Scapegoat with Clare Follmann

Scapegoat with Clare Follmann

From treehugger podcast by Michael T Yadrick

February 18, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 62

About this episode

Michael T Yadrick interviews Clare Follmann about her book on invasive species and the misconceptions surrounding them.

In this episode, Michael talks with environmental writer Clare Follmann about her new book Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong (AK Press) - and yes, we are talking about invasive species again, but this time with sharper teeth. Together they question the fantasy of eradication, unpack "plastic words" like management and health, and examine how invasive species rhetoric can distract from capitalism, climate disruption, and the systems actually reshaping our landscapes. From novel ecosystems to the ethics of killing in conservation, this conversation asks restoration practitioners to be more precise, more honest, and maybe a little less trigger-happy with the war metaphors. Because in a warming world, clarity matters - and not everything that spreads is the villain. Clare Follmann https://clarefollmann.com Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong (AK Press): https://www.akpress.org/scapegoat.html Barred Owl Controversy (Referenced in Episode) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Barred Owl Management Strategy: https://www.fws.gov/project/barred-owl-management To Kill or Not to Kill? The Controversial Plan to Kill Half a Million Barred Owls…

People in this episode

Host: Michael T Yadrick

Guest: Clare Follmann

Topics covered

  • invasive species
  • environmental ethics
  • capitalism
  • climate disruption
  • restoration practices

Keywords

  • invasive species
  • environmental writing
  • restoration
  • capitalism
  • climate change
  • ethics
  • management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AK Press, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Earth Law Center

Books & works: Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong

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