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
Amid fears of worsening air quality in New Mexico’s oil and gas regions, an environmental group called on the State of New Mexico to enforce regulations targeting emissions from extraction.
