Audible Cafe Radio Show and Podcast

Audible Café explores the natural world, wildlife, sustainable living, and that thing called climate change. We meet fascinating people who are embracing new ways of treading more lightly on the earth. We champion other species and seek to meet them where they are in all their wild and wooly glory.

Episode 25: Mary Stucklen with Berkshire Zero Waste 03/23/2021

Episode 24: Kelly Fuller with Western Watersheds Project 03/09/2021

Episode 23: Max Wilbert from Protect Thacker Pass, NV 02/10/2021

Episode 22: Laura Haight, Partnership for Policy Integrity (PFPI) 01/25/2021

Episode 21: Dogwood Alliance w/Scot Quaranda 01/17/2021

EPISODE 20: Put Peaker Plants in the Past w/Rosemary Wessel of No Fracked Gas in Mass 01/09/2021

Wendell State Forest Alliance Lawsuit to Protect the Forests 12/18/2020

Episode 18: Northeast Wilderness Trust, with Sophi Veltrop 11/18/2020

Episode 17: “The Issue with Tissue” w/Jennifer Skene of NRDC 07/06/2020

Episode 16: BEAT and Food & Water Watch vs. FERC 05/26/2020

Episode 15: Helia Native Nursery in Alford, Mass 05/06/2020

Four Kings Day presented by Manos Unidas 02/22/2020

Episode 13: Alice Arena of FRRACS 02/06/2020

Episode 12: Special Edition - "Under Pressure" Documentary Screening Event. 11/05/2019

Episode 11: Charley Eiseman, Freelance Naturalist and Bug Tracker Extraordinaire 10/05/2019

Episode 10: Steve Sears of The Stationery Factory in Dalton, Mass 07/20/2019

Episode 9: Jeff Ruch of PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) (Part 2 of 2) 01/25/2019

Episode 9: Jeff Ruch of PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) (Part 2 of 2) Thank you for listening to the Audible Café podcast. With our public employees enduring the fifth week of their forced furlough during a government shutdown resulting from the actions of a despotic and vindictive President Trump, this interview — and my interview with Kyla Bennett from PEER last week — couldn’t be more timely. In today’s episode, I am sharing my interview with Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of PEER - Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. PEER is a watchdog of our public environmental agencies, and works extensively to empower public employees so that they are literally peers within their agencies, with a seat at the table that respects and relies on their knowledge and expertise to set and enforce policy, and honors their years of service and dedication. This honoring of our nation’s environmental laws and policies and employees is sorely missing, to say the least, under the Trump administration. Which means that PEER has been receiving many, many calls from deeply concerned and disenfranchised public employees. Jeff has been the Executive Director of PEER since 1997. He helped to start PEER and for the first four years served as General Counsel & Program Director for the organization. Prior to founding PEER, Jeff was the Policy Director and a staff attorney at the Government Accountability Project, representing whistleblowers from both the public and private sector. Before coming to DC, Jeff worked in California state government for 17 years, mostly in the State Legislature as counsel to various committees where he drafted literally hundreds of laws on topics ranging from energy conservation to the rights of employed inventors. We’re grateful to Jeff for taking the time to talk with us. And we’re especially grateful to him for his years of devotion to the people who serve our country as public employees in environmental agencies. Protecting the protectors - it is not an easy job. But these public servants do not deserve to be disrespected, harassed, and harmed by abusive government practices. And neither do the great diversity of species who live all across our nation — whether in public parks or on other lands — who literally depend on our environmental agencies for their lives. So please, after you listen to the show, visit PEER’s website, learn about the campaigns they are working on, and support them. Our public agencies are responsible for ensuring that the lands and waters and living beings in their care are protected and allowed to flourish. Public employees hold the future of our nation in their hands. Let’s not let dictatorial, corporate-funded politicians keep them from doing their jobs! Thank you for listening. As always, you can learn more and access archives and show notes with lots of resources at , or visit the FB page - just search for Audible Café, or follow us on Twitter @audiblecafe. If you listen on iTunes, please subscribe, and leave us a review. It’s helps a lot. We appreciate your feedback. So if you’d like to get directly in touch with us, email . Note: During this interview, Jeff Ruch describes the censorship and bureaucratic and legal punishment of a government scientist, Dr. Charles Monnett, who was one of the first to report polar bear mortality as a result of drowning — a deeply sad result of melting ice flows due to climate change. The images associated with this phenomenon are terribly disturbing and yet have served to bring the shocking truth of climate change before the public eye in a way climate change reports cannot. At one point in our discussion, the deceased polar bears are referred to as “floaters,” not in any negative way at all. I considered editing that descriptor out of the interview because it upset me, but then stopped myself. The importance of the scientist’s work— and especially the resulting media storm that ensued when he reported it appropriately in an “observational note” in a scientific paper and Al Gore picked up on the story and put it his book “An Inconvenient Truth” — brought important attention to the plight of these majestic creatures. I decided that I can’t let my personal, emotional reaction to a word outweigh my goal of staying true to... truth. At Audible Café, we strive to uphold the values of free and independent journalism. I hope you will agree this is more important than softening the blow of human destruction of the earth and its creatures. We must all face this truth, and act now to address it. SHOW RESOURCES /episode/index/show/audiblecafe/id/8394329

Episode 8: Kyla Bennett of PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) 01/11/2019

Episode 7: Buffalo Field Campaign, with Mike Mease 11/16/2018

Episode 6: Jennifer Browdy - Writer, Teacher, Editor, Coach 08/24/2018

Episode 6: Jennifer Browdy - Writer, Teacher, Editor, Coach Welcome to Audible Café, where we get together to talk about nature, wildlife, wilderness, conservation, environmental protection, climate change, and things related. Today, I’m airing my interview with Jennifer Browdy, who is a writer, teacher, editor, and coach. She is deeply committed to opening up conversations in person and online that are relevant to our times, and to helping others find expression through their writing. Memoir is a grassroots sort of genre, inviting anyone and everyone to tease out the significance of the ordinary moments that, day by day, compose a life. Jennifer Browdy Jennifer’s books include “What I Forgot….and Why I Remembered: A Journey to Environmental Awareness and Activism Through Purposeful Memoir”published in 2017, which was a Finalist in Autobiography/Memoir in the 2018 International Book Awards. Jennifer also wrote the companion book for writers of purposeful memoir, which was a winner of a 2017 Nautilus Silver Award for creative process. Prior to that, she was co-editor with Jana Laiz and Sahra Bateson Brubeck of "Writing Fire: An Anthology Celebrating the Power of Women’s Words." All three of these books were published by Green Fire Press, an independent publishing company that Jennifer runs with her business partner, Jana Laiz. Earlier in her career, Jennifer edited two powerful compilations of women writing resistance. Her current project - called “Worldwrights” - a term Jennifer coined - will distill “lessons in life and leadership” from 15 inspiring writer-activists who have used writing to right the world, and who have also written memoirs. I can’t wait for that book to come out, because Jennifer has chosen a number of outstanding leaders from social and environmental justice movements for this project, including former President Barack Obama, Jane Goodall, Eve Ensler, Audre Lorde, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchu, Malidoma Some, Sandra Steingraber, Terry Tempest Williams, John Perkins, and more. I talked with Jennifer earlier this month while she was still on her summer writing retreat. I appreciate her taking the time to talk with me when that kind of time away from the day-to-day grind is so precious. You can start exploring Jennifer’s writing and find her workshops and more at her website (see below). She’s offering online workshops and coaching for those of you not located near western Massachusetts. Thank you so much for listening to Audible Café! As always, you can learn more and access archives and show notes with lots of resources at , or visit the Facebook page- just search for Audible Cafe, or follow us on Twitter @audiblecafe. If you listen on iTunes it would be great if you would review the podcast… 5 stars are OK with us! And if you’d like to get in touch directly – and I hope you will – email [email protected] You can listen to this episode via various channels: Listen on where you can also find show notes and links related to this episode Listen (and subscribe! and leave a 5-star review! :-D) via If you’d like to follow the show’s Facebook page, ! Listen on Have a great day! RESOURCES Jennifer Browdy’s website: Jennifer’s Blogs and . To connect directly with Jennifer Browdy, email Audible Café theme music by /episode/index/show/audiblecafe/id/6965661

Episode 5: International Dark Sky Association Exec. Dir. Scott Feierabend 08/11/2018

Episode 4: Jen Parrilli, The Mayor of FungiTown 08/06/2018

Episode 3: Allan Fierce & Jane Winn on the (Dysfunctional) Massachusetts Legislature 07/20/2018

Episode 3: Allan Fierce & Jane Winn on the (Dysfunctional) Massachusetts Legislature Greetings from the Audible Café podcast, where we spend time together each week to explore the natural world, wildlife, sustainable living, and climate change. On this week's episode, I spend time talking with Allan Fierce, Legislative Coordinator for the Massachusetts Chapter of Elders Climate Action, and Jane Winn, Executive Director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). “At the very end of the day, the House and Senate have been unable to agree on climate and energy legislation.” Allan Fierce, Massachusetts Elders Climate Action “We're very upset with the House leadership for pretty much killing all the clean energy legislation. We’d like to see House leadership wake up and allow good clean energy legislation to actually pass this session.” Jane Winn, Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) Both Allan and Jane discuss the challenges facing their organizations, activists, and concerned citizens at large in urging their representatives in the Statehouse to pass foward-thinking, sane energy bills. Climate change, environmental concerns, and social justice inequalities dictate that we need to QUICKLY move Massachusetts (and the world) to a sustainable energy future not dependent on fossil fuels. The future is in clean, renewable energy sources like solar and wind and geothermal power to heat and cool our living spaces and generate electricity. But the majority of the Massachusetts House of Representatives does not act in a way that demonstrates they believe in the urgency of this pivotal moment in history. Perhaps more disturbing is the dysfunction and undemocratic procedures and processes of the Commonwealth's legislature that are revealed in these interviews. Thank you Allan Fierce and Jane Winn! You have provided us with an eye-opening and enlightening -- if unsettling -- view into our Statehouse that is much appreciated. There are so many others I could have interviewed for this episode that are also on the front lines of the clean energy movement in Boston... but time did not allow. In the show notes on the website and elsewhere you can find links to lots more on these inspiring organizations and on this session of the Massachusetts Legislative session ending in one week. It's a crucial time in history to get involved and connect with your elected representatives! They DO need and, in most cases, WANT to hear from you! You can listen to this episode via various channels: Listen on where you can also find show notes and links related to this episode Listen (and subscribe! and leave a 5-star review! :-D) via If you'd like to follow the show's Facebook page, ! Listen on is a place-space where we spend time together each week exploring the natural world, wildlife, sustainable living, and climate change. This opens up possibilities that are basically limitless. And, now more than ever, we need to spend time together being inspired, learning, and trusting we can have a positive impact on the world we love. Thank you so much for being a part of the Audible Café! It means a lot. If you'd like to get in touch, just reply to this message, or email . I can't wait to hear from you! Joy and peace, Judy RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING HARD ON CLIMATE AND ENERGY And more ... 350 Mass, Clean Water Action, Boston Climate Action Network, Climate Action Now MA, Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, No Fracked Gas in Mass, and the Mass Power Forward coalition. And those working on safe communities for immigrants and refugees: Safe Communities Coalition members: MIRA Coalition, Unitarian Universalist Mass Action, Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Essex County Community Organization, Agencia ALPHA, Progressive Mass, JALSA, and American Friends Service Committee. /episode/index/show/audiblecafe/id/6833867

Episode 2: Natalie Narotzky with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) 07/13/2018

Episode 1: The Old Stone Mill Center for Arts and Creative Engineering in Adams, MA 07/06/2018

Welcome to the Audible Cafe Podcast and celebrate the natural world with us 06/23/2018

Audible Cafe Radio Show and Podcast

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