Host Andrew Simon and co-host Yessenia Funes start off the sixth installment of Temperature Check—Grist’s new podcast on climate, race, and culture—by considering what climate justice will look like on a global level and the implications of John Kerry as the pick for climate envoy.

Later on in the episode, Simon and guest Dr. Chelsea Mikael Frazier discuss Black feminism, the work of Octavia Butler, and how Black women have always led on protecting the environment.

Guest Dr. Chelsea Mikael Frazier is a Black feminist ecocritic—writing, researching, and teaching at the intersection of Black feminist theory and environmental thought. As founder and chief creative officer at Ask An Amazon she designs educational tools, curates community gatherings, gives lectures, and offers consulting services that serve Black Feminist Fuel for Sustainable Futures. She is also a faculty fellow in the Cornell University Department of English and in the fall of 2021 she’ll begin her tenure-track appointment as an assistant professor of African American literature.

Listen to the full podcast about Black women sustainability leaders at Grist.