Politics And Activism Episodes

How developers split projects to sidestep environmental review—and how communities fight back. Cadiz groundwater, Chevron and an Imperial County data center.

Chris talks with Melinda Matson Spina, Jodi Darby, and Sage Bond about Desert Dispatch Media’s effort to document communities responding to the rapid expansion of AI data centers across the desert Southwest. They discuss a community-led film, public assemblies, and music that draws on sounds from the land.

Cindy Bernard and Bernard Leibov respond to criticism of the High Desert Art Fair, distinguishing commercial fairs from biennials and arguing that art, education and economic survival can coexist with responsible participation in desert community life.

Ruth Nolan and Chris examine how promotional media, upscale art events and imported visions can accelerate gentrification in the Morongo Basin, arguing that newcomers should listen to the land and existing communities before remaking either.

Chris explains how collapsing local media has stripped desert communities of context and institutional memory, and introduces the Fellowship for Desert Reporting as a way to support emerging journalists and deeper, systems-aware work.

Laiken Jordahl describes the unusually broad Big Bend coalition opposing border-wall construction, where ranchers, conservationists and local officials are defending wildlife, the recovering Rio Grande and cross-border community life.

Responding to sexual-assault allegations against César Chávez, Chris examines the damage caused by hero worship and argues for accountable, distributed movements that value collective work above charismatic leaders.

Gilberto Manzanarez of Valle Imperial Resiste explains why Imperial County residents are demanding a moratorium on data centers until officials address their enormous energy, water, noise and community impacts.

Chris contrasts AI-generated misinformation and political certainty with the desert’s stubborn complexity, arguing that truth requires attention, humility and a willingness to slow down long enough to see what is actually there.

Mandy Culbertson explains how state wildlife agencies and commissions govern most American wildlife, why special interests often outrank biodiversity and how public participation can make wildlife policy more democratic.

During the 2025 federal shutdown, Chris urges visitors to avoid understaffed national parks because reduced protection increases risks to landscapes and people, while suggesting nearby public lands and local businesses as alternatives.

A 1,600-mile journey from the Mojave through Tucson to El Paso reveals shared threats, passionate local defenders and the possibility of a cross-desert movement built through relationships and regular communication.