by Emilia Leese
A podcast bringing you thought provoking deep dives across a wide variety of subjects related to veganism. The host is Emilia Leese, co-author of the book, Think Like a Vegan Each episode is a mini talk by a guest or the hose about a single topic relating to veganism, which might not be the focus of an everyday conversation. These short talks and guests will inspire and educate, expanding the conversation around veganism. And all is premised on veganism being part of basic fairness
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/19/2022
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June 1, 2026
<p>In this powerful season finale, I bring our exploration of nature, politics, and animal liberation to a profound conclusion by looking to the forest as a model for a just society.</p><p><br></p><p>Gregory Tague, a scholar with over two decades of work in environmental and animal ethics, introduces a radical idea: the forest is a sovereign state. It operates not with a single dominant power, but through a complex web of mutual obligations, where inhabitants respect boundaries and avoid confrontation for the collective advantage of all.</p><p><br></p><p>We dive into a key excerpt from Tague’s book, Forest Sovereignty, which argues that forest organisms understand something we humans have forgotten: true association isn't about transactional exchanges, but about the net result of sustainability for the entire ecosystem. In this "liberal society" of the forest, stability comes from the diversity of its organisms, all with a free right to resources.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode is a call to action. Reflecting on the entire season, we're reminded our struggle for a fairer world has deep roots, and that change, while slow, is possible. The season is retroactively dedicated to all those — vegans, activists, and thinkers — who are pushing boundaries and striving for the liberation of both humans and non-humans.</p><p><br></p><p>This is a fitting end to a season challenging us to learn from the ancient, self-sustaining wisdom of the forest and to continue the long, necessary work of building a new, more just existence for all.</p><p><br></p><p>Key Takeaways:</p><p><br></p><p>Forests as a model for a sustainable, self-governing society.</p><p>The concept of "associative duties" we hold towards all wild life.</p><p>A powerful message of solidarity for those fighting for liberation.</p><p>A compelling conclusion to a season-long discussion on nature and politics.</p><p><br></p><p>Listen to the full episode to hear this inspiring conversation and conclude the season with a renewed sense of purpose.</p><p><br></p><p>Website/Socials & Books</p><p>Gregory F. Tague</p><p>Website: https://sites.google.com/site/gftague/</p><p>Book: Forest Sovereignty: Wildlife sustainability and ethics (Peter Lang 2025)</p><p><br></p><p>Other links</p><p>"Sovereign Forests" https://theecologist.org/2025/oct/10/sovereign-forests</p><p>Literary Veganism: An online journal https://www.litvegan.net</p><p><br></p><p>Emi Leese</p><p>https://emilialeese.substack.com</p><p>http://thinklikeavegan.com</p><p>http://emilialeese.com</p><p>Instagram @emi.leese</p><p>YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thinklikeavegan/videos</p><p><br></p><p>Credits</p><p>Host: Emilia A. Leese</p><p>Guest: Gregory F. Tague</p><p>Production & Engineering: Jim Moore of Bloody Vegans Productions; https://www.bloodyvegansproductions.com</p><p>Graphics: Catherine Dorrell https://www.messyvegancook.com</p><p><br></p><p>Music</p><p>Opening theme: “Flashbacks” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business</p><p>Interlude: "Ōuda Afternoon I" music by Matthew Gerstenberger, voice by Chiyako</p><p>Closing theme: “Tear Things Up” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business</p><p><br></p><p>This podcast is part of iROAR, the Animals Podcasting Network https://iroarpod.com</p>
May 1, 2026
<p>Join me for a provocative conversation with brothers Vasile and James Stănescu as we deconstruct the common yet charged concept of "invasive species." Moving beyond a simplified view of nature, we explore how the rhetoric of "invasion ecology" creates a violent foundation justifying perpetual war against certain animals.</p><p><br></p><p>Drawing from their contributions to the critical book, The Ethics and Rhetoric of Invasion Ecology, James and Vasile unpack the real-world consequences of this ideology. Vasile illustrates the cyclical failure of "management," where killing one species leads to an explosion in another, forcing us to ask: why must nature be violated in order to protect it? James, one of the book's editors, examines the militarized language and apocalyptic tone used to describe non-native species, which in turn dictates a response of total eradication—a hyperbolic reaction to hyperbolic communication.</p><p><br></p><p>This episode challenges the sanitized ideal of a pristine wilderness and delves into the ethical costs of this worldview for both human and non-human animals. Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of language, ecology, and animal liberation.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Website/Socials & Books</strong>:</p><p>Vasile Stǎnescu</p><p>Website: How we win <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.winforanimals.org/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146349&usg=AOvVaw1lxq_o8mUm-3woPKZGf4jG"><u>https://www.winforanimals.org</u></a> </p><p>Podcast: How we win <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.winforanimals.org/how-we-win-podcast&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146417&usg=AOvVaw36IP8ppzFKshO2ti7WWBGd"><u>https://www.winforanimals.org/how-we-win-podcast</u></a> </p><p>Instagram: @professional.vegan </p><p>Article: "How Industrial Slaughter Became the Blueprint for Modern Capitalism" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-industrial-slaughter-became-the-blueprint-for-modern-capitalism&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146473&usg=AOvVaw0rNn9KmPvl7vvGrx_XUcOE"><u>https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/how-industrial-slaughter-became-the-blueprint-for-modern-capitalism</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>James Stǎnescu</p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.criticalanimal.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146520&usg=AOvVaw2AfUz5xz9ukVu2VQiRoFho"><u>https://www.criticalanimal.com</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Book: The Ethics and Rhetoric of Invasion Ecology (Lexington Books, 2017)</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Other links</strong></p><p>Banu Subramanian, "The Aliens Have Landed! Reflections on the Rhetoric of Biological Invasions" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40338794&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146629&usg=AOvVaw1g6gU-MmJg_5AR18XGWf1O"><u>https://www.jstor.org/stable/40338794</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Emi Leese</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://emilialeese.substack.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146693&usg=AOvVaw01lB4ceIJSRfRPQfJR1K4_">https://emilialeese.substack.com</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://thinklikeavegan.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146734&usg=AOvVaw2MS_1vAXmvM_1kxqbwYwJU">http://thinklikeavegan.com</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://emilialeese.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146775&usg=AOvVaw0ZYVeWa76XV8J0xfJ9191N">http://emilialeese.com</a> </p><p>Instagram @emi.leese </p><p>YouTube <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/@thinklikeavegan/videos&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146816&usg=AOvVaw20kMgFY_CWxkvtPqPxOtqq"><u>https://www.youtube.com/@thinklikeavegan/videos</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Credits</strong></p><p>Host: Emilia A. Leese </p><p>Guest: Vasile Stǎnescu and James Stǎnescu</p><p>Production & Engineering: Jim Moore of Bloody Vegans Productions; <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloodyvegansproductions.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146884&usg=AOvVaw2T9Y18YAKhkscR1Z76saye"><u>https://www.bloodyvegansproductions.com</u></a> </p><p>Graphics: Catherine Dorrell <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.messyvegancook.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899146930&usg=AOvVaw0oM5nTOAxZNURBDPWYQf_W"><u>https://www.messyvegancook.com</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Music</strong></p><p>Opening theme: “Flashbacks” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business </p><p>Interlude: "Ōuda Afternoon I" music by Matthew Gerstenberger, voice by Chiyako</p><p>Closing theme: “Tear Things Up” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business</p><p><br></p><p>This podcast is part of iROAR, the Animals Podcasting Network <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://iroarpod.com/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1777586899147006&usg=AOvVaw3i905z0hyg7_RXnph8kKBQ"><u>https://iroarpod.com</u></a></p>
April 1, 2026
<p>When disaster strikes – a flood, wildfire, massive quake – most of the headlines understandably focus on the human toll. But what happens to the animals? They are the silent, often invisible victims, and their suffering is deeply intertwined with our own. The bonds between people and their animals and the wildlife sharing our ecosystems mean that when animals suffer, human communities suffer too.</p><p><br></p><p>So, how do we break this cycle? How can we provide help and assistance to both people and animals, and work towards preventing these catastrophes, especially those supercharged by climate change?</p><p><br></p><p>In this compelling episode, I speak with Altamush Saeed, a dedicated professional working tirelessly on the front lines in Pakistan to do just that. He shares powerful and innovative approaches to building resilient communities protecting all their members irrespective of species. </p><p><br></p><p>Join us for a conversation going beyond the headlines to reveal a more compassionate and effective model for disaster response, one which includes the well-being of people and the planet's creatures as one, unified path toward a safer, healthier future for all.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Website/Socials & Books:</p><p>Altamush Saeed</p><p>Instagram https://www.instagram.com/altamushsaeed </p><p>LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/altamushsaeed95/ </p><p>Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Altamushsaeed95 </p><p>Case note on the animal rights sentience judgment - https://tinyurl.com/2r256uzv </p><p><br></p><p>Other links</p><p>Charity Doings Foundation Pakistan</p><p>https://twitter.com/CharityDoings </p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/company/charity-doings-foundation/ </p><p>instagram.com/charitydoingsfoundation </p><p>https://youtube.com/channel/UCTLoPSGdZb-Qy_1ncAUYkRA </p><p>https://www.facebook.com/CharityDoingz/ </p><p><br></p><p>Environmental and Animal Rights Consultants Pakistan</p><p>https://www.facebook.com/EARCPAK </p><p>https://www.instagram.com/earcpakistan </p><p>https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-and-animal-rights-consultants-llp-pakistan/ </p><p><br></p><p>Emi Leese</p><p>https://emilialeese.substack.com </p><p>http://thinklikeavegan.com </p><p>http://emilialeese.com </p><p>Instagram @emi.leese </p><p>YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thinklikeavegan/videos </p><p><br></p><p>Credits</p><p>Host: Emilia A. Leese </p><p>Guest: Altamush Saeed</p><p>Production & Engineering: Jim Moore of Bloody Vegans Productions; https://www.bloodyvegansproductions.com </p><p>Graphics: Catherine Dorrell https://www.messyvegancook.com </p><p><br></p><p>Music</p><p>Opening theme: “Flashbacks” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business </p><p>Interlude: "Ofusa Fuurin" by Matthew Gerstenberger</p><p>Closing theme: “Tear Things Up” by Jenny Moore’s Mystic Business</p><p><br></p><p>This podcast is part of iROAR, the Animals Podcasting Network https://iroarpod.com</p>
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A podcast bringing you thought provoking deep dives across a wide variety of subjects related to veganism. The host is Emilia Leese, co-author of the book, Think Like a Vegan
Each episode is a mini talk by a guest or the hose about a single topic relating to veganism, which might not be the focus of an everyday conversation. These short talks and guests will inspire and educate, expanding the conversation around veganism. And all is premised on veganism being part of basic fairness
This podcast updates weekly.
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