Kollibri's Weekly Column

About Kollibri's Weekly Column

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume is a writer, photographer, tree hugger, animal lover and dissident, who blogs regularly at Macska Moksha Press. Topics include ecology, politics, media, agriculture, wildtending, indigenous issues, sexuality and consciousness.

Publisher

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume

Category

news · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Apr 2020

Latest episode

7 Aug 2020

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Aug 2020

   Thinking Outside the Social Media Echo Chamber (8/5/20)

   Thinking Outside the Social Media Echo Chamber Social media algorithms serve us up with what we like to see because the more we scroll, the more data they can harvest, and selling that data is their business model. Lately, it’s been popular to refer to the increasingly narrow worldview that we receive this way as an “echo chamber.” Commentators have been warning that both ignorance and polarization are the result, and that we need to take deliberate steps to avoid being boxed in and judgmental. Agreed. One suggested remedy I saw recently is to keep people with “completely opposite political views” on your newsfeed, in part because this will remind you that people who believe those things are human too. That’s fine as far it goes, but let’s go further. I propose that the key word is not “opposite” but “outside.” Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

2. 

   7 Aug 2020

   Centering the Earth (7/29/20)

   Centering the Earth If we follow trends set by the George Floyd protests, eventually we will end up focusing primarily on the environment. Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

3. 

   7 Aug 2020

   This Is What Collapse Looks Like (7/22/20)

   This Is What Collapse Looks Like It’s time to normalize the word, “collapse,” to describe the ongoing conditions in the US. Some would counter it’s well past time—and I won’t argue with that—but I’d say we can no longer credibly claim that it’s too early to make this call. “Decline” has been happening for decades at this point, as manifested in trends such as increasing class inequality, decreasing wages (as relative to inflation), higher infant mortality, lower life expectancy, a disintegrating social safety net, explosive growth of the prison-industrial complex, deteriorating educational system, etc. More and more people have been feeling the squeeze in their efforts to get by, even if establishment voices make claims to the contrary about “recovery.” But “collapse” is more than “decline.” It’s when the system has lost enough integrity that it’s gone beyond the point of no return. With the multiple levels of disruption that have accompanied the COVID pandemic, we have passed that point. RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP: https://macskamoksha.com/ (https://macskamoksha.com/) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

4. 

   5 Jun 2020

   Hey White People: We’ve Got to Stop Claiming We’re Not Racist (1/2/18)

   Hey White People: We’ve Got to Stop Claiming We’re Not Racist One from the vaults: January 2018 I am White person born and residing in the USA. These words are addressed to other White people here. If I focus particularly on liberals, that’s because much of my adult life was spent in the Democratic bastions of Minneapolis, Boston, and Portland (Oregon). One thing that People of Color have been telling us for years is that White Supremacy is something we Whites need to deal with. There is work to do on ourselves that only we can do. They’re right. It is in this spirit that I am speaking today, “between us.” First of all, we can neither deny the existence of White Supremacy nor avoid its consequences. The US as a nation has been a project of White Supremacy from its very inception. The idea that Whites are superior to everyone else has been a constant. You’ve got to believe you’re superior to justify slaughtering the original non-white inhabitants of this continent to steal their land. You’ve got to believe you’re superior to justify capturing non-white people from still another continent and enslaving them here to make yourself rich. You’ve got to believe you’re superior to justify incinerating two cities full of non-white people with nuclear bombs to assert your global dominance. Last but not least, you’ve got to believe you’re superior to insist all this is in the past and doesn’t matter now. RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG: Weekly essays, plus photography & more https://www.macskamoksha.com (https://www.macskamoksha.com) FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume (https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/ (https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/) TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kollibri1969 (https://twitter.com/kollibri1969) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

5. 

   5 Jun 2020

   Trying to Go Deep on Social Media is Like Trying to Dig a Hole from a Moving Vehicle (6/3/20)

   Trying to Go Deep on Social Media is Like Trying to Dig a Hole from a Moving Vehicle (6/3/20) What’s happening at all the George Floyd protests around the country? How many people are showing up? What are the demographics? How many cops are there? Which community organizations are involved? Are local elected officials helping or hurting? Who really broke that window or set that fire? What about these reports of incitement by white supremacists? Mainstream media doesn’t answer all these questions. They frame everything so narrowly, with an inevitable pro-establishment bias, even when their own reporters are mistreated. Trying to sift out the facts from the spin is a challenge, especially if the media you’re reading is local to someplace you’ve never been. You never know what they’re leaving out. But what about social media? People are posting all sorts of pictures and videos and rants! Yes, they are. However, wading through all of the posts, status updates and tweets trying to find the Who, What, When, Where and Why is not only time-consuming and frustrating but rarely effective for assembling a picture that’s anything like complete. RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG: Weekly essays, plus photography & more https://www.macskamoksha.com (https://www.macskamoksha.com) FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume (https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/ (https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/) TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kollibri1969 (https://twitter.com/kollibri1969) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

6. 

   5 Jun 2020

   What is a “Native” Plant in a Changing World? (05/27/20)

   What is a “Native” Plant in a Changing World? (05/27/20) Beyond Valorizing & Villainizing The term “native plant” has become a common one, and many people probably assume that the definition is clear cut. However, like many other seemingly simple designations, that’s not the case. Whether a given plant is considered “native” where it is found growing is dependent on the interpretation of the interrelation of three factors: time, place and human involvement. So, in the United States, a plant is generally considered native only if it grew here before European colonization. On the East Coast, that’s the 1500s and in California, that’s 1769. Plants introduced since then, whether deliberately or by accident, are labeled “non-native,” “introduced,” “exotic,” or in some cases, “invasive.” Historically, plant ranges have always been in flux, often in response to climatic shifts. Fossils and phylogenetics are two things that can show us where plants used to live and where they came from. Such information, though, raises questions even as it illuminates. RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG: Weekly essays, plus photography & more https://www.macskamoksha.com (https://www.macskamoksha.com) FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume (https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/ (https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/) TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kollibri1969 (https://twitter.com/kollibri1969) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

7. 

   21 May 2020

   The Proliferation of Conspiracy Theories & the Crisis of Science (5/20/20)

   The Proliferation of Conspiracy Theories & the Crisis of Science (5/20/20) We’re all familiar with what a “conspiracy theory” is: a narrative of social control in which shadowy groups are secretly rigging events to increase their own power and profit. An apt personification is “the man behind the curtain” in “The Wizard of Oz.” Of course, there actually are groups attempting to rig events to their own enrichment, such as criminal rackets, political parties and corporations, but conspiracy theories go beyond this simple reality of economics and politics; the actors they describe are virtually god-like in their omniscience and omnipotence: to wit, any and every happenstance is interpreted not only in terms of how it benefits these actors, but—here’s the kicker—how that benefit proves that these forces planned and executed the events in question. At this point, the tales becomes tall indeed, and all logic goes out the window. “Cui bono?“—a Latin phrase usually translated as “Who benefits?”—is the bread-and-butter of conspiracy theorizing. And as a starting point for understanding motivations and relationships in a profit-driven society, it’s certainly useful, but it only takes you so far. I would draw the distinction between “opportunism” and “orchestration.” Original Blog Post, with lots of links: https://macskamoksha.com/2020/05/covid-19-conspiracy-theories-the-crisis-of-science (https://macskamoksha.com/2020/05/covid-19-conspiracy-theories-the-crisis-of-science) RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG: Weekly essays, plus photography & more https://www.macskamoksha.com (https://www.macskamoksha.com) FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume (https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/ (https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/) TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kollibri1969 (https://twitter.com/kollibri1969) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

8. 

   6 May 2020

   Slaughter of the Innocents: COVID-19 & the Future of Agriculture (5/6/20)

   Slaughter of the Innocents: COVID-19 & the Future of Agriculture Agriculture was at the heart of the settler colonialism: The land was seized for farming and the people were kidnapped to work the fields. From brutal beginnings, the situation has only worsened, especially in the last few decades. Small-scale, family-farming à la Old MacDonald is the stuff of myth at this point, with precious few exceptions. Pesticide use is up, ground-water levels are down, top soil is blowing away, wildlife biodiversity is shrinking, and human workers are abused. This cruelty and waste has been “normal” up until now. But it just got worse with the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest heinous act has been the “depopulating” of farm animals, a rather colorless euphemism for killing them and disposing of the bodies without processing them for food. RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com (https://radiofreesunroot.com) KOLLIBRI'S BLOG: Weekly essays, plus photography & more https://www.macskamoksha.com (https://www.macskamoksha.com) FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume (https://www.facebook.com/kollibri.terre.sonnenblume) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/ (https://www.instagram.com/kollibri1969/) TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kollibri1969 (https://twitter.com/kollibri1969) KOLLIBRI'S PATREON: Get access to members-only content https://www.patreon.com/kollibri (https://www.patreon.com/kollibri) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

9. 

   17 Apr 2020

   Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving (2/24/20)

   Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving What if every social media post about “Russia!” had instead focused on climate change? Or the opening of public lands to resource extraction? Or the gutting of the National Environmental Policy Act? Most people probably don’t even know what that last one is, which is sad. These are issues of immense importance, but they’ve gotten totally short shrift. And this is where it’s not just about the DNC and their corporate media stooges: it’s about all the people who fell for it and helped spread it around; the people who were not merely gullible, but who were eager to lap up whatever they were served and spit it out again on command; the people for whom “America” was already “great” and who were shocked by Trump’s popularity. I wasn’t shocked. I’m from Nebraska, and though I was as surprised as anyone that Trump squeaked through on election night, I was not mystified about his appeal. I didn’t need a fairy tale to explain his following. Watching him give his victory speech, I was like, “Yep, I know that guy, and I know the people who like him, and I see why they do.” (I got out of Nebraska as soon as I could!) But liberal urbanites don’t get that, and they needed an explanation of how His Deplorableness could possibly have won. Hence the psychological attractiveness of the Russiagate narrative: it claimed that the force that propelled him to victory was not “American”; it came from outside. The nation’s deeply ingrained, widespread racism and patriarchy—of which Trump was merely an expression—could be papered over. “We’re better than this,” people could reassure themselves. Yeah, you wish. A teachable moment came and went. An opportunity for self-examination was passed over. A mirror was held up, but the gaze was quickly averted. That Trump is as “American” as apple pie was too much to consider. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2020/02/russiagate-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving (https://macskamoksha.com/2020/02/russiagate-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com). Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Kollibri's Weekly Column.

10. 

    17 Apr 2020

    We All Need to Be Tree Huggers Now (1/14/20)

    We All Need to Be Tree Huggers Now The current custom is that any tree can be cut down for any reason, with exceptions made to save particular ones, here and there, every once in a while. This should be reversed. Instead, it must be forbidden to cut down any tree at all, ever, with exceptions made only for clearly demonstrated need. Need shall be defined most narrowly, not as it currently is, comprised mostly of luxuries. The following would no longer be considered legitimate reasons to cut trees: agriculture, ranching, furniture, paper, toilet paper, housing and fuel. Agriculture takes up a far, far bigger footprint than it needs to. We have empty buildings and lots of old chairs and tables. Paper can be made from hemp and toilet paper can be made from bamboo, or replaced with cloth, or we do as is done in India. Those who need fire to cook and keep warm would have to be provided for in some other way, as a social subsidy. Of course all of this is in the context of dramatically rejiggering our society so we are using much much much less of everything, not just wood, but I’ll try to stay on subject. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2020/01/we-all-need-to-be-tree-huggers (https://macskamoksha.com/2020/01/we-all-need-to-be-tree-huggers) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

11. 

    17 Apr 2020

    US belligerence against Iran: “This is What Empires Do” (1/7/20)

    US belligerence against Iran: “This is What Empires Do” I follow Forrest Palmer on social media and when he posted this on Sunday, it totally struck a chord with me: “I am so cynical now, my only response to the Iran debacle is “Spare me the fake fucking outrage, this is what empires do…”” For real. It’s an unsentimental view expressed with little concern for decorum, and it also happens to be true. “Well said,” in other words. This is, indeed, what empires do, and the USA is an empire by any honest definition of the term. Our very existence in North America is an imperial occupation. These lands were violently seized by committing genocide against the original inhabitants, and then shunting most of the survivors into prisoner-of-war camps called “reservations.” This was our original sin. Like other empires throughout history, we enslaved other humans in order to generate wealth. This was our second founding travesty. It has changed forms over the years but never actually ended, and nowadays is ensconced as the incarceration industry. From the beginning of the US, power has been concentrated among a small oligarchic ruling class who are hostile to democratic ideals, though they like to talk them up in principle. As Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz has pointed out, Trump is not the first real estate mogul to be president. That would be George Washington, who built his wealth by selling real estate stolen from the Indians. It’s been a dirty business since Day One. But our mythology is strong. We are an exceptional nation, a “shining city on a hill,” who everyone else imitates, but nobody else can approach. We are the peak of human history so far, and everything before us was prelude. We can do no wrong. That’s empire, alright: bloated, brazen and full of bullshit. Original post on Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2020/01/this-is-what-empires-do (https://macskamoksha.com/2020/01/this-is-what-empires-do) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

12. 

    17 Apr 2020

    It’s Not Capitalism that’s Driving Ecocide; it’s Civilization (12/21/19)

    It’s Not Capitalism that’s Driving Ecocide; it’s Civilization The fact that human beings are causing great damage to life on the planet is not up for debate. Even if one doesn’t buy anthropogenic climate change, it’s all too clear that we’re making a big mess with pesticides, air pollution, plastic in the oceans, nuclear waste, genetic modification, top soil loss, aquifer depletion, urban sprawl, wildlife extinctions, and more. There’s a word for our collective behavior: ecocide. We live under the reign of capitalism, so it’s easy to pin the blame there. Some have gone so far as to describe climate change as “capitalogenic” as opposed to “anthropogenic” or to suggest renaming the “Anthropocene” era as the “Capitalocene.” But though the evils of capitalism are truly terrible, the original and underlying perpetrator of ecocide is civilization, which predates capitalism by millennia. Whereas capitalism goes back to the 16th century (give or take), civilization arose with the ramping up of the agricultural revolution, 8,000-10,000 years ago. One could say that yes, capitalism is indeed problematic but it isn’t the problem. Why does the distinction matter? Because things are degrading fast, at an apparently increasing rate and we don’t have time to waste on solutions that won’t work. We must focus on primary causes to the greatest degree we can. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/not-capitalism (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/not-capitalism) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

13. 

    17 Apr 2020

    The Absurdity of “Online Community” (12/19/19)

    The Absurdity of “Online Community” We are elements somehow animated by the energy of life on a piece of dirt between deep waters and high clouds and… we are not alone. Though we might not be conscious of it, as material beings we are in constant intimate connection with a vast network of animals, plants, fungus, bacteria and who knows what else, experiencing all of it together in a dynamic equilibrium. The computer conveys almost nothing of that. Nearly every detail of an online interaction is filled in by our imaginations. Additionally, the raw materials for our imaginations are increasingly sourced online, so we have a virtual world instructing us how to make a virtual world. It’s mostly—like way mostly, not just a little bit mostly—in our heads. In terms of the physical, the online “world” is a flight of fancy. Original post on Macksa Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/the-absurdity-of-online-community (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/the-absurdity-of-online-community) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

14. 

    17 Apr 2020

    How Blaming Nader in 2000 Paved the Way for Today’s Neo-Fascism (12/9/19)

    How Blaming Nader in 2000 Paved the Way for Today’s Neo-Fascism Even though it was a myth, the “spoiler” story was severely damaging to our society: it brushed aside the fact that a national election had just been stolen in broad daylight by a right-wing cabal, which paved the way for more of the same. At the time, I remember feeling deep dread. “If they get away with this,” I wondered to myself, “what will they get away with next?” That turned out to be a new global war, frightful attacks on civil liberties, further dismantling of the social safety net, worsening income inequality, and the stripping of even more environmental protections, among other crimes against people and planet. Virtually all of this was pushed through with bipartisan consensus. The Democrats of today are where the Republicans were in the ’90s except on a handful of social issues, and the Republicans have staked out new territory even further to the right. We’re at the threshold of fascism, and the current occupant of the White House is merely the next logical step in this perverse process, not the aberration he is made out to be. The falsehood that Nader “spoiled” the 2000 election played no small part in this rightward degeneration of US politics. It was the foundation for a fallacious narrative façade that’s since been constructed from innumerable other deceptions. Insidiously, it also served as a way of demonizing left-of-liberal political ideals by associating them with a manufactured villain. Original post on Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/rightward-lurch (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/12/rightward-lurch) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

15. 

    17 Apr 2020

    Coups-for-Green-Energy added to Wars-For-Oil (11/13/19)

    Coups-for-Green-Energy added to Wars-For-Oil The US-supported right-wing coup against Bolivian President Evo Morales on November 10th was a serious strike against that nation’s autonomy and its people (especially its indigenous, of whom Morales was one). Such meddling has defined US foreign policy in Latin America for nearly two centuries, since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. “Same song, different verse,” one could say, and that’s true, but each verse has different lyrics and this one features a new element (no pun intended): Lithium. While Lithium is used as an ingredient in a wide variety of products such as pharmaceuticals, industrial lubricants, desiccants, lenses and even rocket propellants, the fastest growing application is for batteries for electric cars. According to Bloomberg, demand for lithium could “double by 2025.” Bolivia’s lithium reserves are believed to be the largest in the world. A conservative estimate puts their share at nearly a quarter of the world’s total, though the government has claimed it to be as high as 70% [Lithium Today]. Regardless of the exact amount, Bolivia’s supply is globally recognized to be significant, enough to have attracted the attention of China and Germany, among other countries. Obviously, US interests in Bolivia are not about democracy, freedom or the rule of law, as Trump disingenuously stated. They’re not solely about lithium either; the socialist politics of Morales are anathema to capitalist elites the world over. Similarly, Iraq was not solely about oil. But with lithium, we’re talking about a substance that could become “one of the most important commodities on earth” so yes, it has some bearing. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/11/coups-for-green-energy (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/11/coups-for-green-energy) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

16. 

    17 Apr 2020

    We Should Stop Insulting Animals and Own Our Own Humanity (8/5/19)

    We Should Stop Insulting Animals and Own Our Own Humanity The English language contains hundreds of idioms that mention animals: ants in your pants, bull in a china shop, clam up, fish out of water, free as a bird, the lion’s den, like a moth to a flame, playing possum, quick as a bunny, squirrel away, stir up the hornet nest, strong as an ox, and many many more. These examples are innocuous, but many evocations of animals are not, and that’s my focus here. Talking politics often includes unfavorable characterizations of one’s adversaries and using animals to insult humans is very common in this context, both online and IRL. But this is neither fair nor accurate, and I often find myself tacking on a comment to that effect, such as: “Describing Republicans as rats is insulting to rats” or “Calling cops pigs slanders pigs.” People are not sheep. Cops are not pigs. Generals are not hawks. They are all humans. Original essay on Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/08/we-should-stop-insulting-animals-and-own-our-own-humanity (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/08/we-should-stop-insulting-animals-and-own-our-own-humanity) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

17. 

    17 Apr 2020

    Can Our Veggie Gardens Feed us in a Real Crisis? (7/14/19)

    Can Our Veggie Gardens Feed us in a Real Crisis? Massive flooding and heavier than normal precipitation across the US Midwest this year [2019] delayed or entirely prevented the planting of many crops. The situation was sufficiently widespread that it was visible from space. The trouble isn’t over yet: Hotter-than-normal temperatures predicted to follow could adversely affect corn pollination. Projections of lower yields have already stimulated higher prices in UN grain indexes and US ethanol. Additionally, the USDA is expecting harvests to be of inferior quality. Furthermore, the effects of this year could bleed into 2020; late planting leads to late harvesting which delays fall tilling, potentially until next spring, when who knows what Mother Nature will deliver. Accuweather’s characterization of this as a “one-of-a-kind growing season” is literally true only in terms of its exact circumstances (given increasingly chaotic events) but not in its intensity (which will surely be exceeded). Prudence would dictate that we heed this year’s events as a warning and get serious about making preparations for worse years. Literal cycles of “feast or famine” have marked agriculture since its birth and sooner or later we will experience significant shortages here in the US, if not from the weather, than from war or lack of resources. The Midwest floods and their possible repercussions for the food supply got some attention in the news (though not enough). One of the most common suggestions I saw on social media was: “Plant a garden!” If only it were that simple. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/07/our-veggie-gardens-wont-feed-us-in-a-crisis (https://macskamoksha.com/2019/07/our-veggie-gardens-wont-feed-us-in-a-crisis) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

18. 

    17 Apr 2020

    The Ugly Patriarchal Truth: In the US, Most Men Simply Don’t Like Women (1/9/18)

    The Ugly Patriarchal Truth: In the US, Most Men Simply Don’t Like Women Sexual abuse and harassment have been getting some overdue attention lately from the online #MeToo movement and with the IRL exposures of high profile perpetrators in Hollywood and DC. Also contributing to increasing awareness for the past year has been the presence in the Oval Office of a verifiable rake. The fact that more men are now questioning their own behavior is a good thing. It’s only a start but it’s requisite for social progress. We’ll see how far it goes. We are just scratching the surface, considering the depth and breadth of sexism in our culture. At the basic, person-to-person level, we face a tremendous challenge in the US: Most men simply don’t like women. By “like” I mean genuinely appreciate, respect and value as another human being of equal worth. This bears immediate repeating: Most men don’t appreciate, respect or value women as human beings. Take a moment to let that sink in. Original post at Macska Moksha Press: https://macskamoksha.com/2018/01/men-simply-dont-like-women (https://macskamoksha.com/2018/01/men-simply-dont-like-women) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

19. 

    17 Apr 2020

    Only Revolution Can Mitigate Climate Change (8/27/15)

    Only Revolution Can Mitigate Climate Change Fred Hampton, the assassinated Black Panther, once famously said: “School is not important and work is not important. Nothing’s more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.” That quotation has been running through my mind lately as I have been reading news about Climate Change. Replace “fascism” with “Climate Change” and you have a spot-on description of the state of the world today. Things have gotten that dire. Before you accuse me of misappropriating Hampton, let me point out that Climate Change is fascism: fascism made manifest ecologically at the global scale. And actually, I would expand Hampton’s scope so that “us” includes all the non-human life on earth, its ecosystems, and even the soil beneath our feet. The amazing web of life — made up of “all our relations” as the Native Americans put it — is the “us” that fascism-induced Climate Change is stopping. This is not a “doom and gloom” essay. Instead, I will picture what meaningful action would look like. Original essay at Macska Moksha Press, with links: https://macskamoksha.com/2015/08/revolution-can-mitigate-climate-change (https://macskamoksha.com/2015/08/revolution-can-mitigate-climate-change) Support Kollibri's Weekly Column by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column (https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/kollibris-weekly-column) This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).

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