People over Plastic

🗳️VOTE FOR A PEOPLE’S CLIMATE HERE 🗳️ https://wbby.co/57463N Be sure to confirm your vote via email for it to count. A People’s Climate is a top 5 Webby nominee (out of 13K+ entries) in the Sustainability & Environment category. And it’s an extremely tight race for the People’s Voice Award — which is decided entirely by public vote.  We’re currently in 2nd place by just 1% point, so every vote...

Announcing “A People’s Climate” - a NEW climate podcast by Counterstream Media and The Nation. Hosted by Shilpi Chhotray.    This isn’t climate talk as usual. This is environmental justice.    Over nine powerful episodes, we bring together activists, organizers, and movement leaders who are fighting on the frontlines. Every conversation reveals not only why the fight matters, but how communities a...

Our Season Finale comes to you live from NYC Climate Week. It was an unforgettable afternoon honoring and elevating the power of expression, unity, and civil disobedience in the Environmental Justice movement. This episode features powerful stories from activists and organizers who have taken bold stands against environmental injustices that threaten their communities and our shared future.    Gue...

One of the most fundamental freedoms in American democracy is the freedom of expression and assembly. In other words: our right to protest. This freedom ensures everyone can speak out and mobilize without fear of censorship or retaliation. It allows everyday people to challenge disinformation, hold those in power accountable, and rally together for changes that protect both people and the planet....

Protections are essential for ensuring laws and policies safeguard both people and the environment. And under the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, equal protections means fair treatment under the law for everyone—regardless of race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. But historically, Black,  Indigenous, and other communities of color have faced the brunt of environmental, health, and clim...

Participation plays a critical role in building a thriving democracy. But participation goes far beyond voting—it’s a powerful tool for reclaiming rights, restoring land, and ensuring justice for communities that have long been left out of decision-making. Which is why we’re looking at participation through an Indigenous perspective. Indigenous knowledge systems can inform and inspire broader move...

Welcome back to a very special season of the People over Plastic Podcast “Democracy and Dissent” where we’re exploring the intersection of Environmental Justice & Democracy. The urgency surrounding democracy is at an all-time high. But this is about more than politics, who wins the presidency, or maintaining the status quo. It’s about ensuring democracy delivers on its promise—for everyone, no...

In our season finale, we shine a spotlight on the vital leadership of Black women in the realm of environmental justice. Often, after environmental catastrophes wreak havoc on frontline communities, well-funded environmental organizations descend like Trojan horses, offering solutions that often lack community input. In some cases, these organizations and their so-called 'relief' efforts...

On today’s show, we delve into the profound role that faith plays for Black and Indigenous environmental organizers in their relentless pursuit of both climate justice and racial justice. Drawing inspiration from Matthew 17:20-21, which reminds us that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains, we explore how they've harnessed their faith to drive change.   Joining us are remar...

Welcome to a special live episode of "All Eyes on the Gulf." Join us as we sit down with Dr. Denae King and Michael McKenzie , champions in the fight for climate justice. With Dr. King's expertise in environmental toxicology and McKenzie's educational and extensive research background, they take us on a personal journey from their early work to their current community-based env...

In today's episode, we'll explore the growing challenge faced by climate skeptics and those profiting from the fossil fuel industry. It's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the undeniable impacts of oil and gas giants, the plastics industry, and the issue of environmental racism. In this context, we see the rise of false solutions that claim to protect our environment, but of...

In the world of business, decisions can range from risky to downright shady. The line between the two blurs, especially in industries like oil, gas, petrochemicals, and plastic production. Land acquisition and permits for pollution resulting from the gruesome history of racial segregation and government-sponsored redlining often raise ethical questions. In this episode of 'All Eyes On The Gul...

People over Plastic is thrilled to introduce our new series, 'All Eyes On The Gulf,' spotlighting voices of change and the pressing issues surrounding the US Gulf South - a major hub for plastic production and the fossil fuel industry.   In season four of The People over Plastic podcast, we celebrate our evolution into a multimedia platform and reflect on our journey with People over Pla...

In our season finale, we bring your attention to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), known to the Gwich’in Indian Nation as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.” Hear the personal story of Bernadette Demientieff, a Gwich’in Steering Committee leader fighting to protect her Nation’s traditional lifeways. The Gwich’in Indian Nation lives in 15 small villages scattered ac...

In this episode, we dive deep into the history of and activism for traditional Hawaiian farming with Josh Mori. Josh is the founder of Iwikua, an educational and cultural resource for sustainable food production, wellness, and community enhancement for West Kauaʻi. Hawaii’s reliance on food imports began in the 1960s and has been further exacerbated by the locus for genetically modified (GMO) crop...

When it comes to the climate crisis, there is a stark divide between who is most affected due to the structural inequalities caused by the legacy of institutional racism. In “The First Responder”, we chat with David Heppard, the Executive Director of the Freedom Project Washington - a Seattle-based organization that works to dismantle the system of mass incarceration and heal its traumatic effects...

In episode 2: the Hot Seat, we hear from Jacqueline Echols about what’s happening in Atlanta where the South River Forest - one of the four “city lungs” - is under attack. Advocates and residents are rallying against a massive police training facility set for development on nearly 85 acres of beloved green space. Dr. Echols is an environmental justice advocate for 25 years and board president of t...

In our season three opener, Secret Sauce, we’re heading to St. James Parish, Louisiana, to chat with Sharon Lavigne and her daughter, Shamyra. Sharon is the Founder and President of the faith-based advocacy group Rise St. James and a 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize winner. Last fall, we caught up with Miss Sharon one week after Hurricane Ida blew the roof off her home as she was deep in the fight...

Go deep into the personal stories of communities across the United States most impacted by climate change, plastic pollution, and society’s most pressing injustices. Together with our host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter Ray Levy Uyeda, we’ll learn much more about the industrial polluters and politicians that are turning cities and towns across the US into sacrifice zones – an...

All air is not created equal - and nothing exemplifies this more than South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay neighborhood. When Shashawnda Campbell was just 15 years old, she co-founded “Free Your Voice,” a student-led group that worked for 5 years to shut down the largest incinerator proposal in US history set to be built less than a mile away from their school. 80% of incinerators are located in low-incom...

In this week's episode, ‘Ropa Americana’, we’re tackling fast fashion on the move. Chile’s Atacama desert has become a fashion graveyard for the world’s unwanted clothes. Every year, nearly 59,000 tons of clothing arrive in Chile’s Iquique port from Europe, Asia, and the United States. Some of it is redistributed and sold throughout Chile, but the vast majority remains in Atacama. Santiago-ba...

Piling up. Illegal dumping is skyrocketing in urban areas across the U.S. inflicting grave economic and environmental injustices on the cities' most vulnerable populations. In this episode, you’ll meet Ken Houston, a passionate third-generation resident of Oakland, California with 30 years of experience in the construction industry. Ken’s lifelong commitment is to restore the quality of life...

When you think about your country’s top exports, do you think of garbage? In “How the did it get HERE?”, get to know the touching personal story of a Filipino customs official who has dedicated his 30-year career to ensure foreign trash is not illegally smuggled into his country. John Simon went from being an everyday customs collector to capturing the attention of international headlines for stop...

We’re back with Season 2 of our podcast series! First up, our host Shilpi Chhotray meets with Pierre Simmons, An NYC-based musician and canner - who shares his personal story about becoming a canner and how it’s possible to make a living from the empty glass, plastic bottles, and cans lying on the street. Pierre goes deep into his journey and expertise as a canner to understand how this essential...

Welcome back to Season 2 of People Over Plastic. We invite you on a journey to hear how waste moves throughout our world, across oceans and continents, through organized crime and black markets. Join our host, Shilpi Chhotray, as she meets with courageous individuals around the globe to learn what’s really happening when it comes to the business of waste. People Over Plastic presents "Waste M...