Welcome to part two of our conversation with Kahuku on their struggle for energy justice. In the first part of this episode, gave us the rundown on the AES Na Pua Makani wind power project. They talked about the issues with the project and the many ways, over several years, that they tried to intervene in the project. In this episode, we pick back up right to where the struggle got super kuʻe and Kahuku engaged in more than a month long blockade to stop the turbines from being constructed. In this part of the conversation, you will hear a lot of what we can think of as distributive justice- wh ..read more

In the fall of 2019, nearly 200 Kiaʻi were arrested during a month of nightly blockades against the largest wind turbines in the nation from being built so close to homes and schools. This would have been the second set of large industrial wind turbines for their small rural community. This week have the serious privilege of speaking with three of those powerful protectors- Sunny Unga, Jessica Dos Santos, and Dr. Tēvita Kaʻili. We discussed their ten year struggle against one of the largest corporations in the world, AES and what it suggests about the complexities of a just transition away fro ..read more

For season 3 on Root Cause Remedies, we’re digging into Energy Justice in Hawaiʻi and asking how we can move closer towards the goal of “achieving equity in both social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remediating social, economic, and health burdens on those historically harmed by the energy system.” Energy justice, like climate justice and environmental justice, demands ending corporate control of our resources and creating a future defined by self-determination and equity. In this episode, we're tackling the Hawaiian Electric Company, because we can’t talk about e ..read more

We are getting ready to launch our next season with some powerhouse energy justice advocates and community leaders from Kahuku, Molokaʻi, and Waiʻanae on their work to address the injustices of our energy system. They are the true example of resilience and solutions for a people-centered transition to a clean energy economy that benefits all of us. Take a listen to a snippet of episode one to get a sense of how deeply rooted our energy system is to the injustices of Hawaiʻi's people.  ..read more

We couldn't think of a better way to kick off 2021 than with a radical conversation on genuine security without policing or militarization. Many people have a skewed or narrow understanding of what abolition is, including us. That's why we decided to end this season dedicated to the connections between Covid-Climate-and Capitalism with a conversation on abolition as the only way to end institutionalized violence on people and land.  Because we could have added another "C" to our theme for "colonialism," the underlying -ism that our institutions were built from. Shayna Lonoaea Alexander, o ..read more

Trump’s made a habit of bending the truth, disregarding science, and fabricating outright lies to feed his own interests and disempower an increasingly dissatisfied public. We see it every day with his handling of coronavirus, and we see it with his denial and disregard for climate change. This week is a bit of a bonus episode because we have our researcher, Carly Rizzuto, on to talk about climate change, disinformation, and corruption. She's an educator and brings us 3 clips that will help us break down the US politics surrounding climate change. Note: If you are looking for some climate podc ..read more

There is so much being thrown around about healthcare lately. Last we heard, Trump is on the move to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Guess his big pharma and insurance industry friends had enough of actually providing services and coverage to people.  But even before Trump, our healthcare system has been far from adequate. Take a listen to a research warrior Ben Sadoski  and who has been taking down corporate interests for over a decade. This episode sheds some light on capitalism's role in controlling our health systems and what's been going down for Kaiser workers.  ..read more

Environmental justice principle #8-affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. UNITE HERE Local 5 union organizer, Lisa Grandinetti shares the worker's perspective of how the government  and corporations have been responding to the pandemic and the reopening of Hawaiʻi's biggest industry. Spoiler alert- workers are not being listened to or properly cared for by either.  ..read more

Today tourism "re-opens" and our first episode of season 2 will be with labor organizer, Lisa Grandinetti. She works for UNITE HERE Local 5- representing around 11,000 hospitality and service industry workers across the state. Listen to her share the critical element missing for our people in this strategy. Tune in tomorrow for the full interview!  ..read more

Today we honor the struggle of Kanaka Maoli and all indigenous people's around the world fighting corporate capitalism and colonialism. Here is a clip from Kanaka Maoli Wahine Jamaica Osorio answering the question "what does the political context of Hawaiʻi have to do with EJ today?" Listen to her make the connections and give a snapshot of the fundamental shift from the indigenous perspective of land.  Stat rooted.  ..read more