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This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all This season, without planning it, maps a clear throughline from plantations to pollution, while spotlighting living in a new technological and political age. Tune in to hear the hosts discuss the overarching narrative of the season, their favorite episodes and topics, and what they hope for the future of the podcast and our planet. A heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible guests who shared their stories, insights, and expertise throughout this season. We’re also deeply grateful to our listeners for tuning in, engaging with these conversations, and supporting the podcast every step of the way. We can’t wait to bring you Season 7 next year with even more inspiring conversations. Until then, thank you for listening! The post S6E8: Season Finale: Changing Times and Southern Throughline appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all In this episode, we’re joined by Jaha Nailah Avery, host and reporter of The Corridor, a Threshold series about “history, pollution, and resistance on the front lines of America’s petrochemical industry” (thresholdpodcast.org/the-corridor). Jaha recounts her experiences with The Corridor, from developing the pitch, to hearing the personal stories, to recording the seven episode series. “Each season, Threshold takes listeners on a journey into the heart of a complex environmental story—about a species, a place, an idea, a controversy, or a question—that they think deserves attention. It’s a show as much about relationships as it is about the environment. And relationships are complicated. Threshold steps into that complexity, revealing the challenges and possibilities in our relationship with the planet” (thresholdpodcast.org/about). Jaha Nailah Avery is a writer and author whose work has appeared in Essence, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest, and Vanity Fair. Dedicated to preserving and celebrating Black stories and history, she is the author of Those Who Saw The Sun, a collection of interviews with Jim Crow survivors, and I Heard, an illustrated poem spanning more than 400 years of Black history. The post S6E7: Southern Journalism with Threshold’s Jaha Nailah Avery appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Climate disasters are accelerating, but so are solutions. In this episode, we talk with Cat Hebson (Footprint Project) and Moira Haynes (Empowered by Light) about how climate-resilient tech is helping communities respond to extreme weather and failing infrastructure across the U.S. and the global south. Join us as we hear from these amazing women about action already happening on the ground. Catherine Hebson is the Program Manager, Appalachia of Footprint Project. She, and the Footprint Project, sees every disaster as an opportunity to build back cleaner and greener. Cat is originally from Maine, and has been based in Asheville, NC for the last five years, and is passionate about supporting her region build back more resiliently from Helene. She has a varied background in mechanical engineering, working with Climate Scientists in a remote solar-powered camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and community organizing.  Footprint Project aims to “help build back greener after climate disasters by mobilizing cleaner energy for communities in crisis. [Their] vision is to decarbonize disaster response and empower community resilience in the face of increasing extreme weather events. [They] work across the disaster management cycle to expand frontline access to climate technologies and reduce fossil fuel use in the field.” Moira Hanes is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Empowered by Light. Moira has over 10 years experience supporting philanthropic initiatives to increase energy access, displace diesel and build resiliency in vulnerable communities and regions. Moira has over 20 years of combined experience serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations. Prior to Empowered by Light, Moira worked more than a decade in corporate communications and government and community relations roles for a Fortune 500 company. Empowered by Light is on a mission to transform life through renewable energy systems. They are harnessing solar energy to power opportunity, protect ecosystems, and build resilience where it’s needed most. By partnering with local communities, their projects displace fossil fuels, strengthen essential services, and support people who safeguard some of the world’s most fragile environments. The post S6E6: Climate Resilience Tech with With Cat Hebson and Moira Hanes appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all AI data centers are popping up all over the South, extracting resources from communities and increasing power bills. In this episode, we sit down with the leaders of the new Minus AI campaign, Lindsay Harper and Reverend Michael Malcom of our own People’s Justice Council and Power for Southern People Not Southern Company, to unpack what this surge in AI infrastructure means for Southern communities. From corporate accountability to energy justice, we’re breaking down who benefits, who pays, and how communities are organizing to push back.   The post S6E5: Reducing AI Impact: Minus AI with Reverend Michael Malcom and Lindsay Harper appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all In this episode, we talk with Chandra Taylor-Sawyer, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center about Environmental Justice communities in the South, their ties to former plantation lands, and how strategic legal action can empower communities facing environmental harm. Southern Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan legal team working across five Southern states to protect people and the environment. In addition to her position as Senior Attorney in which she specializing in water quality and environmental justice issues, Chandra Taylor-Sawyer also serves as leader of the Environmental Justice Initiative at SELC. A native of Kinston in eastern North Carolina, Taylor-Sawyer earned her undergraduate and law degree from the University of North Carolina, and she was a fellow with the Vermont Law School Environmental Justice Exchange Program between the U.S. and China. She has led work in North Carolina to force cleanups at contaminated industrial sites, stop water pollution threatening North Carolina communities, and shaped transit and landfill policies. The post S6E4: From Plantations to People-Powered Resistance: Environmental Justice with Chandra Taylor-Sawyer appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Southerners experience some of the highest rates of energy burden in the country, meaning we spend the highest percentage of income on energy costs. Proper policy can reduce the costs of energy, implement efficiency measures, and discourage political corruption from monopoly energy companies. We’re here with one of the folks working on energy policy in Alabama, where he’ll outline the unique realities of the state’s energy regulatory landscape, potential for diversified energy, and what it means to work on creating change at the legislative level. John Dodd serves as Policy Manager for Energy Alabama. He previously served as a member of the operations team for the House Democratic Caucus under the leadership of Democratic Caucus Chairman, Rep. Hakeem Jefferies and Southwest Field Director for Stacey Abrams, and positions within the administrations of Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham and Mayor Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa. John graduated from the University of Alabama in 2022 with degrees in Political Science and Public Relations and attained his master’s in public administration in May 2024. The post S6E3: Southern Energy Politics with John Dodd appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Louisiana is a classic example of fascinating culture and ecosystems at risk due to petrochemical pollution, climate change impacts, and land loss. Unfortunately, many people in the South, US, and world as a whole are having to grapple with the question of whether to move away or adapt to the dangerous environment in the communities they’ve called home for generations. In this episode, we bring in community organizer Jack Green with the RISE St. James organization, who fights for the health, dignity, and survival of Louisiana communities. Discussing everything (from Louisiana’s spongy soil, to infrastructure, to climate refugees), this is an episode that will hopefully bring some hope and remind people to have faith when fighting fascism. The post S6E2: Surviving Land Loss and Climate Change with Jack Green appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Welcome to Season 6 of Climate Justice Y’all, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and EJ movement in the south. In this season, we’ll cover hot topics such as “surviving land loss and finding joy”, “climate adaptation tech”, “corporate sustainability”, and more! In our first episode, we’ll be excitedly introducing our fresh additional co-hosts for the podcast, Madison Naves with GASP and Yuri Owens with SCEN. Get to know them as they tell their stories before we dive deep into climate solutions in the South. Madison Naves serves as Storyteller at GASP. Learn more about GASP here! Maréshah Malcom serves as Program Manager at People’s Justice Council. Learn more about the People’s Justice Council here! Yuri Owens serves as Programs Coordinator alongside colleague Abigail Franks who serves as Membership and Policy Manager at SCEN. Learn more about the Southeast Climate and Energy Network here! The post S6E1: Allow Us to (Re) Introduce Ourselves- Welcome to Season 6 with Madison and Yuri appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

There is no specific way to organize people to shape policy, though there are many lessons we can gather from indigenous organizing and leadership. Today we’re joined by a powerhouse in the environmental justice and indigenous rights movement- Jacob Johns. His activism involves policy, art, storytelling, and community advocacy – using creative methods to advocate for resistance and resilience. Jacob is a grassroots organizer committed to building Indigenous power on a global scale, traveling around the world to elevate Indigenous voices and movements. His leadership has been central at major international climate summits, including COP28—where he led the Indigenous Wisdom Keepers delegation—and COP29. Blending activism with artistry, Jacob uses creative expression as a powerful tool to illuminate both the struggles and resilience of Indigenous communities. "Indigenous- most people would say we are activists but it's’ our moral obligation to protect the earth. Born to protect the earth. If we don't do it, it won’t be done." - Jacob Johns

Indigenous advocates have been at the frontlines of environmental protection and climate action for hundreds of years in the face of colonization and continue to face violence today. Despite indigenous people comprising just over 6% of the global population, they steward and protect a vast majority of the planet’s biodiversity and critical water sources. Whether it’s the way we extract resources, the way we teach history, or the way we treat each others- we need to think about how to center indigenous knowledge in a post-colonized society. In this episode we outline what it means to support indigenous knowledge, organizing, and leadership in the climate fight through a candid discussion with Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, a cyber-security and intelligence analyst turned water protector and co-founder of 7 Directions of Service. “When you ask people to care about the environment, you’re asking them to extend care for people other than yourself and family. It’s your cousin, it's your neighbor. It’s future generations.” - Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck

The US is not necessarily in good standing on the international stage, and many young people feel that domestic and global climate policy do not represent their interests. There’s a need for leaders to take courageous action to address these challenges. A frequently asked question by politicians and leaders is “how can youth get involved in the climate and environmental justice movement”. In this episode we bring Youth Climate Policy Council founders Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos and Ren Martin to discuss centering youth in policy advocacy, not just in the US South, but globally.  “When we say the “youth is our future”, we are not only in the future but we are in the present. We deserve decision making power now."

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all The Global South (AKA the global majority or folks typically south of the equator) and the US South have more in common than people think. Today, we’ll examine how extraction, suffering, and the powerful elite have shaped our warming planet, and dig into what grassroot advocates are pushing for to secure a fair and livable future—from demands for “loss and damages” to global climate equity campaigns like ShiftUS. We’ll also reflect on what it means to keep fighting for climate justice under a new administration hostile to climate action. Hear Alex Easdale, Executive Director of the Southeast Climate and Energy Network, Reverend Michael Malcolm, Executive Director of the People’s Justice Council, Susannah Tuttle, Director of Eco-Justice Connection with the North Carolina Council of Churches, and Natalie Lucas with the US Climate Action Network as they discuss some of these pressing challenges and what folks are doing to combat them. The post S5E6: Southern Solidarity Across Borders (Part I) with Alex Easdale, Michael Malcolm, Susannah Tuttle, & Natalie Lucas appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

In a world impacted by climate change and uncontrolled growth and extraction, actions and careers that deal with moving money, building businesses, and expanding nonprofits, at first glance, feels counterintuitive to acting on climate change. However, there are many people, especially those representing marginalized groups, whose entrepreneurship is dedicated to building up communities and stewarding quote, “an ecosystem of opportunity”. In this episode, we hear from Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, President and CEO of the Environmental Grantmakers Association as she talks about what it means to be an environmental entrepreneur in today's climate. “Lets build things that outlast us, and communities are the best invention we’ve got" - Tamara Toles O'Laughlin

When we talk about climate change, a lot of people picture melting ice caps, heat waves, or rising sea levels. But one major piece of the puzzle often gets overlooked—our health. The same pollution that’s driving climate change is also impacting our bodies in ways we might not even realize. From lung disease to learning disabilities, from asthma attacks to mental health. In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Anne Mellinger Birdsong, Health Advisor with Mothers & Others for Clean Air, about how pollution is affecting public health, why the South is particularly vulnerable, and what we can do to protect ourselves and push for change. “The same greenhouse gases that impact the climate include dirty air and pollution. Air pollution affects people of all ages, and causes health effects such as learning disabilities, lung/asthma problems… and even mental health problems.” - Dr. Anne Mellinger Birdsong

In a climate changed world, we must address that challenges that AI data centers bring and support local organizations like Tennessee’s Protect Our Aquifer that are fighting for our communities. In this episode, we hear from Protect Our Aquifer's Executive Director, Sarah Houston, about some of the challenges they're facing related to AI data centers. NPR states that the average AI data center consumes 300,000 gallons of water a day, and there aren’t clear regulations to stop mega companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, or Elon Musk’s xAI from draining our water resources.  “Working in coalitions and in community means that we get to see everybody’s strengths, and this [AI fight] is the perfect opportunity to show the skills off” - Sarah Houston