Toby's Oddcast:love, justice, agriculture, travel, economy, activism, biodiversity, nature and more

Love, Grief & Reconciliation: In the second part of this episode, Bel and I continue our deep, joyful and raw conversation. Bel presents the life so far of The Empathy Project https://www.theempathyproject.co.uk/. Starting off as a platform for her journalism, then on through the creation of the Empathy Project Film (https://www.theempathyproject.co.uk/film), leading to the understanding that...

"Love, Grief and Reconciliation": A simple but clear summary of Bel Jacobs' Theory of Change (which I was told by Bel had been tweaked since the last time we spoke. What is a Theory of Change without the possibility of change itself?!). In this episode I sit down with Bel Jacobs, in different rooms in different counties, and talk about so so much. Bel is an activist, a thinker, an ex...

My guest on this episode is Gem De silva, an animal rights activist for over 40 years, with 30+ years of that dedicated to undercover investigations. From working with the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) in the 1980s, he set up Tracks Investigations https://www.tracksinvestigations.org/ and has travelled the world documenting the truth behind the use, exploitation and commodi...

"Success is the ability to go from defeat to defeat without giving up" In part two Nathan talks the night he, and other brave members of Animal Rising https://www.animalrising.org/, entered the hell that is MBR Acres https://realmedia.press/siege-at-mbr-acres/ and liberated 18 beagle puppies from a life of suffering and painful death. Exploring the sensory overload when entering the kenn...

"The true test of our compassion isn't for the people who need it the most, it is for the people who deserve it the least" Nathan Luca McGovern is my guest in this two part episode. He is a truly inspiring young man who has deep-rooted convictions (pun intended) and lives them every day! In part one Nathan talks about how he found his way in to activism with an understanding that things need to ch...

Rob Callender is a real gem. We talk about the shifting landscape of activism and how we need to, and do adapt, and what we need to do to take back power! We delve in to the left politics of today, with The Green Party and Your Party, each one playing their part. Growing up in privilege in Hong Kong, being sent to boarding school and defying expectations by becoming an actor, Rob has consciously c...

PART 2 - Although Jamie’s experience working on salmon farms obviously hurts him now, his knowledge of the processes involved is deeply valuable, clearly describing the processes from egg to slaughter.  He set up Abolish Salmon Farming as a result, and has exposed the cruelty of the industry, from the forced suffering of individuals in the cages, to the environmental damage inflicted by these farm...

In this episode, Jamie Moyse, an ex salmon farmer from the Highlands of Scotland, talks about some of the atrocities that humans inflict on our fellow animals. Atrocities that he himself had been a part of, as is the case with so many of us. He shares his unique discovery of the truth behind animal exploitation, and how he eventually chose veganism. As a direct result of deciding to go vegan, he b...

Owl...DJ 'Ken Evil'....DJ 'Ken Obi'...a.k.a. Alan Guthrie joins me on this heart enhancing episode to share his epic journey through art, animal rights and activism. In this second of two episodes Alan talks about the day, in December 2022, he and other fellow animal rights activists from Animal Rising (https://www.animalrising.org/) liberated 18 beagle puppies, destined for a life of suffering an...

Owl...DJ 'Ken Evil'....DJ 'Ken Obi'...a.k.a. Alan Guthrie joins me on this heart enhancing episode to share his epic journey through art, animal rights and activism. In this first of two episodes he talks about his early fascination with music and art, leading him to follow musicians such as David Bowie, The Pixies and ending up touring with Nirvana on their first tour of the UK as their official...

I was invited on to a show with WRFM https://www.wrfm.co.uk/ (Witney Radio), a brilliant local community radio show in the Cotswolds, to talk about protest. The show was part of Our Earth Week where radio stations from around the globe share information, interview experts and discuss relevant themes all to do with our home...Earth. Grant, the host of the show, and I spoke deeply and freely about p...

James Skeet is a friend to us all! And when I say us, I mean each and every individual on this beautiful planet we call home. He is also a truly genuine, intelligent, kind, silly, magnificent peace-seeker, who deeply understand the state of life at the moment, and that if we just sit back and rely on hope...we will all be royally (and Royally) macerated...like the 7 billion male chicks every year...

In this fascinating episode I speak with Bini Pitwell, a proud vegan, a passionate grassroots activist, an intelligent, determined and highly principled human, about The Coalition Against Factory Farming https://www.caff.org.uk/. CAFF is a coalition of everyday local people, seasoned campaigners, lawyers, environmental scientists, to name but a few, along with a variety of movements, including Ani...

Leigh Evans is an extraordinary human. This is the third episode, an addition if you will, where Leigh talks about his next risky venture. Leigh will be joining the the Global Sumud Flotilla (Global Movement for Gaza ). A flotilla of boats, whose aim is to break the blockade of Gaza and bring desperately needed food, aid and love to the starving and dying Palestinians. He shares his plan of joinin...

Leigh Evans is an extraordinary human. We spoke for so long about so many issues that the interview has been split up in to 2.5 episodes, this is the second. Brought up in Swansea surrounded by powerful and caring women, especially his mother, Leigh takes us on a very colourful, fun and dangerous journey. An emergency nurse, following in his mother's footsteps, he has been to war torn areas do...

Leigh Evans is an extraordinary human. We spoke for so long about so many issues that the interview has been split up in to 2.5 episodes, this is the first. Brought up in Swansea surrounded by powerful and caring women, especially his mother, Leigh takes us on a very colourful, fun and dangerous journey. An emergency nurse, following in his mother's footsteps, he has been to war torn areas doi...

Reverend Tim Hewes, a retired dentist and Church of England priest from Wantage in Oxfordshire, tells his story to us, to you. A story full of pride, grace, humility, humour and dignity. Quite expected from a 'man of the cloth'.... ..and then there are his stories of his time in prison, blocking the M25 with Insulate Britain and taking action with Just Stop Oil.... Tim was recently found n...

Paul is an 87 year old vegan ultra-marathon runner (!!) who shares his clear and inspirational approach to life and activism with us. Concerned that he is being distracted from his real passion of animal liberation, by all the other awfulness that is happening all over the world, Paul talks about why animal rights is so so essential. There is no doubt in his mind that total and unequivocal animal...

This is the second part of the chat we had with the fascinating Tim Barford. Founding member of VegFest UK and Why Go Vegan, long term advocate for justice and sharing the true meaning of animal rights to one and all. Tim shares examples of resources that will inspire all those who seek balance and beauty in the world, along with his determination to clarify the philosophies and necessity of vegan...

In this episode (part one of two), we have the absolute delight to speak with Tim Barford. Long term advocate for justice and the universal acceptance of animal rights, founding member of 'VegFest UK' (the UK's largest a longest running festival of veganism) and now 'Why Go Vegan', a new venture consisting of a 30 day challenge and bountiful ideas and information for all who fe...

This is our very first episode...a brand new collective for a brand new podcast! Sooooo exciiiited!! Leila joins us and shares her story: how and why she stands for balance, justice and the need to be active in a human-dominated world that is seemingly so determined to undermine love and the power of unity. Leila shares the concept and the principles that guide 'We are the Uprisings of the Com...