Civilization & Climate Change

Ronald Wright

Ronald Wright speaks of urgency to deal with climate change. He also talks about civilizations' exploitation of nature, leading to collapse. He mentions how addiction to social media eliminates reflection time in societies demanding instant gratification. Ronald Wright is the author of A Short History of Progress.
Source: The A-Infos Radio Project: 'Progress' & Climate Change

Heiða Dóra Jónsdóttir with Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the President of Iceland
By David Kestenbaum/NPR

Democracy in Iceland

In the spring of 2011, voters in Iceland had to decide whether to pay off the IOUs bankers had given before the financial crisis. This program recounts the events before the majority of Icelanders eventually voted "no" on the referendum. Also the British and Dutch governments took Iceland to court to attempt to recover money their citizens lost when Icelandic banks failed. Also an update on how the international, multi-billion-dollar battle turned out.
Source: NPR: A New Mom And The President of Iceland

Download or Play Climate Change Part 1

Download or Play Climate Change Part 2
Download or Play Democracy in Iceland Part 1
Download or Play Democracy in Iceland Part 2


Music includes Sam Cooke - Don't Know Much About History, Capitol Steps - Al-Jazeera, They Lied - Jay Mankita, Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth, Stephan Smith - Business, Judgment at Nuremberg(Movie), Capitol Steps - Do You Fear What I Fear?, Roy Zimmerman - Vote Republican, Huey Long, Lenny Kravits - We Want Peace, Ronald Reagan 1-20-1981, Odetta - Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, Beatles - Come Together, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Carmen, Wish I would see you again - Phillip Glass

Great Speeches and Interviews' Past Programs

A Time to Break Silence By Rev. Martin Luther King

In 1967, King was an important opponent of the Vietnam War, and a staunch critic of overall U.S. foreign policy. In his "Beyond Vietnam" speech delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." At YouTube at MLK: Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence (Full)
Source: Media/History/Other/King, Martin Luther: A Time To Break Silence

Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee talks to Tavis Smiley

Leymah Gbowee talks about the challenges faced by women in politics.

After watching her native Liberia descend into a lengthy civil war, Leymah Gbowee decided to take a stand. A social worker by profession, she mobilized a coalition of Christian and Muslim women that eventually paving the way for Africa's first democratic election of a female head of state. She's the co-founder and executive director of the Ghana-based Women Peace and Security Network-Africa and Newsweek Daily Beast's Africa columnist.
Source: Tavis Smiley: Nobel laureate Leymah Gbowee

Download or Play King Part 1
Download or Play King Part 2
Download or Play King Part 3 & Gbowee
Download or Play Gbowee Part 2


Music includes Michael Franti & Spearhead - Bomb the World, Jack Johnson Feat & Ben Harper - With My Own Two Hands, The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Craymo - One Love One World, John Kennedy, Gandhi - The Philosophy of Nonviolence, Clinton Fearon - Streets of Freedom, Frank Sinatra - Mack the Knife, Linda Tillery & the Cultural Heritage Choir - Jaime Moreno's Jam, Terry Gangstad - Federali Express, Jimi Hendrix - Star Spangled Banner, Cat Stevens - Moonshadow, The Matrix(Movie), Kenny Rogers - Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town, The Kingston Trio - M.T.A., Herb Alpert - Bittersweet Samba

Great Speeches and Interviews' Past Programs

Free The Guantanamo Bay Prisoners

Peter L. Bergen, Director,
New America Foundation

Morris Davis, Chief Prosecutor

Thomas B. Wilner, Attorney

Andrew Worthington, Author

Opponents of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center argued for closure of the facility. They refer to the impact of the prison on U.S. credibility, the number of trials held in the 11 years that the prison has been open, bills passed by Congress that prevent the release of prisoners, and the legitimacy of military commissions. President Obama is criticized for failing to close the facility and for not vetoing a 2012 defense bill that barred the transfer of detainees.

The program contains language that some may find objectionable.

• Peter L. Bergen, Director, New America Foundation, National Security Studies Program
• Morris Davis, Chief Prosecutor (Former), Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions
• Thomas B. Wilner, Attorney
• Andrew Worthington, Author

Source: C-Span: Guantanamo Bay Prisoners

Download or Play Guantanamo Part 1
Download or Play Guantanamo Part 2
Download or Play Guantanamo Part 3
Download or Play Guantanamo Part 4

 Music includes Buffy Sainte-Marie - Soldier Blue, Zager & Evans - In The Year 2525, Outlandish - Just Me, James Taylor - America the Beautiful, Jesus of Nazareth - 1977, The Matrix(Movie), Joan Baez -There but for fortune, Dixie Chicks - Landslide, Charlie Chaplin - The Great Dictator Soundtrack, Art Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair/Canticle, Stephen Longfellow Fiske - Earth Anthem

Great Speeches and Interviews' Past Programs

Inside Crony Capitalism with William K. Black and Bonnie Faulkner

William K. Black

William K. Black is an expert in white collar crime, public finance, antitrust and economics. He is an associate professor of economics and law. He was litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, deputy director of the FSLIC, Senior VP and general counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and senior deputy chief counsel, Office of Thrift Supervision. He was deputy director of the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement.
Source: Guns and Butter: "The Greatest Bank Robbery Ever" with William K. Black

Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan

Waste Heat

A new study finds that enough waste heat rises from cities to influence regional climate, especially in the winter. Steve Curwood learns how cities’ heat affects climate from Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Source: Living On Earth: Waste Heat

Download or Play William Black Part 1
Download or Play William Black Part 2
Download or Play William Black Part 3
Download or Play William Black Part 4 & Waste Heat


Music includes David Freyer and the Positive Chi Units - Rise Up!, Dr. King - Nonviolence is the Most Powerful Weapon, Studies In Non-Violent Action - Gandhi Is Camping Out At City Hall, The Peasants - Homeland Security, Crass - Major General Despair, General Douglas MacArthur 4-20-1951, David Rovics - Song For Rachel Corrie, Judith - Fools rule the world (Dance against war mix), John Mayer - Waiting World Change, Emerson Lake And Palmer - Lucky Man, The Lion King - I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Portugal.The Man - Got It All, Rico - Midnight in Ethiopia

Great Speeches and Interviews' Past Programs