“Ecofeminism tries to explain ‘why feminism and ecology need each other’ (King, 1989, p. 407).  Ecofeminism draws on the connections between the oppression of women and the oppression of nature and how, by studying these two similar oppressions, a strategy can be found to help both women and nature at the same time. Not only does ecofeminism want to identify and fight these systems of oppression, it also wants to ‘consciously choose not to sever the womannature connection’ (King, 1989, p. 410). Part of the reason women may be oppressed in the way they are, is that they are seen as closer to nature. ‘Since it is always culture’s project to subsume and transcend nature, if women were considered part of nature, then culture would find it ‘natural’ to subordinate, not to say oppress, them’ (Ortner, 1974, p. 204). New Leaf is trying to continue, and expand on, the discourse surrounding the issues of the environment and how they may more closely affect women. Whether or not women are closer to nature should not matter. People should not see nature as something weaker or as something that needs to be dominated.”

–Ariane Beckman, Editor

Click here to read New Leaf!