Rising Tides

In this episode, I sit down with Professor Shalanda Baker, Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action at the University of Michigan, and one of the nation’s most influential voices in energy justice. Under the Biden-Harris administration, Professor Baker served as the Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she where she architected groundbreaking federal efforts to embed justice and equity into national energy policy. Guided b...

In this episode, I speak with Christopher Chavez, Deputy Policy Director at the Coalition for Clean Air, about his journey from growing up in Long Beach to becoming a leading advocate for air justice in California. Drawing from personal experience in one of the state’s most polluted regions, Chavez shares what inspired him to enter public service and how his work today connects policy to the real-life impacts of air pollution. We talk about why low-income communities and communities of color...

In this episode, I'm joined by Chanell Fletcher, Deputy Executive Officer of Equity, Communities & Environmental Justice at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Ms. Fletcher leads statewide efforts to ensure that all communities, especially those historically marginalized, have access to clean air and protection from climate harm. We talk about how policies like redlining and zoning have created unequal air quality outcomes across California, and what it means to take an equity-fir...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Benjamin Pauli, Associate Professor at Kettering University and longtime environmental justice advocate, to unpack the Flint water crisis: what caused it, who was responsible, and how the people of Flint fought back. Dr. Pauli shares his insights as a researcher, activist, and Flint resident, tracing how unelected emergency managers made top-down decisions and how those decisions led to widespread water contamination and a breakdown in public trust. He als...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Kimberly Jones about water justice in our communities. Dr. Jones dives deep into the pressing issue of water insecurity, exploring where our water comes from, who controls it, and the social, economic, and environmental factors that impact access to safe drinking water. From the ongoing challenges of contamination and pollution to the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities, Dr. Jones provides a comprehensive look at the current state of wat...

In this episode, Professor Clifford Villa explains what toxic waste is, how its disposal disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, and how the Superfund program aims to address these inequities. Professor Villa served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management, where he led policy initiatives across a range of programs and supported the Biden Administration's goals on environmental justice and climate change. He has held faculty positions...

In our first episode, Professor Running-Grass introduces the concept of environmental justice, reviews its origins and principles, and talks about the future direction of this movement. Professor Running-Grass is an educator and a long-time social justice and environmental activist. His expertise spans several fields including multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and environmental education. He led the creation of Three Circles Center for Multicultural Environmental Education and is n...

Welcome to my podcast! In the following episodes, I'll speak with experts in the field of environmental justice striving for a fair and sustainable world. From the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities to innovative solutions and policy changes, this podcast sheds light on the struggles and triumphs in the quest for environmental justice. I hope you find these episodes informative and inspiring.