“Really early on, I started seeing in my studies that environmental legislation is not enforced equally for all people, especially along racial and economic lines. That’s something that always stuck with me for a really long time, just not understanding why there wasn’t more representation of all the incredible black folks and our contributions to sustainability. “
– Leah Thomas
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Meet Leah Thomas
Leah Thomas is a celebrated environmentalist based in Santa Barbara, CA. Coining the term ‘eco-communicator’ to describe her style of environmental activism, Leah uses her passion for writing and creativity to explore and advocate for the critical yet often overlooked relationship between social justice and environmentalism. With this intersection in mind, Leah founded and launched Intersectional Environmentalist in 2020, a resource hub and platform that aims to advocate for environmental justice, provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote inclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements.
Leah, who is also the founder of eco-lifestyle blog @greengirlleah, uses her multiple years of eco-focused educational and work experience to inform her ever-expanding list of projects, as well as her audience of more than 350k followers. A graduate of Chapman University with a B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy and a cluster in Comparative World Religions, Leah has interned twice with the National Park Service and has worked at leading green companies, including eco-friendly soap company Ecos and most recently, Patagonia. A fundamental optimist and opportunity-maker, Leah used her time after being furloughed during the pandemic to create Intersectional Environmentalist. Leah’s writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire and Highsnobiety, and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Domino, GOOP, and numerous podcasts.
In This Episode
In this episode of the Get Loved Up podcast, Koya talks to celebrated environmentalist Leah Thomas. Leah talks about Intersectional Environmentalism and how we can’t separate social justice from true environmentalism. While a little goes a long way when it comes to protecting the planet, Leah also recognizes that unsustainable practices also stem from social realities that need to be changed. Our planet’s struggles are also our own and to solve environmental issues would also require solving the problems that hound human species alone.
“Do a little audit. Reward yourself with the things that you are doing. Compassionately guide yourself to do better in the areas that you’re not.” – Leah Thomas
Get Loved Up with Leah Thomas
I hope you find an incredible amount of hope, inspiration and value, as I did, in what Leah Thomas shares with us in this episode. If so, please tag @greengirlleah, and I, @koyawebb, on Instagram with a screenshot of the episode and your favorite takeaways. Hearing about what you’ve learned from us, and what your favorite moments were, inspires us to continue making a positive impact in this world.
Until next time, love yourself, love others, and love the world. One day at a time, one breath at a time.
- 04:34 Leah’s political awakening
- 07:42 What ‘intersectional’ means
- 23:27 Top 5 questions to dive into to become a better person
- 26:08 Support conscious capitalism as much as you can
- 30:30 Living the nomad life in LA
- 40:22 How to get started in becoming an environmentalist
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Order Leah’s book The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet
- Check Out Leah’s Website
- Order Koya’s book Let Your Fears Make You Fierce
- Learn more about Koya’s Yoga Teacher Training Programs
- Join the Get Loved Up Membership
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