Christopher Nolan's movie Oppenheimer captured the imagination of the nation as it dramatized the super-secret Manhattan Project that was responsible for creating the first atomic bomb. But what about the legacy of radioactive waste that the US weapons Development Program left across the United States? According to victims whose diseases were caused by exposure to US weapons development programs, the movie's oversight of the project's toxic legacy was an insult. Now a bill in Congress may...

When the salmon numbers in the Klamath River dwindled, it wasn't just a loss of wildlife, it was a piece of Brook Thompson's heritage slipping away. Our latest episode of Breaking Green features Brook, a Yurok and Karuk Native American, water resource engineer, and PhD student, who unravels the deep ties between her tribe's culture and the river's salmon. Discover how she leverages her academic prowess and indigenous insight to fight against the environmental crises that threaten both her...

Terrible forest fires that are the result of eucalyptus plantations are becoming an increasing threat. Known as green deserts, these monoculture eucalyptus tree plantations are becoming more numerous as they are built to feed ever larger pulp and paper mills. They sapwater from the environment and destroy biodiversity. But there are those who are fighting the spread of this invasive species. On this episode of Breaking Green, we will talk with Joam Evans Pim. Pim is a commoner at the Froxan...

The American Chestnut Foundation has long supported a controversial plan to release genetically engineered chestnut trees into the wild.  The Tree was being developed by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF).  But now poor performance in field trials and the revelation that researchers had even been field testing the wrong tree prompted The American Chestnut Foundation to pull its support for the GE Tree. The American Chestnut Foundation...

On February 3rd 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals derailed. It was later set on fire in part to clear the tracks. Residents have reported illnesses that they believe are the result of exposure to the chemicals. Now complaints are growing that the government’s and EPA’s response has failed them. An independent testing expert who has been helping residents of East Palestine, Ohio better understand what they have been exposed to is being...

The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), was held from November 30 to December 12 2023 in Dubai.  Described by some as the "Blood Carbon COP", COP 28 paved the way for a massive expansion of carbon credits. The carbon credit market is disastrous for Indigenous Peoples and represents a major new way for governments, corporations and conservation NGOs to profit from the theft of Indigenous lands. On this episode of Breaking Green we will talk with Fiore Longo of Survival...

Soon the attention of many environmentalists will be focused on the most recent UN Climate Conference in Dubai. But this in the 28th such conference and the climate crisis continues to worsen. What if Climate Collapse is inevitable? In this episode of Breaking Green we will talk with long-time global and climate justice activist Dr. Tadzio Mueller. Dr. Mueller is a political scientist and activist who runs the blog Peaceful Sabotage. He believes that there is no longer the possiblitly to...

The Pruitt Igoe housing complex in St. Louis that was built in the 1950s and infamously demolished in the 1970s has been touted by many as a cautionary tale against public housing projects. But its history is complex. In 2012 it was reported that Pruitt Igoe was in a region targeted by the Military for secret tests that were part of a radiological weapons development program. According to government documents obtained by sociologist and researcher Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor, the Army referred to...

New Zealand is a GE Free zone were all produce grown in New Zealand can be guaranteed GE Free.   Companies are allowed to do research with Genetically Modified Organisms but according to current New Zealand law such organisms must be proven safe before they are allowed for use for farming.  Yet as New Zealand heads into its 2023 election, several national political parties' are threatening New Zealand's GE Free status by suggesting the revocation of its precautionary legislation.  In this...

Marginalized communities are frequently targeted for the placement of toxic projects. Protest and community organizing has been an indispensable strategy in seeking environmental justice and fighting for those living in minority, poor and indigenous communities. But now, so-called critical infrastructure laws are springing up around the United States in what appears to be a coordinated effort by corporate interests to muzzle protest. These laws seek to criminalize dissent and characterize...

Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon rainforest is a well-known threat to the world's environment, but the loss of natural biodiversity to so-called "green deserts" resulting from expanding non-native eucalyptus plantations for pulp and paper production, is a lesser known ecological and social disaster that is likely to worsen if genetically engineered trees are used. Spearheaded by Global Justice Ecology Project, the Campaign to STOP GE Trees brought together members from the United States,...

On February 23, a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, causing an environmental disaster of historic proportions. It was a Norfolk Southern train, which was over a mile long and carrying hazardous materials, including over 100,000 gallons of vinyl chloride. Three days later, a so called control to burn through toxic materials from the crash into the atmosphere that continues to affect communities for miles around. Since the derailment, many in East Palestine and neighboring communities...

Ahead of a meeting of African Union Heads of States in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, numerous civil society organizations called on the African Union not to Geoengineer the African Continent. The organizations noted that geoengineering is a false techno-fix that can only provide an excuse for the Global North to continue relying on fossil-fuel based energy generation in light of the ongoing climate emergency. The organizations stated that  advancing geoengineering technologies distracts countries...

It is 90 seconds to midnight on the Doomsday Clock. In large part due to developments in the war in Ukraine, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists  moved the hands of the infamous timepiece forward. Just weeks earlier the Department of Energy announced the first reported controlled fusion reaction that was touted as a breakthrough for national defense and the future of clean energy. Given the history of The Lawrence Livermore lab that conducted the experiment, there is reason for...

In December 2022, at the 15th Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, 188 countries adopted a new Global Biodiversity Framework to supposedly create strategies to halt biodiversity loss. The framework has been touted as a sweeping agreement to protect biodiversity by turning 30 percent of the planet’s land and oceans into protected areas by 2030. While the agreement mentions partnerships with indigenous peoples, however, numerous environmental and...

Founded in 2003, Global Justice Ecology Project believes in the fundamental equality of all peoples and the intrinsic value of the natural world. Global Justice ecology project's mission is to identify, expose and address the intertwined root causes of social injustice, ecological destruction, and economic domination. In this episode of Breaking green, we will talk with Anne Petermann, co founder of  Global Justice Ecology Project about the organization's unique mission. We will also discuss...

For decades, the Forest Stewardship Council also known as the FSC has had a core policy of prohibiting the commercial use of genetically engineered or genetically modified trees in its certification program. But that ban is currently under threat as commercial interests push for a plan that would have the FSC overseeing test plots of GE trees in what has euphemistically been called a learning project. Currently the US government is also considering allowing the release of genetically...

As oil dependent nations seek to shore up their supply while the war between Russia and Ukraine rages, some African Nations seem eager to provide more access to fossil fuels. This was evidenced during the September minister’s meeting in Egypt, when representatives from various African nations called on world leaders to “avoid approaches that encourage abrupt disinvestments from fossil fuels.” But many in Africa have been fighting for justice in the face of abuses by companies that damage the...

In an upcoming interview on Breaking Green, renowned Nigerian author, scholar and activist Nnimmo Bassey winner of the 2010 Right Livelihood Award, denounces the  upcoming UN Climate Summit: COP 27 in Egypt for being a "rigged process that operates in a colonial manner." Don't miss this episode and subscribe to Breaking Green wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is produced by Global Justice Ecology Project. Listen to previous Breaking Green episodes critiquing false solutions to...

During the cold war, the united states military conducted covert weapons development testing in what the Army identified as a "densely populated slum district". The spraying of zinc cadmium sulfide along with what evidence suggests was a radiative substance centered on a region that included the Pruitt Igoe housing complex. The film Target St. Louis, which has won the Urban World Best Documentary award in New York was directed by actor and film maker Damien D. Smith. On this episode of...

Carbon capture and storage is often thought of as a new technology to help fight climate change. But it has been around for fifty years and was first developed by gas companies and used to enhance oil recovery from depleted fields.  Today, tax credits are being offered to subsidize the technology as a response to global warming. A September 1st story in The Guardian  highlighted a report by the Institute for Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis on Carbon Capture technology.  The report...

The inflation Reduction Act is being heralded by many environmental groups as a major victory in the fight against global warming. But the bill has provoked criticism that it funds harmful false solutions and that environmental justice organizations, communities that they represent, and their concerns were ignored as the $360 billion deal was made. In this episode of Breaking green, we will talk with Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright. Anthony publicly resigned from the board of Evergreen...

With the catastrophic failures at Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power has been the cause of some the worst environmental disasters in history. But, the realities of global warming have created an opportunity for this flagging industry to attempt a comeback by rebranding as a green alternative to fossil fuels. This rebranding concerns those who have worked to reign in the troubled nuclear industry for decades as they now face one of the most ambitious examples of disaster capitalism that...

Shawnee Showdown, a film by Cade Bursell, was screened at the Yale Environmental film festival earlier this year. It documents the colorful and successful protests to prevent logging in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois during the late 1980s and early 1990s.  The protests along with legal efforts were successful in winning a 17 year moratorium on logging. Now, activists are working to make the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, the first climate preserve in the...