Bioneers: Revolution From The Heart Of Nature | Bioneers Radio Series

Our physical health is intimately tied to environmental health, and to our emotional and spiritual ecology. Visionary physician Dr. Gabor Maté explores the deepest psychological, emotional and social forces leading to our society’s poor health and unhappiness. He says we have the capacity to heal the planet and ourselves by reconnecting with our true nature as empathic, nurturing social beings.

What might happen when the descendants of a white slave trader and of slaves meet? That is the brave and wrenching journey of Thomas DeWolf , whose white ancestors were once the nation’s biggest slave traders, and Belvie Rooks and Dedan Gills , descendants of enslaved African people.

World-renowned feminist, writer and change-maker Gloria Steinem connects the dots among disparate social movements to reveal the common patterns of oppression that underlie them all. From gender and race to democracy and universal spirituality, she weaves a unifying vision of a richly human and humane world where all people are valued for their uniqueness and full humanity.

Why does “corporate personhood” consistently override the legal rights of citizens? And what about the rights of nature? Join innovative environmental attorneys Thomas Linzey and Mari Margil for breakthroughs on the ground of democracy.

Wounded warriors have walked through fire. Facing the unimaginable traumas of war, abuse, and violence, what can we learn from looking respectfully at their wounds? Aqeela Sherrills , Ed Tick , and Eve Ensler share their inspiring stories to help us discover how we might keep the peace.

Master green chemists and educators John Warner and Amy Cannon say the radical growth of green chemistry is showing we can have good chemistry with the Earth by emulating nature’s green chemistry, and do good business at the same time.

The concept of national security is changing to encompass the nation’s internal resilience, health and environmental sustainability. What’s needed is the equivalent of a wartime mobilization to create a sustainable planet, say global energy strategist Amory Lovins and Oberlin College Professor David Orr . Sustainability is the strategic imperative and foundation for a new national security narrativ.

Facing climate disruption, it’s imperative to fast-forward the transition to clean energy. The global movement to abolish fossil fuels is challenging the industry and its political domination. Renowned author and activist Bill McKibben and award-winning biologist and author Sandra Steingraber illuminate the frontline fight of these New Abolitionists.

Our misbegotten food system is one of our greatest vulnerabilities. It's dangerously fossil fueled, toxic, monocultural and centralized. The real cost of cheap food is very high — to both people and planet. Urban food innovators are designing vibrant new local food economies built on environmental and ecological integrity, sustainability, diversity and equality. Join author Michael Pollan, Fair Food Foundation CEO Oran Hesterman, faith-based change-maker James Ella James and student leader Victoria Carter for a smorgasbord of nourishing morsels from the emerging locavore movement.

The visionary primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall revolutionized primatology by showing how close our kinship is with the animal kin-dom. “Dr. Jane” has inspired the world to save the rapidly dwindling chimpanzee populations and their habitats. Her compelling vision to restore people, animals and planet is delivering real hope.

Deep Ecology extends an inalienable right to life to all beings. Yet as the naturalist Aldo Leopold observed, “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” Either harden your shell, or be a doctor. Joanna Macy decided to be an Earth doctor. A systems theorist, author and lifelong activist, she describes how healing the world and healing your heart and soul go hand in hand.

Religion is the oldest, most compelling moral framework for social action. As director of World Wildlife Fund’s Sacred Earth Program, Buddhist Dekila Chungyalpa shows how religion and spiritual consciousness are emerging globally as powerful forces for restoring our relationship with nature and each other.

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” - Bertolt Brecht John Densmore, legendary drummer of the Doors, joins visionary spoken word duo Climbing PoeTree in an exploration of creativity and social change. This episode of Bioneers Radio features exclusive interviews with the artists and a special Bioneers performance of Jim Morrison's poem, "American Prayer".

Today gender reconciliation is a burgeoning new movement for transformational healing. Gender reconciliation visionaries Pat McCabe, Cynthia Brix, Will Keepin and Pele Rouge share powerful stories of transformation from the personal to the societal, including the nation of South Africa.

The genius of nature’s design, recipes and principles is serving as the inspiration for redesigning human civilization. This Biomimicry revolution is spawning a next industrial revolution. Biomimicry masters Janine Benyus and Jay Harman illuminate the forefront of nature-inspired design, including human organization and the power of networks.

“If success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do, then how would I be and what would I do?” asked visionary designer Buckminster Fuller. Buckminster Fuller Institute Board President David McConville says our view of the universe profoundly shapes our future as a species, and it’s changing radically.

The way we see the world creates the world. If a new way of seeing is needed, what might that look like? Indigenous leaders Dakota-Dine Tom Goldtooth, Anishnabe Winona LaDuke, Aleut Ilarion Merculief and The White Buffalo Souldiers conjure a new paradigm that begins with a change of heart.

The citizens of Detroit are challenging the failed policies that have long favored corporate wealth over the well being of city residents. Leading change-makers Malik Kenyatta Yakini, Lottie Spady and Sister Gloria Rivera are seeding community resilience with one of the most robust urban agricultural movements in the U.S., while contradicting the manipulative media narratives that justify oppression.

As lion populations crash in Africa, baboon numbers explode. Associate Professor of Ecology and Conservation Justin Brashares illuminates how to stem the cascading harms of nature out of balance. Visionary author Mary Ellen Hannibal recounts inspiring stories of citizen scientists restoring health to “the spine of the continent” from Alaska to Mexico by connecting nature back to itself.

Women-led movements arising around the world herald a profound shift that changes everything. Visionary women leaders Osprey Orielle-Lake, Leila Salazar and Lynne Twist report on the women leading the clean energy revolution in Africa, defending the Amazonian rainforest, and making peace in Liberia.