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[ Episode #64 // Straw Into Gold ]

By thinking of the world as a machine our species has created an economic and political system that is dangling over an abyss. Many are optimistic for business as usual with an ideological belief in the power of positive thinking. Can we develop a practical spiritual philosophy that sorts through all the garbage? Have our systems and institutions become so dependent on the idea of a machine world that we need to collapse to develop an alternative economic system?

In Extraenvironmentalist #64 we speak with Morris Berman about his new book Spinning Straw Into Gold: Straight Talk for Troubled Times which takes on the idea that reality is created by thought. We ask Morris about the validity of claims made by the scientific worldview. Berman announces the launch of the new MoveOverGeorge.com campaign to bring the US dollar into 21st century reality. Then we hear from biologist Rupert Sheldrake on his new book The Science Delusion from a recent talk in Vancouver, BC about the fundamental beliefs of scientific materialism.

// Books Discussed

Morris Berman // Spinning Straw Into Gold: Straight Talk for Trouble Times
Morris Berman // The Reenchantment of the World
Rupert Sheldrake // The Science Delusion (Marketed as Science Set Free in the US)
Ursula le Guin // The Telling
Barbara Ehrenreich // Bright Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America
Joel Magnuson // The Approaching Great Transformation: Toward a Livable Post Carbon Economy

// News and Other Items Discussed

MoveOverGeorge.com

Full talk by Rupert Sheldrake on The Science Delusion in Vancouver, BC

Greece Disconnects 30,000 electricity customers per month
Detroit clones popping up all around China
Rapid Urbanization has created 12 new Chinese Ghost Cities
Falling TVs send a child to the ER every 30 minutes in the United States

Our video interview with Jimmy McMillan of the Rent is Too Damn High Party in NYC
Extraenvironmentalist livestream coverage of the New Economics Institute reRoute Convergence

Interview with KMO on the C-Realm Podcast episode #372
Link to the NYT story on our coming food crisis via Robin

Link to Bill Rees talking about the Endarkenment
Link to Morris Berman's talk about Japan's economic stagnation

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 35m

European Car Sales Fall to 17 year low
Newly unemployed struggle to remain optimistic
Obama: reasons to be optimistic about America
Pessimism grows among unemployed
On being optimistic on the economy

[End]

Terence McKenna speaking about Science's one free miracle

// Music (in Order of Appearance)

Sister Rosetta Sharpe - Jericho (C2C Remix)via Soundcloud
Sarah Vaughn - Please Mr. Brown (Pontus Winnberg Remix)
Keep Shelly in Athens - Recollection via Turntable Kitchen
Kratos Himself - Lucid via Bandcamp
London Grammar - Hey Now (Hanami Bootleg) via Soundcloud
Eros and the Eschaton - The Future is Ours to See via Soundcloud

// Production Credits

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

This show was supported by donations from our generous listeners:

Tomas in Findland
Brendan in Canada