Mothering Earth Podcast

Bioregionalism emphasizes the interconnected nature of people and the environment where they live. People who feel a connection to the land, the water, and other local natural features and resources are likely to value those resources and to want to care for and protect them. The community attachment to the local environment creates a desire to live in a sustainable way rather than exploiting or depleting the natural resources of the place.

In this program, I explore the concept with Kiran Topiwala, an advocate for bioregionalism from the Central Texas area.

It’s not often you hear about someone who rejects their livelihood on moral grounds and builds a new life in opposition to that industry. That is the story of Renee King-Sonnen, who, along with her husband, was a Texas cattle rancher until she developed a relationship with a calf she had named Rowdy Girl.

Now King-Sonnen and her husband are animal activists and vegans and they run a sanctuary for animals. She has written a book about her transformation titled Rowdy Girl: Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher, and in this Mothering Earth program, you will hear her remarkable story.

Mothering Earth-144-Animal Agriculture & Public Health by Dr. Salwa Khan

While many bird populations are facing serious declines, other birds are flourishing thanks to the work of bird conservationists all around the world. Ornithologist and author Scott Weidensaul has a new book, "Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet", in which he introduces us to the people and groups that are restoring and preserving bird habitat and who are studying bird habits and health. Weidensaul is also an active field researcher whose work focuses on bird migration.

In this edition of Mothering Earth, Weidensaul shares great stories from his book, which give us hope for a better world.

While consumers are trying to cut down on the use of plastics, the oil, gas and petrochemical companies are ramping up their plastic production. In her new book, award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner details the plastic industries manipulation of consumers and the government, while continuing to damage the environment in multiple ways. The book is "Plastic, Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil’s Biggest Bet".

Amidst the cornfields and hog barns of Iowa is the town of Storm Lake, where Art Cullen is editor and co-owner of the local newspaper, the Storm Lake Times Pilot. Cullen is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist whose new book calls attention to the environmental damage resulting from agriculture and climate to the soil, water and air in Iowa. The book is titled "Dear Marty, We Crapped in Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World".

What is a just and sustainable food system? It is a question many people struggle with, but for the organization Mercy For Animals (MFA), it is clearly defined. It is a system that produces positive results for people, for animals and for our earth and environment.

To that end they work to end factory-farming and to promote plant-based food. MFA is working with restaurants, corporate food service institutions, and our national parks to provide plant-based meals to the public. In this program, you’ll hear from Jennifer Behr, Director of Plant-Based Initiatives at MFA, about the remarkable success they are having.

The Houston, Texas ship channel area is home to hundreds of petroleum and petrochemical facilities. These include refineries, and plants that produce the materials that will become the millions of tons of plastic items produced each year.

They also produce toxic emissions that pollute the air, water and soil and that endanger the health of all area residents.

Fenceline Watch is a community-based environmental justice group whose leaders live in the same area. You’ll hear from Yvette Arellano, Founder and Director and Shiv Srivastava, Policy Director of Fenceline Watch, both of whom work to expose the toxic harm that their community faces daily, and the conditions that exist to protect the companies responsible for the pollutants.

For generations, we humans have been taught that we are superior to the rest of nature, that we alone can reshape all of nature and the environment, to serve our needs, which leads to a sense of separation from nature.

At the same time humans have a need to connect and be in nature. In this program, we explore those competing ideas and how they shape our lives, with author William Powers. His latest book is Ripple: An Intimate Exchange of Urgency and Hope Between An Ecologist and His Daughter, which is largely made up of communications between Powers and his young daughter as they navigate a path to reintegrating with nature.

How do we stay cool on a planet that heating up? It’s a tough question, because we have been relying on fossil fuels, like coal, oil and gas to keep the air conditioners and fans running, and it is those same fuels that contribute mightily to global warming.

Rather than promoting the use of renewable energy sources, it appears we are going to be using even more oil, gas and coal. So we turn to an architect to get some ideas on designing living spaces that are as highly energy efficient as possible.