Well done Rachel, and a thousand thanks for this work. I cannot think of a more necessary message for our troubled times. Patriarchal violence to the earth and to women is the root of so much of this evil mess. I am so excited to hear of this book being birthed into the world!
Well done Rachel, a wonderful achievement. I presume this is the renamed Petrorape (pretty common for books to go through major name revisions). This sounds like a vital intensification of your passions and a very necessary project, especially as we enter an era committed to making patriarchy great again (or more accurately fratriarchy and bro-culture) on the downslope of civilizational collapse.
Eagle-eyed, Paul! Yes, this is petrorape in her evolved form and I'm totally impassioned by the subject. I'm so excited for you all to read it, even if it will be a while before you have a copy in your hands!
Sadly (or tragically), it is also coextensive with "making fascism great again", "making racism great again", "making white supremacism great again", "making homophobia great again", "making genocide great again" etc. As history seemingly reverses direction, we are on the way to revisit so many of those horror stories/realities, albeit with a new intensity and technocratic spin. Undoubtedly time to revive and revisit radical feminism.
“So long as people believe that some deserve to have more than others, there will be suffering.” - author unknown.
I have come to see this as more profound than it might seem at first glance. Underlying fascism, sexism, racism, genocide, war, colonization, patriarchy, and commodifying everything to destroy nature lies the belief that some deserve more than others! Challenge this belief, and the foundations of all the other ideologies start to crack.
Rachel, you are in a transformational process. I know because I am in the same thing. There is a moment when you will surely realize, if you have not already, that not only are you writing a book, it is writing you. It will torture you, fulfill you, steal your sleep and bring an ocean of tears. Every one of them is worth it. In the end, you are attuning yourself with a healing world. You will be amazed at what you see on the pages. You will know yourself in a different way, in a whole way as never before. I know you will step into it with everything. That's exactly what the world needs! Go for it!
Another key element of the colonial project was the deliberate suppression of the influence of indigenous women, including Native American women, not only for their roles as healers, tribal elders and chiefs, but also as holders of skills and wisdom using plant medicines, and as bearers of future generations. Alongside disease, starvation and displacement, gender violence was one of the primary factors through the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries for the radical decline in Native American populations.22
The timeline of the oppression of women is the timeline of the
oppression of the earth. --Erin Matariki Carr 23
Colonialism has also left a legacy of domestic abuse not only in Native American households, but in African and Asian households as well. In Nigeria, Britain refused to negotiate with female chiefs and instituted a land ownership system that excluded women. In all oppressed cultures, the seed of domestic violence is planted in early traumatic experiences of men. Violence becomes a generational legacy.24,25,
According to data from the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the United Nations and academic sources, countries which were colonized are 50 times more likely to have a high prevalence of intimate-partner violence against women. When a patriarchal society is combined with a history of colonialism, the risk of domestic violence [radically] increases.26 Post-colonial scholars have been telling us as much for decades. From widespread poverty to racial discrimination and gender inequalities, colonization put in place systems and structures that are often at the root of heightened violence against women.27
22. Wyatt, Robin, The Colonial Roots of Violence Against Native American Women, Columbia University Malman School of Public Health, March 2, 2023
23. Recentering Earth in the Legal System, Erin Matariki Carr is Project Lead and Kaiākau of RIVER Collective. In conversation with Matthew Monahan, Bioneers, 2023
24. Shlossberga, Pavel & Hector Amaya, Violences, displacements, and responses: exploring settler colonialism in North and Central America, LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ETHNIC STUDIES 2024, VOL. 19, NO. 4, 383–400
25. Violence against indigenous women, ‘legacy of colonialism’ rooted in racism, UN News Global Perspective, June 22, 2022
26. Brown, Laura J., et. al., High-Risk Contexts for Violence Against Women: Using Latent Class Analysis to Understand Structural and Contextual Drivers of Intimate Partner Violence at the National Level, Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume 38, Issue 1-2, Jan 2023, pp. 1007-1039
27. Mannell, Jenevieve, How colonialism is a major cause of domestic abuse against women around the world, The Conversation, April 25, 2022
Yes, and I've just updated the piece with the info. It will be out in March 2027 because one the finished English manuscript is written it needs to be translated into other languages. I know – it's a fair while, but I hope the community will still be with me in 2027 to share in that moment!
Yipes. I fear for the state of the world by 2027. Perhaps an updated foreword may be in order to reflect on what what will have occurred since the initial writing. If you are back in the UK, I may ask you to give a talk summarising the work well ahead of the publication date.
Don’t know how you managed to juggle everything whilst producing this. It is quite an achievement on its own. You have greatest respect and I’ll be ordering a copy when it comes out.
Wow, Rachel. That looks like a very interesting angle of contemplation of what has gone wrong in the evolution of our species' ways of being in Earth. Grammarly tells me it should be 'on' Earth. But, no, it isn't. I anxiously look forward to reading you. My current research concerns 'Care for Earth' (C4E). We are working on the prospect of a colloquium here in Southern France in October 2025 on C4E, focusing specifically on 'Building the Caring Mind.' I'll be in touch.
Very excited for this. My mind was blown when the connections were made between domination of women and nature in Caliban and the Witch and The Death of Nature. Will be eagerly looking forward to your contribution. Thank you for putting yourself in that hard position to research this stuff. It can’t have been easy. In solidarity.
Sounds like the missing link and explains the reticence to address climate change and the violence being perpetrated against our common home. Incest of a catastrophic global scale
Good news indeed Rachel! Youve survived your and our Planet: Critical odyssey through the storms and wonders of these times. The strong title will serve as an arrow to the political Archilles Heel of organised trumpism in its Deep South front for women's bodies.
The Machine fears the analytical field of the ecology movement (ecofeminist at depth) more than anything, says writer Clive Hamilton, founder of the Australia Institute (see "Whats become of the left? With Prof. Clive Hamilton " on YouTube). His 2022 memoir "Provocateur" is relevant to the deeply extractivist Australian story. Across the Tasman Sea, recently treated to an unannounced live-fire performance by PRC warships, Aotearoa-NZ is currently resisting our trumpy governments "War on Nature". A tour here would be timely with your message, especially with the maternity services crisis on the strongly indigenous and climate aware East Coast. We're in a comprehensive austerity and extractivist blitz with the public health system crisis looking like a real political Archilles Heel. As in USA, timely response is critical.
The delay in publishing is a concern. Would it spoil your publishers plan if you got a back-packable sized version out asap under Planet: Coordinate? 2025 is the political tipping point we've long been warned about. Time is of the essence for emergency response.
2027 feels a long wait. Meanwhile, fire out a short paperback asap? Eg. nailing the roots of violence and choice . I see a wee paperback in 2025's pilgrim backpacks "all across the countryside, opening many a door" (Dylan/JWH album).
A small paperback with the heart of the story in every go-bag, or is that a different book? Maybe a short story or novella..
Take a well-earned breather, Rachel, as we say over here . Thanks for this good news.
Thank you Alistair! I’m afraid I don’t have much say on the publishing timeline mostly because the foreign publishers need to have time to translate it. This is my first foray into publishing as I get more info on what is possible, I’ll update.
Glossary of Māori words in the article (caveat: precise translation from indigenous to modern language subject to imagining incommensurate world views):
Kaitiaki - Guardians
Rohe - District
Tangata - people
Whenua - 1. Land 2. Womb
Tangata Whenua - indigenous people
Mātauranga - knowledge system
Hikoi - walk. Historic pan-tribal Maori rallies across the islands to Parliament in Wellington: the most recent December 2024:
Rachel, as a regular viewer of Planet Critical I have long appreciated with (immense respect) the difficult but necessary work that you do. There have been many times that I worry personally about you. The work that you do cannot be an easy path to travel.
Now I hear that there is so much more to the depth of understanding that you bring to the conversation with your new book release. I think that you have become such an important "canary in the coal mine" for our planet in crisis and I congratulate you on the continued insights that you bring to the global diaspora.
That said, do take care of yourself as well Rachel as you are a treasure for the advancement of knowledge, understanding and compassion,
When I think of you, I think of Joana Macy who has become known by millions as the founder of the deep ecology movement in her many books during the 80's or 90's. I think back to the days that I first read Joanna Macy's profound book titled World as Lover, World as Self and the impact that it had on me as a lifelong environmental activist - please notice I am using small letters to describe my work here.). You are a capital letters ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST in my book, and I offer this comment more as sincere expression of my gratitude than anything else.
Blessings to you Rachel for all that you are and who you are becoming.
Thank you, David. Honestly I have never been better in myself while doing this work, something I explore in the book. It’s thanks to all the caring souls for whom I write and produce the podcast that I am reminded every day there is endless beauty in the world. It warms my heart.
Apologies for the naive question but would Rachel (or anyone) be able to put forward their suggestions for some action I could get involved with in the UK ? I'm obviously aware of XR / JSO but not currently able to risk the legal consequences from some of their typical direct actions. I'm feeling what I assume a lot of people must feel at some point in time ... fed up with just reading the exposes about what's happening and want to join a community that is doing something other than podcasts, videos and books (no disrespect to those who are focussing on content, as I appreciate that's very important).
Hi Andrew, I think looking for local chapters of anything, including getting involved in the council for example, is just as worthwhile as the particular branch of climate activism. Perhaps it’s worthwhile into joining your local chapters of the Green Party—or setting one up!
Hi Andew. As well as getting involved with the Green Party, look to see whether there's a Community Energy project in your area, they are always looking for volunteers. Also the Transition Town movement is worth checking out.
Well done Rachel, and a thousand thanks for this work. I cannot think of a more necessary message for our troubled times. Patriarchal violence to the earth and to women is the root of so much of this evil mess. I am so excited to hear of this book being birthed into the world!
Thank you so much!
Huge congratulations! Can’t wait to read it!
I can't wait for you to read it!!
Well done Rachel, a wonderful achievement. I presume this is the renamed Petrorape (pretty common for books to go through major name revisions). This sounds like a vital intensification of your passions and a very necessary project, especially as we enter an era committed to making patriarchy great again (or more accurately fratriarchy and bro-culture) on the downslope of civilizational collapse.
Eagle-eyed, Paul! Yes, this is petrorape in her evolved form and I'm totally impassioned by the subject. I'm so excited for you all to read it, even if it will be a while before you have a copy in your hands!
I will be using your phrase: “making the patriarchy great again.”
Sadly (or tragically), it is also coextensive with "making fascism great again", "making racism great again", "making white supremacism great again", "making homophobia great again", "making genocide great again" etc. As history seemingly reverses direction, we are on the way to revisit so many of those horror stories/realities, albeit with a new intensity and technocratic spin. Undoubtedly time to revive and revisit radical feminism.
“So long as people believe that some deserve to have more than others, there will be suffering.” - author unknown.
I have come to see this as more profound than it might seem at first glance. Underlying fascism, sexism, racism, genocide, war, colonization, patriarchy, and commodifying everything to destroy nature lies the belief that some deserve more than others! Challenge this belief, and the foundations of all the other ideologies start to crack.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is who you really are!! We've seen it all along. Now the world will know! Could not be happier for you.
Thank you so much!!
Rachel, you are in a transformational process. I know because I am in the same thing. There is a moment when you will surely realize, if you have not already, that not only are you writing a book, it is writing you. It will torture you, fulfill you, steal your sleep and bring an ocean of tears. Every one of them is worth it. In the end, you are attuning yourself with a healing world. You will be amazed at what you see on the pages. You will know yourself in a different way, in a whole way as never before. I know you will step into it with everything. That's exactly what the world needs! Go for it!
Some copy and references from my own work:
Another key element of the colonial project was the deliberate suppression of the influence of indigenous women, including Native American women, not only for their roles as healers, tribal elders and chiefs, but also as holders of skills and wisdom using plant medicines, and as bearers of future generations. Alongside disease, starvation and displacement, gender violence was one of the primary factors through the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries for the radical decline in Native American populations.22
The timeline of the oppression of women is the timeline of the
oppression of the earth. --Erin Matariki Carr 23
Colonialism has also left a legacy of domestic abuse not only in Native American households, but in African and Asian households as well. In Nigeria, Britain refused to negotiate with female chiefs and instituted a land ownership system that excluded women. In all oppressed cultures, the seed of domestic violence is planted in early traumatic experiences of men. Violence becomes a generational legacy.24,25,
According to data from the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the United Nations and academic sources, countries which were colonized are 50 times more likely to have a high prevalence of intimate-partner violence against women. When a patriarchal society is combined with a history of colonialism, the risk of domestic violence [radically] increases.26 Post-colonial scholars have been telling us as much for decades. From widespread poverty to racial discrimination and gender inequalities, colonization put in place systems and structures that are often at the root of heightened violence against women.27
22. Wyatt, Robin, The Colonial Roots of Violence Against Native American Women, Columbia University Malman School of Public Health, March 2, 2023
23. Recentering Earth in the Legal System, Erin Matariki Carr is Project Lead and Kaiākau of RIVER Collective. In conversation with Matthew Monahan, Bioneers, 2023
24. Shlossberga, Pavel & Hector Amaya, Violences, displacements, and responses: exploring settler colonialism in North and Central America, LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ETHNIC STUDIES 2024, VOL. 19, NO. 4, 383–400
25. Violence against indigenous women, ‘legacy of colonialism’ rooted in racism, UN News Global Perspective, June 22, 2022
26. Brown, Laura J., et. al., High-Risk Contexts for Violence Against Women: Using Latent Class Analysis to Understand Structural and Contextual Drivers of Intimate Partner Violence at the National Level, Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume 38, Issue 1-2, Jan 2023, pp. 1007-1039
27. Mannell, Jenevieve, How colonialism is a major cause of domestic abuse against women around the world, The Conversation, April 25, 2022
This is exciting! Any timeframe for when your book might be published?
Yes, and I've just updated the piece with the info. It will be out in March 2027 because one the finished English manuscript is written it needs to be translated into other languages. I know – it's a fair while, but I hope the community will still be with me in 2027 to share in that moment!
Yipes. I fear for the state of the world by 2027. Perhaps an updated foreword may be in order to reflect on what what will have occurred since the initial writing. If you are back in the UK, I may ask you to give a talk summarising the work well ahead of the publication date.
THAT'S FANTASTIC NEWS!!!
Bloody well done Rachel.
Have yourself a wonderful weekend, richly deserved.
Thank you!!!!
Don’t know how you managed to juggle everything whilst producing this. It is quite an achievement on its own. You have greatest respect and I’ll be ordering a copy when it comes out.
Thank you, Richard. You've been part of the gang for a long time now and I'm really grateful for your support.
So excited to read this! Congratulations Rachel! :)
Thank you, Anya! My heart is doing cartwheels!
Wow, Rachel. That looks like a very interesting angle of contemplation of what has gone wrong in the evolution of our species' ways of being in Earth. Grammarly tells me it should be 'on' Earth. But, no, it isn't. I anxiously look forward to reading you. My current research concerns 'Care for Earth' (C4E). We are working on the prospect of a colloquium here in Southern France in October 2025 on C4E, focusing specifically on 'Building the Caring Mind.' I'll be in touch.
Thanks, Jan!
Very excited for this. My mind was blown when the connections were made between domination of women and nature in Caliban and the Witch and The Death of Nature. Will be eagerly looking forward to your contribution. Thank you for putting yourself in that hard position to research this stuff. It can’t have been easy. In solidarity.
Thank you Ryan!
Sounds like the missing link and explains the reticence to address climate change and the violence being perpetrated against our common home. Incest of a catastrophic global scale
Doesn’t it just. Can’t wait for you to read it.
Good news indeed Rachel! Youve survived your and our Planet: Critical odyssey through the storms and wonders of these times. The strong title will serve as an arrow to the political Archilles Heel of organised trumpism in its Deep South front for women's bodies.
The Machine fears the analytical field of the ecology movement (ecofeminist at depth) more than anything, says writer Clive Hamilton, founder of the Australia Institute (see "Whats become of the left? With Prof. Clive Hamilton " on YouTube). His 2022 memoir "Provocateur" is relevant to the deeply extractivist Australian story. Across the Tasman Sea, recently treated to an unannounced live-fire performance by PRC warships, Aotearoa-NZ is currently resisting our trumpy governments "War on Nature". A tour here would be timely with your message, especially with the maternity services crisis on the strongly indigenous and climate aware East Coast. We're in a comprehensive austerity and extractivist blitz with the public health system crisis looking like a real political Archilles Heel. As in USA, timely response is critical.
The delay in publishing is a concern. Would it spoil your publishers plan if you got a back-packable sized version out asap under Planet: Coordinate? 2025 is the political tipping point we've long been warned about. Time is of the essence for emergency response.
2027 feels a long wait. Meanwhile, fire out a short paperback asap? Eg. nailing the roots of violence and choice . I see a wee paperback in 2025's pilgrim backpacks "all across the countryside, opening many a door" (Dylan/JWH album).
A small paperback with the heart of the story in every go-bag, or is that a different book? Maybe a short story or novella..
Take a well-earned breather, Rachel, as we say over here . Thanks for this good news.
Thank you Alistair! I’m afraid I don’t have much say on the publishing timeline mostly because the foreign publishers need to have time to translate it. This is my first foray into publishing as I get more info on what is possible, I’ll update.
For a concise article on the shape of the extractivist assault of the far right in NZ which lurched right same time as US:
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/removing-maori-rights-is-a-war-on-nature/
Glossary of Māori words in the article (caveat: precise translation from indigenous to modern language subject to imagining incommensurate world views):
Kaitiaki - Guardians
Rohe - District
Tangata - people
Whenua - 1. Land 2. Womb
Tangata Whenua - indigenous people
Mātauranga - knowledge system
Hikoi - walk. Historic pan-tribal Maori rallies across the islands to Parliament in Wellington: the most recent December 2024:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C4%ABkoi_m%C5%8D_te_Tiriti
Rachel, as a regular viewer of Planet Critical I have long appreciated with (immense respect) the difficult but necessary work that you do. There have been many times that I worry personally about you. The work that you do cannot be an easy path to travel.
Now I hear that there is so much more to the depth of understanding that you bring to the conversation with your new book release. I think that you have become such an important "canary in the coal mine" for our planet in crisis and I congratulate you on the continued insights that you bring to the global diaspora.
That said, do take care of yourself as well Rachel as you are a treasure for the advancement of knowledge, understanding and compassion,
When I think of you, I think of Joana Macy who has become known by millions as the founder of the deep ecology movement in her many books during the 80's or 90's. I think back to the days that I first read Joanna Macy's profound book titled World as Lover, World as Self and the impact that it had on me as a lifelong environmental activist - please notice I am using small letters to describe my work here.). You are a capital letters ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST in my book, and I offer this comment more as sincere expression of my gratitude than anything else.
Blessings to you Rachel for all that you are and who you are becoming.
Thank you, David. Honestly I have never been better in myself while doing this work, something I explore in the book. It’s thanks to all the caring souls for whom I write and produce the podcast that I am reminded every day there is endless beauty in the world. It warms my heart.
Congratulations on the book.
Apologies for the naive question but would Rachel (or anyone) be able to put forward their suggestions for some action I could get involved with in the UK ? I'm obviously aware of XR / JSO but not currently able to risk the legal consequences from some of their typical direct actions. I'm feeling what I assume a lot of people must feel at some point in time ... fed up with just reading the exposes about what's happening and want to join a community that is doing something other than podcasts, videos and books (no disrespect to those who are focussing on content, as I appreciate that's very important).
Hi Andrew, I think looking for local chapters of anything, including getting involved in the council for example, is just as worthwhile as the particular branch of climate activism. Perhaps it’s worthwhile into joining your local chapters of the Green Party—or setting one up!
If anyone else can advise, please comment below!
Hi Andew. As well as getting involved with the Green Party, look to see whether there's a Community Energy project in your area, they are always looking for volunteers. Also the Transition Town movement is worth checking out.
Wow! Congratulations ! Can't wait to read it and share it with others !
Thank you!!!
Fantastic news Rachel, well done you!
I don't if my body is patient enough to last the 2 years until it's published, here's hoping.
I know right! Thrilled you've been part of the community for years, Peter. Thank you for your support, and I can't wait for you to read it.