The Plastic Coup: How Big Oil Poisons Our DNA

Gaslit Nation

News, Politics, Society & Culture

4.7 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As we fight the daily battles of the "Great Disillusionment," corruption and unchecked greed are poisoning our bodies. Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, a group dedicated to helping the world transition away from plastics, joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the systemic corruption wreaking havoc on our environment, our water, and our food.

We are now breathing, eating, and drinking a credit card's worth of plastic every single week. Big Oil, facing a transition away from fossil fuels for energy, financially depends in our dependence on plastic. They have turned our bodies into a landfill to keep their profits soaring. We also discuss the threat of deep sea mining, the minerals war between the US and China, why everyone should read Donut Economics by the "planet's economist" Kate Raworth on how to build a sustainable economy, and why ending the "forever wars" requires a transition to renewable energies.

Join us to celebrate the power of art and defiance at the book launch of Mrs. Orwell, Andrea's inspiring new graphic novel, illustrated by the genius Brahm Revel.

When: April 13
Where: PowerHouse Books Arena, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/

Patreon Supporters: You and your guests get in free and receive a complimentary book! Just message us through Patreon to claim yours.

Not a member yet? Join our community at Patreon.com/Gaslit. We couldn't make this show without you–see you there!

Show Notes:

A Plastic Planet: https://aplasticplanet.com/

Follow-up study of genotoxic effects in individuals exposed to oil from the tanker Prestige, seven years after the accident https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24370900/

Sian Sutherland: "Innovating the Business of Plastics" https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/herman-daly-toward-an-ecological-economics-5-2/

Dr. Jeremy Williams: The Truth About Rare Earth Mineral Mining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8OMk9JapDM

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Gaslit Nation, a show about corruption in America and rising autocracy worldwide.
0:18.6	I am your host, Andrea Chalupa, a journalist and filmmaker, and the writer
0:22.6	and producer of the journalistic thriller, Mr. Jones, about Stalin's genocide famine in Ukraine.
0:28.8	The film The Kremlin doesn't want you to see, so be sure to watch it. A project that came out of
0:33.4	Mr. Jones all those years ago was my latest, a graphic novel called Mrs. Orwell.
0:41.6	I had to get inside the head of Eileen and Eric Blair because Orwell was a character,
0:49.2	a walking, talking character on the screen in Mr. Jones.
0:51.9	And so deep diving into that soul, years of research into
0:56.1	the Orwells, I fell in love with his wife, Eileen. She was a Jedi knight for truth, justice,
1:04.3	and defiance in this world. Half Irish, half English. I think her Irish side is really what rebelled against a system that Orwell was
1:16.0	struggling with growing up, going to Eaton, serving five years as Imperial Police Officer in Burma.
1:24.9	This was Orwell very much being big brother himself, being the boot, stomping
1:29.6	on the human face forever, and having to stop running from his true self and become the person,
1:35.3	the humanitarian, who always was inside. And it was Eileen, Oshaknessy, who gave him that
1:41.1	encouragement, gave him that beautiful nest, that safe space from which
1:45.6	to do it. And they were kindred spirits that united against the world. And it's the story of
1:50.2	Mrs. Orwell is a reminder that it takes a team to get the truth out and that we find our voice
1:55.8	when we unite with each other, when we put our light out there and watch the light that shines back and
2:02.0	unite together and our light together becomes stronger. None of us are going to get through
2:06.7	this alone. We need each other. We need each other. And so I love, I love, love this story, Mrs. Orwell.
2:13.3	Again, I dedicated over 10 years to making this finally happen, and it's coming out in the world.
2:17.8	And I look forward to celebrating it with you all at a special live taping of Gaslit Nation
	...

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