KPFA - Terra Verde

Chuckwalla Box Canyon in the Chuckwalla National Monument, one of six monuments the Interior Department is considering shrinking. Photo by Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management. Last year, an estimated 330 million people visited our national parks here in the United States. Tens of millions more visited national wildlife refuges, national forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands, connecting with our wild places, our shared history, and the wildlife these lands protect. Despite broad public engagement with our protected places, public lands have been in the Trump Administration's crosshairs since Day 1 of his second term. The administration has announced far-reaching layoffs at the federal agencies that manage our public lands. It has proposed massive budget cuts to the National Park Service. It has taken action to open protected places to increased drilling, mining, and logging, and has embraced the idea of outright selling public lands. Luke Basulto, the Ruth Hammett California Desert Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, and Josh Hicks, Conservation Campaigns Director for The Wilderness Society, join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal managing editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss the state of our public lands amid this onslaught. The post Trump's Public Lands Grab appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – June 6, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – May 30, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Hummingbird Farm is a community-led urban agriculture project in the Excelsior neighborhood of Southeast San Francisco, stewarded by PODER's (People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights) Urban Compesinx. Since its inception in 2017, the community has transformed nearly seven acres of underutilized public land into a vibrant space for growing food, culture and resilience. Joining forces in this work are PODER and 5 Elements, two local organizations reclaiming land stewardship and artistic expression as tools for self-determination among underinvested communities of color.   Producer Hannah Wilton speaks with two organizers from PODER—longtime Environmental Justice Organizer Tere Almaguer and Youth Organizer Alondra Aragón—about how they are weaving ancestral connection, intergenerational healing and translocal solidarity at Hummingbird Farm. We also hear from 5 Elements Co-Founder & Youth Engagement Coordinator Violeta Vasquez on the rising generation of urban compesinx and cultural workers who are reshaping the future of their neighborhoods. The post Urban Compesinx on Youth Power and Land Reclamation appeared first on KPFA.

Water for Life tells the story of three Indigenous activists in Central and South America, who have fought to protect their communities' water rights and ancestral lands from mining, hydroelectric projects, and large scale agriculture. The three individuals profiled in the film are Berta Cáceres, a leader of the Lenca people in Honduras; Francisco Pineda, a subsistence farmer in El Salvador; and Alberto Curamil, an Indigenous Mapuche leader in Chile — all of whom were previous recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize.  The 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony took place this week on Monday, April 21 in San Francisco, California. On this episode of Terra Verde, filmmakers Will Parrinello and María José Calderón join host Fiona McLeod to discuss the stories shared in the film, which is airing on PBS this month after 12 years of production.   Featured Image Photo Credit: Courtesy of Goldman Environmental Prize The post ‘Water for Life' brings Indigenous water issues to the big screen  appeared first on KPFA.

The Palisades Fire that started in the City of Los Angelas, January 2025. Photo courtesy of Cal FIRE. California is being hit with increasingly frequent, climate change-turbocharged wildfires and much of the disaster-recovery costs are being passed on to taxpayers and ratepayers in the form of higher, and increasingly unaffordable, insurance rates, housing costs, property taxes, utility bills, and health expenses. Some lawmakers, backed by environmental and citizen rights groups, aim to change that. Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks about ongoing legislative efforts to make the main drivers of climate disruption — fossil fuel companies and other corporate polluters — pay up with Maya Golden-Krasner, deputy director of the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute, and Sierra Lindsey Kos, co-founder and co-executive director of Extreme Weather Survivors, a climate disaster survivor support group. You can lend your support for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act here.   The post Making Climate Polluters Pay appeared first on KPFA.

The 2016-2017 Standing Rock protests aimed to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Photo by Lucas Zhao / Oceti Sakowin Camp.​ In March, a North Dakota jury found against Greenpeace in a highly watched trial, ordering the environmental group to pay pipeline company Energy Transfer more than $660 million in damages. The case stems from the Standing Rock protests in 2016 and 2017, an Indigenous led movement to stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.  Energy Transfer alleges that Greenpeace defamed the company and orchestrated criminal behavior at the protests. Greenpeace denies these claims, describing the suit as an attack on First Amendment rights. Many experts agree that the case could have a chilling effect on public protest. Longtime environmental attorney and human rights advocate Steven Donziger, who has himself been the target of fossil fuel industry-led litigation, was part of an independent monitoring committee for the trial. He joins Earth Island Journal managing editor and Terra Verde host Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss what he saw at the trial, his own experience with Big Oil, and what the industry's weaponization of the court system means for the future of free speech and environmental advocacy. The post Energy Transfer v. Greenpeace and the Right to Free Speech appeared first on KPFA.

Grizzly bears once roamed California in large numbers, with populations reaching up to 10,000 before they were driven to extinction by human activity in the early 20th century. Now, over a century later, efforts are underway to reintroduce grizzlies to the state. Building on decades of research and advocacy, the California Grizzly Alliance is set to release a groundbreaking feasibility study this spring that explores the potential for grizzly recovery in California. In this episode of Terra Verde, Hannah Wilton is joined by Peter Alagona, a professor at UC Santa Barbara and lead scientist for the California Grizzly Alliance, to dive into the details of the study. They discuss the history of grizzlies in California, opportunities and strategies for their reintroduction, and what this effort could mean for our collective social and ecological healing. The post Bringing Back the Grizzly appeared first on KPFA.

Not only is the fashion industry is the world's second biggest polluter after the fossil fuel industry, but many of the textiles we surround ourselves with (in our clothing, bedding, and home upholstery) are also made of petroleum-based products and/or contain PFAS—or “forever-chemicals”—which pose an enormous threat to our health and the environment.  On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod speaks with Patty Grossman, co-founder and CEO of Two Sisters Ecotextiles, and Smita Paul, founder of Indigo Handloom—both of whom are leaders in the movement for safer, more ethical and environmentally-friendly fabrics. They discuss the broader consequences of fast fashion, the hidden costs of what we wear, and what solutions exist for a healthier, more sustainable textile and clothing industry. The post The Toxic Truth About Our Clothing appeared first on KPFA.

Of the estimated 10,000 chemicals used in beauty products, the US federal government has banned or otherwise restricted only 11. Photo by Jaime Street. The average adult in the United States uses somewhere around 12 personal care products a day, with women typically using more than men. Those products can expose us to more than a hundred chemicals on a daily basis, some of which come with serious health risks. These risks are not borne equally. Black women in particular bear a disproportionate burden when it comes to chemical exposure through cosmetics and other personal care products, a burden that has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, among other things. Yet the industry remains woefully unregulated. Of the estimated 10,000 chemicals used in beauty products, the federal government here in the US has banned or otherwise restricted only 11. Dedicated advocates are trying to change this. And in the meantime, they are offering guidance for those looking to reduce their exposure on their own. Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren talks with Arnedra Jordan, a project manager with Black Women For Wellness who leads their Beauty Justice Campaign, and Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group who recently co-authored a report digging into the disparate impact of hazardous cosmetics chemicals, about their work for beauty justice. The post Beauty, Wellness, and Environmental Injustice appeared first on KPFA.

Protestors at the 2017 March for Science in San Francisco. Photo by Tom Hilton. Environmentalists and civil rights activists are strategizing and pushing back against the Trump administration's moves to dismantle our democracy, but a lot of this work is not yet visible to all and we are left with the sense that, so far, resistance to Trump 2.0 has been rather lack-luster. But has it, really? To delve further into this question Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with Dana R. Fisher, the Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity and Professor in the School of International Service, who has been analyzing data collecting data from activists engaging in protests around climate change, systemic racism, and the American resistance. Among other things, Fisher's research has uncovered that a growing number of left-leaning Americans now believe political violence may be necessary to save our democracy. Note: Dana is the author of several books, most recently Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action. KPFA listeners can get a 20% discount on the book at the linked website by using the code CUP20.  The post Resistance 2.0 in Trump 2.0 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – February 28, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – February 14, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – February 7, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

California's growing wildfire crisis has impacted nearly every corner of the state in recent years, and this month we've witnessed a series of deadly, destructive, and unprecedented January wildfires in southern California. Governor Gavin Newsom created the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force in 2021 to introduce a more holistic, integrated approach toward effective forest management. The Task Force is a collaborative effort that unites federal, state, local, and tribal organizations to better manage forests, protect communities, and adapt to California's fire-prone reality. On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod speaks with Patrick Wright, Director of the Task Force, to discuss their progress, challenges, and how we can all play a part in building a safer, more fire-resilient future in California.  The post Confronting California's Wildfire Crisis appeared first on KPFA.

California is facing a growing crisis as wildfires become more frequent, intense, and devastating. In the face of the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles this month, youth climate activists there are sounding the alarm. Local activists from the Sunrise Movement's LA chapter made headlines last week by staging a takeover of the Phillips 66 refinery, demanding accountability from the fossil fuel industry for its role in driving the climate crisis. On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod speaks with Suzie Hicks, also known as “the Climate Chick,” and Nico Gardner Serna of Sunrise LA. We discuss the connections between the LA fires and the fossil fuel industry, climate justice and education, and their fight for a livable future. Suzie Hicks is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and television host. They specialize in climate and environmental communication for kids of all ages. Their show, Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick teaches kids about climate change and empowers children and their families to care for the earth and themselves. Nicolas Gardner Serna is a community organizer and political strategist working at the intersection of economic and climate justice. As Chapter Coordinator of the Sunrise Movement LA, Nico works to build powerful campaigns to take on corporate polluters. He is currently leading an effort to address orphan oil wells in LA. The post Youth Climate Activists Demand Accountability in the Face of LA Fires appeared first on KPFA.

A colorized transmission electron micrograph of H5N1 virus particles (purple). Photo courtesy of NIAID and CDC. As wildfires continue smoldering in Los Angeles, looming over the horizon is another worrying development — the growing spread of bird flu. This strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — first detected in the United States in February 2022 — has swept through poultry and dairy farms across the country and has jumped over to infecting humans as well. In December, the first fatal human case of the H5N1 virus was reported in Louisiana. According to latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control, so far there have been 67 human cases of bird flu nationwide since 2024, 38 of which occurred in California, the most out of any state. Yesterday, the CDC confirmed that a San Francisco child was the second child in the Bay Area, and the country, to contract the virus. So how serious is the situation? How worried should we be? What should we be doing to safeguard ourselves and animals? To answer these questions, Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with the two experts, Dr. Maurice Pitesky from the University of California, Davis' School for Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. William Schaffner of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Note: Here is an interactive map from UC Davis School for Veterinary Medicine that shows the entire outbreak in the Americas.   The post Bird Flu has Spread to Humans. How Worried Should We Be? appeared first on KPFA.

A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear in Monterey Bay, California, last year. Photo by Robin Gwen Agarwal. Every year, hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and other animals die globally from entanglement in fishing equipment. Countless more are injured. Along the US West Coast, impacted species include humpback whales, gray whales, and fin whales. Despite the breadth of the problem, information about entanglements, including where they occurred, what animals were impacted, and what kind of fishing gear was involved, can in some cases be hard to come by. Tara Brock, Pacific legal director and senior counsel with Oceana, and Ben Grundy, oceans campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity, join Terra Verde host and producer Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss their work on the issue, including efforts to fill information gaps, steer us towards practical solutions, and ultimately, reduce the number of animals ensnared in our fishing gear. The post Tackling Whale Entanglements Along the California Coast appeared first on KPFA.

Latinx farmworkers, who make up over 80% of California's agricultural workforce, face some of the state's lowest levels of food security, wealth, and homeownership. This week on Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton is joined by longtime farmer and co-owner of Full Belly Farm Paul Muller to discuss their research and development initiative to create a replicable model of affordable homeownership for farmworkers. Their pilot project, “Casas Capay Valley,” will provide resident-owned housing for several farmworker families employed at Full Belly Farm through the acquisition of a 43-acre parcel in Yolo County by a community land trust. Muller speaks to the importance of strengthening rural communities, building equity for farmworkers, and fostering long-term social and economic stability for California's agricultural workforce. The post “Casas Capay Valley” Farmworker Housing Pilot appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – December 27, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Never Forget: A vigil for Honduran environmental activist and Indigenous leader Berta Cáceres in front of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights headquarters in San José, Costa Rica in April 2016. Cáceres was murdered in her home in Honduras on March 3, 2016. Photo by Daniel Cima. Writer essayist, and journalist Lauren Markham soon-to-be released book, Immemorial, reflects on how language and memorials can offer strategies for coping with climate anxiety and grief. Journalist, activist, and author Jason Mark has a book-in-progress, The Remembered Earth: How Our Memories of Nature Can Protect the Planet, which delves into the so-called “shifting baseline syndrome” and explores antidotes to environmental amnesia. In this episode of Terra Verde, Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with the two writers about their new books, the power of words, and how the mere act of remembering can be action.     The post Remembrance as Resistance appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – November 29, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

College campuses have a critical role to play in creating healthier environments for students, faculty and staff, and surrounding communities by eliminating synthetic pesticide use. Right here in our own backyard, UC Berkeley has made important steps toward transitioning to organic, biodiverse land management practices in recent years. On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod speaks with Mackenzie Feldman, founder and director of Re:wild Your Campus and Lydia Woltjer, Manager of the Landscape Services department at UC Berkeley, about their efforts to eliminate pesticide use on campus, create healthier green spaces, and set a precedent for sustainable land management at universities across the country. The post Eliminating Herbicides on UC Berkeley's Campus appeared first on KPFA.

In California — a state whose progressive environmental policies have been the special focus of Trump's ire — policymakers and environmentalists are bracing for the impacts of a second Trump administration where Republicans have full control of both houses. Lawmakers are gearing up to use state and local government powers to safeguard the environment and communities from imminent destructive federal policies. And on the ground, community groups and activists are preparing to organize. To give us a sense of the efforts underway in the state to “Trump Proof” California, Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra talks with Ken Alex, director of Project Climate and former senior policy advisor on climate, environment, and energy to Governor Jerry Brown. The post California vs. Trump 2.0 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – November 8, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – November 1, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

In September, Western Rivers Conservancy conveyed the 466-acre Dillon Beach Ranch to the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria for permanent conservation and stewardship. With this historic land-back conservation deal, the Tribe (comprised of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo Indians) regains ownership and stewardship of lands within their aboriginal territory, spanning across Sonoma and Marin Counties. The property includes 1.5 miles of the Estero de San Antonio, home to critical habitat for a vast array of plants and wildlife, including the federally listed northern tidewater goby.  Western Rivers Conservancy's (WRC) Conservation Director, Josh Kling, joins host and producer Hannah Wilton on this week's Terra Verde episode to discuss this historic land-back ownership transfer and other riverland conservation initiatives in the West. Among them, Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe, and an ongoing partnership with the Esselen Tribe in Big Sur to protect and repatriate a mile of the Little Sur River. The post Making History in Riverland Conservation appeared first on KPFA.

Clockwise from top: Amelia Southern-Uribe, Austin Picinich, and Asa Miller. Photos courtesy of BYA. Three young activists from across the US — Asa Miller, Amelia Southern-Uribe, and Austin Picinich, who received the 2024 Brower Youth Awards at a ceremony in Berkeley last week talk with Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief and Terra Verde cohost Maureen Nandini Mitra about their outstanding efforts to promote ecological sustainability and environmental justice, what inspires them, the challenges they have had to overcome, and more. The post Young Climate Activists Inspire Hope appeared first on KPFA.

Photo by Cassandra Nelson / UNSOM. Plastics are pretty much inescapable these days, and that's no mistake. The plastics industry has flooded our lives with countless single-use product, from bags, to food packaging, to drink bottles. This plastic now fills our landfills, litters our coastlines, and permeates our bodies. And still, the plastics industry creates more, pointing to plastics recyclability as the solution to our mounting plastic pollution crisis. Of course, recycling isn't the solution they claim it is. Only 9 percent of the plastic that has been pumped into the world since 1950 has been recycled. And here in the US, only about 5 percent of the single-use plastic products we use today are recycled. As the scale of the crisis grows, environmental advocates have started taking plastic producers and distributors to court for their role in deceiving the the public and driving the crisis we now find ourselves in. Sumona Majumdar, Chief Executive Officer of Earth Island Institute, and Dianna Cohen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Pollution Coalition, join Terra Verde Host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to talk about these efforts The post Taking Big Plastic to Court appeared first on KPFA.

The Rights of Nature is one of the fastest-growing environmental justice movements in the world. Based on traditional Indigenous knowledge, the legal framework recognizes nature and ecosystems as inherently rights-bearing entities with legal standing in court, rather than treating nature as property. On this episode of Terra Verde, Shannon Biggs and Isabella Zizi, from the Bay Area-based organization Movement Rights, and Crystal Cavalier-Keck, Co-Founder of Seven Directions of Service, join host Fiona McLeod to talk about the interconnectedness between the movements for Rights of Nature, Indigenous rights, and climate justice. The post Recognizing the Rights of Nature appeared first on KPFA.

Please donate online at kpfa.org or by calling 1800-439-5732 The post Special Fund Drive Programming – September 27, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – September 20, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Today's episode of Terre Verde is preempted by a 2024 fall fund drive special: Professor Richard Wolff (from Economic Update) discusses the true impact of tariffs.     The post Special Fall Fund Drive Programming: Richard Wolff appeared first on KPFA.

On this week's Terra Verde episode, host and producer Hannah Wilton interviews author Manjula Martin about her recently-published memoir, The Last Fire Season; A Personal and Pyronatural History, out now from Pantheon Books. Set during the catastrophic 2020 wildfire season and the compounding crises of the pandemic and political upheaval, Martin tells the story of evacuating from her home in West Sonoma County and her journey of healing from a personal health crisis. Tracing the contours of hope, healing, and despair, The Last Fire Season explores what it means to live on a dynamic, changing planet and how we might shift our relationship to the keystone process of fire. Manjula Martin is coauthor, with her father, Orin Martin, of Fruit Trees for Every Garden, which won the 2020 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Cut, Pacific Standard, Modern Farmer, and Hazlitt. She edited the anthology Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living; was managing editor of Francis Ford Coppola's literary magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story; and has worked in varied editorial capacities in the nonprofit and publishing sectors. She lives in West Sonoma County, California. The post A Personal Chronicle of California's Wildfire Crisis appeared first on KPFA.

When it comes to clothing, we live in a system that tends to prioritizes quantity over quality; that favors items that can be worn a few times and discarded above those that are cared for and mended over time. This system disconnects us from the materials our clothes are made from, the people who make them, and places they are made. And it contributes to significant environmental and social harm. But it doesn't have to be this way. In California, a network of fiber activists and producers are modeling a different textile future. One that emphasizes quality, natural fibers, and local production. That helps build community and regional economies. That has a lighter touch on the Earth. Rebecca Burgess, founder and director of the Point Reyes-based nonprofit Fibershed, and Alisha Bright, creator and owner of the Petaluma-based workshop and yarn shop Fiber Circle Studio, join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal managing editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss what this future might look like. The post Envisioning an Alternative Fiber Future appeared first on KPFA.

Today's show is preempted by the second hour of a special 2-hour Democracy Now, broadcasting from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Audio for the first hour of Democracy Now can be found here. Information about the topics covered on today's Democracy Now plus the audio for the entire second hour can be found here.   The post Special Event Programming: Democracy Now at the DNC (hour 2 of 2-hour special) appeared first on KPFA.

August 16 Terra Verde The post August 16 Terra Verde appeared first on KPFA.

This week's Terra Verde episode lifts the hood on America's disaster recovery and climate resilience workforce. While these workers are the ones rebuilding our homes after hurricanes or harvesting food during extreme wildfires, they often face inordinate exploitation in these unstable and invisibilized sectors. Pressure to change industry standards is growing with support from organizations like North Bay Jobs with Justice and Resilience Force that are advocating for family-sustaining wages and safe working conditions.  Host and producer Hannah Wilton speaks with Max Alper, the Executive Director at North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ), a growing, grassroots coalition of more than 30 labor and community organizations in Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties. Just recently, NBJwJ linked arms with hundreds of farmworks and other allies in a march over Healdsburg Memorial Bridge to demand higher wages and disaster pay. Also joining is Josh Cox who runs Resilience Works, a for-profit national labor brokerage focused on climate change adaptation. That company is owned by Resilience Force, a national nonprofit working to strengthen America's resilience workforce – the millions of people across the country who help communities prepare for, respond to, and rebuild after disasters.  We discuss the importance of training and support for workers to transition into sustainable “green” jobs and the road ahead to building an equitable economy that honors the dignity and expertise of those who are essential to our recovery efforts.  The post The Frontlines of Climate Adaptation and Disaster Recovery appeared first on KPFA.

PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals known as “forever chemicals” (because they don't naturally break down). Exposure to these harmful chemicals — which are often found in clothing and textiles, cosmetics, food packaging, and even menstrual products — has been linked to a range of critical health problems.  While cleaning up environmental PFAS pollution has been a priority of the Biden administration, there has not been a significant federal strategy to regulate the chemicals' use in consumer goods. Meanwhile, the body of research about the chemicals used in menstrual hygiene products — and the impact they have on reproductive health — remains limited. On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod is joined by Alexa Friedman, PhD, and Kaley Beins, MPH, to discuss the health impacts of toxic chemicals found in menstrual products, and the need for increased awareness and regulation of PFAS and other harmful substances in consumer goods. Learn more: – Multiple metals detected in tampons, new study finds – New research: PFAS detected in some menstrual and incontinence products – EWG Tap Water Database – EWG Skin Deep Database – EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning The post Understanding the Forever Chemicals Found in Menstrual Products appeared first on KPFA.

Photo by AFGE/Wikimedia. Forty years ago, the Supreme Court established what would become a bedrock principle in administrative law. Known as Chevron deference, the principle required that courts defer to the expertise of federal agencies when interpreting any ambiguities in the laws they were tasked with implementing. In late June, six of the nine supreme court justices joined the majority opinion in a case overturning Chevron deference. Under the decision issued in Loper Bright Enterprises, the Court says it should be judges, not agency experts at, say, the Environmental Protection Agency, who should make the call when interpreting statutory ambiguities. It may seem mundane, but the decision represents a sea change for the United States regulatory system. And it could have far-reaching implications for everything from environmental protection, to food safety, to disability rights. David Doniger, Senior Advisor to the NRDC Action Fund, joins Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss the new legal landscape and what it means for efforts to protect the environment. The post Environmental Protection in a Post-Chevron World appeared first on KPFA.

Today's show is preempted by the second hour of Democracy Now, broadcasting from the RNC in Milwaukee. The first hour can be found here.   The post Special Event Programming: Democracy Now at the RNC appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – July 12, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

A weekly public affairs show that delivers news and views about the most important environmental issues in California and globally. The post Terra Verde – July 5, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Bioregional regeneration is a land stewardship approach focused on undoing past harms and reversing environmental degradation, while bringing back biodiversity and cultivating ecological resilience. Solar Punk Farms is a queer-led climate hub dedicated to bioregional regeneration in Guerneville, CA. Through a radically inclusive approach that incorporates science, art, and collaboration, the farm engages queer folks, youth, and local community members to create a more ecologically-minded society — while also creating a safe space designed for queer people to explore farming and cultivate a strong sense of identity in a rural, land-focused environment. Spencer Scott co-founded Solar Punk Farms with his husband, Nick Schwanz. On this episode, Spencer joins Terra Verde host Fiona McLeod to talk about the vision and philosophy behind the climate hub, and about their work to create resilient ecosystems and thriving, sustainable communities. The post Making Sustainable Living Practical (and Irresistible) appeared first on KPFA.

Photo courtesy of Tingey Injury Law Firm/Unsplash Energy Transfer – the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline or DAPL – is suing Greenpeace USA for $300 million, claiming that the environmental group and not the Standing Rock Suix Tribe, organized the resistance against DAPL at Standing Rock in 2016-17. The suit is another Big Oil strategy to shut down opposition to its climate-damaging activities. If successful, it could have far-reaching implications. The brains behind the lawsuit — the international law firm, Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher — has a long history of helping fossil fuel and other polluting industry silence their opponents. Earth Island Journal editor-in-chief Maureen Nandini Mitra and Terra Verde cohost talks with Emily Sanders, a reporter and investigator with Exxon Knews, and Haley Czarnek, National Director of Law Students for Climate Accountability, a  student-led organization, about big law firms that are part of an ecosystem of enablers helping fossil fuel companies to keep doing business as usual and the growing effort by activists to hold them accountable.     The post The Law Firms Propping Up Big Oil appeared first on KPFA.

California plans to rely in part on carbon capture and storage to meet its climate goals. Environmental groups say it won't work, and that the strategy will perpetuate environmental injustices. Photo of a oil and gas development in California by John Ciccarelli / BLM. Carbon capture and storage, often referred to by insiders as CCS, isn't exactly a new concept — the first carbon capture plan was proposed back in the 1930s. But recently, as the stark reality of the climate crisis has set in, interest in the idea has ticked up considerably, particularly among government and industry actors. Many frontline activists, environmental groups, and scientists say that's a problem, pointing to the ways in which carbon capture and storage throws a lifeline to the fossil fuel industry, perpetuates environmental injustices, and diverts attention and resources from true climate solutions. Maricruz Ramiriz, a Community Organizer with the Center on Race Poverty and the Environment in California's Central Valley, and Victoria Bogdan Tejeda, a Staff Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law program, join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss carbon capture and storage in California, and the ways in which its deployment could pose a risk to both people and planet. The post Digging into California's Carbon Capture Plans appeared first on KPFA.

Garbage “waste-to-energy” incineration has long been sold to the public as a technologically-advanced solution to the waste crisis and a source of renewable energy. In reality, incineration poses significant environmental, human health, and climate risks, while disproportionately impacting communities of color and low-income communities that already face high pollution burdens. Anti-incineration advocates also point to the high costs needed to keep this declining industry afloat in the U.S., siphoning public money away from more just and sustainable waste management solutions.  This week on Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton invites Denaya Shorter, Senior Director for the US and Canada Region of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), to discuss the anti-incineration movement and zero waste alternatives to burning. Denaya sheds light on the industry's connections to the plastic and petrochemical complex, the concept of “waste colonialism,” zero waste as a strategy rooted in justice, and the recent closure of California's second to last waste incinerator, representing a major win for grassroots community activists and environmental groups. The post Starving the Incinerators appeared first on KPFA.

In October, the Teesta III dam in Northeast India was destroyed when torrential rains caused an upstream glacial lake to overflow and burst. Indigenous activists in the region have protested against the Teesta III and other major hydropower projects for decades, warning of the catastrophic impacts that dams, railway tunnels, and industry activities have on the fragile and sacred ecosystem that is especially prone to seismic activity, landslides, and climate change-related events.  On this episode of Terra Verde, Mayalmit Lepcha and Minket Lepcha join host Fiona McLeod, to discuss how they have worked to protect their ancestral homelands in Sikkim and Darjeeling, and to advocate for indigenous communities most impacted by disasters like the Teesta III dam break. They share important insights about how the tragedy in Northeast India offers important lessons that decision-makers, community members, and individuals around the world can learn from.  To learn more about Minket Lepcha and her film, Voices of Teesta, click here: https://talkingrivers.org/minket-lepcha. To learn more about Mayalmit Lepcha and her work with Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) and International Rivers, click here: https://www.internationalrivers.org/news/women-river-defender-highlight-marmit-lepcha/ The post Voices of the River Teesta appeared first on KPFA.

This week's episode of Terre Verde is preempted by part 2 of a special edition of Professor Richard Wolff's Economic Update.   The post Special Spring Fund Drive Programming appeared first on KPFA.

This week's episode of Terre Verde is preempted by part 2 of a special edition of Professor Richard Wolff's Economic Update.   The post Special Spring Fund Drive Programming appeared first on KPFA.

This week's episode is preempted by part 2 of Professor Richard Wolff's Economic Update. Click here for part 1.   The post Special Spring Fund Drive Programming appeared first on KPFA.