EVENT RECAP | Earth Week: "The World We Need" Book Launch

Audrea Lim, a journalist that focuses on climate and land issues, has curated an environmental anthology called “The World We Need”. Interestingly, Audrea made sure to bring in collaborators  that don’t necessarily consider themselves “environmentalists”. This is because the mainstream conservation and environmental movement in the US still functions within the framework of colonialism, racism, and capitalism. Instead, the collaborators recognize how environmental issues are heavily intertwined with these systems of injustice, and aim for “Just Recoveries” that put marginalized and disenfranchised communities in better positions post-disaster. 

For this book launch panel, Audrea brought in four collaborators of this anthology: Ana Baptista, Angela Mahecha, Arturo Massol-Deya, and Eric Enos. Ana wrote the forward for this anthology and along with Angela shared her experiences organizing communities around environmental issues. Eric and Arturo are collaborators who bring important stories of how environmental issues are tied to colonialism.

Eric Enos is the co-founder and Executive Director of Ka‘ala Farm, Inc., a Wai‘anae based community organization that has operated the Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala for over four decades. He shared his story on how US imperialism affects the food and financial sovereignty of natives in Hawaii. Likewise, Arturo A. Massol-Deyá discusses how US imperialist control of Puerto Rico was exacerbated by stringent regulations post Hurricane Maria. Arturo is from the mountainous area of Puerto Rico in the municipality of Adjuntas where his parents Alexis Massol and Tinti Deyá founded the community-based organization Casa Pueblo. Massol-Deyá grew up in this project and chairs its Board of Directors since 2007.

Watch the full length video below to hear their stories: