Tom Hayden – Democracy Against Empire

Political icon Tom Hayden delivers a rousing call to action based on a profound historical overview of the arc of justice and social movements. Among the most important progressive political figures of our era, he co-authored the historic SDS-founding Port Huron Statements in the early 1960’s, was a defendant in the trial of the legendary Chicago Seven, and went on to serve as a California State Senator. In this deeply moving, visionary talk, he considers how a grassroots movement might overcome the most powerful empire in world history.

This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers National Conference.

 

Sandra Steingraber – The Whole Fracking Enchilada

This award-winning author, biologist and environmental health researcher explores the threats to climate and public health from extreme energy extraction including hydraulic fracturing (fracking). From strip-mining of frack sand in Wisconsin that releases carcinogenic silica dust to the deep-well injection of fracking waste in Ohio, which has been linked to earthquakes – these new methods of extracting hydrocarbons are shock-and-awe operations. Of particular interest are the living organisms that inhabit Earth’s deep geological strata. Far from being inert, our nation’s bedrock is an underground “coral reef” of microbes, another invisible ecosystem that’s linked to life in ways not yet fully understood here on the sunlit surface of our planet.

 

Clayton Thomas-Muller – Stopping the Energy Colonization of Sacred Native Lands

A brilliant young activist from the exemplary Indigenous Environmental Network depicts how relentless organizing and alliances on the frontlines of resistance are stemming industrial society’s juggernaut to exploit unsustainable energy extraction from Native homelands and sacred lands of Turtle Island. He went on to become a globally respected leader and helps direct Canada’s Idle No More movement to honor indigenous sovereignty and land and water.

 

Anim Steel – The Real Food Challenge

Food organizer Anim Steel asks us to imagine a dark holding cell in Ghana and the iron gate through which millions of slaves passed before being forced into the hold of a waiting ship. The gate represents an entry point on a centuries-long agricultural path, which began with plantation labor abuse and has brought us to the current unhealthy, centralized industrial model largely controlled by a handful monopolistic corporations. His Real Food Challenge represents a doorway for a food movement that leverages university food budgets in service of a fair and healthy food system. It has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in commitments to provide fair and fortifying food, and it is student-driven.

This speech was given at the 2011 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Food Justice Vol. 1 Collection.

Nikki Henderson – Flavors of a Whole Community

Nikki Henderson begins her deeply personal story by sharing the inspiration of her forefathers and foremothers, captivating the audience with her uninhibited warmth and radiance. She recalls her childhood aspiration to become an environmental activist, and reveals her genuine hope to be as effective personally as professionally in using food as a catalyst for environmental and social justice.

This speech was given at the 2012 Bioneers National Conference and is featured on the Food Justice Vol. 1 and Nature, Culture and Spirit Vol. 1 Collections.

Annie Leonard – The Story of Stuff

The American Dream has come to mean accumulating more and more stuff – and it has been exported worldwide. Yet all the stuff in our lives is taking an enormous toll on the environment, public health, equity, personal happiness and even our sense of citizenship and democracy. Filmmaker-activist Annie Leonard exposes the often hidden costs and provides a hopeful vision for moving beyond the age of stuff. She reframes consumerism and hyper-materialism by encouraging people to jettison their shopping bags without regret, and instead embrace the creation of a livable, joyous, equitable and life-centered world.

This speech was given at the 2009 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Environmental Justice Vol. 1 Collection.

Jerome Ringo – Color of Green: The Next Inconvenient Truth

Green economy African-American leader Jerome Ringo stands witness to the gravity of the current global environmental crisis and domestic economic decline, and illuminates the path to forge a coalition to deliver policies that will help build a prosperous green economy. It’s an economy that grows on a trellis of social justice and equity, matching the people who most need work with the work that most needs doing. Ringo suggests we build the economy by repairing our damaged world and restoring equity, jobs and justice for all.

This speech was given at the the 2009 Bioneers National Conference.

Maria Elena Durazo – Building Alliances: Labor, Immigration and the Environment

The President of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union’s Local 11 and the first Latina woman to lead a major union in Southern California portrays her work as National Director of the Immigrant Workers’ Freedom Ride. Immigrant workers want nothing less than our immigrant forebears: safe working conditions, basic human rights, and a chance at a better life.

This speech was given at the 2006 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Re-Imagining Labor in a Green Economy Vol. 1 Collection.

Roxanne Brown – Blue and Green: Working Together to Secure a Sustainable Future

In this galvanizing talk, Roxanne Brown shows the hallmark of a true coalition builder, connecting her work as a labor leader to the definition of a “bioneer.” Of Jamaican descent and from a line of strong women who made great sacrifices to pursue the American Dream, she understands first-hand that sustainability cannot exist without workplace safety, economic security, and a legacy for future generations.

This speech was given at the 2011 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Re-Imagining Labor in a Green Economy Vol. 1 Collection.

Omar Freilla – Greening the Inner City: Jobs, Health, Justice and the Environment

Omar Freilla, one of the nation’s most dynamic and creative young environmental justice leaders, is a founding board member of Sustainable South Bronx and launched Green Worker Cooperatives, an inspiring initiative dedicated to the creation of worker-owned, environmentally friendly manufacturing cooperatives in the South Bronx. Freilla describes how his enterprises in skill training, energy-efficient construction, and equitable planning and policy are harnessing the value of both people and materials to regenerate entire neighborhoods.

This speech was given at the 2005 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Re-Imagining Labor in a Green Economy Vol. 1 Collection.

Find out more about Omar Freilla’s work at the Green Worker’s Cooperative website.

See related videos in our Green New Deal Media Collection.

Lucas Benitez – Fighting for Justice for Farmworkers

In this dramatic depiction from the front lines, farmworker organizer Lucas Benitez sheds light on the most unsung heroes of the food system: exploited farm workers. He portrays the protracted road to victory over Yum Brands, owner of Burger King. This landmark triumph caused a domino effect with other giant food companies to pay farm workers decent wages and provide better working conditions.

This speech was given at the 2008 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Re-Imagining Labor in a Green Economy Vol. 1 Collection.

 

Ai-Jen Poo – A Caring, Sustainable Economy for the 21st Century

One of the nation’s most effective and dynamic young labor leaders presents the vision of Caring Across Generations, a new national coalition of 200 advocacy organizations working together for a dignified quality of life for all Americans. Its purpose is to transform some of our most fundamental social and economic challenges – jobs, long-term care and immigration – into opportunities for innovation and solutions that benefit everyone.

This speech was given at the 2012 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Re-Imagining Labor in a Green Economy Vol. 1 Collection.