In Tune to Nature Podcast

Evolving together toward an animal-free food system: Pax Fauna study of appealing to American meat-eaters

Guest Eva Hamer discusses a recent study of American attitudes toward using animals for food that suggests how best to strategically frame campaign messages promoting a path to evolving together toward animal freedom and plant-based food systems. We discuss what those new policies might be that Americans can support through collective action to get past this feeling of futility that we as individual consumers experience -- that we can't stop factory farming through individual food choices and thus need to work collectively. Host of In Tune to Nature, Carrie Freeman, interviews Eva Hamer, Operations Lead at the nonprofit think tank Pax Fauna in this 26 minute podcast. Details of the Pax Fauna study, strategy recommendations, and some video presentation summaries are found on their website:  narrative.PaxFauna.org.   

In their name, Pax stands for Peace and Fauna stands for Animal.  Pax Fauna is a nonprofit that exists to design a more effective social movement for animal freedom in the U.S., using original research as well as careful study of social movement literature and the recent history of the animal movement, in order to reverse the cultural norm of eating animals.  

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species...other fauna.

 

The Smell of Money documentary: Pig Factory Farming & Environmental Racism in North Caroliina

The stench and pollution of pig factory farms is devastating Black rural neighborhoods, but, despite intimidation, NC residents are fighting back in court against the world's largest pork corporation, as documented in "The Smell of Money" a full-length documentary film winning awards at festivals. Radio host Carrie Freeman interviews the film's writer and producer, Jamie Berger, a native of North Carolina, in this 25 minute podcast recorded in February of 2023. We know these warehoused pigs are suffering, but you'll also learn what is wrong with pig CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and their manure cesspools, and how unhealthy it is for the local community's wellbeing, dignity, quality of life, and property values in Eastern NC, such as Sampson and Duplin counties. You can find out where to view or financially support the film and see a trailer and photos of the characters at https://www.smellofmoneydoc.com/ 

In the podcast, filmmaker Jamie Berger discusses ways we can help by being conscientious consumers, getting politically active, and joining NGO advocacy groups for environmental justice and clean water (like Riverkeeper groups or Food & Water Watch). Carrie adds that Senator Corey Booker, on the Senate Agriculture committee, put forward an unprecedented bill called the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act that really asks for some needed reforms to factory farming. So that could be a bill that folks may choose to ask their congress people to cosponsor or support, as the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act, would really need widespread public support to be able to go up against the agribusiness and Big Meat lobby that wants business as usual, despite how environmentally unsustainable, polluting, and cruel it is.

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species.

Wild Souls: Eco Writer Emma Marris on Animal Ethics for Introduced Species in Nature

We take on some tricky ethical dilemmas in how we should treat animals in nature, especially “non-native” species (more respectfully called 'Introduced species'), and when and how we should interfere in the lives of animals in a 'post wild' world, based on her thoughtful and nuanced book “Wild Souls: Freedom & Flourishing in the Non-Human World, by environmental writer Emma Marris  https://www.emmamarris.com/.  Carrie Freeman, host of "In Tune to Nature," interviews Emma in this 26-minute podcast where we discuss: the idea of abandoning "species purity" and static or colonial notions of who should be in a given ecosystem; how to value sentient beings (animals) in relation to other (plant) living beings, systems, or whole species; and ethical, fair, and compassionate ways to resolve conflicts that arise between animal species (especially "non-native" vs "native" or "endangered/rare" species). While we don't have definitive answers to these ethical dilemmas, we take a perspective that includes the interests of all animal individuals in decision-making (not just what is presumed best for the ecosystem as a whole). This is part of the classic dilemma of how to fairly balance individual rights with societal/group rights.

Other resources on this topic include: The nonprofit science group working on welfare called  Wild Animal Initiative.  Or The Centre for Compassionate Conservation at UT-Sydney. Additionally, Catia Faria has a new book “Animal Ethics in the Wild”; and Kyle Johannsen has the new book "Wild Animal Ethics."

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including all the unique beings we share our planet with.

The Creative Lives of Animals: Dr. Carol Gigliotti on the Culture and Ethics of Fellow Animal Species

We should begin to see multiculturalism as including the creativity and morality found in the cultures of fellow animal species (besides just us humans). In this 27 minute interview, host Carrie Freeman talks with Dr. Carol Gigliotti who shares insights and examples from her book “The Creative Lives of Animals” by NYU Press (2022), from whales to dogs to chimps to birds, mice, and ants. There is a lot to discover if we are willing to recognize the creative ways that other animal species choose to live their lives and solve problems (as whole cultures but also as unique individuals).

Carol Gigliotti, PhD is an author, artist, animal activist, and scholar whose work focuses on the reality of animals’ lives as important contributors to the biodiversity of this planet. She is Professor Emerita of Design & Dynamic Media and Critical & Cultural Studies at the Emily Carr University of Design, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her website is www.carolgigliotti.com  

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including all the unique beings we share our planet with.

A Fish’s Perspective on Fishing: With Biologist Dr. Jonathan Balcombe

How are individual fish (as sentient beings) affected by industrial and recreational fishing practices? We find out by talking with the best selling author of “What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of our Underwater Cousins.” biologist, Dr. Jonathan Balcombe, who also recently authored a children's book about a boy and a fish "Jake & Ava". In this interview, we discuss crowded fish farms, death by nets and suffocation, pain from barbed hooks, catch (harass) and release, and ways to avoid all of this by respecting fishes and considering their interests (including eating vegan/plant-based fish or avocado and cucumber sushi). This 28-minute radio show was recorded with Jonathan in the Atlanta studio with host Carrie Freeman in 2018. Check out Dr. Balcombe's books at https://jonathan-balcombe.com/  To advocate for fish species, check out the nonprofit Fish Feel https://fishfeel.org/ 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie radio station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like fishes.

Clean Energy Future in Georgia: What would it look like and how to get there? Sierra Club GA Chapter

What would a clean, renewable energy future look like in Georgia? Neil Sardana, Beyond Coal rep from the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club provides a hopeful yet feasible vision. For energy independence and less pollution and less greenhouse gas emissions, we know we need to move away from dependence on fossil fuels like coal and gas, but could we be 100% renewable, and what would the new energy mix be in Georgia? How feasible is that clean energy transition and how can we get the political will in a rather conservative state to make these massive infrastructure changes happen? Neil Sardana explains how in this 25-minute interview hosted by Carrie Freeman. The Public Service Commissioner seats are the key to redirecting the for-profit Georgia Power mega-utility to clean energy, and solar is the affordable available solution in our sunny state (as Georgia Power Company is considering raising consumer rates again for mostly dirty energy). We should demand the clean energy future we need.

You can find out more at https://www.sierraclub.org/georgia/BeyondCoal  or follow @GABeyondCoal  Look for ways to send public comments about the Georgia Power energy rate hikes and encourage them to replace coal and gas with home-grown solar.

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie radio station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species.

 

 

What’s Wrong with Wool? And What Materials are More EcoFriendly? The Shear Destruction report by the Center for Biological Diversity

In time for winter wardrobe & gift-giving, we review the many eco problems with the wool industry and what materials fashion-makers and consumers can support instead (like organic cotton and bamboo). The role of raising, killing, and processing farmed animals, like sheep, for fiber/clothing is often overlooked in environmental discourse (as we tend to just focus on the meat industry). So in this 27-minute podcast for In Tune to Nature, host Carrie Freeman talked with Stephanie Feldstein of The Center for Biological Diversity about their recent report (with the Collective Fashion Justice group) called "Shear Destruction: Wool, Fashion & the Biodiversity Crisis," https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/shear-destruction where Feldstein notes that “From habitat degradation caused by grazing sheep to the chemicals used in scouring, the entire process of rearing sheep and turning shorn wool into usable fiber is riddled with threats to wildlife.” The extensive report has creative and beautiful artwork by Ari Liloan (as seen in the cover illustration I'm using).

You can find out more about the Center for Biological Diversity at https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie radio station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like wild and domesticated sheep, and other animals we share the planet with.

 

GA Voter Rights & Access for November Election: Georgia Conservation Voters’ Director Brionte McCorkle

In support of eco-friendly candidates who are climate champions, Georgia Conservation Voters advocates for all citizens in GA to exercise their right to vote, with their "Democracy for All" initiative. In this 28-minute podcast, host Carrie Freeman interviews Brionte McCorkle, Executive Director or Georgia Conservation Voters about issues with voting in Georgia, how to make a plan to vote in this November 2022 election, and how her organization vets Georgia political candidates to decide on whom to endorse each election cycle. You can see their endorsed candidate list along with who is on your own ballot at https://www.gcvoters.org/endorsements/  This helps you make a plan to vote by November 8th and get informed on who has environmental platforms and eco-friendly voting records.

Voters in GA can also see their ballot and check on polling locations in their county by going to the GA Secretary of State's election website https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ (early voting ends Nov. 4th)

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie radio station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species (and keep them in mind when you vote).

State of the World’s Birds and How to Prevent Further Species Declines: A Birdlife International Report

Lead report author Lucy Haskell explains BirdLife International’s State of the World’s Birds 2022 report (it comes out every 4 years), finding that nearly half of the world’s bird species are in decline, painting the most concerning picture yet for the natural world,  But it also identifies all the many human-caused drivers of species loss and the critical solutions we desperately need to save nature if we can urgently garner the political will and financial commitment from decision-makers to implement these solutions at scale and pace. This depends on which politicians we elect into office in the next decade and if they make environmental protection, including climate change, a priority. We particularly discuss agricultural and fishing solutions and logging and deforestation solutions to protect bird species and their habitats and note how conservation efforts over the decades have helped reduce the number of birds that have gone extinct, so we know what works. We just need to make these solutions a political priority.

This comprehensive report can be found at the website https://www.birdlife.org/  It’s got such beautiful images and so many charts and maps and infographics to make it easy to stay engaged and recognize core findings and see how everything fits together. I think Kids can engage with the report too as they must be part of the solution.

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species -- like birds!

 

 

AgroEcological & Veganic Farming as a Path to Regenerative Food Systems with Eugene Cooke

Food justice activist and veganic farmer Eugene Cooke shares an aspirational vision for why he practices agro-ecology in urban ag at Grow Where You Are farms around Atlanta and how this can be scaled up for widespread regenerative agricultural practices that the U.S. needs to stay viable and sustainable to feed our human population and nurture our soil naturally not chemically. In this 25-minute podcast (from Sept 2022), Eugene shares his unconventional roots from artist to farmer and what it's like to share his biodiverse Atlanta veganic crop farms with wildlife (not domesticating or farming any animals) and how they use composted food and yard scraps to generate compost fertilizers without all the slaughterhouse or antibiotic and chemical remnants in animal-based fertilizers. He and his farming partner Nicole then share their organic bounty with local folks (like at the Freedom Farmer's Market at the Carter Center each Saturday morning). Host Carrie Freeman is one of those nourished market customers enjoying their produce weekly (then composting the food scraps to make fertilizer to grow more food, via CompostNow). Eugene Cooke encourages us consumers to be part of this sustainable food transition by starting to eat more fresh foods/produce from regenerative agriculture producers, more so than eating processed commercial foods from big commodity monocrops. Check out his videos at https://www.growwhereyouare.farm/ or https://www.patreon.com/growwhereyouare 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive Atlanta radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species.

Working in Cooperation (rather than Competition) with Nature: Interview with ”Sweet in Tooth & Claw” award-winning author

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 Cooperation in the Natural World” shows how when we look deeper and embrace the complex interdependent communities all over our planet, we can all reap mutual rewards, much more so than when we see ourselves as needing to simplify, contain, and control species (in isolation).

In Tune to Nature host Carrie Freeman interviews award-winning author and journalist Kristin Ohlson in this 24-minute uplifting podcast, talking trees, bees, birds, fungi, and coffee beans. 

The 400-page coffee-table book by Patagonia is printed on 100% recycled, chlorine-free paper and is filled with gorgeous color photos. 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species. (that's my motto and the theme of the book)

 

Coyote Killing Contests: Transcending urban rural differences in debates over bans, with Dr. Debra Merskin

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). This 27-minute interview, hosted by Carrie Freeman for "In Tune to Nature," from August 2022, is broad enough to be applicable to any state's efforts to ban wildlife killing contests in considering various people's worldviews on animals, government, and independence. You can read Dr. Merskin's full study in the international open-access scholarly journal Journalism & Media at https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5172/3/2/22/htm 

Project Coyote is a good resource for those looking for wildlife advocacy strategies that have worked. Their website is https://projectcoyote.org/

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent progressive radio station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species. 

Photo credit of coyote killing contest: Humane Society of the U.S.

Saving the Georgia Coast: Paul Bolster Tells a Political Success Story for Wilderness Protection

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-winning new book: “Saving the Georgia Coast: A political history of the coastal marshlands protection act" (UGA Press). In this 26-minute interview with host Carrie Freeman, Dr. Bolster also discusses issues affecting the Georgia coast today and how the political lessons of the 1970s could create bipartisan support for environmental protection today. https://www.paulbolster.com/ 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50 year old independent progressive media station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species. 

 

Misuse of Land for Cattle Grazing: Transitioning to Sustainable Ag to Feed a Growing Population

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 more sustainable agriculture that allows for less grazing and feed crops, and more precious space designated to wildlife thriving and forests regenerating. This more efficient and smart use of land for organic plant based ag can increase food production necessary to nutritiously feed a growing human population. She discusses the https://grazingfacts.com/ website and its section on land use issues https://grazingfacts.com/land-use (see land map there) as well as how governments can help us make this sustainable agriculture transition that is needed.

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50 year old independent progressive media station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species. 

 

”Eating animals is biting us back”: News Coverage of Pandemic Prevention to Reduce Future Zoonotic Diseases

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 years of global news coverage of zoonotic disease and its relationship to meat (from wild animals hunted or domesticated animals farmed). She discusses findings and interesting quotes from the news stories and her recommendations of how the news media could cover this topic further (it dropped off the radar since spring of 2020) and help urge societies to curb risks they know are catalysts for pandemics (deforestation, hunting, farming, and trading in animal bodies), and cover solutions such as fostering plant-based foods as replacements and new livelihood practices for those affected by needed changes to business as usual with animals.

Experts predict it's not a matter of if but when we get hit with another pandemic that likely could be deadlier than covid (such as avian influenza/ bird flu). What have we changed in our interactions with other animal species and nature to prevent this?  For more information, check out an interesting documentary on this topic: End of Medicine. 

In Tune to Nature is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50 year old independent progressive media station at www.wrfg.org 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species. 

Image of factory farmed birds is from Getty Images in a recent story on the first American to contract Avian Influenza this spring in this latest bird flu outbreak.  https://www.everydayhealth.com/bird-flu/us-reports-its-first-human-case-of-bird-flu/