A note for #EarthDay by Urban Fishing Cat Intern Sandunie Liyanagamage.
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share some thoughts on a term that has been going around in the sustainability world the past few years – intersectional environmentalism. It is a form of environmentalism that centres the protection of people. It recognizes that environmental and social justice are linked. Being an intersectional environmentalist is important to me because I believe in an inclusive world where we are working towards the protection of both people and planet. It can be a struggle to understand the climate change challenges being faced by vulnerable communities since the narratives in certain environmental spaces fail to acknowledge their voices. Therefore, there is a lack of effective climate solutions for the BIPOC community. This is why diversity and inclusion play such a big role in the environmental world.
I am still learning but wanted to share some voices and resources that have been extremely educational in my personal quest for more knowledge in this area. I have also included a non-profit I support that represents the kind of environmentalism that matters to me.
@intersectionalenvironmentalist – a platform founded by Leah Thomas as a resource hub to promote intersectional environmentalism while developing thoughtful partnerships through media and consulting.
@ayanaeliza – A marine biologist who is actively working towards ensuring that women and people of colour play a role in finding solutions to fight climate change. Check out How to Save a Planet on Spotify for a podcast she co-hosts and goes beyond the doom and gloom narrative that we normally see in the sustainability space.
@gridalternatives – a non-profit that develops community-powered projects to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy.
For more resources on environmental justice check out The Environmental Justice Movement.
Best,
Sandunie.
