An Introduction to Intersectional Environmentalism by Mai Ly Hagan

Middle school is hell wherever you are. Everyone is part of a hive mind, especially in my mountain town in Colorado, completely isolated from urban areas and other trendsetters. What was cool to wear in seventh grade was an Ivory Ella t-shirt, Lululemon leggings, and a Hydroflask. I understand why people make fun of these products (see the vs.co girl meme), but I also understand the appeal: their sustainable mission statements make you feel like a good person. It’s a flex to drop a hundred dollars on a pair of black leggings, even more so in the name of environmentalism. Albeit, not everyone can afford these fads. Does this make them less sustainable? People who are able to afford such ”sustainable” products are the ones taking international flights, driving cars instead of using public transportation, and using an excess of electricity. A report by Oxfam International reveals that the richest 10% of people in the world are responsible for around 50% of global emissions. So what does environmentalism really mean? How has our current view of environmentalism failed us?

The perceived accessibility of sustainability places the blame of pollution onto lower classes. However, sustainability is not the responsibility of the individual (while individual actions do help). Corporations must be held accountable for their contributions to pollution. When 100 companies are responsible for 71% of carbon emissions, the fault no longer lies with the individual. Much like racism, environmentally harmful activities exist in a system that exploits those who are vulnerable. In both systems, poor people of color are subjugated. Thus, in order to be an environmentalist, one must also be feminist, antiracist and anti-capitalist.

The third wave of feminism has seen a rise in global feminism and womanism― two movements which focus on the liberation of international women and women of color. The line between what becomes a feminist issue and what doesn’t has become blurred. In the words of Barbra Smith: “Feminism is the political theory and practice to free all women: women of color, working-class women, poor women, physicallly challenged women, lesbians, old women, as well as white economically privileged heterosexual women. Anything less than this is not feminism, but merely self-aggrandizement.” An issue which affects any woman affects all women, hence why environmental justice is a feminist issue.

Let’s take the clothing industry for example. Take a look at a study by the Australian CARE Organization on Cambodian factories. In an analysis of 1287 workers, under 4% of garment workers held positions as a line leader or office staff. However, women are 85% of the garment industry’s workforce in Cambodia. In what should be an opportunity for economic empowerment, women are demeaned in the workplace, and the lack of administrative positions means women are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals. Their treatment reflects the ideals of those in charge of the factory: profit over human lives. Afterall, there is no way to reach levels of wealth such as Bezos and Zuckerberg without exploiting people. In this case, the most exploitable people are women of color in developing nations. The myth of capitalism perpetuates the illusion that these jobs provide impoverished women opportunities to “break the cycle.” But the unfortunate reality is that we have not seen class change for these women. What we have seen, however, is the growing wealth gap in the United States, and the emergence of the first trillionaire. This system functions to oppress women of color and also leads to pollution and environmental distress. Thus, white supremacy, the patriarchy, and corporate industries often operate together in their exploitation of people and environment.

Yet pollution does not affect all people equally. Chemical exposure has been linked to race, as black people are exposed to 1.5 more particulate matter than white people. This has adverse effects on their health; black children are twice as likely as white children to have asthma. Furthermore, black children are ten times more likely to die of asthma. The segregation of neighborhoods― a result of redlining and racist housing policies― means that waste processing plants and factories are disproportionately placed in areas resided by people of color. Another aspect of white privilege is literally living longer. Black lives matter in all facets of life, especially when living conditions are subjecting black people to lower qualities of life and higher mortality. The exposure of people of color to chemical pollutants reflects links between racial discrimination, socioeconomic discrimination, and corporate greed.

In recent years, this disparity has been addressed by environmental justice movements; a subset of environmental activists who focus on the unequal distribution of environmental waste and its effects on marginalized communities. While people of color are disproportionately affected by environmental waste, they are the founders of the environmental justice movement. The origins of the environmental justice movement can be traced to Warren County, North Carolina in 1978 with the protests against a toxic waste landfill in a majority-black neighborhood. The protests by residents gathered national attention, and soon afterwards activists seeking environmental justice were able to collaborate. The mission was to create systemic change so that no group would disproportionately face the consequences of environmental waste that is largely contributed by corporations.

How can we change environmentalism to reflect the voices who are most affected by pollution? First of all, we must desegregate the environmentalist movement. Acknowledge the BIPoC activists who paved the way for well-known white activists. While indigenous people make up 5% of the world’s population, they protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Indigenous populations are endangered globally, by colonialist and capitalist governments. Protecting the environment means protecting these groups. By extension, protecting communities of color means advocating for sustainable infrastructure and reducing waste.

Secondly, reform the goals set by the environmentalist movement. While individual action is great, it is not accessible especially to those with low incomes. As stated earlier, the best way to reduce carbon emissions and chemical waste is to hold corporations accountable. Instead of shaming those without access to overpriced sustainable products, work to hold those in power accountable.

Of course, holding corporations accountable and living sustainably are not mutually exclusive. If you are in a position of privilege to afford sustainable products, leverage your privilege but practice awareness. Your consumption must be conscious; which means you must research brands before utilizing your buying power. The problem with sustainable brands, in my opinion, is not the products themselves, but the ideology. Usually these brands are owned by white CEO’s hoping to capitalize off of the green movement― in a practice called greenwashing.Which is why I encourage you to look out specifically for BIPoC owned brands, in order to support these communities. A quick Google search can reveal plenty of local and online businesses that are sustainable and BIPoC-owned. Sustainable brands are expensive because they do not exploit people. It is unfair that brands with production standards that should be the norm are inaccessible for low-income people. Acknowledge your privilege in being able to live a sustainable lifestyle. It is time that we move past the conception of environmentalism as inaccessible and begin to hold those responsible accountable. You, as a person reading this post on a digital platform, have a responsibility to abolish not only racism and misogyny― but all systems in which they are enforced. For now, the best way to do this is with your money and power. You may not have the power to overthrow a corporation. But you do have the power to boycott companies, support local black-owned and sustainable businesses, petition your local government, and donate to intersectional causes.

Let us embrace all radical movements: environmentalism, antiracism, feminism, anticapitalism (and more) as one coalition while respecting their unique facets and causes. The only way to reach progress in one movement is to address its interconnectedness with others. Which is why I am an intersectional environmentalist.