Ep. 00: Trailer

A brief introduction to Ecocide, a new narrative documentary podcast about environmental destruction, those who cause it, and those who fight back. This trailer introduces the series and the stories we'll be telling in Season 1, including environmental disasters, cover-ups, court battles, and the communities still living with the consequences.

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Every environmental disaster starts the same way, not with an explosion, a spill, or a cloud of gas, but with a decision that trades someone else's safety or water or life for money, efficiency, or just the convenience of not dealing with a known problem. Ecoside is a narrative podcast about environmental destruction and the many forms it can take. Each episode investigates a moment when human activity collided with the natural world and follows what happened next and who was left to deal with the fallout. The stories fall into four categories. First, infamous cases. Disasters you've heard of but may not know the full story. Think the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or the Cuyahoga River catching fire. We'll document ignored warnings, the calculations made by people who understood exactly what they were doing, and the long trail of consequences that followed to humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. Second, local and regional cases that rarely make national news. A small community's drinking water quietly contaminated while regulators looked the other way, or a mine operating illegally in a protected landscape. These are the cases that show how the system actually works because they show what happens when nobody's watching. There are thousands of these stories touching every corner of America and the globe. Third, historical cases that explain how ecosystems function, how they break, and sometimes how they recover. Stories like the capture of wild orcas for entertainment, or the widespread use of DDT. Moments that changed how we understand the natural world, often too late. Fourth, real-time episodes. Stories unfolding right now, tied to specific decisions, specific timelines, and, in some cases, specific actions listeners can take. These episodes close the gap between awareness and action. You won't find a show like this anywhere else. Environmental stories typically get covered in one of two ways, either as fast and thin breaking news, gone before the consequences arrived, or as advocacy, with a conclusion already built in. What's missing are stories followed all the way through, stories that stay long enough to establish the facts, examine the trade-offs, name the people who made the decisions, and sit with the communities left behind, and to do it all without telling listeners what to think. That's what this show is. Every episode is built on primary sources like news reporting, agency documents, scientific research, and the public record. When the facts are damning, they'll be presented without editorializing. And when the story is complicated, it'll stay complicated. The goal isn't to tell you how to feel, it's to make sure you know what happened. Because the earth doesn't forget, and neither should we. New episodes are out now with more on the way. We'll release them whenever they're ready. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your preferred app. A Patreon will launch soon with early releases, bonus episodes, and behind the scenes content. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Ecoside.