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 

Ilulissat, Greenland - coastal village with icebergs floating in bay

Arctic scientists 'feel pretty uncomfortable' on Greenland

Science in the Arctic — and Greenland — is on the frontline of pressing challenges facing humanity, like climate change and genetics. Some researchers worry international collaboration is at risk.
Donald Trump speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.
Credit: Gage Skidmore/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/8566717881/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Trump’s biggest climate rollback stalls over fears it will lose in court

Trump officials have delayed finalizing the repeal of the agency’s “endangerment finding” over concerns the proposal is too weak to withstand a court challenge.
Solar panels juxtaposed against transmission lines and wind turbines
Credit: kckate16/ BigStock Photo ID: 478351339

Trump’s attacks on renewables could boomerang, hit oil and gas

The president’s assaults on wind and solar projects could become a playbook for disrupting fossil fuel plans in the future.
An illustration of a row of solar panels and wind turbines

The one big beautiful prediction: The energy transition is still alive

Trump has attacked renewable power from every angle, but energy justice scholar Sanya Carley envisions an affordable green future.
Oil pumps against a sunset sky background
Credit: bashta/ BigStock Photo ID: 7936000

New lawsuit claims ‘catastrophic impacts’ from Permian Basin injection wells

A Permian Basin landowner alleges in a lawsuit that saltwater injection wells contributed to well blow-outs that caused extensive pollution on his property.

Oil pump jacks silhouetted against a blue sky

Oklahoma state senator seeks to rein in oil companies’ groundwater pollution

An investigation found over 150 incidents where oilfield wastewater had gushed from the earth, releasing toxic chemicals — including some that cause cancer — near homes and farms and into drinking water sources.

A view at dusk of highways leading into an urban downtown with skyscapers

Houston plans to hit UN climate targets despite Paris Agreement exit

Houston has its own Climate Action Plan to meet Paris Agreement targets, set in motion when Trump announced his first withdrawal from the UN treaty in 2017.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

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

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

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

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

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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