Professor Christina Holmes
WGSS 362A: Feminist Approaches to Environmentalism
Friday, November 15, 2017
Finding Environmental Justice in Our Skin Care Routines
“Environmental justice, environmental health, climate change, plastic pollution, and other movements stress that the human is “trans-corporeal,” inseparable from substances and materials that cross through bodies and environments. Thinking of oneself as utterly exposed to toxins and climates makes environmentalism something that is always as close as one’s own skin…” — Stacy Alaimo
Every time you put lotion on, shower, put on makeup, and wash the product off your face you participate in a boundless system of global environmental pollution. Many of our skincare products …show more content…
A lot of times when discussing ideas that pertain to environmental feminism, many people have misconceptions of what it is. Each community has their own issues but “all social inequities are linked.” In Sistah Vegan, many of the writers explore the idea of being a part of a community that faces systematic oppression yet takes part in it as well by their diet choices and the way they live their lives. “Comprehensive systemic change will happen only if we are aware of these connections and work to bring an end to all inequalities—not just our favorites or the ones that most directly affect our part of the universe. No one is on the sidelines; by our actions or inactions, by our caring for our indifference, we are either part of the problem or part of the solution.” Every issue in the environment connects to another issue. Environmental damage involves water deficiencies and seasonal rain patterns; our quality of life directly impact on women and marginalized communities. As a person who advocates to fight injustices, it would not be fair to learn about the hazardous chemicals that affect one’s body and our environment and to continue to utilize the products that consists of harmful ingredients and not inform others as well. While the issues that occur in our ecosystem have a lot to do with the white patriarchy and access to a clean environment is “created and institutionalized at the expense of people of color” and marginalized communities, it does not negate the fact that everyone plays a part in the hazardous waste landfills. Environmentally sustainable health and practices must be part of our anti racist and anti poverty praxis in our fight against the continued colonization of our ecosystem. Bioregionalism is based on “local control and decentralization; nonviolence; sustainable lifestyles; and on a revaluing