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The Environmental Justice Lab
by 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 environme
Episodes
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"Communities must be brought in and bought in" - The 7th Principle of Environmental Justice
“Fair treatment and meaningful involvement.” That’s how the EPA defines environmental justice. Sounds good on paper. But here’s the question that I'm asking in this episode: What does meaningful involvement actually mean when a community is still told what’s coming, not asked? In this seventh...
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"No One Is Coming to Save Us": Drs. Wilson and Ali on the Past, Present, and Future of EJ
What does environmental justice look like when you stop waiting for permission? In this episode, I sit down with two titans of the movement — Dr. Sacoby Wilson (University of Maryland, founder of the Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health) and Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali (Executive...
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A "Rude Awakening" at Hunters Point: Environmental Racism in the heart of Progressive America
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard sits on 638 acres of San Francisco waterfront. It was listed as a Superfund site in 1989. And 37 years later, plutonium has been detected in the air and soil — and still, nothing has been cleaned up. This week on the Environmental Justice Lab, I am joined by...
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The Green Transition Has a Cost: Environmental Justice Crisis in the Congo
What is the true cost of the global transition to clean energy? As the world embraces electric vehicles, renewable energy, batteries, and new technologies, the demand for minerals such as cobalt and other critical resources continues to grow. But behind many of the technologies powering our...
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Data Centers, Environmental Racism, and the Fight for Justice with Env. Scientist Kibri Everett
In this episode, I get to talk with Kibri Everett - environmental scientist, GIS specialist, PhD candidate at UNC-Charlotte, and founder of Key Environmental Consulting - to pull back the curtain on the data center boom sweeping the nation. Kibri has been on the front lines of this issue long...
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From Cages to Community: The Fight for Renewable Rikers
What happens to a place built on punishment when a movement demands it be rebuilt for life? On this episode, Dr. Lesley Joseph sits down with two frontline fighters in the battle to close Rikers Island and transform it into something radically different: a hub of renewable energy and community...
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Not in My Neighborhood, Not Anywhere: Unpacking the 6th Principle of Environmental Justice
Environmental justice isn’t about making sure pollution is evenly distributed. It’s about making sure there is no pollution to distribute. In this episode of the Environmental Justice Lab, I break down the 6th principle of Environmental Justice. The principle demands the cessation of the…
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When Legislators Won’t Listen, Make Them: Introducing the Digital Democracy Project
The EPA has been gutted. Scientists are being sent home. NOAA is being dismantled. And in the middle of all this deregulation, our elected officials keep voting against what we actually want. So what do we do about it? On this episode of the Environmental Justice Lab, I sit down with Sadie...
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SPECIAL EPISODE - Interview on 94.1 KPFA: Dr. Lesley Joseph on War, Ecocide, and the Communities Left Behind
What happens to the earth when we wage war? Dr. Lesley Joseph - environmental engineer, scholar of environmental justice, and author of the forthcoming book War Crimes Against the Earth - joins Sabrina Jacobs, host of The Rude Awakening on 94.1 KPFA, to answer that question with chilling clarity.…
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The Youth Are Already Leading: Meet Green Silicon Valley
What happens when a group of high schoolers turns a $5,000 competition win into a global movement? In this episode, Dr. Joseph sits down with Abhi Tenneti and Ayush Garg — the high school founders of Green Silicon Valley — an organization run entirely by students, for students, bringing free STEM...
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Introducing "The Corridor": A Podcast Series about Cancer Alley with Journalist Jaha Avery
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph sits down with journalist and award-winning author, Jaha Avery, creator of the podcast series The Corridor, to dig into the truth about “Cancer Alley” - an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River where more than 150...
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Self-determination IS the Foundation of Justice - The 5th Principle of EJ
What does it really mean to have power over your own life? In this episode, Dr. Lesley Joseph unpacks the fifth principle of environmental justice: a bold and uncompromising declaration that all people have the fundamental right to self-determination. This isn’t just about the environment. This…
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No More Sacrifice Zones - The 4th Principle of EJ
In this episode, Dr. Joseph breaks down the fourth principle of environmental justice - a principle rooted in resistance, survival, and the fundamental right to live free from toxic harm. It starts with nuclear testing, but it isn’t just about nuclear testing; it’s about who gets sacrificed in…
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The Right to a Sustainble Planet - Exploring the 3rd principle of Environmental Justice
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph breaks down the third principle of Environmental Justice, which demands the ethical, balanced, and responsible use of land and renewable resources in order to sustain life on this planet. Too often, powerful corporations and...
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"You're either at the table, or you're on the menu" - Unpacking the 2nd Principle of EJ
Environmental justice isn’t just about protecting the planet. It’s also about who gets protected and who gets ignored. In this episode, Dr. Lesley Joseph discusses the 2nd principle of environmental justice, which demands that public policy be built on mutual respect and justice for all people,...
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The Earth is Sacred, Not Disposable - The First Principle of Environmental Justice
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...
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"A Declaration, Not a Disclaimer" - The Preamble to the Principles of Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is not just about pollution. It's about freedom. In this episode, Dr. Joseph takes listeners deep into the Preamble to the Principles of Environmental Justice, first articulated at the 1991 First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. But this is not just…
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From the Streets to the World: The Foundations of Environmental Justice
Environmental justice didn’t begin as a theory - it began as a movement. In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph traces the roots of environmental justice, unpacking how race, class, power, and policy collide to determine who gets clean air, safe water, and healthy...
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Fighting for a Level Playing Field: EJ in the South with Chandra Taylor-Sawyer of the SELC
What does it take to confront generations of environmental racism and win? In this episode, Senior Attorney Chandra Taylor-Sawyer of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) pulls back the curtain on what it really means to fight for environmental justice in the U.S. South. From zoning...
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Grounds for Change: Fixing the Coffee Industry with Etelle Higonnet of Coffee Watch
You probably do not know this, but your morning cup of coffee carries a dark story. It's a story riddled with deforestation, child labor, slavery, corporate denial, and environmental injustice. This week, Etelle Higonnet, founder of Coffee Watch, joins the Environmental Justice Lab to expose how...
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Environmental Racism in My Hometown: The Legacy of Rock Hill’s "Trash Pile" with Kibri Everett (pt. 2)
What happens when the leaders in your hometown turn a Black neighborhood into a dumping ground? In part 2 of our conversation, environmental scientist and advocate Kibri Hutchison Everett takes us back to my hometown of Rock Hill, South Carolina, to confront the legacy of the so-called “Trash...
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Science, Struggle, and Solidarity: Fighting for Environmental Justice with Kibri Everett (pt. 1)
What does it mean to fight for environmental justice when the very language of justice is under attack? In this first episode (of a 2-part series), I talk with environmental scientist, small business owner, and consultant Kibri Hutchison Everett about the fight for environmental justice. We trace...
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Don’t Just Go Green...Go Just: The Fight for Environmental Justice with Dr. Bruce Strouble
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Joseph is joined by scholar, strategist, and activist Dr. Bruce Strouble, the founder of Citizens for a Sustainable Future and author of By Any Dreams Necessary - Anti-Racist Strategies for Sustainability, Resilience, and Environmental Justice...
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"Powerless": How Two Scholars Are Rewriting the Energy Narrative
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph sits down with public health expert Dr. Diana Hernández of Columbia University and sociologist Dr. Jennifer Laird of Lehman College to talk about their new book, Powerless: The People's Struggle for Energy. More than 1 in 4 U.S....
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Gajarah by Somia Sadiq: A Story of Resilience and Belonging in the Pursuit of Justice
In this episode, Dr. Lesley Joseph sits down with author, conflict practitioner, and activist Somia Sadiq to discuss her new novel, Gajarah, a story that challenges how we understand land, justice, grief, and the tangled threads of human resilience. Born in Pakistan, raised in Canada, and shaped…
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Pollution, Power, & the Price of Telling the Truth: The Stunning Resignation of Kimberly Terrell of the Tulane Environ. Law Clinic
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, our host, Dr. Lesley Joseph, responds to a deeply troubling development: the resignation of Dr. Kimberly Terrell from the Environmental Law Clinic at Tulane University. A respected environmental scientist, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Terrell…
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Where the Trash Goes - and Who It Hurts: Exploring landfilling in South Carolina, the United States, and beyond
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, I break down the findings from my latest research publication, entitied “Race, Class, Gender, and Waste: A Spatial Analysis of Landfill Siting and Intersectional Inequities in South Carolina.” This article is not simply a data-driven study; it is…
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Unseen Suffering: The Mental Scars of Environmental Injustice
In this episode, we confront a powerful but often overlooked reality: environmental injustice doesn’t just harm our bodies - it harms our minds and breaks our spirits. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, this episode sheds light on the hidden emotional toll of living in neglected, polluted,...
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Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 6 - Reflections and the Road Ahead (The Finale)
In the conclusion to this series, our special guest Savannah Domenech and I take a reflective look back at their deep dive into Rochester’s legacy of environmental injustice. Throughout this series, we explored how Kodak’s rise and fall left deep economic, environmental, and public health scars…
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Black Maternal Health Week 2025 – Listening, Learning, and Fighting for Justice
In this personal episode, we recognize Black Maternal Health Week with a reflection on the systemic failures that Black women face during pregnancy and childbirth. Together, we explore the heartbreaking reality that Black women - regardless of income or education - consistently experience the…
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Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 5 - Economic Impacts of Kodak on the People of Rochester, NY
In this episode, Savannah Domenech is back to dive into the economic effects of Kodak’s rise and fall in Rochester, New York. For decades, Kodak wasn’t just a company - it was the economic backbone of the city, providing tens of thousands of jobs and shaping the entire community. But when the...
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World Water Day 2025 - The Fight for Water Justice
In this episode, we dive deep into the urgent water crises affecting communities worldwide. Although the United Nations’ theme for World Water Day 2025 highlights glacier preservation, we are shifting the conversation to the pressing issue of water access in war zones, underprivileged…
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Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 4 - Health Impacts of Kodak on the People of Rochester, NY
In this episode, we confront one of the most devastating consequences of Kodak’s industrial legacy: its impact on public health. For decades, the communities surrounding Kodak’s operations in Rochester have faced alarming health disparities—rising cancer rates, respiratory illnesses, and other...
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Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 3 - Environmental Impacts of Kodak on the People of Rochester, NY
In this continuation of our series on Legacy Environmental Justice, we shift our focus from Kodak to the people of Rochester - the communities that lived in the shadow of the factory, bore the brunt of its pollution, and are still dealing with its lasting effects today. Savannah unpacks…
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Legacy Environmental Justice, pt. 2 - The Kodak Facility in Rochester, NY
In this episode, we welcome back Savannah Domenech for a deep dive into the rise and fall of Kodak— and the lasting environmental and social impacts on Rochester, New York. Once a corporate giant that defined photography for generations, Kodak was more than just a company — it was the backbone of...
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An Introduction to Legacy Environmental Justice with Savannah Domenech
For many, fighting for environmental justice means pushing polluters to stop poisoning our air and water. It means shutting down non-compliant factories and industrial facilities that refuse to follow the law. However, environmental justice issues can persist long after these facilities shut down...
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Welcome to Season 4 of the Environmental Justice Lab!
Happy New Year and welcome to Season 4 of the Environmental Justice Lab. We have a lot of amazing stories and analysis planned for this season. From thinking through the implications of a new president in the United States for EJ work to examining topics like legacy environmental justice to…
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Engineering Environmental Justice in Palestine - A Conversation with the El-Sayeghs, pt. 1
It's the holiday season, and we are coming to the end of another amazing season of the Environmental Justice Lab Podcast. And to finish the year strong, we have a 2-part conversation with the El-Sayeghs. They are a dynamic father-daughter duo of Palestinian engineers who care deeply about...
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Environmental Apartheid, pt. 3 - Infrastructure Apartheid, explained
We are talking about infrastructure apartheid. Infrastructure can play an important role in social inclusion and economic growth. However, when infrastructure is inadequate, it can lead to social exclusion, poverty, and poor health. The fact that some people in some places have more better, more...
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Environmental Apartheid, pt. 2 - Food Apartheid, explained (pt. 3)
We are (still) talking about food apartheid. While the United Nations has the goal of a world free from hunger by 2030, the reality is that because of these inequitable food systems, we are far from that goal. From conflict to climate change, there is a lot that is keeping us from living in a...
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Environmental Apartheid, pt. 2 - Food Apartheid, explained (cont.)
We are still talking about food apartheid. The fact that some people in some places have more food choices that they need, while others have no good food choices at all. And on this episode, we are focusing on how food apartheid shows itself in the United States. Trust me, it’s not an accident....
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Environmental Apartheid, pt. 2 - Food Apartheid, explained
We are talking about food apartheid. The fact that some people in some places have more food choices that they need, while others have no good food choices at all. And it’s not an accident. Decisions are being made that keep healthy foods in some neighborhoods and keeps them out of other...
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Waste Colonialism, pt. 1 - Plastic and the US (Presented by Co-host Sunny Chen)
Since the early 20th century, plastic has been around and has dominated US consumerism. Unfortunately, it hurts the planet in all phases of its life cycle– from when it’s produced (emitting greenhouse gases), to when it’s used (releasing microplastics), to when it’s discarded (rotting in...
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Environmental Apartheid, pt. 1 - Climate Apartheid, explained
Climate Apartheid. This phrase, coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, describes the ways in which the wealthy and well-connected insulate themselves from the impacts of climate change, while the rest of are left to suffer from them. This two-tiered way of dealing with climate change leaves the...
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What is Environmental Apartheid?
Apartheid. It’s not a word that you can just throw around. When it’s used, it suggests a systematic, deliberate, intentional effort to subjugate and oppress another group with full governmental support. It started in South Africa. It was present in the United States of America. It’s happening now...
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A Conversation about Palestine, pt. 6 - Educate and Advocate
The time is now. It’s time to get off of the sideline. It’s time to educate and advocate. Educate yourself on the issues that plague the Occupied Palestinian Territories, otherwise known as Palestine. Then, after you have educated yourself, it’s time to advocate. Advocate for the Palestinian...
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A Conversation about Palestine, pt. 5 - The "Ecocide" in Palestine
War is raging in Gaza. People are being killed. Homes and schools and hospitals are being destroyed. Famine has ravaged the land. But there is also something else going on. Ecocide. The complete and utter destruction of the environment in Gaza. Water infrastructure has been destroyed. Wastewater...
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A Conversation about Palestine, pt. 4 - Water Justice in Palestine
You need water to live. I need water to live. Everyone needs water to live. However, in Palestine, the necessary amount of water is not flowing to the Palestinians. It's not just a matter of water insecurity. It's water injustice. It's water apartheid. And it needs to stop. So let's talk about...
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A Conversation about Palestine, pt. 3 - Food Justice and Food Sovereignty in Palestine
Food justice and food sovereignty are hallmarks of a free society. The ability to get the food you need, when you need it, is critical for any group of people to flourish. However, this is not the case in Palestine. Long before the current war on Gaza, food justice and food sovereignty were not...
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A Conversation about Palestine, pt. 2 - Peace requires environmental justice
Peace requires environmental justice. That’s it. #ceasefirenow #releasethehostagesnow #freepalestine Resources: Peace will require environmental justice - The Century Foundation Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community: Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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 environme
HOSTED BY
Lesley Joseph
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Environmental Justice Lab have?
The Environmental Justice Lab currently has 113 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Environmental Justice Lab about?
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...
How often does The Environmental Justice Lab release new episodes?
The Environmental Justice Lab publishes regularly with 113 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Environmental Justice Lab?
You can listen to The Environmental Justice Lab on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Environmental Justice Lab?
The Environmental Justice Lab is created and hosted by Lesley Joseph.
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