Shows
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're FromAre the Plants Invasive? or the Land Ethics?Are the Plants "Invasive"? or the Land Ethics?
In this cross-posted guest episode, host Kollibri terre Sonnenblume takes the guest seat and is interviewed by Amy Walsh of The Nettle Witch, MD. Amy describes herself as someone who is "not so gracefully walking the line between medical doctor and wild woman" and who is "exploring the science and magic of healing through essays, storytelling and poetry." The subject: so-called "invasive plants." In their conversation, they dive into many of the basic critiques of this common but highly dubious narrative. We cover much of what the science says...2024-11-271h 30
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're FromBringing Land Use into the Climate ConversationEp. 3: Bringing Land Use into the Climate Conversation
Nikos Giannakis is a biologist with the University of Leeds, currently working in Greece. His graduate work was in environmental pollution control and agricultural chemistry, and his PhD was on soil microbiology. His national service requirement in Greece led to environmental consulting including impact assessment. Currently he is living with his wife (an architect specializing in natural building techniques) and six cats in an abandoned village in a national park in northwestern Greece. His activism focuses on defending nature from "green energy" projects and on bringing land use into...2024-09-161h 25
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're From[TEASER] Bringing Land Use into the Climate ConversationBringing Land Use into the Climate Conversation [TEASER]
A teaser for the forthcoming episode 3, to be released Sept. 16, 2024.
Nikos Giannakis is a biologist with the University of Leeds, currently working in Greece. His graduate work was in environmental pollution control and agricultural chemistry, and his PhD was on soil microbiology. His national service requirement in Greece led to environmental consulting including impact assessment. Currently he is living with his wife (an architect specializing in natural building techniques) and six cats in an abandoned village in a national park in northwestern Greece. His activism focuses on...2024-09-0705 min
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're FromEugenics & Conservation: Too Close for ComfortEp. 2: Eugenics & Conservation: Too Close for Comfort
In this episode, Kollibri is joined by co-host Nikki Hill for a conversation with Calyx Liddick, founder of the Northern Appalachia School. Calyx has taken a deep dive into the common origins of the eugenics and conservation movements in the US in the early 20th Century, and what she has found is alarming. The boosters of race science, white supremacy, forced sterilization of "lesser" people and other now discredited concepts were the same who founded conservationism, and their odious residue remains. Conservationism must now be re-thought so that what is...2024-08-192h 35
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're From[TEASER] Eugenics & Conservation: Too Close for ComfortEugenics & Conservation: Too Close for Comfort
In episode 2 of the "Speaking for the Trees No Matter Where They're From" podcast, Kollibri is joined by co-host Nikki Hill for a conversation with Calyx Liddick, founder of the Northern Appalachia School. Calyx has taken a deep dive into the common origins of the eugenics and conservation movements in the US in the early 20th Century, and what she has found is alarming. The boosters of race science, white supremacy, forced sterilization of "lesser" people and other now discredited concepts were the same men who founded conservationism, and their odious...2024-08-1007 min
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're From[TEASER] Plant IntelligencePlant Intelligence [Ep. 1 teaser]
From the upcoming debut episode of the "Speaking for the Trees No Matter Where They're From" podcast: an interview with Paul Moss, Executive Director of the Plant Initiative, a plant advocacy organization. Subscribers to Kollibri's Substack or Patreon will have access to the episode on July 8th. It will be publically available July 15th.
Substack: https://kollibri.substack.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kollibri
The Plant Initiative: https://www.plantinitiative.org
This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required...2024-07-0603 min
Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They're FromIntroduction / TrailerIntroducing "Speaking for the Trees, No Matter Where They’re From"--the podcast.
Featuring interviews with nature lovers on plants & ecology, with a special focus on “invasive plant” mythologies and the threat to wildlife habitat from “green energy" development. Plus agriculture, wildtending, plant consciousness and more.
Paying subscribers on Substack and Patreon will get early access and exclusive content.
https://kollibri.substack.com/
https://www.patreon.com/kollibri
The Substack also features free blog posts, so head over and read.
If you’re someone who loves plants and the planet, join us!2024-01-2100 min
The Ground Shots PodcastIs there such a thing as an "Invasive Species"? A conversation with Matt Chew Ph.d. hosted by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, Nikki Hill and Gabe CrawfordEpisode #59 of the Ground Shots Podcast is a conversation with Professor Matt Chew, and is hosted by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, Nikki Hill and Gabe Crawford. Dubbed a ‘gadfly of invasion biology’ by Scientific American, Matt Chew is known for critiquing ecology’s overreliance on societal metaphors and conservationists’ misapplication of notions like ‘nativeness’. Dr. Chew has a B.S. Environmental Interpretation and an M.S. Range Science (Ecology) from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Arizona State University. As statewide Natural Resources Planner for Arizona State Parks, he coordinated their Natural Areas Program, researched wildlife issues, and served on...2021-05-042h 59
Voices for Nature & Peace"No Such a Thing as an 'Invasive Species'?" feat. Prof. Matt Chew"No Such a Thing as an 'Invasive Species'?" feat. Prof. Matt Chew
Dubbed a ‘gadfly of invasion biology’ by Scientific American, Matt Chew is known for critiquing ecology’s overreliance on societal metaphors and conservationists’ misapplication of notions like ‘nativeness’. Dr. Chew has a B.S. Environmental Interpretation and an M.S. Range Science (Ecology) from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Arizona State University. As statewide Natural Resources Planner for Arizona State Parks, he coordinated their Natural Areas Program, researched wildlife issues, and served on interagency committees—one of which also included his future wif...2021-05-042h 52
Voices for Nature & Peace"Trans 101" feat. Terra"Trans 101" feat. Terra
Terra is a freelance artist, writer, and podcaster residing in Portland, OR. I have known them since 2007, when I was an urban farmer living in their backyard. They are on Twitter as @cybersatyr: https://twitter.com/CyberSatyr
We discussed how the new ideas fit in with the old ones; the phrase, "trans women are women;" the concept of misgendering; how quickly the discussion of gender has changed; trans people in the military; the term, "TERF;" the usage of "they/them;" the word, "transsexual;" trans athletes in sports; actors, acting and Hollywood; and...2021-04-271h 14
Voices for Nature & Peace"Animal Liberation / Human Liberation" feat. Robert Porzel"Animal Liberation / Human Liberation" feat. Robert Porzel
Prof. Robert Porzel is a national representative for “Physicians against Animal Testing” and founder of the animal rights group “T-Zelle,” which aims to establish intersectional collaboration between social movements. The current network connects about 20 individual groups and organizations in the state of Bremen, Germany. In January of 2019 he was elected as national speaker of the German Greens party for animal policies. Apart from his activism, he is a lecturer and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence at the University of Bremen.
Robert & I have known each other since 19...2021-04-201h 44
Voices for Nature & Peace"People & Plants on the Move, Together" feat. Zach Elfers"People & Plants on the Move, Together" feat. Zach Elfers
Zach Elfers was raised in the piedmont of the mid-Atlantic but has travelled widely around the lower 48. He is a student of the plants who has learned from mentors, elders, and most importantly, from living outside spending as much time as possible with the more-than-human world. His areas of interest include ancestral ways of subsisting, living, and knowing, and his work is focused on growing and promoting bioregional plants as food, medicine, and the foundations of our subsistence economies, rather than the imported and ecologically destructive colonial agriculture.2021-04-132h 08
Voices for Nature & Peace"A Lifetime Seeking Peace" feat. Kathy Kelly"A Lifetime Seeking Peace" feat. Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly is a lifelong pacifist and peace activist. In her efforts to stop the US military machine, she has traveled to war zones around the world, engaged in countless acts of non-violent civil disobedience, and been arrested dozens of times. With her own eyes, she has witnessed the brutal costs of US aggression. Her reality has focused on things that most US citizens don't even know are happening because the mainstream media and the political establishment studiously avoid them. She knows about the children who are killed or maimed...2021-03-301h 16
Voices for Nature & Peace"Rethinking Food & Agriculture" feat. Laila Kassam"Rethinking Food & Agriculture" feat. Laila Kassam
Laila Kassam has been involved in social change for most of her career. She has worked in the international development sector since 2003, conducting research on poverty and food security for rural development projects in the Global South. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and by international organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). Laila has an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is...2021-03-231h 14
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Bonobo Way" with Dr. Susan Block"The Bonobo Way" with Dr. Susan Block
Susan Marilyn Block, Ph.D. is founder and director of the Dr. Susan Block Institute for the Erotic Arts & Sciences. A world-renowned sexologist and best-selling author, her book, "The Bonobo Way: The Evolution of Peace through Pleasure," has garnered critical acclaim from a variety of media outlets and celebrities, from politicians to porn stars. A magna cum laude graduate of Yale University “with distinction” in Theater Studies, Dr. Block, aka “Dr. Suzy,” received her master’s and doctorate in psychology from California Miramar University and an honorary doctorate from the Institute...2021-03-161h 19
Voices for Nature & Peace"It's Time to Dismantle the United States" feat. Ajamu Baraka"The Vital Need to Decolonize" feat. Ajamu Baraka
A human rights defender whose experience spans four decades of domestic and international education and activism, Ajamu Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally recognized leader of the emerging human rights movement in the U.S. and has been at the forefront of efforts to apply the international human rights framework to social justice advocacy in the U.S. for more than 25 years. He is now a National Organizer for the...2021-03-0900 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"We Shouldn't Be at War with Plants (How 'Invasion Biology' Misses the Mark)" feat. Prof. Juliet Stromberg"We Shouldn't Be at War with Plants" feat. Prof. Juliet Stromberg
Julie Stromberg is a retired professor from Arizona State University, where she received her PhD in Plant Ecology in 1988. While at ASU, she specialized in riparian ecosystems. Much of her research focused on relationships between stream and ground water hydrology and riparian ecosystems, and on effects of ecosystem disturbance (floods and fire) on riparian plant populations, communities, and landscapes. Some of her studies were conducted at reference sites where human influence is minimal, while others were carried out at hydrologically altered sites or at sites undergoing...2021-03-021h 23
Voices for Nature & Peace"We're All Preppers Now" feat. Margaret Killjoy"We're All Preppers Now" feat. Margaret Killjoy
Margaret Killjoy is a transfeminine author and editor currently living in a self-built cabin in the Appalachian mountains. She is the author of the Danielle Cain series of novellas, published by Tor.com. She hosts the podcast, "Live Like the World is Dying," in which she interviews people who think about how to prepare for and survive crises. Politically, she is an anarchist: she believes that society would be better off without systems of hierarchy and oppression such as the state, capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and the like.
...2021-02-2400 min
Voices for Nature & PeaceI'm Interviewed on the Green Root PodcastEp. 58: I'm Interviewed on the Green Root Podcast
In January I was interviewed by Josh Schlossberg for his Green Root podcast. Josh is an investigative journalist and recovering activist and with his podcast he is pursuing a quest to uncover the roots of the modern ecological crisis. I interviewed Josh in 2018 about how biomass energy isn't green, and you can read an abridged version online at my blog or the complete conversation in my book, "Roadtripping at the End of the World."
In this interview we discussed some of the problems with agriculture including habitat...2021-02-201h 14
Voices for Nature & Peace"Lithium Mining Ain't Green" feat. Kevin EmmerichLithium Mining Ain't Green" feat. Kevin Emmerich
The ugly truth behind the in-demand element
Lithium mining is back in the news these days, with activists occupying the site of a proposed mine in northern Nevada. (See episode 53 for my interview with Will Falk, one of the occupiers.) So I contacted Kevin Emmerich of Basin & Range Watch, to get more details about how lithium mining works, and what its ecological effects are. Basin & Range Watch is a desert defense group based in southern Nevada. They track industrial energy developments on public lands in the US southwest...2021-02-1759 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Conservation in a Post-'Wilderness' World" feat. Leia Barnett"Conservation in a Post-'Wilderness' World" feat. Leia Barnett
The idea of ecological "conservation" has always been in evolution, and today it is responding to the challenges of climate change, as well as being enriched by the addition of indigenous practices and knowledge. Legislation still lags behind, as it tends to, but the field is undeniably growing, which offers some encouragement for an uncertain future.
One of the people who is helping to broaden the work and the ethics of conservation is Leia Barnett. Leia is the Greater Gila Campaigner for WildEarth Guardians, an organization that...2021-02-0954 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"No Going Back to Normal" feat. Kenn Orphan"No Going Back to Normal" feat. Kenn Orphan
Kenn Orphan is an artist, writer, radical nature lover, antiwar and anti-capitalist activist, sociologist, spiritualist and hospice social worker. He writes about art and culture, socio-economic injustice, geopolitical issues, philosophy, and the existential threats we collectively face from corporate capitalism, the war industry, climate change and an ever imperiled biosphere. His work focuses on the desperate need for a global paradigm shift that fosters compassion for and solidarity with the suffering of humanity and the countless other species with whom we share this precious planet.
I first...2021-01-311h 24
Voices for Nature & Peace"Wolves Under Fire" feat. Samantha Bruegger"Wolves Under Fire" feat. Samantha Bruegger
Wolves are one of those animals who inhabit not only the material world, but mythological and cultural ones as well. Metaphorically, settler-colonial society warns of "the big bad wolf," "the wolves at the door," "wolves in sheep's clothing" and "lone wolves." In popular art, Duran Duran scored it big with "Hungry Like the Wolf," Leonardo DiCaprio starred in, "The Wolf of Wall Street." A little further back, Jack London wrote, "White Fang," and Sergei Prokofiev composed, "Peter & the Wolf." which is played in the intro of this episode.
First...2021-01-2656 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Activists Occupy Site of Proposed Mine in Nevada" feat. Will FalkEp. 53: Breaking News: Activists Occupy Site of Proposed Mine in Nevada, feat. Will Falk
In this special breaking news episode, I talk to Will Falk, who is at an occupation of public land in Nevada in order to stop a proposed lithium mine. The encampment was just announced on Monday, Jan. 18th, and I spoke with him by phone that day. The long and the short of the story is that the Bureau of Land Management just gave the green light to a company called Lithium Americas to establish a massive operation in Thacker Pass. The company...2021-01-1948 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Everything Has to Change" feat. brenna bellEp. 52: "Everything Has to Change" feat. brenna bell
BARK and bite in defense of trees
brenna bell is the policy Coordinator & Staff Attorney at BARK, a grassroots environmental organization based in Portland, Oregon. BARK's mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives and where local communities have a social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation.
brenna brings to her work a lifetime of passion for the Pacific Northwest, twenty years of organizing experience, and an extensive background in environmental law...2021-01-191h 09
Voices for Nature & Peace"Spark of Fury" feat. Tim HermachEp. 51: "Spark of Fury" feat. Tim Hermach
A veteran forest defender speaks
Tim Hermach is the founder and director of the Native Forest Council, based in Eugene, Oregon. Tim has been a forest defender since the late 1980s and at this point has ripened into a proper curmudgeon.
We talked on January 9th, 2021, and our conversation covered his early days in the Sierra Club; Biden's dismal record; Clinton's betrayal of the forests; "Gang Green"—the big non-profit environmental organizations based in DC; the corrupting influence of money; the decline of the environment and of...2021-01-1951 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Future is Relational" feat. Kitsuné Rêver"The Future is Relational" feat. Kitsuné Rêver
Kitsuné Rêver is a resident of Alberta, Canada, where she is a nurse and a gardener among other things. This was her third appearance on the podcast and it was simply delightful to welcome her back to the show. In our wide-ranging conversation, we covered a lot of topics including a political scandal in Alberta where local office holders traveled in spite of COVID lockdown; pandemic fatigue; the difference between responding and reacting; the effects of social media on brain function & communication; the end of "normal"; consumption & consumerism; the...2021-01-142h 32
Voices for Nature & Peace"Putting the Heart Back in the Valley by Putting the Fire Back in the Ground" feat. Bobby FossekEp. 49: "Putting the Heart Back in the Valley by Putting the Fire Back in the Ground" feat. Bobby Fossek
A place-based, indigenous approach to ecological restoration in eastern Oregon
Cove, Oregon, is a tiny town in the eastern part of the state that most Oregonians haven’t heard of. Surrounded by fields of conventional monocrops in the heart of conservative ranching country, it seems an unlikely place for leading edge cultural transformation, and yet it is, thanks to what might strike some as an unlikely partnership between Native Americans and the Episcopal Church.
I...2021-01-061h 28
Voices for Nature & Peace"2020: The Year in Review" feat. Kristine MattisEp. 48: "2020: The Year in Review" feat. Kristine Mattis
Kristine Mattis returns to the show as a co-host of this special year-end episode.
Kristine has PhD in Environmental Studies. As an interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in biology, earth system science, and policy, her research focused on environmental risk information and science communication. Before returning to graduate school, Kristine worked as a medical researcher, as a science reporter for the U.S. Congressional Record, and as a science and health teacher. She is no relation to the mad-dog general.
We hit a lot...2020-12-312h 06
Voices for Nature & Peace"Cattle vs. Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore" feat. Laura Cunningham"Cattle vs. Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore" feat. Laura Cunningham
Point Reyes National Seashore is the site of a conflict that is typical on US public lands: European-style agriculture vs. indigenous land management; private profit vs. public benefit; civilization vs. wildlife. Elsewhere it's logging vs. forest, mining vs. mountain or green energy vs. desert, and this podcast has been and will continue to pursue these stories too.
In this episode, our guest is Laura Cunningham, California Director of the Western Watersheds Project. Laura grew up in the Bay Area and she studied zoology, paleontology...2020-12-2900 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us" feat. Bruce LevineEp. 46: "How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us" feat. Bruce Levine
This episode might be the most controversial that I've produced so far. Please note that it is not intended to disrespect anyone who has suffered mental health issues; indeed, I have experienced episodes of depression throughout my life, some of them quite intense. However, this episode does refute certain popular beliefs about the causes and treatments of mental health disorders, and as such, some people might find it upsetting.
Most people are familiar with the the "chemical imbalance theory," which posits that mental health disorders...2020-12-221h 32
Voices for Nature & Peace"In Defense of the Last Wild Buffalo" feat. Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field CampaignEp. 45: "In Defense of the Last Wild Buffalo" feat. Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign
Current battles in a centuries-long range war
The last wild herd of Buffalo in North America spend most of the year in Yellowstone National Park. They are descended from a mere 23 individuals who survived the massive Buffalo slaughters of the late 19th Century by hiding out in a valley there. Today the herd numbers in the low thousands, but is still not allowed to live a life free of harrassment from humans. The Buffalo Field Campaign was formally founded...2020-12-1800 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Capitalism on a Ventilator" feat. Sara Flounders"Capitalism on a Ventilator" feat. Sara Flounders
Sara Flounders is a writer and an activist who has been involved in progressive and anti-war organizing since the '60s. She is a member of the Secretariat of the Workers World Party, co-founder of the International Action Center, and a frequent contributor to the Workers World newspaper. She has traveled, spoken and organized extensively on behalf of justice and in opposition to imperialism, and it was an honor to speak to someone who is so accomplished.
The focus of our conversation was just released book, "Capitalism on...2020-12-1559 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Facing the Worsening COVID Crisis" feat. Eva AaronsonEp. 43: "Facing the Worsening COVID Crisis" w/ Eva Aaronson
A long, dark winter is coming...
It's early December, 2020, and we're in the middle of a worsening pandemic. Reported cases of COVID-19 in the US since early March are over 15 million. Total deaths are approaching 300,000 with current daily averages exceeding 2000. Hospitals across the nation are filling up, healthcare staff are being increasingly stressed, and the spike in new cases from Thanksgiving is still on the way. Additional spikes are expected after Christmas and News Years, so our situation seems set to worsen through at east the...2020-12-091h 11
Voices for Nature & PeaceChanging of the Imperialist Guard, feat. Margaret KimberleyChanging of the Imperialist Guard, feat. Margaret Kimberley
Margaret Kimberley is an Editor and Senior Columnist at the Black Agenda Report, which publishes news, commentary and analysis from the black left. She is author of the book, “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” which is an eye-opening and very well researched volume published by Steerforth Press in February 2020. (Read my review.) She contributed to the anthology, “In Defense of Julian Assange,” which includes essays by over three dozen other well-known figures including Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg and Matt Taibbi. Margaret is also on the coordinating committee of the Blac...2020-11-0756 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Wildtending in the Colorado Rockies" feat. Kelly Moody & Gabe Crawford"Wildtending in the Colorado Rockies" feat. Kelly Moody & Gabe Crawford
Kelly Moody produces the Ground Shots Podcast, which is an audio project that features conversations and storytelling about our relationship with ecology through creativity and philosophy.
Gabe Crawford collects the seeds of native foods plants, fruit trees, berries and other exotics to plant feral orchards and wild gardens.
I spoke with Kelly and Gabe on Sept. 5th about their recent "Plant-A-Go" trek through the Colorado Rockies, where they collected and planted the seeds of indigenous first foods. We talked about planting in the...2020-10-271h 47
Voices for Nature & Peace"What is 'Sustainability,' Really?" feat. Kristine Mattis"What is 'Sustainability,' Really?" feat. Kristine Mattis
Kristine Mattis received her PhD in Environmental Studies. As an interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in biology, earth system science, and policy, her research focuses on environmental risk information and science communication. Before returning to graduate school, Kristine worked as a medical researcher, as a science reporter for the U.S. Congressional Record, and as a science and health teacher. She is no relation to the mad-dog general.
This is Kristine's second appearance on the podcast. I invited her to be the co-host of this episode...2020-10-201h 38
Voices for Nature & Peace"Climate: The Most Important Issue of Our Time" feat. Nick Humphrey"Climate: The Most Important Issue of Our Time" feat. Nick Humphrey
Nick Humphrey is a meteorologist who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from South Dakota State University and a Master's Degree in Geosciences--Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Nick and I spoke on Sept. 2 about the unfolding climate crisis, including carbon levels, ocean acidification, rising temperatures, extreme weather, feedback loops, methane emissions, effects on agriculture, technological challenges of reversing effects, and the hope that youth might lead the way.
Nick's Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/MeteorologistNickHumphrey2020-10-131h 09
Voices for Nature & Peace"Cuban Health Care: The Ongoing Revolution" feat. Don Fitz"Cuban Health Care: The Ongoing Revolution" feat. Don Fitz
Don Fitz is a Green Party activist who earned his doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974. He taught Environmental Psychology at Washington University and Fontbonne University in St. Louis and was also a research psychologist at St. Louis State Hospital for 25 years. He was the Missouri Green Party candidate for Governor and in 2016 and for State Auditor in 2018. Currently he serves on the editorial board of Green Social Thought.
Don and I spoke on August 26 about his new book, "Cuban Health Care...2020-10-061h 17
Voices for Nature & Peace"Facing the Climate Emergency" feat. Margaret Klein SalamonEp. 37: "Facing the Climate Emergency" feat. Margaret Klein Salamon
Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist turned climate warrior whose work helps people to face the deeply frightening, painful truths of climate change and transform their despair into effective action. She is the founding director of The Climate Mobilization and Climate Mobilization Project. Their mission is to initiate an emergency-speed, all-hands-on-deck mobilization to protect humanity and the natural world from climate catastrophe.
Prof. Salamon and I spoke on Aug. 27th about her new book, "Facing the Climate Emergency."
"Facing the Climate Emergency"...2020-10-0643 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Mythical, the Political & the Sublime" feat. Phil Rockstroh"The Mythical, the Political & the Sublime" feat. Phil Rockstroh
Phil Rochstroh is a poet, lyricist and philosopher bard living in Munich, Germany. His mother escaped Nazi Germany after the Gestapo arrested her father. His father born on a Choctaw reservation and adopted out by white parents but did not learn about his origin until later in adult life. Phil grew up in Appalachia, lived in Manhattan and eventually expatriated to Germany.
I was inspired to ask Phil to be on the show by a recent essay he wrote: "The Banality of Evil of The Evil...2020-09-292h 21
Voices for Nature & Peace"Thoughts from the Other Side of the Pond" feat. Alley Valkyrie"Thoughts from the Other Side of the Pond" feat. Alley Valkyrie
Alley Valkyrie is a social activist, writer, artist, spirit-worker and co-founder of GODS & RADICALS Press. Though she is a US American citizen, she has been living in France for the last few years. We spoke on Sept. 3rd about American exceptionalism, religious fundamentalism, political differences between the US and Europe, the spirit of resistance in France, and the alarming rise of fascism in the US. We open the discussion with an excerpt from a recent essay she wrote.
Gods & Radicals Press:
https://abeautifulresistance.org/2020-09-221h 35
Voices for Nature & Peace"The US Clusterf*ck" feat. Forrest Palmer"The US Clusterf*ck" feat. Forrest Palmer
An electrical engineer by training, Forrest Palmer is an activist who lives in Houston, Texas. His work can be found at Wrong Kind of Green, which advocates an anti-capitalist approach to environmental work.
We talked on September 5th, and touched on the clusterf*ck of 2020, the George Floyd protests, the plight of millennials, Bernie Sanders, the ongoing collapse of the US, COVID-19, the flawed nature of the US Constitution, the inadequacy of a Green New Deal, climate chaos, climate denialism on both sides of the political aisle, the...2020-09-151h 10
Voices for Nature & Peace"Creating Cultural Transformation" feat. Riane Eisler"Creating Cultural Transformation" feat. Riane Eisler
Riane Eisler is a social systems scientist, cultural historian, and attorney whose research, writing, and speaking has transformed the lives of people worldwide. Dr. Eisler pioneered the expansion of human rights theory and action to include the majority of humanity: women and children. Her research provides a new perspective on our past, present, and possibilities for the future, including a new social and political agenda for building a more humane and environmentally sustainable world. Her book, "The Chalice & the Blade: Our History, Our Future," had a big influence on my own...2020-09-101h 05
Voices for Nature & Peace"Right Wingers Descend on Portland" feat. Blank, a street journalistEp. 32: "Right Wingers Descend on Portland" feat. Blank, a street journalist
On-the-ground reporting from our local correspondent
On Saturday, August 29th, right-wingers including Proud Boys and Trump supporters met up in the Portland area to stir up trouble with the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. Hundreds of them met up in a shopping mall parking lot outside the city and caravanned downtown. Blank, a street journalist who is our Portland correspondent, happens to live near the mall, so he headed over and blended into the crowd so he could observe. He ended up driving with...2020-08-311h 09
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Liminal Space of 2020" feat. Jessica L'abbéEp. 31: "The Liminal Space of 2020" feat. Jessica L'abbé
Jessica L'abbé is a resident of Alberta, Canada, where she is a nurse and a gardener among other things. In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the challenges and possibilities of 2020 on both sides of the border.
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Voices for Nature & PeaceHow the "Defund the Police" Proposal was Blocked in Minneapolis, feat. Robin WonsleyEp. 30: How "Defund the Police" was Blocked in Minneapolis
In mid-July, Counterpunch published, “Minneapolis Ballot Measure to Dismantle the Police Will Test the Strength of Our Movement,” authored by Robin Wonsley & Ty Moore. Intrigued by this article, I contacted Robin, and less than a month later, I interviewed her for my podcast. But already the proposal—which had attracted so much national attention—was dead, killed by the city’s undemocratic and bureaucratic process. Robin and I talked in depth about how this happened, including how the activist community sabotaged itself by giving away its power to the City C...2020-08-201h 25
Voices for Nature & Peace"Joy of Resistance" feat. Bette Lee"Joy of Resistance" feat. Bette Lee
Interview with an activist photographer
Bette Lee is a 70 year-old Asian American activist who's been involved in the struggle for justice and equality for over 30 years. She is a substitute teacher at an alternative high school for mostly Black and Brown students. She currently resides (and resists) in Portland.
In the early 2000s, when I was doing street journalism in Portland, it seemed like I ran into Bette Lee at every protest, rally and march I attended. I became a fan of her photography then, when she...2020-08-1140 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Update from Strawberry Rock Treesit" feat. LupineEp. 28: "Update from Strawberry Rock Treesit" feat. Lupine
In this special breaking news episode, I talk again with Lupine, a tree sitter in Northern California, who I originally interviewed for episode 19, back in early June. Forest defenders have been occupying trees around Strawberry Rock, north of Eureka/Arcata since April 1st, and in the last week, Green Diamond, the logging company, has resumed work in the area, clearcutting the forest. Lupine has been witnessing this tragedy first-hand, from her perch, 60 feet up in one of the trees.
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/redwoodforestdefense/2020-08-0932 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnThinking Outside the Social Media Echo Chamber (8/5/20)Thinking Outside the Social Media Echo Chamber
Social media algorithms serve us up with what we like to see because the more we scroll, the more data they can harvest, and selling that data is their business model. Lately, it’s been popular to refer to the increasingly narrow worldview that we receive this way as an “echo chamber.” Commentators have been warning that both ignorance and polarization are the result, and that we need to take deliberate steps to avoid being boxed in and judgmental. Agreed.
One suggested remedy I saw recently is to keep p...2020-08-0706 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnCentering the Earth (7/29/20)Centering the Earth
If we follow trends set by the George Floyd protests, eventually we will end up focusing primarily on the environment.
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Kollibri's Weekly ColumnThis Is What Collapse Looks Like (7/22/20)This Is What Collapse Looks Like
It’s time to normalize the word, “collapse,” to describe the ongoing conditions in the US.
Some would counter it’s well past time—and I won’t argue with that—but I’d say we can no longer credibly claim that it’s too early to make this call.
“Decline” has been happening for decades at this point, as manifested in trends such as increasing class inequality, decreasing wages (as relative to inflation), higher infant mortality, lower life expectancy, a disintegrating social safety net, explosive growth of the prison-industri...2020-08-0706 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Remembering the Freedom Rides" feat. Max Pavesic"Remembering the Freedom Rides" feat. Max Pavesic
A first-hand account of protest & imprisonment
In 1961, bus stations in much of the South were still segregated by race, in spite of a 1960 Supreme Court case that had declared the practice illegal. The Freedom Rides were a campaign in which whites and Blacks rode the buses together to defy the Southerners and force them to change. Many activists were beaten by locals, often while law enforcement looked on and did nothing. Many were also arrested.
Max Pavesic was a 21 year old student in Los Angeles when...2020-08-0453 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Solidarity in Portland" feat. Cammie PavesicSolidarity in Portland feat. Cammie Pavesic
Cammie Pavesic is an actor, director, producer, activist and union thug. She has been attending the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, as a participant with the "Wall of Moms." She was born in Denver, grew up in Idaho, earned a Bachelors degree at Boise State University and attended the National Shakespeare Conservatory in NYC. She is married with one step daughter and two grandchildren. She directed the documentary, "Add the Words," about the campaign to add sexual orientation as a protected class to the Idaho constitution. You can find...2020-07-291h 01
Voices for Nature & Peace"Portland vs. The Feds" feat. BlankEp. 25: "Portland vs. The Feds" feat. Blank
First-hand report from the tear-gas filled streets
Federal officers have been in Portland, Oregon, for the last few days, on Trump's orders. They have been abducting people off the streets into unmarked vehicles and attacking protesters with a variety of "less than lethal" weapons including tear gas, pepper pellets and flash-bang grenades. George Floyd protests in Portland have been active downtown there for over fifty days, but numbers had dwindled to a few hundred a night. But with the arrival of the Feds, crowds have swollen into the...2020-07-231h 01
Voices for Nature & Peace"How Trump Stole 2020" feat. Greg PalastEp. 24: "How Trump Stole 2020" feat. Greg Palast
"Voter suppression is simply class war by other means."
Greg Palast is an investigative journalist who has written for the Guardian, BBC Television, Democracy Now!, Rolling Stone, and more. In 2001, he exposed how Florida was stolen from Al Gore, and since then, one of his main focuses has been voter suppression in the US. On this topic, he has few peers and has unearthed numerous scandals that deserve greater attention.
Mr. Palast's new book, "How Trump Stole 2020: The hunt for America’s Vanished Voters," was released th...2020-07-1554 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"A View from France of US Collapse" feat. Alley ValkyrieEpisode 23: "A View from France of US Collapse" feat. Alley Valkyrie
Alley Valkyrie is a social activist, writer, artist, spirit-worker and co-founder of GODS & RADICALS Press. Though she is a US American citizen, she has been living in France for the last few years. We spoke on July 6th, mostly about the many ways in which French and European culture differs from the US. Specifically: ideas of freedom, responses to COVID, the social safety net, education and cultural memory. I really enjoyed our conversation. It was refreshing to be reminded that the way things are in the...2020-07-101h 08
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Necessity of Creating a Political Crisis" feat. Margaret Kimberley"The Necessity of Creating a Political Crisis" feat. Margaret Kimberley
Margaret Kimberley is an Editor and Senior Columnist at the Black Agenda Report, which publishes news, commentary and analysis from the black left. She is author of the book, “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” which is an eye-opening and very well researched volume published by Steerforth Press in February 2020. (Read my review.) She contributed to the anthology, “In Defense of Julian Assange,” which includes essays by over three dozen other well-known figures including Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg and Matt Taibbi. Margaret is also on the coordinating committe...2020-07-041h 16
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Corruption of the Democratic Party" feat. Ted RallEpisode 21: The Corruption of the Democratic Party, featuring Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a graphic novelist, a syndicated columnist and the author of many books of art and prose, including biographies of Edward Snowden, Bernie Sanders and Pope Francis. You've probably seen his political cartoons, which are often published in urban weeklies. His newest book is called, "Political Suicide: The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party," which uses the graphic novel form to trace the history of the Democratic Party's rightward movement over the last few decades, and how its leadership has worked to suppress...2020-06-2837 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"We Are All Prey" feat. Joanna Pocock.We Are All Prey, featuring Joanna Pocock
Joanna Pocock is an Irish-Canadian writer living in London. Her writing has notably appeared in the LosAngeles Times, the Nation and on the Dark Mountain blog. Her most recent book is entitled, "Surrender," and is a memoir that mostly focuses on her adventures in the western United States. There, as she experienced menopause, she explored the history and nature of the landscapes, and met various rewilders including the notorious Finisia Medrano. The book takes its name from an eco-sex convergence she attended.
Joanna and I talked on June 25, 2020...2020-06-261h 20
Voices for Nature & Peace"Interview with a Tree-sitter" feat. Lupine"Interview with a Tree-sitter" feat. Lupine
Episode 19: Interview with a Tree-sitter, featuring Lupine
When I first moved to Portland, Oregon, in the spring of 2001, I happened to end up living across the street from the Cascadia Forest Alliance (CFA). CFA was involved in direct action protests to stop logging in the Pacific Northwest, including tree-sits. I covered their efforts as an Indymedia reporter, and got to spend time with them in the forest, learning about ecology and resistance.
So I was thrilled to have the chance, in the second week of June, 2020, to...2020-06-1857 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Unsustainability of Civilization Itself" feat. Will FalkThe Unsustainability of Civilization Itself
Will Falk is a biophilic essayist, poet, and lawyer. He believes the intensifying destruction of the natural world is the most pressing issue confronting us today and he aims his writing at stopping this destruction. His work has been published by Earth Island Journal, the Dark Mountain Project, CounterPunch, Whole Terrain, and the San Diego Free Press, among others. He is also the author of the book, "How Dams Fall." His newest project is an ongoing multimedia project called "The Ohio River Speaks."
Will and I spoke on June 14th...2020-06-151h 47
Voices for Nature & Peace"Advocating for Mexican Gray Wolves" feat. Amy Harwood"Advocating for Mexican Gray Wolves" feat. Amy Harwood
On June 2nd, 2020, I interviewed Amy Harwood of Lobos of the Southwest about her organization’s advocacy for the Mexican Gray Wolf, and particularly for its reintroduction into the wild.
Lobos of the Southwest is a joint outreach and education initiative of several different environmental organizations and individuals who live in the southwest US.
In our conversation, we talked about how the Mexican Gray Wolf nearly went extinct; breeding and reintroduction efforts, including cross-fostering puppies; the challenges of working with the US Fish & Wildlife Agency; cu...2020-06-1256 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Need to Smash the System" feat. Kristine Mattis"The Need to Smash the System" feat. Kristine Mattis
Kristine Mattis received her PhD in Environmental Studies. As an interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in biology, earth system science, and policy, her research focuses on environmental risk information and science communication. Before returning to graduate school, Kristine worked as a medical researcher, as a science reporter for the U.S. Congressional Record, and as a science and health teacher. She is no relation to the mad-dog general.
I've been a big fan of Kristine's writing for a few years now. More than once, I...2020-06-081h 20
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnHey White People: We’ve Got to Stop Claiming We’re Not Racist (1/2/18)Hey White People: We’ve Got to Stop Claiming We’re Not Racist
One from the vaults: January 2018
I am White person born and residing in the USA. These words are addressed to other White people here. If I focus particularly on liberals, that’s because much of my adult life was spent in the Democratic bastions of Minneapolis, Boston, and Portland (Oregon).
One thing that People of Color have been telling us for years is that White Supremacy is something we Whites need to deal with. There is work to do on oursel...2020-06-0510 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnTrying to Go Deep on Social Media is Like Trying to Dig a Hole from a Moving Vehicle (6/3/20)Trying to Go Deep on Social Media is Like Trying to Dig a Hole from a Moving Vehicle (6/3/20)
What’s happening at all the George Floyd protests around the country? How many people are showing up? What are the demographics? How many cops are there? Which community organizations are involved? Are local elected officials helping or hurting? Who really broke that window or set that fire? What about these reports of incitement by white supremacists?
Mainstream media doesn’t answer all these questions. They frame everything so narrowly, with an inevitable pro-establishment bias, even when thei...2020-06-0506 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnWhat is a “Native” Plant in a Changing World? (05/27/20)What is a “Native” Plant in a Changing World? (05/27/20)
Beyond Valorizing & Villainizing
The term “native plant” has become a common one, and many people probably assume that the definition is clear cut. However, like many other seemingly simple designations, that’s not the case.
Whether a given plant is considered “native” where it is found growing is dependent on the interpretation of the interrelation of three factors: time, place and human involvement.
So, in the United States, a plant is generally considered native only if it grew here before European colonization. On the East Co...2020-06-0515 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"George Floyd Protests in Chicago" feat. Dan Hanrahan"George Floyd Protests in Chicago" feat. Dan Hanrahan
Ep. 15: "George Floyd Protests in Chicago" feat. Dan Hanrahan
This is a special breaking-news edition.
Dan Hanrahan is a Chicago-based musician, translator, poet, performer, and teacher of Latin American literature. He has written essays for Counterpunch, El Beisman, The Mantle, and OpEd News, and stage music for Chicago’s Spanish-language theater company Colectivo El Pozo. He recently released "Radical Songs for Rough Times," an album of original protest songs. Currently operating within Chicago’s genre cross-fertilizing music scene, this multilingual Milwaukee native has built a foll...2020-06-0248 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"George Floyd Protests in Portland" feat. Blank"George Floyd Protests in Portland" feat. Blank
Special breaking news edition!
I speak with "Blank," an old Indymedia comrade in Portland, Oregon. Blank attended the last two evenings of George Floyd protests there. The second night he was teargassed. Blank gives blow-by-blow accounts of both evenings, and in the final third, we talk about some of the larger issues behind the protests.
[Photo credit: Mural portrait of George Floyd by Eme Street Art in Mauerpark (Berlin, Germany), by Singlespeedfahrer. License: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.]
RADIO FREE SUNROOT:
Podcasting...2020-06-011h 05
Voices for Nature & Peace"Beyond Organic: 'Regenerative' Agriculture" feat. Melissa Hoffman of Sho FarmBeyond Organic: "Regenerative" Agriculture, feat. Melissa Hoffman of Sho Farm
Melissa Hoffman is a co-owner with Shawn Smith of Sho Farm, LLC, in Vermont. Sho Farm is a unique place where regenerative farming, agroforestry, rewilding and a duck sanctuary all mix in what Melissa calls a “living laboratory.” Melissa and I talked shop about the various experiments and methodologies they are trying out on their 1300 acre parcel, including veganic approaches, integrating wildlife, utilizing so-called “invasive” plants, relocalizing our diets, encouraging pollinator habitats, indigenous land management practices, and the need for adaptability in both practical approach and in mind. Sh...2020-05-311h 09
Voices for Nature & Peace"Beyond the War on Invasive Species" feat. Tao Orion"Beyond the War on Invasive Species" feat. Tao Orion
Tao Orion is the author of "Beyond the War on Invasive Species: A Permaculture Approach to Ecosystem Restoration."We conversed on May 18, 2020, and we talked about: the difficulty of defining the term "invasive;" the dangers of the pesticides that are used against them; the question of whether they need to be eradicated at all; understanding invasives as symptoms of bigger problems rather than being problems themselves; pre-Columbian indigenous land management; "intermediate disturbance" as a restoration method; the notorious zebra mussel; the roles that invasives play in...2020-05-231h 20
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnThe Proliferation of Conspiracy Theories & the Crisis of Science (5/20/20)The Proliferation of Conspiracy Theories & the Crisis of Science (5/20/20)
We’re all familiar with what a “conspiracy theory” is: a narrative of social control in which shadowy groups are secretly rigging events to increase their own power and profit. An apt personification is “the man behind the curtain” in “The Wizard of Oz.”Of course, there actually are groups attempting to rig events to their own enrichment, such as criminal rackets, political parties and corporations, but conspiracy theories go beyond this simple reality of economics and politics; the actors they describe are virtually god-like in their omniscie...2020-05-2111 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Radical Womb Sovereignty" feat. Samantha Zipporah"Radical Womb Sovereignty" feat. Samantha Zipporah
Episode Eleven: "Radical Womb Sovereignty"Samantha Zipporah is a reproductive and sexual health educator who provides counseling on everything from ovulation to orgasms, abortions to births, and menstruation to yeast infections. Sam brings a holistic approach to her work, seeking to deindustrialize all aspects of women's reproductive health. She is also an author and a musician. In our conversation we talked about natural contraception, fertility awareness, plant medicine, the ecology of the menstrual cycle. how "the pill" works, "gyn-rape," and how men can be allies to women...2020-05-171h 09
Voices for Nature & Peace"For People, Planet & Peace ...from the state of Maine" feat. Lisa Savage"For People, Planet & Peace ...from the state of Maine" feat. Lisa Savage
Lisa Savage is running for Senate in the state of Maine against Republican incumbent, Susan Collins. Lisa is long-time antiwar and environmental organizer, as well as being a public school teacher and a grandmother. Although she has been an active member of the Green Party, Lisa is running as an independent candidate due to restrictive ballot access laws in Maine. The state does, however, boast the advantage of having ranked choice voting, which gives independent candidates a better shot.Lisa & I spoke on...2020-05-111h 11
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Pandemic as a Lesson in Humility" feat. Gilbert Mercier"The Pandemic as a Lesson in Humility" feat. Gilbert Mercier
Gilbert Mercier is a is a French journalist, photojournalist and filmmaker. He founded the News Junkie Post in 2009 and is its Co-Editor-in-Chief. Over the years, he has been a guest analyst on television and radio programs for RT, BBC World News, the Progressive Radio Network, Sputnik, Al Hurra TV, CounterPunch Radio, and Radio Islam. Mercier’s articles have been republished by Alternet, Truthout, CounterPunch, Z Communications, Signs of the Times, Popular Resistance, and others. He authored the book, "The Orwellian Empire." He is a member of the Na...2020-05-081h 26
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnSlaughter of the Innocents: COVID-19 & the Future of Agriculture (5/6/20)Slaughter of the Innocents: COVID-19 & the Future of Agriculture
Agriculture was at the heart of the settler colonialism: The land was seized for farming and the people were kidnapped to work the fields. From brutal beginnings, the situation has only worsened, especially in the last few decades. Small-scale, family-farming à la Old MacDonald is the stuff of myth at this point, with precious few exceptions. Pesticide use is up, ground-water levels are down, top soil is blowing away, wildlife biodiversity is shrinking, and human workers are abused.This cruelty and waste has been “normal” up until now...2020-05-0609 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Society of Strangers" feat. Jessica L'Abbé"Society of Strangers"
Jessica L'Abbé is a registered nurse who lives and works in Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada. I know her only from social media, where I have been appreciating her perspectives and knowledge, especially now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke on April 29th, 2020, by Skype. We talked about US / Canadian differences in health care, governance and the culture at large. She also had some very astute observations to make about media, not only regarding its messaging but also its nature. In general, I find it refreshing to converse with someone who is not a...2020-05-0345 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Persistence of White Supremacy in the US" feat. Margaret KimberleyThe Persistence of White Supremacy in the US
Margaret Kimberley is an Editor and Senior Columnist at the Black Agenda Report, which publishes news, commentary and analysis from the black left. She is author of the book, "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," which is an eye-opening and very well researched volume published by Steerforth Press in February 2020. She contributed to the anthology, "In Defense of Julian Assange," which includes essays by over three dozen other well-known figures including Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg and Matt Taibbi. Margaret is also on the coordinating committee of the Black Alliance...2020-04-2958 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnRussiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving (2/24/20)Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving
What if every social media post about “Russia!” had instead focused on climate change? Or the opening of public lands to resource extraction? Or the gutting of the National Environmental Policy Act? Most people probably don’t even know what that last one is, which is sad. These are issues of immense importance, but they’ve gotten totally short shrift.And this is where it’s not just about the DNC and their corporate media stooges: it’s about all the people who fell for it and helped sprea...2020-04-1711 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnWe All Need to Be Tree Huggers Now (1/14/20)We All Need to Be Tree Huggers Now
The current custom is that any tree can be cut down for any reason, with exceptions made to save particular ones, here and there, every once in a while. This should be reversed. Instead, it must be forbidden to cut down any tree at all, ever, with exceptions made only for clearly demonstrated need. Need shall be defined most narrowly, not as it currently is, comprised mostly of luxuries.
The following would no longer be considered legitimate reasons to cut trees: agriculture, ranching, furniture, paper, toilet paper...2020-04-1708 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnUS belligerence against Iran: “This is What Empires Do” (1/7/20)US belligerence against Iran: “This is What Empires Do”
I follow Forrest Palmer on social media and when he posted this on Sunday, it totally struck a chord with me:
“I am so cynical now, my only response to the Iran debacle is “Spare me the fake fucking outrage, this is what empires do…””
For real. It’s an unsentimental view expressed with little concern for decorum, and it also happens to be true. “Well said,” in other words.
This is, indeed, what empires do, and the USA is an empire by any honest defini...2020-04-1708 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnIt’s Not Capitalism that’s Driving Ecocide; it’s Civilization (12/21/19)It’s Not Capitalism that’s Driving Ecocide; it’s Civilization
The fact that human beings are causing great damage to life on the planet is not up for debate. Even if one doesn’t buy anthropogenic climate change, it’s all too clear that we’re making a big mess with pesticides, air pollution, plastic in the oceans, nuclear waste, genetic modification, top soil loss, aquifer depletion, urban sprawl, wildlife extinctions, and more.
There’s a word for our collective behavior: ecocide.
We live under the reign of capitalism, so it’s easy to pin the...2020-04-1707 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnThe Absurdity of “Online Community” (12/19/19)The Absurdity of “Online Community”
We are elements somehow animated by the energy of life on a piece of dirt between deep waters and high clouds and… we are not alone. Though we might not be conscious of it, as material beings we are in constant intimate connection with a vast network of animals, plants, fungus, bacteria and who knows what else, experiencing all of it together in a dynamic equilibrium.
The computer conveys almost nothing of that. Nearly every detail of an online interaction is filled in by our imaginations. Additionally, the raw materials for ou...2020-04-1707 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnHow Blaming Nader in 2000 Paved the Way for Today’s Neo-Fascism (12/9/19)How Blaming Nader in 2000 Paved the Way for Today’s Neo-Fascism
Even though it was a myth, the “spoiler” story was severely damaging to our society: it brushed aside the fact that a national election had just been stolen in broad daylight by a right-wing cabal, which paved the way for more of the same. At the time, I remember feeling deep dread. “If they get away with this,” I wondered to myself, “what will they get away with next?”
That turned out to be a new global war, frightful attacks on civil liberties, further dismantling of...2020-04-1708 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnCoups-for-Green-Energy added to Wars-For-Oil (11/13/19)Coups-for-Green-Energy added to Wars-For-Oil
The US-supported right-wing coup against Bolivian President Evo Morales on November 10th was a serious strike against that nation’s autonomy and its people (especially its indigenous, of whom Morales was one). Such meddling has defined US foreign policy in Latin America for nearly two centuries, since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823.
“Same song, different verse,” one could say, and that’s true, but each verse has different lyrics and this one features a new element (no pun intended): Lithium.
While Lithium is used as an ingredient in a wide variety...2020-04-1708 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnWe Should Stop Insulting Animals and Own Our Own Humanity (8/5/19)We Should Stop Insulting Animals and Own Our Own Humanity
The English language contains hundreds of idioms that mention animals: ants in your pants, bull in a china shop, clam up, fish out of water, free as a bird, the lion’s den, like a moth to a flame, playing possum, quick as a bunny, squirrel away, stir up the hornet nest, strong as an ox, and many many more.
These examples are innocuous, but many evocations of animals are not, and that’s my focus here.
Talking politics often includes unfavorable characterizations of o...2020-04-1711 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnCan Our Veggie Gardens Feed us in a Real Crisis? (7/14/19)Can Our Veggie Gardens Feed us in a Real Crisis?
Massive flooding and heavier than normal precipitation across the US Midwest this year [2019] delayed or entirely prevented the planting of many crops. The situation was sufficiently widespread that it was visible from space. The trouble isn’t over yet: Hotter-than-normal temperatures predicted to follow could adversely affect corn pollination. Projections of lower yields have already stimulated higher prices in UN grain indexes and US ethanol. Additionally, the USDA is expecting harvests to be of inferior quality. Furthermore, the effects of this year could bleed into 2020; late planting le...2020-04-1707 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnThe Ugly Patriarchal Truth: In the US, Most Men Simply Don’t Like Women (1/9/18)The Ugly Patriarchal Truth: In the US, Most Men Simply Don’t Like Women
Sexual abuse and harassment have been getting some overdue attention lately from the online #MeToo movement and with the IRL exposures of high profile perpetrators in Hollywood and DC. Also contributing to increasing awareness for the past year has been the presence in the Oval Office of a verifiable rake. The fact that more men are now questioning their own behavior is a good thing. It’s only a start but it’s requisite for social progress.
We’ll see how far it g...2020-04-1711 min
Kollibri's Weekly ColumnOnly Revolution Can Mitigate Climate Change (8/27/15)Only Revolution Can Mitigate Climate Change
Fred Hampton, the assassinated Black Panther, once famously said: “School is not important and work is not important. Nothing’s more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.”
That quotation has been running through my mind lately as I have been reading news about Climate Change. Replace “fascism” with “Climate Change” and you have a spot-on description of the state of the world today. Things have gotten that dire.
Before you accuse me of misappropriating Hampton, let me point out that Climate Change is fascism: fasci...2020-04-1715 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"The Harmony Way" feat. Prof. Randy WoodleyRev. Dr. Randy Woodley is an activist/scholar and distinguished speaker, teacher and wisdom keeper who addresses a variety of issues concerning American history and culture, postcolonial theology, community-building, faith, social-justice, diversity, regenerative farming, climate-change and our relationship with the earth and Indigenous realities. Dr. Woodley currently serves as Distinguished Professor of Faith and Culture and Director of Intercultural and Indigenous Studies at George Fox University/Portland Seminary.
Randy's books include: "An Introduction to Postcolonial Theologies"; "The Harmony Tree: A Story of Healing and Community"; and "Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision." Randy is...2020-04-1400 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Radical is the New Sensible" feat. Rivera SunRivera Sun is a change-maker, a cultural creative, a protest novelist, and an advocate for nonviolence and social justice. She is the author of many novels including The Dandelion Insurrection and The Way Between and other novels. She is also the editor of Nonviolence News, a free weekly newsletter.
I first discovered Rivera's writing on Counterpunch and began following her on social media. A couple years back, when I asked her if I could mail her a copy of my most recent book, "The Failures of Farming & the Neccesity of Wildtending," she graciously offered to send me...2020-04-1459 min
Voices for Nature & Peace"Welfare Ranching" feat. Katie FiteAs the Western Watersheds Project’s Biodiversity Director, biologist Katie Fite has monitored more public ground than arguably any other single person in the Western United States. Her work has repeatedly set her against the anti-environmental bureaucrats at the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.
She is currently Director of Public Lands at Wildlands Defense, an Idaho-based organization that is dedicated to protecting and improving the ecological and aesthetic qualities of the wildlands and wildlife communities of the western United States for present and future generations. Wildlands Defense engages in legal and administrative advocacy, scientific re...2020-04-141h 10
Voices for Nature & Peace"When Green Energy Ain't So Green" feat. Basin & Range WatchBasin and Range Watch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to conserve the deserts of Nevada and California and to educate the public about the diversity of life, cultures, and history of the desert, as well as sustainable local renewable energy alternatives. They seek to protect desert wildlands and species, groundwater resources, dark night skies, culturally important landscapes, local ways of life, and more.
A major focus is the current push by federal and state agencies to open up undisturbed habitat and public lands in the desert to energy development. They say: "Our goal is to identify...2020-04-141h 16
Voices for Nature & Peace"In Defense of Prairie Dogs" feat. Deanna MeyerEpisode Two: "In Defense of Prairie Dogs" with guest Deanna Meyer.
Deanna Meyer is a long time environmental activist. Born and raised in Colorado, she gained a deep appreciation for the land and its living communities but came to recognize that everyone she loved was under attack. In 2015, she began her fight on behalf of prairie dog colonies along the Front Range when she launched a campaign to protect a large prairie dog colony from extermination in Castle Rock. She has been campaigning and advocating for numerous colonies and prairie communities ever since and intends to do...2020-04-141h 12
Voices for Nature & Peace"Peace Mom" feat. Cindy SheehanCindy Sheehan is an anti-war activist and anti-imperialist rabble-rouser. She became politically active after her son, Casey, a soldier, was killed in Iraq in April 2005. Shortly thereafter she formed Gold Star Families for Peace, made up of other families who opposed US militarism. She became nationally-known in August of 2005 after establishing a protest camp near President George W. Bush’s ranch in Texas. Hundreds of people participated in the protest, which was called “Camp Casey” after Sheehan’s son. At this time, the media nicknamed her “Peace Mom.”
Sheehan has run for office three times, including against Congressman...2020-04-1339 min
The Ground Shots PodcastKollibri terre Sonnenblume on the Failures of Farming and the Necessity of WildtendingEpisode #35 of the Ground Shots Podcast features a conversation with Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, recorded in rural southern New Mexico last month in his outdoor kitchen, surrounded by friendly feral cats. I visited with Kollibri last month, where he is currently living, gardening and writing. He gave me a few of his books to read through, and after I read much of them, we got together to record this conversation. His books and zines are well written, thought out and researched and touch on topics like colonialism, history, plants, agriculture, ethnobotany, politics and more. Kollibri terre Sonnenblume is...2020-04-021h 44
Last Born In The WildernessKollibri terre Sonnenblume: Environmental Deregulation & Coming AtrocitiesThis is a segment of episode #236 of Last Born In The Wilderness “The Toxic Gift That Keeps On Giving: Coming Atrocities w/ Kollibri terre Sonnenblume.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWsonnenblumeRead ‘Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving’ and ‘Coming Atrocities’: http://bit.ly/38MX8hc / http://bit.ly/2TKdTW7In this segment of my interview with prolific writer and dissident Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, we discuss two articles he recently published, the first being ‘Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving’ published at Counterpunch, and ‘Coming Atrocities’ published on his website.“W...2020-03-1809 min
Last Born In The Wilderness#236 | The Toxic Gift That Keeps On Giving: Coming Atrocities w/ Kollibri terre Sonnenblume[Intro: 13:19 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr]In this episode, I speak with prolific writer and dissident Kollibri terre Sonnenblume. We discuss two articles he recently published, the first ‘Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving’ published at CounterPunch, and ‘Coming Atrocities’ published on his website.We begin this discussion by addressing the McCarthy-era tactics, other forms of character assassination, the corporate media and the DNC have directed against the Bernie Sanders campaign as we approach the 2020 presidential election in November. As Kollibri lays out in his article for Counterpunch:“The new McCarthyism that accom...2020-03-162h 00
Last Born In The Wilderness236 / The Toxic Gift That Keeps On Giving / Kollibri terre SonnenblumeIn this episode, I speak with prolific writer and dissident Kollibri terre Sonnenblume. We discuss two articles he recently published, Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving published at CounterPunch, and Coming Atrocities published on his website.
We begin this discussion by addressing the McCarthy-era tactics, other forms of character assassination, the corporate media and the DNC have directed against the Bernie Sanders campaign as we approach the 2020 presidential election in November.
After addressing this topic, we move into the massive level of environmental deregulation that has occurred under the Trump Administration and what is currently at stake in...2020-03-162h 00
Parallax Views w/ J.G. MichaelClimate Emergency & The Greta Thunberg Phenomena w/ Kollibri terre Sonnenblume
On this edition of Parallax Views, Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, author of Roadtripping at the End of the World, joins us to discuss the climate crisis and his recent piece "The Teachable Moment of the Greta Thunberg Phenomena", which responds to the provocative six-part report "The Manufacturing of Greta Thunberg – for Consent: The Political Economy of the Non-Profit Industrial Complex" by investigative journalist Cory Morningstar. This is not, however, an attempted takedown of Greta Thunberg or the phenomena she has sparked in regards to climate activism. Kollibri finds a great deal of inspiration in Thunberg, but argues that we...2019-10-1000 min