Eco-Logic

Wed, Apr 8, 2026 10:00 AM

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Hosts: Ken Gale, Donna Stein, Sally Gellert

Topics:

environmental impacts of the war in Iran -
King Penguins adapting to a warming climate -
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helping us identify greenwashing -

Synopsis:

PUERTO RICO: PRIVATIZATION

Puerto Rico's natural beauty makes it a target of acquisition by the wealthy and connected. As so often happens, Indigenous people lose land, rights, and power to big corporate interests. Original Indigenous Taíno people's history and heritage is being destroyed or sold to private collections, as with so many archaeologic artifacts. From developers privatizing the beachront to the power grid continually going down, governments turn away the needs and interests of permanent residents in favor of wealthy foreigners and greedy corporate interests. What is happening and being attempted in Puerto Rico has happened in Hawaii, other tropical Pacific islands, several places in Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

Puerto Rico would logically be a world model of renewable energy, with solar, wind, and tidal power being incredibly abundant, but fossil fuel companies and the conservative government are slowing down renewable energy's growth, even charging people monthly for having solar panels. However, Casa Pueblo’s long-existing solar panels in the central-midwestern Adjuntas community continue to show what is possible.

Hurricane María was possibly the worst hurricane ever to hit Puerto Rico and the needs of Puerto Ricans were ignored in favor of fossil fuel company interests. The Puerto Rico diaspora increased so much that there are now more Puerto Ricans living off the island than on it, and after the hurricane, members of the diaspora and allied organizations were instrumental in the recovery, which is still not complete.

Our guests this week are Puerto Rican activists David Galarza and Isatis Cintron-Rodriguez.

Guests:

David Galarza - N.Y. Contra Esencia
Isatis Cintrón - Rodriguez

Playlist:

Eco - Logic Theme Medley
Una Velita (A Little Candle) - Bad Bunny
Solar Medley -

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