In Tune to Nature Podcast

Racism & Injustice in Agribusiness: Interview with Food Empowerment Project Founder lauren Ornelas

Food justice activist lauren Ornelas explains how to combat environmental racism and other human rights violations in factory farms, slaughterhouses, and plant-crop farm systems that often mistreat and exploit farm workers, many of them immigrants and people of color. Ornelas founded and runs the Food Empowerment Project. Their website www.foodispower.org outlines so many food injustice issues facing humans as well as farmed animals and how consumers can help agricultural workers (including advocating for a living wage and fighting slave labor conditions) and eat ethically (including vegan foods, fair trade, organic, and local). This 22 minute interview was conducted in July 2020 by host Carrie Freeman of In Tune to Nature.

Carrie and co-host Sonia Swartz have been hosting the In Tune to Nature program weekly for 10 years to advocate for eco and animal friendly values and practices. https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature/

This radio show airs on July 22, 2020 on 89.3FM-Atlanta and on wrfg.org. Consider supporting this progressive, independent radio station: Radio Free Georgia. Thank you.

End U.S. Trophy Hunting: Why & How. An Interview with Born Free USA's Angela Grimes

Angela Grimes of Born Free USA dispels the myths that American trophy hunters use to justify so much unnecessary killing of wild animals (even endangered species). She explains how trophy hunting is not only cruel but harmful to the ecosystems and the family/community of that individual animal killed. And most of the money earned does not go to local communities, who would benefit more economically from ecotourism that values the long lives (not the deaths) of these charismatic larger species like bears, lions, tigers, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, rhino, hippos, zebra, giraffes, and others who are slaughtered for sport and egotistical taxidermy displays. In this 22-minute interview with host Carrie Freeman for Radio Free Georgia's "In Tune to Nature" program in early July of 2020, Angela discusses what Born Free USA is doing (with the help of us as activists) to promote federal policies (like the CECIL Act in Congress) to remove loopholes that trophy hunters use to import body parts from endangered species into the USA. Their website with action items is here https://www.bornfreeusa.org/trophyhunting/

Carrie and co-host Sonia Swartz have been hosting the In Tune to Nature program weekly for 10 years to advocate for eco and animal friendly values and practices. https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature/

This radio show airs on July 8, 2020 on 89.3FM-Atlanta and on wrfg.org. Consider supporting this progressive, independent radio station: Radio Free Georgia. Thank you.

Creating Environmental Justice: An Interview with Georgia Conservation Voters director Brionte McCorkle

Brionte McCorkle discusses the connection between racial injustice (disproportionately harming people of color from the pandemic and from police violence) and environmental degradation --- where the many issues overlap in a call for environmental justice. At Georgia Conservation Voters, a chapter of the League of Conservation Voters, they are working toward creating a more diverse and inclusive environmental movement and electorate to elect and hold accountable political leaders who will be responsive to the needs and interests of all Georgia voters in having clean energy, clean air, clean water, mass transit, a stable climate, and an overall healthier living environment for humans and wildlife. Brionte shares some examples pertinent to Metro Atlanta and Albany, Georgia. The group's website is GCVoters.org   This 24-minute interview was conducted by host Carrie Freeman (former professor of Brionte at GSU back in the day) for the "In Tune to Nature" radio show on Radio Free Georgia, in June of 2020.

In Tune to Nature airs live Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on radio station 89.3FM (metro-Atlanta) and worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, non-commercial independent radio). The show's website is www.facebook.com/intunetonature 

Protecting People from Pandemics by Protecting Animals: Interview with Dr. Aysha Akhtar

Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, is the author of “Animals & Public Health” and “Our Symphony with Animals.” And in this 23-minute interview she explains why by saving other animals, we save ourselves (the human animal), specifically in the context of how pandemics like Covid-19 are caused by our mistreatment of wild and domesticated animals in live animal markets and factory farms.

Interviewed by host Carrie Freeman for “In Tune to Nature” radio show on WRFG.org (Radio Free Georgia) on 89.3FM-Atlanta (airs Wednesday nights 6:30-7pm EST).

Websites: facebook.com/intunetonature  and  ayshaakhtar.com

Taking Extinction Off Our Plates: How Animal Agriculture Harms Wild Animals too

Host Carrie Freeman conducts a 23-minute interview with Dr. Jennifer Molidor, Sr. Food Campaigner, at The Center for Biological Diversity who runs their Take Extinction Off Your Plate campaign. She explains how the promotion of plant-based eating (an Earth Friendly Diet) is necessary to help wild animals, through reduction of: habitat loss and deforestation, pollution, climate change, and the killing/hunting of millions of America's wild animals by the federal 'Wildlife Services' agency at the behest of ranchers. Farmed animals are not the only animals harmed and killed by the unsustainable meat, milk, and egg industries. 

Find out ways to get involved at TakeExtinctionOffYourPlate.com or BiologicalDiversity.org to help save life on Earth.

Tune in to the "In Tune to Nature" radio show Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia) and in Atlanta on 89.FM. Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Sonia Swartz.  www.facebook.com/intunetonature 

Ending the US Role in the Wildlife Trade and Pandemic Risks: An interview with Alice Stroud of Born Free USA

As the recognition increases for how trading wild animals is the cause of pandemics and many other harms, there is a political moment during this Covid-19 crisis to get legislation passed to end the USA's role in the destructive global wildlife trade. In this 23-minute podcast, "In Tune to Nature" host Carrie Freeman interviews attorney Alice Stroud, Director of Africa Policy & Capacity Building at Born Free USA, who explains what the wildlife trade looks like, who is involved (pangolins, sharks, turtles, tigers, etc), and how the United States can ban this trade and become integral to protecting wildlife and their habitats and, in turn, protecting humans from the spread of infectious diseases. Also see this presentation on what Born Free USA is doing in response to this pandemic crisis.

Find out ways to help #keepwildlifeinthewild at www.bornfreeusa.org to support compassionate conservation of wild animals.

Tune in to "In Tune to Nature" radio show Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia) and in Atlanta on 89.FM. www.facebook.com/intunetonature 

Protecting Tigers & Big Cats: An interview with Born Free USA CEO Angela Grimes

The popularity of Netflix's Tiger King has created an opportunity to discuss the problems with personal ownership of big cats -- like tigers, lions, and panthers -- as 'pets' and/or objects of profit in the USA. In this 23-minute interview from May 2020, host Carrie Freeman interviews Born Free USA CEO Angela Grimes who explains what the Tiger King show doesn't show -- the suffering inherent for cats in being taken from their mothers as cubs and handled by people and tourists for entertainment and profit. And then when the cats are no longer most profitable or cute and safe to handle, they may be sold or killed (which can be for their body parts to be traded globally). They have no control over their own lives and futures. Inadequate legislation varies by state and allows these wild animals to be sold over the internet like commodities, continuing the breeding cycle. Angela explains the bipartisan support for proposed federal legislation, The Big Cat Public Safety Act -- a bill that would prohibit the private possession of big cat species and ban public contact with big cats throughout the USA. She encourages us to ask our own Congressional representatives to cosponsor and support the bill.

Find out ways to help #keepwildlifeinthewild at www.bornfreeusa.org to support compassionate conservation of wild animals.

Tune in to "In Tune to Nature" radio show Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia) and in Atlanta on 89.FM. www.facebook.com/intunetonature