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Have you ever considered the alternate or subliminal messages behind many advertisements, especially ones for meat? I hadn’t, or at least, not to the extent that Carol J. Adams, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat, The Pornography of Meat, and many other feminist-vegan books, has. Adams has been researching and writing about the oppression and marginalization of animals for decades, as well as the connections between their oppression and the oppression of women, especially in Western society. The way animals and women are connected in advertising is yet another example of the connection between women and nature that is the basis of ecofeminism. Adams compiled a slideshow, also entitled “The Sexual Politics of Meat,” comprising images of meat advertisements as well as images depicting logos or cartoons used by restaurants, to showcase some of the common images that degrade and oppress both animals and women. As Adams notes in her interview with Annie Potts for the journal, Antennae, images such as these are widespread in our culture here in the United States and work to define who the consumer is and who is being consumed, which strengthens the idea that there is some essential difference between men and women and between humans and animals. This belief that there is an essential difference supports one group’s domination over the other (Potts/Adams 15). So, to me, it’s basically a cycle. Patriarchy and male dominance over females, as well as speciesism and human dominance over animals, is upheld by the images we see in media and culture, and those images are accepted and proliferate throughout society because of patriarchy and speciesism. It is also important to note that these images Adams writes of, as well as the majority of advertising and/or pop culture images, are designed with a white, straight, male viewer and consumer in mind. Now, I’m no writer or theorist like Carol J. Adams, but I’m going to try my best to analyze some of the images she has curated for her slideshow to try to demonstrate what we mean when we say the oppression of women and animals are linked in advertisements for meat.

The first image I’ve decided to analyze is this sign, presumably outside a restaurant/bar. This ad for the business’ “late nite menu” utilizes the image of a hamburger with a woman’s legs in high heels. The hamburger is saying “Eat me.” The use of a hamburger makes the actual animal, the cow, an absent referent, as Adams calls them. The business is not talking about a cow as an animal, as a living and breathing being; they are talking about a product made from the cow’s dead body with no mention of the cow. The burger has women’s legs with high heels. and what appear to be fish nets. This image sexualizes women and was clearly made for the straight male, and therefore portrays the message that he is the consumer, while the woman and the cow are the consumables. The image doesn’t even use the full body of the woman, just her legs, eliminating her personhood as well. She is an object to be looked at and used to entice men to visit that restaurant for a late-night burger, which is also only part of a cow made into an object to be eaten. Using the words “eat me” also invokes a sexual undertone. The burger is asking to be eaten; the animal actually wants you to kill and eat it, much like the woman wants you to objectify her and sexualize her. This image implies that both women and animals want their subordinate position; they exist for the purpose of pleasing men.

The next image I chose to analyze is this picture of “Dairy Air Ice Cream Co.” The name and logo are a play on derriere, the French word for buttocks, but what also sounds like “dairy air.” The logo sexualizes the cartoon cow by featuring prominent, human-like buttocks facing towards the viewer, tail raised so we can be sure to see her full buttocks, looking seductively over her shoulder at the viewer with eyebrow raised. The image is sexually suggestive and reminiscent of a pornographic (or at least sexually suggestive) image of a woman at a bar. Obviously dairy products come from female cows, so its assumed a cow on the logo for an ice cream shop would be female, but this cow is also very feminized, with long hair and eyelashes, with her cattle tag appearing like an earring – a mere accessory, not a tool used to mark her as property. While visiting an ice cream shop is often thought of as a fun activity to do with children, I can’t imagine that children are the intended target of this logo. Once again, the straight male is the consumer, and the sexualized female and sexualized animal are the objects being consumed. Even so, I imagine a lot of children probably see this logo, and this furthers the cycle of oppression. Children see these images and see how girls and women are supposed to be viewed as well as how animals are supposed to be viewed – as things to be looked at or used for their own needs, not as individuals with needs of their own. This logo also makes light of the fact that cows’ reproductive systems are abused to produce dairy products, such as ice cream. This logo acknowledges that cows are needed for ice cream, but makes it seem as though this is something the cows want. They want you to use their bodies for your needs.

This ad is for a rack of ribs, but that’s not what the caption or imagery implies! The rack of ribs is down the bottom of the photo, definitely not the focus. “Rack” is a common term for a women’s breasts, so using an image of two women with large breasts in low cut dresses with the caption “we’ve got the best racks” immediately makes one think of that use of the term rack, not meat. A part of the women’s bodies is being used to sell part of a dead animal’s body. There is a lone male sitting between the two women, and there are so many possibilities for why he’s there in the center of the image. The creator could have been trying to center a male and imply that he is going to have both the ribs and the women. The male also comes of sort of like a pimp, like he is the one in control of the women and their bodies. It also shows a male viewer, hey look at this guy! He’s surrounded by two women with a rack of ribs on the table that he’s about to eat! He’s so manly, and you could be too if you only ate here! The message is that the women are being used to sell the meat, meaning they are the consumables along with the meat, whereas the man in the ad and the man the ad is made for is the consumer. All humans in the ad are also white, further showing that white men in particular are the intended audience.

The final ad I’ve chosen to analyze did not come from Adams’ slide show, but easily could have. This is an ad for Carl’s Jr., a fast-food restaurant. I actually found this ad as an example in a 2018 article from The Washington Post entitled “6 ways the meat industry objectifies women.” This ad does not feature any women or images of their body parts. It does not feature sexualized images of animals or food items, but it is still an ad that oppresses both women and animals. The viewer/consumer is a straight male, while the consumable is the chicken and the woman. The line “everybody loves big breasts” is front and center in large font, all caps. This is focusing on a specific body part of a chicken that is killed to make food, while also using the phrase to imply something about a women’s body part as well. It is doubly bad because chickens raised for meat are often genetically modified to have large breasts, so much so that they often cannot stand due to their weight. I am sure they don’t love big breasts, but it doesn’t matter what the animal prefers. This ad again emphasizes that animals and women exist for people to look at and comment on their bodies, nothing more.

What an interesting topic this week! I can’t wait to read some of Carol J. Adams’ books!

Sources:

Adams, Carol J and Potts, Annie. “The Politics of Carol J. Adams.” Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, issue 14, Autumn 2010, pp. 12-24. ANTENNAE+ISSUE+14.pdf

Kemmerer, Lisa. “The Pornography of Meat by Carol J. Adams.” Philosophy Now, 2006. The Pornography of Meat by Carol Adams | Issue 56 | Philosophy Now.

Image Sources

Images 1, 2, and 3: Adams, Carol J. “Examples of the Sexual Politics of Meat.” Carol J. Adams. Examples of The Sexual Politics of Meat — Carol J. Adams

Image 4: Carl’s Jr. Located in “6 ways the meat industry objectifies women,” The Washington Post, 21 February 2018, Rachel Krantz (author). 6 ways the meat industry objectifies women – The Washington Post.

This image was chosen to illustrate the connection between gender and meat. First, the cartoon person doing the carving appears to be a male. That was my initial assumption anyway based off of the fact that it has no visible hair and that it is carving meat. As discussed in the readings this week, meat is generally thought of as a male food, and that is immediately the connection I made with this image and the gender of the person doing the cutting. Also, cutting meat is generally seen of as a “male task” in America, or at least in my experience. I have seen so many pop culture depictions of a woman doing the cooking, whether for a big family meal, dinner with the husband’s boss and wife, or a holiday such as Thanksgiving, only to set the meat down in front of her husband so he can carve it. Even in my own family, I am very close with my cousins, going to visit them for every birthday and holiday and sharing a big meal. My cousin Matt’s wife always does the cooking, but whenever it involves meat (such as corned beef and cabbage), she has him cut the meat, when with every other meal (such as lasagna), she will cut the food into portions herself. The image of the meat being cut by a (presumably) male figure also relates to Deane Curtin’s essay “Toward an Ecological Ethic of Care.” She describes the main points of connection between the oppression of animals and oppression of women outlined in The Sexual Politics of Meat, referencing the “pornographic representation of women as ‘meat’ ready to be carved up, for example in ‘snuff’ films” (Curtin). The piece of meat on the tray here and the animal that it once was is representative of and connected to women being portrayed as ready and waiting for men to have their way with them.

The connection between gender and food extends beyond men and meat, however. Drinks are gendered, especially alcoholic drinks. Beer is typically seen as a “man’s drink,” while wine or margaritas are seen as a “woman’s drink.” Beer commercials generally feature “manly men” doing manly men things, like driving trucks to the bar or liquor store, barbecuing, or cracking a cold one after a long day of work on their farm or at their blue-collar job. Women who enjoy beer are seen as an anomaly, portrayed in TV shows as “like the guys” and to be admired for her different taste, or portrayed as “trashy” depending on the context. At the same time, women are portrayed as loving wine, with t-shirts and tumblers proclaiming them a “wine mom” or something similar. I cannot tell you how many wine-related things I have seen marketed towards women on social media. Fruity mixed drinks and margaritas are also seen as women’s drinks, with men who drink fruity drinks having their masculinity questioned or having to defend themselves and explain to their buddies that it actually tastes good.

The practices surrounding food, such as the way it is prepared or served are gendered as well. Cooking is still seen as primarily a woman’s task, unless of course it is grilling. That task belongs to the men. This is perpetuated in movies and TV shows, advertising for grills, and social interactions in general. Men are always depicted as the ones grilling at cookouts while the women prepare side dishes such as the three types of salad: pasta, potato, and plain vegetable. On TV shows and in a lot of social interactions, women are portrayed as the ones cooking (inside the home, not around a dangerous grill of course). Men who cook are seen as anomalies and praised for cooking for their families, but it is definitely portrayed as a flip of the traditional gender roles. When it comes to serving food, even that is gendered, with women oftentimes serving food to men. As I mentioned the example with my cousin earlier, Matt’s wife usually makes a plate for him, even if he protests and insists he can do it himself (not sure if he does it because he is embarrassed with other people around or if he truly does not want her to do this for him). Her mother was very traditional, and so she has been conditioned to be subservient to men, but she is not alone. Serving food is generally seen as a woman’s task. Cafeteria workers in schools, serving children their meals, are generally women. That is who children grow up seeing, already associating women with serving food. When there is a male, he is usually the “head chef,” or at least seen as the one being in charge of the others, even in TV shows.

Ecofeminists see the gender politics surrounding different types of food as well as eating practices. But they also see the way nonhuman animals are treated and killed for food as oppressive and link that oppression with the oppression of women. As ecofeminist Greta Gaard notes, “animal pejoratives are used to dehumanize women,” pointing out many of the derogatory terms for women that are also words for animals, such as “cow,” “chick,” or “old bat” (Gaard 20). She also notes that “linguistic association with animals has also been a method of demeaning Jews and people of color” (Gaard 20). Ecofeminist Deane Curtin also writes of the associations between men and meat and women and vegetables, with meat being portrayed as a positive thing, and vegetables a negative thing. Ecofeminists see women in particular as being linked with nonhuman animals through oppression. At the same time that women are oppressed in a patriarchal society, however, we are also oppressors, keeping and using animals for our needs at the expense of their own well-being and fulfillment. As Gaard writes, “…many people have come to believe that their well-being can be attained and enjoyed independently of – and even, at the expense of – the well-being of others, both human and non-human” (Gaard 21). She goes on to write “By keeping pets, we strive to shield ourselves from recognizing our own complicity in a system of inter-species domination. As long as we keep captive and show kindness to one or two token species of animals, the others can be experimented on, caged, tormented, eaten” (Gaard 21). In other words, by keeping pets and treating them well, we feel good about how we treat nonhuman animals. We can trick ourselves into believing that we truly care about their well-being, while simultaneously allowing and contributing to the deaths and inhumane living conditions of animals as they are used for food, sport, entertainment, and experimentation. We are complicit in the system of oppression. Gaard goes on to argue that “oppression reduces the humanity of the oppressor at the same time that it subjugates the oppressed” (Gaard 22). We do not benefit from being the oppressors of anyone, including nonhuman animals. While Curtin makes similar arguments, she also brings up the important point that our eating habits in America also oppress people in other countries. Fields that were once used to grow food for the people now are used only to grow crops and raise meat for exportation. What she says next is so important. “One need not be aware of the fact that one’s food practices oppress others in order to be an oppressor” (Curtin). I think this quote is so important. It relates not only to how we in America oppress people in other countries, but those in this country and animals as well. Both ecofeminists argue in favor of contextual moral vegetarianism, or eating a vegetarian diet as long as the context (situationally, geographically, culturally) allows it. This helps free us from at least some of our oppression of nonhuman animals and other humans, as our food is no longer derived from violence, factory farming, or food production at the expense of others. This is good all around, as it makes us healthier and freer. Curtin also makes the valid point that as women especially, we should consider the reproductive exploitation of female animals when it comes to milk and eggs and consider going a step further than vegetarianism to veganism, to be in solidarity with female animals. It is our moral duty to care for others and prevent their suffering, and this includes animals.

Personally, I have been fully vegetarian and drank no cows’ milk for a little over a year. I only eat eggs that come from my chickens, so I know that while it still isn’t great to be doing, at least the chickens have decent living conditions. I decided to cut out meat for the reasons above. I knew I was just one person and that meat and dairy products would still be produced regardless of if I ate it or not, but I could no longer stand the thought of my food coming from the death of other living beings. The conditions animals are kept in for food production are incredibly inhumane (not to mention unsafe to us and unstable to the food supply, like what bird flu has done to the price and safety of eggs and meat products). Switching to being a vegetarian was one of the easiest choices I’ve made, and honestly so easy. There are so many options for meat alternatives, the food is delicious, and I feel more connected to the earth and more free knowing my food is not coming from the mistreatment of animals. I had already decided I was never going back unless the situation dictated it, like if it was my only means to survive, but reading these articles solidified my decision even more, and especially seeing the Animal Kill Clock.

Sources:

Curtin, Deane. “Toward an Ecological Ethic of Care.” Hypathia, No. 6, spring 1991, pp. 68-71. Accessed electronically via Contextual Moral Vegetarianism, by Deane Curtin.

Gaard, Greta. “Ecofeminism on the Wing: Perspectives on Human-Animal Relations.” Women and Environments, fall 2001, pp. 19-22. Accessed electronically via (PDF) Ecofeminism on the Wing: Perspectives on Human-Animal Relations.

Peggy_Marco. “Cook Serve Grill.” Pixabay. 

 

 

Dighton Rock State Park, taken by author Oct. 2020

Dighton Rock State Park in Berkley, Massachusetts is a place that informs who I am. I was fortunate enough to grow up near this hidden gem of a state park, and I am fortunate now to still live near it. Growing up, my mom had a family daycare and would often take us on small field trips to Dighton Rock to walk through the trails, play in the open grassy spaces, eat a picnic lunch, and, if we were lucky, check out the small museum devoted to figuring out the mystery of who first carved Dighton Rock. As I got older and my mom gave up the daycare, we didn’t have much money, but we always had Dighton Rock. My mom and I would often (and still sometimes do) go to the park to eat lunch or take a quick walk. Even now I take my dog for walks here often and bring friends to this special place whenever I can. My fiancé and I are even considering getting married here! I am fortunate to live in a rural area on a little over an acre and a half of land, with lots of trees, plants, and wildlife, and almost no light pollution. Even so, Dighton Rock is so important to me as a quiet place to sit and be with nature, away from the responsibilities of home. It is situated on the bank of the Taunton River, which if you read my very first post on here, you know is something very important to me. Dighton Rock has informed my views on the importance of national and state parks, as well as other protected land areas.  As Terry Tempest Williams writes, “Each of us belongs to a particular landscape, one that informs who we are, a place that carries our history, our dreams, holds us to a moral line of behavior that transcends thought. And in each of these places home work is required, a participation in public life to make certain all is not destroyed under the banner of progress, expediency, or ignorance. We cannot do it alone. This is the hope of a bedrock democracy, standing our ground in the places we love together” (Williams 19). Growing up with Dighton Rock practically in my backyard has made me want to fight for it and places like it to remain untouched by human development. The roughly 100 acres of woods with a small grassy area is home to so much wildlife and is an area where they can all live free from the threat of hunting or property development. It fostered in me from a very young age a love and care for nature and the environment. Given what is happening currently with what is essentially shaping up to be an attack on our national parks and protected spaces, a place like Dighton Rock has made me want to stand up and fight. Our democracy is all about governing by the will of the people, for the people. If enough people come together and stand up for what they care about, change can happen. Even now, I see so many of my friends on social media coming together to speak out about the attacks on our parks. This is creating a community of like-minded people. Our connection to the natural world, to the places that are important to us, is the reason for this growing community and for people participating in politics. While Williams was speaking of the desert in Utah and the fight for land conservation in the Western United States, the concepts she writes of still hold true. She writes that for those who have experienced the natural beauty of a place, the idea of loving and honoring the land (“making love to the land”) in a non-exploitative way, “is not hard to understand: falling in love with a place, being in love with a place, wanting to care for a place and see it remain intact as a wild piece of the planet” (Williams 16). That is how I feel with Dighton Rock, and I can easily translate that feeling to other natural spaces, regardless of where they are. Williams writing of the Castle Rock community coming together to fight land development and try to switch to sustainable ranching and logging practices (Williams 15) gives me hope for democracy; for the power that comes from people coming together for a common cause brought about by a shared belief or upbringing.

Dighton Rock State Park, taken by author Oct. 2020

Writer Barbara Kingsolver writes in her essay “Knowing Our Place,” “People will need wild places. Whether or not they think they do, they do. They need to experience a landscape that is timeless, whose agenda moves at the pace of speciation and ice ages. To be surrounded by a singing, mating, howling commotion of other species, all who love their lives as much as you do, and none whom could possibly care less about your economic status or your day-running calendar” (Kingsolver 2). Wow. What a powerful and important statement. I wholeheartedly agree with Kingsolver’s assessment that we all need wild places. The world is huge and life on Earth expands so much further than just us. It is nice to be reminded of that sometimes. To be reminded of our insignificance, to be reminded that our problems are small and that the things that matter in day to day life don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Nature doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, it is going to treat you the same way and you are going to be able to experience it no matter what your socioeconomic status. It is a nice break and a reset. But, most importantly, while showing us how insignificant we are and that there are an immense number of species on this planet who all have lives they deserve to live just as much as we do, we are also reminded how important our choices are to the future. “Wilderness puts us in our place. It reminds us that our plans are small and somewhat absurd. It reminds us why, in those cases in which our plans might influence many future generations, we ought to choose carefully” (Kingsolver 2). We need to be reminded that our choices impact more than just us and that our choices matter.

The great thing about nature is that anyone can experience of it, regardless of where they live. Nature is all around us. Bugs, birds, grass, weeds, parks, green spaces, a houseplant or small garden. All of it can be experienced by anyone, regardless of if they live in a city or a rural area, regardless of if they are rich or poor. You just have to look for it.

Sources:

Kingsolver, Barbara. “Knowing Our Place.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: Understanding Place Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline.

Williams, Terry Tempest. “Home Work.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: Understanding Place Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline.

 

Women in the Global South are affected by environmental issues that are very different than the issues affecting women in the Global North, especially in the ways these issues manifest. A large issue affecting women in the Global South is the issue of forest degradation and water depletion. Women are primarily the ones responsible for gathering firewood, water, and fodder for animals, so when forests are degraded and water sources are depleted or polluted, they must expend more time and energy traveling to areas with sufficient wood/water, collecting it, and traveling back home. Even then, they sometimes search for hours and are unable to collect what is needed, affecting their and their family’s ability to eat nutritious and safe cooked meals (Agarwal 138-140). The increased time and energy expended searching for firewood and water can also lead to nutritional deficiencies as the women are then unable to seat sufficient nutritious to make up the extra calories lost (Agarwal 140). Their ability to earn an income and attend school are also negatively impacted by the longer trips to collect water and firewood, as they now have to expend more time traveling for these resources (United Nations Women and Water).  Water pollution due to pesticide or fertilizer also exposes women to harmful chemicals as they are often the ones getting water or using rivers and streams for cleaning purposes (Agarwal 140).

While there are some similarities between ecofeminism from a Western and non-Western perspective, there are also some key differences. Both perspectives see the oppression of women and the oppression of nature as linked, and both see themselves as opposing structures of government and society and not individual people.  Both Western ecofeminist Laura Hobgood-Oster and non-Western ecofeminist Bina Agarwal recognize in their perspectives on ecofeminism that all forms of oppression are connected and must be examined together (Hobgood-Oster 1, Agarwal 123). One of the main differences I found in their perspectives, however, is Agarwal’s focus on actual, lived experience and intersectionality at a level other than ideological. She argues that it is necessary to not only look at the issue in terms of “ideology (such as through the work women and men do and the gender division of property and power),” but to also look at “the material realities in which women of different classes (/castes/races) are rooted” and how this may influence their “response to environmental degradation” (Agarwal 123). Basically, Agarwal is arguing that we need to look at the whole picture and what other factors are causing a division of labor or specific issues. She argues that women in Third World countries are not inherently more connected with nature than men, as some in the West argue, but rather that their economic status connects them with nature as they need to actually use the resources and gain knowledge of nature for survival (Agarwal 149). Hobgood-Oster points out that ecofeminism has been criticized as “essentialist” as the ideology of the women-nature link seems to suggest all women share the same traits across class, culture, etc (Hobgood-Oster 12-13). Agarwal argues that we need to recognize that women do not have the same lived realities, needs, and issues even within the same country or culture and that we cannot generalize and instead must focus on individual women and communities and their needs (Agarwal 150). For this reason, I find the non-Western perspective of Agarwal more interesting and appealing. It seems more solid and real. The women/nature link is not a theoretical thing, nor is it something that applies universally to all women for the sheer reason that they are a woman. It focuses more on lived experiences, intersectionality, and emphasizes the differences between different cultures, communities, and groups, focusing on their lived experience and the factors that influence why they are more connected with nature than their male counterparts. I like that this perspective recognizes differences.

Sources:

Agarwal, B. (1992). The Gender and Environment Debate: Lessons from India. Feminist Studies, 18(1), 119–158. https://doi.org/10.2307/3178217

Hobgood-Oster, Laura. “Ecofeminism: Historic and International Evolution.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: What Is Ecofeminism? Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline

Water and Gender. United Nations: UN Water. Retrieved February 11, 2025. Water and Gender | UN-Water

Thanks for checking out my ecofeminism blog! If you don’t already know anything about this strand of feminism, I’m sure you’re wondering what it is, so today I want to give a basic overview of ecofeminism. Maybe you’ve never thought about it before, or maybe you have, but Western societies, in general, value their lives and needs above the lives and needs of everything else on earth. Humans from these societies tend to view nature as existing for them, for their needs. This is called instrumentalism, the foundation of which can be found as far back as the book of Genesis in the Bible (McHenry 2). This belief that nature exists solely for human use has led to the domination and subjugation of nature by humans. We abuse nature for our needs, whether it be tearing down trees and habitats for more housing, engaging in harmful and damaging farming practices for our food, killing animals for sport or food, drilling for oil, dumping pollutants and sewage into bodies of water, or our current “factory” style farming practices for food, among other things. According to ecofeminism, the oppression of nature and the oppression of women are linked and neither can be free until both are. According to environmentalist Laura Hobgood-Oster, “ecofeminism asserts that all forms of oppression are connected and that the structures of oppression must be addressed in their totality” (Hobgood-Oster 1). Patriarchal systems are the basis of oppression (Hobgood-Oster 1). Ecofeminism “challenges structures rather than individuals” and “reflect varied political stances” (Hobgood-Oster 2). One of the main goals of ecofeminism is to dismantle the binaries that form the basis for oppression (Hobgood-Oster 2). Ecofeminism supports and celebrates the diversity of all forms of life and seeks to free all living things that are oppressed by patriarchy. A huge component of some ecofeminism is also the idea that women and the earth are connected, whether it be women historically and currently being involved in agriculture and food gathering, or as the myth that women and earth/nature were in the same lower category of being. This has, however, garnered some criticism as being “essentialist in nature,” or that it claims all people of the same category are the same (Hobgood-Oster 12-13). However, at its core, I believe ecofeminism is about freeing all living things from oppression. We all have the right to live and thrive on this earth. The natural world deserves to be free and has value on its own, not only because it can provide something for humans. Ecofeminism wants all living things to thrive and for diversity of both humans and nature to be celebrated and protected.

Image from Chrissonam via Pixabay

I’ve chosen to analyze the image “Mother Earth, Gaia, Goddess” by Chrissonam from an ecofeminist perspective. Essentially, as Hobgood-Oster states, this image emphasizes the “women/nature connection” (Hobgood-Oster 12). This image asserts that women are connected to the earth and responsible for nature. If the earth and women are connected, the connection between the oppression of nature and patriarchy is even clearer. Nature and the earth are feminine, and therefore not on the same plane as men and masculinity and therefore need to be subjugated and controlled.

Image (AI Generated) from Tim_HD via Pixabay

Besides the “Mother Earth” connection, another example of women and nature being connected is the DC villain Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is an enemy of Batman and attacks humans via ecoterrorism in order to assert nature’s dominance. Her costume is covered in leaves and vines, much like her namesake plant. She is a woman seeking vengeance for nature, depicted like she is one with nature, a powerful image and connection of women and nature.

That’s all I have this week, and I hope you were able to learn something about ecofeminism!

Sources:

Chrissonam. Mother Earth Gaia Goddess. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mother-earth-gaia-goddess-mother-8674332/

Hobgood-Oster, Laura. “Ecofeminism: Historic and International Evolution.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: What Is Ecofeminism? Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline

McHenry, Kristen. “Ecofeminism Background.” UMassD WGS 307 Blackboard: What Is Ecofeminism? Learning Module. https://umassd.umassonline.net/ultra/courses/_36339_1/cl/outline

Tim_HD. AI Generated Poison Ivy Villain. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-poison-ivy-villain-8989484/

“Poison Ivy (character).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation. 5 February 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_Ivy_(character)

Hi, thanks for checking out my blog! My name is Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Liza (Lih-zuh, not Lie-zuh…although I guess pronunciation doesn’t matter since you’ll only be reading my name). I am in my final semester as a history major at UMass Dartmouth, and, due to being a transfer student who hadn’t majored in history at my previous school, am unfortunately one class shy of being able to have a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Outside of school, I work as a firefighter/EMT and also a high school softball coach, two jobs I truly love! In my spare time, I love to workout, go for walks or car rides with my adorable dog, read (anything and everything), and try new vegan foods and restaurants with my fiance! We are both vegetarians that for the most part eat vegan (but it’s SO HARD to say goodbye to real cheese, so it’s a slow transition to fully vegan). Neither of us are vegetarians for any health benefits; it’s all about the animals and the environment.

(taken by author: Nemasket River, major tributary of the Taunton River)

I live in the Greater Taunton Area in southeastern Massachusetts, and a local environmental issue of particular concern to me is the overflow of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Taunton River. According to the City of Taunton’s website, the city has 1 of 19 state permits issued by the MassDEP and U.S. EPA to have a Combined Sewer Overflow location. Taunton’s is located on West Water Street, in the Weir neighborhood of Taunton. Due to the age of the city’s infrastructure, both sewage and stormwater are carried in the same drainage pipes. What this means is that during heavy rainfall or snowmelt, the system can get overloaded and discharge the sewage into the river instead of sending into the wastewater treatment plant. Now, this is crazy, but it can’t happen that often, can it? Well, that depends on how you define often. The city’s website has a posting of all of the CSO discharge events from 2020 to 2024, and there were NINE discharges in 2024. By comparison, there were two events in 2021 and one in 2023. So, to me, this begs the question of why is this occurring more frequently and what is being done to reduce it? What are the environmental impacts? Unfortunately, this is not getting much news coverage and people are not talking about it in the way I feel they should be. April of 2024 is the first time I saw a discharge notification posted on the City of Taunton’s Facebook page, and people seemed to just be laughing and joking about it, as if this is just a normal thing…which I guess, unfortunately, it is. As far as the impacts, the Taunton River Watershed Alliance (TRWA) does routine monthly sampling of the water in multiple locations of the River from April to October. The results on their website show high nitrate and enterococci bacteria levels in various locations, but one of the highest results is from the Chuckamucksett Brook on Berkley Street in Berkley, a tributary only a few miles downriver of the West Water Street CSO site. Interestingly enough, the other consistently high nitrate locations are immediately downriver of the Brockton Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to this post on the TRWA’s website. The Taunton River is 40 miles long and spans from Bridgewater to the Mount Hope Bay, the longest free-flowing river in New England. The watershed of the Taunton River and its tributaries is a 562 square miles. Pollution in the river has an impact on plants, animals, recreational activities, and the humans that live near and interact with the river. We are lucky to have groups like the TRWA to consistently monitor and advocate for the Taunton River and its watershed.

(taken by author, Nemasket River, major tributary of Taunton River)

I feel I may have gone on too long, but one last thing I want to say is about inspiration for the blog. I found inspiration looking at the Feminist Majority Foundation’s blog. I enjoyed their focus on the intersectionality of issues as well as a category of blog posts specifically devoted to climate change and environmental issues and how they impact women. I would like to take an intersectional approach to the topics I write about and consider the voices, contributions, and impacts on People of Color and Indigenous people while also recognizing my own background and how I come to these issues. One thing I would like to incorporate into my blogs that these didn’t as much was a call to action. A lot of their blog posts seemed to just be reporting on the news, not telling people what they could do to help.

Let me know what you think about the Taunton River sewage overflow! What do you think can be done about it?

Sources:

“Combined Sewer Overflow Information and Notifications.” City of Taunton, Massachusetts, Combined Sewer Overflow Information and Notifications | Taunton, MA.

Silva, Stephen. “October Monitoring Results Available, End of 2024 Sampling Year.” Taunton River Watershed Alliance, Watershed News – Taunton River Watershed Alliance.

“The Taunton River and Its Watershed.” Taunton River Watershed Alliance, The Taunton River and Its Watershed – Taunton River Watershed Alliance.