"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, botany, and resource management at UC Berkeley. She traveled extensively around the state doing wildlife biology work and surveys for California Fish and Wildlife, the US Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management, and various universities. She is also the author and illustrator of the book, "A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California," a beautiful and engaging volume on the state's natural history.

Podcast listeners might remember Laura from episode 3, back in April 2020, when I interviewed her and Kevin Emmerich of Basin & Watch about defending desert habitats from industrial energy development. https://radiofreesunroot.com/2020/04/13/ep-3-when-green-energy-aint-so-green-feat-basin-range-watch/

On December 17th, 2020, Laura and I talked about how her art led her to conservation work; the ecology and history of the Point Reyes area; the establishment of the park, including how ranchers accepted buy-out money but never left; how Elk died during a recent drought, due to being fenced off from water supplies; how the Park Service is sacrificing Elk and their habitat to cattle and agriculture; the ecological damage from ranching & dairying; floristic succession in damaged and recovering landscapes; the possibility that Elk will be killed in the future if they "infringe" on cattle pasture; where we are in the decision-making process about the park's future; and the effects of the Woodward fire there last summer.

Links from Laura (with her comments):

https://www.pointreyesrewild.org (my informal website to try to get the word out)

https://www.forelk.org (fantastic grassroots organizer)

https://savepointreyesnationalseashore.com (another friend organizing people and educating)

https://shameofpointreyes.weebly.com (passionate independent filmmaker friend making films about industrial ranching now, former great white shark filmmaker)

https://treespiritproject.com/elk/ (another great grassroots organizer)

https://www.westernwatersheds.org/point-reyes-national-seashore-coastal-ecosystem-full-of-wildlife-or-industrial-farms/ (the group I'm working with)

https://restoreptreyesseashore.org (local environmental group Resource Renewal Institute project website)

This episode's introduction music is "XD239 - Synth 1" by Doctor Dreamchip. You can follow Doctor Dreamship here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhlcItuC6pmhhemUjhPt1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordreamchip/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/doctordreamchip

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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Ep. 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 are caused by too much or too little of particular neurotransmittrs in the brain. For example, it's been claimed that depression is a result of a lack of seratonin, so people suffering depression are prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor--an SSRI--such as Prozac, Paxil, or Zoloft.

There's a big problem with the chemical imbalance theory, though: it's not true. It's been repeatedly disproven, and is not recognized as valid in the field of psychiatry. Regardless, it is still widely believed in popular culture and among many health care professionals.

I first learned about the baselessness of chemical imbalance theory from the work of Bruce E. Levine. Bruce is a practicing clinical psychologist who writes and speaks about how society, culture, politics and psychology intersect. His most recent book is "Resisting Illegitimate Authority: A Thinking Person’s Guide to Being an Anti-Authoritarian―Strategies, Tools, and Models," published by AK Press. I've been an admirer of his work for several years now, so it was a true pleasure to have a conversation with him.

Bruce and I talked on Dec. 17th, 2020, and we covered a lot of ground. Among the subjects we discussed: critiquing the "defect model" of mental illness; how psychiatry resembles religion; the financial motivations of Big Pharma; that SSRIs are no more effective than placebos in clinical trials; the lack of connection between depression and seratonin levels; how Big Pharma load the dice in their studies; how Big Pharma influences the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (known as the DSM); the subjectivity of diagnosing mental health issues; when anti-authoritarian people are diagnosed as "mentally ill;" how blaming individuals for their mental difficulties gives systemic factors a pass; the role of trauma in adversely affecting mental health; the importance of community and its role in healing; the recent legalization of psilocybin mushrooms in Oregon; and his recent book, "Resisting Illegitimate Authority."

Again, no insult is meant to anyone who has experienced mood difficulties in their life, but we must dispense with some myths if we are going to work together towards a healthier society.

Bruce Levine's website: https://brucelevine.net/

Mad in America: Science, Psychiatry & Social Justice: https://www.madinamerica.com/

This episode's introduction music is "Trip Hammer" by leinadsorihcak https://freesound.org/people/leinadsorihcak/

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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ONE-TIME DONATION: Ep. 46: "How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us" feat. Bruce Levine

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Ep. 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 in 1997, and they employ a variety of tactics to defend and advocate for these Buffalo. On December 16th, I spoke with the campaign's media coordinator, Stephany Seay. She's been an earth activist since the late 80’s, has apprenticed as a wildlife rehabilitator, and is a student of horses. In 2003, she looked into the eyes of a wild buffalo and was never the same again. Since 2004 she has been on the front lines with BFC.

In our conversation, we talked about the history of the Yellowstone herd and what makes it unique; the annual killing of Buffalo every year when they migrate out of the park to forage; the Brucellosis myth; how the ranching industry opposes Buffalo; the effort to have Buffalo listed under the Endangered Species Act; how the Park Service rounds up buffalo every year and sends them to slaughterhouses; the genetic concerns with a herd that is kept so small; the importance of Buffalo as a keystone species; how domesticated cows do not fill the same ecological role as Buffalo; the relationship between Buffalo and Native Americans; how activists have mostly halted the "hazing" of Buffalo; and the work of Buffalo defense, which has included direct action.

This interview was short, so I filled out the episode by adding a reading from my 2019 book, "Roadtripping at the End of the World." The excerpt is from a section about Nine Mile Prairie in Nebraska in which write about the Tall Grass Prairie ecosystem and the Buffalo's place in it. "Roadtripping at the End of the World" is available at my website as an autographed paperback or a digital download.

Buffalo Field Campaign: https://buffalofieldcampaign.org

"Roadtripping at the End of the World": https://macskamoksha.com/product/roadtripping-at-the-end-of-the-world-paperback

The music in the background of the episode introduction is "Synth and Percussion Loop Created with Moog Mother 32 and Novation Circuit" (124 BPM, Key of C Minor) by Doctor Dreamchip of Portland, OR: https://freesound.org/people/Doctor_Dreamchip/sounds/545717/ You can follow Doctor Dreamship here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhlcItuC6pmhhemUjhPt1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordreamchip/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/doctordreamchip

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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"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 a Ventilator: The Impact of Covid-19 in China & the U.S." of which Sara is a co-editor. The volume is an anthology of articles by over 50 activists and independent journalists from around the world covering the pandemic from December 2019 to August of this year. The book covers a lot of ground under the over-arching theme of "cooperation vs. competition."

We discussed the basic facts of China's response, including the role of their local community associations; how younger people in the US are more skeptical of capitalism than the older generations; the sorry state of health in the US; the myth of Chinese "backwardness"; the US military's "pivot to Asia"; China's aid to countries all over the world; the role of the US media in concealing the broader picture of the problems with US healthcare; the squashing of alternative media online by algorithms; the bipartisan consensus in the US; and the censorship of this book by Amazon.

Article by Sara, referenced in interview: "China’s global vaccines – a game changer": https://iacenter.org/2020/12/10/chinas-global-vaccines-a-game-changer/

Sneak preview of "Capitalism on a Ventilator," including four sample chapters: https://iacenter.org/2020/11/14/sneak-preview-capitalism-on-a-ventilator-the-impact-of-covid-19-in-china-the-u-s/

My review of the book: https://macskamoksha.com/2020/12/capitalism-on-a-ventilator

Buy the eBook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/capitalism-on-a-ventilator

Buy the hardcopy: https://world-view-forum.myshopify.com/products/capitalism-on-a-ventilator

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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Ep. 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 end of January.

Because of these dire circumstances, I wanted to feature a frontline healthcare professional on this podcast, and with Eva Aaronson of Portland, Oregon, I found exactly who I was looking for.

Eva's work spans both paid and volunteer capacities. She has experience in critical care in adult ICUs and currently works in a hospital emergency department. Additionally, she has also been a street medic at protests for 12 years, volunteers at a syringe exchange, and donates time and expertise at houseless encampments. Eva's social justice angle, as well as her ability to view the US healthcare system with a critical eye, is what makes her such a great fit for this podcast.

In our conversation we focused on the COVID pandemic. We talked about the increasing pressures on the healthcare system; the varying efficacy of different types of masks; life in the emergency department; what COVID tests test and what their limitations are; comparisons to the AIDS epidemic; the negative social effects of social distancing; and vaccinations and herd immunity. The topic of vaccinations is particularly controversial, and will become more so as they are rolled out in the coming months, so I was pleased to get Eva's point of view.

We also talked about her work at current houseless encampments in Portland and as a street medic at the BLM/George Floyd protests this year, but I edited out those sections on this recording in order to stay focused on COVID. However, the full interview is available to my Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/kollibri.

I'd also like to acknowledge that this episode was directly inspired by Patrick Farnsworth's "Last Born in the Wilderness" podcast, which just featured interviews about the pandemic with frontline healthcare workers in Idaho. Check it out here: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-b8q65-c535618?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share

Referenced in this episode: Behind the Bastards podcast episode, "Andrew Wakefield: The worst doctor alive" https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-two-andrew-wakefield-the-worst-30587764/

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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Changing 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 Black Alliance for Peace, which seeks to recapture and redevelop the historic anti-war, anti-imperialist, and pro-peace positions of the radical black movement.

Margaret & I spoke on Nov. 6th, the Friday after the presidential election. At the time, no winner had been called yet. We talked about the myth of US democracy, how the Republicans and Democrats are far more alike than different, the global scourge of US militarism, the persistence of white supremacy and the need for localized grassroots political action. We enjoyed a few laughs, too.

Margaret's book: "Prejudential: Black America & the Presidents" http://steerforth.com/titles/prejudential/written+by-margaret+kimberley?feature=cover

Margaret's weekly column at the Black Agenda Report: https://blackagendareport.com/author/Margaret%20Kimberley,%20BAR%20senior%20columnist

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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"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 wild, the concept of "wilderness," the benefits of "moderate disturbance," climate change, and the destructiveness of ranching,

Instagram: Kelly: https://www.instagram.com/goldenberries/ Gabe: https://www.instagram.com/plumsforbums/

Ground Shots Podcast https://www.ofsedgeandsalt.com/

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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"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, so she came up with a list of questions about the concept of "sustainability" and we took off from there, covering so-called green energy, belief vs. knowledge, indigenous lifeways, the pandemic, the complications of technology, climate chaos, the loss of childhood experienced in nature, propaganda and media, lack of local food sovereignty, the urge toward escapism, the desire for a simpler life, and redesigning the American lifestyle.

Kristine's blog (through May 2020): https://rebelpleb.blogspot.com/

Kristine on Medium (since April 2020): https://medium.com/@k_mattis

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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"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/MeteorologistNickHumphrey

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wxclimonews

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbruptClimoMet

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP: https://macskamoksha.com/

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"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: The Ongoing Revolution." https://monthlyreview.org/product/cuban-health-care/

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

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