The Environmental Justice Lab

Lesley Joseph
  • 4.7 (15)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 4d ago

    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. A Rude Awakening is an award-winning climate crisis and environmental justice radio show based in Berkeley, CA, and on this episode, Dr. Joseph breaks down how modern warfare has become a deliberate assault on the environments people depend on to live. From Iran’s oil infrastructure bombed into acid rain, to Gaza’s destroyed water systems poisoning the Mediterranean, to the forever chemicals leaking from military bases worldwide, he traces the arc of destruction that doesn’t stop at borders. Drawing on his New Lines magazine piece, “The Toxic Blowback of Israel’s Bombs,” he shows how perchlorates, asbestos, untreated sewage, and carbon emissions from war travel far beyond conflict zones, affecting everyone on the planet. But this isn’t just a scientific accounting. Dr. Joseph centers the communities on the frontlines of this violence - those already vulnerable, already marginalized - and asks a question that cuts through the noise: If we’re serious about climate justice, why aren’t we talking about the military industrial complex? This is an important conversation for anyone who believes that peace and environmental justice are inseparable. References:  Listen to A Rude Awakening on 94.1 KPFA "The Toxic Blowback of Israel's Bombs" - New Lines Magazine Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    18 min

  2. May 26

    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 and environmental education to elementary and middle school classrooms around the world. We talk about how these young leaders scaled from a single middle school in Santa Clara to over 500 volunteers across seven countries — from Tunisia to Pakistan, China to Nigeria. They share the powerful story of their partnership with an organization in Lagos, Nigeria, where environmental education is being woven into a broader fight against poverty and violence — teaching not just STEM, but real skills to help young people build a future outside of military conscription and gang violence. We get into the nitty-gritty of running a youth-led organization: the fundraising struggles, the cold-emailing strategy that landed them international partnerships, the hands-on kits that turn saltwater into electricity, and their vision for a world where peer-to-peer climate education is embedded in every school system. This episode is a testament to what happens when we trust young people to lead, teach, and organize. The climate movement needs more than seasoned experts — it needs youth power, and Green Silicon Valley is showing us exactly what that looks like. What we talk about: 🌍 Youth-led climate & STEM education 📚 Peer-to-peer teaching models 🌱 Building an international organization from scratch 🌏 Environmental justice in Nigeria & the Global South 🔬 Hands-on STEM kits for environmental learning 💪 The power of intergenerational climate action Visit greensiliconvalley.com or email info@greensiliconvalley.com to volunteer, partner, or bring their programming to your school — anywhere in the world. Volunteer sign-up: https://forms.gle/RuVJVtHcMP6aw2cZ9 Teacher sign-up: https://forms.gle/aB2iHFNVpdK8c8gK9 Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    40 min

  3. May 4

    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 petrochemical plants operate in the shadow of Black communities . But this story is about more than pollution. It’s about history. Jaha traces how the region’s past - from slavery and plantation economies to segregation and industrial expansion - laid the foundation for what is now one of the most toxic corridors in the United States. The same land that once extracted labor from enslaved people is now extracting health, safety, and life from their descendants. Together, they unpack the human cost of petrochemical production: elevated cancer risks, environmental neglect, and a regulatory system that too often fails the communities it is meant to protect. But they also center what mainstream narratives often ignore: resistance. From grassroots organizers to community advocates, residents of Cancer Alley are fighting back against corporate power, demanding accountability, and reclaiming their right to a healthy, thriving future. This episode is a reckoning with the past and a call to action for the present. Because environmental justice isn’t just about pollution.  It’s about power, history, and the right to live. Resources:  "The Corridor - Trailer "We're Dying Here": Report on Cancer Alley - Human Right Watch  Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    1 hr

  4. Apr 21

    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 is about power. From who controls political systems to who decides what industries enter a community, this episode exposes a critical truth - Without self-determination, there is no justice. Dr. Joseph breaks down the four dimensions of self-determination:Political – the right to choose who governs youEconomic – the right to shape the systems that define your livelihoodCultural – the right to exist, express, and preserve identity without erasureEnvironmental – the right to decide what happens in your own communityFrom zoning decisions that place polluting industries in marginalized neighborhoods to what Dr. Robert Bullard calls “economic blackmail,” this episode connects the dots between environmental harm and systemic control. And it goes further by challenging colonialism, corporate overreach, and even well-intentioned aid systems that strip communities of their autonomy. Because environmental justice isn’t just about cleaning up pollution after the fact. It’s about ensuring that communities have the power to say yes - or no - from the very beginning.  This episode is a call to reclaim that power.  Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    23 min

  5. Apr 7

    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 the name of progress. From the radioactive legacy of U.S. nuclear testing in Indigenous communities to today’s extractive industries, fossil fuel pollution, and the rapid expansion of data centers, this episode exposes a hard truth: environmental harm is not distributed equally. It is targeted. Dr. Joseph traces the historical context behind this principle, showing how marginalized communities were treated as expendable in the development of nuclear weapons, and why activists in 1991 demanded universal protection from these dangers. But this conversation doesn’t stay in the past. This episode challenges us to apply Principle #4 to everything: Energy productionMining and extractionWar and militarizationBig Tech infrastructureBecause at its core, this principle declares something radical and non-negotiable: Clean air, water, land, and food are not privileges; they are fundamental human rights. If an industry cannot operate without harming people or the planet, then the question isn’t how to regulate it - it’s whether it should exist at all. This is about accountability. This is about refusing to accept sacrifice zones anywhere on Earth. Ask yourself: Who is being protected, and who is being exposed? Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    21 min

  6. Mar 24

    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 political leaders treat land, water, and air as commodities to be exploited. Communities are left out of decisions while industries extract resources, drain groundwater, pollute neighborhoods, and sacrifice ecosystems in the name of economic growth and conquest. And when the damage is done, it’s the most vulnerable communities that are forced to live with the consequences. This episode challenges that model of development. Dr. Joseph explores why the third principle of environmental justice requires transparency, accountability, and community participation in decisions about land and resources. He also explains why the future must move away from destructive extraction and toward renewable energy, responsible stewardship, and sustainable development that benefits everyone, not just those with power. Because environmental justice demands more than protecting the environment. It demands a sustainable planet where both people and nature can thrive. Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    20 min

  7. Mar 10

    "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, free from discrimination or bias. That sounds simple, but the reality is far more complicated. Too often, environmental laws are written in ways that leave out the communities that are most affected. Too often, regulations are enforced strictly in wealthy, white neighborhoods, while marginalized, minority communities are left to breathe polluted air and drink contaminated water. And even when good laws exist, they can be quietly undermined when enforcement agencies are defunded or dismantled. This episode talks about how environmental policy works, and how it sometimes fails the very people it’s supposed to protect. Dr. Joseph explains why true environmental justice requires more than good intentions. It requires equitable policymaking, meaningful community participation, and the political will to enforce the laws that protect people and the planet. Because environmental justice demands more than promises. It demands fair laws, fair enforcement, and a seat at the table for everyone. Resources:  The Principles of Environmental Justice Barriers and opportunities to incorporating environmental justice in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    22 min

  8. Feb 17

    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 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 Justice Become 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/support Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:  Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com

    15 min
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4.7
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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 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.

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