Reconnecting with Mother Nature

By Gladys Lemesurier

Sunset through the trees- my photo

One of my favorite things about visiting new places is finding spaces where nature flourishes, vibrant and breathtaking. Growing up in southern California, the idea of nature never immediately brought to mind images of forests or dense woods. Nature for me was the wide-open valleys and horizon built of jagged mountain tops. But no matter where I went, I was always struck by how powerful nature was and how I felt connected to it. Reading under a tree, watching ducks and geese on a pond, or just sitting in a park enjoying the atmosphere are all comforting to me. So it’s no surprise that the connection between women and nature is a popular topic among feminists and environmentalists.

Since 1974, this connection has been known as “ecofeminism,” a term coined by French feminist Françoise d’Eaubonne. Scholars before this had linked aspects of feminism with the environment, ephasizing how both are exploited and aggressively dominated. But this connection has always been present, even if it wasn’t often discussed. For instance, nature has many names like “Mother Nature” or “Mother Earth,” both of which are thought to stem from Greek mythology where Gaia–the first Greek goddess– created all life, and works to maintain harmony. 

Being vegan is easier than you think!

By Katy Wicks

Source: Pixabay

Vegan and plant-based diets have been increasing in popularity over the past couple of years. More people are interested in adopting a vegan lifestyle for health and ethical reasons. Many feminists find themselves drawn to the diet because of the problematic aspects of the animal agriculture industry and the connection with ecofeminism. In addition to the impact a vegan diet has on the world around us, many vegans attribute their dietary choices to the personal health benefits of avoiding animal products.

Regardless of the reason someone may be considering veganism, taking the leap into a new lifestyle can be overwhelming and challenging. I am here to tell you that being vegan is easier than you may think, and to share with you some of the vegan tips and tricks that have gotten me through almost three years of a vegan lifestyle.

Ecofeminism: The Overlap of Environmental Exploitation and Gender Oppression

Ecofeminism. Taken from Marco Verch

By Katrina Arellano

If you were to sum up the meaning of the word feminism how would you do so? For those with a basic and accurate understanding of feminism, they would probably say “equality for all” which makes feminism intersectional. There are many perspectives to consider within feminism to include the vast array of subjects under the umbrella of the term, including climate change. No matter the political stance someone has, climate change affects you, me, and our entire society. The topic of climate change continues to be polarized into whether or not it’s real, who’s to blame and how to fix it. Since the subject is very large, there are many answers to combatting climate change. Science reflects how human interference is the cause of global warming and thus climate change. The affects it has on the planet are undeniable, and through an intersectional lens, perhaps ecofeminism may help stir conversation and positive action for the betterment of the planet.

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

By Kate Ringer

I have been vegan for three months now. I know I am not perfect, I know I have made mistakes, but I have been doing the best that I can.

A drawing by Suzanne Ringer

Veganism has been on my radar since high school when one of my friends started a vegan diet. She claimed she was doing it for health reasons, but I quickly saw just how unhealthy she was while doing it, barely getting any of the nutrients she needed, and I thought she was absolutely crazy for attempting it. Just a few years later, I came to college and I joined the rock climbing team; suddenly, I knew many people that were vegans. These people were nothing like my friend in high school; they were strong and healthy, I frequently saw them eating nuts, fruits, and vegetables while I snacked on potato chips and candy. They weren’t doing the diet for health reasons, they were doing it for environmental and moral reasons. At first, I was incredulous; how could anyone cut all animal products from their diet? That meant no pizza, no cupcakes, no milkshakes! My favorite foods were macaroni and cheese and tacos, and I knew I could never lose those things. I had heard of vegan cheese and other substitutes, but I was wary. Those crazy vegans claimed that their food was just as good, but I knew that couldn’t possibly be true.

My Roots in Ecofeminism

Artwork titled “A Pagan Sacrifice”

By Chloe Rigg

“I know I am made from this earth, as my mother’s hands were made from this earth, as her dreams came from this earth and all that I know, I know in this earth…all that I know speaks to me through this earth and I long to tell you, you who are earth too, and listen as we speak to each other of what we know: the light is in us.” -Susan Griffin

“Mother Earth.”

I’m sure everyone has heard this term at some point in their life. It’s usually associated with the “peace and love” hippie type. Most people might not know that this term was brought into popularity by the first ecofeminist movements of the 60’s and 70’s. I would like to start out by explaining my connection with ecofeminism, considering it is a rather spiritual movement for some. I am the hippie type most people think of when coming across terms like Mother Earth. I love tie dye, and kombucha is like 70% of my bodily fluids. I haven’t worn a bra consistently for around two and a half years, and my life ambitions include owning a completely sustainable farm.

Remember more than one month a year

By Kali Nelson

As Thanksgiving has come and passed, we are left with little of November left and with Donald Trump popping up at a Navajo veterans event at the White House on Monday to talk about Pocahontas, who was in fact not Navajo.

But today, in honor of Native American Heritage month coming to a close, I want to talk about Native American environmental groups. There are two in particular that I am going to highlight, though there are actually several of them. While they are not directly feminist, it is my belief that feminism and environmentalism are linked and I am using the platform I have to share information about a topic I see little coverage of.  Environmentalism and feminism can be linked in the way they are used to help further each other’s campaigns. One example is Honor the Earth, they had a campaign a few years ago to fight sexual assault of native women. They fought this by fighting the man camps that pop up around new oil drill sights.

What is Vegetarian Ecofeminism?

A aisle in the grocery store of fresh vegetables.

By Kali Nelson

Ecofeminism is a topic near and dear to my heart. It is not well known in most circles, but there is an even less known branch of ecofeminism called vegetarian ecofeminism.

A quick refresher on ecofeminism is the idea that the oppression of women and the oppression of nature are connected. I’ve discussed this topic before on this blog, and today I want to discuss a smaller branch of the ecofeminist movement.

We need to talk about Earth

By Kali Nelson

Let’s take a moment to think about all the problems the US is facing today. We have wildfires consuming the Pacific Northwest, Montana, and California. Hurricane Harvey is flooding Texas and Hurricane Irma nearing Florida. The whole country either needs water or it has too much, and that’s only in the US. Here in Moscow, where I live, there’s so much smoke in the air that we are now at a hazardous air quality. The world has become a gray haze outside my windows. I can’t enjoy the breeze at night or else I risk waking up in a cloud of smoke and hurting my cat’s lungs.

I can’t help but wonder if  we need to take a step back and think about the impact we have on our planet. Maybe we need to have a serious and grown up conversation about climate change.

Conservation and Feminism: Not Mutually Exclusive?

                      A picture of the Earth from Apollo 17

By Kali Nelson

Last semester I wrote a post about Ecofeminism. It was tied to the idea that women and nature are linked and that for women to be free, nature must also be free. Today I wantto go more in depth with that idea.

Where did Ecofeminism come from?

Ecofeminism came into its modern state in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in an academic setting. Ecofeminism could be found mostly in the academic world for most of the seventies and then in the eighties, ecofeminism became for prevalent outside of the academic world. It is very popular in India, where the Chipko movement exists, this movement was for the protection of forests against deforestation. The term was coined in 1974 by French feminist Françoise d’Eaubonne and combines the ideas of gender equality, of nonpatriarchal and nonlinear structures, and of the world that respects organic processes.

The main book that I used as a base for much of my last post was called Healing the Wounds: The Promise of Ecofeminism which is a collection of essays edited by Judith Plant. It was published in 1989. There are more recently published books on this subject, the most recent one I can find being published in 2014. Although I am very certain that there are more recent books.

Who am I? A Reintroduction.

The author, riding in a car

By Kali Nelson

                As many of you know, I wrote for the blog last semester, and I loved it so much I decided to come back. If you don’t know who I am, let me introduce myself a little better. I am currently a sophomore at the University of Idaho studying Journalism and Environmental Science. I play on the Quidditch team and in my spare time, I like to knit and crochet, I have a passion for reading, and I whole heartedly enjoy watching shitty horror movies, especially with vampires. My other passions include Trevor Noah’s stand up and caffeine.

I lived most of my life in Caldwell, Idaho, but a few years ago I moved to Colville, Washington, and I have found a second home in Washington. It was there that I found my love for the outdoors and the environment.

This summer I got the wonderful opportunity to work in the technician field studying Western Grebes.  Grebes are a water bird that lives in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. For this project, we spent the summer in Cascade, Idaho watching the grebes on Lake Cascade. I was part of a program here at the University of Idaho, called the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, that is in other schools like the University of Florida, University of Arizona, Cornell, and North Carolina State. I made so many friends, and I really loved what I did this summer.

I take a special interest in women’s issues because, I am in fact a woman. And even though I come from a place of privilege, I believe that every woman deserves a chance to be heard. And still, I believe that I do not have much experience with some issues. I will try my best to not mess things up. But if I do make a mistake, please let me know; I am still learning. I want to expand my views and fully understand a topic.

I want to talk a little about what I would like to cover this upcoming semester. I want to explore the ecofeminism idea that I wrote about last semester a little more and a few other things that come into my head. This semester I want to explore the many faces of feminism and how it doesn’t have to be about just the normally talked about issues. Feminism is a diverse topic, and I feel that sometimes we forget that feminism can cover many different things.