On this show we take a journey through the challenges facing our world's forests. What does it take to protect tropical rainforests in places like the Amazon from illegal logging? What about the corporations profiting off the illegal logging trade? Host Jack Eidt speaks with Forest Policy Specialist Scott Paul on his transition from activism with Greenpeace to corporate sustainability with Taylor Guitars. 

Many of the woods traditionally chosen to make acoustic guitars are under pressure due to a range of factors, including rising global consumption patterns and land conversion, and too often in many parts of the world, a lack of dedicated governance. Stressing the importance of ethical wood sourcing for musical instruments, Scott Paul shares how Taylor Guitars' innovative projects in Cameroon and Hawaii are setting new standards for environmental responsibility in the music industry. We hope to uncover the intricate relationship between forests, guitars, and global sustainability.
 
For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio 

Resources/Articles:
https://woodandsteel.taylorguitars.com/authors/scott-paul/ 

Scott Paul is Taylor Guitar’s Director of Sustainability [https://www.taylorguitars.com/about/sustainability]. Prior to this, the majority of his career was spent as a forest policy specialist and activist, including 14 years at Greenpeace. Scott has worked for The White House Office on Environmental Policy, participated in the UN forest policy dialogue since 1995, and has served on multiple boards of directors, including the Forest Stewardship Council. His work has taken him to the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, the Canadian boreal, Alaska, and the Russian Far East. He is also the first person in over 100 years to have been arrested for Sailormongering.


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 222
Photo credit: Scott Paul

Forest Campaigning: Crafting Sustainable Sounds with Taylor Guitars

MUSIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wckccp7zTH4

It Starts With You

Michael Lange new bassist of the Rainbow Press paints this ecological warning (co-written by Marcmoon). A guest appearance from Phil Collins back up singer, Amy Keyes. Take action before it's too late!

Mr Tree

Le conteur Marien Guillé a passé tout l'automne 2023 sur les chemins, au départ de Marseille où il habite, et retour. Des centaines de kilomètres au rythme de la marche, pour rencontrer les gens et le paysage autrement. Au micro de Qui Vive, il nous parle de cette expérience hors du commun, de ce qu'il a observé, et imaginé.

En parlant de marche

Osamason Vamp remix by Prix Meditated
*I do not own the acapella*

Osamason - Vamp (remix) prod Prix Meditated

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest slowed by nearly half compared to a year before. It's the largest reduction since 2016, when officials began using the current method of measurement. President Luiz Lula da Silva has pledged that deforestation must be zero by 2030.

Radio ARA Programme du 2024-08-09

What's right: Brazil's Amazon deforestation down by nearly half

Food scientists in Switzerland have figured out how to make chocolate using the entire cooca fruit. As opposed to traditionally only using the cocoa beans and throwing the rest away, this new method uses the entire fruit - pulp, juice and husk, without adding sugar.

Radio ARA Programme du 2024-08-28

What's right: improved way to produce chocolate

Episode 13 - Q4 Feed Additive Outlook, Deforestation Regulation, and Storm Boris

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

Chief Keef - Bitch Where remix
By Prix Meditated 💱

-I do not own the vocals-

Chief Keef - Bitch Where (remix) [prod Prix Meditated]

Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to discuss the implications of RSPO’s draft revised standard is the organisation's director of standards and sustainability, Yen Hun Seng.
Tune in as we discuss:
What’s changed about RSPO in the last five years
How has RSPO managed lobbying from various interest groups?
How has the new standard changed on deforestation?
How does the standard align with EUDR?
What about smallholders?
What to expect from RSPO’s annual conference this month?

What RSPO’s new rules for sustainable palm oil mean for people and planet

*I do not own the vocals*
Instrumental by Prix Meditated x Max Hughes

Devstacks, Swapa - Houston remix

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Brent Sohngen, a professor at the Ohio State University and a university fellow at Resources for the Future, about the intersecting forces that are helping curb and reverse deforestation in Latin America. Sohngen discusses the origins of his research on forests in Latin America; the relationship between economic conditions, technological innovations, and the health of forests in Latin American countries; how property rights and community ownership can motivate effective stewardship of forests; and ongoing efforts to protect forests in Latin America and across the world.

References and recommendations:

“Reversing Deforestation: How Market Forces and Local Ownership Are Saving Forests in Latin America” by Brent Sohngen and Douglas Southgate; https://www.sup.org/books/politics/reversing-deforestation

“A Wild Idea” by Jonathan Franklin; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-wild-idea-jonathan-franklin

“The Overstory” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/

Reversing Deforestation in Latin America, with Brent Sohngen

As you get to know me, you'll learn that I feel most at home near the shore or in the woods, where I can pause the relentless questions of everyday life and welcome whatever my elders and guardians have to say.

When I'm away for too long, I feel adrift, evoking a deep urge within me to protect Mother, as whispers of wisdom from The Ara (Yoruba for spirits/souls) flow through the waves and trees.

In those moments, my senses intertwine with the earth, resonating with the voices of my ancestral spirits.

“Complicit Veil” echoes the heartbeat of our fragile Earth. We struggle under the relentless weight of our choices. This piece mirrors the beauty of nature ensnared by the rusted chains of consumerism and enviro-climate apathy. The stones cry out in silence, while the rivers weep sorrow. In a world chasing noise, we are not listening.

The rustling leaves and flowing waters confront us with the unsettling truth of our impact on the environment. It highlights how our love for comfort blinds us to the impending threat of ecological collapse.

Every note, every beat serves as a reminder that Iná Makâ (Lakota for Mother Earth) is on the operating table, and humanity is the desperate ER team, armed with tools of revitalization.

“Complicit Veil” pits our convenience-driven lives against the vital need for awareness. Each of us has contributed to this crisis, and we can no longer look away. We must face the reality we have woven ourselves into.

Hope is not lost. I ask each of us to embrace our shared responsibility and break the complicit cycle that holds us captive. Together, we have the power to rewrite the story of our relationship with Mother, a narrative penned not in ink but in action.

photo courtesy: Giovanna Montoya

Echoes from the Gap

Complicit Veil

In this episode of Reel Heat, Ella, Sanjita, and Lauren dive into the hidden ways kid’s movies address and discuss climate change. They explore 3 different movies, The Lorax, WALL-E, and Moana, and their unique approach to tackling environmental issues, such as deforestation and pollution. Ella, Sanjita, and Lauren explore film techniques along with symbolisms carried throughout the films as they present important lessons to today’s younger generation and remind us hope is possible. 

Reel Heat: Climate Change in Disney Movies

Nigeria is losing its forests at an alarming rate, but why? In this episode of Conservation Focus, host Dajie Odok speaks with Dr. Adewale Awoyemi, Manager of the IITA Forest Center, to uncover the truth about deforestation, its impact on climate and food security, and the urgent actions needed to protect our ecosystems.

Why is Nigeria Losing Its Forests, and How Can We Protect Them? (International Day of Forest)

This month we are delighted to be joined by Markus Kröger, professor of Global Development Studies at University of Helsinki. Markus has joined the show before as a founder of the EXALT Initiative and as a PI in the Trees for Development project. This time Markus is here to talk to us about his new book from University of Cambridge Press, Clearcut: Political Economies of Deforestation. This open access book will be published open access in October 2025. Markus gives us a sneak peek into the key topics of the book, primarily the mechanisms of regionally dominant political economies (RDPE) and the role they play in driving extractive sectors. To make this novel theorization, Markus looked at cattle capitalism in Brazil, narco-gold in the Amazon, and paper pulping in Finland. Markus shows how these three different RDPEs drive deforestation in their respective locations.  

Interested in reading Clearcut? (Open access out now!) https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/clearcut/8BBC0BFBF9AF30A01D4A1F6F6DA8E89C

Interested in learning more about Markus’ work? https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/markus-kr%C3%B6ger  

Interest in the Trees For Development Project? https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/trees-for-development

Markus Kröger - What path dependencies determine if a forest is Clearcut? (Clearcut book discussion)

Au menu de l'actualité :

- L’ONU aide la population ukrainienne à affronter son 5e hiver de guerre
- La déforestation ralentit dans le monde
- Catastrophes naturelles : généraliser les services d’alerte précoce

Présentation : Jérôme Bernard

Bulletin d'ONU Info du 22 octobre 2025

"Echoes From The Gap" weaves together themes of resilience, identity, and community. Growing up in "The Gap," a vibrant neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, I was immersed in a rich tapestry of culture that profoundly shaped my identity and values. 

Amidst the historic greystones and the close-knit community that embraced both challenges and joys, I developed a deep appreciation for resilience and connection. The laughter shared on the front stoop, and the bonds forged among neighbors played a pivotal role in molding the person I am today. 

This foundation drives my passion for sharing awareness about health concerns, recognizing that we are all interconnected—much like the Earth, the solar system, and the diverse ecosystems that encompass water, wildlife, and our enviro-climate. Our well-being is intertwined with the health of our planet and each other.

When I'm not busy as a biomedical research executive, I embrace my role as a gregarious introvert who loves science, sports, animation, film, helping others, writing, and tuning in to what’s around me. 

Being near water is like being cradled by the horizon, inviting endless possibilities, while the whispering winds bring me knowledge and carry away my worries out to sea.

When I am surrounded by trees, I feel like a seed taking root—grounded yet reaching for the sky—embodying growth, resilience, and the interconnectedness of God’s greatest gifts. 

After being on the road for a long time, returning to my in-home studio feels like a safe haven, a place where I can reconnect with my creativity. An integral part of my life is my love for all types of music, which serves as a constant presence and reflects the world around us. 

Music, like a bridge between the seen and unseen, translates emotions into vibrations, allowing feelings to flow where words falter, resonating within our very souls.

I’m incredibly grateful to my brilliant executive producer, Steve Ross; I wouldn't be at this point without his encouragement and engineering skills. I’d also like to acknowledge my representative, Rena Felton, who wouldn’t let me quit, and Chey-Nova for her love, support, and all of her contributions.

Toute l'actualité de l'Organisation des Nations Unies (ONU) en langue française

Europe's best independent music station based in Luxembourg! English speaking.

Record Producer/Film Composer
💱
@prixmeditated
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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.

Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.

🎧 Radio IITA – Science, Soil, and Solutions

Welcome to Radio IITA, where research meets the rural farmer.
From improved seeds to climate-smart farming, biotechnology, nutrition, and agribusiness, we bring you expert voices, real-life stories, and actionable knowledge that empowers farmers and transforms communities across Africa.

🌾 Powered by science. Rooted in impact.
#RadioIITA #FarmingWithScience #AgTechAfrica #ClimateSmartAg

Resource extraction impacts our daily lives and has helped push the climate to the brink, but there are people around the world living and fighting for alternative ways forward. Join hosts Christopher Chagnon and Sophia Hagolani-Albov and their guests on the last Friday of each month for a discussion of the impacts of extractivisms, alternative ways forward, and stories from people living the struggle every day. If you are someone who is interested in how our environment and societies have come to their current state, or learning about different ways we can move forward, this is the podcast for you.

New tracks tagged #deforestation