Renee Gerlich - A Brief Complete Herstory

This is a repost of a new podcast I'm hosting with the Community Environmental Legal Defense fund. If you'd like to subscribe, you can find the show on Substack here (https://celdf.substack.com/p/truth-and-reckoning-episode-1-the), or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. I'll also be republishing episodes of this show on The Green Flame podcast. ------------ On this show: Rights of Nature for the waters of New York State We speak to CELDF Education Director Ben Price, one of the organizers behind the 2006 Tamaqua, Pennsylvania passage of the first rights of nature law anywhere on Earth (at least in the western legal system. Of course, indigenous communities have recognized various forms of rights of nature for a long time). And, we speak with Tish O’Dell, Consulting Director from CELDF, and longtime community activist for the rights of nature. Both Tish and Ben have played a key role in the introduction into the New York State legislature of the Great Lakes and State Waters Bill of Rights (New York Assembly Bill AO5156A), which Assemblyman Patrick Burke introduced on March 19th. If passed, it would be the first-ever state rights of nature law in the United States. In our conversation, we discuss: The history of how, despite significant pushback, the rights of nature movement as a means for communities to assert their rights against corporate interests has gained traction across the U.S. How local laws aimed at protecting the environment often face anti-democratic legal challenges from corporations and the state. The truly revolutionary and transformative potential of rights of nature, especially in the current political climate — if people are prepared to face down power to enforce these new laws. The path towards a legal and philosophical re-evaluation of human interaction with “the environment” to foster sustainability and collective rights. Rolling Stone recently covered this story: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/climate-crisis-environment-rights-of-nature-movement-1235321655/ How to support A wide range of community members has already begun to speak out in favor of the bill. Individuals, organizations, businesses, and experts are being asked to sign on to a list of supporters. To learn more about how you can support the rights of The Great Lakes, or to create a similar bill in your own community, please reach out to CELDF’s Consulting Director Tish O’Dell or Education Director Ben Price (contact information here). You can also donate to CELDF to support this effort. For those considering a contribution, Executive Director Kai Huschke can be reached here. If you want to support this podcast, Truth and Reckoning, here’s a few ways you can do so. First, subscribe via your favorite podcast app, like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Then, share this broadcast with your friends and family. Leave a positive review via your podcast app. Visit the Truth and Reckoning YouTube channel and leave a thumbs up and comment. The full scope of the work of CELDF, including this show, comes with a financial cost, so if you can donate, go to CELDF.org. But most importantly, our goal for this show is to empower you to act, so the best way you can show support is to get involved with your community and protect where you live. Thank you very much. See you on the front lines.

This is an audio recording of an article that can be found here: https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/a-love-letter-to-my-old-home I recently moved away from my home for the last decade, a wooden cabin on the edge of an oak savanna. It was heartbreaking to leave that land, despite it being the right decision to make. So, I wrote a love letter to that place. Here's that piece, and a few of the beautiful moments from my time there.

This is an audio recording of an article that can be found here: https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/meet-the-native-american-mother-being This is the second in a series of articles introducing the Thacker Pass Six, a group of traditional indigenous people and grassroots activists — including myself — who are being sued by a Canadian mining company called Lithium Nevada Corporation. This article focuses on Bhie-Cie Zahn Nahtzu.

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/this-poet-and-tribal-attorney-is. It is the third in a series of articles introducing the Thacker Pass Six, a group of traditional indigenous people and grassroots activists — including Green Flame host Max Wilbert — who are being sued by a Canadian mining company called Lithium Nevada Corporation. It was published on January 15th, 2025 — the four-year anniversary of the day that Will and Max set up a tent on the mountainside and launched the Protect Thacker Pass land defense campaign in 2021.

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/your-tesla-is-killing-the-planet. In it, I write about Tesla's climate change impacts, which amount to more than 50 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year. According to one study, this quantity of emissions will cause 50,000 future human deaths from climate change, per year. So, according to their own data, Tesla is responsible for human deaths equivalent to the 2023-25 Palestinian genocide or the atomic bombing of Nagasaki every 16 months or so.

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/remembering-the-lost-giants.  In it, I reflect on shifting baseline syndrome and the fact that redwoods aren't the tallest trees on Earth: they're the tallest which haven't been logged. 

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/this-native-elder-is-being-sued-by. In it, I introduce Dean Barlese, a traditional knowledge-holder from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, an elder who was raised on old stories told by his father and grandparents. He’s the leader of the Pyramid Lake Spiritual Healing Center, and his ancestors fought in Snake War (1864-68) to protect Northern Paiute homelands from settler-colonial incursions. Dean is one of a group of land defenders and water protectors being sued by mining company Lithium Nevada Corporation after prayer actions took place at Thacker Pass in 2023.

The Wildlife Rescue was formed in 2010 to provide quality health care, often on an emergency basis, to native wildlife. Located in Delhi, India the NGO was founded by brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Muhammad Saud. This interview is a conversation with Nadeem and Saud. Their work was the focus of a 2022 documentary film, All That Breathes, which won Best Documentary at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals (the first documentary to ever win both), and was nominated for the Academy Award for best documentary feature film. The film won at least 37 other major awards. On average, about 2,500 sick, injured and orphaned birds are treated and cared for annually by the Wildlife Rescue. The center is run by staff trained in emergency aid, with specialized avian veterinary care. The hospital treats a wide variety of injuries and illnesses that include broken bones, infections, diseases and malnutrition. It also cares for babies and juveniles that have been left orphaned. For whatever reason a bird is brought into the hospital, the aim of the center is to rehabilitate that bird back into the wild. Help raise funds for their work in India: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-all-that-breathes-protagonists-save-birds-in-india Their website: https://www.raptorrescue.org/  

A massive copper mine is planned 100 feet from the edge of Lake Superior (and may actually mine underneath the lake), adjacent to "the most beautiful State Park in the country" in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. Sound like a bad idea? It gets worse: Tom Grotewohl says this should be called a "toxic waste mine" because 98.55% of what is produced will be toxic waste, not copper. At stake is wolves, fish, forests, endangered species, and a full 10% of the freshwater on the surface of our planet. Tom is organizing with other individuals and allies to oppose this mine. To learn more, donate, and sign their petition, visit their website at: https://protecttheporkies.com/

Roger Hallam is the co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, Radical Routes, Burning Pink, and Just Stop Oil. On today's show, we discuss strategy for the climate and ecological movements, the role of mass street protests and public assemblies, violence vs. nonviolence, revolutions throughout history, the collapse of industrial civilization, the dangers of fascism, practical organizing tips, and more. While we don't agree with Roger on everything, we're always thrilled to discuss these topics with passionate and hardworking people. Roger's website is https://rogerhallam.com/. The Green Flame podcast could use your support! JOIN the email list for the new confederation: https://mailchi.mp/4b63d232c6ee/soft-launch DONATE to The Green Flame: https://gofund.me/514f19bb Leaving us a positive review or rating helps us reach a larger audience. You can also share these shows with your friends. And finally, the goal of this show is to activate people. So if you really want to support this show, start organizing in your own community. Thank you again for listening.