Can a major metropolitan city offer the blueprint for 100% clean, renewable energy portfolio, all the while ensuring that their climate efforts elevate community demands? Are the solutions affordable to all and ensure worker justice and well-paying jobs? 

Listen to our discussion on achieving the Los Angeles goal of 100% renewable energy by the year 2045 (or even 2035) and starting the first ever Climate Emergency Mobilization office with our guests Jasmin Vargas, Senior Organizer for Food and Water Watch [https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/] and Andy Shrader, Director of Environmental Affairs for Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz [https://councilmemberpaulkoretz.com/] and first ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Department of a city.

More Info: https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/los-angeles-100-percent-renewable-study.html

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/

Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 98
Image: Unsplash

Path to 100% Renewable Energy: The Los Angeles Model - Ep. 98

In his book “An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States,” Kyle T. Mays [https://www.kyle-mays.com/], Assistant Professor of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at UCLA, argues that the foundations of the United States are rooted in Anti-Black racism and settler colonialism, and that these parallel oppressions continue today. 

In his discussion with EcoJustice Radio, he explores how Black and Indigenous peoples (sometimes together, sometimes apart) have always sought to disrupt, dismantle, and re-imagine US democracy. He uses examples of the Black Power and Red Power movements of the 60s and 70s, as well as collaborations for the Standing Rock Sioux and Black Lives Matter. Dr. Mays’ work seeks to illuminate how we can imagine and put into practice a more just world.

Kyle T. Mays is an Afro-Indigenous (Saginaw Chippewa) writer and scholar of US history, urban studies, race relations, and contemporary popular culture at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Mays is an author of 3 books, 'Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in Indigenous North America' (SUNY Press, 2018), 'An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States' (Beacon Press, 2021), and 'City of Dispossessions: Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, and the Creation of Modern Detroit' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022). 

Order 'An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States': http://www.beacon.org/An-Afro-Indigenous-History-of-the-United-States-P1731.aspx

Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/
Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Episode 123
Photo credit: Kyle Mays

Intersection of Black and Indigenous Resistance & Justice in the United States - Ep. 123

We embark on the first part of a series by Jack Eidt who joined the artistic residency of Osceola Refetoff, a Canadian-American visual artist and photojournalist, in Antofagasta, Chile. Supported by SACO Cultural Corporation, this residency places a spotlight on the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, and its rich yet troubled history with mining. We delve into the environmental and social impacts of mining in this region, the historical context of Latin American exploitation, and the legacy of colonialism and neoliberal policies. Featuring poignant quotes from local authors and music that reflects Chile's cultural heritage, this episode is a profound exploration of eco-justice, history, and art.

Spanish Translation: https://wilderutopia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Historia-del-Chile-y-el-desierto-Atacama-EcoJustice-Radio.pdf

**Historical Context and Colonial Legacy**

The episode explores the economic motivations and political maneuverings that have led to the region's exploitation, including the devastating impact of colonialism and neoliberal policies. Eduardo Galeano's seminal work, "Open Veins of Latin America," serves as a guiding narrative, revealing the systematic stripping of the continent's resources and the resulting poverty and underdevelopment.

**Interview with Don Victor Loyola**

We interview Don Victor Loyola, a former miner who now works for the municipal museum in Maria Elena. His firsthand account provides invaluable insights into the history of mining in the Atacama and the devastating effects of the industry's boom-and-bust cycles. 

**Indigenous Presence and Geoglyphs**

The Atacama Desert is also home to a rich indigenous history, evidenced by the thousands of geoglyphs that dot the landscape. These ancient works of art, created by the region's early inhabitants, offer a glimpse into the spiritual and practical lives of the people who once thrived in this harsh environment. The episode explores the significance of these geoglyphs and their role in the transportation networks that connected ancient South American civilizations.

**A Call to Action**

As we reflect on the Atacama's past and present, it becomes clear that the region's future depends on a commitment to eco-justice and sustainable development. This episode serves as a call to action, urging listeners to consider the long-term impacts of mining and the importance of protecting both communities and ecosystems.

Music Featured

Violeta Parra “Gracias a la Vida.”
Victor Jara “The Right to Live in Peace.”
Illapu “Raza Brava”


For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Victor Loyola has a thirty year history working in the mining industry in the Atacama Desert of Chile and presently works in tourism at the Municipal Museum [https://fundacionmariaelena.com/] in Maria Elena, Chile. 


Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.


Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  
Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 229
Photo credit: Osceola Refetoff

Ghost Towns and Geoglyphs: Exploring Chile's Atacama Desert

In this episode, host Jack Eidt delves into the groundbreaking archaeological discoveries at the Huaca Montegrande site in the Peruvian Amazon with guest Karen Gordon, an associate at ASICAMPE, the nonprofit Association for Scientific Research of the Peruvian Amazon [https://abundantearthfoundation.org/ancientcacao/]. They explore the ancient Marañon culture, their sophisticated agroforestry practices, and the origins of cacao, the plant responsible for the world’s chocolate. Traces of cacao have been found in 6,000-year-old ceremonial pottery vessels from what is now recognized as the oldest monumental temple site in Peru, predating the pyramids of Egypt or Mesopotamia. Tune in to learn how these findings are rewriting the history of organized human settlement and spirituality in the ancient Amazon.

Nominated as one of the Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries in the World, Montegrande is currently unearthing the story of the ancient Amazonian Marañon Culture and their sophisticated agroforestry practices, social structure, and cosmovision – 3,000 years before the more well-studied Inca and Nazca cultures. These findings completely rewrite the history of organized human settlement and spirituality in the ancient Amazon. Groundbreaking evidence from Montegrande points to the Marañon Culture as being the earliest human stewards of cacao in the world, tending its domestication, cultivation, veneration and trade.


For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Resources/Articles:
https://inboundperu.com/2022/03/11/the-world-will-get-to-know-huaca-montegrande-where-historys-oldest-cacao-was-found%ef%bf%bc/8644/ 

Ancient Builders of the Amazon on Nova PBS: https://youtu.be/dY82nZTxXQ4?si=UcvfsGJtvJQY_GAs 


Karen Gordon - Equal parts soul-filled and inspired educator, Karen's work as a restoration ecologist and land steward has spanned California's Channel Islands to the Peruvian Amazon for the last 30 years. She has called Costa Rica's cloud forested mountaintops home for the last two decades.
ASICAMPE is a small Peruvian nonprofit research organization led by Dr. Quirino Olivera; making significant contributions to Amazonian and world history. Nevertheless, the Huaca Montegrande project, destined to become and UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces multiple threats and requires protection to continue their work. For more information and to support their work: https://abundantearthfoundation.org/ancientcacao/ 
Musical interludes by Oscar Jimenez Fernandez. IG: @oscarjimenezfdc

Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer and Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.



Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  
Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 237
Photo credit: ASICAMPE

Montegrande: Ancient Amazonian Temple Reveals World's First Cacao Cultivation

In this episode, host Carry Kim engages with Maya Khosla, a wildlife biologist, writer, poet, and filmmaker, to discuss the intricate relationship between fire and forest ecosystems. Together, they explore the regeneration of giant sequoias after wildfires and the importance of embracing fire as a catalyst for biodiversity rather than a destructive force. Maya shares her experiences documenting post-fire environments and the vital role they play in supporting wildlife. This episode invites listeners to rethink their perceptions of fire and its impact on nature, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of our interdependence with the environment.


What are the potentials for responding to and relating with fire in a balanced and beneficial versus fearful and apprehensive way? Because fire is feared by many and much misunderstood, post-fire or snag forests are often clear-cut or heavily logged, and then turned into biomass or wood pellets burned for electricity. Living trees that are recovering post-fire can also be cut; trees are sometimes wrongly cut in anticipation of fire. Snag forests are a precious habitat, supporting the intricacies of restoration and biodiversity in the wake of fire; assisting in the thriving of many species, from fungi to black-backed woodpeckers, owls, weasels, bobcats, bears and countless more.

For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 


RESOURCES
Three "Minute notes" about Chad Hanson's work:
Taxpayer dollars: https://vimeo.com/806625688 - taxpayer dollars
Woodpeckers, homemakers: https://vimeo.com/806627213 - woodpeckers, homemakers
Regeneration: https://vimeo.com/806623485 


Maya Khosla [https://www.mayakhosla.com/], a biologist and writer with training as a toxicologist, has spent thousands of hours hiking, backpacking, and documenting forests. Working in collaboration with other scientists, she recently investigated the astonishing post-fire regeneration of giant sequoias in Nelder Grove and Redwood Mountain Grove. As Sonoma County Poet Laureate (2018-2020), she brought Sonoma’s communities together to heal through gatherings, field walks, and shared writing after the wildfires. Her awards include the 2023 Fund for Wild Nature Grassroots Activist Award, the 2020 Environmentalist of the Year Award (Sonoma County Conservation Council, SCCC), and the 2020 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. After surveying forests of the Sierra Nevada, she created a short documentary film, Searching for the Gold Spot [https://www.mayakhosla.com/searching-for-the-gold-spot], about wild places that experience rejuvenation and supporting high biodiversity after wildfire – where they are not logged. Her work has been featured in For the Wild, and in the film Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire.


Carry Kim, Co-Host of EcoJustice Radio. An advocate for ecosystem restoration, Indigenous lifeways, and a new humanity born of connection and compassion, she is a long-time volunteer for SoCal350, member of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, and a co-founder of the Soil Sponge Collective, a grassroots community organization dedicated to big and small scale regeneration of Mother Earth.


Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  

Executive Producer and Intro: Jack Eidt
Hosted by Carry Kim 
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats

Episode 251
Photo credit: Maya Khosla

The Wild After Wildfire: Evolving our Response to Fire with Maya Khosla

In this episode, we engage with artist Salomé Restrepo as she shares her insights on migration, cultural identity, and the role of art in addressing social issues. Through her powerful experiences in Colombia and Chile, Salomé  explores how art can serve as a vehicle for dialogue and change, shedding light on the complexities of displacement and human resilience. Join us for an inspiring discussion that challenges perceptions and highlights the importance of empathy in understanding the migrant experience.

Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url 


Salomé showed her work at the SACO Contemporary Art Bienal [https://bienalsaco.com/ecosistemas-oscuros-dark-ecosystems/] with her piece Migrant Ecosystems, thematically connected to the Dark Ecosystems title of the show. Taking place in the world's driest desert, the exhibition emphasized the connection between art and science, seeking to showcase contemporary artworks in spaces all over the city of Antofagasta. The show, presented in a region whose economy is dedicated almost exclusively to mining of rare earth minerals like copper and lithium, celebrates what they call the "dark biosphere," which may include subsurface microorganisms that defy any theory about what life can endure. Yet this Dark Biosphere can be interpreted as the multitude of ways that people and communities can survive and thrive in this most inhospitable desert.

The Bienal SACO featured artists from all over Latin America, Europe, North America, and Asia.
 
For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Salomé Restrepo [https://salomerestrepo10.wixsite.com/portafolio/en] from Bogotá, Colombia has a Master of Fine Arts and Master of Peace Education from the District University of Bogotá. Her work addresses gender, migration, and memory, with projects such as The Body as a Territory for Peace. She has taught at the Surcolombian University and INCCA University, in addition to co-directing the cultural platform Culture in Route. She was the education coordinator at the Sala de Arte Bancolombia and has developed educational projects for trainers in museums and cultural spaces. Her work has been exhibited in Colombia, Chile, and soon in the United States. She is featured in the 2025 SACO Contemporary Art Bienal with her piece Migratory Ecosystems.


Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs.




Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ 
Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ 
Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url  
Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 265

Migrant Ecosystems: Art and the Journey Beyond Borders

On this episode, Mark Morris speaks with Madeline Merritt, Core Organizer for Public Bank LA and Member of California Public Banking Alliance. She speaks about the campaign supporting AB 857, The Public Banking Act, in an unprecedented partnership between the grassroots and lawmakers. She is a water protector and community organizer who seeks to transform global systems to put the long term interests of people and planet over the short term interests of the few.

Public Banks and the Green New Deal: https://californiapublicbankingalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Public-Banks-and-GND.pdf

https://californiapublicbankingalliance.org/

https://publicbankla.com/

https://www.divestla.com/

Interview by Mark Morris
Host: Jessica Aldridge
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 33

Public Banking and the Transition to a Sustainable Economy – Ep. 33

The Global Climate Strikes that happened from 20-27 September 2019, inspired a record 7.6 million people to head into the streets and strike for climate action. The biggest climate mobilization in history. From Jakarta to New York, Karachi to Amman, Berlin to Kampala, Istanbul to Québec, Guadalajara to Asunción, in big cities and small villages, millions of people joined hands and raised their voices in defense of the climate. The Global Climate Strike shows that we have the people power we need to create a just world and end the era of fossil fuels.

The September 20th Los Angeles Youth Climate Strike was organized by a coalition of groups and led by Youth Climate Strike Los Angeles. EcoJustice Radio's Jessica Aldridge and production team joined the action at Downtown LA's Pershing Square, where anywhere from 10-20,000 people gathered for speeches and music, and then all marched through the streets to City Hall. This caused absolute pandemonium on the crowded city streets, but all happened peacefully and with grace from all involved. 

Following are a sampling of the diverse voices out in the streets to demand climate action and an end to the fossil fueled business as usual that is destabilizing the global climate systems, with heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, destructive hurricanes, melting of glaciers, and methane feedback mechanisms spinning out of control. We have to act NOW!

Jessica Aldridge spoke with:

Ash Rosas - Sunrise Movement Los Angeles
Tina Calderon - Gabrielieno Tongva and Ventureno Chumash
Paula Kahn - SoCal 350 Climate Action
Daniel Lopez - Youth Activist
Claire McCarthy - Greenpeace
Diego Johansen - Greenpeace
Former Sen. Kevin De Leon, President Emeritus of CA State Senate
Jesus Villalba Gastelum - Youth Climate Strike LA - Earth Uprising LA

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 42

Photo courtesy of Mike Chickey - More: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10216860498399552&type=3

Youth Climate Strike Takes Over Downtown Los Angeles - Ep. 42

In recent years across the world, a groundswell of youth activism is growing, pressuring governments to stand up for social and environmental rights. It can be argued that a surge of youth activism this size has not been seen since the Vietnam War. 

The reasons for unrest are diverse, from fears of worsening climate, violence in schools, political corruption, racial injustice, deportation. A recent UCLA survey found that 1 in 10 undergraduates nationwide expected to partake in protests while in college, the highest rate since 1967.

The youth are rising up and they demand their voices be heard and their presence taken seriously. The youth are the future. Well that future better be livable, equitable, and safe. 

Today we discuss the power of youth-led activism and how our guest is helping to inspire change and build community. We welcome 19-year-old Youth Environmental Activist and one of the lead organizers for Youth Climate Strike LA, Kevin Patel.

Kevin J Patel is from Los Angeles, CA. As a climate activist for over six years, he is also the Founder and Executive Director for the youth-led climate movement, OneUpAction
 
Facebook: Kevin J Patel 
Instagram: @imkevinjpatel
Twitter: @imkevinjpatel
https://www.facebook.com/YouthClimateStrikeLosAngeles/

Resources
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/18/08/student-activism-20

Hosted by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste.
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 48

Photo courtesy of Ben Goloff

Power of Youth-Led Activism: Inspiring Change and Building Community with Kevin Patel - Ep. 48

This song is dedicated to everyone who believes in the survival of humanity and for those who consider themselves not apart of this fight and struggle. Discussing human rights issues as a source of politic is uncalled for. Human rights should be a given and not debated on. Fuck white structures that oppress all people and lands. We are here to uplift the end of capitalism and destroy white supremacist ideology! We will rise through regenerative models!

Fuck White Supremacy 

imma vote w my dollar

26 minutes of music to celebrate my 26th birthday

https://thethoughthere.bandcamp.com/album/thoughtcrime
Please purchase on Bandcamp, where my 14-project discography is available for a limited time at $26.

Dismantle It ft. Siddist.ERA & Marcus Lee (prod. Beatjack)

EcoJustice Radio presents environmental and climate stories from a social justice frame, featuring voices not necessarily heard on mainstream media.

Our purpose is to amplify community voices, broaden the reach of grassroots-based movements, and inspire action. We investigate solutions for social, environmental, and climate issues with an eye to advance human health, steward wild landscapes, and solve the climate crisis across the USA and the world.

Featured weekly on KPFK Los Angeles and KPFT Houston, and found on all major podcast apps. We are nationally syndicated through the Pacifica Network and PRX and heard on public radio stations across the US and downloaded in over 25 countries.

Co-hosts Jack Eidt, Carry Kim, and Jessica Aldridge present a broad range of perspectives: land defenders and water protectors; Indigenous leaders, front/fenceline community spokespeople; youth organizers; ecosystem and land stewards; regenerative farmers and permaculture specialists; spiritual and faith leaders; environmental health advocates and practitioners; documentary filmmakers; climate scientists; and political decision makers.

EcoJustice Radio [http://EcoJusticeRadio.org] is produced by SoCal350.org since 2017. 

Tune in live to KPFK Radio Thursdays from 4 to 5 PM (PT) at 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 FM North San Diego, 99.5 FM Ridgecrest-China Lake, or KPFK.org. 

We also are featured on KPFT Houston from 4 to 5 PM (CT) at 90.1 FM or KPFT.org and other public radio stations on the Pacifica Network.

Montegrande: Ancient Amazonian Temple Reveals World's First Cacao Cultivation

EcoJustice Radio

Related tracks