Kimberlé Crenshaw coined "intersectionality" in 1989 to explain how racism and sexism combine to shape Black women's experiences in law. It now describes how multiple identities and systems interact. In environmental education (EE), intersectionality reveals how social positions affect access to knowledge, outdoor spaces, and decision-making. Environmental injustices often hit low-income, mostly communities of color, with pollution, poor air/water quality, and fewer green spaces. These groups are also excluded from EE programs and leadership. Using intersectionality helps educators uncover and address these overlapping barriers to promote equity in EE.

Environmental education teaches about sustainability and the environment, but often it excludes some groups. Schools in poor areas often lack outdoor spaces, garden programs, and money for trips. The lessons usually focus on European perspectives and ideas about land ownership. This can make students of color, low-income students, and disabled students feel left out or disconnected. When teachers ignore these issues, they hide the fact that environmental problems affect people differently. To make environmental education fair, teachers must think about who is included, whose knowledge matters, and whose experiences are shared. Students should learn from different cultures to better understand the world. Teachers have a responsibility to prepare future leaders who care for the planet. It's important to help all students become better caretakers of the Earth.

Racial and geographic gaps in access to a healthy environment are well known. Communities of color and low-income groups, whether in cities or rural areas, face more environmental harm. But rural and urban youths face different problems, so education should be tailored to their situations.

Urban students often live near highways, factories, or waste sites, dealing with air pollution, few trees, and dirty water. Many live in food deserts—places without fresh food or parks. Even though city resources exist, many urban youths can't access environmental education because of cost, transport issues, or unfriendly programs.

Rural students, especially in farming areas, often live close to large, single-crop farms, landfills, or mining and industrial sites. Factory closures have left many buildings rundown and polluted. The mix of race and class in rural areas adds complexity. For example, rural Black communities in the South have strong ties to farming and land, but this knowledge is often ignored in traditional environmental education.

Environmental education often expects all students to join outdoor activities like hiking, gardening, or water tests. This leaves out students with mobility problems, long-term illnesses, or sensory issues. Even when they are included, outdoor spaces and programs usually aren’t fully accessible. Disability is rarely covered in environmental lessons. Yet, people with disabilities face greater risks from climate change, disasters, and pollution. Including disability justice means making places accessible, using clear communication, and involving disabled people in environmental efforts. Accessibility issues are worse in rural schools with old or poorly equipped buildings, and in crowded urban schools with aging facilities.

Indigenous communities have long cared for the land through sustainable practices. But mainstream environmental education (EE) often ignores or misrepresents Indigenous knowledge. It is important to respect and include this knowledge because it helps achieve environmental justice. Most environmental science teaches mainly Western ideas and treats Indigenous ways as just stories, not real science.

Truly including Indigenous views means more than short lessons