A recent Human Rights Watch report found that illegal cattle ranching and clearing of the Amazon rainforest has led to the forced eviction of small farmers and indigenous people in the state of Pará, Brazil. The report also alleges that cattle raised on these illegal ranches may be sold to middlemen who are often direct suppliers for JBS, the world’s largest meat company. Luciana Tellez Chavez helped compile the report for Human Rights Watch and she joins Host Jenni Doering to discuss the stakes for the planet and people, as well as possible solutions.

Meat is the biggest single source of carbon emissions from the food system, which is itself responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Sociologist David McBey from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland joins Host Paloma Beltran to talk about the gap between reality and coverage of how meat contributes to global warming, as well as effective strategies for encouraging people to choose to eat less meat without trying to force them to do so.

As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has invested over $1 trillion in overseas infrastructure for projects that include mining in developing countries for minerals to fuel the clean energy transition. In the “copper belt” of Zambia, a Chinese-owned tailings dam collapsed, sending toxic sludge into homes and crops. Inside Climate News reporter Katie Surma speaks with Host Jenni Doering about the aftermath and “green colonialism” that appears to no longer be only at the hands of the Global North.

David Brancaccio, the host of Marketplace Morning Report, is no stranger to climate disruption. He lost his home in the devastating Los Angeles fires this past January only two months after moving in. Living on Earth Host Steve Curwood checked back in with David Brancaccio to hear about his hopes to rebuild with fire-resistant material.

The thousands of homes that burned in Los Angeles this January included the home of Marketplace Morning Report Host David Brancaccio. David joined Living on Earth Host Steve Curwood to share what he’s learning about the challenges of rebuilding with a limited supply and huge demand for contractors.