This podcast episode challenges the widely accepted perception of environmental conservation as a purely ethical and regenerative movement. Instead, it exposes how the field’s foundational philosophies—shaped by figures like Teddy Roosevelt, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir—are deeply rooted in colonialism, imperialism, and racialized capitalism. These legacies, the episode argues, continue to shape mainstream conservation efforts today. The episode centers around the paper “From Racialized Neocolonial Global Conservation to an Inclusive and Regenerative Conservation,” co-authored by Prakash Kashwan, who is the featured guest. Kashwan explains that many conservation policies unfairly separate Indigenous people from the lands they’ve cared for, leading to harmful practices that promote resource extraction under the guise of wildlife preservation. To learn more, listen to the podcast here.
