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LEAH THOMAS - Author of The Intersectional Environmentalist - Founder of IE Platform & @GreenGirlLeah

Nov 13, 2023

Guest

Leah Thomas

Leah Thomas, an intersectional environmental activist, discusses the importance of prioritizing social justice in environmental movements and addressing environmental injustices faced by marginalized communities. They highlight the significance of representation in climate justice and the work of the intersectional environmentalist platform. The podcast also explores the contributions of Hazel Johnson and Dr. Robert Bullard in uncovering toxic waste and establishing environmental justice. Leah shares personal experiences related to privilege and prejudice, as well as their journey in writing and cultivating a community of environmental advocates.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Importance of Accessibility in Climate Justice and Environmental Science

02:04 • 9min

Discovering Toxic Waste and Formalizing Environmental Justice

11:00 • 4min

Privilege, Prejudice, and Book Recognition

15:24 • 5min

Cultivating a Community and Writing Journey

20:10 • 14min

Empowering Young People in Environmental Advocacy

34:02 • 2min

Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator based in Southern California. She’s passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism and was the first to define the term “Intersectional Environmentalism.” She is the founder of @greengirlleah and The Intersectional Environmentalist platform. Her articles on this topic have appeared in Vogue, Elle, The Good Trade, and Youth to the People and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Domino, GOOP, Fashionista, BuzzFeed, and numerous podcasts. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Chapman University and worked for the National Park Service and Patagonia headquarters before pursuing activism full time. She lives in Carpinteria, California. She is the author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet, and Winner of the Creative Force Foundation Award 2023.

"Intersectional Environmentalism to me means prioritizing social justice in environmental movements and really thinking about what communities are most impacted by different environmental injustices. So, for example, in the United States, a lot of communities of color, Black, Indigenous communities, and also lower-income communities struggle with things like unclean air and unclean water, and those are environmental injustices. So I thought it was important to have an intersectional approach to environmental advocacy that doesn't ignore these things and these intersections of identity, but explores them to make sure that every community, especially those most impacted by environmental injustices, no longer are. And I wanted to write a really accessible introduction that was targeted at school kids or anyone who wants to learn more."

www.intersectionalenvironmentalist.com
www.instagram.com/greengirlleah
www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leah-thomas/the-intersectional-environmentalist/9780316281935/?lens=voracious

Season 2 of Business & Society focuses on CEOs , Sustainability & Environmental Solutions
Business & Society is a limited series co-hosted by Bruce Piasecki & Mia Funk
www.oneplanetpodcast.org