EcoJustice Radio

Join host Carry Kim as she welcomes Neil Douglas-Klotz, a distinguished writer, researcher, and musician, to explore the untamed landscape of spirituality and its ancient roots from 2024. In this episode, Neil shares insights into how Western society has evolved through the cultural and spiritual extraction from the East, particularly focusing on the indigenous spirituality of the Middle East. Discover the profound impact of mistranslations in religious texts and the importance of reclaiming our spiritual heritage. Neil delves into the rich traditions of Southwest Asia, offering a fresh perspective on the teachings of Jesus, the importance of reconnecting with nature, and the wisdom of ancient nomadic cultures. This episode promises to challenge conventional beliefs and inspire a deeper understanding of spirituality in our modern world.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

LINKS

Neil Douglas-Klotz, Ph.D. [https://abwoon.org] is a renowned writer, researcher, teacher, and musician in the fields of Middle Eastern spirituality and the translation and interpretation of the ancient Semitic languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. Living in Scotland, he was for many years the co-chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion. A frequent speaker and workshop leader, he is the author of several books on the Aramaic spirituality of Jesus including Prayers of the Cosmos and Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus, as well as books on Native Middle Eastern spirituality and Sufism.

Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt

Hosted by Carry Kim

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 240

Photo credit: Neil Douglas-Klotz

Humans are the greatest threat to mountain lions. In California, close to 40 million people live within, or adjacent to, cougar habitat.

Mountain lions as a species are not listed as endangered. But generally speaking, vehicle strikes, rat poison, inbreeding, wildfires, poaching, urban encroachment complaints, livestock depredation kill permits, and freeway systems are all contributing to what scientists call an “extinction vortex.”

In this show from 2024 we discuss the efforts to protect predators, particularly the mountain lion, who are still somewhat numerous, but declining fast in the world of sprawling housing developments and freeways.

First, we air parts of a Documentary series called California Mountain Lions, Legends of California, by UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center [https://youtu.be/GLvRuSjSYgo?si=wOMXEOB60EjdUpjd].

We include sections from an interview our host Jessica Aldridge did with Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, focusing on mountain lion populations, wildlife connectivity, and existing and planned transportation crossings as a solution to protect wildlife. [https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/room-to-roam-the-importance-of-wildlife-connectivity-crossings/]

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of National Wildlife Federation, joins us to discuss the importance of connectivity and wildlife crossings. She explains why they are an integral strategy in land and habitat conservation and why preserving biodiversity not only protects wildlife, but also all of us humans! Beth’s Website: http://www.bethpratt.com/

Save LA Cougars: https://savelacougars.org/

Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Stories read by Jack Eidt from “Old Man Coyote,” Crow/Apsáalooké People, in ‘Myths and Traditions of the Crow Indians’ by Robert Lowie, Univ of Nebraska Press, 1993. And “Origin of the Honey Festival,” Tembé People, in ‘From Honey to Ashes’ by Claude Levi-Strauss, Harper and Row Publishers, 1966.

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Co-Host Jessica Aldridge

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 204

Photo credit: pixabay

Join us for a conversation with Danielle Stevenson, founder of the Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation, and Maya Elson, co-founder of Radical Mycology, as they delve into the transformative potential of ecological remediation.

Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Roughly half a million brownfields, or industrially contaminated sites exist in the United States, about 90,000 of them are in California. Also, we must navigate the legacy of urban fires and the toxic aftermath they leave behind.

Danielle and Maya share their insights on using fungi and native plants to heal contaminated environments. In a world increasingly affected by climate change and environmental degradation, this episode serves as a powerful reminder of our capacity for regeneration and the critical role of Indigenous wisdom in guiding our relationship with the land. Fungi and ecological remediation can transform the ecosystem from toxic inheritance to a legacy of health & vitality for all life.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

RESOURCES

Danielle first appeared on EcoJustice Radio in 2021: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/renewing-the-environment-with-mycoremediation/

Environmental Health News, May 13th, 2024, “How fungi could

help clean up our biggest toxic messes,” https://www.ehn.org/mycoremediation-fungi-2668186479.html

The Guardian, April 12th, 2024, “‘Solar-powered vacuum cleaners’:

the native plants that could clean toxic soil,” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/14/native-plants-fungi-soil-bioremediation

Dr. Danielle Stevenson [https://www.danielle-stevenson.com] is an environmental toxicologist, applied mycologist and bioremediation innovator with expertise in soil, water and waste remediation. She has led community-academic-government partnerships to develop accessible soil testing programs and devise and implement nature-based cleanup strategies, including plant-fungal remediation models. Currently, she leads R&D on fungal-based plastic degradation while advancing scalable bioremediation solutions for polluted sites [https://caer.earth/].

Maya Elson is a guest instructor at UC Santa Cruz and an MS student at San Jose State University who explores the interplay between fire, fungi, and humans. Maya is a co-founder of Radical Mycology, former Executive Director and Board Member of CoRenewal [http://www.corenewal.org], and founder of MycoPsychology Experiences [http://www.mycopsychology.org]. Maya has led efforts and research on post-fire bioremediation, is the lead investigator of Biome Logs, and is a consultant for post-fire bioremediation efforts in Hawaii, Greece, and Lebanon.

Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt

Hosted by Carry Kim

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 256

Photo credit: Adam

Step into the world of the Kumeyaay Nation as multiple members from the different tribes discuss their ancient wisdom, survival skills, and cultural practices that have weathered the test of time. Learn how this Indigenous community has been living in harmony with the diverse geography of San Diego and Northern Baja California, Mexico, skillfully managing the land to prevent wildfires and survive droughts. This episode not only features an Emmy-nominated documentary from KPBS San Diego (2014) but also brings the Kumeyaay tradition to life through the storytelling of Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, offering a profound lesson on resilience and environmental stewardship.

We have much to learn from the First Peoples of the Americas, and for that reason we share this documentary First People Kumeyaay, with Nick Nordquist, Director-Editor, and Michael R. Johnson and Bob Sly, Producers. Appearing in the show include: Frank J. Salazar III (Campo Kumeyaay) intro-outro poetry, Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita Kumeyaay), Johnnie Eagle Spirit Elliott (Manzanita), Mark Becker PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Stanley Rodriguez (Santa Ysabel Kumeyaay), Brian Williams Archaeologist, Daniel Tucker (Sycuan Kumeyaay), Jamie LaBrake (Sycuan), Veronica Santos (Manzanita), Rayleen Elliott (Manzanita), Leroy Elliott (Manzanita), George Prietto (Sycuan), Norma Meza (Juntas de Neji Kumiai), Ana Gloria Rodriguez (San José de la Zorra Kumiai), Dr. Jerry Schaefer PhD Archaeologist, Dr. Susan Hector PhD Anthropologist, Silent Rain Espinoza (Viejas Kumeyaay), Angela Elliott Santos (Manzanita).

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

More Info:

Explore San Diego: First People - Kumeyaay

KPBS San Diego https://www.pbs.org/video/kpbs-presents-first-people/

Kumeyaay Songs and Stories, As Told by Stan Rodriguez- Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy: https://youtu.be/BkqoUIUN438?si=FESsUC66V_vXXe7v

Kumeyaay Sacred Mountain: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kuuchamaa-the-exalted-high-place-of-the-kumeyaay/

Kumeyaay Traditions: https://wilderutopia.com/traditions/kumeyaay-people-traditions-survive-in-baja-california/

Dr. Stanley Rodriguez has been President of Kumeyaay Community College since 2018. He serves as a Council Member of the Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Rodriguez to the California Native American Heritage Commission in 2021. Dr. Rodriguez is the developer of the accelerated language immersion program, serving as a Kumeyaay Language Instructor at Kumeyaay Community College since 2005. Dr. Rodriguez served as an E-5 in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1991. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Human Behavior from National University and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of California, San Diego.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 215

In the words of Terence McKenna, since the rise of western monotheism the human experience has been marginalized. We have been told that we were unimportant in the cosmic drama when one considers the power of creation of the one God. But we now know as the global temperatures rise and glaciers melt from the burning of fossil fuels and the feedback mechanisms associated with the greenhouse effect: the impact of human culture on the Earth is massive. So how do we reverse the course of destruction created out of the human imagination? Some have postulated plant medicines learned from Indigenous societies of the Americas have a way to reintegrate humans into the processes of the Earth to heal the sickness and warming all around.

In this show from 2024, we explore human symbiotic relationships with plants and chemicals in the sacred peyote medicine used by the Native American Church in the US and in societies in the mountains of Mexico. We look at the work of several ethnobotanists who also studied the plants and the rites associated with ayahuasca or yage in South America. Richard Evans Schultes and Terence McKenna researched the ancient human relationship with chemicals that would open the doorway to the divine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world. This show aims to explore the powerful potential to replace abuse of illegal drugs with a shamanic understanding, insistence on community, reverence for nature, and increased self-awareness that can re-orient people to heal the fractured relationships with our communities and ecosystems.

Resources/Articles:

Sacred Peyote Short documentary

Creed Spencer Film

with Bryce Jarrett

Appearing: Lisa Aldred PhD

Hartford Stops Crow

Dennis Holds - Crow

Alexandra Witkin-New Holy PhD Montana State Univ

Link: https://youtu.be/9rYdgHx8yrw?si=HWYDh8USmEEezLvC

----------

Fred Wahpepah - About the Peyote Ceremony from 7 Circles Foundation

https://youtu.be/7qa6N7anaV8?si=bNKuyXo_aTUT1IOp

----

Benedict Allen

Peyote the last of the medicine men - Huichol People of Mexico

https://www.benedictallen.com/

—--

Native Lens: Healing Through Peyote -- Rocky Mountain PBS

Amber Lahabe Dine/Navajo

Video: https://youtu.be/Q7gR5oXARII?si=XxHb1OrkdAS5vTOu

Icaros: https://youtu.be/hS21jI7p3hQ?si=QzRvHyvk2jhDRJTi

Father of Modern Ethnobotany, Richard Evans Schultes Interview from 1990

https://youtu.be/1lxtn7zbQfw?si=Z_5UXi0IOG-ml8Xg

Terence McKenna Culture is Your Operating System

https://youtu.be/9c8an2XZ3MU?si=kEfa47NLkh8-mZND

Terence McKenna - Eros and the Eschaton

https://wilderutopia.com/performance/literary/terence-mckenna-on-shamanic-schizophrenia-and-cultural-healing/

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 225

Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

On this show, in honor of the upcoming Bioneers Conference in Berkeley at the end of the month, we focus on the enduring legacy of 94-year old elder Oren Lyons, Onondaga Chief and a beacon of Indigenous culture and environmental activism. We explore Oren's insights from the 2024 Bioneers conference, his reflections on the Haudenosaunee principles of peace, and his impassioned plea for a value shift towards communal living and environmental harmony. His keynote address was entitled To Survive, We Must Transform our Values. Discover the unwritten history of Turtle Island and the wisdom that could lead humanity to a more just and sustainable world.

Bioneers [https://bioneers.org/] is a nonprofit organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet. Founded in 1990 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by social entrepreneurs Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, they act as a hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

More Info:

Bioneers Conference https://conference.bioneers.org/

Oren Lyons, “We Are Part of the Earth” Sacred Lands Film Project: https://youtu.be/bSwmqZ272As?si=crGAyku6eCrFwbaC

Oren Lyons on The Wizard of Oz, Sacred Lands Film Project: https://youtu.be/t8ttzSwYFa8?si=43nbAQNXGPcz1ZuI

More on Oren Lyons: https://wilderutopia.com/international/earth/oren-lyons-on-the-unity-of-the-earth/

Oren Lyons, a Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan who serves as a Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Haudenosaunee peoples), is an accomplished artist, social and environmental activist, and author; a Professor Emeritus at SUNY Buffalo; a leading voice at the UN Permanent Forum on Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples; and the recipient of many prestigious national and international prizes including The UN NGO World Peace Prize.

Casey Camp-Horinek, a member of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma, is a longtime activist, environmentalist, actress, and author. Her work has led to the Ponca Nation being the first tribe in Oklahoma to adopt a Rights of Nature statute and to pass a moratorium on fracking on its territory. Casey, who was instrumental in the drafting of the first International Indigenous Women’s Treaty protecting the Rights of Nature, works with Indigenous and other leaders and organizations globally and sits on the boards of WECAN, Movement Rights, and the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 218

Photo credit: Oren Lyons

In this episode, we welcome Ben Loescher, founding principal of Loescher Meachem Architects [https://adobeisnotsoftware.com/], to discuss the viability of adobe construction in rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles following devastating wildfires.

We also share an excerpted discussion between Marysia Miernowska, Director of the School of Sacred Wild and Dastan Khalili, President of the Cal-Earth Foundation, and a short clip from architect and artist Ronald Rael, who teaches architecture at UC Berkeley. His piece, Adobe Oasis, premiered the other day at DesertX Land Art Exhibition in Palm Springs.

We delve into the potential of alternative materials, yes, adobe and other earthen constructions, as sustainable solutions for future building projects. Loescher shares insights on the importance of adaptive reuse, the challenges of current building codes, and the vital relationship between architecture and the environment. Join us for an enlightening conversation about how we can construct a more sustainable future.

Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

Resources:

Mud Man Short film: https://adobeisnotsoftware.com/mud-man/

Marysia Miernoska interview with Dastan Khalili: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE5zmtuyGqV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Ronald Rael short clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGGvLobi_Bp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Ben Loescher is a founding Principal at Loescher Meachem Architects [http://www.lmarchitectsinc.com/] where his work focuses around reuse of existing buildings, high performance workplace design for the film, television and media industries, and innovation in earthen construction. Ben provides education for earthen building through his website AdobeIsNotSoftware.com [https://adobeisnotsoftware.com/], is currently Chair of the Earthbuilders’ Guild, the U.S. trade association for earthen construction and a board member for Adobe in Action, a New Mexico based non-profit focused on assisting individuals in creating affordable earthen housing.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 255

Photo credit: Loescher Meachem Architects

In this episode, we welcome Elizabeth Azzuz, Director of Traditional Fire for the Cultural Fire Management Council [https://www.culturalfire.org/]. Join us as Elizabeth shares her profound insights on cultural fire practices from the Yurok and Karuk traditions and their significance in promoting ecological balance and cultural sovereignty. We delve into the historical context of fire suppression, the urgent need for Indigenous-led fire management practices, and the deep-rooted connection between fire and the ecosystem. Discover how cultural burning not only enhances wildlife habitats but also fosters a sense of community responsibility and respect for Mother Earth.

Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Since time immemorial, many Indigenous peoples have used fire to tend and care for the lands, to help the ecosystem and all inhabitants of the forest to flourish together in balance, and to sustain culture for future generations. Given the growing urgency around climate change, the greater scope and intensity of fires, and the long legacy of colonization and its impacts upon our environment, cultural burning is now being more widely embraced and recognized for its value — this after 100 years of fire suppression and criminalization of Indigenous practices around fire and tending the land in a prescient and balanced way.

We had her on the show in 2020 to discuss her work using Traditional Native Yurok and Karuk methods of what is called cultural burning to protect forests and local communities, heal degraded ecosystems, and reestablish forest-grown food, medicine, and products, so check our archives for Episode 83.

LISTEN: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/cultural-fire-native-land-management-and-regeneration-2/

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

Also the films for clips are:

Firetender on PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7g7vMnKfE

Firelighter: Fire is Medicine https://www.pbs.org/video/firelighters-fire-is-medicine-fzumwo/

Elizabeth Azzuz, Director of Family and Traditional Burning Programs for the Cultural Fire Management Council [https://www.culturalfire.org/] based in Northern California. A cultural fire practitioner, also gathers and propagates traditional food and medicinal plants. Of Yurok and Karuk descent, she comes from and lives in her ancestral territory where the Trinity River flows into the Klamath on the North Coast of California. Elizabeth is a mother and grandmother; at the age of four she learned about burning from her grandfather.

Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt

Hosted by Carry Kim

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 254

Photo credit: kiliiiyuyan

In this episode, we welcome Rebecca John, an investigative climate reporter at the Climate Investigation Center [https://climateinvestigations.org/] and the news outlet DeSmog. She has uncovered a series of alarming revelations about the oil industry's manipulation of public perception and climate science. We delve into the historical context of the oil and gas lobby, exploring how entities like the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) have influenced research and public opinion since the 1950s. From the origins of the Air Pollution Foundation to the ongoing battle against climate change, Rebecca sheds light on the intricate web of misinformation and the urgent need for public action.

Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Archival documents published by The Guardian and DeSmog show that the Air Pollution Foundation — the front group WSPA created as a means of delaying clean air regulation implementation aimed at curbing deadly smog emissions in Los Angeles and statewide — led to the discovery of climate change. WSPA was the top funder of the Air Pollution Foundation, whose research concluded that atmospheric carbon could “ultimately prove of considerable significance to civilization.”

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

Resources:

Revealed: Big Oil Told 70 Years Ago That Fossil Fuel Emissions Could Impact ‘Civilization’ - DeSmog

https://www.desmog.com/2024/11/12/revealed-big-oil-told-70-years-ago-that-fossil-fuel-emissions-could-impact-civilization/

Rebecca John is a Research Fellow at the Climate Investigations Center [https://climateinvestigations.org/who_we_are/]. She is also a freelance investigative journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a Producer and Director of the acclaimed “Extreme Oil” / “Curse of Oil” [https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-curse-of-oil/] series for PBS /BBC.

The Climate Investigations Center (CIC) was established in 2014 to monitor the individuals, corporations, trade associations, political organizations and front groups who work to delay the implementation of sound energy and environmental policies that are necessary in the face of ongoing climate crisis.

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url

Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 253

Photo credit: Rebecca John

In this episode, host Carry Kim engages with Maya Khosla, a wildlife biologist, writer, poet, and filmmaker, to discuss the intricate relationship between fire and forest ecosystems. Together, they explore the regeneration of giant sequoias after wildfires and the importance of embracing fire as a catalyst for biodiversity rather than a destructive force. Maya shares her experiences documenting post-fire environments and the vital role they play in supporting wildlife. This episode invites listeners to rethink their perceptions of fire and its impact on nature, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our interdependence with the environment.

What are the potentials for responding to and relating with fire in a balanced and beneficial versus fearful and apprehensive way? Because fire is feared by many and much misunderstood, post-fire or snag forests are often clear-cut or heavily logged, and then turned into biomass or wood pellets burned for electricity. Living trees that are recovering post-fire can also be cut; trees are sometimes wrongly cut in anticipation of fire. Snag forests are a precious habitat, supporting the intricacies of restoration and biodiversity in the wake of fire; assisting in the thriving of many species, from fungi to black-backed woodpeckers, owls, weasels, bobcats, bears and countless more.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

RESOURCES

Three "Minute notes" about Chad Hanson's work:

Taxpayer dollars: https://vimeo.com/806625688 - taxpayer dollars

Woodpeckers, homemakers: https://vimeo.com/806627213 - woodpeckers, homemakers

Regeneration: https://vimeo.com/806623485

Maya Khosla [https://www.mayakhosla.com/], a biologist and writer with training as a toxicologist, has spent thousands of hours hiking, backpacking, and documenting forests. Working in collaboration with other scientists, she recently investigated the astonishing post-fire regeneration of giant sequoias in Nelder Grove and Redwood Mountain Grove. As Sonoma County Poet Laureate (2018-2020), she brought Sonoma’s communities together to heal through gatherings, field walks, and shared writing after the wildfires. Her awards include the 2023 Fund for Wild Nature Grassroots Activist Award, the 2020 Environmentalist of the Year Award (Sonoma County Conservation Council, SCCC), and the 2020 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. After surveying forests of the Sierra Nevada, she created a short documentary film, Searching for the Gold Spot [https://www.mayakhosla.com/searching-for-the-gold-spot], about wild places that experience rejuvenation and supporting high biodiversity after wildfire – where they are not logged. Her work has been featured in For the Wild, and in the film Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire.

Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/

Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/

Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

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Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt

Hosted by Carry Kim

Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 251

Photo credit: Maya Khosla