In Tune to Nature Podcast

An interview with Kristin Ohlson, author of "Sweet in Tooth & Claw," showcasing examples of how nature (including we human animals) thrive on cooperation and mutual aid between species, rather than focusing on the competitive or violent elements in nature that prompt us to try to tame and control species (and douse them with chemicals). The book “Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and...

Communication Professor Dr. Debra Merskin discusses her study of arguments for and against a ban on Oregon's coyote killing contests, including her recommendations for animal advocates to use approaches that are more likely to resonate with the rural residents arguing to keep the killing contests (although, other rural residents and some hunters also believe these killing contests should be banned...

From Cumberland Island up through Tybee Island, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act of 1970 is the reason the Georgia coast is largely a protected natural marshland and not a polluted, exploited, and/or commercialized tourist trap. Historian & former GA congressperson Dr. Paul Bolster discusses the political lessons of getting this marshland protection act passed, as explored in his award-winnin...

The large proportion of agricultural land (the majority) allocated for grazing of farmed animals doesn't equate to a large amount of nutrients/calories produced and is thus a misuse of land that could be re-wilded or used to grow nutrient dense crops. Host Carrie Freeman interviews Dr. Jennifer Molidor, Senior Food Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity to discuss how we can move toward...

Is the news helping us prevent future zoonotic disease pandemics by facilitating needed policy changes in animal and eco protection (namely the wildlife trade/hunting and agribusiness)? In Tune to Nature radio host and researcher Dr. Carrie Freeman, a professor of communication, shares her recent study in this 31-minute podcast analyzing the pandemic prevention solutions covered in the last 2.5 ye...

This 25-minute interview features the whistleblower from The End of Medicine documentary (on Apple TV and itunes), former pig farm industry veterinarian Dr. Alice Brough in the UK who shares why she quit trying to reform animal ag from within, given its immense systemic problems with animal welfare, public health and antibiotic resistance, environmental racism, and environmental pollution and dest...

Law professor Dr. Raj Reddy explains an important new global treaty for animal welfare and pandemic prevention called “Convention on Animal Protection” found at https://www.conventiononanimalprotection.org/    This is a first draft of a treaty prepared by Lawyers for the Convention on Animal Protection , following the passage of a resolution on animal protection by the American Bar Association Hou...

A highly pathogenic bird flu is causing the premature deaths of millions of birds in 2022, including wild birds but especially domesticated birds on industrial egg farms, since U.S. factory farms are conducting horrific mass killings of tens of millions of birds exposed to the virus. Unlike most news stories that focus on avian influenza from a human economic or agricultural perspective, we are go...

We discuss an undercover investigation (in Iowa) of the wild animal trapping industry in the U.S., conducted by Born Free USA and the Humane Society of the U.S., where the investigator witnessed how animals are beaten to death, if not dead already, when found suffering in leghold traps or snares (with callous disregard and even joking), along with the role that government agencies like the DNR pla...

Women, especially women of color, are highly impacted by the climate crisis and the fossil fuel industry and also are leaders (and increasingly should be) in promoting a clean energy transition and healthy communities. Osprey Orielle Lake discusses the nonprofit she founded and directs -- WECAN -- Women's Earth & Climate Action Network International in this 25-minute podcast recorded in March 2022...

Chris Bugbee, SW Conservation Advocate of the Center for Biological Diversity , discusses the ecological problems with cheap permits allowing cattle grazing across so many millions of acres of public lands in the U.S. West -- the largest commercial use of public lands. This is especially damaging in riparian zones along rivers, reducing biodiversity and threatening the other animals and plants who...

This provocative discussion on Dr. Khazaal's book "Like an Animal" explores the intersection of immigration, discrimination, the problematic human/animal divide, and speciesism, within the context of advancing a mutual concern for human rights and nonhuman animal rights. In this 27-minute podcast, "In Tune to Nature" host Carrie Freeman interviews Dr. Natalie Khazaal, Assistant Professor in the Sc...

Based on humanity's subconscious anxiety at admitting we are mortal animals, we seek immortality through a denial of death and our animality. Dr. Lori Marino discusses this topic in her research paper with Michael Mountain on terror management theory explaining studies showing that human recognition of our animality and our mortality (as fellow vulnerable creatures) makes us prone to creating out-...

Did you know that birds tend to migrate at night, and light pollution from our homes and buildings can mess up their navigation and cause deadly collisions? Birdcast.info is a website and a research/outreach project that has maps that forecast bird migrations across North America, which are especially prevalent in spring and fall. In this 25-minute interview, host Carrie Freeman talks with Project...

North America’s animals can’t be restricted to living within park boundaries and must migrate freely. The vision of Y2Y is an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching 2,000 miles from Yellowstone National Park in Montana to the Yukon region near Alaska in Northern British Columbia, Canada. The nonprofit’s U.S. Program and Adaptive Management Coordinator, Hannah Rasker, explains ho...

We talk about interspecies justice, animal rights, personhood, and earth jurisprudence from a legal and ecofeminist perspective, putting animal rights in context of intersectional social justice activism, with guest Dr. S. Marek Muller , Associate Professor of Rhetoric at Florida Atlantic Univ and author of the book “Impersonating Animals: Rhetoric, Ecofeminism, and Animal Rights Law” (Michigan St...

Wildlife biologist and journalist Doug Chadwick talks with host Carrie Freeman about his latest conservation book “Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just might Save us All" promoting the genealogical kinship we have with fellow animals and even plants and microbes. This beautiful book (part photo book, part nonfiction natural science book, part biographical storytelling book)...

Award-winning animal photojournalism pioneer Jo-Anne McArthur of We Animals Media tells us about the growing field of courageous animal photojournalists worldwide who visually tell the stories of nonhuman animals, by specializing in animal protection issues and undercover investigations of captive animals -- like in farms, zoos, aquariums, markets, and labs. You can see and use some of these compe...

An investigation by the DeSmog Blog team & journalist Caroline Christen explains how giant meat companies "climate-wash" -- misinform the public and politicians to avoid being held accountable for their large contributions to the climate crisis. Caroline outlines misleading tactics from the meat industry playbook meant to delay a needed shift away from animal-based foods. In this 25-minute intervi...

Author and animal activist Justin Barker shares his inspiring, true, coming-of-age, queer teen heroism story in "Bear Boy" ( www.bearboy.org ) of liberating Ursula and Brutus, two black bears languishing in a cage at a zoo in California in the 1990s. Through commitment and perseverance, he investigated and documented their conditions, garnered media attention, raised rescue funds across the nation...

Bunnies span the globe and may be in our yards or on our laps (and hopefully not on our plates). Author Mark Hawthorne explores the natural and cultural history of rabbits (a favorite animal companion of his) and ways to support them. In Tune to Nature host Carrie Freeman interviews Mark, a long time animal advocate and author, in this 25 minute podcast about his new book "The Way of the Rabbit" (...

In this interview, biologist and animal advocate Dr. Balcombe helps us appreciate an ecologically beneficial group of animals who are buzzing all around us but whom we mostly ignore, malign, or swat away -- flies -- the topic of his new book “Superfly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful Insects" (Penguin Press, 2021). For this "In Tune to Nature" show, host Carrie Freeman asks Dr....

Law Professor Karen Bradshaw (Arizona State U) discusses the innovative biodiversity solution from her book "Wildlife as Property Owners: A New Conception of Animal Rights" (Univ of Chicago Press, 2020). www.wildlifeaspropertyowners.com   This challenges the current system where only certain humans or nations are owners of the entire world. As part of the In Tune to Nature radio show, host Carrie...

In this interview, scientist and Saving Life on Earth campaign director Tierra Curry explains plans that the Ctr for Biological Diversity outlined for U.S. governmental protection of lands and waters (30% by 2030 and 50% by 2050) if Pres. Biden declares global extinction a National Emergency and dedicates $100 billion toward protection efforts (including establishing new parks/reserves, combatting...

Media Professor Dr. Debra Merskin and Sentient Media Executive Director Ana Bradley discuss a campaign (started by In Defense of Animals and supported by Jane Goodall and others) to encourage the Associated Press to update its journalism style guidelines to use pronouns like "they," "she," "he," or "he or she" to describe an individual animal, rather than calling him or her "it" (a word only fitti...