EcoJustice Radio

By SoCal 350 MediaSociety & Culture

EcoJustice Radio episodes

June 18, 2021 From Incarceration to Farming with ALMA Backyard Farms - Ep. 103
Communities of color facing racial prejudice and social injustice are looking to urban farming to solve problems of food insecurity and mass incarceration. Alma Backyard Farms [https://www.almabackyardfarms.com] fosters a connection to the land as a new kind of re-entry restorative justice for formerly incarcerated people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
In this episode, Richard D. Garcia and Erika L. Cuellar of ALMA Backyard Farms discuss their work to re-purpose land into productive urban farms, and re-imagine disenfranchised communities in LA as a hub for transformation through their job training program, place-based youth education, and organic farmstand. According to ALMA, growing food is the “ultimate rehabilitation.”
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Interview by Carry Kim
Intro by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 103
Image: ALMA Backyard Farms
59 min
June 11, 2021 Revitalizing Detroit One Hive At A Time with Detroit Hives - Ep. 102
Urban bee farms of Detroit are not only rebuilding honey bee populations, they are also rebuilding the city and uplifting the community. Since 1950, 61% of Detroit’s population has moved away in hopes for better opportunities. Whole neighborhoods in the inner-city have been abandoned, leaving overgrown lots and social issues for those who chose to stay.
Urban beekeeping happens to be one of the solutions forging a new path in Detroit. Nicole Lindsey and Timothy Paule Jackson of Detroit Hives [https://detroithives.org/] are generating a lot of buzz by activating vacant lots in the inner city and turning those spaces into urban bee farms. And doing so in a way that uplifts long-term residents and doesn’t lend to furthering gentrification.
Through their conservation and awareness efforts, educational programs, and health based initiatives, Detroit Hives is creating a safe home for bees and the community to live, feed, and thrive.
Timothy Paule Jackson and Nicole Lindsey are both lifetime Detroiters. Their non-profit organization Detroit Hives works to create sustainable communities and bee populations by transforming vacant lots into pollinator friendly spaces. Nicole is devoted to altering negative stigmas about bees by informing people of their crucial roles and benefits to the environment. She also teaches children about apiology. Timothy, comes from a background of photography and advertising. He is focused on making Detroit a bee city by repurposing vacant land into pollinator habitats. The overarching goal is to improve the quality of life not only for native plants and insects, but for the surrounding community.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 102
Image: Detroit Hives
1 hr
June 04, 2021 Wolakota Buffalo Range: Bringing Back Tatanka with Wizipan Little Elk - Ep. 101
The Lakota people are reclaiming and regenerating Indigenous Ecosystems while exercising their sovereignty as the original stewards of the Black Hills region of South Dakota. The Wolakota Buffalo Range [http://www.rosebudbuffalo.org/], a project of the Rosebud Economic Development Corp. (REDCO) [http://www.sicangucorp.com/], is fulfilling the vision of reconnecting buffalo (bison) to their rightful place on the Great Plains, and people of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Nation).
Listen to our discussion with guest Wizipan Little Elk (CEO of REDCO) as we dive into how he and his team are converting 28,000 acres of Rosebud Sioux Tribal lands from cattle to bison. The return of the bison will protect and strengthen the prairie ecosystem and create cultural opportunities, and will benefit the next Seven Generations.
Wizi Little Elk is a citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe where he serves as CEO of REDCO and its ecosystem of organizations that promote socioeconomic prosperity for the Lakota people of the Rosebud Reservation. Wizi’s previous experience includes political and legal work for a leading firm in Washington, DC, and serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. He received his B.A. from Yale and his law degree from the University of Arizona.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Interview by Carry Kim
Intro by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 101
Image: Courtesy of Wolakota Buffalo Range
1 hr
May 28, 2021 Advancing Eco-Mindfulness through Queer Ecology with Miles Lewis - Ep. 100
On our 100th episode, we discuss how adopting queer ecology principles can assist in the healing of relations with people and planet, uniting of movements, and solving the climate emergency facing us today. In order to solve social and ecological problems, environmentalists (et al) must disrupt heterosexist notions and reimagine nature, biology, and sexuality.
Queering ecology is the act of broadening our understanding of and re-evaluate our relationships with the larger world – a world that is more than human and an ecology that is not binary or dualistic. However, current narratives within the environmental movements can be restrictive, create divides, and stunt our ability to move forward.
Tune in to Episode 100 with guest Miles Lewis (public artist, organizer, and educator) [http://mileslewisstudio.com] as we dive into why Queer Ecology is vital to climate and social justice movements.
More Info: https://theyearsproject.com/learn/news/queer-ecology/
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 100
Image: Miles Lewis art
1 hr 10 min
May 21, 2021 Renewing the Environment with Mycoremediation with Danielle Stevenson - Ep. 99
Listen to our discussion with Danielle Stevenson, applied mycologist and founder of DIY Fungi [https://diyfungi.blog/] - she teaches and consults on growing mushrooms for food, medicine, and Earth Renewal. In this episode, Danielle discusses the innovative potential of mycoremediation to digest, transform or hyperaccumulate the toxicity of heavy metals, radioactive metals, "forever" chemicals, diesel, and even mundane pollutants including cigarette butts, bike lubricants and diapers.
Danielle Stevenson is currently a Ph. D. student in Environmental Toxicology at the University of California, Riverside, where she studies mycorrhizal fungi in soil remediation and sustainable agriculture. She is also founder and advisor to the Healing City Soils project, a ‘Future Leaders’ fellow with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture and a board member with CoRenewal and the Association for Women in Science in Riverside.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Interview by Carry Kim
Intro by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 99
Image: Courtesy of Danielle Stevenson
1 hr
May 14, 2021 Path to 100% Renewable Energy: The Los Angeles Model - Ep. 98
Can a major metropolitan city offer the blueprint for 100% clean, renewable energy portfolio, all the while ensuring that their climate efforts elevate community demands? Are the solutions affordable to all and ensure worker justice and well-paying jobs?
Listen to our discussion on achieving the Los Angeles goal of 100% renewable energy by the year 2045 (or even 2035) and starting the first ever Climate Emergency Mobilization office with our guests Jasmin Vargas, Senior Organizer for Food and Water Watch [https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/] and Andy Shrader, Director of Environmental Affairs for Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz [https://councilmemberpaulkoretz.com/] and first ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Department of a city.
More Info: https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/los-angeles-100-percent-renewable-study.html
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 98
Image: Unsplash
59 min
April 23, 2021 1000 Tiny Farms: A Regenerative Network with Greg Reese - Ep. 97
Listen in to our discussion with Greg Reese, co-founder of Sea + Soil [https://www.seaandsoil.org/] and creator of the 1000 Tiny Farms project [http://www.1000tinyfarms.com/]. A program working to cultivate a regional regenerative network of market gardens, share resources between farmers, and encourage people who have a desire to farm but don’t know how to start their own tiny farm.
*Greg Reese is a Southern California agrarian with a passion for growing regenerative, organic food by building healthy soils and biodiverse landscapes. His expertise in small-scale urban farming and no-till market gardening allows him to offer the highest quality produce in areas that need it the most. With a background in rainwater harvesting systems, native landscapes, orchard care, and permaculture, Greg aims to use his decade of experience to fight against social injustices in the food system.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Interview by Carry Kim
Intro by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 97
Image: Leia Marasovich
58 min
April 16, 2021 Break Free From The Plastic Death Cycle - Ep. 96
Have you heard of the Death Cycle of Plastic (vs the life cycle)? Our guests talk solutions and actions from current Congressional legislation and to a new report shining a light on the environmental justice impacts. What about Zero Waste; should it be reclaimed and restructured? And how do we decipher real solutions from false (that just promote more waste and social impacts)?
Plastic seems to be everywhere and in everything (including our bodies). Plastic also comes from somewhere and it carries with it a sordid history of environmental racism and climate disruption, starting with the extraction and refinement of fossil fuels, then moving to the manufacturing, transportation, consumer use, and final disposal of plastic. Our guests today explain why this should no longer be considered the “life cycle of plastic,” but instead a more accurate reflection in the Plastic Death Cycle.
Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder & Executive Director of Azul [http://www.azul.org] and Melissa Aguayo, Member Engagement Officer for Break Free From Plastic US [http://breakfreefromplastic.org/pollution-act] and Co Chair of Reusable LA [http://reusablela.org]
For more on the plastic pollution conundrum, check out our seven-part series, "The Plastic Plague: Connecting the Dots Between Extraction, Inequity, and Pollution" - https://socal350.org/ecojustice-radio-on-kpfk-90-7-fm-in-los-angeles/plastic-plague-series/
RESOURCES AND ARTICLES
https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/takeaction/
https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/pollution-act
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 96
Image: Jack Eidt
1 hr 4 min
April 02, 2021 LA River Revitalization: The Story of Master Plan Gone Awry - Ep. 95
The 51-mile Los Angeles River, more known for its barren stretches of concrete, is undergoing a long-term Master Planned greening and revitalization. Big questions remain about how to restore biodiversity, provide water resiliency in the face of climate disruption, and protect the local neighborhoods from green gentrification that has already presented problems along sections of the river.
On this show, our host Jessica Aldridge is joined by representatives from a coalition of organizations, Friends of the Los Angeles River [http://folar.org], Heal the Bay [http://www.healthebay.org], and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) [http://eycej.org/]. The coalition has concerns with the plan’s vision, lack of community input, human rights, and environmental protections.
*Liliana Griego serves as Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Engagement for Friends of the LA River. Having grown up along the Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles, she has had an intimate relationship with LA’s living waterways and uses her story and scientific background to advocate for a healthy, resilient, and equitably accessible LA River.
*Katherine Pease, Director of Science & Policy for Heal the Bay, has a background in biology, receiving her undergraduate degree from Barnard and her PhD from UCLA. She became passionate about protecting our local rivers and streams through her graduate research on tadpoles in the Santa Monica Mountains and visits to the LA River. Katherine has been at Heal the Bay for nine years, working to make our coastal waters and watersheds safe, healthy, and clean.
*Jessica Prieto, Community Stability Policy Organizer for EYCEJ, was born and raised in East Los Angeles and has a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA Luskin. She has extensive experience working at the grassroots level on various planning issues and their impact on communities of color. She has been an EYCEJ member since 2015, and currently leads EYCEJ's community stability efforts throughout Southeast LA cities.
-Comment portal for the Master Plan: https://folar.org/county-plan/
-Link to Facebook recording of advocacy training by HtB, FoLAR, EYCEJ: https://www.facebook.com/295656805868/videos/3706811629406761
-Guardian piece highlights how CBOs like East Yard need to hold polluters and agencies accountable. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/19/citizen-regulators-epa-pollution-environment
-LA Times write-up on the action at the federal courthouse after the Exide bankruptcy was announced: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-19/exide-cleanup-bankruptcy-march
-Article: http://folar.org/county-plan
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/
Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 95
Image: William Preston Bowling
59 min
March 26, 2021 Biotonomy: Designing Nature-Based Green Buildings and Cities - Ep. 94
LISTEN to our discussion with the lead architectural designer for the firm Biotonomy [https://www.biotonomy.com/] using a holistic and Nature-based approach for buildings and cities to address the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Rather than abandon crowded urban areas for sustainable living, great potential remains in re-envisioning buildings and cities in ways that work with, rather than against, Nature. Preferable to continuing the crash course of suburban sprawl that takes more than it gives, we can opt to embrace design and lifestyle principles that recycle and innovate with Nature-based solutions that address the climate, biodiversity and social justice crises.
In this episode, learn how to respond to the turbulence of our times creatively, collaboratively and harmonize with Nature in how we choose to live and build. Carry Kim talks with Moein Nodehi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/moein-nodehi-a5a3a9143], the founder, CEO, and Lead Architect for Biotonomy. With an international team of designers, their mission is to make buildings and cities become a force for restoring the natural world.
Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://wilderutopia.com/sustainability/biotonomy-nature-based-architectural-solutions/
Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
Interview by Carry Kim
Intro by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 94
Image: Biotonomy
1 hr 5 min