This episode of Quotes & Notes brings to you the insights from a study that we conducted to aid Kerala’s efforts towards clean energy by financial year 2039-40, specifically by increasing the share of renewable energy in its generation mix.

Featuring: Rishu Garg and Mallik EV
Editor: Thejas Shawn Raj
Design: Alok Kumar Saha
Script: Rishu Garg, Mallik EV, Garima Singh
Voice-Over Artist: Garima Singh

QUOTES & NOTES  'Vital Vigour: Kerala Towards Net Zero'

In this insightful conversation, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia sits down with Ms. Mirjam 't Lam, Managing Director of Oikocredit, to discuss the powerful intersection of faith and finance. They explore the ecumenical roots of Oikocredit, its mission to promote economic justice, and the vital role churches have played—and continue to play—in supporting this impactful cooperative. Discover how this partnership has evolved over decades to empower low-income communities worldwide and learn about the future of this collaboration in tackling global challenges like climate resilience and economic inequality.

Oikocredit: ecumenical roots and partnership for Economic Justice

UNECE explores issues around sustainable resource management and intergenerational equity with Jodi-Ann Wang, Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics (LSE), member of UNECE's Resource Management Young Member Group (RMYMG).

Bridging the gap: intergenerational equity in resource management

In this episode, host Jack Eidt discusses the ongoing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles and strategies for resilience with experts Richard Halsey and Lydia Poncé. We also include a clip on the climatic influence from Dr. Daniel Swain from UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

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

Richard Halsey, director of the California Chaparral Institute [https://californiachaparral.org/index.html], shares insights on protecting communities by hardening homes instead of destroying natural habitats. Indigenous activist Lydia Poncé emphasizes community resilience and mutual aid in response to the devastation. The episode explores the impact of climate change, poor urban planning, and the need for sustainable development. 

We delve into the socio-political dynamics affecting relief efforts and the role of big corporations in the aftermath. Join us as we explore how to rebuild with compassion and foresight, as well as a comprehensive look at wildfire resilience and the role of Indigenous stewardship in preserving our ecosystems.


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

Resources

California Chaparral Institute Statement on the Fires: https://chaparralwisdom.org/2025/01/10/how-to-respond-to-the-recent-wildfires/?utm_source_platform=mailpoet

Full interview with Richard Halsey: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/chaparral-californias-misunderstood-biodiversity-hotspot/

Advocacy: https://wilderutopia.com/environment/confronting-wildfire-retrofit-communities-not-forests/

Lever News Discussion on Preventing Wildfires, including quotes from Jack Eidt: https://www.levernews.com/the-architects-of-l-a-s-wildfire-devastation/



Richard Halsey is the Director of the California Chaparral Institute, a non-profit, research and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of California's native chaparral ecosystem and supporting the creative spirit as inspired by Nature. Mr. Halsey works with the San Diego Museum of Natural History and teaches natural history throughout the state. The second edition of his book, Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California, was published in 2008. 

Lydia Poncé (Mayo/Quechua) is an Indigenous Activist, Water Protector, co-founder of Idle No More SoCal. She hosts a show called Be a Better Relative on KPFK Los Angeles.


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://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/rising-from-the-ashes-wildfire-resilience-for-los-angeles-and-beyond/ 
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
Co-Host Jessica Aldridge
Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats
Episode 245

Rising from the Ashes: Wildfire Resilience for Los Angeles and Beyond

In this episode, we delve into the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, examining the underlying causes and the lessons we can learn. Economics Professor Richard Wolff critiques the blame game often played by political figures and industries, emphasizing instead the systemic issues rooted in profit-driven motives. We explore the impact of climate change and the urgent need for systemic change to prioritize safety over profit. Additionally, we gain insights from Dr. Michael Mann on the scientific community's understanding of climate change's role in exacerbating such disasters. The episode also touches on Lakota spirituality with David Little Elk, offering a unique perspective on humanity's connection to the elements and the importance of respecting nature.

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

Sources:
Wolff Responds: "The Lesson California's Fires Should Teach Us" Dated January 15, 2025 from Democracy at Work
https://x.com/profwolff/status/1879582067283132509 

Michael Mann on SiriusXM with Zerlina Maxwell Discussing California Wildfires (JAN 13 2025)

https://youtu.be/bH4bWFON--Y?si=u0avZazGFoqFaU2x 

David Little Elk Lakota Spirituality Fire People

https://youtu.be/n6bCO6_g7LM?si=ggho-tLq4Hp0dRhA 


Richard D. Wolff [https://www.rdwolff.com/] is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City. Prof Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work [https://www.democracyatwork.info/] and host of their nationally syndicated show Economic Update.

Dr. Michael E. Mann [https://michaelmann.net/] is Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in the Annenberg School for Communication. He also serves as Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action and Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media (PCSSM).

David Little Elk, [https://wolakota7.com/] an Itazipco-Sicangu Lakota Sioux, is a Lakota Language and Spirituality Teacher, and a Spiritual Advisor and Consultant.



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 246
Photo credit: Josh Field via Pexels

Climate Crisis Ignites: Why L.A.'s Fires Are a Wake-Up Call

We pay tribute to the late Mike Davis to explore the ongoing ecological crises facing Southern California and the socio-political dynamics that shape our responses to disaster. This is an intellectual tour de force as Davis goes deep in this recording from 1995 at the architectural school SCI-Arc, where he taught at the time. He outlines the history of damage caused by natural disasters in Southern California. Popular culture seems fascinated with the destruction of Los Angeles, and most recent events have breathed life into that narrative. 

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

Davis discusses the complexity of California’s Mediterranean climate, arguing for a new “environmental epistemology.” He calls for a rethinking of California’s resource and disaster planning. Noting the extreme hydroclimatic shifts throughout California history, he suggests a disruption of capitalist hydraulic civilization in California is inevitable–and here we are. We are in serious need of an environmental rethink in any rebuilding–or rewilding–plans.

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

More Mike Davis: https://wilderutopia.com/ecojustice-radio/tribute-to-the-late-urban-history-provocateur-mike-davis/

Sources:
Full show of Mike Davis 1995 Presentation from SCI-Arc https://youtu.be/evJpgKQ6YWU?si=oPJ_rzpI-45oIHys 

Mike Davis, who passed away in 2022, was a writer and urban theorist who is most known for his work demythologizing the fractured wild-urban landscape of Southern California. Once a meat cutter and a truck driver, he was Professor Emeritus at University of California, Riverside, a Macarthur Fellow, and the author of more than 20 books. He is best known for his investigations of power and social class in works such as City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles (1990) and Late Victorian Holocausts (2001). In this show we focus on his book, “The Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster.”


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 247
Photo credit: Ecology of Fear cover

Mike Davis On Southern California’s Landscape of Disaster

For generations, the inhabitants of Thar have lived in harmony with nature — spending their lives in chaunras or rooms made of mud, straw, and wood. That harmony, however, is being seriously  undermined by coal development now. 

In this episode of our podcast, we record the fears, frustrations and anger of the residents of Thario Halepoto, a village overshadowed  by Pakistan’s larger coal mine located in Tharparkar district, over their impending displacement from their traditional abodes.

Kacheri (EP-03): Where there is coal, there is also the fear of displacement

Tharis are a resilient people. They have survived a harsh weather and a hard terrain for centuries. With the advent of coal development around their villages, however, they are facing a new menace: ever-rising health hazards. 

This episode of Kacheri documents how women, children and older people in village after village are suffering from respiratory and skin diseases they never knew before. Cancer cases are also being reported from many villages even though local people were unfamiliar with it until recently. This, they allege, is happening to them because coal has contaminated their water and poisoned their air.

Kacheri (EP-04): Coal creates a burden of disease that no one is talking about

People of Thar revere their home soil as Mother Earth that generates and nourishes life in all its forms. In at least one local village, Khario Ghulam Shah, this deep-rooted reverence is facing a serious test. The villagers here complain that huge slices of mud slide down to their farms, backyards and livestock pens every monsoon from the high walls that buttress a nearby coal mine. They allege that these walls have been built in such a way that they block rainwater from seeping back into the mine and instead force it flow to the village in torrents carrying huge amounts of mud along with them.
 
This episode of Kacheri reveals how helpless the villagers feel while facing this destructive force of their otherwise beloved soil.

Kacheri (EP-05): A disaster happens every time it rains over the coal mine

Paper Title:
Rebuilding Syria on Brittle Ground: Why Environmental Justice Cannot Wait

Date:
17 June 2025

Publishers: 
LUGARIT + The New Arab

Authors: 
Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj + Nihad Alamiri

Summary:
Rebuilding Syria demands integrating environmental justice as a central pillar, not an afterthought. Environmental degradation has economic, ethical, and political consequences. Green recovery is a shared responsibility—and a strategic opportunity. Regulatory safeguards, community engagement, and sustainable investment practices must guide reconstruction to restore both state legitimacy and ecological resilience.

Link:
https://link.lugarit.com/PBvW

Photo: 
Children search for recyclable scraps amid heaps of garbage near the town of Qah, in northern Idlib near the Syrian-Turkish border. In the absence of basic services and livelihood opportunities, many families rely on informal waste collection to survive. 1 October 2020.  Photo © Muhammad al-Rifai/NurPhoto - via Alamy.


Rebuilding Syria on Brittle Ground: Why Environmental Justice Cannot Wait

العنوان 
البيئة المنسية... الفاتورة المؤجّلة للإعمار

تاريخ النشر
١٧ حزيران ٢٠٢٥

الناشر 
لوغاريت + العربي الجديد

المؤلف
عمر عبد العزيز الحلاج 

الخلاصة
تتطلب إعادة الإعمار في سوريا إدماج العدالة البيئية كمكون أساسي وليس كأمر ثانوي، فتدهور البيئة له عواقب اقتصادية وسياسية. التعافي البيئي المبكر مسؤولية مشتركة وفرصة استراتيجية لتفعيل المشاركة المجتمعية والممارسات الاستثمارية المستدامة.

الرابط 
https://link.lugarit.com/PBvW

الصورة
أطفال يبحثون وسط أكوام النفايات قرب بلدة قاح في ريف إدلب الشمالي، بالقرب من الحدود السورية التركية. في ظل غياب الخدمات الأساسية وفرص كسب العيش، تعتمد العديد من العائلات على جمع النفايات للبقاء. ١ تشرين الأول ٢٠٢٠. الصورة © محمد الرفاعي / نور فوتو - عبر ألامي.



البيئة المنسية... الفاتورة المؤجّلة للإعمار

Join us as we explore the urgent landscape of sustainability, identifying pressing challenges and immense opportunities for impactful change. This podcast discusses the evolving role of sustainability in business strategy, the importance of ethical practices, and the transformative potential of emerging technologies and collaborative efforts. With a focus on practical solutions, we aim to inspire sustainability professionals and advocates to take decisive action toward a resilient and equitable future.

Shaping a Sustainable Future: From Challenges to Opportunities

The Deputy Chief defends the idea that the purpose of the Joint SDG Fund is to find and scale up innovative perspectives aimed towards the realization of Agenda 2030. An innovative approach is to be found in the structure of the funds, based on risk-sharing to attract private capital. Sustainable development appears as a reachable option.

UN Deputy Chief calls for Stronger SDG Partnerships

Digital transformation is reshaping every aspect of society, but who is being left behind? In this episode, Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer and Director of Digital, AI and Innovation at UNDP, explains why technology alone is never enough and why people, rights and inclusion must remain at the heart of digital development. From connecting 650,000 post offices through the UPU’s connect.post initiative to building AI ecosystems that serve local needs, Opp discusses the opportunities and challenges ahead. He also reflects on the pivotal moment humanity faces as AI accelerates and why global progress depends on ensuring everyone can participate. 

Putting People at the Center of Digital Transformation - Robert Opp on the Future of Digital Inclusion

UNECE fosters sustainable development by translating the #GlobalGoals into norms and conventions that impact people’s lives every day.

LUGARIT is a small think tank active in international development.

Bringing together the United Nations development system to deliver on the Global Goals for people and planet.

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.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide fellowship of churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. More info at www.oikoumene.org

The Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) is one of India's leading think tanks, with a mission to enrich policymaking with innovative approaches using science and technology for a sustainable, secure, and inclusive society. To know more about us, visit https://cstep.in/

UPU is the UN specialized agency for postal services working with 192 member countries to create the postal network of the future.

New tracks tagged #SustainableDevelopment