We Can Be podcast - The Heinz Endowments
Society & Culture
Groundwater poisoned from fracking, toxic coal sludge, and industrial pollution can sicken those who live near the source, and ruin land for generations to come. Often those most acutely affected are also those with the least resources to fight for environmental justice.
So, Emily Collins did something about it, founding Fair Shake, the nation’s first nonprofit law firm devoted to providing environmental legal services regardless of the client’s ability to pay.
Hear about Emily's journey from the woods of her family’s Ohio homestead to the courtroom where she and the Fair Shake team work with individuals, community groups, nonprofit organizations and farmers to give them a fighting chance in their environmental battles.
And those battles have increasingly higher stakes, too. “I used to work on cases about impacts to one waterway,” Emily says. “Now, I find myself writing sentences like ‘the project will disturb 246 acres, resulting in impacts to 14 wetlands, one pond and 67 streams.’”
Emily shares the very first environmental “citation” she gave – she was in elementary school – and explains why she and her Fair Shake team have run and cycled thousands of miles on the land of those for whom they advocate.
“The environmental fights many are facing are not just David versus Goliath, but more like David versus two Goliaths,” Emily says.
Hear how Emily is helping even those astronomical odds in this episode of “We Can Be.”
“We Can Be” is hosted by Heinz Endowments President Grant Oliphant, and produced by the Endowments and Treehouse Media. Theme music by Josh Slifkin, with incidental music by Giuseppe Capolupo. Guest image by Josh Franzos. Audio clips at marks 23:51 and 25:29 feature the voice of environmentalist and “Silent Spring” author Rachel Carson. For guest consideration, contact Scott Roller at sroller@heinz.org.
Artist & cultural agitator D.S. Kinsel protests w/art & leads w/heart (SE0309)
The radical imagination of PolicyLink founder Angela Glover Blackwell is building a more equitable world (S03EP08)
The fight against climate racism w/ NAACP Environmental Justice program dir. Jacqueline Patterson (S03EP07)
Election safety & equity in algorithms w/ cybersecurity expert David Hickton (S03EP06)
Justice, poetry, race & activism in education w/ Dr. Valerie Kinloch (WeCanBeS03EP05)
Why tackling climate change is absolutely doable w/ Jonathan Foley, Ex. Dir. Project Drawdown (S0EP04)
How Indigenous wisdom can help heal inequities w/ Decolonizing Wealth author Edgar Villanueva (S03EP3)
Columnist Tony Norman & the "revolution in attitudes" fueling social change (S03EP02)
Artist Mikael Owunna reveals inherent beauty, power & dignity of Black & LGBTQ+ bodies (S03EP01)
Truth in science advocate Dr. Todd Woylnn on a COVID-19 vaccine & what it unveils about our society (Stronger than This series EP8)
Emmai Alaquiva on using art to expose truths in historically trying times (Stronger than This series EP7)
What COVID-19 reveals about food insecurity w/ 412 Food Rescue’s Leah Lizarondo (Stronger than This series #6)
Air quality & COVID-19 w/ Clean Air Task Force’s John Graham (Stronger than This series EP5)
Kids & COVID-19 w/ Patrick Dowd, Exec. Dir. Allies for Children (Stronger than This series EP4)
Redirecting anger into action w/ Monica Ruiz, ED of Latino advocacy entity Casa San Jose (Stronger than This series EP3)
The moral lessons of COVID-19 w/ Dr. Andre Perry, Brookings Institution scholar & Know Your Price author. (Stronger than This series EP2)
Art in times of crisis w/ 1Hood Media Co-Founder/CEO Jasiri X (Stronger than This series EP1)
Civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson: “Protest is speaking the truth out loud.” S02EP20
Andre Perry’s genius blend of information & inspiration is helping individuals realize their value & worth. S02EP19
Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp: "Nature is a refuge from all the '-isms'" S02EP18
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL