The Top Species Unite Podcast Episodes of 2022
A cellular agriculture expert, a lawyer, and an iconic musician and composer are among our most listened-to guests for 2022.
It can often be overwhelming to think about the problems that animals, humans and the environment currently face.
But there is so much hope - thanks to the countless people fighting tirelessly to create a kinder, more compassionate future. This year, Species Unite has spoken with so many inspiring and incredible individuals who have shown us just how much impact one person can have. Their stories are so important, and by listening to them, together we can help change the narrative for animals.
Here are the episodes our supporters listened to most during 2022:
S7. E12: Steven Wise: The Most Important Animal-Rights Case of the 21st Century
Credit: NhRP
Our most popular Species Unite podcast episode of 2022 was with Steven Wise, the founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project.
In 2018, the Nonhuman Rights Project brought a petition for writ of habeas corpus on behalf of an elephant called Happy who lives all by herself in a small enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. Habeas corpus is a common law right that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. In Happy’s case, the NhRP were seeking recognition of her fundamental right to bodily liberty and transfer to an elephant sanctuary.
Last spring, the New York court of appeals, the highest court in the state of New York, agreed to hear Happy’s case. This was the first time in history that the highest court of any English-speaking jurisdiction heard a habeas corpus case brought on behalf of someone other than a human being.
Although Happy was denied personhood, Wise still called the case a victory: “We won. We won something. I mean, you're already there. We just got up. We've already won. And even if we don't win in New York, that doesn't matter. Then there's California. The world is changing. It can take a while, we understand. But we are so clearly, intellectually and rationally correct, that we are going to win.”
Listen to the incredible conversation here.
S7. E23: Warren Ellis: Ellis Park
Our second more popular episode was with the iconic musician and composer Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Last spring, Warren co-founded Ellis Park, a forever home for disabled wildlife in South Sumatra. It’s a haven for animals who have been rescued from wildlife trafficking who are either too traumatized or too handicapped to be returned to the wild.
In this conversation, Warren and Species Unite founder Elizabeth delves into the park’s mission, as well as how the earth can connect us all. Listen here.
S7. E7: Natalie Rubio is the First Person in the World to Complete a Ph.D. in Cellular Agriculture
2022 was a milestone year for cellular agriculture, which is the production of animal-sourced foods from cell culture or meat that is grown in a lab without using animals. In November, cultivated meat was approved for human consumption in the United States for the first time, bringing the world one step closer to a world without slaughterhouses. In this popular Species Unite podcast episode, Elizabeth spoke with Natalie Rubio, who recently made history as the first person on the planet to complete a Ph.D. in cellular agriculture.
Her thesis: Entomoculture: Insect Cell Cultivation for Cellular Agriculture, makes the case for growing meat from insect cells. (Natalie also coined the term ‘entomoculture’). Listen to the fascinating conversation here.
S8. E21: Dr. Krithi Karanth: Rewilding India
Dr. Krithi Karanth is Chief Conservation Scientist and Director at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, in Bangalore, India, and is Adjunct Faculty at Duke University and National Centre for Biological Sciences. She has spent the past 24 years researching in India and Asia, much of which has focused on the many issues surrounding the human side of wildlife conservation.
This podcast episode about building tolerance for wild animals, and creating solutions for sharing the land, captured audiences’ attention across the world. Listen here.
S7. E14: Barbara King Makes Us Care
What makes us care about other animals? That’s the big question when it comes to changing the narrative around how we see and treat the others we share our world with. Barbara King is emerita professor of anthropology at William & Mary and a freelance science writer and public speaker and the author of seven books.
Barbara is an expert on animal cognition and emotion and - as is evident in her work - the more that humans know about animals’ intelligence and emotional lives, the harder it becomes to harm them.
In this episode, Barbara joins Elizabeth on the Species Unite podcast for the second time to discuss how we can better advocate for the rights of animals. Listen to this important conversation here.
Check out all of Species Unite’s episodes here and remember to subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts.
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The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.