Humans, Nature and the Illusion of Separateness, by Kenn Orphan

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by Kenn Orphan
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Halifax, Nova Scotia
April 5, 2021

“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

One of the biggest lies that people in the global north were sold and have largely internalized is that we are separate from the biosphere from which we evolved and on which we depend upon for our very survival. Even as we stand on the precipice of ecological collapse, human supremacy over nature has been the unchallenged narrative. As a result, those who have taken up the struggle to protect this fragile arrangement of existence are often otherized. Their “cause” is treated as just one of many. The “treehugger?” The “environmentalist?” The person who “cares about the earth?” How noble. How non-threatening. It becomes just another cause in a myriad of causes.

The Amazon Chernobyl is a Warning for Us All, by Kenn Orphan

Image by Rainforest Action Network via Flickr

by Kenn Orphan
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Halifax, Nova Scotia
March 17, 2021

“We must answer their call. Our Mother Earth, militarized, fenced-in, poisoned, a place where basic rights are systematically violated, demands that we take action. Let us build societies that are able to coexist in a dignified way, in a way that protects life. Let us come together and remain hopeful as we defend and care for the blood of the Earth and of its spirits.” – Berta Caceres, Indigenous rights and environmental activist of the Lenca people, murdered in Honduras in 2016

A Blizzard. A Power Outage. A Failure of the Heart. by Rivera Sun

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by Rivera Sun
Writer, Dandelion Salad
February 25, 2021

A continent-wide snow storm swept across the United States last week. From Seattle to Baton Rouge and from Dallas to Minneapolis, people grappled with road closures, shutdowns, power outages, and freezing temperatures.

Kenn Orphan: No Going Back to Normal

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by Kenn Orphan
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Halifax, Nova Scotia
February 3, 2021

Radio Free Sunroot on Jan 31, 2021

…and why would we want “normal” anyway?

Peter Carter: Are “Net-Zero” Emissions a Smoke Screen?

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Dandelion Salad

theAnalysis-news on Nov 30, 2020

Peter Carter of the Climate Emergency Institute says “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050 and targeting 2 degrees Celsius warming are a recipe for runaway climate catastrophe. On theAnalysis.news podcast with Paul Jay.

Chris Hedges: Challenging Corporate Power: Chevron VS Donziger

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Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

RT America on Sep 5, 2020

On the show this week, Chris Hedges talks to Steven Donziger about the reach of corporate power. Donziger battled corporate oil giant, Chevron, over environmental pollution and destruction in Ecuador and won a settlement of $9.5 billion for indigenous communities. Since then Chevron has waged a campaign against Donziger to try and destroy him economically, professionally and personally. He is on trial in federal court in New York on September 9 for contempt charges, which could send him to jail for six months.

Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco: The Plight of the Dene People

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Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

RT America on Jul 25, 2020

On the show this week, Chris Hedges talks to comics journalist Joe Sacco about his new book, Paying the Land. In the book, Sacco travels to the frozen Canadian Northwest Territories to reveal the Dene people in conflict over the costs and benefits of the resource extraction industry and development.

The Democrats’ Disastrous, Militarist Climate Plan, by David Swanson

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by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
July 5, 2020

The habitability of the earth and the viability of lesser evilism are on the ropes, and incrementalism is thriving even in the current moment of increased activism for radical change. Just take a look at the new “Climate Crisis Action Plan” from the Democratic Party’s Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

I’m Sick and Tired of This Thing Called “Patriotism” by William Blum

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by William Blum
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Originally published July 5, 2010
July 4, 2020

Some thoughts on “patriotism” written on July 4

Most important thought: I’m sick and tired of this thing called “patriotism”.

The Japanese pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor were being patriotic. The German people who supported Hitler and his conquests were being patriotic, fighting for the Fatherland. All the Latin American military dictators who overthrew democratically-elected governments and routinely tortured people were being patriotic — saving their beloved country from “communism”.

Abby Martin: Afghanistan War Exposed—Part 2: An Imperial Conspiracy

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Dandelion Salad

with Abby Martin

Empire Files on June 26, 2020

Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80’s through today’s senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it’s time to #EndTheForeverWar.

Chris Hedges and Jeff Gibbs: Criticism and Censorship of Michael Moore’s Film “Planet of the Humans”

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Dandelion Salad

with Chris Hedges

RT America on Jun 20, 2020

On the show, Chris Hedges discusses the criticism and censorship surrounding Michael Moore’s film “Planet of the Humans,” with director, Jeff Gibbs.

Planet of the Humans

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Dandelion Salad

Updated: May 30, 2020; Youtube removed the video. Replaced video.

Michael Moore on Apr 21, 2020

Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will this Earth Day — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on planet earth because we are following leaders who have taken us down the wrong road — selling out the green movement to wealthy interests and corporate America. This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that in the midst of a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movement’s answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids. It’s too little, too late.

Richard Wolff: Banks are Trembling! + Caleb Maupin: Oil Crisis on Wall Street! + Sanders Slams Trump’s Alleged “Natural Ability” To Understand Coronavirus

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Dandelion Salad

with Richard D. Wolff

RT America on Mar 9, 2020

Economist and founder of Democracy at Work Dr. Richard Wolff and broadcasting legend Larry King join Rick Sanchez to weigh in on Wall Street’s terrifying Monday plunge, the worst since 2008. They explain the link between oil exploration and extraction and the debt that fuels it. They also discuss the role of the coronavirus outbreak in the economic crisis and its likely influence on US politics.

NATO’s Arctic War Exercise Unites Climate Change and WWIII

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Watch the video below

Dandelion Salad

TheRealNews on Feb 24, 2020

NATO will hold war games in Norway’s Arctic Circle in March, where it will be supporting climate change-induced resource extraction and increasing the military tension with Russia.

Lee Camp’s New Book, Bullet Points and Punch Lines, reviewed by David Swanson + Lee Camp: CNBC Anchor Nearly Chokes On Air When Told The Truth

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Watch the video below

by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
February 20, 2020

It’s often hard to report on U.S. politics and government with a straight face. It’s even harder to report on the usual reporting on U.S. politics and government with a straight face. So much of it is beyond the reach of parody. Yet it also opens up opportunities to shock people with basic facts.