Political Analysis - 10/04/11

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As Greece teeters on the edge of default and the European Union inches closer to financial meltdown, tens of thousands of people gather across Europe and the US to demand economic justice and an end to big bank-dominated politics. Tonight on Political Analysis, SolarTimes editor (www.solartimes.org) Sandy LeonVest brings PRN listeners up to date on the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, and offers an overview of the revolutionary mood that is currently gripping the US -- and the rest of the world.

 

During the second half of Political Analysis, author and renewable energy advocate Paul Gipe talks to Sandy LeonVest about why the US needs German-like feed-in tariffs to incorporate a simpler, more comprehensive renewable energy policy -- one that achieves greater renewable energy development at a lower cost than the current system -- and offers greater economic and social benefits (such as local ownership). That, says Paul Gipe, is why the debacle over solar firm Solyndra is only a sideshow to the central issue of implementing renewable energy at the scale needed if the US is to wean itself from fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Political Analysis - 09/27/11

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SolarTimes (www.solartimes.org) editor Sandy LeonVest talks to activist, writer and organizer Kevin Zeese about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. They discuss, among other things: the global revolution and how, on the heels of the "Arab Spring," people across the world are rising up against economic injustice. They also discuss the ever-widening disparity in wages (and wealth), and the need for "we the people" to think "out of the corporate-owned box" (and rethink our role as "consumers") if we are to bring about a truly democratized system of governance.

Kevin is a core organizer of October2011.org, and an active participant in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Since graduating law school in 1980, he has been involved with a host of social, political and economic issues, including serving as Ralph Nader's spokesperson and press secretary in 2004. Kevin Zeese ran for the US Senate in 2006, after being nominated by the Green, Libertarian and Populist Parties of Maryland.

Political Analysis - 09/20/11

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This week's "Political Analysis" features SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) in conversation with artist, activist, filmmaker and blogger Peter Sinclair (www.climatecrock.com). Among the issues they discuss: The phenomenon of "climate denial" and Sinclair's video blog, "Climate Denial Crock of the Week," a series of films through which he attempts to "debunk the deniers" with real science, education and information; the scientific discrediting of the so-called "Climate-Gate" scandal, in which a handful of emails from two IPCC scientists were exploited by the fossil fuel industry (and other climate-deniers) to create doubt in the public mind about the legitimacy of climate change and Sinclair's video, "Unwinding Hide the Decline,” which tells the story of how a group of leading climate scientists were essentially framed by so-called “climate deniers,” only to have their work vindicated time and time again by independent scientific investigations.

Political Analysis - 09/13/11

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SolarTimes editor (www.solartimes.org) Sandy LeonVest in conversation with environmental journalist and author Joshua Frank. They discuss Obama's campaign rhetoric/promises versus political "reality," the American Jobs Act, the failure of the Obama administration to implement (anything resembling) a progressive agenda (including worker rights, clean energy and ending war). The also discuss the growing threat of corporate power, the "politics of submission," the ways in which consumerism "feeds the corporate beast" (even as we rail against it) and the imperative of organizing a courageous new progressive movement  -- outside of the confines of the Democratic Party.

Joshua Frank is a prolific writer and frequent contributor to AlterNet (www.alternet.org), TruthOut (www.truthout.org) and CommonDreams (www.commondreams.org). His books include Left Out!: How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush and Red State Rebels: Tales of Grassroots Resistance in the Heartland, which he co-edited with Jeffrey St.Clair. Joshua Frank’s new book (also co-edited with Jeffrey St.Clair) is called “Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion.” That book comes out this spring.

Political Analysis - 09/06/11

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SolarTimes (www.solartimes.org) editor Sandy LeonVest in conversation with activist, writer and blogger Mike Kaulbars, who currently focuses his energy on chronicling and putting into perspective the propaganda campaign being waged by climate change deniers. They discuss climate change denial, the Keystone XL pipeline demonstrations that wrapped up this weekend in Washington DC (barely noticed by the mainstream media), the imperative of change and the political, spiritual, pragmatic and philosophical aspects of environmental activism.

Political Analysis - 08/30/11

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SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to environmental policy director for the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL), Matt Pacenza, about issues surrounding proposed new nuclear reactors in Emery County, Utah. They discuss the water consumption, economics and health and environmental implications of building these new reactors just west of Green River, Utah.

Political Analysis - 08/23/11

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SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks with Mother Jones' energy & environmental reporter Kate Sheppard about so-called "climate deniers," the Keystone XL pipeline demonstration in Washington, the "jobs vs environment" myth, environmental politics and other climate and energy-related issues.

Political Analysis - 08/16/11

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Guest host Karyn Strickler, of Climate Challenge Media, exposes the dirty secrets of the nuclear power industry with guests Lynne Bernabei and Ann Harris.  Lynne has practiced civil rights and employment discrimination law at Bernabei & Wachtel in Washington, DC for over 30 years.  She represents nuclear and other industry whistleblowers.

Ann is a 71 year old, great grandmother, nuclear whistleblower and safety advocate who won or settled 6 of her own cases and served as a resource for hundreds of whistleblowers at the Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as nuclear workers around the country.  She worked as a technical and human resources professional at TVA and was fired after she reported systematic and serious documentation problems at the TVA plants.  She lives outside Knoxville, Tennessee.

Political Analysis - 08/09/11

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SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) in conversation with renewable energy industry analyst, author and advocate, Paul Gipe. They address the critical need for German-style feed-in tariffs -- what he calls "Advanced Renewable Tariffs" (or ARTS) -- in the US, in order to deploy the massive amounts of renewable energy needed in the US to avoid economic, humanitarian and environmental catastrophe. They also talk about the importance of local ownership of renewable energy, the grassroots movement for "energy democracy" and "defeatism," in the face of corporate misinformation.. 

Paul Gipe has written countless articles on renewable energy for a worldwide audience, and is the author of at least seven books on the subject. His most recent, Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale Wind Energy Systems has been acclaimed by his peers as “groundbreaking, and is available from Chelsea Green Publishing. 

In 2004, Paul Gipe launched a campaign to bring electricity feed laws back to North America. The campaign has grown into a continent-wide grassroots movement that has put renewable energy feed-in tariffs on the political agenda – both in Canada and the US.

Today, Paul Gipe numbers among the world’s foremost experts on renewable energy, wind power and his latest passion -- feed-in tariffs. His passion for renewable energy is unsurpassed. Learn more about Paul at http://www.wind-works.org/

Political Analysis - 08/02/11

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Guest host Karyn Strickler, of Climate Challenge Media, talks with Flora Bernard and Jacob Hanson of peacefuluprising.org about Tim DeChristopher's historic act of civil disobedience, the consequences of his actions, the consequences of inaction on climate change and how you can get involved.  

Upon sentencing for interrupting an oil and gas auction on public lands, in his statement entitled “I Don’t Want Mercy, I Want you to Join Me,”  DeChristopher said, "This is not going away. At this point of unimaginable [climate] threats on the horizon, this is what hope looks like. In these times of a morally bankrupt government that has sold out its principles, this is what patriotism looks like. With countless lives on the line, this is what love looks like, and it will only grow. The choice you are making today is what side are you on."

Political Analysis - 07/26/11

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What is the "real economy?" And who lives there? 

As President Obama and Republicans prepare to strike a "Not-So-Grand Bargain," SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to labor economist Sylvia Allegretto about Washington's current game of chicken, the fake "debt ceiling crisis," and the real crisis unfolding on Main Street.   

Sylvia Allegretto has been a labor economist with the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at UC Berkeley, since 2007. She co-authored two editions of "The State of Working America," a book Robert Reich has called America's "most trusted source for a comprehensive understanding of how working Americans and their families are faring in today's economy."

Political Analysis - 07/19/11

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Solar Times editor Sandy LeonVest talks with activist and organizer Adrienne Esposito about hydraulic fracturing (aka "hydrofracking"). Esposito, who serves as Executive Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, talks about the fossil fuel industry's current and past lobbying efforts on behalf of this environmentally destructive, water-contaminating and health-destroying method of extracting natural gas and/or oil from deep underground. They also talk about the role of Halliburton and vice-president Dick Cheney in forming the "Energy Task Force," which managed to get hydrofracking exempted from federal environmental regulations, under the George W. Bush administration, and how the administration purposefully tampered with environmental science to shield hydraulic fracturing from the regulatory process.

Political Analysis - 07/12/11

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SolarTimes editor (www.solartimes.org) Sandy LeonVest in conversation with energy researcher John Farrell, of the Institute for Local Self Reliance. They discuss "energy democracy" and John Farrell's recently published report, "Democratizing the Electricity System." They also discuss the ways in which today's political climate has influenced -- and undermined -- President Obama's "clean energy economy," and why terms like "climate change," "green jobs" and "renewable energy" have all but disappeared from the presidential vernacular. John Farrell addresses both the challenges and the importance of local ownership and generation (of clean energy) in the face of corporate domination.

Political Analysis - 07/05/11

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Guest host Karyn Strickler, of Climate Challenge Media, talks with investigative journalist, Cory Morningstar who says that a 1 degreecelsius, rise in average, global temperatures is as high as we shouldgo, and we're already there.  Cory wrote an expose entitled, “The 2Degree Death Dance, the 1 Degree Cover-up," alleging that the currentaim for 2 degrees as a standard for the maximum rise in average globaltemperatures, was not set by scientist, but rather an economist, andwill result in mass genocide.  Morningstar says we must achieve zerocarbon dioxide emissions immediately.

Cory Morningstar is an climate change activist and recently shecontributed to the ‘People’s Agreement‘ written in Cochabamba in 2010.Ms. Morningstar joined the International Advisory BoardofKlimaforum10 for COP16.  She serves as chair of the advisorycommittee on the environment, to the City of London.  She believes indirect action and initiated the grassroots group:  ‘Canadians forAction on Climate Change."  Her most well known piece of writing waswritten after the Copenhagen disaster titled: EYES WIDE SHUT |TckTckTck exposé from activist insider. Oils Sand Truth named it “Oneof the most important articles Climate Campaigners will ever read…”

Political Analysis - 06/28/11

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SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to energy justice advocate, researcher and political organizer Mike Ewall of the Energy Justice Network about "corporate greenwashing" and false energy solutions. Ewall explains how and why supplanting genuine renewable solutions (such as solar and wind), with "corporate green" energy (such as nuclear and Landfill Gas) is endangering public health and the environment. He also lays out some little-understood facts about the dirty politics of turning waste into "clean energy," and talks about how, thanks to intense industry lobbying, dirty energy sources, such as Landfill Gas to Energy (LFGTE), now qualify for clean energy subsidies.

Political Analysis - 06/21/11

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Solar Times editor Sandy LeonVest talks with activist and organizer Adrienne Esposito about hydraulic fracturing (aka "hydrofracking"). Esposito, who serves as Executive Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, talks about the fossil fuel industry's current and past lobbying efforts on behalf of this environmentally destructive, water-contaminating and health-destroying method of extracting natural gas and/or oil from deep underground. They also talk about the role of Halliburton and vice-president Dick Cheney in forming the "Energy Task Force," which managed to get hydrofracking exempted from federal environmental regulations, under the George W. Bush administration, and how the administration purposefully tampered with environmental science to shield hydraulic fracturing from the regulatory process.

Political Analysis - 06/14/11

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REPEAT PROGRAM: 04/26/11

Solar Times editor Sandy Leon Vest (www.solartimes.org) in conversation with progressive journalist and author extraordinaire, David Swanson. They talk about his latest book, "WAR IS A LIE," in which Swanson fearlessly debunks the mythology of war. They also talk about ongoing US-lead wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya -- who "wins" and who "loses" in the current and ongoing culture of endless war and the permanent warfare state.

Political Analysis - 06/07/11

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Solar Times editor Sandy Leon Vest (www.solartimes.org) talks to Adam Scow, Campaigns Director for the California division of Food & Water Watch (www.foodandwaterwatch.org), where he and his colleagues work to ensure that food and water consumed by the public are safe, accessible and sustainably produced. Adam Scow talks about the problem of food accessibility, and the drastic cuts to food programs for needy Americans currently working their way through Congress. He also addresses corporate lobbying by Big Agricultural interests and FWW's efforts to fight for the common good. At the bottom of the hour, Roots Action director Aimee Allison (www.rootsaction.org) talks about the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign currently being waged by progressives.

Political Analysis - 05/31/11

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Guest host Karyn Strickler of Climate Challenge Media, talks with Dr. Alder Stone Fuller who has some bad news for us regarding climate change: Contrary to the conventional wisdom, climate change probably cannot be stopped and we’re in for the biggest climate event in 55 million years. Find out how Gaia Theory, system science, carbon dioxide lag-time and feedback mechanisms have combined to form the mess we're in with climate change.

Political Analysis - 05/24/11

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REPEAT SHOW: 03/15/11