The problem with invasive species is a problem of capitalism. 

Author Clare Follmann is joined by activist Patty Krawec for a virtual conversation about her new book Scapegoat and the the outdated narrative of "species management."

Drawing on environmental science and semiotics, Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong recounts how the use of biased rhetoric and inaccessible language has created support for a popular but misleading war of “native” against “invasive” that does nothing to address the root cause of biodiversity loss. Instead, these are "plastic words" that lose their precise scientific origins with their introduction to everyday language yet still carry the weight of authority—becoming persuasive and dangerously malleable.

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Clare Follmann, M.E.S., is an author and environmentalist located in Olympia, Washington. Her writing engages with themes of ecology, language, and philosophy. She likes to poke holes in dominant or obsolete narratives, and strives to both listen to and help uplift the voices and stories that have been too often cast aside—including those from our more-than-human world. Her work focuses on finding and planting the literal and figurative seeds that will help support a post-capitalist society that prioritizes the well-being of people and planet.

Patty Krawec writes about how Anishinaabe thought informs faith and social justice practices. Krawec actively supports Palestinian liberation, viewing it through an Indigenous lens of anti-colonialism, advocating for collective liberation and connecting Palestinian struggles with Indigenous sovereignty around the globe. She is the author of Becoming Kin (2022) and Bad Indians Book Club (2025). She lives in Niagara and reflects on traditional Anishinaabe stories on her blog thousandworlds.ca.