Fighting for our future: Gretel Leeb’s battle against polluting power

By Renee Karunungan

 

When a gas-fired ‘peaking plant’ was proposed on the edge of an ancient woodland and along the banks of a river, Gretel Leeb knew she couldn’t stand by and watch. Concerned about air pollution, climate impact, and harm to local wildlife, she took action—rallying her community, securing expert support, and challenging the developers every step of the way. With the backing of the Environmental Law Foundation, Gretel has become a formidable force for environmental justice, proving that persistence and community power can stand up to profit-driven destruction.

 

What inspired you to take action and become a leader in environmental advocacy within your community?

An absolute determination to protect the place we love and not to be bullied by mindless people whose sole objective is to expand their wealth at the expense of local residents and their environment.

 

What has been your proudest achievement or most meaningful moment in your journey to protect the environment?

There have been many small victories and wonderfully encouraging moments:

• The surprising number of people who turned up to our first community meeting;
• The way our local politicians turned out in support of us;
• The way the nine special people with their diverse skills and experience came forward and agreed to form our committee;
• The wonderful point at which we found an “ELF”  to help us and they found for us our splendid pro bono Barrister;
• The way other people in the community and further afield have helped us with their specialist knowledge, creative skills and ideas;
• The point at which our barrister helped us find two wonderful consultants who agreed to help us, at a ‘community rate’, to counter the dubious reports paid for by the developers in support of their application and
• The most recent satisfaction of watching the  experienced teamwork between our barrister and our two consultants as they won points all the way through the three public hearings that the planning inspector had called.

 

What challenges have you faced as a woman leader in environmental advocacy, and how have you overcome them?

Typically, the people who work in those companies that put profit and expanding wealth before the health and well-being of people and their environment are a ‘testosterone driven’ bunch!  They frequently believe that they can sweep aside, by force of spending power and ‘influence’, the concerns and interests of those in communities whom they imagine to be weak and helpless.  And, outdated as it may seem, there is invariably an undercurrent of misogyny at work in their interactions;  but that is only a challenge to those who allow themselves to be sucked into thinking as they do!  My advice is to keep reminding oneself that their attitudes are both outdated and stupid!

 

How do you believe empowering women contributes to stronger, more resilient environmental movements?

Simply by adding to the weight of numbers, the tenacity of effort and the diversity of approaches needed to sustain the fight.

 

What advice would you give to other women and girls who want to take action and become leaders in environmental justice? 

Relax, think, dig deep into your own lived experience and find there the strength of spirit and self belief that we are all born with – then put it to work every single day!