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The Environmental Justice LabSince the dawn of human history, the fight for environmental justice has always been a fight. Water wars between the people of Israel and herdsmen of Gerar in the book of Genesis, Chapter 26. The resistance of Native Americans to the pillaging of... Author: Lesley Joseph
Since the dawn of human history, the fight for environmental justice has always been a fight. Water wars between the people of Israel and herdsmen of Gerar in the book of Genesis, Chapter 26. The resistance of Native Americans to the pillaging of their land and resources at the founding of the United States of America. The refusal to allow a hazardous landfill to be built in the Warren County, a predominantly Black community in North Carolina, giving birth to the modern-day environmental justice movement. The struggle for clean water in places like Flint, MI and Newark, NJ and Jackson, MS. The struggle is real and the fight is on-going. And I'm here for it. My name is Dr. Lesley Joseph, a professor, an environmental engineer, and a fighter for environmental justice in our present day. Every other Tuesday, on this podcast, I explore issues related to environmental justice and the ways in which communities of color are impacted. Each episode will discuss a important environmental justice issue or situation and what we can do to fight for change. Let's learn, grow, and fight for a better world together!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Earth is Sacred, Not Disposable - The First Principle of Environmental Justice
Episode 3
Tuesday, 17 February, 2026
In this episode, Dr. Joseph unpacks the first principle of environmental justice, which affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, the ecological unity of all life, and the right of humans and non-humans alike to be free from ecological destruction. This episode challenges the dominant idea that the environment exists solely for extraction and profit. Instead, Dr. Joseph reframes environmental justice as a moral obligation—one rooted in interdependence, stewardship, and responsibility.Drawing on his Christian faith tradition, his lived experience, and environmental justice movement principles, he confronts the dangerous belief that progress must come at the cost of pollution, extinction, and sacrifice zones. Listeners are invited to rethink what development, innovation, and prosperity should look like in a world where we know better and therefore must do better.This episode calls out wasteful, destructive systems and insists that protecting the Earth is not optional, symbolic, or secondary. It is foundational. This is where environmental justice starts: with the recognition that the planet has value beyond profit, that destruction is not inevitable, and that a livable future depends on how fiercely we choose to protect what sustains us all.Resources: Principles of Environmental JusticeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support.Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/supportConnect with our Environmental Justice Lab community: Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com
