The Politics of Pesticides with Mitchel Cohen
The Politics of Pesticides with Mitchel Cohen » Listen
Date: March 18, 2019
Episode Description
Long time activist Mitchel Cohen is discussing his book “The fight Against Monsanto’s Roundup: The Politics of Pesticides.” In years of political debate and arguing, we have ignored the damage that pesticides are doing to us and our children. Unfortunately, we need to be aware that this isn’t just about eating organic, but about joining the fight to stop governments from spraying the air and playgrounds where children play. If you live in a city, or in this world, this information is vitally important for you.
Guest Information
Mitchel Cohen coordinates the No Spray Coalition against pesticides in New York City, which successfully sued the City government over its indiscriminate spraying of toxic pesticides. In 1997, he organized the campaign to rid NYC public schools of milk from cows injected with genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone, and in 2001, he ran in a primary election for Mayor of NYC as one of five Green Party candidates. He was editor of the national newspaper Green Politix, and of the NY State Green Party newspaper. Mitchel edited Red Balloon, the journal of the Red Balloon Collective that he cofounded at SUNY Stony Brook, and chaired WBAI/Pacifica radio’s Local Board. His writings include: The Social Construction of Neurosis; Zen-Marxism; and numerous pamphlets; What is Direct Action?, a book that draws on personal experiences as well as lessons from Occupy Wall Street; An American in Revolutionary Nicaragua; Listen, Bookchin!; and two books of poetry, One-Eyed Cat Takes Flight and The Permanent Carnival.
He’s been very active in antiwar and social justice issues for many years; taught an underground class: Marxism for Beginners, for 17 years at SUNY Stony Brook; and was “removed” from the New School after one semester of teaching Environmentalism for Activists when some of his students decided to write their final papers on the school’s board of trustees and the corporations and banks they interlocked with, and they did too good a job.
