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The official podcast of EDGE EFFECTS, the digital magazine produced by the Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE) in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It features interviews with pathbreaking thinkers inside the academy and beyond abou…

The Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE)


    • Mar 27, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 128 EPISODES

    4.7 from 45 ratings Listeners of Edge Effects that love the show mention: always.



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    Latest episodes from Edge Effects

    Podcasting for the Climate: A Conversation with Nathaniel Otjen, Juan Manuel Rubio, & Bethany Wiggin

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 43:05


    Bethany Wiggin speaks with Nathaniel Otjen and Juan Rubio on the significance of public-facing environmental humanities via their podcast MINING FOR THE CLIMATE. They discuss the local experiences of lithium mining, the value of narrative, community-driven work in an academic setting, and the futures they envision for the university as a whole. The post Podcasting for the Climate: A Conversation with Nathaniel Otjen, Juan Manuel Rubio, & Bethany Wiggin appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Of Supermarkets, Shipwrecks, and Seasons: A Conversation with Sarah Dimick, Lisa Han, and Ben Stanley

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 94:10


    In this first-of-its-kind special episode, environmental humanities authors Sarah Dimick, Lisa Han, and Ben Stanley discuss their newly published books, connections between their disparate topics, and the importance of nuance in environmental justice. The post Of Supermarkets, Shipwrecks, and Seasons: A Conversation with Sarah Dimick, Lisa Han, and Ben Stanley appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Cafeteria Care around the World: A Conversation with Jennifer Gaddis and Sarah A. Robert

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 46:09


    Prerna Rana speaks with Sarah Robert and Jennifer Gaddis about their new book, Transforming School Food Politics Around the World. They discuss school food programs' catalytic potential in the betterment of global health, agriculture, and care. The post Cafeteria Care around the World: A Conversation with Jennifer Gaddis and Sarah A. Robert appeared first on Edge Effects.

    THE RETURN OF NAVAJO BOY, 25 Years Later: A Conversation with Jeff Spitz

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 43:55


    CHE Director Will Brockliss sits down with documentary filmmaker Jeff Spitz to reflect on the twenty fifth anniversary of his film THE RETURN OF NAVAJO BOY. Their conversation spans partnering with the Navajo Nation, ethical filmmaking, and the significance this film had not only on uranium cleanup in Monument Valley, Utah, but on one family who lives there. The post THE RETURN OF NAVAJO BOY, 25 Years Later: A Conversation with Jeff Spitz appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Crip Intimacy and Aquifer Entanglements: a Conversation with Sunaura Taylor

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 50:28


    Kate Phelps speaks with Sunaura Taylor on her book Disabled Ecologies. They discuss the contamination of the Tucson aquifer as an origin for understanding the mutual injury of humans and the environment. The post Crip Intimacy and Aquifer Entanglements: a Conversation with Sunaura Taylor appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Living Deserts and Colonial Afterlives: A Conversation with Jill Jarvis

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 63:22


    Angeline Peterson interviews Jill Jarvis on her forthcoming book project Signs in the Desert through her journey into studying the Sahara. Discussing a variety of sources, they challenge the view of deserts as empty spaces and highlight the Saraha as a vibrant, interconnected ecosystem suffering the aftermath of colonial violence. The post Living Deserts and Colonial Afterlives: A Conversation with Jill Jarvis appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Translation, Rage, and What Is-Was-Willbe: A Conversation with Khairani Barokka

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 39:41


    Jagravi Dave speaks with Khairani Barokka on her poetry collection amuk. They use the book to connect tenselessness, the violence of colonial translation, and rage across personal, political, and environmental scales. The post Translation, Rage, and What Is-Was-Willbe: A Conversation with Khairani Barokka appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Resisting and Reimagining Agricultural Systems in Hawai’i: A Conversation with Andrea Brower

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 40:31


    Cathleen McCluskey speaks with Andrea Brower on the intersections of colonialism, neoliberalism, and plantations in agricultural systems—from Hawai'i and beyond. How might possibilities of a better future be imagined through political and social resistance? The post Resisting and Reimagining Agricultural Systems in Hawai'i: A Conversation with Andrea Brower appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Something in the Water: A Podcast on PFAS in Wisconsin

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024


    The Public Trust podcast, co-produced by Bonnie Willison and Richelle Wilson, investigates PFAS contamination in Wisconsin. The post Something in the Water: A Podcast on PFAS in Wisconsin appeared first on Edge Effects.

    What’s Special about this Solar Eclipse? A Conversation with Kaitlin Moore

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 11:47


    Rob Ferrett from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) interviews Kaitlin Moore to talk about why the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 is such a highly anticipated event. The post What's Special about this Solar Eclipse? A Conversation with Kaitlin Moore appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Maroon Geographies, Black Placemaking, and Abolitionist Futures: A Conversation with Celeste Winston

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 47:42


    Elijah Levine speaks with Celeste Winston about marronage as a placemaking practice. By drawing on connections across time, the conversation reveals how Black folks in the United States build lasting infrastructures to disrupt power structures. The post Maroon Geographies, Black Placemaking, and Abolitionist Futures: A Conversation with Celeste Winston appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Death, Leisure, and “Feeling Alive”: A Conversation with Adam Kaul

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 28:16


    What does death denial say about American culture? How can dying be dignified and humanized? Bri Meyer interviews Adam Kaul about his anthropological research on death and dying and its intersections with leisure and tourism. The post Death, Leisure, and “Feeling Alive”: A Conversation with Adam Kaul appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Goats, Bees, and Poetry: A Conversation with Nickole Brown

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 41:51


    Heather Swan speaks author and poet, Nickole Brown about her relationship with animals, the more-than-human world and the Hellbender poetry conference. The post Goats, Bees, and Poetry: A Conversation with Nickole Brown appeared first on Edge Effects.

    From Trash Trade to Waste Colonialism: A Conversation with Simone Müller

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 44:47


    Paul Sutter interviews Simone Müller about the famous case of the Khian Sea, a "renegade ship" carrying waste and trying to dock in different countries. The ship reveals the many contradictions within environmental movements and policies. The post From Trash Trade to Waste Colonialism: A Conversation with Simone Müller appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Centering Islands in a Rising Ocean: A Conversation with Christina Gerhardt

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 48:13


    Samm Newton interviews Dr. Christina Gerhardt about her 2023 book Sea Change, which is a collection of essays, a history of connection, and a window into island nations facing an uncertain future. The post Centering Islands in a Rising Ocean: A Conversation with Christina Gerhardt appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Reforging Gun Culture in the American West: A Conversation with Bryce Andrews

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2023 35:24


    Writer, rancher, and farmer Bryce Andrews discusses his newest book Holding Fire, which traces his personal story of grappling with the history of guns and violence in the American West. The post Reforging Gun Culture in the American West: A Conversation with Bryce Andrews appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Mapping the Unfree Labor of Prison Agriculture: A Conversation with Carrie Chennault and Josh Sbicca

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 37:12


    Prison Agriculture Lab directors Carrie Chennault and Josh Sbicca discuss the ubiquity of carceral agriculture in the United States, its structuring logics of racial capitalism, and possibilities for abolitionist food futures. The post Mapping the Unfree Labor of Prison Agriculture: A Conversation with Carrie Chennault and Josh Sbicca appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Cold Never Bothered Native Hawaiians Anyway: A Conversation with Hi’ilei Julia Hobart

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2023 52:32


    How do certain temperatures come to be normalized and idealized in Hawai'i? Dr. Hiʻilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart shares critical insights at the intersection of Indigenous dispossession and resistance. The post The Cold Never Bothered Native Hawaiians Anyway: A Conversation with Hi'ilei Julia Hobart appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Out Loud: Studying Yellowstone's Burn Scars to Reveal its Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2022 28:09


    Nathan Kiel investigates the potential for post-fire forest recovery across the greater Yellowstone ecosystem in a warming world. The post Studying Yellowstone's Burn Scars to Reveal its Future appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Unearthing the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming: A Conversation with Liz Carlisle

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 60:32


    Liz Carlisle shares stories from her latest book, which uncovers the history of regenerative agriculture and the farmers of color who practice it. The post Unearthing the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming: A Conversation with Liz Carlisle appeared first on Edge Effects.

    There’s Something About the Bike: A Conversation with Bob Giordano

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2022 48:50


    Streets are political spaces. Bob Giordano tells why bikes and other modes of sustainable transportation make them safer and more equitable. The post There's Something About the Bike: A Conversation with Bob Giordano appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Growing Food Justice Through Urban Farming

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 42:04


    In the final episode of the Ground Truths podcast series, Clare Sullivan, Carly Gittrich, and Ben Iuliano talk to urban agriculture leaders in Dane County, Wisconsin about how their programs serve Black communities and other communities of color. The post Growing Food Justice Through Urban Farming appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Farms, Fertilizer, and the Fight for Clean Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2022 37:27


    In Portage County, Wisconsin, 95 percent of the nitrate in groundwater comes from agriculture, and it's having major health consequences for residents. Ground Truths editors Ben Iuliano and Carly Griffith find out how community members have used scientific and legal advocacy to fight for cleaner drinking water. The post Farms, Fertilizer, and the Fight for Clean Water appeared first on Edge Effects.

    What Happens in the Wake of Frac Sand’s Boom and Bust?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 47:30


    Wisconsin is home to some of the best sand in the country, making it a key player in the oil and gas industry. For this episode of Ground Truths, Justyn Huckleberry and Clare Sullivan take a close look at frac sand mining in the state—the lack of regulation and oversight, environmental and health consequences for local residents, the volatility of oil and gas markets, and how some activists are fighting back. The post What Happens in the Wake of Frac Sand's Boom and Bust? appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Living with Lead in Milwaukee

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 41:51


    In 2021, rates of childhood lead exposure in Milwaukee were nearly double the state average. In this episode of Ground Truths, Juniper Lewis and Carly Griffith learn more about this public health crisis. The post Living with Lead in Milwaukee appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Who’s Afraid of Wisconsin Wolves?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2022 67:13


    With the future of wolf protection being debated on the national stage, Ground Truths editors Clare Sullivan and Marisa Lanker speak with local experts and advocates about wolf stewardship in Wisconsin. The post Who's Afraid of Wisconsin Wolves? appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Slow Erosion of Environmental Protections in Wisconsin

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 53:40


    In the first episode of the Ground Truths podcast series, Carly Griffith speaks with environmental advocates in Wisconsin about how they are addressing local issues of contamination from manufactured chemicals like PFAS and industrial agriculture. The post The Slow Erosion of Environmental Protections in Wisconsin appeared first on Edge Effects.

    American Apocalyptic: A Conversation with Jessica Hurley

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2021 62:22


    Beyond "doom bros" and end-of-history narratives, Jessica Hurley's new book looks to the stories Black, queer, Indigenous, and Asian American writers tell about nuclear infrastructures and the radical politics of futurelessness. The post American Apocalyptic: A Conversation with Jessica Hurley appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Hidden Histories of Mud Crabs and Oil Monsters in Singapore: A Panel Discussion

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2021 42:45


    Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, Neo Xiaoyun, and Yogesh Tulsi discuss their contributions to the anthology Eating Chilli Crab in the Anthropocene: Environmental Perspectives on Life in Singapore. The post The Hidden Histories of Mud Crabs and Oil Monsters in Singapore: A Panel Discussion appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Unreliable Bestiary: A Conversation with Deke Weaver

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2021 56:29


    Performance artist Deke Weaver gives a behind-the-scenes look at Unreliable Bestiary, an expansive multimedia project that tells the stories of endangered animal species. The post The Unreliable Bestiary: A Conversation with Deke Weaver appeared first on Edge Effects.

    How to Frame Asian Suffering in an Anti-Black World: A Conversation with Claire Jean Kim

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2021 43:18


    Political science scholar Claire Jean Kim outlines how COVID-19 came to be racialized and discusses the implications of foregrounding anti-Asian harassment and violence in an anti-Black society. The post How to Frame Asian Suffering in an Anti-Black World: A Conversation with Claire Jean Kim appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Living with Floods: A Conversation with Caroline Gottschalk Druschke

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2021 37:14


    The Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin experienced historic flood events in late summer 2018. To commemorate the third anniversary of these floods, Caroline Gottschalk Druschke shares how the oral history project Stories from the Flood helped with community healing in the aftermath. The post Living with Floods: A Conversation with Caroline Gottschalk Druschke appeared first on Edge Effects.

    At the Mouth of the Menominee River: A Conversation with Anahkwet (Guy Reiter)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2021 25:18


    Anahkwet (Guy Reiter) discusses how Menominee language, culture, and history shape his work protecting the Menominee and Wolf Rivers. The post At the Mouth of the Menominee River: A Conversation with Anahkwet (Guy Reiter) appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Rewilding the Human Biome: A Conversation with Jamie Lorimer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2021 59:43


    From the scale of a landscape to the scale of a human body, Jamie Lorimer sees a "probiotic turn" underway that uses life to manage life. The post Rewilding the Human Biome: A Conversation with Jamie Lorimer appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Out Loud: Finding Connection and Resisting Extraction in Quarantine Gaming

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2021 17:09


    During the COVID-19 pandemic, video games offered Nat Mesnard and many others an escape from isolation. But the false promise of endless productivity in factory building games like Satisfactory ensnared them in a myth of capitalist "progress." The post Finding Connection and Resisting Extraction in Quarantine Gaming appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Roots of (Radical) Animism: A Conversation with Jemma Deer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2021 28:01


    In conversation with Shelby Brewster, Jemma Deer discusses her new book, Radical Animism: Reading for the End of the World. The post The Roots of (Radical) Animism: A Conversation with Jemma Deer appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Forever Chemicals on the Ski Trail: A Conversation with Gail Carlson

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2021 53:11


    In conversation with Clare Sullivan, Dr. Gail Carlson explains how toxic PFAS found in some in ski waxes contaminate the environment and why regulating them is difficult but crucial. The post Forever Chemicals on the Ski Trail: A Conversation with Gail Carlson appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Legacies of the Sagebrush Rebellion: A Conversation with Jonathan Thompson

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2020 53:59


    Robert Lundberg talks with journalist Jonathan P. Thompson about land management, settler colonialism, and the legacies of the Sagebrush Rebellion in the American West. The post Legacies of the Sagebrush Rebellion: A Conversation with Jonathan Thompson appeared first on Edge Effects.

    What Fuels Energy Transitions: A Conversation with Germán Vergara

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 41:32


    Germán Vergara talks with Rachel Gurney about the history of energy transitions in Mexico and the lessons we can learn from the past. The post What Fuels Energy Transitions: A Conversation with Germán Vergara appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Tortoises All the Way Down: A Conversation with Elizabeth Hennessy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2020 48:30


    Elizabeth Hennessy's recent book follows in the footsteps of Galápagos tortoises to uncover the complex history of a tourist and biodiversity hotspot. The post Tortoises All the Way Down: A Conversation with Elizabeth Hennessy appeared first on Edge Effects.

    School Food Politics: A Conversation with Jennifer Gaddis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2020 72:05


    Faron Levesque sits down with Dr. Jennifer Gaddis to discuss Gaddis's book, The Labor of Lunch, and how school food can fuel the fight for justice for both workers and students. The post School Food Politics: A Conversation with Jennifer Gaddis appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Making Meaning in an Age of Data: A Conversation with Heather Houser

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 74:58


    In conversation with Min Hyoung Song, Heather Houser considers how stories and art make overwhelming scientific data meaningful—and how they trouble, interrogate, and transform it. The post Making Meaning in an Age of Data: A Conversation with Heather Houser appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Future of Conservation: A Conversation with Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2020 73:49


    Yardain Amron talks with Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher—co-authors of The Conservation Revolution—about capitalism, ecotourism, and the urgent need to re-imagine mainstream conservation. The post The Future of Conservation: A Conversation with Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Financing American Inequality: A Conversation with Paige Glotzer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2020 44:17


    Historian Paige Glotzer discusses the segregated suburbs and what the history of Baltimore's Roland Park Company has to do with today's inequality. The post Financing American Inequality: A Conversation with Paige Glotzer appeared first on Edge Effects.

    La Lucha Yaqui: A Conversation with Mario Luna Romero

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2020 46:39


    In Spanish and English, activist Mario Luna Romero discusses the Yaqui struggle for water and land rights with Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez. The post La Lucha Yaqui: A Conversation with Mario Luna Romero appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Decolonizing Labor in the Caribbean: A Conversation with Shona Jackson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2020 34:08


    Dr. Shona Jackson discusses labor in the Caribbean and the need for radical, collective labor histories that include Creole groups and Indigenous peoples. The post Decolonizing Labor in the Caribbean: A Conversation with Shona Jackson appeared first on Edge Effects.

    What Is Land? A Conversation with Tania Murray Li, Rafael Marquese, and Monica White

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2019 56:48


    Land is the scene of a crime and a site of liberation. Tania Murray Li, Rafael Marquese, and Monica White discuss land and the Plantationocene with Elizabeth Hennessy. The post What Is Land? A Conversation with Tania Murray Li, Rafael Marquese, and Monica White appeared first on Edge Effects.

    Infrastructure’s Inequalities: A Conversation with Nikhil Anand and Nausheen Anwar

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2019 69:19


    Geographer Siddharth Menon interviews anthropologist Nikhil Anand and urban planner Nausheen Anwar about infrastructures and development in India and Pakistan. The post Infrastructure’s Inequalities: A Conversation with Nikhil Anand and Nausheen Anwar appeared first on Edge Effects.

    The Land Is a Teacher: A Conversation with Jeff Grignon

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2019 63:56


    In his decades of work in forestry and cultural heritage for Menominee Nation, tribal member Jeff Grignon reads the lay of the land to find an ancient trail system. The post The Land Is a Teacher: A Conversation with Jeff Grignon appeared first on Edge Effects.

    What One Court Case Could Mean for Tribal Sovereignty: A Conversation with Rebecca Nagle

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2019 52:21


    Rebecca Nagle's podcast, This Land, examines tribal sovereignty and how the future of Muscogee (Creek) Nation may hinge on a case before the Supreme Court. The post What One Court Case Could Mean for Tribal Sovereignty: A Conversation with Rebecca Nagle appeared first on Edge Effects.

    When a River Is a Border: A Conversation with C.J. Alvarez

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2019 54:23


    A new book, Border Land, Border Water: A History of Construction on the U.S.–Mexico Divide, traces border histories by looking to bridges as well as walls. The post When a River Is a Border: A Conversation with C.J. Alvarez appeared first on Edge Effects.

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