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/

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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. 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

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

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

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

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"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

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ONE-TIME DONATION: https://paypal.me/kollibri

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Ep. 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 of subjects in our wide-ranging discussion, including where we spent the year; the question of whether 2020 was "the worst year ever"; the George Floyd uprising; the blindspots and biases of the mainstream media; censorship on social media; the presidential election; the lack of effective anti-war and pro-environmental movements in the US; the need for big picture thinking in the environmental movement; a nuanced look at the various opinions about COVID and vaccines; the provincialism of US culture; the ecological unsustainabiliy of the internet's infrastructure; and the delusional hope that a change in the calendar date will make a positive difference all by itself.

Follow Kristine here: https://twitter.com/kristinemattist https://medium.com/@k_mattis https://rebelpleb.blogspot.com.

This episode's introduction & incidental music was assembled from two loops by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhlcItuC6pmhhemUjhPt1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordreamchip/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/doctordreamchip

Black Lives Matter photo by John Lucia (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Lives_Matter.jpg)

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

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Ep. 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 first visited Cove, and met Bobby Fossek and his family, in the summer of 2017. I was traveling through the area with a friend on a foraging and wildtending mission that also took us to Hell’s Canyon. Bobby’s place was our base camp for a few days of picking and processing cherries from nearby trees, and we cooperated together in setting up drying racks and running their steam juicer.

Bobby is a Walla Walla and Yakima descendant from the Umatilla Reservation. In his youth, he picked up some traditional knowledge from his father, but it wasn’t until later in life that he committed more fully to learning and practicing the skills of his ancestors. Perhaps ironically, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon provided the particular means to do so that he is now pursuing.

The Diocese is based in Cove, and has been running the Ascension School Camp there for decades. Bobby attended the camp regularly during his childhood because his father married an Episcopalian woman. As an adult, he visited the place again, and heard that the Diocese wanted to “right some wrongs” with the indigenous people whose land they were occupying. He inquired and they ended up inviting him to be part of that effort.

The background on this invitation is that, at its General Convention in 2009, the Episcopal Church passed resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery and calling on congregations to support efforts by indigenous people seeking respect for “their inherent sovereignty and fundamental human rights.” Here's to hoping that other Christian denominations will also take up this banner to make up for past behavior.

The Diocese now provides Bobby with a salary and housing, as well as making the camp's facilities available for events that he helps organize. It's an inspiring story of real cooperation and a sincere attempt to make reparation.

Bobby and I conversed on December 30th, 2020, We talked about the ecological restoration he's doing at the camp and in the area, and how it encompasses more than the typical restoration projects sponsored by universities, governments or non-profits. Going deeper than science, Bobby's work is rooted in the traditional knowledge of his ancestors, and includes cultural values and language as essential elements. As he summed it up: "You can't restore the landscape without restoring the indigenous presence."

Naknuwithlama Tíichamna -- "Caretakers of the Land" -- on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caretakers_of_the_land/

See also my article based on this interview: https://macskamoksha.com/2021/01/putting-the-heart-back-in-the-valley-by-putting-the-fire-back-in-the-ground

This episode's introduction & incidental music was assembled from two loops by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow 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

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

ONE-TIME DONATION: https://paypal.me/kollibri

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"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 possibility of famine; the population debate; Kitsuné's family heritage in Canada as an example of how lifestyles have changed; the human "longing for belonging"; how advertising manipulates our beliefs and choices; the poison of mainstream news media; the poor quality of information on the internet; and the importance of following indigenous leadership.

We recorded this six days after the Capitol Hill riot on Jan. 6th, and we refer to it several times before talking about it near the end.

"Indigenous Canada" course at University of Alberta (which Kitsuné refers to near end): https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html

Kitsuné Rêver on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitsune.rever.1

This episode's introduction & incidental music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow 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

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

ONE-TIME DONATION: https://paypal.me/kollibri

• KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Ep. 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 environmental regulations over the last forty years; Kollibri's early experiences with forest activism in Portland; hardcore tactics and the Earth Liberation Front; how industry has veto power over the content of school textbooks; the decline of media coverage of environmental issues; and the need to fight and fight hard.

Native Forest Council: http://www.forestcouncil.org/

Tim Hermach on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.hermach

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow 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

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

ONE-TIME DONATION: https://paypal.me/kollibri

• KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Ep. 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 and education. Her involvement with Cascadia Forest Alliance and the campaign to save Eagle Creek led her to Lewis & Clark Law School, where she graduated cum laude. brenna has worked with numerous non-profits and is a co-founder of Tryon Life Community Farm - a community sustainability education center. She also lives, and is raising her two children and many goats, in Cedar Moon - the intentional community at TLC Farm.

brenna and I have known each other since the early 2000s when we met in Portland's forest defense community. I've been an admirer of her work and of BARK's efforts the whole time, so it was a real pleasure to talk to her on January 14th. We discussed her calling to legal work; her early years of forest activism; BARK's mission; the history of public land, starting with its theft from Native Americans; how public land is managed for resources extraction rather than preserved or restored for ecology; how national forests are required to meet annual timber targets; state co-management of federal lands; the damage to environmental protections during the Trump years, including from the "sue and settle" method; fire ecology; how climate change extends the fires season; how fire science is ignored by the timber industry and the Forest Service; how the media covers fire; viewing big wildfires as unstoppable weather events; climate change and the role of forests in sequestering carbon; the incoming Biden administration; climate justice; the mythology around the concept of "unpeopled wilderness"; the importance of looking to indigenous leadership for conservation and restoration; being inspired by today's youth; and the need for generational work.

BARK: https://www.bark-out.org/

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow 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

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

ONE-TIME DONATION: https://paypal.me/kollibri

• KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.