M A R C H 2 0 2 1 GREENMAIL

A Monthly Newsletter by Franklin & Marshall College's Center for the Sustainable Environment

Courtesy: Indybay.org Interior Secretary Debra Haaland, First Native American Cabinet WOMEN'S Official HISTORY by Max Sano The confirmation of Interior Secretary Debra Haaland MONTH speaks to one of Biden’s campaign promises, that his cabinet will be “the most diverse” in U.S. history. (Al- Jazeera 2020) More significantly, there is a “feeling of Interior Secretary Debra promise” among Indigenous individuals about the Haaland- 1 importance of Secretary Haaland as a 35th generation Indigenous Women’s New Mexican from Pueblo of Laguna and one of the first Native Americans (alongside Representative Sharice Excellence in Protecting the Davids of Kansas in 2018) appointed to not only the U.S. Environment - 4 Congress, but will also be the first Native American All Men Create Trash- 5 woman to hold a position of White House Cabinet Vandana Shiva: The Intersection secretary. (Korte 2021) of and the Environment- 6 Greta Thunberg- 7

Haaland has been a bipartisan, yet progressive, voice in Congress in support of a variety of bills that would improve environmental quality, human health and address systemic injustices that her predecessors and colleagues may not consider as significant or even 1 related to green causes.

Under her leadership dozens of bills is an existential threat to introduced and passed in the House. For front line communities such as the Pueblo example, she served as the Vice Chair of the people, Haaland’s ancestral tribe, as well as House Natural Resources and Chair of the hundreds of other tribal nations around the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands country. She sponsored the “Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature”, a House bill that subcommittee since joining the body in 2018. urges the federal government, by 2030, to (du Houx 2021) establish legal protections for 30 percent of U.S. lands and 30 percent of ocean areas. Dr. Gregory Cajete, a Tewa professor from (Chase and O’Shea 2020) Moreover, she Santa Clara Pueblo, emphasizes that language played an instrumental role in the passage of and land play a key role in the construction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which Native American identity. The Laguna Pueblo offers 1.5 billion each year to state people are unlike most tribes in the United governments and tribes for the purpose of States; they have maintained ownership of regenerating at-risk and endangered wildlife roughly half a million acres of ancestral land in species. New Mexico, allowing them to preserve their spirituality, livelihoods and culture. (Korte On another note, she led the charge on the 2021) Haaland herself has had an interesting THRIVE Agenda which establishes principles relationship between her tribe and the U.S. for a society that enables “dignified work”; government, her Native American mom and improved racial, economic, gender, and Norwegian-American dad serving in the U.S. ; community health; Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, respectively. This and a steady climate. (du Houx 2021) meant a mobile lifestyle in her childhood, attending nearly thirteen public schools before settling down in her mother’s family’s home in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. (Oregon Herald 2021)

To that end, Valerie Siow is a Laguna Pueblo Native and school teacher that feels strongly about the importance for her people to represent their language, given that she enrolls her nine-year-old son in learning their dialect, Laguna Keres. “That’s who you are,” Siow told her son. Siow underscores the importance of Haaland’s confirmation considering the longstanding relationship between the federal government and First Nations based on broken treaties, land-grabbing and forced resettlement. (Korte 2021) courtesy: EarthJustice

What do her stances on the environment, energy, resources and land mean for the next four years at the Interior Department?

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Not only is Debra Haaland’s environmental record defined by robust policy development and proactive legislative proposals, but she has the support of various environmental organizations. For example, the League of Conservation Voters graded her 100% on the 2020 Score and 98% Lifetime Score “report cards'' for consistently voting for environmental legislation with the exception of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act of 2019. Some of LCV’s criticisms of this bill point to weak enforcement mechanisms, limited ability to crack down on illegal trade in flora and fauna, and insufficient means to track “non-point source” of pollution into the water and air. (League of Conservation Voters 2021)

Whether you agree with her policies or not, Secretary Haaland’s commitment to public service shows in her farewell address to the 117th Congress in early March upon her resignation as a U.S. House Representative:

"As the 35th generation New Mexican, and not unlike the other families with roots in our state, I have a deep connection to the land, air and water that sustains our communities… I thought I would have more time here, but we are called to service in different ways. Though I am excited to become the first Native American Cabinet Secretary in history, I am also sad to leave this chamber." (Haaland 2021)

Then Representative Debra Haaland in Congress, Courtesy: Associated Press

3 Indigenous Women’s Excellence in Protecting In contrast to underrepresentation, women, the Environment girls, trans and intersex people have been unproportionally subjected to the impact By Will Thoman of environmental damage. Through both physical environmental destruction and the network of oppression and violence "Clean water to drink, clean air to breathe and clean soil to intersecting it, these groups are particularly grow our food,” says Kandi Mossett. “Those three main natural at risk. Below this article is a list of further resources are things that, no matter who we are, no matter reading and organizations dedicated to how rich we are, how old or young, what our culture, what our helping communities of women take back color – we can't live without those." Mossett is the energy and their homes and their futures. climate campaign director for the Indigenous Environmental Network.. For indigenous communities across the world, the As we continue to protect our environment, trees, mountains, and water that make up their environment we see figures like Mama Aleta challenging are essential to their way of life. At the same time, these us to think differently and to resist remote environments in which people live are also full of destructive forces. Alongside other leaders natural resources that have value to capitalists. To protect their like Kandi Moss, these indigenous women homes from those seeking to exploit them, many hard-working leaders have become champions for and driven indigenous women have begun to fight for the environmental justice through an approach environment with an approach based in tradition. Let us take a meant to benefit humanity. Kandi Moss put look at two case studies among thousands instances of it best, here speaking on her approach to Indigenous women protecting their homes. environmental protest: "Using...traditional knowledge and learning traditional knowledge from the women that have Seeking marble and gold, over the years, 15 different mining come here,” says Mossett, “that's been super companies in West Timor, Indonesia have threatened the powerful to, I think, make us all feel indigenous Mollo community with the destruction of their local empowered to continue the work we do. flora, fauna, and groundwater. In 1996, one of these companies And we really do it to protect the babies, began to build two marble mines, but were stopped by the the next generation." efforts of Aleta Baun. Leading 150 women, “Mama” Aleta organized a community blockade of one of the mine’s entrances, preventing further construction. Further reading on Indigenous women enacting change in their environments: Since long before 1996, indigenous women have been fighting against the environmental destruction of both their local communities and the planet. These women-led and organized resistance movements have found great success in combating MADRE: Indigenous Women for Climate threats to the environment like Mama Aleta in West Timor. This Justice success continues in spite of the fact that women continue to Mission: What We Do | MADRE be “grossly underrepresented in decision-making roles at international and environmental organizations” (Diverse Green). Mama Cash This underrepresentation further highlights the great struggles Environmental justice is a feminist issue that local leaders like Mama Aleta face in spreading their – MamaCash message and organizing. Tea with Mama Cash: Why climate change is sexist

“Indigenous Women and Environmental Violence” EGM12_carmen_waghiyi.pdf (un.org) This is an incredible UN Report for further reading on how to address and solve the issues of environmental violence against indigenous women.

Kandi Mossett. image Courtesy of Indigenous Rising 4 Our default thought that being sustainable is All Men Create Trash more female oriented is often perpetuated by corporations and the media. Most eco-friendly By Becca products are purposefully advertised towards women. Greener alternatives to health and beauty products, clothing, and domestic items are all explicitly targeted towards women, which reduces the likelihood of a man purchasing one of these items. Generally, women tend to be the main consumer base of these items, especially for domestic items. Women tend to be responsible for the majority of household tasks, such as laundry, cleaning, and recycling. Since these chores fall under a women’s obligation, with women completing From Feminism India 60% more unpaid work than men, the effort to As I became more environmentally conscious and wanted purchase sustainable items is generally to improve my personal environmental footprint, most of considered a “wifely duty” (Hunt, 2020). The the support I received was from other women. My mom thought of women being the caregiver has willingly made the transition to use reusable grocery bags extended to the point where women are and napkins, clean her recyclables, and drive a fuel responsible for care of the planet. efficient car, whereas my dad questioned the importance and feasibility of these changes. When I first became a vegetarian, my dad refused to try non- alternatives and dubbed himself a “meat and potatoes guy,” which invokes an image of a masculine man that can’t be bothered with seemingly dainty or feminine characteristics (Scripture, 2021).

My dad’s response to making environmentally friendly lifestyle changes is not an isolated event. Studies show that women tend to be more eco-friendly than their male counterparts. This has been quantified by researching the amount that both men and women recycle, litter, and the overall size of one’s carbon footprint (Brough and Wilkie, 2017). Moreover, according to reports, both men and women believe that there is a link between eco-friendly behavior and perceptions of femininity (Gregory Hitzhusen, 2019). When asked to describe characteristics of an individual that carried reusable grocery bags, both men and women interpreted the person as more feminine, regardless of the individual’s gender (Brough and Wilkie, 2017). In addition to having less Courtesy of BK The Artist environmentally conscious lifestyles, some men possess While partaking in a sustainable lifestyle is considered an aversion to being sustainable because of the fear of more effeminate, exploring the great outdoors is being considered feminine. something that is widely viewed as masculine. Young boys tend to be socialized to be rugged adventurers In one study, a group of men were given a pink gift card and the great outdoors is theirs to explore and with a floral design, while another group were presented conquer, whereas young girls are taught to be family with a standard looking gift card. Men with the more oriented and submissive. These socialized behaviors are noticed in the differences between Boy Scouts and feminine gift card were likely to purchase a less eco- Girl Scouts programming. In the Boy Scouts, activities friendly product than men with the more standard gift are centered around survival skills and individual tasks, card. This demonstrated that when one’s masculinity may while Girl Scouts focus on connections between the be “threatened”, such as a situation where someone has other members and arts and crafts (Brait, 2015). to purchase items with a more feminine gift card, men Furthermore, these gender norms are witnessed in were likely to attempt to “re-establish their manhood” by outdoor advertisements that show men partaking in buying a less green option (Brough and Wilkie, 2017). extremely physically demanding activities and being in Furthermore, this is an implicit signal to other men that a leadership role. Many of the advertisements that they do not possess more feminine characteristics, thus included women displayed them as engaging in the individual’s image of masculinity is retained. outdoor activities with their family, or in the opposite vein, utilizing time outside as an escape from motherhood (Warren, 2016). 5 Some women are excluded from the outdoors because being outside alone, in an urban or natural environment, is thought to be unsafe for women, an idea which has been perpetuated by the National Parks Service. When the institution was created in 1916, only men were allowed to apply to be a part of the ranger program. The Secretary of the Interior from 1961-1967, Stewart Udall, responded to complaints on gender discrimination by stating that it was his “concern and affection for girls that prevents our saddling them with the full load of ranger duties.” Once women were allowed to join, they were met with ill fitting or over-sexualized uniforms (Thomas, 2016). Many of the original women employed by the Park Service were naturalists (www.nps.gov, 2020), but the few that were hired as rangers were referred to as “rangerettes,” and were not allowed to take place in law enforcement training or carry a gun until 1971 (Thomas, 2016). Today, women in the National Parks Service are subjected to a toxic work environment with rampant sexual harassment; in fact, over half of female rangers and around three-quarters of female park police have experienced sexual harassment. Options for these women are severely limited due to the lengthy, inefficient, understaffed, and unreliable reporting process (Gilpin, 2016). The lack of proper procedures for workplace gender discrimination and understanding present in the National Park Service continues to present the outdoors as an unwelcoming scene for women, and perpetuates the idea that only men are allowed to have access to natural environments.

The stark difference between gendered perceptions of being eco-friendly versus outdoorsy creates an unsustainable way to continue to interact with the environment. A double standard is established where women are expected to care for and nurture the planet, but are not allowed to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors because it is considered a space only for men. Ensuring that everyone is provided with equitable access to the outdoors is important for numerous reasons, including but not limited to the mental health benefits people receive from being outside (Bratman et al., 2019). The responsibility that these natural areas are protected and maintained for future generations is a weight that needs to be shared equally.

National Park Service, NPS History Collection

6 Vandana Shiva: The Intersection of Feminism and the Environment

By Jeremiah Kaplan

“The liberation of the earth, the liberation of women, the liberation of all humanity is the next step of freedom we need to work for, and it's Image credit: Augustus Binu the next step of peace that we need to In a 2019 article, Shiva describes the create.” -Vandana Shiva “dead-Earth worldview”. This is essentially the idea that humans see Vandana Shiva was born in , India in nature and the Earth as dead and ripe 1952 to a father working as a conservator of for exploitation. Shiva describes the shift from the perspective of Terra forests and a mother working as a farmer. This Madre (Mother Earth) to Terra Nullius parental influence had a great effect on Shiva’s (nobody’s land). Once, we saw nature career. Throughout her life, she has advocated for as alive, but now she is seen as an forest preservation, a change in our perspective of opportunity to exploit. The use of the female subject when describing nature nature, preservation, and a change in is significant, as both nature and society’s dependence on monocultures, among women are seen by the patriarchy as many other things. A large part of her work has exploitable. been towards the advocacy of women’s rights Another way that Shiva has involved and , and for the inclusion of women women in environmental movements in environmental issues. is her recognition of the contributions of women towards food production. In Shiva’s first advocacy work began during the a 2004 letter, she describes differences between modern industrial of the 1970s. This was a and biodiverse food systems centered primarily female-led, non-violent movement around women. According to Shiva, against large-scale deforestation. Deforestation ecological systems in which women participate are more resource efficient, was affecting tasks primarily carried out by cause less strain on the environment, women: in particular, the gathering of water, food and produce more nutritious and and fuel. Women were having to work harder and better quality food than modern travel longer distances to obtain these vital industrial agriculture systems. Shiva herself runs a farm called , resources. As Shiva put it, “[w]omen knew that centered around biodiversity and seed the real value of forests was not the timber from preservation. This farm utilizes organic, a dead tree, but the springs and streams, food for , and women-centered their cattle, and fuel for their hearths.” The practices as well as promoting high biodiversity in the foods produced. women in this movement defended the trees, Shiva strongly believes that both food and declared that they would have to be killed production and society in general before the forests were cleared. These protests benefit greatly when all people are involved, regardless of gender or race. opened Shiva’s perspective to the close

relationship between nature and women. For further information, here’s a 2019 article by Shiva outlining more of her 7 views and personal history. Impact from Generation Z By: Darij Kulchyckyj "I have learned Imagine being a 4’11” woman with Asperger's, born in Generation Z, and one of the most impactful climate you are never activists of our time. Greta Thunberg is an 18-year-old too small to Swedish student fitting this description. She began her pursuit into climate activism back on August 20th, 2018 make a by protesting outside of Sweden’s parliament in Stockholm with her iconic sign that reads “skolstrejk för difference." - klimatet.” This translates to: “school strike for climate.” She continued to do this by skipping school every Friday. Greta Thunberg The Youth Climate Strike became a movement that Presently, Thunberg is continuing her caught the attention of millions. Students all over the climate strike, and it is going on week 136. world were influenced by Thunberg and began protesting As she stands outside the EU and striking for climate change action. She consistently Commission’s representation in Sweden, protested for weeks and became eventually invited to she holds two signs. She joined the internet trend “#WithdrawTheCAP” on speak at the United Nations, delivering an incredibly this week to protest the Common powerful speech packed with rhetoric demanding Agricultural Policy (CAP). This policy immediate action on . She has won infringes on the international Paris numerous awards and even declined some, saying that agreement, which is a climate pact “the climate movement does not need any more awards.” between numerous nations aimed at She emphasizes action over acknowledgment., keeping the average temperature from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius (preferably under 1.5 degrees). The CAP prioritizes farming methods that are less sustainable and green. It produces a surplus of waste by bypassing the rules of “supply and demand” which leads to overproduction.. Through CAP handouts, the EU’s total budget is depleted by 30%. Thirty percent of the economy is going to a business that contributes “roughly 6% of the EU’s GDP.” CAP does bring some benefits towards agriculture by promoting the rural economy and stressing its value to European nations, but Thunberg believes that by withdrawing CAP, the European Union can have a better chance at keeping the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

From an early age, Thunberg has been educated on climate and ecology because of the Swedish schooling systems. Her passion and drive to fight for the earth was fostered in her adolescent years as a child. By learning about the climate crisis at an early age, the gravity of it could be emphasized to a degree that could (optimistically speaking) keep Courtesy: @GretaThunberg our earth in check.

8 Works Cited

Indigenous Women’s Excellence in Protecting the Environment by Will Thoman

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All Men are Trash by Becca Barter

Brait, E. (2015). Girl Scouts v Boy Scouts – what’s the difference? [online] . Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/23/girl-scouts-boy-scouts-differences [Accessed 27 Feb. 2021].

Bratman, G.N., Anderson, C.B., Berman, M.G., Cochran, B., de Vries, S., Flanders, J., Folke, C., Frumkin, H., Gross, J.J., Hartig, T., Kahn, P.H., Kuo, M., Lawler, J.J., Levin, P.S., Lindahl, T., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Mitchell, R., Ouyang, Z., Roe, J. and Scarlett, L. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances, [online] 5(7), p.eaax0903. Available at: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/7/eaax0903.full.

Brough, A. and Wilkie, J. (2017). Men Resist Green Behavior as Unmanly. [online] Scientific American. Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/men-resist-green-behavior-as-unmanly/.

Gilpin, L. (2016). How the National Park Service is failing women. [online] www.hcn.org. Available at: https://www.hcn.org/issues/48.21/how-the-park-service-is-failing-women#:~:text=Today%2C%20it%27s%20easy%20to%20find [Accessed 29 Mar. 2021].

Gregory Hitzhusen (2019). 6.3 Toxic Masculinity and Other Deadly Pollutants. [online] ohiostate.pressbooks.pub. Available at: https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/enr3470/chapter/6-3-toxic-masculinity-and-other-deadly-pollutants/ [Accessed 29 Mar. 2021].

Hunt, E. (2020). The eco gender gap: why is saving the planet seen as women’s work? The Guardian. [online] 6 Feb. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/eco-gender-gap-why-saving-planet-seen-womens-work.

Scripture, N. (2021). Where are the Meat and Potato Men? [online] www.nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/12/are-modern-men-manly-enough/where-are-the-meat-and-potato-men [Accessed 29 Mar. 2021].

Thomas, L. (2016). The outdoors gender gap needs to be closed. [online] www.hcn.org. Available at: https://www.hcn.org/articles/hike-like-a-girl-to-close-outdoors-gender-gap.

Warren, K. (2016). Gender in outdoor studies. Routledge international handbook of outdoor studies, 360-368.

www.nps.gov. (2020). Breeches and Blouses (U.S. National Park Service). [online] Available at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/breeches-blouses.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20two%20%22Rangerettes%22%2C [Accessed 29 Mar. 2021].

Vandana Shiva: The Intersection of Feminism and the Environment by Jeremiah Kaplan

Shiva, V. (2004). Dr Vandana Shiva: Empowering women. [letter]. BBC World Trust. Accessed at: https://likeawhisper.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/empoweringwomen.pdf

Shiva, V. (2019). Vandana Shiva: Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Forest. Yes Magazine. Accessed at: https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/nature/2019/05/03/vandana-shiva-seed-saving-forest-biodiversity/

By Augustus Binu, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35027640

9 Works Cited

Interior Secretary Debra Haaland, First Native American Cabinet Official by Max Sano

du Houx, Ramona. (26 Feb. 2021). Rep. Haaland’s record shows bi-partisanship, justice and equality. Indybay. Retrieved from https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/02/26/18840329.php

EarthJustice (15 Mar. 2021). What You Need to Know About Deb Haaland and the Department of the Interior. Retrieved from https://earthjustice.org/brief/2020/what-you-need-to-know-about-deb-haaland- and-the-department-of-the-interior

Haaland, Debra. (16 Mar. 2021) Representative Debra Haaland Farewell Speech. C-Span. Retrieved from https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4952133/representative-debra-haaland-farewell-speech

Korte, Cara. (18 Mar. 2021) What Deb Haaland's historic confirmation means to Native Americans. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deb-haaland-native-american-confirmation- interior-secretary/

League of Conservation Voters (2021). Deb Haaland: League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. Retrieved from https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/debra-haaland

Oregon Herald (2021). Deb Haaland Biography. Retrieved from Jhttps://oregonherald.com/si/bio/?id=104

Silverstein, Jason. (7 Nov. 2018) Election 2018: Night of firsts with historic wins for Muslims, Native Americans, women and LGBT candidates. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-2018-night-of- firsts-with-historic-wins-for-muslims-native-americans-women-and-lgbt-candidates/

Impact from Generation Z by Darij Kulchyckyj

“Arguments for and against the Common Agricultural Policy.” Debating Europe, www.debatingeurope.eu/focus/arguments-for-and-against-the-common-agricultural- policy/#:~:text=CAP%20artificially%20shields%20farmers%20from,more%20modern%2C%20more%20efficient% 20agriculture.

“Arguments for and against the Common Agricultural Policy.” Debating Europe, www.debatingeurope.eu/focus/arguments-for-and-against-the-common-agricultural- policy/#:~:text=CAP%20artificially%20shields%20farmers%20from,more%20modern%2C%20more%20efficient% 20agriculture.

Keyton, David. “Greta Thunberg and Youth Climate Protests Make a Return.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 25 Sept. 2020, apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-climate-climate-change-environment-sweden- dcbcd6c09a8830c169dd89a41bd29c07#:~:text=Thunberg%20started%20her%20solo%20protests,World%20Econ omic%20Forum%20in%20Davos.

Thunberg, Greta. “Today on #ClimateStrike Week 136 I Strike Outside the EU Commission's Representation in Sweden.Ahead of Our Meeting with @TimmermansEU and the Super Trilogue We're Again Asking the European Commission to #WithDrawTheCAP as It Violates the Paris Agreement#NoMoreEmptyPromises Pic.twitter.com/YAJMpO1NNC.” Twitter, Twitter, 26 Mar. 2021, twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1375368980752388119.

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