The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet

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Important content, poor execution. Every once in a while, I read a NetGalley that makes me wonder if the corrected book will be an improvement over the ARC. Intersectional Environmentalist is one of those for me—the insets, discussion guides, and content didn’t come together in a fluid way, which may be improved upon final print. The content in this book is SO important, but I disliked the writing. I felt like I was reading a middle school primer on intersectional environmentalism, aimed at a young, naive reader, rather than a smart, informed adult. When I rate a book like this poorly, I feel a sense of guilt because I’m not rating the content or topic poorly (and don’t want to be judged as doing so), but the writing and the book itself. The LGBTQ+ community are also likely to suffer more from the consequences of climate-related disasters. For example, being denied relief and facing discrimination. During hurricane Katrina trans people faced discrimination in emergency shelters including being turned away. From the 2022 TIME100 Next honoree and the activist who coined the term comes a primer on intersectional environmentalism for the next generation of activists looking to create meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable change. The Intersectional Environmentalist examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people -- especially those most often unheard. Written by Leah Thomas, a prominent voice in the field and the activist who coined the term "Intersectional Environmentalism," this book is simultaneously a call to action, a guide to instigating change for all, and a pledge to work towards the empowerment of all people and the betterment of the planet. Before you founded the Intersectional Environmentalist platform, you studied environmental science and policy at Chapman University. What do you wish you learned as a student that was never included in the curriculum? The Intersectional Environmentalist] shares data in an accessible, compelling, and engaging manner, and explores a variety of topics, including ableism, veganism, green energy, representation and more. It’s dense, but not overwhelming, and it also provides a “tool kit” and a supplementary reading list, to help you expand your knowledge once you finish this book. The Intersectional Environmentalist is at once a call to action, a guide to galvanize change, and a way to empower all people towards the betterment of the planet."— She Does the City

This book is really a history book in some ways; it talks about eco-feminism and intersectional theory. It talks about the ‘father’ and ‘mother’ of the environmental justice movement. Readers will hear from diverse people around the world about how they practice environmentalism and explore these perspectives from a nuanced approach. Intersectional environmentalism is “an inclusive approach to environmentalist that advocates for the protection of both people and the planet” (p. 31). Intersectional environmentalism argues that “social and environmental justice are intertwined and that environmental advocacy that disregards this connection is harmful and incomplete” (p. 31). Intersectional environmentalism creates a space for all marginalized groups to be a more inclusive movement. Chapter Two — Environmental Justice: A Wider Lens I think having that context would be really important because the way that it was taught to me was like, ‘there was this environmental movement and it just happened,’ but no kind of nod to the civil rights movement. There was not much exploration into the environmental justice movement either, which didn’t receive a whole lot of attention, and I think that it should.

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Before colonialism, indigenous communities were living in balance with the land, sustaining both themselves and nature for thousands of years without the requirement for harmful extractive processes. As indigenous peoples live closer to the land, they are often the first to recognise the effects of climate change and feel the brunt of impacts the hardest, it can threaten their very existence. Few countries recognise indigenous land rights, with ancestral land often being used without proper consultation for damaging industries such as mining, logging, pipelines, large scale agriculture and more.

One day I hope that when people think of an environmentalist, they'll automatically envision a person who cares very deeply about both people and planet" The Intersectional Environmentalist examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people -- especially those most often unheard. Written by Leah Thomas, a prominent voice in the field and the activist who coined the term "Intersectional Environmentalism," this book is simultaneously a call to action, a guide to instigating change for all, and a pledge to work towards the empowerment of all people and the betterment of the planet. A primer on intersectional environmentalism aimed at educating the next generation of activists on how to create meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable change. Too often, environmentalist proposals and platforms appear willing to sacrifice people — usually the most vulnerable — in exchange for saving the planet. Leah Thomas’ The Intersectional Environmentalist aims to fix this problem, offering philosophical defenses for protecting those affected most by climate change, as well as strategies young activists can use to turn theory into practice."— Bustle.com I would tell world leaders that most of the climate solutions are already there. I don’t like the way solving the climate crisis is being marketed as a way to make money in renewable energy. If you look at the statistics, Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. So, why are we talking about these extravagant solutions when there are incredible people around the world who already have solutions to the problem?

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An essential read, this book gives voice to a movement that will define a generation."— Yale Climate Connections Each chapter ends with discussion questions and an Intersectional Environmentalism pledge, urging readers to think critically about the information presented and how they may use it going forward. I cannot give enough praise to the "pledge breakouts" and "chapter discussion questions" at the end of each chapter. They capture the readership in an active stance of reflexive learning which helps to highlight meaning in all the significant educational concepts. Through the pledges, the author reaches out to the just nature of humanity in her readership and in this way appeals to them to think rationally about how both human inhabitants of the planet need as much healing as the environment because both have been hurt for a very long time. Through the pledge breakouts a significant call to everyone’s commitment is made. The pledge breakouts have been strategically placed at the end of the chapters after the reader has been given all the information and left in no doubt that the logical and just thing to do is unite in advocating for the justice of all humanity and the environment. The interactive end of chapter discussion questions would also be helpful to educators who might choose to use this book as an instructional text for Environmental Justice, Social Justice or even Legal Studies. The insights that we already have the solutions at hand to solve our major environmental and ecological crises and that the most powerful institutions overcomplicate solutions to climate change is correct. Shell Oil, using the company named by Leah Thomas, touts an overly complicated carbon capture and storage (CCS) scheme to reduce atmospheric carbon. It’s highly debatable if CCS is effective but what is not debatable here is the naked profit ambitions by burning their petroleum candle at both ends. Regarding environmental justice, Thomas uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of environmental justice, which is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies” (p. 38).

For some looking for an all-in-one kind of resource, The Intersectional Environmentalist won't feel like enough. With so many intertwined issues being presented at once, it can feel overwhelming. But for people looking for a launchpad to develop their most impactful work, this is it.It should come as no surprise that the richest, whitest countries are the most responsible for the climate crisis and yet suffer the consequences of it the least. It is also the same systems of extraction and exploitation fuelled by capitalism and colonialism that fuel both the climate crisis and oppression and inequality.