In response to the global climate crisis, the environmental movement has arisen, with thousands of people around the world advocating sustainable management of resources to prevent further depletion of the environment. Environmentalists aim to inform, raise awareness, and galvanise individuals, communities, businesses and governments into action, by highlighting the importance of working collaboratively to have a greater impact.
The aim of this article is to give a brief introduction to a very recent, yet very important, developing version of environmentalism. I hope that learning about intersectional environmentalism can open up a new perspective for you, and perhaps this can be a movement you’ll want to become a part of.
Like in most social and political movements, there are systems of oppression within the environmental movement. In recent years, with our deeper understanding of the impacts of the climate crisis, it has become more evident that marginalised and oppressed communities are disproportionately affected by it. Hence, a new version of the environmental movement has been developed: intersectional environmentalism.
Leah Thomas, the writer and founder of “Intersectional Environmentalist”, was first inspired to explore the intersectionality between social justice and sustainability by the rise of intersectional feminism. Intersectionality is a concept developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw which refers to the overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage between social categorisations such as race, socio-economic class and gender.
Intersectional environmentalism “identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalised communities and the earth are interconnected” (Thomas, 2020) . This inclusive version of environmentalism fights for the protection of the planet and considers tackling social inequality an essential component of achieving it; intersectional environmentalism argues that people and the planet are inextricably linked.
When thinking about environmental issues such as climate change, global warming, pollution and deforestation, it’s essential to keep in mind that they’re not just about the environment. As their negative impact on the planet poses consequences for human populations, numerous mitigation strategies have been put in place to tackle them. However, many marginalised communities who don’t have access to certain resources aren’t benefited by these projects, although they often are the ones most strongly affected by the environmental crisis. It’s evident that “environmentalism alone doesn’t always consider how certain environmentally-favourable movements can exclude people who don’t have the same privileges” (Back to zero, 2020).
A clear example of this can be the impact that climate change has on crop production. In less economically developed countries (LEDCs), higher and more extreme temperatures can cause crop fields to become infertile and stop growing , whereas in more economically developed countries (MEDCs), land that was infertile becomes suitable for crop production with the increase in temperature. This is purely because of the geographic location of countries: LEDCs are generally located near the equator and tropics (where temperatures are higher), and MEDCs are mainly located in the northern hemisphere. Agriculture is slowly shifting towards the poles, , which is beneficial to MEDCs, but detrimental to LEDCs.
Countries with smaller economies may not be able to invest in mitigation and conservation strategies, even though they sometimes are the ones who need them the most. The link between economic factors and the environmental crisis is evident in this scenario, and this is what intersectional environmentalism is all about. You cannot solve one without addressing the other, as they’re interconnected.
Ultimately, we’re all- to different extents- affected by and responsible for the depletion of the environment. It’s crucial that we look at these problems from a different point of view, acknowledging that social, economic, political and environmental systems are interdependent. If we truly want to change (and save) the world, it’s time we adopted new perspectives and values.
Words By: Almudean Lopez de Cardenas
Edited By: Nina Bitkowska