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Politics

Democracy Means a Healthy and Safe Environment for All: Jovita Lee on PYP 430

September 29, 2020

Today’s guest, Jovita Lee, is co-founder and vice president of Democracy Green, a North Carolina-based non-profit dedicated to environmental justice. 

The environmental movement has a long and shameful history of privileging certain parts of the environment over others. Specifically, it’s focused on preserving spaces enjoyed by the rich, and where the rich live. 

The result is a nation in which environmental racism condemns poor people and people of color – regardless of income and economic status – to lives cut short by chronic conditions caused and worsened by pollutants and climate instability.

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Going from Racist to Anti-racist with Dustin and Josh LaJaunie: PYP 415

June 30, 2020

Dustin and Josh LaJaunie have amazing transformation stories. They went from obese to fit. From junk food addicts to plant-based eaters. From hunters to vegans. From sedentary to active. 

And, as you’ll see and hear, from racist to antiracist.

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Becoming Beloved Ancestors with Carolyn Raffensperger: PYP 366

February 11, 2020

Carolyn Raffensperger has been advocating for the environment since 1982. She’s currently executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, which is a key proponent of the Precautionary Principle when it comes to balancing economic and environmental impacts.

Raffensperger sees the environmental movement’s best strategy to reverse the destruction of our planet as one of civil rights litigation. Governments, at their core, are here to keep safe the commons upon which all life depends: clean air, clean water, clean soil. She argues that our current policies are violating the “Rights of the Unborn” to a clean and healthy environment. 

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Dr Milton Mills testimony USDA Food Guidelines

Healing Racism in the Vegan / Plant-based Community with Milton Mills, MD: PYP 357

December 24, 2019

In June, 2019, Dr Milton Mills gave testimony before the USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee about their persistent recommendation to include dairy in our diets.

Dr Mills short presentation was not what I was expecting to hear.

Instead of just repeating the overwhelming body of evidence showing that cow’s milk is not a healthy or suitable food for humans,  he put the debate in the context of racism.

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Tackling Food and Economic Insecurity Through Urban Agriculture with Jesse Herrera: PYP 330

July 9, 2019

Jesse Herrera is founder and chief visionary of Urban Theory, which I’d categorize as a “think tank” and an “act tank” for social and economic and environmental justice.

Jesse is a former gang member, as well as a recovering architect. An urban planner.

A visionary realist.

We met at the World Healthcare Congress this past May, and immediately bonded by nerding out over sustainable small-plot agricultural tools and strategies, such as 2-wheel Italian tractors and compost tea.

And discovered that our missions aligned. I work with individuals and organizations, while Jesse targets cities and communities.

His passionate vision and clear-headed appraisal of obstacles and opportunities makes for an inspiring conversation.

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Charles Eisenstein on Climate Reductionism and True Planetary Healing: PYP 309

February 12, 2019

Charles Eisenstein has been challenging my thinking for about 15 years now, but never more so than with his latest book, Climate: A New Story.

Basically, Eisenstein argues that focusing all our environmental activism on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming is a bad idea.

As a card-carrying member of the enlightened, scientifically-literate, progressive wing of the American populace, of course I know that human-created climate change is the single greatest threat to our civilization, and that the biggest thing we can do to combat it is to reduce our carbon footprint, individually and collectively.

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Feminism, Veganism, and Activism with Carol Adams: PYP 296

November 13, 2018

Carol J. Adams is the author most recently of Burger and Protest Kitchen, and a self-described “feminist-vegan.”

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Neal Barnard, MD, on Not Eating, Testing, or Exploiting Animals in Pursuit of Health: PYP 291

October 9, 2018

Neal Barnard, MD, is the president and founder of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) – an organization far too large and influential to still be called a “committee,” but who among us hasn’t outgrown our childhood name? – and the founder of the Barnard Medical Center in the DC area.

He’s also the author of a crazy number of books, including the recent The Cheese Trap – which you should give to all your vegetarian dairy-loving friends just to gross them out and blow their minds.

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Crazy Adventures and Looking at the World Differently with Jeff Seal: PYP 286

September 4, 2018

Jeff Seal is a comedian, documentarian, adventurer, and undercover clown operating out of New York City. One of my son Elan’s favorite YouTube artists, Jeff points out the hilarity, absurdity, and injustices of life through art and comedy.

When Elan shared Jeff’s work with me, I was particularly struck by his videos on dumpster diving and train-hopping. Both shared a common theme: finding freedom by questioning assumptions about what is and isn’t “OK” to do in a consumer society where our supposed freedoms are undermined by unthinking obedience.

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Sharing Music and Making This Place Our Home with Micah Hendler: PYP 283

August 14, 2018

Micah Hendler is the founder and director of the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and one of Forbes’ magazine’s “30 under 30” (global leaders and change-makers under the age of 30). He founded the chorus to promote connection and peace between the teen communities of East and West Jerusalem; that is, inaccurately but roughly speaking, Palestinians and Israelis. 

We met at a concert for peace in New York City in May, and Micah graciously agreed to be on the podcast. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to “shoehorn” this theme into Plant Yourself, but the wiser part of me whispered, “Who gives a shit? Just have an inspiring and wonderful conversation!” 

So I did. And while it’s not about antioxidants or inflammation or TMAO, I think you’ll agree that the themes of music, peace, discovery, curiosity, and compassion are all related to human health and wellbeing. And that the plant-based community can look for models of engagement and progress outside of our own kraal. 

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Hi, I’m Howard Jacobson, host of the Plant Yourself Podcast, co-author of You Can Change Other People and Sick to Fit, and co-founder of WellStart Health Coach Academy.

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