and our imagination.

As an organization, Intersectional Environmentalist is working on being the change we hope to see, by contributing to the larger movement of individuals radically imagining a better future. We want to continue holding space for art, joy, rest, and community, and invite anyone interested in joining us, to do so. One way we’re doing this is through hosting earth sessions: our intimate, community-driven climate justice concerts intended to foster joy and advocate for people and planet. Our Programming Director Kiana Kazemi explains it this way: [Kiana speaking to Earth Sessions]

Social movements need radical imagination. The text “The Radical Imagination: Social Movement Research in the Age of Austerity” informs us that “without it, we are left only with the residual dreams of the powerful and, for the vast majority, they are experienced not as dreams but as nightmares of insecurity, precarity, violence, and hopelessness.”

Without radical imagination we’ll be so weighed down by the enormity of the problems we face that we might risk being stunned into inaction. And that’s the complete opposite of what we need right now.

Topic-Related Calls To Action

After hearing all this, some of you still might be wondering how to actually put this information into practice, so I’d encourage anyone who wants to tap into their radical imagination to write down a single word that will act as the pillar for the future you hope to see: maybe it’s abundance, or imagination, or freedom. Then, spend a few minutes brainstorming how you intend to hold yourself or others who share your vision accountable to that pillar. These accountability measures should be tangible, realistic, and ideally something you can integrate into your daily or weekly routine. When you’re comfortable doing so, share this goal with a person you trust and love. Then, encourage that person to engage in this same practice of writing down a single word and building on it to envision a radical, more beautiful future, and urge them to do the same to someone else. Slowly you may be able to create your own gathering of chosen-community who are holding each other accountable to practices that will help create the world we hope to see.

I would also encourage you to find and engage with one of the many organizations and resources specifically dedicated to radical imagination, or community resilience building, since the two go hand in hand.

Rapid Fire Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

The state of California has recently passed one of the most comprehensive plastic bans in the country aimed at reducing the amount of plastic created and increasing recycling rates in the state.

A group of researchers working in the Amazon River Delta have found mangroves growing in freshwater, marking the first time this phenomenon has been documented in deltas or costal mangroves anywhere in else in the world. This identification increases the known area of mangroves in the region by 20%, or an additional 70 square miles.

The Afri-Plastics challenge has selected its 10 finalists, including a Keynan startup that turns invasive weeds into food packaging. This competition invites companies to submit community-centered solutions to reducing or eliminating plastic usage across Sub-Saharan Africa. The winner, who will be announced in January of 2023, will receive a grant and support for the development and implementation of their initiative.

In response to increased deforestation from wildfires, insects, and other climate change-related causes, the Biden Administration has announced that the U.S. Agriculture Department will soon begin planting more than one billion trees.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

In collaboration with Optimist Studios, IE will be hosting a special earth sessions activation in LA on August 20th featuring yoga, breath work, sound healing, and more. Make sure you’re following our new events page at earthsessions dot ie (@earthsessions.ie) to stay up to date on upcoming in-person events.

This episode was created in collaboration with our friends at Grist. Make sure you check out the most recent Fix issue, which is all about Joy. In the issue, their team looks at why joy is so crucial right now, how to make space for it, and the surprising ways people are channeling it to do better climate and justice work. Like our team at Intersectional Environmentalist, the staff working in the Fix Solutions Lab believe that joy can strengthen our resolve, help us unlock creativity, and bolster our resilience.

Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to leave a review on whichever platform you’re listening to the podcast if you haven’t done so already.

Tune in next episode where we’ll be diving into energy justice.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this special episode of The Joy Report

Nature is for Everyone: Equity in the Outdoors

Nature is nurturing. As we cope with an unraveling of an imperialist governance structure + reimagine what a liberated future looks like for us all, it’s only natural to seek solace + grounding from nature. We need to keep natural spaces accessible to all. Tap in to the 6th episode of The Joy Report to learn about the organizations and heroes fighting for equity + inclusion in the outdoors

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda

In this episode, we’re discussing inclusion and accessibility in outdoor spaces, whichever form they take.

Main Topic

Malcom X once said: “Revolution is based on land. Land is the basis of all independence. Land is the basis of freedom, justice, and equality.”

For millennia, human beings have thrived by connecting with nature in ways that feel right for them. With the rise of industrialization + globalization, the relationship between humanity and the outdoors was fissured, in a very intentional way. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, on average, Americans spend 87% of their life inside buildings and 6% of their lives in automobiles.

Nature is for everyone and as people, it’s our duty to protect our collective home and maintain its accessibility to all. Humans’ symbiotic relationship with nature has lasted for millennia; if it were any other way, we wouldn’t be here. With everything going on in our world over the last few weeks, spending time outdoors is probably one of the most nurturing and restorative privileges we can tap into right now. We all deserve the appropriate time to rest and process all that we’re seeing in the news and scrolling past on our feeds. We have every right to be angry— but our energy can’t stop there. Advocacy is a mindset. Remaining optimistic amidst calamity is a choice.

As Sherri Mitchell wrote in her book Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change, “thankfully even in the darkest night, we can anticipate the coming of a new dawn. What we are seeing now is only part of the story. In order to see the larger picture, we must once again expand our vision. We must be willing to step back and look at the long view of conscious evolution. When we do, we begin to realize that what appears to be a time of darkness, descent, and destruction is a time of new birth.”

In the midst of chaos, we can ground ourselves and expand our perspectives around what a liberated and equitable future might look like if we take time to unplug and step outside. Nature is nurturing. Spending time outside has countless benefits— from increased endorphins to reduced irritability and lowered blood pressure. Being outdoors has also been found to keep stress and feelings of loneliness at bay. It’s no wonder so many of us spent time outside the house— in whatever ways we could access the outdoors — during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when the pandemic was at its peak. Let’s rewind a bit here, though. Almost three quarters of people who spent time participating in traditional outdoor activities in 2020 were white.

Are we surprised? Most recreational and preserved outdoor areas historically exclude Black, Indigenous, and other non white communities. In 2020, it was found that low-income communities and nonwhite communities have a higher chance of living in areas that are nature deprived, with little to no access to parks, paths, and green spaces.

The historical legacies of structural and systemic racism uphold a huge disparity in access to safe, healthy outdoor spaces for many people of color. A 2020 study commissioned by the Hispanic Access Foundation and the Center for American Progress found that the United States has fewer forests, streams, wetlands, and other natural places near communities that are predominantly Black, Latino, and Asian American. And in another report released that year, the Outdoor Foundation explains that adults who were not exposed to outdoor recreation as children are far less likely to participate as adults.

Redlining, forced migration, and economic segregation are just a few of the ways environmental racism has been institutionalized to further disconnect BIPOC communities across the US from access to clean, healthy outdoor areas. Until the mid twentieth century, many state and national parks posted signs that read “for whites only.” Not to mention the vast majority of beaches and public swimming areas such as pools, creeks, lakes expanded the gap in accessing nature for recreation and joy. The legacy of these policies, and subsequent status quo, has left longstanding reverberations in communities of color.

Inevitably, mainstream environmentalism has traditionally excluded people of color from leadership or any involvement in the movement to preserve our planet. In many cases, the ways in which excluded groups of color view, understand, and practice connectedness with the Earth, can differ from the standard practices being taken today. By listening to communities of color and supporting them in leading the fight to preserve our planet, we can shape more holistic ways of protecting the planet, while advocating for the needs and perspectives of those most impacted by the climate crisis.

Scientists are urging policymakers to protect at least 30% of U.S. lands and ocean areas by the year 2030 to address the climate crisis. Let’s pause for a moment. These pushes to preserve natural areas generally fail to mention preserving access to these landscapes for all people. In pushing for conservation policy, we must make sure these policies ensure equitable access to nature for all people, regardless of their race, ability, socioeconomic status, or proximity to what we consider traditional outdoor recreational spaces.

Unfortunately, when marginalized people do spend time outdoors, discrimination, violence, and intimidation are constant threats to their peace and joy. Those who spend time participating in outdoor activities risk being targeted, stereotyped, or even harmed for enjoying nature or trying to protect it. Thankfully, there are many people and organizations working tirelessly to change this narrative and reclaim our rightful place within a safe and accessible outdoor environment.

For this episode of the Joy Report, we’re spotlighting dynamic individuals who have dedicated their careers to making the outdoors accessible for all, so we can restore and heal our relationships with nature, and nurture ourselves by being in nature.

Featured Story

Throughout history, pioneers of all races, ages, and abilities have achieved tremendous feats in the outdoors.

In 1990, Bill Irwin hiked the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine over the course of 8 months. He was the first blind person to complete the hike.

Betty Reid Soskin is the Nation’s oldest park ranger. She retired at the age of 100 back in March of this year after leading public programs at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond, California.

Evelyn Escobar, who founded the California-based organization, Hike Clerb, recently explained in a New York Times interview that “there are so many people around the country who just want to feel a sense of belonging and be able to tap into the healing energy of a collective space outside.”

This sentiment has been seen and felt over the last few years as we’ve watched the emergence and expansion of organizations with the common intention of making the outdoors more inclusive, diverse, and accessible:

Let’s take Jaylyn Gough for example. They created Native Women’s Wilderness, an organization aiming to elevate indigenous perspectives in the outdoor industry by sharing stories, and learning from one another through exploration and celebration of the wilderness and their native lands.

Syren Nagakyrie’s organization, Disabled Hikers, advocates for autonomy and representation for the disability community in the outdoor industry. The organization has developed a series of trail guides and a rating system to help disabled hikers anticipate what they’ll encounter before they begin hiking.

Or the founder of Color Outside, Nailah Blades Wylie. Her organization helps women of color harness the power of the outdoors to create the joy-filled, balanced lives they crave through coaching, workshops, and one-of-a-kind retreats.

What about Haroon Mota + their organization Muslim Hikers. They support Muslim people finding joy in the outdoors.

Or Pinar Sinopoulos-Lloyd, the co-founder of Queer Nature, a trans-run nature-based/naturalist education project serving mostly LGBTQ2+ people.

Some people used the unrest and uncertainty of 2020 to propel deeper commitments to ensuring the outdoors are inclusive, diverse, and accessible:

Like Kai Lightner, a professional rock climber who in 2020 launched Climbing for Change, an organization that provides role models and funding assistance to young climbers, with the goal of contributing to greater representation in all parts of the climbing and outdoor industries.

Or take Teresa, for example

And what gap exactly is she talking about?

[Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker— explaining the issue with diversity in the outdoors]

That gap.

[Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker]

You’re listening to the voice of one of Intersectional Environmentalist’s first council members, Teresa Baker: [Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker— personal introduction]

The In Solidarity Project’s goal is to reimagine the outdoor industry in a more inclusive and accessible way by providing communities across the United States with opportunities to participate in outdoor events that speak to culture, heritage, and lifestyle. To ensure accountability, the In Solidarity Project has developed the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge . [Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker]

This pledge helps connect leading outdoor brands with inclusion advocates to advance representation for people of color across the industry, with a focus on building relationships of support, empathy, and understanding, instead of external skepticism and internal stress, to move the outdoor industry closer toward authentic inclusion.

[TB interview: 13:04-13:35]

Teresa comes to this space with a wealth of knowledge, compassion, gratitude, and honor. She recognizes the role her identity has played in her current work:

[Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker]

She attributes much of her work and existence in this space to the legacy created by other Black environmentalists throughout history [Unscripted interview with Teresa Baker]

Teresa, and every other leader spotlighted in this episode represent just a small portion of the growing network of folks creating space for marginalized people to comfortably explore the outdoors, and reshape narratives associated with what nature means and what it’s supposed to look like. People of color and other marginalized communities have always been involved in environmental work, and we deserve to continue to do so safely, equitably, and without fear.

Topic Related Calls To Action

What can you do to help make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible?

Understand the history of exclusion in the environmental movement that has brought us to this place. Environmental racism is deeply embedded in the way conversation efforts have developed throughout American history. Countless Black, Indigenous, and people of color scholars have written about this history over the last few decades.

Hold your elected officials accountable to ensure equitable greenspace for all people. Scientists estimate that every dollar spent on creating and maintaining park trails can save almost three dollars in health care.

There are now countless organizations committed to this work. Find one near you, share their information, engage with their content to broaden their reach, volunteer, and donate if you can.

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate and environmental news you should also know about:

Christian Cooper will host a brand new series on National Geographic called “Extraordinary Birder”. You might recall back in 2020 when the video Christian recorded of the heated, racially charged encounter he had with a white woman in New York’s Central Park who called the police and falsely claimed he was threatening her led to the development of Black Birder’s Week and other initiatives to amplify the existence of Black people in the environmental conservation space.

After a 13 year legal battle, indigenous Ogiek people in western Kenya have finally been granted reparations and their sovereignty over the largest indigenous forest in the country, where the tribe had been evicted multiple times.

President Biden has announced that he will invoke the Defense Production Act in response to the recent energy crisis spurred by fossil fuels and the invasion of Ukraine. The act will spur additional domestic manufacturing of solar panels, increase the production of parts needed for clean energy technology, and create a 2-year bridge to rapidly scale domestic renewable production.

Rue Mapp, the creator of Outdoor Afro, has a new book coming out this fall titled: “Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors”. Make sure you pre-order your copy today.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

Our next Earth Sessions is taking place on July 17th in LA. If you’re unable to make it to this event, make sure to check out our Spotify playlist featuring local LA artists and follow our new events page at earth sessions dot IE on Instagram so you can be the first to know about upcoming in-person events. (@earthsessions.ie)

As people fighting to protect people and planet, the IE team is disheartened and adamantly opposes the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. We understand that reproductive justice is a critical part of environmental justice, and this current decision will have severe, adverse, and even deadly repercussions in low-income, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color communities across the United States. As such, we have been compiling a list of abortion access and reproductive justice resources that we will be sharing soon.

The team at IE also wants to encourage you to take care of yourselves in whatever way feels correct right now. There’s a lot happening in our world right, and maintaining our collective endurance to keep fighting for change is possible if we’re all individually taking breaks and getting proper rest when we can.

Closing Statement

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

If you’ve been enjoying The Joy Report please don’t forget to leave us a review and rating on whichever platform you’re listening to this episode on right now.

Tune in next episode where we’ll be discussing regenerative agriculture. (…energy justice)

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this episode of The Joy Report

Labor Organizing + How It Intersects with Environmental Justice

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the labor movement in the U.S. and how its legacy, and its current momentum, is linked to the fight for environmental justice.

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @mkaytiff
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @philthefixer
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. This podcast aims to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda:

In this episode, we’re discussing the lessons we can take away from labor movements throughout American history

Main Topic

“The Why” Topic Background Info

All people deserve safe places to live, pray, play, and work.

This principle has been a central part of the movement for environmental justice since its inception.

Historically, the mainstream environmental movement has centered on the idea of preserving the planet without consideration of the humans who live on it.

Yet, the duty to protect the planet must also include protecting its human inhabitants.

International treaties, national laws and local ordinances all have a role in prioritizing the needs of people most impacted by the harms of fossil fuels, overconsumption, and capitalism. Unfortunately, they often do not work together with these communities to create effective policy.

Using the strength of collective action, some communities have come together to create necessary change.

One community organizing idea that has had a recent resurgence are Labor Unions.

Throughout American history, unions have played a critical role in ensuring those who keep our world running, receive necessary rights and protections. Workers have continuously advocated for themselves through collective action to create meaningful change to ensure their work can be done as safely as possible.

Unions have acted as a link between their members and the business that employs them by providing workers with the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions and other benefits through collective bargaining. In the industrial sector, unions have generally fought for better hours and wages, and safer working environments.

A conversation about labor would be incomplete without acknowledging the role race has played in perpetuating harm and disenfranchisement for people of color. Labor organizing has played a significant role in advocating against environmental hazards workers experience on the job.

https://youtu.be/kMDE659njgY [2:33 - 3:41]

Let’s take the Memphis Sanitation Strike for example…

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm

In 1968 protests were organized in Memphis, Tennessee as horrendous working conditions for sanitation workers caused the death of Black two sanitation workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Afterward, the 1,300 Black sanitation workers began a strike and demanded better working conditions, higher pay, and equal consideration by the city.

https://youtu.be/ClNubFaosuU [8:35-9:34]

Protestors lined the streets of Memphis holding signs that read “I Am A Man.” During one of Martin Luther King’s visits to Memphis, [he reminded the crowd](https://www.beaconbroadside.com/broadside/2018/03/the-50th-anniversary-of-martin-luther-king-jrs-all-labor-has-dignity.html#:~:text=Fifty years ago—on March,in Christ in Memphis%2C Tennessee.&text=In his speech%2C Dr.,those in the service economy.) of 25,000 protesters that, “whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth.” Many view this strike as one of the starting points of the national movement for environmental justice, and the “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech that Martin Luther King Jr. gave at the Memphis Sanitation Strike protest on April 3rd, 1968 would, unfortunately, be his last.

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm

One of the key principles of the environmental justice movement is the advancement of “self-determination” for those experiencing environmental burdens and limited involvement in decision-making practices. In this context, self-determination means having the ability to speak for yourself, create for yourself, and develop yourself instead of allowing or encouraging others to do so. It means centering those impacted by decisions in every part of the decision-making processes, listening to their needs, and making decisions informed by active engagement.

That’s what so many of us want: a voice in decision-making and the information necessary to contribute to rules and policies that will impact our lives. Many also want access to resources and restitution when we have been harmed.

Labor movements have been a bedrock of American society that have played a pivotal role in protecting those on the frontlines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lptz-nLZKEo

Coal miners in Appalachia were, and still are, at high risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, and other severe health conditions from their work. 100 years ago coal miners in West Virginia fought for their right to unionize, the need for improved working conditions and livable wages, and to limit the control coal companies had over their lives. This effort came to a tipping point at The Battle of Blair Mountain, known as one of the largest labor uprisings in American History.

According to a Gallup poll, we’re currently experiencing the highest level of national support for labor unions since 1965.

With workers at Starbucks locations all over the country voting to unionize we are witnessing people coming together to advocate for their rights in organized, strategic ways to fight for a more meaningful role in decision-making processes that will impact their work environments.

But the current movement for labor unions is providing more than just collective bargaining power for workers, it’s providing opportunities for building community and creating lasting change. Unions all over the country are recognizing their influence and working to ensure their members are making informed decisions that will further safeguard their abilities to live and work in safe, healthy environments.

The impact of the Memphis Sanitation Strike, Blair Mountain, what we’re seeing at Starbucks locations nationwide, and countless other examples have led to the creation of a worker’s union at the second largest employer in the United States— a worker-led movement with the goal of putting power back in the hands of employees who have continued to work throughout the pandemic to bring comfort and consistency in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Our society's desire for instant gratification and cheap consumption has fueled companies in creating unhealthy working environments for those tasked with fulfilling consumerist wants and needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMc280EtXxs

Featured Story

It’s March 2020. Uncertainty abounded. What is COVID? How long is this going to last? Should we wear masks? Why is there no toilet paper on the shelves? Since when does everyone like making bread?

The COVIC-19 pandemic, especially in the pre-vaccine, early stages of 2020, caused fear, uncertainty, joblessness, houselessness, and countless other catastrophes all at once.

People of color were dying at disproportionately higher rates due to the byproducts of environmental injustice. Lack of access to healthcare, preexisting medical conditions, and high levels of air pollution.

Meanwhile, profits soared for e-commerce behemoths like Amazon. Fueled by the demand to have groceries, gadgets, and other items delivered, without direct human contact, revenues exceeded One Hundred and Twenty Five billion dollars during the last quarter of 2020.

Who kept Amazon running while so most of the population stayed home in lockdown?

1.6 million global employees did. Front line associates worked mandatory overtime, adhered to inconsistent COVID protocols, and endured awful working conditions.

[sounds of the city to set the scene that we’re in NYC] [00:17-00:24]

Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse was no exception. Known as JFK8, this warehouse, roughly the size of 15 football fields, is the only Amazon fulfillment center in New York City.

As positive COVID-19 cases rose throughout New York City exponentially, Amazon provided inconsistent information to warehouse employees about who amongst their co-workers had contracted the virus.

JFK8 employees hadn’t been informed that Amazons practice of firing low productivity workers had been paused. This caused many workers to skip essential covid-19 protections, like regular handwashing, during their shifts.

Workers were afraid for their health and their jobs.

That’s when JFK8 warehouse employees sought to create a safer work environment. They stood beside two longtime workers, best friends Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls, who asked management to close down the JFK8 facility for two weeks for deep sanitation.

When their request went unanswered and working conditions didn’t improve, Palmer and Smalls led a walkout in protest. Their demands were access to paid sick leave, better Covid-19 safeguards, and hazard pay since their labor was deemed essential.

Chris Smalls was fired the same day. Soon after investigations were called by the mayor of New York City and the New York state attorney general to have the city’s human rights commissioner and the National Labor Relations Board investigate the cause of termination, which Smalls believed to be in retaliation for his activism. The findings later led to a lawsuit against Amazon filed by the state of New York for their “flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements” during the coronavirus pandemic, which put the lives of workers and the general public at risk.

Soon after his termination, Smalls raised money through GoFundMe to begin organizing. He turned the bus stop used by JFK8 workers into his central office. He’d stay there for hours talking to workers on the way home from work. Chris hosted bonfires and handed out free food to workers every day. While doing so, he listened to people. He fostered community, built trust, and validated people’s experiences.

During this time Amazon was spending millions to fight against the union campaigns and urged employees to vote No to the formation of a worker’s labor union during mandatory meetings.

In December of 2021 Amazon reached a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board to allow its employees to freely organize without retaliation. Through this settlement current and former Amazon workers were notified of their right to organize, and Amazon pledged it wouldn’t threaten workers with discipline for engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time.

But when Chris tried to enter the facility as a guest to bring food to workers, he and two other current employees were arrested for trespass.

Soon after, workers voted by more than 10 percentage points in favor of being represented by the Amazon Labor Union, a movement with the intention of establishing workers’ right to negotiate for a better, safer, and more equitable workplace.

Chris’s early mornings and late nights at the bus stop building relationships, prioritizing and listening to people’s needs and grievances resulted in a tremendous win.

The next part is negotiating the union contract, which legitimizes the union’s efforts.

During his opening statement before the Senate Banking Committee Chris Smalls addressed Lindsey Graham:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3RwzqKyreI [0:01-1:29]

There’s so much more that can all learn from Chris Smalls’ work. Through compassion, showing up, listening, and understanding the history and impact of labor movements of the past, he has created a blueprint for the way to meaningfully engage and support those most impacted by poor decision-making.

Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon labor union

Topic Related Calls To Action

Remember, we have an obligation to fight for the protection of the people of this planet just as much as the planet itself. Here are some things that you can do to get involved:

Spread the word. The more national attention and support union organizing receives, the better.

Check to see if your state has anti-union labor laws enacted. If so, contact your elected officials and urge them to make changes to ensure workers have the ability to organize without penalty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjLo2EJcUI [00:17- 1:42]

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

The United States Environmental Protection Agency just released an updated version of their Environmental Justice Legal Tools with the goal of helping EPA decisionmakers and partners understand their authorities to consider and address environmental justice and equity in decision-making, and to promote meaningful engagement.

Portugal is set to begin working on Europe’s largest floating solar farm with over 12,000 solar panels

Both the United States Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services have launched Offices of Environmental Justice to advance environmental justice enforcement and address climate-related health issues, particularly affecting low-income and marginalized Americans

The highest court in India has declared that nature is a living being with legal rights on par with humans, and explained that humans have a responsibility to preserve the natural world for posterity.

In Connecticut, schools will soon be required to teach climate change and climate solutions as part of the science curriculum.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

We’re going on an organizational break for two weeks in June. As we already know, rest is an essential part of sustained movement building, so we’re looking forward to taking some time to rest and enjoy all that summer has to offer then come back ready to keep going.

This episode marks the halfway point for season 1 of The Joy Report! It has been such a pleasure to share these stories with you all, and I hope you’ll stay tuned for what we have in store for the rest of the season. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, please don’t forget to leave a rating and review!

Additional Closing

I would be remiss to not acknowledge the string of gun violence we’ve witnessed across America over the last few weeks. I want to send my deepest condolences and support to the families who have lost loved ones in Buffalo, New York; Laguna Woods, California; and Uvalde, Texas. Please support the families and other survivors of these atrocities in any way that you feel comfortable, whether that be contacting your local representatives and demanding they take action on gun control or identifying mutual aid organizations who are providing support. Please remember to rest and take care of yourselves, and continue nurturing your communities.

Closing Statement

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

Tune in next episode where we’ll discuss the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Joy Report.

LandBack + Aboriginal Australian Land Management

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the LandBack movement and why Indigenous wisdom and stewardship techniques are essential to protecting people + the planet.

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @sydneycheung + @vampiiirra
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer

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Episode Transcript

“Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.”

Episode Agenda:

In this episode, we are discussing the LandBack movement and why Indigenous knowledge and technology is essential to protecting people and planet.

Main Topic

“Science polishes the gift of seeing, indigenous traditions work with gifts of listening and language”. This beautiful quote from Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a professor of botany and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, encapsulates the theme of this episode.

Mainstream environmental thought has glorified the idea that nature is at its best when untouched by humans.

It’s become abundantly clear that the tools of modern existing environmental management practices are no match for human-induced climate change fueled by greed and overconsumption.

Many Indigenous practices and beliefs are centered around the idea that nature and humans are in a reciprocal relationship that needs to be nurtured.

For example, Native Hawaiian community fishing practices and local-level fisheries are governed by the principle of kuleana (cool-ee-ana), or rights and responsibilities, which encompasses caretaking, sharing, and interacting with nature as family.

Currently, Indigenous people account for less than 5% of the world’s human population. Yet, Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the Earth’s biodiversity.

Studies by The United Nations and others show that pollution, extinction, and other environmental hazards occur at much lower rates on Indigenous managed land. Additionally, ecosystem restoration is occurring all over the world in areas where land has been returned to indigenous care.

Yet, in the United States and other colonial societies, displacing Indigenous people from land and delegitimizing the power of their ancestral knowledge has been public policy.

One of the earliest attacks was an 1823 United States Supreme Court decision that stripped the rights of Indigenous peoples to autonomously manage their land.

These efforts by colonial governments have spurred a countermovement.

LandBack, or land restitution, is a movement with the goal of returning control over land back to its stewards, allowing indigenous peoples to restore their connection to ancestral lands in meaningful ways. LandBack is about Indigenous sovereignty rooted in self-determination; environmental sustainability; and economic justice.

Or in other words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7msyOSrpYsg [9:04-9:58] Quoting the LandBack Manifesto https://landback.org/manifesto/

To meaningfully advocate with indigenous tribes in regaining their sovereignty, necessitates relinquishment of power, active listening, and repairing the harm colonialism has done and continues to inflict on Indigenous people. This encompasses the return of all things that are needed to secure a meaningful indigenous future.

Recently, we have had some tremendous wins related to the LandBack movement.

In September 2021, over 395,000 acres of land from various Australian national parks were returned to the Aboriginal Eastern Kuku Yalanji people, including land in the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest rainforests in the world

As of July 2021, 30 years after the initial petition was filed, the Kakataibo tribe in Peru regained over 370,000 acres of land.

Due to the tireless work of indigenous activists and their allies, world governments have also begun integrating traditional practices into their national environmental land management strategies.

Featured Story

Let’s take a journey to Australia.

Thought to be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa, Aboriginal Australians are split into two groups: Aboriginal, or those who already inhabited Australia when Britain began colonizing the island in 1788, and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who descend from residents of the Torres Strait Islands, a group of islands that is part of modern-day Queensland, Australia.

Pre-colonization Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have actively managed their lands and waters for over 60,000 years. When the British began colonizing Australia in 1788, between 750k and 1.25 million Aboriginal Australians were estimated to have lived there. The British seized this land through violent, and often deadly means. Up to 20k indigenous people lost their lives during that first wave of colonization. Between 1910 and 1970 assimilation policies implemented by the British led to between 10 and 33% of Aboriginal Australian children being forcibly removed from their homes. Referred to as the “stolen generations” these children were put in adoptive families and institutions, they were forbidden from speaking their native languages, and their names were often changed— removing any possibility of reconnection to their family or heritage.

Most Aboriginal Australians did not have full citizenship or voting rights until 1965, and in 2008 the Australian Prime Minister issued a national apology for the country’s actions toward Aboriginal Australians of the Stolen generation as a first step toward rectifying centuries of destruction and genocide.

Today, only about 3% of Australia’s population has Aboriginal heritage, and Australia is the only British Commonwealth in the world to not ratify a treaty with its First Nations peoples. As a result, Aboriginal Australians still struggle to retain their ancient culture and fight for recognition and restitution from the Australian government.

So let's talk about some of the ways Australia’s wildlife and natural lands are benefitting from the knowledge of the aboriginal people.

In late 2019 and into early 2020, devastating wildfires blazed across the southeast region of Australia. This disaster is referred to now as Black Summer, due to its unusual intensity, size and duration, and directly links from the increased temperatures and prolonged droughts that have resulted due to changes in the Earth’s climate.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-08/queensland-fire-chief-rejects-hazard-reduction-burn-criticism/11851548?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link [0:45- 1:07]

Climate change has already increased the likelihood of severe fire events like Australia’s 2019-2020 fire season by at least 30 percent.

With the steady increase in severe weather events that contribute to increased wildfires, environmental decision-makers have been seeking new solutions.

Fortunately, solutions for mitigation of the effects of climate-change-induced wildfires already exist. Aboriginal peoples in Australia have used fire management techniques to preserve the landscape for centuries.

https://youtu.be/sFiqU_20s7Q [00:55- 1:10]

That was Robin Dan, a Wanngurr Environmental Ranger in Western Australia.

Adopting indigenous land management techniques is starting to repair the substantial damage done by colonialism.

Intentional burning is most common in the northern part of Australia, and leads to the reintroduction of native grasses, the reduction of scrub to prevent intense bushfires, and the promotion of biodiversity. Small, cooler fires created during the early dry season, from April to July, reduce the number and severity of large, high-intensity dry season fires, which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. These fires burn slowly with this technique and create breaks in the sprawling forests and grasslands by eliminating the vegetation that would allow them to spread. Not all the area is burnt, with the end result appearing like a mosaic of burnt and unburnt country.

https://youtu.be/OBTZvGJXroM [4:02-4:10; 4:44-5:50]

Now, the entire country is reaping the benefits of this cultural knowledge as emissions reductions are being credited to fire management practices implemented through the Emissions Reduction Fund, which incentivizes Australian businesses to cut the number of greenhouse gases they create and undertake activities that store and sequester carbon.

These projects are restoring the fire management regimes that have been used for tens of thousands of years by indigenous people on this soil and all over the world.

A collection of tribes in Northern California who comprise the cultural fire management council facilitate the practice of cultural burning on the Yurok Reservation and other Ancestral lands and government agencies are beginning to turn to these practices to help reduce wildfires in the state.

A Flinders University study from 2019 reports that the principles of Aboriginal people’s appreciation and deep understanding of the landscape and its features have been overlooked or sidelined in the past - to the detriment of the environment.

https://youtu.be/sFiqU_20s7Q [2:15-2:31]

The fight for indigenous sovereignty is global, and extends to the rights to education, health, employment, and resource re-allocation among other topics.

Topic Related Calls To Action

Here are some ways that you can support the LandBack movement according to indigenous activist, Corinne Grey Cloud:

1. Find your local indigenous nations

2. Research and find what actions that Nation already has in place for returning land and sacred sites

3. As an ally, research and identify where you can donate your time, energy, skills, and money to uplift the work of those already contributing to this movement

4. Get engaged in local government meetings

5. Publicly recognize whose land you’re on every chance you get. In the US you can use the website Native-Land.ca or the Whose Land App to aid your land acknowledgements

Check out landback.org to learn more about the history and current actions within this movement

Support indigenous activists and thought leaders who are bringing attention to these important issues

Remember that indigeneity does not have one specific color or set of cultural values. There are first nations peoples all over the world actively seeking rights to land rightfully theirs.

Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

• As of April 1st, a major railway in Japan is now 100% operated on renewable energy, with trains now operating using hydropower, geothermal power, wind power, and solar power https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/major-japan-railway-now-powered-renewable-energy-84334004

• Ecuador’s Constitutional Court declared that Indigenous communities must not only be consulted about extractive coal and mining projects on or near their territory, but they must also give their consent to such projects. https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/ecuadors-top-court-rules-for-stronger-land-rights-for-indigenous-communities/

• As part of Governor Newsom’s pledge to ensure nearly 1/3 of California’s land and coastal waters are preserved by 2030, the state’s indigenous nations may be given $100 million and preserve their lands. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/18/california-indigenous-tribes-purchase-land

• An anonymous donor recently paid $435,000 to purchase then donate part of the Ashby Community Garden in Southwest Berkeley to the indigenous women-run Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/04/20/ashby-community-garden-sogorea-te-land-trust

• And to all the New Yorkers out listening, the state’s Climate Action Council has released a draft Climate Plan. From now until June 10th New Yorkers have the opportunity to weigh in on a number of climate-related issues, including indigenous sovereignty. https://climate.ny.gov/Our-Climate-Act/Draft-Scoping-Plan

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

The first resource in our Digital Toolkit Series is now live! Through this collection of educational resources, IE fellows will delve into a myriad of topics exploring the intersections of various identities, histories, and lived experiences.

This first toolkit of the collection is, “I am not your savior: A digital toolkit on dismantling the Black Woman Savior Trope”. Check out the toolkit on our website: intersectionalenvironmentalist.com under the resources tab where you can view on the page or download the PDF, and you can watch the IG live conversation with myself and the toolkit’s main researcher and writer, IE fellow Thea Gay at intersectional environmentalist.

Closing Statement

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

Tune in next episode where we’ll discuss the resurgence of the labor rights movement.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this episode of The Joy Report

Plant Based Diets + their Cultural Significances

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the benefits of plant-based diets for people and planet, their history, and how some cultures are using plant-based food to reconnect to their cultural heritage.

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @sydneycheung + @vampiiirra
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer

---

Episode Transcript

Welcome to the Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by me, Arielle King, an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about making environmental education accessible. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect the planet.

Episode Agenda

In this episode we’re talking about the benefits of plant-based diets for people and planet.

Topic Background Info

What comes to mind when you hear the word “vegan”?

Maybe your first thought is, “a lifestyle that I could never do!” I love cheese way too much!

Maybe you picture the numerous types of non-dairy milks and plant-based meat alternatives for sale at your local grocery store or at your favorite fast-food restaurant.

Or maybe you imagine that one coworker who insists that eating animal meat is akin to perpetuating a modern-day genocide.

All of these perspectives are fair. Often the lens we view veganism or plant-based diets is influenced by our environment, media, and food taste.

However, 14.5% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions come from the rearing of livestock for food. So the fact remains that reducing our meat consumption, by even one day a week, can make a significant positive impact on the planet.

Researchers say if American consumers cut meat out of their diet for one day per week, by year's end they would have reduced their individual carbon footprint by about 400 pounds. That's roughly the equivalent of driving a car from New York to LA over 125 times.

Sadly, exploring options to reduce personal meat consumption can feel alienating to many.

Its hard to picture yourselves in a movement where cookbooks, blogs, and influencers are primarily white, wealthy, able-bodied people so focused on animal rights and sustainability— in a movement completely devoid of the essential intersectional lens needed to ensure that everyone feels like they can take part in a plant-based lifestyle. Even so, a 2020 Gallup poll found that people of color in the US reported reducing their meat consumption at a much higher rate than white Americans.

While mainstream media in the global north may lead people to believe that white vegans originated the cruelty-free, plant-based food movement, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Plant-based and vegan diets have always existed, spanning various cultures around the globe:

One of the earliest records of plant-based lifestyles comes from 5th century India and the religion of Jainism. The principle of ahimsa (ah-heem-sah), or non-violence is a major influence on the Jain lacto-vegetarian diet.

Lacto-Vegetarianism is a diet abstaining from meat and eggs, but includes most other dairy products.

In addition to avoiding meat, many Jains avoid root vegetables to prevent injuring small insects and microorganisms and to prevent the entire plant from getting uprooted and killed.

Popular in the Caribbean islands, Rastafari is another religion that promotes a plant-based lifestyle as an extension of their belief in Black sovereignty, health, and ecological harmony. The Rastafari interpretation of Biblical dietary laws is called Ital, stemming from the word vital. Ital involves eating natural, local, organically produced foods and avoiding processed foods and meats.

On a tiny island in Japan, residents of Okinawa live exceptionally long, and healthy lives. Experts attribute their plant-heavy diet as having a significant impact. The traditional Okinawan diet consists of 60% vegetables and only 2% meat and fish. Japanese staples of tofu, soba, and legumes make up the difference.

These three examples are a tiny sliver of the spaces that people of color have developed throughout history: spaces that honor history, respect for animals, care for the planet, and the intersections of race, class, religion, and culture.

Aph Ko, Activist and Co-Author of the book Aprhrosim, beautifully surmises the modern work that many are doing in plant-based spaces. She exorts “Let's use our erasure from this rotten-to-the-core Western notion of humanity to build up a different “new world,” one that is not defined in terms of dichotomies or hierarchies or emotional death—but centered on love: one in which we accept ambiguity and difference, grounded in an expansive, limitless “we.”

This episode’s featured story centers around a female entrepreneur who is creating a space centered on love for her indigenous culture.

Featured Story:

If you’re like me, when you picture traditional Mexican food, images of tacos al pastor, enchiladas and mole come to mind.

But, before the Spaniards arrived, Mexico’s indigenous population enjoyed staples like jackfruit, avocado, and beans, and “superfoods” quinoa, acai, and chia seeds.

These same foods have now become popular modern meat and protein alternatives.

This diet was altered by the invasion of Spanish colonizers who brought their diseases along with their domesticated cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and animal byproducts.

However, a recent study showed that approximately [20% of the Mexican population identifies as vegetarian and vegan](https://vivaglammagazine.com/20-percent-of-mexicans-now-identify-as-vegan-or-vegetarians/#:~:text=According to data collected in,vegetarian or vegan eating regime.). Often they are adopting these lifestyles for more than environmental or ethical reasons. For them, plant-based diets are to reconnect and honor indigenous ancestral knowledge and wisdom, through cultural-based experiences.

Jocelyn Ramierez is one chef who is celebrating this intersection of indigenous heritage and plant-based food through her restaurant, Todo Verde.

Born and raised on the East Side of Los Angles, California, Jocelyn Ramierez, has been working to make plant-based, culturally relevant food accessible to her community. Here is her vision of the work she's doing:

[https://youtu.be/YOiiNwSL4Cc (0:25-55)

In 2015 Jocelyn left her career in higher education to start Todo Verde. Inspired by Jocelyn’s Mexican-Ecuadorian roots, Todo Verde provides healthy and delicious plant-based culturally relevant dishes to combat the lack of access to healthy food in low income communities of color across LA.

[https://youtu.be/-LHkRvf-zmU (0:40-1:22)

The goal is to advance food equity and support healthy-eating lifestyle shifts that lean into self-care as well as increase awareness and access to naturally good food.

[https://youtu.be/-LHkRvf-zmU (1:36-2:06)

Through their food truck, catering, cooking classes, and delivery bundles packaged with the ingredients needed to make their plant-based recipes, Todo Verde has become a major contributor to the growing community of vegan-mex vendors in California.

Jocelyn’s first cookbook, titled La Vida Verde: Plant-based Mexican cooking with authentic flavor, was published in 2020 and became an instant bestseller.

Around the country, entrepreneurs are looking for ways to promote plant-based and vegan diets in ways that honor their communities and make this lifestyle more accessible.

Related Stories

And in other plant-based news...

Koia, Black woman-owned vegan protein drink company, founded by Maya French, finalized a recent round of financing with 23 A-list celebrity investors. NBA player and Koia investor Chris Paul is supporting the mission of making plant-based foods more accessible by introducing Koia vending machines at multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the US.

During this year’s Coachella music festival, a four-course plant-based VIP dinner event was hosted by Outstanding in the Field. Sibling Chefs Ayinde and Makini Howell featured Jamaican jerk tofu and their famous mac and yease, y-e-a-s-e, with fire-roasted hatch chilies. Their vegan mac and yease is currently available at select Costco stores.

The Coachella music festival also featured an array of BIPOC vegan food vendors, such as Slutty Vegan, El Chino Grande, Cena Vegan, Ramen Hood, and others.

Topic Related Calls To Action

Regardless of what many of us have been taught, people of color have existed in every part of the environmental protection and management space for centuries, including in the movement for plant-based lifestyles. And as IE’s founder, Leah Thomas, writes in her book, The Intersectional Environmentalist, “BIPOC perspectives matter, and these nuances should be explored to advocate for inclusion and equity within the plant-based conversation.”

There are tons of chefs, bloggers, and content creators who are working hard to make the vegan movement more inclusive that you can follow.

Support their work, use their recipes, buy their cookbooks, and continue learning about the importance of prioritizing people and the planet equally in your pursuit to live a more plant-based life.

And if cutting out meat completely feels a little too daunting, no worries! Commit to one day a week where you don’t eat meat at all. Every little bit counts.

[ https://youtu.be/czzktlf07qw 5:56-6:08]

And remember, just because you aren’t eating a completely plant-based diet does not make you a bad environmentalist. There are tons of ways for you to do your part to help protect the planet.

Rapid Fire Positive News Stories

Here’s some positive climate news you should also know about:

In an effort to increase mass transit ridership, San Diego County in California has passed the Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program which allows people 18 and under to ride public transit for free starting May 1st

Healthcare professionals in four Canadian provinces can now prescribe free year-long passes to visit national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national historic sites to boost people’s mental and physical health

In Gabon, the Massaha community’s request has been granted to end the logging of their ancestral forest. The country’s environmental minister has asked the company that holds the logging concession to “leave quickly” and remove all the remaining logs from the site in order to preserve the area. This marks the first time in the country’s history that an area will be declared protected at the request of residents.

IE + Community Updates

And in the world of Intersectional Environmentalist:

Our short film, ‘Intersectional History of Cannabis’ is now available to view on our YouTube channel. The film focuses on the barriers that hinder BIPOC communities from thriving in the cannabis industry and features activists who are working towards bringing justice to those communities.

Do you have a unique story, experience, or research topic you’d like to share? Send in a submission to our new Contributor’s Network! We’re looking for writers, researchers, and creatives to provide an intersectional analysis on various topics related to culture and environment. You can find the submission form on our Linktree in any of our social media bios or click on the “resources” tab on our website: intersectional environmentalist dot com.

Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action

As always, remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for them, now more than ever.

Tune in next episode where we’ll discuss the land back movement and the ways the planet benefit from indigenous environmental management practices.

I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to this episode of The Joy Report

Black Hemp Farmers, Cannabis Justice, and Demanding Reparations

SEASON 1: EPISODE 2

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing how environmental justice + liberation can be advanced through cannabis decriminalization, legalization, + intentional investments. We navigate this conversion through storytelling of NYC restorative justice efforts for the cannabis industry + a Black-owned hemp farm creating a blueprint for a more equitable industry.

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions + environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, + joy. Tune in to hear stories + updates on all things climate, social, + environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate + attorney passionate about environmental education.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @sydneycheung + @vampiiirra
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer

Joy in Movement Building

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the importance of joy— specifically, joy in activism, joy in advocacy, and joy in movement building.

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy. Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
📚 Research by @ariellvking + @sydneycheung + @vampiiirra
🗣️ Narration by @ariellevking
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by @awesomenostalgia
🌿Graphic Design by @eileenjawn
🍄Produced by @philthefixer

---

Episode Transcript

Welcome to The Joy Report, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality and optimism. The goal of this podcast is to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect people and the planet. Tune in to hear updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct and accessible way by me.

My name is Arielle King, and I’m an environmental justice advocate, attorney, and educator.

On this episode of The Joy Report, we’re discussing the importance of joy— specifically, joy in activism, joy in advocacy, and joy in movement building.

Main Topic

First, why Joy?

Why even think about joy when there's so much work to do? What role does joy have in fighting oppressive systems that continue to harm people and destroy the planet? In fighting & pushing against the systems of capitalism, colonialism, racism, misogyny, greed? Or in changing the status quo?

How can joy be found when, for the first time in human history, we’re facing 1 million animal & plant species being threatened with extinction?

What joy is there for the people that will be displaced in the global south? For people who are still struggling to recover from imperialist, colonial regimes and survive climate crisis impacts like drought, flooding, and food scarcity. For the ones who contribute the least to the climate crisis but suffer its worst impacts.

Why should we be thinking about joy?

As people trying to protect people and the planet we are engaged in the exhausting and seemingly unending work of creating systemic change. Yet our urgency and acute engagement can often lead to feeling burnt out, angry, and at times, resentful. The gravity of the times we live in often leads us to equate suffering with advocacy.

Choosing joy. And yes, it IS a choice. Allows us to erase that equation.

Ingrid Fetell Lee founder of the blog, The Aesthetics of Joy and author of the book Joyful, defines Joy [as] a manifestation of abundance”.

The threats facing people and the planet are vast and complex and often seem far beyond our capabilities to spark real change as individuals. Yet, collective action is made up of individual choices and communal alignment.

Joy allows us to reject the scarcity and fear that oppression creates in our homes, our minds, and our spirits.

We recognize the beauty in the interconnectedness of people, the planet, and all ecosystems, we have an obligation to ourselves and to the world to protect our joy as we work to protect our collective home.

This work is reminiscent of the Zapatista slogan, “Un Mundo Donde Quepan Muchos Mundos’, which translates in English to “A World Where Many Worlds Fit’.

To achieve “A World Where Many Worlds Fit” we must emphasize the importance of: common struggle, collective belonging, and inherent dignity, in the same way as laughter, dancing, and nourishment.

The Wellcome Collection sums up this whole vibe in their poem “Joy is a Protest”,

[https://youtu.be/X_fIZyD7XJA “joy is a protest” poem; 0:29-1:20]

Featured Story

Although its typically overlooked, joy can be a beautiful tool in organizing against oppressive systems.

In the early 2010’s a Hong Kong pro-democracy political party named “People Power” changed the face of activism in their city. Research was done by Yale PhD students on the impact of Joyous Resistance by People Power in Hong Kong elections. The study states that “By maintaining a radical image in public while creating a festive mood among protestors, People Power is able to attract a large number of discontented but risk-averse supporters. This emotional strategy of joyous resistance is made possible by skillfully including fun activities in[to] protest.” (Emotion Politics: Joyous Resistance in Hong Kong Vitrierat Ng and Kin-man Chan)

Joy as an act of resistance sustains movements. It's essential in creating collective action.

Audre Lorde once wrote “The sharing of joy, whether physical / emotional / psychic / or intellectual / forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them, and lessens the threat of their difference”. Here Lorde reminds us that choosing joy reflects that progress is not a losing game– that an abundance of hope exists. She also illuminates the power joy has in creating connections between people from all walks of life, even if they hold different views and goals.

We can notice joy in action during liberation movements and protests supporting racial, social, and environmental justice across America. There's often music, dancing, community healing, and artistic expression during protest movements that mainstream media paint as frivolous, disruptive, and distracting. Yet, these activities have a distinct lineage to movement building and activism work from Black communities. It’s what Tanya Wallace-Gobern in a 2021 Prism Report article describes as the “power of defiant joyfulness [that] accompanies Black organizing and civil activism.”

That brings us to the term “pleasure activism”, which was first coined by AIDS activist and Housing Works co-Founder Keith Cylar whose work supported unhoused New Yorkers living with AIDS.

Black feminist Adrienne Marie Brown reintroduced the term pleasure activism to the world with their NY Times Bestseller book, “Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good”

Pleasure activism has two main elements: The first: shaping “traditional” activism/organizing work to be as pleasurable as it can be, while supporting and making space for historically marginalized and disenfranchised folks to reclaim pleasure in their daily lives.  This is a radical act in and of itself because of the way the capitalist, white supremacist hetero-patriarchy keeps our relationship to pleasure strained and disconnected.

The second function of pleasure activism is making justice and liberation the most pleasurable experiences we can have. Learning that pleasure gets lost under the weight of oppression, and reclaiming that pleasure is liberatory work.

Brown believes that it is imperative for us to see ourselves as part of interconnected systems that depend on each other to not only survive, but thrive. The protection and preservation of the planet is deeply connected to the liberation and joy of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities globally. A commitment to intentional collective action ensures that those disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental hazards are prioritized in solutions-oriented action.

Topic Related Calls To Action

So how can this be achieved?

The Joyful Revolution, a global people-driven movement honoring the sanctity and interconnectivity of every ecosystem on this planet, has outlined three steps for honoring joy in activism:

Step 1: Identify PAIN POINTS in your community, in whatever way you’d like to define it (like transportation, food access, the need to phase out fossil fuels)

Step 2: Identify a solution YOU CAN DO, and

Step 3: JOYFULLY take part in that solution

Combating systemic harm doesn’t always mean we need to become traditional activists. However, Adrienne Marie Brown reminds us of the perils of complacency. She emphasizes that “The work of changing the world has a million frontlines. You have to be aware that if you are not working on solutions for solving society’s ills then you’re probably participating in creating those ills. You just have to be awake to the fact that you are in a community, and there are people who rely on and are impacted by the decisions that you make.”

This awareness, like great power, comes with great responsibility. It's our responsibility to educate ourselves and those around us on the intersections of systemic injustices and current issues in our communities. In doing so, its vital that we refrain from speaking for the communities experiencing climate injustices, and instead, uplift and honor their voices and work. Learning about and calling out capitalism, colonialism, racism, misogyny, and greed by name is the first step in fighting against these oppressive systems.

It's also our responsibility to bring joy, contentment and satisfaction to ourselves and those around us, in our daily lives and while doing this work.

So take this message as a sign to do something that brings you joy today: spend some time outside, read a few pages of that book you’ve been meaning to start, call a friend or family member, listen to that song that you can never sit still to and dance like nobody is watching, cook a nourishing meal, change into an outfit that makes you smile, buy yourself a new plant, invest in your art practice... whatever brings you joy, even just or a moment.

Conclusion

Before we wrap up this episode, I want to share some positive climate news with you

• Development has begun on a net-zero affordable housing complex on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens, New York. It’s the first development of its kind in NYC.

• Honduras is no longer granting environmental permits for open-pit mining projects due to the deforestation and pollution they cause.

• Medical schools across the United States are incorporating climate change into their curriculum. Medical professionals must understand the ways that climate change continues to exacerbate many health issues in order to adequately treat them, and expanding their curriculum to incorporate these realities is the first step.

• A Hawaii Circuit Court Judge ruled in favor of the city of Honolulu, despite attempts from oil companies to get the case dismissed. The city has been trying to hold oil companies accountable for climate change impacts that continue to threaten Oahu, so this is huge a win!

• A Colorado bill was recently proposed to compensate homeowners and businesses replacing their grass lawns with native plant species that are adapted to the state’s arid climate

IE + Community Updates

Our founder Leah Thomas has released her first book, The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet. Head to your local bookstore to pick up your copy.

IE is hosting our first Earth Sessions event in Brooklyn On April 21st. Earth Sessions will be an ongoing series of community-driven climate justice educational concerts. At each show, we’re inviting local environmental non-profits ,as well as artists and activists, to create an intimate experience for you to find joy, learn, + take action. Be on the lookout for updates on our Instagram at intersectional environmentalist

IE’s very first publication, The IE Agenda, is hot off the press! The IE Agenda started as a zine last Spring and has since grown into a 200-page, community-created publication. If you missed our pre-sale, no worries! You can get yourself a copy on our website.

Closing Statement + Reiteration Of Calls To Action

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of The Joy Report - remember, fighting the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need everyone to get involved in a way that feels right for the, now more than ever. Remember, this isn’t an independent fight, and focusing solely on doom and gloom will freeze us into inaction. Join initiatives and communities advocating for the same things you do, virtually or in person, and use your talents and interests to contribute to this joyful movement.

Tune in next episode for a download on the evolution of cannabis reform and the ways states are using cannabis justice as a form of restorative justice. I’m your host, Arielle King, and thank you for listening to... the Joy Report

The Joy Report Trailer

SEASON 1

"The Joy Report" is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in intersectionality, optimism, and joy.

Tune in to hear stories and updates on all things climate, social, and environmental justice explained in a succinct, accessible way by Arielle King (@ariellevking), an environmental justice advocate and attorney passionate about environmental education. The Joy Report is an evolving project created to give you the tools you need to stay informed and take action to protect people + the planet.

✍🏾Script by @ariellevking + @vampiiirra
🦜Narration by Arielle King
🦋Audio Engineering + Music by Kayin Albright
🌿Graphic Design by Eileen Tran
🍄Produced by Phil Aiken