Leah Thomas

How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet

The Intersectional Environmentalist

Karolina

Racism is killing the planet. Coloniality leads to an ideology that casts most humans as disposable. If humans can be disposable, is it such a leap to assume the natural world is disposable also?

But philanthropy is colonial and reinforces racist and patriarchal power structures, charity is self-congratulatory, and aid comes with impossible conditions and is often coercive. We should instead be focusing on solidarity, coalition, justice, empathy, and reparations.

Social injustice and environmental injustice are fueled by the same flame: the undervaluing, commodification, and exploitation of all forms of life and natural resources, from the smallest blade of grass to those living in poverty and oppressed people worldwide.

A good educational and informational book on intersectional environmentalism. An interesting topic that is actually quite common in todays political and societal discussions, the ideology had lacked a term in these discussions and through this book helped me learn a lot. 

Madeleine

I think I’d have enjoyed this book more if it was my introduction to the subject of intersectionality and environment. It’s an okay written primer, but it does mostly focus on the US and it was fairly repetitive on main points. Very surface-level.

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

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