Last autumn, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game canceled the crabbing season for the Alaskan snow crab for the first time in history after the crustaceans’ population dropped an astonishing 87 percent. This is only one of the stories recently covered in depth by ecologist and journalist Spencer Roberts, who joins us on the podcast for an overarching conversation about animals and conservation, including the story behind the crabs’ devastating dwindling numbers and how the industry uses climate change as a cover for the damage caused by overfishing. Spencer also shares his thoughts on bridging the gap between the conservation and animal rights movements through his work and why folks continue funding the industries they oppose through their lifestyle choices.

Spencer Roberts is a Colorado-based science writer, musician, ecologist, and engineer. As a science writer, he particularly focuses on animal agriculture, marine life, and the climate crisis. Find his work in Jacobin, The Intercept, Wired, and more.

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep695/

Environmental and Animal Rights Journalism w/Spencer Roberts

Our Hen House is THE weekly podcast for all things animal rights and vegan. Join co-hosts Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer for inspirational chats with movers, shakers, and change-makers who are creating a better world for animals.

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Darwin was onto something. So how did scientists then go so completely wrong in understanding who animals really are, and where are we now? This week, we are joined by field biologist, professor, and author Marc Bekoff for a glimpse into The Emotional Lives of Animals. We also hear more about his friendship with Jane Goodall and how that led to the recent Jane Goodall at 90 essay collection. 

A professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Marc Bekoff has published 31 books and won many awards for his research on animal behavior, animal emotions, compassionate conservation, and animal protection, worked closely with Jane Goodall, and is a former Guggenheim Fellow. His latest books are Dogs Demystified: An A to Z Guide to All Things Canine, the second edition of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy―and Why They Matter, and Jane Goodall at 90: Celebrating an Astonishing Lifetime of Science, Advocacy, Humanitarianism, Hope, and Peace. He also publishes regularly for Psychology Today. 

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep749/

Scotch and Hope w/ Marc Bekoff

How do we put farmed animals on the agenda for policymakers? This week, Gabriel Wildgen joins us to discuss the Animal Policy Alliance, a project of The Humane League that is working to connect state and local animal organizations across the US to each other and help them get what they need to compete with animal agriculture. 

Gabriel Wildgen is the Director of Public Policy for The Humane League and is heading up the new Animal Policy Alliance, a national network of local and state level policy organizations uniting to end large-scale animal cruelty through policy change. Gabriel formerly represented the Good Food Institute on Capitol Hill, where he helped secure the first-ever Congressional appropriation for alternative protein research. Gabriel holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University.

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep748/

Animal Policy Alliance w/ Gabriel Wildgen

How did humans’ relationship with the other animals go so completely awry? The incomparable Jim Mason – author, lawyer, thinker, and animal rights OG – joins us to discuss his seminal work, An Unnatural Order: The Roots of Our Destruction of Nature, for a discussion about where humanity went wrong, why it matters now more than ever, and how we can start to put it right.  

Jim Mason is an author and attorney focusing on human/animal concerns. He is the author of An Unnatural Order: The Roots of Our Destruction of Nature and co-author with Peter Singer of Animal Factories and The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter.  He is a contributor to A Cultural History of Animals and The Oxford Handbook of Animal Studies and his writings have appeared in Audubon, The New York Times, New Scientist, and numerous other publications. 

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep747/

An Unnatural Order w/ Jim Mason

Rescued animals at some sanctuaries are now facing a new hurdle before they can be truly safe: climate change. We are joined this week by Kathy Stevens of Catskill Animal Sanctuary to discuss this new challenge. 

Kathy Stevens is the co-founder and executive director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Since then, Catskill has saved more than 5,000 non-human individuals through direct rescue — and exponentially more through programming that encourages humans to adopt veganism. Kathy is also the author of Where the Blind Horse Sings and a contributor to books, podcasts and articles on animal sentience, animal rights, and veganism.

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep746/

Rescuing Animals from Climate Change w/ Kathy Stevens

Humans’ relationships with the other creatures on this planet range from deep love to dreadful cruelty and everything in between. What are the roots of this confused and contradictory reality? This week, we are joined by Dr Pia Salk to discuss the mysteries of human psychology as it relates to animals. 

Pia Salk is a clinical psychologist and expert on the human-animal bond. In her clinical work and her writing, Dr. Salk addresses topics ranging from the loss of a companion animal to the unique stresses of animal welfare work and the climate of animal welfare as it relates to social justice on a larger scale. Dr. Salk’s media appearances cover topics such as how adopting an animal not only saves lives, but is also good parenting that promotes prosocial behavior in today’s youth. She lives and practices in Sleepy Hollow, NY. 

Thanks for tuning in!  If you enjoy the Our Hen House podcast, please leave us a positive review! To view the show notes with resources, visit the website at https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep745/

Environmental and Animal Rights Journalism w/Spencer Roberts

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