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.
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.
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.
