People over Plastic

Season 4 Trailer - All Eyes On The Gulf

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 Plastic Co-Founder and Host, Shilpi Chhotray, alongside our newest co-host, PoP’s very own staff reporter, Alexis Young.
 
Over the last few months, Alexis has been connecting with environmental activists across the Gulf region and documented their inspiring stories from the frontlines of environmental activism. Our incredible lineup includes 2023 Goldman Prize Winner, Diane Wilson; Co-Founder of The Descendants Project, Dr. Joy Banner; Josette Cruz, a passionate member of the Brownsville, Texas community; Roishetta Sibley Ozane, mother of six and founder of the Vessel Project, and Shamyra Lavigne, the daughter of globally-celebrated environmental justice leader, Sharon Lavigne, Founder of Rise St. James. 
 
Stay tuned for enlightening discussions, powerful narratives, and a deeper exploration of the challenges and solutions facing our planet. Now available on all major podcast apps. 
 
Episode 1 drops on October 11th, be sure to follow and subscribe. For more information about People over Plastic visit: www.peopleoverplastic.co and follow on Instagram and TikTok.

S3E5 - The Prologue (with Arctic National Wildlife Refuge protector and Gwich’in Tribal Member, Bernadette Demientieff, Fort Yukon, Alaska)

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 across northeast Alaska in the US to the northern Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. The Arctic is their home. The coastal plain of the ANWR has been a location of intense controversy between environmentalists, Native tribes, and the oil and gas industry. The coastal plain is also the birthing and nursing grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd - the very heart of the Gwich’in people. The caribou provide food and nourishment for the Gwich’in who are deeply connected to them on a spiritual level.
If oil drilling goes forward in ANWR, the birthrate of the caribou could decrease by 40% - it would be a cultural genocide for Bernadette’s tribe.
In 1988, the Gwich’in Steering Committee was formed in response to threats of oil development in ANWR’s coastal plain. Time and time again, Bernadette has testified in front of US Congress, the United Nations, and public hearings. She has met with banks and insurance companies funding oil infrastructure, framing the drilling and desecration of sacred lands as a Human Rights issue. As the issue of oil extraction gains urgency in the US and around the world, more pressure is put on the oil-rich region of the Arctic.
Key Themes explored:
How does ANWR benefit or suffer from its designation as public lands?
What tensions lie between extractive industries and those who call the Arctic their home?
What are the intersections between climate justice and racial justice in the Gwich’ins’ fight to protect their sacred lands?
How does Indigenous spirituality inherently connect Native people to their land?
How do Indigenous communities leverage the Rights of Nature to stop extractive practices?
Resources:
Take action now with the Gwich’in Nation.
Learn more about the Gwich’in Nation and Bernadette in this article in Mongabay: “Our identity is non-negotiable” and film by Patagonia: The Refuge | Fighting for a Way of Life
Prism articles covering Rights of Nature: Indigenous activists look to Rights of Nature laws to stop fracking and ‘Rights of Nature’ laws can strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and provide a pathway to environmental justice, written by Ray Levy Uyeda
Facts on oil consumption in the United States: Energy Information Administration
Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S3E4 - Not my Mainland (with anti-GMO activist specializing in traditional Hawaiian farming, Josh Mori, Kauaʻi Hawaiʻi)

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 field trials. Kauaʻi in particular has been ground zero for GMO companies like Monsanto and BASF – serial violators of federal environmental laws. In recent years, local Hawaiians have been leading efforts based on old values and land practices to keep the islands healthy and the local population fed.
The controversies over the safety of growing and eating transgenic food are top of mind for Josh. His lived experience as an indigenous farmer resisting the agribusiness industry is a testament to his ancestral roots - shaped by a deep connection to the land, sea, and soil.
In this interview, he shares why teaching the next generation of local farmers how to cultivate the land to benefit West Kauaʻi goes beyond training and education – it’s personal.
This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our co-founder and host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter, Ray Levy Uyeda, examine how local Hawaiians are taking back food security and culture from American colonization, and the ongoing threats of climate change, militarism, and tourism.
Key Themes explored:
What does the growing food justice movement look like in West Kauaʻi?
What are the intersectional links between the agribusiness industry and Big Plastic?
How do the historical impacts of colonization and militarism affect local Hawaiian culture and food systems?
Why is tourism is a major threat to the cultural and political environment?
Tune in to the latest episode, Not my Mainland, to find out. This episode was generously sponsored by the Food and Farm Communications Fund.
Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.
Resources:
Prism article: Restoring Hawaiian fishponds revitalizes food systems and cultures, written by Ray Levy Uyeda
Learn about Josh’s organization IWIKUA and how to get involved.
Read more about Josh’s story in an interview for Feeding Hawai’i : Portraits of Resistance
As discussed, 27% of Native Hawaiians report food insecurity and that number is likely higher. Check out Food Insecurity in Hawaiʻi: A Data Brief for more information.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S3E3 - The First Responder (with community advocate making advancements in criminal justice, David Heppard, Seattle, Washington)

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. Last year, the Freedom Project shifted its priorities to meet the community's immediate needs in the face of a devastating heat wave, with temperatures reaching a record of 115°F in June of 2021.
A recent study in Nature found that in nearly every major city in the U.S., people of color are exposed to more extreme urban heat than white people. Seattle’s neighborhoods nestled in abundant green space found reprieve from the intense heat. However, the communities of color closest to highways and industrial zones faced disproportionate health impacts and significant barriers to mental health care.
David's particular experiences, as a first responder in his community, is a powerful example of community investment and transformation. The Freedom Projects' counseling services and ability to provide water, fans, and space were instrumental in offering both mental and physical support during times of intense heat.
This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our co-founder and host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter, Ray Levy Uyeda, explore the historical significance of how neighborhoods have been shaped and built, to better understand the disparities that exist when it comes to extreme heat.
Key Themes explored:
What is the urban heat island effect and what does it have to do with systemic racism?
What is the link between redlining and environmental injustice?
Why do low-income BIPOC communities have more barriers to mental health care?
Why does the non-profit industrial complex incentivize top-down approaches to environmental and social issues?
Tune in to the latest episode, The First Responder, to find out.
Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.
Resources:
Prism article: Extreme heat increases the need for BIPOC mental health care written by Ray Levy Uyeda
Support FreedomProjectWA.org and consider donating directly to their cause
Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island intensity across major US cities in Nature
Read more about David's story in the Seattle Met
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S3E2 - The Hot Seat (with environmental justice advocate on ”Cop City,” Jacqueline Echols, Atlanta, Georgia)

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 the South River Watershed Alliance, an organization working to protect the river and adjacent forest ecosystem. Her more than two decades of work to improve water quality in Atlanta’s waterways and protect the city’s tree canopy earned her the 2017 Environmental Hero Award.
The forest in Southeast Atlanta is home to wetlands that filter rainwater, prevent flooding, and help the city stay resilient in the face of climate change. As Jacqueline impassionately shares, the proposed $90 million dollar training facility dubbed “Cop City” has sparked outrage from community members, where local officials are offering a red carpet layout under the pretext of preventing crime. The closest neighborhood to the forest is 77 percent Black and still reeling from ongoing protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Its residents will feel the immediate impacts of police presence and the loss of park space for generations to come.
This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our co-founder and host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter, Ray Levy Uyeda, investigate the symbiotic relationship between a rich ecosystem and the well-being of its community, and how “Cop City” threatens these safe spaces.
Key themes explored:
How does Cop City impact health issues, both physical and mental, with which the majority- Black community is already disproportionately affected?
Who is backing Cop City?
What does organizing against Cop City look like- including demonstrations, environmental analysis, and research aimed at city officials?
What is the link between environmental justice and racial justice?
Tune in to the latest episode, The Hot Seat, to find out.
Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.
RESOURCES:
Prism article: ‘Atlanta community members warn of environmental damage from ‘Cop City’ written by Ray Levy Uyeda
Take action at SouthRiverGa.org to demand environmental justice along the river and consider making a donation.
Jacqueline’s story in CNN: Atlanta wants to build a massive police training facility in a forest. Neighbors are fighting to stop it
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S3E1 - Secret Sauce (with community organizers defeating Big Plastic, Miss Sharon & Shamyra Lavigne, St. James Parish, Louisiana)

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 against Formosa Plastic. A year later, we are joined by her daughter Shamyra to have an intergenerational conversation about their Secret Sauce in staying resilient and grounded in the face of hurricane season, Big Plastic, and the industrial polluters of “Cancer Alley”. Shamyra, who has a background in mental health, shares the ways that youth remain engaged and proactive in their community and her vision for St. James.
Since our recording, a Louisiana court judge denied the necessary air permits for a massive petrochemicals complex to be built in St. James due to the relentless organizing by environmental justice organizers on the ground, with Miss Sharon at the helm.
This season, we’re honored to join forces with Prism - a nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color to go deep into the stories behind environmental racism. Our host Shilpi Chhotray and Prism’s climate justice reporter Ray Levy Uyeda investigate what it’s really like on the ground and how federal agencies ironically defend the industries that exploit them.
 
Key themes explored:
Who is protecting the people of Saint James and who is protecting the industry that threatens to pollute it?
How did we get here and why are petrochemical industries interested in communities like St. James Parish, Louisiana?
What is the future of environmental justice organizing?
Tune in to the latest episode, Secret Sauce, to find out. Visit People over Plastic’s website to learn more about us and continue the conversation by sharing this episode on Instagram and Twitter.
 
RESOURCES:
Prism article: “Supreme Court guts EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions” written by Ray Levy Uyeda.
Learn more about Sharon Lavigne, 2021’s Goldman Environmental Prize Winner.
Support Miss Sharon’s work by visiting the Rise St James website and donating to her organization directly.
People over Plastic’s Season 1 episode featuring Sharon Lavigne
“Louisiana judge cancels air permits for plastics plant” in Reuters
 
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

Season 3 Trailer - People over Plastic with Prism

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 – and the incredible community leaders driving transformational social change.
The series will source answers to critical questions including; What are the decades-old redlining policies, failed lawsuits, and behind-closed-door corporate deals behind these stories? Who are the politicians and associations involved in the creation and endurance of sacrifice zones? In short, how did we get here?
Episode 1 drops on October 13th, be sure to follow and subscribe.
Resources:
For more information about People over Plastic visit: www.peopleoverplastic.co and follow on Instagram and Twitter.
For more information about Prism visit: www.prismreports.org and follow on Instagram and Twitter.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our BIPOC-produced storytelling and sustains our future. Support PoP from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S2E5 - Not a Coincidence [Community Organizer Shashawnda Campbell reveals the fight of her life on toxic incinerators in South Baltimore]

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-income communities of color - and that fact is not a coincidence. Tune in to hear Shashawnda break down why incinerators and other pollution-heavy industrial operations don’t belong in anyone’s neighborhood, regardless of race and income.
Don’t forget to subscribe/follow People Over Plastic on all major podcast apps and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @peoplexplastic, happy listening!
Resources:
You can learn more about Shashawnda’s fight in The Guardian, Union of Concerned Scientists blog, and Grist.
Check out South Baltimore Community Land Trust to support Shashwanda’s work in Curtis Bay.
To get a deeper understanding of efforts to end waste incineration around the globe, check out the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. For more information on “chemical recycling” and plastics-to-fuel technology, view the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers' overview of burning plastics as false solutions.
Keep the conversation going by sharing this episode on Social Media and following us on Instagram and Twitter.
And that’s a wrap for season 2 of People Over Plastic’s podcast series!
Over 1000 listeners and still counting have placed their trust in People over Plastic’s fearless coverage since we launched in October 2021. Unlike other podcasts, we have no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion for changing the narrative--to tell a true story, produced by BIPOC storytellers that will build power against corporations and governments invested in plastic production. But projects like ours are often under-resourced and underestimated by many institutional funders. That’s why we depend on supporters like YOU. However big or small, every contribution powers our BIPOC storytelling and sustains our future. Support People over Plastic from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW

S2E4 - Ropa Americana (Circular economy expert Marcela Godoy shares the hard truth behind the underbelly of fast fashion)

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-based circular economy expert Marcela Godoy shares the hard truth behind the underbelly of fast fashion and how plastic clothing is destroying the driest desert in the world.
Resources:
You can learn more about what’s happening in Atacama on Al Jazeera, BBC News, and EcoWatch. To follow Marcela’s work, check out ADC Circular and StgSlow.
The apparel industry is the second-largest polluter in the world (second only to oil) and contributes 10% of global carbon emissions. For a deeper understanding of the fast fashion industry, plastic pollution, and its impact on the planet, visit Changing Markets Foundation Fossil Fashion Series and Eureka Recycling’s Best Practices for Textile Collection.
As Marcela mentioned on the show, an organization called Desierto Vestido (Desert Dress) conducted an assessment of the brands found in Atacama - including H&M, Old Navy, and Adidas. You can watch the action on Instagram.
Over 1,000 listeners and still counting have placed their trust in People over Plastic’s fearless coverage since we launched in October 2021. Unlike other podcasts, we have no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion for changing the narrative--to tell a true story, produced by BIPOC storytellers that will build power against corporations and governments invested in plastic production. But projects like ours are often under-resourced and underestimated by many institutional funders. That’s why we depend on supporters like YOU. However big or small, every contribution powers our BIPOC storytelling and sustains our future. Support People over Plastic from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you. DONATE NOW.

S2E3 - Out of Sight, Out of Mind [Community Advocate Ken Houston gets personal about the rise of illegal dumping in Oakland, California]

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 for impacted communities, and in the process, provide jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Tune in to hear Ken’s story which takes us into the heart of Oakland and opens our eyes to the harms of illegal dumping on low-income communities of color and the unhoused.
Don’t forget to subscribe/follow People Over Plastic on all major podcast apps and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, @peoplexplastic.
Show notes:
To learn more about Ken’s work, check out the Beautification Council. Ken’s fight against illegal dumping has been featured on ABC 7, CBS News, and KTVU.
Race and income are the greatest determinants as to whether you will live near plastic production and waste disposal facilities. These facilities are almost always near low-income households, unhoused populations, and black, Latino, and indigenous neighborhoods. The truth is, there is no safe place to produce toxic plastics or dispose of our waste. This is why community recycling advocates are working to eliminate the production of unnecessary and toxic plastics and hold producers responsible to recover their products for recycling. More resources: The politics of Illegal Dumping: An Environmental Justice Framework and Toxic Waste and Race in 21st Century America.
Over 1000 listeners have placed their trust in People over Plastic’s fearless coverage since we launched in October 2021. Unlike other podcasts, we have no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion for changing the narrative--to tell a true story, produced by BIPOC storytellers that will build power against corporations and governments invested in plastic production. But projects like ours are often under-resourced and underestimated by many institutional funders. That's why we depend on supporters like YOU. However big or small, every contribution powers our BIPOC storytelling and sustains our future. Support People over Plastic from as little as $1 - it only takes a minute. DONATE NOW