celebrating earth day
with CLAIRE WOODS
environmental lawyer + activist
A passionate environmental lawyer and activist, Claire Woods works with communities of color, who are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental degradation, to use the law to protect their health and the environment. After working at the U.S. Department of Justice and NRDC, she is now the director of the environmental justice policies and programs at Greenfield Environmental Trust Group.
I’ve been doing this work for 10 years, working to enforce our nation's environmental laws, the laws that we all depend on to protect our health and our communities. My clients are often people of color because communities of color suffer the most as a result of environmental problems this country faces.
There is so much people can do to create change, including making better choices about the products you buy and the companies you support. When you shop at The Little Market, you are making the choice to support sustainably made pieces that help reduce your carbon footprint and positively impact communities.
Claire is a member of The Little Market Council, a community of more than 70 women who support our work, where she helps educate our supporters about climate change and the environment.
One thing that gives me hope is that people are talking about this issue now. When I was in law school studying environmental law I thought, 'Why doesn’t anyone else care about this? Why aren’t people talking about the fact that our planet is suffering?' When our planet suffers, communities suffer, and people suffer.
actions you can take to be
an Environmental Advocate
“One thing you can do is to research your bank to see if it is divested from fossil fuels. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, banks around the world have helped finance trillions of dollars in fossil fuel projects. And the banks with the largest fossil fuel investments happen to be many of our go-to banks: J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Bank of America. Consider switching to a local bank or a credit union, which often cater to more environmentally-conscious investors.”
"A civil action"
by Jonathan Harr
"How to Save a Planet"
with Dr. Ayana Johnson
“Google ‘environmental justice organizations in my area.’ There are hundreds of community organizers and environmental justice organizations that are fighting like hell to create change for their communities and they need our support.”
Shopping at farmers markets can definitely help you reduce your environmental footprint. Typically, our food travels hundreds or thousands of miles, first from the fields to distribution centers, then from distribution centers to big chain grocery stores. When we buy locally, we reduce the carbon costs associated with transporting our groceries all of this way.
shopping at your local market has the power to
reduce carbon costs of food transportation
minimize exposure of chemicals + pesticides to food + farmers
reduce plastic + other packaging
Don't forget your reusable basket
our chat with claire
get started with our collection of
Environmentalist-Approved pieces
Explore the conversation:
Close friends Meena Harris and Claire Woods discuss the importance of representation in the environmental justice movement and how and why environmental and racial justice are so closely connected. Tune in to learn about the most critical global challenges.