Green Root Podcast

Alaska’s Ancient Forests on the Chopping Block

On episode 121 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Joshua Wright, Program Director of the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, urges immediate public action to stop the “Landless” legislation that would privatize 115K acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, including 80K acres of old growth forests with trees up to 1,000 years old.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Joshua about:

-The awe-inspiring wonders of Alaska’s temperate rainforest;

-The danger of the “Landless” legislation that would privatize ancient forests on public lands;

-The Land Less film (wlfdc.org/land-less-film) featuring Joshua and Tlingit matriarch Wanda Culp;

-The importance of contacting Congress at (202) 224-3121 to urge them to oppose Senate Bill S. 2554 / House Bill HR. 41;

-Joshua’s take on a root cause of the ecological crisis.

The mission of Eco-Integrity Alliance (eco-integrityalliance.org) is to unite U.S. grassroots ecosystem advocates through common campaigns of mutual support.

Master Class in Environmental Filmmaking

On episode 120 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Jeff Gibbs, director of Planet of the Humans and producer and composer for Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, teaches environmental advocates how to make a compelling and hard-hitting documentary film.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Jeff about:

-The secret behind why Jeff’s 2019 documentary, PLANET OF THE HUMANS, got over 25 million views;

-How great films ask questions, create discussion, and even piss people off;  

-How to capture gripping, high-quality audio and video;

-The “price” of being a great storyteller;

-Jeff’s take on a root cause of the ecological crisis.

Yin-Yang of the Environmental Movement

On episode 119 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg outlines and asks for your feedback on his new article, “Yin-Yang of the Environmental Movement,” which you can read on Substack here.

Josh talks about how:

-The concept of Yin (“being”) and Yang (“doing”) can apply to environmentalism;

-There can be positive (“light”) and negative (“shadow”) aspects to both Yin and Yang;

-The Yin “shadow” that’s overtaken the environmental movement might be behind a lot of its failures;

-Enviros might add a bit more Yang to our advocacy to regain balance and start reversing the eco-crisis.

Beavers, Water, and Wildfire (with Jen Clanahan, Colorado Nature League)

On episode 114 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Jen Clanahan, executive director of Colorado Nature League, reveals how Colorado State Legislature caved to pressure from hunters, trappers, government agencies (funded by hunting), and even a former “conservation” NGO to kill a bill that would’ve protected beavers from being slaughtered on public lands.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Jen about:

-How beavers retain water on the landscape, which studies show can increase resiliency to wildfire;

-How the Colorado House Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee includes public lands ranchers such as Rep. Larry Don Suckla (who, during the hearing, claimed the right to destroy beaver dams so he could run his cattle on public lands);

-How the former “conservation” group, Trout Unlimited, testified AGAINST protecting this crucial wildlife species;

-How, on the same day, the Ag Committee axed a bill that would’ve routed a small portion of “wildfire mitigation” taxpayer funding (nearly all of which goes towards counterproductive industrial logging) towards proven home hardening protections through grants to low-income residents, along with seniors and those with disabilities;

-Jen’s take on a root of the eco-crisis.

The mission of Eco-Integrity Alliance (eco-integrityalliance.org) is to unite U.S. grassroots ecosystem advocates through common campaigns of mutual support.

THE MOST ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL “BLUE STATE”

On episode 117 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg shares the most recent, most egregious example of how Colorado has become the most anti-environmental Democrat-majority state in the U.S.

Josh talks about how:

-The Colorado House Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee just shot down two bills that would’ve protected public lands, wildlife, and the state’s most vulnerable citizens;

-The first bill would’ve routed a small portion of the state’s millions in annual “wildfire mitigation” taxpayer funding (nearly all of which goes towards controversial and scientifically-debunked industrial logging) towards proven home hardening protections through grants to low-income residents, along with seniors and those with disabilities;

-That bill was opposed by government agency staff, elected officials, and corporate funded, pro-extraction “working lands” NGOs (i.e. Conservation Colorado, Western Resource Advocates, and The Nature Conservancy) demanding that the Committee not allot a single dollar to save the state’s most vulnerable residents’ homes from wildfire.

-The second bill would’ve protected beavers from hunting and trapping on public lands. Beavers create dams that retain water on the landscape, which studies have proven can reduce fire severity;

-Wildlife and wildland advocates can unite on a positive vision as an alternative to the dystopia of anti-environmental industry, government, NGOs, and media.

GOVERNMENT TIMBER THEFT? (with Jeff Ruch, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility)

On episode 116 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Jeff Ruch, Senior Counsel for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, exposes decades of evidence pointing towards collusion between the U.S. Forest Service and the logging industry in stealing—yes, stealing—trees from public lands.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Jeff about:

-Government estimates of $10 million to $100 million in annual timber theft from public lands;

-U.S. Forest Service’s formation of the Timber Theft Task Force in 1991;

-Forest Service’s disbanding of the Task Force once its own agency staff were implicated as “co-conspirators” in helping Weyerhaeuser get away with stealing millions of dollars of logs from National Forests;

-How the Forest Service’s expanding “wildfire” logging schemes make timber theft even more difficult to uncover;

-Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility’s current work with agency whistleblowers to hold the Bureau of Land Management accountable for overgrazing public lands.

IS SCIENCE ENOUGH?

Green Root Podcast #115: IS SCIENCE ENOUGH?

On episode 115 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg points out how, despite having the consensus of peer-reviewed science on our side, environmental advocates are still losing out to pro-extraction industry, government, media, and NGO disinformation, and what we can do to reclaim the narrative.

Josh talks about how:

-Even with consensus science behind enviros, the eco-crisis keeps getting worse;

-Industry, government agencies, a lot of media, and even some NGOs weaponize an anti-science, anti-environmental STORY to misinform and mislead much of the public;

-Eco advocates can turn things around by coming up with a better STORY based in sound science (unlike our opponents);

-We might recruit more “big names” with high social STATUS to take up the cause (SCIENCE + STORY + STATUS).

The mission of Eco-Integrity Alliance (eco-integrityalliance.org) is to unite U.S. grassroots ecosystem advocates through common campaigns of mutual support.

GOV’T LAND MANAGER SHARES AGENCY SECRETS

Green Root Podcast #114: GOV’T LAND MANAGER SHARES AGENCY SECRETS (with Lyle Lewis, former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

On episode 114 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Lyle Lewis, writer and former Endangered Species Branch Chief with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, speaks up for genuine ecological conservation while revealing the best ways for advocates to pressure government land management agencies.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Lyle about:

-How extraction of nutrients and water from the land is the opposite of environmental protection;

-Whether the weak (often pro-extraction) efforts of so many “conservation” groups have made the term obsolete;

-Why humans have such difficulty letting nature live;

-An evolutionary view of the Sixth Mass Extinction;

-Lyle’s take on a root cause of the ecological crisis.

The mission of Eco-Integrity Alliance (eco-integrityalliance.org) is to unite U.S. grassroots ecosystem advocates through common campaigns of mutual support.

BEETLEMANIA!

On episode 113 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg asks for your help to fend off the latest wave of “beetlemania”: industry and government pushing the myth—debunked by consensus science—that the (native) mountain pine beetle causes wildfire, so as to unleash more public lands logging than we’ve seen in our lives.

Josh talks about how:

-The State of Colorado, U.S. Forest Service, and others in the “Clearcut Cult” are spreading disinformation about the latest natural wave of native mountain pine beetle so they can ramp up public lands logging;

-The consensus science not only DISPROVES an increased risk of wildfire ignition and/or severity from mountain pine beetles but a DECREASE;

-Colorado’s “Ponderosa Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force” is a who’s who of who’s logging public lands;

-The elimination of environmental protection, sound science, and participatory democracy is worsening in Colorado and across the West, with the help of a mostly complicit media;

-You can help turn the tide by contacting Colorado Governor Jared Polis at (303) 866-2471 or Governorpolis@state.co.us to demand that either he appoint independent scientists and ecosystem advocates to the “Pine Beetle Task Force” or disband it completely.

Can FORESTS Save the CLIMATE? (with Paul Koberstein, Author of CANOPY OF TITANS)

On episode 112 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Paul Koberstein, editor of Cascadia Times and author of CANOPY OF TITANS, proposes the single most important action we can take to ward off the worst impacts of the climate crisis: protecting and preserving forests.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Paul about:

-The ecological importance of the amazing temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.

-Why so much environmental reporting in media is absent, biased in favor of industry/government, or straight up disinformation.

-Why anyone who loves and wants to protect the natural world should read his book, CANOPY OF TITANS.

-Paul’s take on a root cause of the ecological crisis.

The mission of Eco-Integrity Alliance (eco-integrityalliance.org) is to unite U.S. grassroots ecosystem advocates through common campaigns of mutual support.