S3:E7 - 53 Miles of Maine, Ep 4 of 5

Nuclear Energy! In today’s episode we give you a deep dive into nuclear energy and why it may be our only way off of fossil fuels. Like many others, when you think of nuclear you probably think of large scale accidents, radiation, nuclear waste, and nuclear weapons. All bad things! However it’s also a carbon-free, zero-emission energy source that produces more output at a more consistent pace than wind or solar, and is cheaper than coal or natural gas. And there are a ton of innovations happening to mitigate the historical challenges of accidents, radiation, waste, and threats. It also may be one of the few things left that can get bipartisan support in DC. So let’s learn more about it and see where it fits into our clean energy future! Joining us today is Jason Herbert, Director of Government Affairs for Energy Northwest, a major energy agency in the state of Washington providing a lot of renewable energy to utility companies, including of course, nuclear. Prior to Energy Northwest, Jason spent a decade on Capitol Hill work in Congress with a focus on energy and environmental policy. -------------------------------- Quick plug for our weekly newsletter - every week we curate and write about 3 important stories in the world of protecting this planet and send it to your inbox - all designed to be read in 5 minutes or less. It's the fastest and most efficient way to learn and spread effective climate communications. Sign-up today here. It's totally free. ------------------------------------ In This Episode 5:45 - Meet Jason 8:10 - A Political Orphan 23:00 - State of Nuclear in the US Today 28:00 - New Innovations 41:50 - Debunking Nuclear Critiques

31 Aug 20211h 5min

What's the first emotion that comes to mind when you think of sharks? For most people it's fear. Fear of an open water attack. A fear that has been culturally woven into our lexicon dating back thousands of years. That fear is justified - sharks are powerful predators. However, it's also over blown. 300 times more people bite other people on subways each year than how many sharks who bite people globally each year! Sharks are vital to our oceans. In fact, given every curveball we are throwing at our oceans right now - warming, acidification, plastic pollution - sharks are more critical than ever. They've been around for over 400 million years, yet have never been so valuable to the survival of our oceans. Find out why this week on Animalia. -------------------------------- Quick plug for our weekly newsletter - every week we curate and write about 3 important stories in the world of protecting this planet and send it to your inbox - all designed to be read in 5 minutes or less. It's the fastest and most efficient way to learn and spread effective climate communications. Sign-up today here. It's totally free. ------------------------------------ Joining us today is Dr. James Sulikowski, a professor at Arizona State University where he leads a conservation lab focused on sharks, skates, and rays. So what’s a sand shark scientist doing in the desert? Finally, we want to mention Dr. James' partnership with Earthly to promote conservation research of the spiny dogfish shark. Earthly is a clean-ingredient dog treat brand known for their trademark dental chews that is supporting this important research initiative. You can get 20% off your first order of their dental chews or other treats using the code "ANIMALIA" on their site here. Thanks!

24 Aug 202142min

You’ve probably heard the disturbing stat before: we throw away 40% of our food here in the US. And that’s a big problem on multiple fronts. For one, landfill waste is a major source, in fact our biggest source, of methane. A greenhouse gas that traps heat at a rate 25 times stronger than carbon. In addition, that food waste could have otherwise been converted into nutrient rich soil, at a time when we are in a massive soil criss after decades of soil degradation spurned from an agriculture industry focused only on efficiency and scale. While there is no single silver bullet to any of our environmental and climate issues, there is a powerful elixir that can combat both our soil and waste crises.....composting. Know doubt you know what composting is. Maybe you've tried it. Maybe you compost regularly. Maybe you are one of the 75% of US Households that are not offered curbside composting. In this episode, you'll learn both why composting is so important in our fight against climate change AND all the ways it is become more and more accessible. Joining us are the 3 Compost Commandos: Lauren Turk, aka The Marvelous Soil Maven - a founder at Fera Zero, an incredible organization bringing a variety of waste solutions to many different cities, including an app to find how, where and why to compost. Join their waitlist. Charlie Pioli, aka Dr. O - founder of O-Town Compost, a for-profit composting venture in Orlando Florida. And host of The Community Compost Podcast. Go check it out and subscribe! Dr. Lee Reich, aka The Farmdener - the O.G of composting going over 50 years strong and a renowned gardener, author, and teacher. We are so thankful to all three for joining and we think you'll love this episode! If you are looking for some tips on how to start composting yourself, there are hundreds of great videos on YouTube but here is one in particular that I love! NOTE: IF YOU LOVE THE ANIMALIA PODCAST, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE US A RATING AND REVIEW! IT HELPS A TON. AND YOU'LL ALSO PROBABLY LIKE OUR WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER, WHERE WE WRITE ABOUT 3 TO 4 TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK IN CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE. SUBSCRIBE HERE.

17 Aug 202157min

Welcome to Episode 4 of Animalia’s The American War on Wolves. In this 4th and final episode of the series, we dig into what’s been happening in 2021 so far since Federal protections for gray wolves were lifted in January. State by state, wolf protections are falling away and senseless killing is picking up steam. In order to change this trend, we need to understand why it’s happening. So our focus in this episode will be to break down the justifications the anti-wolf community uses in their policies and programs to kill wolves, and look specifically at Wisconsin and Idaho as examples. We will also look at two states still on the side of wolf advocacy, Oregon and Washington, albeit there are aspects of their programs that also feel like they are on shaky grounds. Finally, we hear from the many experts and advocates throughout this series on what we can do to prosper coexistence with wolves and return them to their rightful range and habitat. In so many ways, our relationship with wolves is symbolic of our relationship with the natural world overall. For far too long, it has been adversarial and exploitative, rooted in cultural disdain. We are seeing right now how this disdain, misinformation, and polarizing politics rear their ugly heads in causing us to go backwards, not forward. In the series finale, we detail what is happening across 4 specific states, analyze the arguments given by the anti-wolf community, and talk through some different solutions for getting us to peaceful coexistence with wolves. ————————————————————— As always, this series is dedicated to raising support and awareness for SaveOurWolves.org, put on by the Center for Biological Diversity. Please check out the page and sign the petitions going to state and federal policy makers to protect wolves. Every digital signature is incredibly valuable. In case you missed them: In Episode 1, we outlined some kay facets of wolf biology, sociology, and day to day life to lay a foundation of understanding In Episode 2, we chronicled the historical extermination wolves have experienced here in the US dating back to the mid 19th Century In Episode 3, we looked at Recovery & Reintroduction programs that have been successful and unsuccessful and why A big thanks to all those who are featured in this episode: Amaroq Weiss Zoe Hanley Wally Sykes Philomena Kebec Peter David Melissa Wintrow Ali Rabe Michael Robinson Rick McIntyre Josh Specht

5 Aug 20211h 58min

Welcome back to The American War on Wolves, a 4-part series chronicling the historic extermination of the critical gray wolf in the United States culminating in the battle grounds of 2021 as states wrestle to determine the fate of this species. If you didn’t get a chance to check out Episodes 1 or 2, please do so. Episode 1 provides an important foundation for understanding wolf behavior and sociology that serves as context for evaluating the policies aiming to control and manage them. Episode 2 is a walk back in time, taking us through the mid 19th century when Western Settlers ignited the wolf extermination process up through the modern day. And here we are in Episode 3: Recovery & Reintroduction. In this episode we are going to dissect 2 specific recovery and reintroduction programs, one that has gone quite well in Yellowstone, and one that has not gone well at all in the US Southwest for the Mexican gray wolf, also known as the lobo. It is important to understand what we can learn from each before we finish up in our 4th and final episode next week, The Battle Grounds of 2021. As a reminder, please go support SaveOurWolves.org, our partners in making this podcast series possible. It’s a program created by The Center of Biological Diversity, an organization that has been fighting to protect wolves for decades. Please sign the digital petitions if you can, going straight to key state and federal policymakers. In addition, every listen of this podcast triggers a $1 donation to the cause. That’s right, all you need to do is listen and share it along and a donation will be triggered from the Animalia team. Special thanks in this episode to both Michael Robinson, historian and author of Predatory Bureaucracy, as well as an active member of the Center for Biological Diversity himself. And to Rick McIntyre, renowned wolf expert and author of The Rise of Wolf 8 and The Reign of Wolf 21. You’ll be hearing a lot from both of them in this episode. Also a shout out in this episode to Sustainable Human, a great YouTube channel who did a fantastic video on the positive impacts of wolves in Yellowstone we borrowed some audio from. Check out their full video here and please go subscribe to their channel. In This Episode: 2:45 - Quick update on Red Wolves 4:45 - The challenges of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program in the US Southwest 39:00 - A 12-minute overview on how to set Recovery Targets 51:21- The success of the Gray Wolf Recovery Program in Yellowstone National Park

27 Jul 20211h 21min

Welcome back to Episode 2 in our 4-part series: The American War on Wolves. In this episode we are going to go back in time to the mid-1800s when Western Settlers moved into the Great Plains, the Southwest, and the Northwest and began forever changing these ecosystems. Native American communities and roaming bison would be replaced by Western outposts and grazing livestock. What followed was a systematic extermination of wolves and other wild predators, led by the collaboration of private economic interest, namely the livestock industry, and government help, namely the US Biological Survey which would become the US Fish & Wildlife Service. In order to better understand the state by state battleground for wolf recovery happening today, we must first know how we got here. Two incredible guests join us for this episode. The first is Michael Robinson, whose book Predatory Bureaucracy drives a lot of the information here. He’s a historian and member of the Center for Biological Diversity, the organization again that this series is benefiting. Each time you listen or ask someone to do the same, we are donating $1 to their efforts at SaveOurWolves.org. The second is Josh Specht, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and author of Red Meat Republic. Thank you to Michael and Josh for their contributions and the work they do. Enjoy this 2nd episode! If you missed the first one, go back and give it a listen as it will ground you in some of the sociology, family structure, and behaviors of wild wolves. Coming up in Episode 3 next week, we will look at modern Recovery and Reintroduction programs, both successful and unsuccessful and what we can learn from them. And again, please please go to SaveOurWolves.org and sign the petitions to support the fight to protect this species. And remember every listen of this podcast triggers a donation so spread the word! ----------------------------- PS. We want to link as well to the Wikipedia page of Rosalie Edge, an amazing conservationist you’ll learn about in this episode.

20 Jul 202158min

We’re so excited to bring you our first ever mini-series here on Animalia. The American War on Wolves If you’re not already aware, 2021 has become a pivotal year, a year like no other, in the fight to save this species here in the United States. After the Trump Administration delisted wolves from Federal protection in January of this year, many states have returned to the horrific, sweeping legalization of killing wolves. The same programs and strategies that led to their near extinction from the mid 1800s through the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It’s critical we bring more awareness to what’s happening, spread the facts, and share the love across the incredible community fighting for this species. Because the biggest threats to wolves continue to be a combination of misinformation and ingrained cultural disdain. So here we go. We can’t wait to bring this to you. The 4 episodes will take you through a journey starting with highlighting some of the many incredible traits of wolf behavior and sociology in order to lay a foundation of understanding and appreciation. In Episode 2 we’ll move into the historical extermination that began in the mid 19th century. Episode 3 will walk us through reintroduction efforts in the mid 90s through today, what has worked, and what hasn’t. Finally, the 4th and final episode will focus on the ideological and political war going on right now that may very well determine the fate of the species. Throughout the series we will urge you to visit SaveOurWolves.org and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE sign the digital petitions pushing policy makers at state and federal levels to protect wolves. If you can also make a donation to their efforts, that would be amazing too. However, guess what, you already did that just by listening to this episode! That’s because for every listen this series gets, Animalia is donating $1 to the Center for Biological Diversity, the organization behind SaveOurWolves.org. So please share with friends and urge them to do the same! ————————————————————— As described above, this first episode delves into the behavior and sociology that makes wolves so special. We’ll learn what it’s like day to day for wolves, how their family structures work, how they interact with their ecosystem, and the value of play. We feel it’s important that before we get into the war on wolves, we first need to better understand them. We think you’ll love this kickoff :) Throughout the series you’ll here from some amazing guests. Biologists, conservationists, authors, and policy makers that were kind enough to contribute to this project. In this particular episode, you’ll meet: Rick McIntyre: One of the most celebrated wolf experts in America, Rick has been at Yellowstone National Park since 1994, the year before wolves were reintroduced in 1995. He is also the author of The Rise of Wolf 8 and The Reign of Wolf 21, two books we HIGHLY recommend. John Vucetich: A biologist, professor, and Primary Investigator of the Isle Royal National Park in northwest Michigan Enjoy!!!!

14 Jul 202157min

You’ve probably seen the “US Southern Border Crisis” plastered across news media the last few months. There is a surge of migrants coming from Central America, particularly what’s known as the Northern Triangle, highlighted by Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Only this surge is nothing new, it’s been building for over a decade. And the true cause of it is barely touched on in the news media, be it left or right leaning, and that’s climate change. If terms like climate displacement, climate migration, and climate refugees are not too familiar, you’re not alone. And that right there is a big part of the problem. Of all the issues and problems climate change poses in the decades ahead, one of the largest and most overlooked is climate migration. This is essentially when people are forced to move and change locations because climate issues, be it extreme weather or rising coastlines, have rendered their how and/or trade untenable. It’s hurting those most who are marginalized and living in lower-income areas, and it’s only going to get worse. In this episode, we dive deep into Climate Migration, what it is, how its being discussed globally, and specifically how it is impacting people in Guatemala as an example of what lies ahead. We’re lucky to have two amazing guests joining us for this episode: Amali Tower, founder and the executive director of Climate Refugees and member of the World Economic Forum Wilfredo Miron, Program Quality Manager for CARE in Guatemala, with my friend Jose translating his interview for us If you are moved at all by this episode, and we hope and think you will be, please go and support their two organizations in anyway you can. You can donate to Climate Refugees Here And you can and should subscribe to their amazing newsletter, which you can do here You can donate to CARE Here As always thank you for supporting our partners and guests in the work they do to save this planet and all the life on it. IN THIS EPISODE 3:50 - Intro to Amali Tower & Climate Refugees 7:19 - Intro to Wilfredo 8:10 - Overview of AmalI’s Work 9:10 - Intersection of Climate Justice & Social Justice 19:20 - Those Impacted the Most Don’t Have a Seat at Policy Table 28:50 - Getting Consensus on what do to about Climate Displacement 43:30 - Florida Keys will soon be Underwater 45:20 - What’s happening in Central America 56:20 - Climate Crisis & 10 Year Drought in Guatemala 1:08:00 - The United State’s Role in Assisting Guatemalan People

6 Jul 20211h 18min