In Hot Water: Social Issues in the Gulf of Mexico

When we first set foot in Texas to record this podcast, we were cautioned to not say the words “climate change” and to instead describe its effects (like more storms than in years past). But how does our language further fuel climate change acceptance—or denial? 

In our 4th and final episode of In Hot Water: Texas, we talk about PEOPLE and the social issues at play. 

You’ll hear from academics, farmers, fishers, and activists and their thoughts on climate change and its connection to inequality in the seafood sector, along with the history of social justice (and injustice) in the Gulf. 

Ultimately, how do racism, colonialism, white supremacy, and capitalism—systems of oppression—exacerbate the climate emergency? 

One thing for sure is that NONE of us should dismiss a state just because of its politics. 

We need to fight alongside their marginalized communities. Nor should we ever forget the youth who are set to inherit a planet that is quite literally and figuratively IN HOT WATER. 

The time is NOW, friends. The future is in our hands. 

Produced by Seaworthy and Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), the “In Hot Water” podcast explores SEAFOOD and CLIMATE JUSTICE in distinct regions.

Episode Transcript

Episode Guide

• :00 Intro
• 01:45 Crystal Sanders-Alvarado, founder of Seaworthy, details their journey growing up in the Coastal Bend of Texas that led to a career in fisheries and seafood focused on environmental and social equity. They also share why science must be communicated in ways that are relatable to everyone while not diminishing or avoiding scientific facts. 
• 08:04 Let’s talk about the politicization of the term “climate change”—does avoiding the term actually help fuel the denial of climate change?  
• 11:55 Colonialism, white supremacy, racism, capitalism, and climate change are undeniably linked, and the only way to address the effects caused by a changing climate is to address these systems of oppression. 
• 19:00 Two regional case studies illustrating how these systems of oppression operate in tandem: The fraught history of Vietnamese American shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico who were falsely blamed for the declining shrimp fishery and Diane Wilson, the fourth-generation shrimper, who fought for decades against Formosa Plastics, the company whose plastic production and subsequent pollution of the bays is a real contributor to the decline of the Gulf’s fisheries
• 25:50 Don't discount the American South—why those of us with the most privileged identities should engage with, and not avoid, conservative states
• 32:24 Evelyn James, an eleven-year-old ocean advocate and author, explains her love of the ocean and her observations of a warming planet
• 35:26 Suraida Nañez-James, Evelyn’s mother, shares the origin of the Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit and some of the amazing projects the participants are doing to advance climate solutions 
• 42:42 It is important to engage youth in addressing climate change. Here’s what we can learn from them
• 47:51 How to cope with the eco-anxiety and remain hopeful in the face of these global challenges
• 49:44 Evelyn ends our series with her hopes for the future and her Gulf Story

 

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