Freedom of Species

Meg and guest Lydia Lobb discuss just how pervasive and insidious animal exploitation paradigms are in our education systems at all levels. From kinder milk programs to rodeo fundraisers and free fishing rods, animal exploitation seems to be baked into our education system in Australia. We talk about many examples and the difficulties of navigating the system when raising compassionate kids.  Have things gotten better over time? What was it like for our generation? Our parents generation? And will it become better for future generations?  Music: Human Race by Baby Blue https://babybluemelbourne.bandcamp.com/track/human-race September by Earth, Wind an...

In today’s show, Betty and Nick launch into part 2 about the animals and ecosystems in and around the Korean Demilitarized Zone. We share some history of how and why the DMZ barrier was reinforced and the relationship between landmines, the ecology and civilians in the area. We share the story of how a pre-industrial rice paddy irrigation pond is providing habitats for a variety of species and why the future of this zone still remains so uncertain. We discuss different theories of peace and how animal survival is often in conflict with capitalist interests.  Links: Part 1 of this series on wi...

In today’s show Betty and Trev talk about the accidental wildlife reserve that has emerged inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone. We talk about the history leading up to Korea’s national division and the story of a bird that connected a separated family by flying over the border. We finish with the story of some unexpected WWII heroes from the Tiwi Islands. Tune in next week for Part 2. Book referenced: Making Peace with Nature: Ecological Encounters Along the Korean DMZ. Eleana J. Kim, 2022 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands website: https://www.ramsar.org/country-profile/democratic-peoples-republic-korea  Music Played: Ahn Ye Eun 'Song of C...

Our political, societal and legislative landscape is changed by the information whistleblowers and activists bring to light, and in the current legal and political system, they often do this at great cost to themselves and their families.  In today's show, Meg and Trev explore what this means for the activists who collect and disseminate footage from slaughterhouses, farms and other locations within the animal agriculture industry, and how our country's current 'Ag Gag' laws actively discourage and restrict the truth of what is occuring from being made public.  ABC 7.30 report on Farm Transparency Project's footage of pig slaughterhouses: https://animalsaustralia.org/o...

Today Trev welcomes new presenter Betty Melon to the Freedom of Species team. Betty shares her reluctant journey to veganism and her history of animal advocacy. We introduce the meaning of the Anthropocene, a geologic time period defined by human activity and we discuss the implications of national borders and militarisation on wildlife and nature. We finish with a discussion of American imperialism and the role of McDonald's in global geopolitics. Fact correction: as of 2024 there are 195 countries on earth and 118 of them have McDonald's.  Links: BDS Campaign: https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide  Music Played: Séimí 'Bound' https://seimi.bandcamp.com/album...

Play along and see if you can beat other listeners to the correct answers!  Please donate to Radiothon to keep 3CR Radical Radio on-air: https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/freedomofspecies?     Music played: The Decline 'Sentience or Selfishness' - https://peerecords.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-gonna-lie-to-you Vespertine 'Perfect Storm' - https://vespertineband.tripod.com/id2.html

On today’s show we discuss intersectionality, liberation and veganism with our guest, Andrew. Andrew is a Melbourne born, raised, and based vegan activist of 18 years, advocating for human and non-human animal rights and social justice issues, whilst also raising a young vegan family. Being proudly Māori, Andrew is focussed on decolonialism in thought and praxis, intersectionality and allyship, and applying these principles to strengthen connections across a variety of communities, and currently invested in Palestinian liberation and anti-war efforts. Links:Kristy Alger’s book: Five Essays for Freedom: A Political Primer for Animal Advocates https://revoltbooks.com/products/feffAp...

Lottie, Hayden and Nick discuss the movies Okja and Chicken Run 1 and 2, plus the TV show Peep Show, through an animal rights lens. We also touch on the movies: Legally Blonde 2, Paddington and 101 Dalmatians, the TV show Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell, and the stand-up comedy show COMPANION - Interesting Comedy Special by Sam Campbell.   Links: Help Sick Baby Jamil and Family of 6 Survive – fundraiser for a family in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ezzeddin-family You can check out the study Hayden mentioned regarding needing 10% of the population to strongly hold a belief for it to be adopted by the ma...

Laura Schleifer is the Institute for Critical Animal Studies Conference Director, Program Chair at Promoting Enduring Peace, and co-founder of Plant the Land, a Gaza-based vegan food justice/community projects team. A lifelong “artivist” and graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she’s performed throughout the Middle East with a circus troupe, taught in China, Nicaragua, and at Wesleyan University’s Green Street Arts Center, performed off-Broadway, and arts-mentored homeless youth. Her screenplay, The Feral Child, was a Sundance Screenwriters’ Lab finalist. Her essays appear in New Politics Magazine, Forca Vegan, and multiple anthologies, including "Expanding the Critical Animal Studi...

On this show Meg and Trev discuss the recent auroras, earth's magnetic field and the way solar storms that create the phenomena can affect animals including whales, turtles, bats, and bees. There is science, space and lots more! Music Hold your own Kae Tempest https://soundcloud.com/pan-macmillan/hold-your-own-kate-tempest People's Faces Kae Tempest https://youtu.be/mvCKSuPq8o8?si=GAIlfaRgN6Og_vP6 Grace Kae Tempest https://youtu.be/xAQ0oTEB-Ws?si=kd5BWy5HtyWr5PIE  Photo by v2osk https://unsplash.com/photos/aurora-borealis-Ovn1hyBge38