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Pollution, Power, & the Price of Telling the Truth: The Stunning Resignation of Kimberly Terrell of the Tulane Environ. Law Clinic
Season 4
Episode 12
Published 1 year ago
Description
In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, our host, Dr. Lesley Joseph, responds to a deeply troubling development: the resignation of Dr. Kimberly Terrell from the Environmental Law Clinic at Tulane University. A respected environmental scientist, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Terrell left her position as the Director for Community Engagement, citing political and donor-driven censorship, after years of research exposing the disproportionate health dangers experienced by the residents of Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.
Dr. Joseph unpacks what this moment means for academic freedom, community-centered research, and the future of environmental justice in the U.S. He draws a clear line between truth-telling and power, asking hard questions about whether universities are still safe havens for critical inquiry, or simply extensions of corporate and political interests. Why are researchers being silenced for revealing the truth about pollution, cancer, and environmental injustice? What happens when scientific evidence threatens the bottom line? And how should the environmental justice research community respond?
This episode is both a tribute to Dr. Terrell’s courage and a rallying cry for researchers, activists, and citizens alike to keep fighting. Because justice demands it.
Resources:
Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - AP News
Research from Dr. Terrell and the Environmental Law Clinic:
Air pollution is linked to higher cancer rates among black or impoverished communities in Louisiana - Environmental Research Journal
Toxic air pollution and concentrated social deprivation are associated with low birthweight and preterm Birth in Louisiana - Environmental Research Journal
Pervasive racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. petrochemical workforce
Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:
Instagram: @envjusticelab
YouTube: @envjusticelab
Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com
Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support
Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support
Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:
Instagram: @envjusticelab
YouTube: @envjusticelab
Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com
Dr. Joseph unpacks what this moment means for academic freedom, community-centered research, and the future of environmental justice in the U.S. He draws a clear line between truth-telling and power, asking hard questions about whether universities are still safe havens for critical inquiry, or simply extensions of corporate and political interests. Why are researchers being silenced for revealing the truth about pollution, cancer, and environmental injustice? What happens when scientific evidence threatens the bottom line? And how should the environmental justice research community respond?
This episode is both a tribute to Dr. Terrell’s courage and a rallying cry for researchers, activists, and citizens alike to keep fighting. Because justice demands it.
Resources:
Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - AP News
Research from Dr. Terrell and the Environmental Law Clinic:
Air pollution is linked to higher cancer rates among black or impoverished communities in Louisiana - Environmental Research Journal
Toxic air pollution and concentrated social deprivation are associated with low birthweight and preterm Birth in Louisiana - Environmental Research Journal
Pervasive racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. petrochemical workforce
Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:
Instagram: @envjusticelab
YouTube: @envjusticelab
Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com
Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support
Don’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support
Connect with our Environmental Justice Lab community:
Instagram: @envjusticelab
YouTube: @envjusticelab
Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.com