Green Root Podcast

Democrats Greenwashing Trump’s Assault on Public Land?

On episode 108 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg tries to figure out why so many supposedly pro-environment Democrats not only refuse to fight Trump’s onslaught on public lands but ACTIVELY PROMOTE the unprecedented extraction.

Josh talks about:

-The danger of Democrats greenwashing some of the most disastrous anti-environmental policies we’ve ever seen.

-How Biden-era legislation opened the door for Trump to expand a fake “emergency” across 112 million acres—59 percent of National Forests—to fast-track Wildfire Pretense Logging and roll back the Roadless Rule.

-How Democrat members of Congress are pushing the Orwellian “Fix Our Forests” Act and other extreme nature-destruction bills.

-How a handful of corporate foundation-funded “conservation” groups are trying to commandeer more tax dollars for Democrat-backed industrial extraction on public lands.

-Whether the Democratic party can be reformed or if a third party is needed for our government to ever genuinely protect and preserve the natural world.

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

DO COWS BELONG ON PUBLIC LAND? (with Dagny Signorelli, Western Watersheds Project)

On episode 107 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Dagny Signorelli, Wyoming/Northern Utah Director with Western Watersheds Project, exposes the severe and worsening ecological, wildlife, and watershed impacts from ranchers grazing livestock on public lands across the West.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Dagny about:

-How supposedly protected public lands—including wilderness areas—run rampant with destructive domestic livestock (cattle and sheep).

-How ranchers only pay a monthly fee of $1.35 per cow and calf to graze on National Forests and BLM lands.

-How government “Wildlife Services” kills hundreds of thousands of wolves, coyotes, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, skunks, and other native wildlife every year at the behest of ranchers.

-How public lands grazing and feedlots spread disease.

-How less than 1.6% of U.S. beef consumption comes from public lands.

-Dagny’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.

IS THE PUBLIC LANDS MOVEMENT SELLING OUT “PRIVATE” LANDS?

On episode 106 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg wades into an old but ongoing debate within the environmental movement about whether it’s ethical for ecosystem advocates to focus exclusively on public lands protection at the expense of “private” land extraction.

Josh talks about:

-The arbitrary yet currently legal definitions of public vs. private lands in the U.S.

-The gaps and overlaps between a “deep ecology” philosophy and on-the-ground organizing.

-Whether it’s possible for advocates to carry out practical, step-by-step, mission-based actions without compromising a wholistic vision of ecological integrity.

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

THE FIGHT FOR AMERICA’S FORESTS (with Rachael Himsel, Saving the Hoosier)

On episode 105 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Rachael Himsel, executive producer and co-director of the forthcoming film, SAVING THE HOOSIER: THE FIGHT FOR AMERICA’S FORESTS, talks about winning the decades-long battle for Indiana’s precious public lands.

Host Josh Schlossberg chats with Rachael about:

-Why Indiana forest defenders are so good at protecting public lands

-The recent passing of legendary forest activist, Andy Mahler

-The Mellencamp family’s contributions to the film (John’s timeless music and son Hud’s narration)

-How you can support the film, Saving the Hoosier: The Fight for America’s Forests, through GoFundMe

https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-saving-the-hoosier-and-save-our-public-forests

-Rachael’s take on a root 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.

CAN GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY SAVE PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY?

On episode 104 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), host Josh Schlossberg brainstorms about ways that grassroots advocacy might fix our broken chain of participatory democracy between corporations, government, media, and the public.

Josh talks about:

-Why media—the biggest broken link in the chain—should be held accountable or bypassed

-How grassroots advocacy can be reinvigorated through strong stances and clear vision

-The importance of bringing back joy to environmental organizing

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

BIOMASS OR BIO-MESS? INCINERATING FORESTS FOR ELECTRICITY (with Hudson Kingston, CURE)

On episode 103 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), Hudson Kingston, legal director for CURE, battles government plans in Minnesota to greenwash dirty, forest-killing “biomass” energy by ignoring carbon emissions from incinerating trees and trash for industrial-scale electricity.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Hudson about:

-How the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission wants to classify biomass energy as “carbon free” despite tree burning emitting more CO2 than coal.

-Risks to environmental justice communities from increased air pollution.

-Devastating impacts on public lands and Native American reservations.

-How we shouldn’t be switching from one polluting, climate-busting energy source (coal) to another (“biomass”).

-How this decision could have ramifications for greenwashing forest and trash incineration in Minnesota and across the U.S.

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

THE WORST WE’VE EVER SEEN ON PUBLIC LANDS (with Rocky Smith, Forest Management Consultant)

On episode 102 of the Green Root Podcast (the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance), we strategize with Rocky Smith, forest management consultant with over forty years’ experience, about the worst threat we’ve ever seen on public lands in the West—including the now biggest logging project in Colorado history announced last week—and one quick action you can take to start turning things around before it’s too late. 

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Rocky about:

-The brand new biggest logging project in history in Colorado announced last week, bringing the total under the “Big Four”—Pike’s Peak, Lower North South, St. Vrain, Black Diamond—to a half-million acres across seventeen Roadless Areas, all under a media blackout.

-The dirty details of the “Pike’s Peak Vegetation Management,” almost 200,000 acres of industrial logging—including 13,500 acres within four protected Roadless Areas—in endangered species habitat and high-elevation bristlecone pine stands, along with a quarter-million acres of toxic herbicide spraying.

-How the U.S. Forest Service is allowing the public only two weeks to comment on the project over the holiday season (again, with zero media coverage).

-The fake “emergency” behind it all declared by the Trump Administration and U.S. Forest Service to rush 112 million acres—59 percent of National Forests—onto the chopping block.

-Rocky’s take on the root 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.

ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA: INEPT OR CORRUPT?

Green Root Podcast #101: ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA: INEPT OR CORRUPT?

On episode 101 of the Green Root Podcast—the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance—host and former investigative journalist Josh Schlossberg tries to make sense of whether most media outlets are unable or unwilling to accurately and honestly cover environmental topics.

Josh talks about:

-The ideological and partisan bias he uncovered while working as an award-winning environmental journalist

-His experience as an ecosystem advocate interfacing with media only for them to cover up, misreport, or spread disinformation about ecological topics

-Whether bad environmental reporting is the result of an inability or refusal of journalists to do their jobs

-If it’s possible to hold media accountable to a basic standard of journalistic ethics

-How it’s past time to create new media that accurately reports on environmental issues while exposing the propaganda of legacy and “alternative” outlets

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

A Beautifully Burned Forest (with Richard Hutto, Wildlife Biologist)

On episode 100 of the Green Root Podcast—the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance—we explore the ecological wonderland and wildlife haven that is a severely-burned forest, with Richard Hutto, emeritus professor in wildlife biology and author of the new book, A BEAUTIFULLY BURNED FOREST: LEARNING TO CELEBRATE SEVERE FOREST FIRE.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Richard about:

-The science informing his book, A BEAUTIFULLY BURNED FOREST

-The wildlife species that need severely-burned forests to survive

-How industry, government, and media have demonized wildfire

-How advocates might inform the public as to the crucial role of wildfire in western forests and harm from “fuel reduction” logging

-Richard’s take on the root 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.

100 New National Parks (with Michael Kellett, RESTORE: The North Woods)

On episode 99 of the Green Root Podcast—the official podcast of Eco-Integrity Alliance—we talk about a positive alternative vision for public lands that would establish 100 new National Parks in the U.S.—at least one in every state—with Michael Kellett, executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods.

Host Josh Schlossberg talks with Michael about:

-How the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture treats National Forests as industrial croplands

-How the anti-science exploitation of wildfire to log western forests is now being pushed in the eastern U.S.

-The October conference “Forest Fires in Massachusetts: Myths and Realities”

-RESTORE: The North Woods’ upcoming campaign to designate 100 new National Parks, at least one in every state

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