Monthly Archives: February 2020

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with Sonia Joshi

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It’s Hot In Here
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with Sonia Joshi
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In 2016 the University of Michigan embarked on a five year strategic plan to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) more comprehensively throughout the campus. Now in the fourth year of the initiative, Sonia Joshi, the first DEI program manager for the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), sits down with our hosts to discuss where we’ve come from and where we’re going now. 

What is DEI to you?

“Working to ensure
that people who have
been underrepresented
due to injustice and
prejudices have
access to the same
opportunities and
resources and are
valued.”

– Sonia Joshi in the University of Michigan’s DEI Strategic Plan Report

Sonia Joshi joined the University’s DEI team 3 years ago and has been embedded within the SEAS program ever since. As the first ever DEI program manger of SEAS, she’s been pivotal in the creation and implementation of DEI programming and training within the school. In this week’s show, Joshi begins by breaking down the differences between diversity, equity, and inclusion, explains how she picks her battles so to say, and addressing the “moment” DEI is having right now, specifically in academia.  

Joshi also walks us through a bit of the history of DEI and why it is so crucial by reflecting on the history of the United States and the legacies of traditional research. As she notes, all science has bias since all scientists have bias, and traditional structures have prioritized some forms of knowledge and research over others. Now, DEI practitioners, advocates, allies, scholars, etc. ought to be moving away from tokenism and performative or surface-level DEI incorporation. Instead, we should work on ensuring systematic change and solutions by leveraging our partnerships and privilege in substantive ways. It’s ultimately the goal of DEI initiatives to ensure that people aren’t just at the metaphorical table but are also having their input and their voices heard, understood, and given weight. 

Looking forward, Joshi explains her optimism regarding the DEI field and its endless intersections with other disciplines, specifically the environmental field. As she puts it, the coming years of DEI will continue to ground DEI in reality, support frontline communities, center and empower historically-marginalized voices, and work on changing culture in meaningful ways. 

For information or support, contact the SEAS DEI office here:

SEAS Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Dana Building
Second Floor, Office 2575, 440 Church St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1340

Phone: 734-936-0900

Email:  seas-dei-office@umich.edu

Or connect with the University’s campus-wide DEI office:

Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Fleming Administration Building
Third Floor, Office 3084, 503 Thompson Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1340

Phone: (734) 764-3982

Email: diversitymatters@umich.edu

Elders Climate Action

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Elders Climate Action, a ‘spinoff’ of Elders Action Network, is an organization focused on promoting the environmental activism of older folks, making sustainable behaviors more accessible, increasing the visibility of elders working in the environmental field, and providing a space for elders to organize. The organization is growing rapidly with 9 chapters around the country and several more in the process of being recognized. Founded in 2017, the Ann Arbor Chapter of ECA has focused on educating, mobilizing, and engaging with local elders and their families on several fronts. 

Joe Ohren, co-founder and chair of the Ann Arbor chapter, life-long environmental activist, grandfather of 7, retired college professor, and “amateur expert” on composting joins our hosts in the studio to discusses his role in the organization. Drawing on his years of expertise in the field of local government management and his experience with political protest, Ohren speaks on his time as a community leader and advocate. 

A key focus of the ECA Ann Arbor Chapter has been removing the barriers of participation for communities to participate in sustainability efforts and environmental activism. A prime examples would be the recent food composting project, made possible but a grant from the Sustaining Ann Arbor Together program. Though this project, ECA is working to increase access for local people to compost and promote education about the process. 

Reports have indicated that, in the United States, between 30-40% of all food produced ends up in landfills. This leads to massive amounts of waste and methane gas in landfills. A potential solution to this issue is composting, however the City of Ann Arbor currently only collects compost for 8 months of the year (mid-March to mid-December) and also exclusively serves single family homes, not commercial properties nor multifamily buildings. Furthermore, many residents remain without composting bins or the knowledge of how to compost. This campaign targets all of those issues through policy advocacy, educational materials, and subsidizing composting tools. 

“…like many people, I feel some sense of responsibility for how we got to where we are…”

Looking forward, Ohren notes that the elder community is working for the future of our grandchildren. He explains that elders may have the time, ‘the wisdom to make good decisions’, and the motivation to actively participate in change on a much wider scale than is currently acknowledged. To address this and affect change on a larger scale, ECA’s new promote the vote campaign seeks to grow political efficacy of environmentally minded non-voters to increase. The first step towards collaboration with other organizations, local engagement, effective mass mobilization, and coalition building may just be realizing that “there’s a lot of people like Joe out there.”

To connect with Joe: joe.ohren@gmail.com

To get more information about ECA and how to get involved: info@eldersclimateaction.org

For information on composting food waste.

Drew Lathin on Creating Sustainable Landscapes

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You’ve probably heard the phrase “native plants” before, but what does that really mean? How long does a plant need to be around to be considered “native”? Drew Lathin, a life-long gardener and founder of Creating Sustainable Landscapes LLC was kind enough to join us in the studio to talk to us about the benefits and importance of native plants and provide some recommendations for local Michiganders who want to set up a more sustainable landscape in their own yards. 

Drew Lathin founded Creating Sustainable Landscapes LLC in 2012 to promote a return to and reestablishment of sustainable landscape design. A focus of his is on native plants, or those that were here prior to European colonialism. Lathin points out the seemingly endless benefits of native plants, the legacies of indigenous land stewardship, how we might rehabilitate and foster the health of natural areas, and what #BigHorticulture doesn’t want you to know about the native plant movement. 

Drew Lathin with It’s Hot in Here hosts Prachiti Dhamankar and Isabelle Brogna.

As Lathin explains, a return to native plants and a more sustainable landscape can promote a healthy ecosystem from the bottom up, support pollinator populations, protect endangered populations, and provide for native wildlife. They can also look beautiful, save you time and money, and it’s easier than you think! As we face a mass extinction, it’s more important than ever to going the movement, tune in to learn where to start!

NY Times: The Insect Apocalypse is Here

The Guardian: Plummeting insect numbers ‘threaten collapse of nature’

The Sunrise Movement: Youth for a Green New Deal

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“The status quo has failed us.”

The Sunrise Movement, founded in 2017, is a youth movement that grew out of the need to organize and mobilize young people around the country and promote political activism. The organization became well-known for staging protests and sit-ins in the offices of politicians around the nation, such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Dianne Feinstein. Now, Sunrise Movement has hundreds of autonomous “hubs” around the nation and hundreds of thousands of members. Sunrise Movement leaders Naina and Thalia sit down with us to discuss their experiences as young activists and leaders. 

As Naina points outs, the youth of America have had almost no hand in creating the systems that have led to global climate change, yet they will live with the consequences for their entire lives. Paying homage to civil protests of mass non-cooperation, the Sunrise Movement seeks to empower young people (many of whom cannot yet vote) through coalition building with frontline communities and their core strategies which include: peaceful protest, communities organizing, mass mobilization, and promoting political activism. The focus of the Sunrise Movement is to stop climate change, namely through the adoption of the Green New Deal. 

The Green New Deal, championed by politicians such as U.S. House Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, is a proposed legislation package that would focus on moving America towards 100% renewable energy and net-zero carbon emissions over the next 10 years. It is also focused on creating millions of jobs in the clean energy sector and promoting climate justice. This would be the most ambitious legislative plan since FDR’s New Deal. Naina and Thalia touch on some criticisms of the plan and address both congressional parties’ unwillingness to act on climate change. The two also discuss how critical it is that bold, transformative action be taken.   

With the official endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders for the 2020 Democratic candidacy, Sunrise Movement is now focusing on the upcoming presidential election and building a “coalition of the left.” A priority for them is making climate change action accessible to the non-scientific community via storytelling that personalizes issues of climate change. In order to get ordinary people to mobilize, the information has to be digestible. 

Naina and Thalia also speak to their experiences as young constituents and the ‘shocking’ treatment they have experienced on the part of their own representatives. Looking towards the 2020 election, there are several ways that you can participate in the Sunrise Movement. If you want to get involved, plan a launch party, find a hub near you, donate to the cause, or learn more information, head to their website. Also follow Sunrise Movement’s social media to learn about more opportunities. 

Sunrise Movement National:

twitter: @sunrisemvmt

insta: @sunrisemvmt

facebook: @sunrisemvmt

Sunrise Movement Ann Arbor Hub:

twitter: @sunriseannarbor

insta: @sunriseannarbor

facebook: @sunrisemvmtannarbor

Latino Outdoors: José González on Representation in the Outdoors

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“None of us are well, until all of us are well.” 

José González returns to his alma mater, University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability (formerly School for Natural Resources and Environment) to speak on Wayfinding Cultural Connections: From Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to Decolonizing.
Photo credit: SEAS Office of DEI

José González, award winning outdoor educator, Founder and Director of Latino Outdoors, and University of Michigan alum joins the It’s Hot in Here team this week to discuss his work with host Prachiti Dhamankar. Join us as José discusses underrepresentation in the outdoors, the Green 2.0 report, art, community, and identity. 

Latino Outdoors was founded in 2013 to address the lack of Latinx representation in the outdoor, conservation, and environmental education fields. Now, Latino Outdoors is a Latinx-led community and organization (in that order) that is focused on building family and celebrating culture and heritage in the outdoors. Latino Outdoors has grown to operate around the country and is open to all people who wish to celebrate diversity and inclusivity. Discussing his personal experiences growing up in México and the central valley of California, José shares his take on engaging with diverse audiences, access to natural spaces, and building senses of community and belonging. In exploring his own identities and experiences, José addresses the cultural gaps regarding the use of natural spaces. 

The ideas and mission of José and the Latino Outdoors team seem particularly salient in the wake of reports such as Green 2.0 which have pinpointed discrepancies of representation in the outdoors. Discussing the ideas laid out in this report, José eloquently navigates the concepts of unconscious bias, lackluster effort, and the Green Ceiling and how we might address them. 

José presents storytelling and art as means by which to connect to histories and cultures, celebrate diversity, and explore self-identities. As an accomplished artist himself, José examines his inspirations (from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera to modern comic illustrators like Paul Pope) and speaks about expression in a world of social media and trolls. In envisioning the future, José discusses how his ideas may be both radical and revolutionary, and how Latino Outdoors continues to build bridges, empower local leadership, and promote equal access. Finally, José discusses how we may lean into discomfort and grow via challenging conversations. 

Examples of José González’s artwork examining indigeneity , identity, and culture.
Art credit: José González

If you’d like to learn more or get involved with Latino Outdoors, see more of José González’s artwork and writings, or explore the Green 2.0 report, check out the links below!

Latino Outdoors

José González

Green 2.0 Report