EcoJustice Radio

Biotonomy [https://www.biotonomy.com/] is an architectural design firm based out of Spain that uses a holistic & nature-based approach for buildings & cities to address the climate and biodiversity emergency. They provide groundbreaking and nature-based design principles that go beyond passive & green-building certification standards. Together with their international network, they work to acceler...

For an extended version of this interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio We’ve been ​“saving the planet” for decades and environmental crises just continue to compound. All this Tesla driving, green-roofed corporate headquarters, and carbon trading seems to accomplish little to nothing — all while low-income communities of color con...

For an extended version of this interview, join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Since the pandemic began, and long before then, many would concur that capitalism in its current form is failing, here and globally. Rooted in inequity, exploitation, profiteering, and social injustice, capitalism exacerbates inequality, disempowerment, and poverty by benefiting only the few. Curre...

In his book “An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States,” Kyle T. Mays [https://www.kyle-mays.com/], Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA, argues that the foundations of the United States are rooted in Anti-Black racism and settler colonialism, and that these parallel oppressions continue today. In his discussion with EcoJustice Radio,...

This is an encore presentation of Part One of our Amazon Defenders series from the end of 2020. The Amazon River Basin of South America is home to half of the world's tropical forests, with 33% of all plant and animal biodiversity thriving in impenetrable wildernesses. In this episode, we focus on the Western Amazon to understand how activists are confronting the dirty legacy of oil extraction, st...

This is an encore presentation of an interview we did with Dr. Gary Shapiro from 2020. Palm Oil is touted as a “miracle ingredient,” found in more than 50% of all packaged products consumed in the US. It renders makeup smooth, keeps ice cream from melting, and moisturizes our hair and skin. It is a hot commodity; giving rise to plantations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. At 66 million tons annu...

What is now known as Alabama and the environs of the Deep South, boast exceptional biodiversity and capture the imagination with its rich cultural and historical significance. It is the ancestral home of Cherokees, Choctaws, Muscogee or Creeks, and numerous lesser known Native nations and also the place where civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael planted the seeds of Black Power. Moreover, Dr....

The communities of the Gulf of Mexico are at the nexus of climate change and community resistance. Port Arthur Texas is homebase for the largest oil refinery in North America and a dizzying toxic array of fossil fuel and chemical facilities. But the people are stepping up to say - NO MORE.. Port Arthur Community Action Network (also known as PACAN) is raising the alarm, holding the polluters accou...

Permaculture is an integrative design system for sustainable, resilient, and abundant living. It emulates ecological relationships from wild nature and aims to protect and preserve water supply, agricultural land, and the greater environment. The practice encompasses architecture, horticulture, energy, waste management, and urban planning. In this episode, hear renowned permaculture and resilience...

Can cities build new parks in park-poor neighborhoods without displacing low-income residents? These projects aspire to provide green space in neighborhoods that historically have little to no access to parks, but they can also lead to increased housing and living costs -- green gentrification. Some might even wonder whether such investments are a good idea, if they threaten to displace the very p...

Coming on the heels of the US pullout from Afghanistan, it is imperative to consider the role and purpose of veterans, and regenerative farming has proven an excellent alternative. There is great potential to tap into the skillsets, selflessness, and service-oriented mindset of veterans. They seem to be perfectly suited to the adaptability, determination, tenacity, and innovation required of farme...

A thick coat of oily crude from Platform Elly off Orange County, California has destroyed critical habitat for endangered seabirds, soiled popular public beaches, poisoned fisheries, and wasted millions of dollars spent on ecosystem restoration in local coastal wetlands. Just six years earlier, we had a similar story off Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County. Our addiction to oil has us dril...

Check out our special encore presentation of our interview with Human Rights Attorney Steven Donziger recorded in December 2020. We investigate the story of Chevron’s crimes in Ecuador with Mr. Donziger who represented Ecuadorian communities demanding justice in a $9.5 billion decision against them for one of the largest-ever oil disasters. In a move calculated to shield Chevron and deter other la...

Part 2 of the discussion on Indian Boarding Schools with our guests, SunRose IronShell and Manape LaMere. They continue to discuss Indian Child Welfare Act, the Keystone XL Pipeline and other issues. Check out Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/socal350/lost-children-of-turtle-island-the-impact-of-indian-boarding-schools Check out their 2020 Appearance on EJR: https://www.wilderutopia.com/landscape/cu...

The truth about the US Indian boarding school policy has largely been written out of the history books. Started in the 1800s across the US and Canada, Indian Boarding schools were government-funded and often church-run. The goal? Forced assimilation of Native children into white society under the belief of “Kill the Indian, Save the Man,” which still contributes to how we see and treat Indigenous...

Missing from most conversations on the current immigration crisis is the role that racism and climate change play on people rendered unable to subsist and prosper due to the degradation of their lands and waters. We must also consider the history of military dominance and regime change in these hard hit countries as a means to facilitate trade and resource extraction for multinational corporations...

With growing interest in farming and regeneration of the soil using compost, now is the time to get back to the land -- and simultaneously mitigate greenhouse gases by utilizing excess food waste and yard trimmings. Nevertheless, with most people residing in cities, largely disconnected from Nature coupled with the inter-generational loss of ancestral traditions and practices around growing food a...

Many times the needs of non disabled people are prioritized, leaving the disabled community the last to be considered. During times of crisis such as climate change, intensified storms, droughts, and fire or conflict driven migration issues, those with disabilities can lack accessibility and have some of the greatest challenges to evacuation, adaptation, and financial and structural needs. In envi...

If you own something, shouldn’t you be able to take it to a technician of your choice or fix it yourself and be given access to the parts, tools, and service information necessary? Seems like a reasonable ask, but this isn’t always the case. Large corporations, like Apple, have enacted a trillion dollar lobbying campaign against the consumers ability to repair their own devices, fueling the fastes...

The Joshua tree is an icon and ecological keystone of the California deserts. However, climate disruption with hotter, drier summers and more frequent brush fires, threatens that some day soon Joshua Tree National Park will no longer have any Joshua trees. In fact, many other important desert plants and animals face an uncertain future. There exist so many unique symbiotic relationships, from the...

Many witnessed the unprecedented loss of ancient Giant Sequoia groves in the 2020 Castle Fire in Sierra Nevada, California, the only natural habitat for Sequoias on Earth. Coastal Redwoods were also gravely impacted by lightning-induced fires in August 2020. We must act fast to reforest our wild spaces and protect our imperiled old-growth forests. Our guest today, David Milarch, Co-Founder of Arch...

California's most distinctive wildland hosts a wide array of plant and animal life found nowhere else on Earth. It stretches from the coastal foothills to the interior mountains. But these rugged woody shrublands are undervalued and underappreciated, and repeated and ongoing attempts have been made to eradicate chaparral from the landscape. Why? Some believe it not aesthetically pleasing, others f...

Green banking, responsible investing in ecosystem protection and planting projects, provides immense environmental benefits. Moreover, it creates livelihoods and gives communities a chance to move toward economic independence, making it a win-win solution for both people and our planet.

 Listen to the interview with Tom Duncan, CEO & Founder of Earthbanc [https://earthbanc.io/] the world’s first...

Modern conveniences have real consequences. In order to accommodate the massive increase in online shopping, Big Retailers like Target, Amazon, Walmart, Ikea, have necessitated a fossil-fueled goods movement industry, shipping manufactured goods from abroad into ports on the coasts (like Los Angeles and Long Beach). Via diesel-spewing trucks and trains, products are then transferred to sprawling w...

Oceans cover roughly 70% of planet Earth, and they are in rapid decline. Impacted by human-induced climate change, pollution, dredging and overfishing, the world’s oceans are crying out for our attention. On today's show, we consider seaweed and the potential of stewardship-driven, regenerative ocean farming or ocean restoration through marine permaculture. We speak with Leslie Booher, Co-Founder...