Episodes

  • Oil Imperialism is Worse than the Old Imperialism (In Some Ways)

    Oil Imperialism is Worse than the Old Imperialism (In Some Ways)
    Jan 17 2026
    We're still digesting the recent events in Venezuela. There is way too much to say not to do a second episode about it. Last week we argued this was straight up colonization. This week I'm challenging listeners a little bit by suggesting that because this new oil imperialism is so clear cut without pretext and without claiming any redeeming factors, this is easier to oppose than the older imperialist colonization was. Plus some of the legal complications that might ensue from how they've handled President Maduro so far.
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    28 mins
  • Straight-up Colonizing Venezuela

    Straight-up Colonizing Venezuela
    Jan 8 2026
    What's happening in Venezuela is colonization for oil. There's no secret agenda, they're not hiding it, it's what they say it is: an attempt at direct control of the largest reserve of oil in the world. It's backed up by a naval blockade and a threatened invasion. The Trump administration isn't saying this behind closed doors but right out in the open, on global television. This week's episode starts to take stock of this new world. We end with some ways to push back.
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    28 mins
  • Climate Disasters of August and September 2025

    Climate Disasters of August and September 2025
    Jan 4 2026
    This is the latest in our occasional series running down the climate disasters that are happening now, presently. We hope to convey the level of destruction and disruption that climate change is creating across the world right now. It's not a problem for the future or for our children or grandchildren. It's a problem for us. And it will only get worse from here if we keep on burning mass quantities of fossil fuels. [Aired October 2025]
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    28 mins
  • Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change

    Indigenous Perspectives on Climate Change
    Dec 13 2025
    With the help of Marina Rivera Ramos of Rutgers University, we explore indigenous perspectives that are relevant to climate change. The place-based collective continuance has lessons for how we might live differently from how we do. If we had based more of our society on these indigenous world views, we might have avoided climate change altogether, and maybe if we do going forward, we might reduce some of its worst effects.
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    56 mins
  • There Will Be No Global Collaboration on Climate Change

    There Will Be No Global Collaboration on Climate Change
    Dec 2 2025
    We analyze the train wreck that was COP30 and predict the train wreck that will be COP31. At COP30 the toilets didn't work, the venue flooded before it caught on fire, and nothing of substance was agreed. For COP31, they couldn't even agree on where it would take place. These are the United Nations-sponsored conferences that are supposed to be the main forum for addressing climate change. So what do we do when there is no global cooperation among governments for addressing climate change?
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    28 mins
  • Pre-Cop in Milan, Solidarity with Brazil

    Pre-Cop in Milan, Solidarity with Brazil
    Nov 22 2025
    This episode is in solidarity with the recent indigenous demonstrations at Cop30 in Brazil. Before there was the climate conference known as COP, there was Pre-COP, a negotiating meeting between second-tier delegates held in Milan, Italy. Extinction Rebellion made a protest, blocking traffic, creating a huge swooping bird installation, and going to jail. It caused at least a brief disruption of the conference. We interview one of the lead organizers, who joins us from Rome.
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    28 mins
  • COP 30 Has Already Failed and More Billions for Bill Gates

    COP 30 Has Already Failed and More Billions for Bill Gates
    Nov 16 2025
    COP30, the United Nations-sponsored global conference supposedly trying to address the climate crisis, has already failed to make progress. We explain in this episode how the flagship fund to protect the rainforest went splat, how the conference itself cut down part of the rainforest, and how no major country is even pretending to cut emissions. In the background is Bill Gates, changing his tune from climate alarmism to a type of climate denial. We show that he's doing this so he can make another hundred billion dollars from burning gas to power artificial intelligence.
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    28 mins
  • Burned by Billionaires: Wealth Concentration and the Climate with Chuck Collins

    Burned by Billionaires: Wealth Concentration and the Climate with Chuck Collins
    Nov 10 2025
    Chuck Collins has just released a new book this month, "Burned by Billionaires: How Wealth Concentrated Wealth and Power is Ruining Our Lives and Planet." As we discuss in this episode, there are three main ways billionaires are ruining things: first, enormous energy consumption by billionaires; second, pressing for fossil fuel-friendly policies; third, undermining the solidarity required for the collective sacrifice of emissions cuts.
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    55 mins