Sustainability Crash Course with Environmentalist Leah Thomas

Sustainability Crash Course with Environmentalist Leah Thomas

Author: Sony Music Entertainment / Jonathan Van Ness April 23, 2025 Duration: 44:01
Leah Thomas, author of The Intersectional Environmentalist, stopped by Getting Better to help us get a grip on how we can be sustainable from home, understand why environmental justice IS social justice, and why joy should be at the center of all activism. Leah Thomas is an award-winning environmentalist based in Los Angeles. A passionate advocate for the often-overlooked intersection between social justice, environmentalism, and culture, her work is shaped through the lens of eco-feminism. She is the author of the bestselling The Intersectional Environmentalist, a widely taught resource in university classrooms nationwide. In 2024, Leah founded Green Girl Productions, a media company that produces cultural and community events around environmental and social issues across the country. She is the founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, a groundbreaking non-profit and resource hub, where she currently serves as a board member. Beyond her advocacy, she has also lent her expertise as a climate solutions consultant for major companies like Apple. As a leading voice in the environmental space, Leah understands how to enact tangible change on a community and societal level by making environmentalism both digestible and accessible. Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 List and TIME100 NEXT, Leah is an established public speaker who has presented on prestigious stages including Dreamforce, TED, and Aspen Ideas. In her free time, Leah finds creative expression through crafting as an act of self-care and community-building, and to inspire her audience to embrace more sustainable, hands-on practices. Full Video Episodes now available on YouTube. You can follow Leah Thomas on Instagram @greengirlleah. Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Our senior producer is Chris McClure. Our editor, engineer, & videographer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall. Our theme music is composed by Chris McClure & Nathanael McClure Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know that feeling when you’re just trying to figure it all out, and you need a guide who’s equal parts insightful and hilarious? That’s the space where Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness lives. Hosted by the beloved Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye, this podcast turns genuine curiosity into a powerful engine for personal growth. Each episode feels like a vibrant conversation with a deeply empathetic friend who isn’t afraid to ask the big, awkward, or wonderfully silly questions. Jonathan sits down with a diverse array of experts, authors, and thinkers, weaving together discussions that are as enlightening as they are unexpectedly funny. The result is a unique blend of education, comedy, and culture that tackles everything from societal issues to the intimate details of self-improvement. You’ll find yourself laughing one moment and having a profound revelation the next, all while feeling less alone in the challenges of modern life. This isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about the ongoing, messy, and beautiful process of understanding ourselves and the world. Produced in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, the podcast delivers consistently engaging audio experiences that are both a lifeline and a joy. Tune in for a weekly dose of warmth, wit, and the kind of conversations that leave you feeling genuinely better equipped to navigate your own path.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness
Podcast Episodes
Are Mushrooms Truly Magic? with Dr. Patty Kaishian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:16
Jonathan long saw mushrooms as an ingredient to avoid on a menu—until they learned that mushrooms, and fungi more generally, have a lot to do with queerness. In this week’s “Pride In Nature” episode, Dr. Patty Kaishian j…
How Queer Is The Animal Kingdom? with Eliot Schrefer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:38
Were there same-sex couples on Noah’s Ark? Was Glee right that dolphins are just gay sharks? What’s a bonobo handshake?! Eliot Schrefer and Jonathan kick off our “Pride In Nature” series, running through June, with a con…
How F$^*#d Up Is Fatphobia? with Professor Sabrina Strings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
What do Enlightenment-era paintings, 19th-century American fashion magazines, and Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” have in common? They’re all strong examples of what fatphobia has to do with race, class, and gender discr…
What’s The Power Of Labor Organizing? with Kim Kelly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:39
This fall, pro-union sentiment in the US rose to 68 percent—the highest it’s been since 1965. We’re living through a major moment for labor organizing, and we have so many questions! How did we get here? Who got us here?…
Does Curiosity Grow On Trees? with Professor Beronda Montgomery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:33
*A note from Jonathan and the Getting Curious team: We are covering the latest SCOTUS developments on Instagram and Twitter @CuriouswithJVN. Head there for insights from past guests, resources, and relevant episodes from…
Who Were History’s “Female Husbands”? with Professor Jen Manion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:55
What was it like to trans gender if you were living in 18th or 19th century England or America? This week, Professor Jen Manion joins Jonathan to explore the world of “female husbands,” people who were raised as girls bu…
How Did You Become A Superstar? with Molly Shannon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:36
Sometimes, when we get real excited about an episode, we stick our hands under our armpits and SNIFF ’EM! And this week, we’re real excited, because we have none other than THE superstar Molly Shannon on the show. Listen…
What’s A Day In The Life Of A Coral Reef? with Dr. Juli Berwald [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:19
Coral are teeny tiny animals just two layers thick, and yet they create the biggest structures made by any biological creatures on the planet—like, the size of Italy big. Literally HOW! This week, Dr. Juli Berwald and Jo…