In a recent interview, Hop Hopkins, the newly appointed executive director of WildEarth Guardians, discusses his holistic approach to environmental conservation, emphasizing the interconnectedness of racial justice and environmental sustainability.
Hop Hopkins emphasizes the need for an intersectional approach in conservation, rejecting the separation of human and wild environments.
He points out that environmental degradation and racial injustice are fueled by the same systems of extraction and disposability.
Hopkins advocates for community-engaged strategies to transition workers from extractive industries to sustainable livelihoods without harm.
Key quote:
"You can't have climate change without sacrifice zones, and you can't have sacrifice zones without disposable people, and you can't have disposable people without racism."
— Hop Hopkins, executive director of WildEarth Guardians
More than 40 Indigenous communities in Canada have launched guardian programs, which employ local members to monitor ecosystems and protect sensitive areas and species.
