
Thursday May 22, 2025
Why Are Low-Income Communities Disproportionately Burdened by Waste? with Rebecca Bratspies
Welcome to Compassiviste Dialogues. I'm Ali, your host, and my mission with this podcast is to shed light on critical social and environmental issues worldwide, exploring avenues for positive change.
ABOUT GUEST:
Rebecca Bratspies is a professor at CUNY Law and the founding director of the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. A scholar in environmental justice and human rights, she has published extensively in academic journals and public forums.
Her award-winning book, Naming Gotham: The Villains, Rogues, and Heroes Behind New York Place Names, received the NY Public Historians’ 2023 Excellence in Local History Award, the NYC Big Book Award for History, and the 2024 American Legacy Book Award for US History. Her co-authored textbook, Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and Regulation, is used in classrooms nationwide.
Rebecca also co-created (with artist Charlie LaGreca-Velasco) the EPA-award-winning graphic novel series The Environmental Justice Chronicles, which engages young readers in civic education through storytelling and visual art.
KEY NOTES:
The Intersection of Creativity and Academia: How Rebecca Bridges Both Worlds
Understanding the Importance of Census Data in Shaping Policy
The Role of FOIA in Promoting Government Transparency
What Happens When Policy Fails the People?
Closing the Gap: Can Policy Truly Amplify Marginalized Voices?
Defining a Healthy Environment: What Does It Really Mean?
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Episode Trailer
01:30 – Intro
02:44 – What Sparked Rebecca’s Passion for Justice?
11:20 – Bridging Creativity and Academia
16:48 – What Is the Census and Why Does It Matter?
19:45 – Demystifying Census Data
22:38 – Can FOIA Ensure Government Transparency?
27:42 – What Can the Public Do When Policy Fails?
32:03 – Can Policy Truly Amplify Marginalized Voices?
36:53 – What Defines a Healthy Environment?
40:49 – Solving the Environmental Justice Placement Challenge
50:05 – From Privilege to Social Responsibility
58:17 – How Can We Spark Global Change?
01:02:59 – Why Do We Overconsume as a Society?
01:07:35 – Naming Gotham: The Stories Behind New York’s Neighborhoods
01:16:14 – Today’s Challenges in Justice and Environmental Law
01:19:51 – The Social and Environmental Crisis We Must Face
01:25:30 – Outro & Rebecca’s Book
THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-bratspies-56b4078/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbratspies/
Website: https://www.rebeccabratspies.com/environmental-justice-chronicles
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