Welcome to Biocentric, a newsletter about sustainability, greenwashing, and resistance. I’m author and organizer Max Wilbert. If you want to follow, you can subscribe for free. Paid subscribers, in return for supporting this publication and the activism you see here, receive access to private posts, which contain behind-the-scenes reports and unreleased drafts.
Topics discussed in this video
Grand strategy. How the idea of United States democracy is a falsehood and corporations have near total control over policy, and a discussion of a revolutionary and evolutionary path forward in the current moment of ecological collapse. This section takes place in the last 20 minutes or so.
The coming food crisis. Why collapse is actually the most positive possible future and how that collapse can be shaped to maximize positive outcomes and minimize the negative.
Wildfire as rejuvenation. The mythology of wildfires as destructive to forests and the reality of their ecological importance, as well as how fear of fires is being used by the Forest Service logging companies and the mainstream environmental movement to gain public acceptance for exceptionally destructive logging projects under the guise of “forest thinning” for “wildfire resilience,” and how logging releases FAR more carbon pollution than wildfires.
Land destruction. Agriculture as the most destructive force on the planet, including a case study of alfalfa production in the southwestern United States, much of which is shipped to the Gulf countries to feed cows in industrial dairies in sand deserts.
Biocentrism is essential. A discussion of shifting baseline syndrome, the prevalence of greenwashing, and the necessity of a value-system rooted in the land to keep us on track.
The myth of individual choice. How neoliberalism taught us all to become consumers rather than self-willed decision makers in our communities, including the dramatic difference between industrial food production, even “organic” and “eco-conscious” food, and having direct relationship with land.
Connecting to source. The complete disconnection of modern people from the source of life, including a discussion of a visit to Unist’ot’en Camp, an indigenous-led pipeline blockade.
Slow down. The reality that traditional low energy and localized ways of life are not anachronisms from the past. They are the only viable future.
Prepare. The ways in which self-reliance, prepping, and gaining independence from industrial supply chains and capitalism enables and facilitates more effective forms of resistance to undermine and destroy this system.
Take action. The necessity of action, the risks of relying on single charismatic leaders, horizontal organizing strategies, and how to get started. The necessity of direct intervention to halt the flow of fossil fuels, as well as the mining, logging, and other extractive industries, and to build alternatives.
Thank you to everyone who attended the live stream. Justin and I are considering making this into a regularly scheduled program, but in order to increase the quality and professionalism of this show, we could use some support. If you’re interested in being part of a production or editorial team for a weekly live broadcast of this sort, please contact me. We may be able to pay a nominal fee.
In other news:
If you know nothing about Iran, it’s worth learning more about the culture. There are many ways to do so. Here’s one video from a mainstream perspective:
A friend of mine created a website with online actions anyone can easily take to pressure companies that have contracts with ICE. As far as this friend knows, this is the only website that documents all known ICE contracts. Any feedback is welcome, and you can contact the site creator via their Substack page. This type of virtual action is no replacement for physical confrontation, but pressure campaign can be a potent supplementary tactic provided people engage in them en masse.
Small actions can trigger major ripple effects. In the introduction to this podcast, my colleague Tish O’Dell and I discuss this, with me sharing the example of how a small conversation between me and a friend helped, in a small way, to spark the 2020 Fairy Creek blockade, which became the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history and protected significant stands of old growth forest, and Tish relating how a prior podcast we recorded with a conservation biologist in Virginia led to a vibrant grassroots movement working to protect forests and Terrapin nesting habitat.
A wonderful Biocentric reader commented on my essay from last week, arguing that the phrase “Epstein Class” is less descriptive, precise, and politically useful than using the term “ruling class.” I largely agree, but as the feminist movement helped to teach us all, “the personal is political.” Patriarchy is, I believe, even more deeply embedded than capitalism, and underlies many of the problems we face today. With this in mind, it’s well worth watching this documentary summarizing what is known about Jeffrey Epstein and his links to the most powerful people on the planet:
I conducted an interview recently with Tom Grotewohl, and organizer with “Protect the Porkies” working to defend the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from a massive “toxic waste mine,” as Tom insists that it be called — since the vast majority of what is produces would be toxic waste.
I was interviewed by Bernie Stephen for his new show, Eco-Logic. Thank you Bernie! Apologies for the bad audio quality here.
Some friends asked me to share their latest effort in collaboration with Roger Hallam. It’s called “4 Billion Dead,” and is meant to be a new action network regarding the climate catastrophe. I’ve interviewed Roger previously and respect him greatly, despite some strategic differences between us. This project is worth following.
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