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Ecology of Spirit: Biocentrism, Animism, and the Environmental Crisis

The Green Flame

Release Date: 10/14/2023

A Love Letter to My Old Home show art A Love Letter to My Old Home

The Green Flame

This is an audio recording of an article that can be found here: 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.

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Meet the Native American Mother Being Sued by a Multinational Corporation show art Meet the Native American Mother Being Sued by a Multinational Corporation

The Green Flame

This is an audio recording of an article that can be found here: This is the second in a 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.

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This Poet and Tribal Attorney is Being Sued by a Mining Company show art This Poet and Tribal Attorney is Being Sued by a Mining Company

The Green Flame

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at . 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.

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Tesla is Killing the Planet — and 50k People per Year show art Tesla is Killing the Planet — and 50k People per Year

The Green Flame

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.

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Remembering Lost Giants show art Remembering Lost Giants

The Green Flame

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at .  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. 

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This Native Elder is Being Sued by a Mining Company with Dean Barlese show art This Native Elder is Being Sued by a Mining Company with Dean Barlese

The Green Flame

This episode is the audio recording of an article published at . 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 , 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.

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Wildlife Rescue with 'All That Breathes' Brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Muhammad Saud show art Wildlife Rescue with 'All That Breathes' Brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Muhammad Saud

The Green Flame

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...

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Lake Superior at Risk with Protect the Porkies Founder Tom Grotewohl show art Lake Superior at Risk with Protect the Porkies Founder Tom Grotewohl

The Green Flame

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,...

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Strategy for the Eco-Revolution with Roger Hallam show art Strategy for the Eco-Revolution with Roger Hallam

The Green Flame

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 . The Green Flame podcast could use your...

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Episode 100 Live Show: Looking Back on 5 Years show art Episode 100 Live Show: Looking Back on 5 Years

The Green Flame

For episode 100 of The Green Flame, we hosted a special live conversation between hosts Jennifer Murnan and Saba Malik, Saba Malik, Renee Gerlich, Carl Van Warmerdam, and Rebecca Wildbear. We announced that the show has separated from Deep Green Resistance, reflected on the origins of the Green Flame, discussed our favorite and most impactful episodes, and discussed our organizing projects. This episode is a celebration. JOIN the email list for the new confederation:  DONATE to The Green Flame: READ Max's reflections on leaving DGR:  Leaving us a positive review or rating helps us...

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More Episodes
Species extinction. Plastic pollution. Global warming. Catastrophic floods. Raging fires. The failure of coral reefs. Whales dying en masse. Forever chemicals contaminating mothers' breast milk.
 
Our planet is in crisis. And while the wealthy and governments pour trillions into technological so-called “solutions,” things are spiraling out of control.
 
What if solving the ecological crisis depended on falling in love with the natural world, and acting to defend those we love?
 
What if a biocentric worldview — one which places the natural world at the center of our morality — could help us access the courage needed to stop the destruction?
 
On October 21st, join us for special 3-hour live streaming event: Ecology of Spirit: Biocentrism, Animism, and the Environmental Crisis — "the spirituality of the front lines." This event will explore the connectedness of all life and focus on organized resistance to the destruction of the planet.
 
 
The event begins at 1pm Pacific Time / 20:00 UTC, and will feature speakers including:
 
- First Voices Radio host Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Cheyenne River Lakota)
- Rainforest conservationist Suprabha Seshan
- Author Derrick Jensen
- Filmmaker and activist Keala Kelly (Kanaka Oiwi)
- Writer and activist Lierre Keith
- Mik'maq warrior Sakej Ward
- Poet Will Falk
- Animas Institute guide Rebecca Wildbear
- Organizer Max Wilbert
- Former Buddhist monk Alan Clements
- and other special guests.
 
There will be opportunities to ask questions and participate in dialogue.
 
The mainstream environmental movement is mostly funded by foundations which don't support revolutionary change. Radical organizations like Deep Green Resistance rely on individual donors to support our activism around the world, which is why “Ecology of Spirit” is also a fundraiser.
 
We're outnumbered and we need your help.
 
There is a path out of the this crisis, and DGR is one of the organizations leading the way. But we can't do it without you. We’re raising funds to support global community organizing, fund mutual aid and direct action campaigns, and sustain our core outreach and organizational work.
 
 
Whether or not you are in a financial position to donate, we hope you will join us on October 21st for this opportunity to connect with kindred spirits offering light in dark times.