Post-World War II messaging dovetails with the Cold War and further solidifies this relationship between American identity, capitalism, and oil. Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring sparks a public outcry about the ways that industry uses and abuses nature to benefit itself. Nader plants a very simple but powerful idea in the minds of Americans: Consumers deserve protection.
Why has the United States played such an outsized role in the creation of the climate crisis? As a settler nation, the U.S. emerged from the colonizing, capitalist West, but what did America and its cultural peculiarities bring to the party? Part 4 of our series, The Repair, on the climate emergency.
Researched and written by this season’s co-host, Amy Westervelt, produced and mixed by host John Biewen. Interviews with Colin Jerolmack, Darren Dochuk, Melissa Aronczyk, Bob Brulle, and the Rev. Lennox Yearwood.
The series editor is Cheryl Devall. Music in this episode by Lili Haydn, Kim Carroll, Chris Westlake, Lesley Barber, Cora Miron, and goodnight Lucas. Music consulting by Joe Augustine of Narrative Music.
The Repair is supported by Scene on Radio listener-donors, and by the International Women’s Media Foundation.