LISTEN: Ufuoma Ovienmhada on toxic prisons

“I really align with the broader movement of organizers, community members and researchers who want to see our government invest in public infrastructure and resources that address core drivers of crime.”

Ufuoma Ovienmhada joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss environmental injustice at prisons across the U.S.


Ovienmhada, a current fellow and a postdoctoral fellow in the school of geography, development, and environment at the University of Arizona, also talks about what prison ecology means, why extreme heat is so much worse and potentially deadly at prisons, and efforts to relieve environmental burdens for people who are incarcerated.

The Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast is a biweekly podcast featuring the stories and big ideas from past and present fellows, as well as others in the field. You can see all of the past episodes here.

Listen below to our discussion with Ovienmhada and subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Spotify.

Transcript 

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The New Mexico state capitol building in Santa Fe

Clear Horizons Act, setting emissions goals, heads to New Mexico Senate floor

The Clear Horizons Act would enshrine the climate goals enacted by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order to lower New Mexico’s greenhouse gas emissions to a 2005 target level.

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Black carbon spewing from ships is a major climate threat in the Arctic

A coalition of nations and environmental groups is lobbying the International Maritime Organization to create regulations around black carbon, or soot, that spews from ships and blankets parts of glaciers and snow.
A view of ice-covered water with icicles forming on a nearby cliff
Credit: Hans/Unsplash

What over a century of ice data can tell us about the Great Lakes' future

Using old records, scientists created a new dataset on ice cover since 1897. It's already being used to study a declining fish species.
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Fracking boom put oil field in Texas river’s floodplain

Lack of a state floodplain policy enabled oil companies to build in parts of Texas hit by an epic inundation less than 30 years ago.
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Framing climate action as “doing more good” instead of “doing less bad” makes people more willing to act and feel better about it, a study finds.
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Energy Star program survives Trump administration's budget cuts

Energy Star, the program that helps guide consumers to more energy-efficient appliances and electronics, has survived President Donald Trump’s attempt to kill it.
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One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

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"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

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“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

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New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

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