Episodes

  • Youth Climate Activists Demand Accountability in the Face of LA Fires

    Youth Climate Activists Demand Accountability in the Face of LA Fires
    Jan 24 2025
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Bird Flu has Spread to Humans. How Worried Should We Be?

    Bird Flu has Spread to Humans. How Worried Should We Be?
    Jan 17 2025
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Tackling Whale Entanglements Along the California Coast

    Tackling Whale Entanglements Along the California Coast
    Jan 10 2025
    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.
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    30 mins
  • “Casas Capay Valley” Farmworker Housing Pilot

    “Casas Capay Valley” Farmworker Housing Pilot
    Jan 3 2025
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Terra Verde – December 27, 2024

    Terra Verde – December 27, 2024
    Dec 27 2024
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Remembrance as Resistance

    Remembrance as Resistance
    Dec 20 2024
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Terra Verde – November 29, 2024

    Terra Verde – November 29, 2024
    Nov 29 2024
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Eliminating Herbicides on UC Berkeley’s Campus

    Eliminating Herbicides on UC Berkeley’s Campus
    Nov 22 2024
    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.
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    30 mins