Green Justice

Podcast by Greg Simmons, Paula Hirschmann and Mark Vardy

Green Justice

Paula, Mark and Greg, three green criminologists at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) engage a range of guests on issues of environmental, ecological and climate justice and education. In our first season, we focus on the great work folks at KPU are doing. Going forward, we will be chatting with a wide range of scholars, activists, land defenders and more.... Production assistance and editing: Kiana Holland. Research: Aramayis Harandi and Neil Chan. Cover Art courtesy of Dan Lett. Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons. Thanks to the KPU FAEAF for their generous support of this production.

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Latest episodes

31 May 2024

Sustainability and Engagement: Conversations at the KPU Research Showcase

Our final episode of the season features “streeters” – a series of short spontaneous interviews we conducted with six KPU staff and students, and one VP, at a KPU-wide Research Showcase that focused on sustainability. Interviewees were all asked the question, "What does sustainability mean to you?" Greg, Paula and Mark listen back, and use the responses as jumping off points for discussions on the intersections between social and environmental justice – with only the occasional, ever so slight, tangent.

Thank you to the kind and brilliant interviewees who gave us their thoughts!

Cover Art by Dan Lett

Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons

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53:01

14 May 2024

Ecological Richness and Devastation: Philip Aghoghovwia on the Paradox of the Niger Delta

Dr. Philip Aghoghovwia, faculty in the KPU English Department, joins Green Justice to discuss his work on literary depictions of place and life in the context of resource extraction, with a particular focus on oil, violence, and resistance the Niger Delta. This region, once ecologically rich, has suffered extreme degradation and social deprivation due to the "resource curse". Dr. Aghoghovwia explores the violence of oil production, along with the – ultimately counterproductive – forms of violence that arise in response, imbuing all life with the inescapable violence that is the very condition of accessing sustenance in a political-economy built on the exploitation of oil. He examines the role of poetry, photography, and other media in representing and understanding the environmental and social issues in the Niger Delta. The conversation delves into the parallels and differences between the Niger Delta and Canada's tar sands, highlighting the impact on local communities and the struggles for Indigenous rights. Despite the challenges, Dr. Aghoghovwia emphasizes the hope for a post-oil world that acknowledges the scars of the past and rebuilds with a keen awareness of the environment.

www.kpu.ca/arts/english/faculty/philip-aghoghovwia

Theme music written and performed by Greg Simmons

Cover art by Dan Lett

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01:01:49

26 April 2024

Unpacking Climate (In)justice: David Sadoway on the meaning of climate justice and engaging students on the climate crisis

We talk with David Sadoway, faculty member and teacher in Kwantlen's Geography and Environment Department, on the manifold nature of climate (in)justice and using narrative with students to work through the “double exposures” of social, economic and ecological risk and find mobility, food and housing solutions. Topics range widely from the imaginaries of automobility, the scales of climate justice, the inequities of risk and the fog of climate war, lived impacts from Pacific Island nations to the Arctic, the BC heat dome and floods, and the lead of Indigenous communities in finding solutions to the climate crisis and embarking on a just transition.

David | Kwantlen Polytechnic University (kpu.ca)

Climate+ Challenge – Taking Action, Fostering Hope (kpu.ca)

Surrey CityLab | KPU.ca - Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Cover Art courtesy of Dan Lett

Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons

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54:27

15 April 2024

Nature as Co-teacher: Richard Pierre on Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Education

Richard Pierre, Sdemokeltel, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper in Residence at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), talks with Green Justice about his personal journey, passion for sharing Indigenous ecological knowledge and commitment to Indigenous-led environmental stewardship.

Research: Aramayis Harandi

Cover Art courtesy of Dan Lett

Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons

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49:12

01 April 2024

Unleashing the Imagination: Dale Tracy on the Climate+ Challenge

Dale Tracy of KPU's English Department on her work as a coordinator of the Climate+ Challenge, a "KPU-wide initiative that engages students, staff and faculty in learning about climate change, through an empathetic and solutions-oriented lens."

https://wordpress.kpu.ca/climatepluschallenge/

Production assistance and editing: Kiana Holland.

Research: Aramayis Harandi .

Cover Art courtesy of Dan Lett.

Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons.

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32:00

31 March 2024

Exploring Wild Spaces: An Interview with Lee Beavington

Lee Beavington on KPU Wild Spaces, an interdisciplinary teaching and learning hub that focuses on ecological place-based education.

https://wordpress.kpu.ca/wildspaces/

Production assistance and editing: Kiana Holland.

Research: Aramayis Harandi.

Cover Art courtesy of Dan Lett.

Theme music composed and performed by Greg Simmons.

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32:48