Posts – Page 3 – Extraenvironmentalist

[ Episode #29 // Creating Wealth ]

Nov 22 2011

Occupy Wall Street has directed our attention to the extreme concentration of wealth resulting from decades of policy designed to trickle down prosperity. Through using a single type of bank debt currency, we allocate our labor and resources to benefit a global elite instead of our communities. Can we engage our local leaders and municipal governments to break this currency monoculture? Can global examples of currency ecology provide a map for improving educational experiences, enhancing the arts and building resilience to the fragility of central bank finance mechanisms?

In Extraenvironmentalist #29 we speak with Gwendolyn Hallsmith and Bernard Lietaer about Creating Wealth: Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies, their recent book on how to implement complimentary currency systems while creating intentional cities with money ecosystems. We cover examples of complimentary currencies in Brazil (saber), the United States (time banking), Switzerland (WIR), Belgium, Lithuania and Uruguay (C3) to demonstrate how alternative forms of money can help to enhance our education, business and sense of community. Could the WIR be the reason for Switzerland's stability? Are there ways to retool education funding that could help us realize our dreams?

Note: Justin's poor understanding of French led to him mis-speaking Bernard's last name, it should be said Liet-ya instead of Liet-air

// Music (in order of appearance)
John Lee Hooker - (Money) That's What I Want
The J's - The Sound of Money via WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Sharon Jones - Money via This is Real Music
The Drums - Money (Chad Valley Remix) via Niteversions
Mr. Little Jeans - The Suburbs (Cry Wolf Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
Debt Diets and Riots: Euro Lose Lose via RT
Greeks Abandon Cash Resort to Bartering via RT
Annie Leonard - Story of Broke
Enslaved to banks US students drawn to join Occupy
Chris Hedges Speaking at OWS

[ Episode #28 // At Growth’s End ]

Nov 10 2011

European economies are teetering on the brink of collapse as low rates of GDP growth are no longer able to justify continued investments in piles of debt. On the other side of the Atlantic, the United States is struggling to acknowledge its ever larger ranks of underemployed and unemployed while managing the world's largest national debt. Now that the American debt to GDP ratio has surpassed 100% can the nation ever return to a state of stability? Is this just a prolonged recession or has our system of economic growth suddenly and radically changed forever?

In Extraenvironmentalist #28 we speak with Richard Heinberg about his most recent book The End of Growth which uses data on global economies and international energy supplies to argue that the paradigm of economic growth has ended forever. Richard says that while our economies will still grow in the future, they'll be constrained to lower and lower rates of growth that won't be able to support money systems and financial obligations. If the global economy follows a prolonged period of contraction driven by depleted energy availability, what will this do to our notions of technology and society? We discuss how global contraction will impact trends of specialization, urbanization and wealth accumulation. Seth and I ask if the end of economic growth has to be fraught with strife or if life after growth can lead to a richer existence.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Navet - Leave and Let Go (Niva Remix) via Niva Bandcamp
Bill Cagle and the Spirit of '68 - The Other Ninety Nine via WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Washed Out - Call it Off via Pretty Much Amazing
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys (Yeasaer Remix) via Stereogum
Camo & Crooked - James Bond Theme (Official Rework) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
Oakland Revolt: Occupy Cop Crackdown via RT
Oakland-DC-NYC: Occupy dot-to-dot to make big picture via RT
Robert Newman's History of Oil
David Suzuki speaking at the University of British Columbia Chan Centre on November 3rd, 2011

[ Episode #27 // Fringeology ]

Oct 28 2011

Can challenging your belief system trigger a fight or flight response? Our species is often terrified by thoughts we can't wrap our heads around because of a basic biological response. This has separated a discussion of paranormal topics into camps of believers and skeptics that are every bit as entrenched as our political reality. Does this stratification stifle the ability to generate creative solutions? Is the scariest thing this Halloween our inability to consider new ideas?

In this special Halloween edition of Extraenvironmentalist #27 we speak with Steve Volk about his recent book Fringeology: How I Tried to Explain Away the Unexplainable And Couldn't which explores the edge phenomena that has always been confounding our species yet making life more interesting. Steve tells us about flash mobs in Philadelphia and talks about what it is like to have our belief systems challenged. We discuss the overview effect of space travel and its ability to give us an expanded view of our existence. Seth and I ask if lucid dreaming could be used as a potential technology or by our politicians. Is questioning someone's belief in UFOs similar to challenging the mainstream economic narrative?

Thanks to Richard Heinberg, Gwendollyn Hallsmith, Bernard Leitaer, Conrad Schmidt and John Michael Greer for making guest appearances to tell us about our scary economic and ecological reality.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Figure - Beetlejuice via Digi10ve
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You (Splatinum Remix)
Figure - This is Halloween via The Music Ninja

[ Episode #26 // The Four Horsemen ]

Oct 22 2011

Is capitalism failing or is it producing an intended outcome? There are a group of people privy to the internal mechanisms of our global economic rationale who are willing to share a vision of how the system really works. Though their original intent was to serve what appeared to be a beautiful machinery of supply and demand, they soon realized how greatly the assumptions of our economy are disconnected from reality. Is economics labeled as the dismal science only because of the way we currently practice it?

In Extraenvironmentalist #26 we speak with Ross Ashcroft about his upcoming film The Four Horsemen which explains how the world really works through interviews with 23 of our planet's leading alternative economists, Wall Street insiders and economic thinkers. Ross describes how his desire to become a farmer led him to understand the problems of international finance and how a career in the film industry provided the catalyst to create a documentary about the global economic system. Ross talks about what he learned from interviewing such a well accomplished group of economic experts and what it was like to be in the same room, talking one-on-one with Noam Chomsky. Will our economy collapse because it is being orchestrated to do so or will finance fall apart because it is based on junk science?

// Music (in order of appearance)
TV Girl - Benny and the Jets via Break on a Cloud
Penguin Prison - Don't Fuck With My Money via Hard Candy
Charles Bradley - The World (Is Going Up in Flames) via Quit Mumbling
Shotgun Radio - A Bad Place ft. Mimi Page (Minnesota Remix) via Big Green Beats
Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans (PatrickReza Dubstep Remix) via Movements and Nonsense

// Extended Clips
Tarek El Diwany on Financial Fallout via Renegade Economist
US Jobless Epidemic Masked by Statistical Shenanigans via RT
USA Might Face a Potentially Violent Revolution via RT
Elizabeth Warren on Fair Taxation via American Spectator

[ Episode #25 // Saving Money ]

Oct 5 2011

Is it more practical to learn permaculture than to earn a business degree? As financial markets sell off around the globe and world leaders scramble to prevent national defaults from collapsing the global economy, today's youth are certain to live through a massive shift in the monetary paradigm. An education system that prepared us to receive jobs in a consumer economy injured our ability to truly learn and now we face the insult of entering a bleak job market. Is money real or is it based on societal myths? Can a monetary system built on collaboration rather than competition create a society that amplifies the positive aspects of human nature? As Mike Ruppert says: until we change the way money works, we change nothing.

In Extraenvironmentalist #25 we speak with Charles Eisenstein about his new book Sacred Economics which explains how to save the concept of money from being subject to our outdated understanding of human nature and simplistic mechanistic models of the physical world around us. While the social unrest sweeping from Cairo to Athens to Barcelona to New York is disrupting monetary dynamics can it also create an applicable positive vision? Charles explains how a negative interest currency and an economic model that integrates equity and ecology can end what we perceive to be the human nature emphasized by our current currency. Can we accept that the failure of money isn't the end of the world but that it is an opportunity to reorganize?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Zeds Dead - Coffee Break via The Music Ninja
MGMT - All We Ever Wanted (Bauhaus Cover) via Stereogum
Michita - November via Earmilk
HEALTH - Goth Star (Pictureplane Cover) via Gorilla vs. Bear
Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (Butch Clancy Remix) via Dubtunes

// Extended Clips
Fiat Money via Renegade Economist
Trader Interview on BBC
Occupy Boston

[ Episode #24 // Redesigning Business ]

Sep 23 2011

Are we truly free or has our search for freedom led to entrapment by dysfunctional organizations? As the global monetary paradigm fails, it takes the internationl business structure along with it. This dynamic allows for the application of design principles to the foundations of the new organizations replacing corporations in meeting our human needs. How much power truly rests at the top of the megalithic corporations around us and how much is dictated by the demands of fiat currency and compounding interest? In this new age of austerity, can even the lowest on the societal hierarchy spark the change needed for a new society?

In Extraenvironmentalist #24 we speak with reformed lawyer, business thinker and blogger Patrick Andrews about how the failure of business to understand our ecological reality presents an opportunity to introduce new business structures that can prevent groupthink and allow responsible stewardship. We discuss how businesses that seek only profit are failing to actualize the power that business transactions have to transform our world. Can the failure of our economy allow us to reimagine business?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Active Child - Hanging On via Gorilla vs. Bear
Phaeleh - Afterglow feat. Soundmouse viaIndieShuffle
Young the Giant - Islands (Polaris at Noon Remix) via SoundCloud
Figure - Wonderwall (Finger Drumstep Edit) via Club Tunes

// Extended Clips
David McNally - Global Slump and the Age of Austerity on WORT
The Coming Collapse: We Can Buy Time, We Can't Change the Outcome via Yahoo Finance
Godfrey Bloom: Euro Christmas Fail via RT

[ Episode #23 // Fermenting Culture ]

Sep 14 2011

Sustainability is not a spectator sport. Unless every single one of us radically alters our participation in the rapidly failing industrial food system, within the next few years we'll find our food prices spiking and chaotic weather decimating the food distribution networks we have relied on. In the age of cheap and abundant refrigeration, we're losing our species' long relationship with live culture foods produced by fermentation. The health and nutrition of humanity is suffering from this relatively sudden break from ingesting bacteria responsible for regulating the energy metabolism of our bipedal bodies.

In Extraenvironmentalist #23 we speak with food activist and author Sandor Katz about how to ferment the counterculture. We discuss the philosophical underpinnings of live culture foods, the historical role these foods have played through human history and share some recipes to get your hands dirty and your cabbage sauering. Sandor describes how a local economy built of food preserved with bacteria from your own backyard can help you become part of your environment on a deeper level. Can our trend toward ever greater rates of obesity and poorer health be partly due to our obsession with hygiene and the sterilization of everything that we eat? All of this along with the first appearance of Cooking with the Extraenvironmentalist as our airwaves pick up a slightly different version of public radio.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Stewart Phillips - Thanks, Smokey! via Zoochosis Youtube Channel
Zack Hemsey - Mind Heist
Anomie Bell - Ain't No Sunshine via The Music Ninja
DJ Topcat - Folsom Prison Gangstaz via Soundcloud
A Smooth Jazz Tribute to Gorillaz
California Dreamin - Minnesota via This Song Slaps

// Extended Clips
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Symphony of Science - Children of Africa
Bruce Lee - Be Water My Friend

[ Episode #22 // Picking Battles ]

Aug 30 2011

Formerly abundant raw materials which enabled the creation of capitalist economies are falling short of allowing the system to grow any further. With this historic moment, the opportunity to re-imagine the nature of work and the structure of society arises. Maintaining a balance between the steps necessary for self preservation in a depleting culture while decoupling from the system and pursuing more meaningful work is a key challenge to thriving in the near future. If the status quo is being blatantly exposed as a fiction, what role can we play in writing the new society? Out of the 168 hours in any give week, what can be done outside of the 40 given to our employers to create the new world we envision?

In Extraenvironmentalist #22 we speak with writer, thinker and podcaster Doug Lain about his outlook on life in the time of Late Capitalism which is the primary topic of his recent non-fiction book Pick Your Battle. We discuss the need to manage expectations around work at what feels like the end of history and how to avoid cynicism about social change while being surround by so many catastrophes. As we produce our lives, how much of living is a fiction? What role do dystopian and utopian writers have in forming a vision of the world ahead? Can we use creative acts to derail the capitalist system before it derails us while creating abundant cities for all?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Juj - My Room via SoundCloud
The Drums - Money (Craft Spells Remix) via Neighborhood Brains
Kermit the Frog - It's Not Easy Being Green (Andrew Bird Cover) via You Ain't No Picasso
Moloko - Sing It Back (Can 7 1390's Remix) via IndieShuffle
Frenic - New World via The Chuckness
Minnesota - Breathe via The Breakbeat Depot

// Extended Clips
Unwelcome Guests #565 - The World Crisis and the Wholeness of Life
The Delusion of Green Capitalism
All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace
Nature Does Not Exist

[ Episode #21 // When Technology Fails ]

Aug 18 2011

The complex supply chain delivering our goods and the electrical grid powering our lifestyle meets the daily needs of modern humanity with astounding efficiency. With a relative low cost and remarkable ease of use, we've trimmed the fat and placed an ever more complex behemoth on top of increasingly brittle and spare supports. Our ability to eat and communicate relies on a startlingly fragile few core systems that face threats from natural and nefarious factors. In the event of a disruption to normalcy, do we have the knowledge, psychological and spiritual strength to thrive?

In Extraenvironmentalist #21 we present our most important podcast to date as, without exaggerating, it just might provide you with tools to save your life.

We speak with engineer, author and speaker Mat Stein about his books, When Technology Fails and the upcoming, When Disaster Strikes. Mat explains how our illusion of abundance and order can be easily shattered through solar flares, EMP strikes and peak oil. We discuss techniques and approaches by which a concerned individual can prepare for such possibilities in an ever greater time of uncertainty and how to make life-or-death decisions by using the Pit of the Stomach technique. While physical preparedness is a key to survival, perhaps more importantly we cover the need for spiritual strength in facing the difficult challenges of the 21st century. Seth reveals a life threatening situation of recent occurrence and also experiences a slight overwhelming panic attack in the light of information overload, Justin appears to remain calm in the face of terrifying music but harbors deep concerns of his own.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Son Lux - All The Right Things via Zen Tapes
Etta James - Something's Got a Hold On Me via Funky16Corners
Medicine Hat - Forbidden via BandCamp
Sleep ∞ Over - Romantic Streams via Gorilla vs. Bear
The Barber of Seville - Largo Al Factotum (Mustard Pimp Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips
'US empire designed to self-destruct, more unrest to follow'
London Riots. (The BBC will never replay this. Send it out)
Mainstream Media Commercial
Preppers Stock Up
Obama's Kickstarter

[ Episode #20 // Debt Unmasked ]

Aug 9 2011

Rapidly rising and falling global markets are throwing the world into turmoil. The instability our societies were supposed to control has risen to the forefront. Will the incredible debt piles sitting underneath the flags of Western economies rip social fabrics into fits of unrest like the current riots in London? Before the first major financial shock of the Great Contraction in 2007, the US Government ran an annual budget deficit of only $200 billion per year. During the economic stagnation of years since that deficit is now at $1.4 trillion and quickly rising with more economic decline on the way. What happens when interest payments on this debt overtake federal income in the next few years? Are we all satisfied with sacrificing for an economic system that merely reinforces the status quo of power and greed?

In Extraenvironmentalist #20 we speak with economist Manfred Max-Neef about his career in economics during which he created development models based on fundamental human needs as opposed to power and greed. Manfred recently published Economics Unmasked: From Power and Greed to Compassion and the Common Good which leads us to discuss how universities are failing in their ability distribute a model of the world that can provide for human needs during and after the failure of capitalism. We discuss Manfred's concern that the US is sitting on a ticking time bomb of civil unrest as economic circumstances become rapidly more dire for its inhabitants. How can the American public recognize the possibilities of a debt collapse the rest of the world is actively discussing if our media is steering the collective conversation towards trivia? After we decide to put off a bank run for now, machines end up declaring their intention for the American Presidency in 2012, though with a terrible record of job creation.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Gauntlet Hair - Top Bunk via The Music Ninja
Yin Yang Twins - Shake (Celebration Mash Up) via Youtube
M83 - Midnight City (Christian Strobe Remix) via Too Many Sebastians
Vacationer - Trip via Everybody Taste
Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar (Cee-Roo Mix) via SoundCloud
Star Wars - Imperial March (TA Dubstep Mix) via Youtube

// Extended Clips
Who Killed Economic Growth? via @postcarbon

[ Episode #19 // Crash Course ]

Jul 27 2011

The debt crisis engulfing American political discourse is just the realization of a financial and economic reality that has been playing out for several years resulting from decades of economic policy. Now that the unsustainable nature of our national economy can no longer be ignored how will ordinary people in the United States handle such an awakening? Does this divergence from consumption, saving for retirement and planning to buy a house present a unique chance for our generation to have a new definition of what constitutes a meaningful life? Even if the US avoids default in the next few months, are we just postponing a larger crisis down the road?

In Extraenvironmentalist #19 we speak with Chris Martenson about The Crash Course, his video series that introduces the economic, energy and environmental challenges of the near future. Chris has also just released The Crash Course as a book that comprehensively details the core issues facing our planet and modern industrial economies. We talk with Chris about his transition from medical researcher and corporate executive into sustainability advocate and economic journalist. Our discussion covers his predictions for the currently unfolding debt crisis in Washington, DC that threatens to bring America to default and the ability for our generation to take advantage of the numerous opportunities we'll be presented with in the tumultuous times ahead. All while Seth enjoys a delicious garden fresh tomato.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Gramatik - Moar Jive via The Music Ninja
John Denver - Country Roads (Pretty Lights Remix) via Sunset in the Rear View
Note: we think it's so nice we used it twice; as it's also in #18
Widowspeak - Wicked Game (Chris Isaak Cover) via IndieShuffle

[ Episode #18 // The Wealth of Nature ]

Jul 27 2011

Our economic systems are beginning to expose the first intimations of how drastically they've been failing us. Is this breakdown happening because our economics are reflecting the state of our ecosystems? Generations of economists have adhered with religious fervor to tenets of growth and free market dynamics that have detached from reality so drastically these beliefs have become superstitions that now drive our currencies to the brink of collapse. How can a naturally centered mindset re-focus our economic ideals?

In Extraenvironmentalist #18 we speak with John Michael Greer about his latest book, The Wealth of Nature: Economics as if Survival Mattered. John blogs prolifically at The Archdruid Report and has written several additional spectacular books on the precarious predicaments of industrial society like, The Long Descent and The Ecotechnic Future. As Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America John's naturally focused mind shines an illuminating viewpoint on the fallacies of modern economics and how our physical reality can create a sustainable economic system. We discuss why people typically embrace denial when first encountering his ideas, the role his druid practice has had in revealing many fallacies of commonly held viewpoints about industrial society, the role of politics in the collapse of industrial civilization and what a day in the life of a druid looks like.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Balam Acab - Oh Why via The Music Ninja
Channel Cairo - Elephant Room via Earplugs Not Included
Graffiti 6 - Free via Youtube
John Denver - Country Roads (Pretty Lights Remix) via Sunset in the Rear View

[ Episode #17 // Economics of Sustainability ]

Jul 4 2011

The interplay between energy and money will be the underlying factor behind the biggest stories of the next decade. While easily accessible energy has created a massive financial bubble on the way up Hubbert's curve, the primary agent on the way down will be unraveling financial complexities built up over the last 60 years. Surviving in this new world will require a radically different idea about how money can operate in localized units of economic exchange. Can ideas like liquidity networks help us survive in this new age of emergency?

In Extraenvironmentalist #17 we speak with Richard Douthwaite about the collection of essays he co-edited on the coming financial storm, Fleeing Vesuvius. Richard is an author of many books on the fallacies of economic growth, co-founder of the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability (FEASTA) and a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute. Richard explains how his educational background in economics stifled his worldview for a many years and the effect The Limits to Growth had on changing his mind about the ways in which modern economics are practiced. We discuss why entrepreneurs are worshiped by economic leaders, the promise of liquidity networks for reforming currency dynamics, the ability for energy bonds to revolutionize community energy projects and the effect of introducing new technologies into an economic system.

Also in XE #17 we respond to listener feedback, play a fantastic voicemail from a dedicated listener on ethanol subsidies and throw our endorsement behind an upcoming film about youth fighting for climate justice: you can support Just Do It via their IndieGoGo project.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Mr. Little Jeans - The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover) via The Music Ninja
ceo - Halo (Beyonce Cover) viaPretty Much Amazing
Daytona Beach - Loud Valley via Zen Tapes
Toro y Moi - New Beat (Fare Soldi "Canatu" Remix) via Harder Blogger Faster
inc - Swear viaGorilla vs. Bear

Corrections //

Justin incorrectly refers to Richard Blume, he means David Blume's alcohol economy

Original post on July 1st had the wrong audio file

[ Episode #16 // Powering the Dream ]

Jun 11 2011

Energy drives our civilization: onward towards the limits of human imagination, ever closer to the grave consequences of oil depletion. Technology is often viewed as a mythical force, seemingly bestowing its gifts on an often misguided species in a neutral manner; though what if the best technologies don't always win? Are all the energy solutions we're banking on to continue a capitalist consumer lifestyle just an innovation away from mass deployment? Could social choices of technologies be far from rational? What if the most important electric loads were the ones invented by utility companies? Why does America consume so much energy and believe so heavily in the transcendent role of technology?

In Extraenvironmentalist #16 we speak with Alexis Madrigal about his book, Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology which discusses the precarious path our species has followed towards a more perfect power. Alexis is a senior editor at The Atlantic where he writes about technology and media while tweeting prolifically from @alexismadrigal. Alexis explains how many of the green technologies, now touted as shiny new innovations, have existed for the greater part of the last century and have been stifled through a combination of poor policies and irrational developments. We wonder about the role of innovation in the future, do we have all the technology we really need or are we on the verge of a renewable energy breakthrough that can revolutionize our world?

At the end of this episode, Dennis McKenna joins us once again (at the 1h37m mark) for an apology to Matthew Watkins who was incorrectly lambasted in the previous episode for his critiques to the Timewave theory.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Metric - Twilight Galaxy (Gladkill Remix) via Ohh So Famous
Milagres - Glowing Mouth viaThe Music Ninja
The Dictator's Speech with Inception's music by Hans Zimmer via Youtube
Foster the People - Houdini (Valida's Step Out Mix) via Earplugs Not Included
Blue Sky Black Death - Sleeping Children Are Still Flying viaPotholes In My Blog
Purity Ring - Lofticries via Gorilla vs. Bear

[ Episode #15.2 // Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss // Part II ]

May 7 2011

In the course of an extraordinary life, one might become the kind of person who, without intending it, is a source of marvelous accidents. Two young men set out from Colorado to the rainforest of South America as they hunt down an elusive chemical with the potential to reveal new dimensions of human nature. During this quest, they find something much greater, as their encounter with an enigmatic other sets their lives on a path too wild to predict.

In Extraenvironmentalist #15 we speak with Dennis McKenna about his Kickstarter project, Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss which, with your support, will become a book detailing his life with philosopher and visionary Terence McKenna. Dennis is co-author of The Invisible Landscape and a professor of ethnobotany at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing with an extensive career researching how plants and humans can create a productive partnership. We spoke with Dennis about the ways he and Terence would develop ideas, how Dennis made the trip to the Amazon with Terence, how events at La Chorrera changed him. Though we don't stop there, Dennis also shares with us many of his ideas on life, the universe and everything and weighs in on whether he coined the term extraenvironmentalist originally.

Please support Dennis' Kickstarter project

Note: This is Part II of II.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Youth Lagoon - Cannons via KLUBB ACE
Peter, Bjorn & John - Second Chance (RAC Remix) via Dealer of People Emotions

[ Episode #15.1 // Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss // Part I ]

May 7 2011

In the course of an extraordinary life, one might become the kind of person who, without intending it, is a source of marvelous accidents. Two young men set out from Colorado to the rainforest of South America as they hunt down an elusive chemical with the potential to reveal new dimensions of human nature. During this quest, they find something much greater, as their encounter with an enigmatic other sets their lives on a path too wild to predict.

In Extraenvironmentalist #15 we speak with Dennis McKenna about his Kickstarter project, Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss which, with your support, will become a book detailing his life with philosopher and visionary Terence McKenna. Dennis is co-author of The Invisible Landscape and a professor of ethnobotany at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing with an extensive career researching how plants and humans can create a productive partnership. We spoke with Dennis about the ways he and Terence would develop ideas, how Dennis made the trip to the Amazon with Terence, how events at La Chorrera changed him. Though we don't stop there, Dennis also shares with us many of his ideas on life, the universe and everything and weighs in on whether he coined the term extraenvironmentalist originally.

Please support Dennis' Kickstarter project

Note: This is Part I of II.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Cults - Go Outside (2 Bears Remix) via The Bang Pop
MillionYoung - Calrissian via I Guess I'm Floating
How to Be Alone via Vimeo
James Vincent McMorrow - We Don't Eat (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix) via SoundCloud
Doug Hoyer - Oh, The Wind Will Blow (ft. Jessica Jalbert) via New Music Collaborative
Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed via KLUBB ACE

[ Episode #14 // Discovering Dirt ]

Apr 17 2011

Though we call it dirt, the soil beneath is the skin of our planet and the breadbasket of our species. Is there a connection between the lifespan of a civilization and the rate at which its topsoil erodes? The agricultural practices of past societies can serve as a stern warning against highly erosive farming and point the way towards a revolution in the way we produce the sustenance needed for survival and prosperity. What does it mean that rapidly increasing food prices are causing riots around the world while a dump-truck load of soil enters the Mississippi Delta every second?

In Extraenvironmentalist #14 we speak with Dave Montgomery, author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. In his book, Dr. Montgomery covers historical evidence from Rome, Greece, China and other societies to trace a link between population dynamics and erosion. Even though the land of North America has only experienced heavy agricultural erosion for a much shorter span, we've already mined the fertility of the U.S. Southeast to churn out tobacco, driving populations towards the Pacific in search of more productive land. We discuss some key historical examples and talk about how modern trends point to serious concerns for the present as soil productivity declines at a rapid rate. Can a crisis in global agriculture be avoided when our society is heavily dependent on the temporary agricultural output boosted by petroleum dependent chemicals?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Conner Youngblood - Summer Song via The Music Ninja
Bibio - K is for Kelson via Et Musique Pour Tous
Mount Moriah - Lament via The New Music Collaborative
Daughter - Landfill via Earplugs Not Included
Daughter - Candles via Earplugs Not Included

[ Episode #13 // Debt-Dollar Discipline ]

Apr 8 2011

Does our currency drive participation in a disciplinary system that conditions a consumer society? Surplus goods created by industrial production require an acceptable set of behaviors, reinforced by a financial establishment of rewards and punishments. Though the people reliant on disciplinary institutions are used to playing by the rules, what happens when the game changes suddenly?

In Extraenvironmentalist #13 we speak with Ashvin Pandurangi, writer for The Automatic Earth on his series of articles that describe the Debt-Dollar Discipline, the global system of currencies backed by the U.S. Dollar that define the choice sets available to us. We ask about how finance, currency, education and our institutions create a rigid disciplinary guideline. Ash, Seth and Justin ponder the question of whether a global system that slowly empties its gas tank can handle a rapid disintegration and a population in developed nations accustomed to discipline.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO: Mr. Thomas Bevan for his magical performance in singing about the Titanic.

BEFORE APRIL 14th: Vote for Justin's video in the OECD's 50th Anniversary Challenge to redefine economic progress

// Music (in order of appearance)
Daughter - Run via The Music Ninja
Malvina Reynolds - Little Boxes via Dangerous Minds #18
Lanu - Beautiful Trash (feat. Megan Washington) via SoundCloud
Anomie Bell - How Can I Be Sure via IndieShuffle

[ Episode #12 // Questioning Collapse ]

Mar 13 2011

As anthropologists, historians and popular writers fit the complex events of the past into stories that relay morals to the modern world, sometimes details can be overlooked to make a point. Does a civilization collapse or does it merely transform? What role does human resilience play in the shifting structures of a society? Has a society failed if it still has millions of descendants and a rich cultural history?

In Extraenvironmentalist #12 we speak with Patricia McAnany, co-editor of Questioning Collapse which addresses many oversights in the complex narratives conveniently distilled to form the pages of Jared Diamond's Collapse. We discuss some of the issues with the often cited reasons for the collapse of Mayan civilization, including simplifications made in Diamond's writings. How can we identify and classify a civilizational collapse? While many historical examples of rapid societal change may appear to be a collapse, they might just represent a collection of people living in the aftermath of empire.

NOTE: All celebrity voices are purely very poor impersonations and are not meant to be real in any way, shape or form.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Chris Bathgate - No Silver via Chris Bathgate's Website
Oh Land - Wolf and I via Et Musique Pour Tous
RÜFÜS - We Left via FRENCH EXPRESS
Generationals - Greenleaf via Klubb Ace

[ Episode #11 // Temporal Blindness ]

Feb 17 2011

Our education system creates the models we use to interpret information. A faulty model can lead to significant blind spots, especially in thinking about nonlinear problems. Do the cognitive models that you've developed allow you to understand the severe problems threatening our global civilization? How accurately can you recognize how trends will impact your society and your life? What is a reasonable response to dealing with 7 billion homo sapiens sapiens?

In Extraenvironmentalist #11 we speak with Jack Alpert of the Stanford Knowledge Integration Lab about the role that our cognitive models play in recognizing the severity of our global predicament. Seth and I discuss Jack's writings and his Nonlinearity and the Elephant Problem video. After talking about how to deal with scarce resources on a finite planet, we dive into how to deal with overpopulation, including Jack's approach for building public of rapid population decline through convincing grandmothers that fewer babies need to be born.

As always, let us know what you think about the episode through our email or voicemail, we'd love to hear from you! Especially if you think Justin's Alex Jones impression sounds far too constipated.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Purity Ring - Ungirthed via The Music Ninja
Mighty Mike - Lonely Yoshimi (The Police v The Flaming Lips) via AudioPorn Central
DJ Lobsterdust - Gotta Fly (Steve Miller Band v Amerie) via DJ Lobsterdust
MillionYoung - Perfect Eyes (Snoretex Mix) via A Heart is a Spade

[ Episode #10 // Brilliant ]

Jan 26 2011

How has access to artificial light allowed us to transform our human lives? Did it give us access to new reaches of the day or has it disconnected us from nature? The development of inexpensive and accessible light has brought about social change with its many forms: from animal fat candles to whale blubber, oil to electrified carbon filaments. Each varying source brings with it not only light but the dark side of fuel consumption.

In Extraenvironmentalist #10 we speak with Jane Brox, author of many books including most recently Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light which Time magazine rated as one of the best non-fiction books of last year, Seth and I concur. Brilliant speaks not only to the technology behind artificial light but also to the class structures which filtered the technology down to the masses along with the consequences and the advantages of having a more luminous world.

Justin accidentally leaves his microphone on in the background so you get to hear an exclusive behind the scenes exploration into what exactly occurs as an interview takes place. Fortunately it is not too distracting as he behaved himself quite well and Seth did a great job dampening the impact. However the problem caused by the behavior of the mute button in Skype is solved and it won't happen again, we are only ten episodes in after all.

Even though it has been a while since you've last seen The Extraenvironmentalist, in this episode we return to kick off a stellar year of examining humanity in 2011 with interviews and more. Thanks for listening!

// Music (in order of appearance)
Star Slinger - Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins Rework) via The Music Ninja
Palpitation - In Five Years (Niva Remix) via Klubb Ace
Braids - Lemonade (Green Go Remix) via The DaDaDa
Diamond Messages - Liquid Summer via The Music Ninja
Marina and the Diamonds - Me and the Moon (Clock Opera Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Paddling Song via WFMU's Beware of the Blog

[ Episode #9 // Economics of Happiness ]

Jan 3 2011

Converging crises of the environment, energy and our personal psychology threaten to destabilize the economic systems we depend on for subsistence. Globalization has provided tremendous financial benefits and convenience for specific groups but has degraded communities while spreading the emotional and spiritual depravity of materialism. By developing a local resilient economy can we counteract the shadow of globalization while addressing the predicaments of energy depletion, resource scarcity and desolate communities?

In Extraenvironmentalist #9 we speak with Helena Norberg-Hodge, director of The Economics of Happiness, a documentary film about the worldwide movement for local economic development. Our discussion covers Helena's experiences in the Ladakh region of India which inspired her to recognize the problems with the standard model for economic development, inspiring her book and film Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh. We also spoke with Helena about the numerous benefits of decentralized local economies in addressing our converging crises and the specifics of the psychological impacts of advertising and media on society in its push for expanded economic activity.

We're also thinking of starting an Extraenvironmentalist book club. Are you interested in perhaps doing a monthly group call to discuss a book on Extraenvironmentalist topics? If so, let us know through voicemail or email and we'll choose a book, set a timeline and record a discussion.

//Supplemental Links
Website | Economics of Happiness
Facebook | Facebook Page for Economics of Happiness
// Music (in order of appearance)
Pepper Rabbit - Older Brother via The Music Ninja
The Kopecky Family Band - Our Remedy via The Music Slut
Mr. Little Jeans - Rescue Song (RAC Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Sunday Girl - Time to Pretend (MGMT Cover) via AudioPorn Central

[ Extra-Extraenvironmentalist .01 // Christmas Special ]

Dec 25 2010

With the Holidays upon us, we were able to secure a last minute interview with Santa Claus! That fell through so we were passed off to Nick jr. who gave us an in-depth view of life at the north pole.

Though our elfin magic connection through various HAM radio repeater stations was a little hazy, we were able to get a pretty clear picture of the behind the scenes preparation for the special day. From impact of the economic down turn, the vertical intergeneration by elfs into the entertainment industry, and the energy impact that giving coal to naughty children are discussed.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Insane in the Winter Wonderland - DJ Flack via Santastic V

[ Episode #8 // Back to the Garden ]

Dec 13 2010

As a response to the dire situation facing modern industrial civilization it can be tempting to seek a simpler life away from the complexity and out in nature. Quite a few from the previous generation have already made such a choice and recognizing this we can learn from their trials and successes.

In Extraenvironmentalist #8 we speak with Kevin Tomlinson, director of Back to the Garden about his film's story as he follows a group of people through their decision to live off the land and outside the mainstream from 1988 into today. All while Seth and I ask about the skills these new pioneers needed along with the value of road-trips.

//Supplemental Links
Website | Back to the Garden
Facebook | Facebook Page for Back to the Garden
News | Tom Foreman - You Say You Want a Revolution

// Music (in order of appearance)
Strange Talk - Eskimo Boy via IndieShuffle
Corey Chisel and the Wandering Sons - Born Again via IndieShuffle
El Ten Eleven - Cease and Persist via Soundcloud
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land via Panic Manual
Matt and Kim - Going For Great via The Music Ninja

[ Episode #7 // When Two Worlds Collide ]

Nov 26 2010

Living in a western media bubble we receive every story through a prism of corporate and political control which bends a complex and multifaceted light into a monochromatic blur. When oil and multinational energy interests collide with the mode of sustainable living practiced by Amazonian tribes for generations, a cascading series of events has encapsulated this complex set of interactions as a microcosm of the global struggle we all face.

In Extraenvironmentalist #7 we uncover the tale of Heidi Brandenburg and Taira Akbar of Yachaywasi Films about their upcoming documentary, When Two Worlds Collide. Heidi and Taira are in Lima with their colleague Mathew Orzel covering the transfer of Amazonian Rainforest into the hands of energy and mining companies that act on behalf of our lifestyle. A massive commodifcation of Amazonian ancestral lands into a global market. Today's story has it all: oil, international trade relations, corporate subjugation of the indigenous, amazonian shamanism and most of all the will of one man, Alberto Pizango as he stands against the Peruvian Government and the many competing interests to deliver the will of his people. Alberto's struggle is one to preserve the sustenance that will ensure our species' survival throughout the future.

Please ensure that this story is told around the world! Support Heidi, Taira and the rest of the Yachaywasi team by visiting their IndieGoGo page and making a contribution. Additionally, Seth and I think you should strongly consider sharing this episode with your family and friends.

You can follow more on this story through the regular media outlets as Alberto Pizango was recently interviewed by the BBC and stories of his 2011 run for the Peruvian Presidency are hitting the news wires.

//Supplemental Links
IndieGoGo | Support When Two Worlds Collide
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Facebook | When Two Worlds Collide
Website | Yachaywasi Films

// Music (in order of appearance)
CFCF - Before and After Light via The Music Ninja
Ingrid Michaelson - Creep (Radiohead Cover) via IndieShuffle
Atmosphere - The Best Day via The Music Ninja
Boy and Bear - Mexican Mavis via IndieShuffle
Gypsy and the Cat - Time to Wander via IndieShuffle

When Two Worlds Collide (1-minute trailer) from Yachaywasi Films on Vimeo.

[ Episode #6 // Peak Oil Blues ]

Nov 11 2010

The old Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times", is a particularly apt encapsulation of the current moment we experience on the global stage of affairs, yet facing an uncertain future doesn't mean it has to unfold as bleak.

The readily available net energy which drove rapid expansion of a particular form of dominance hierarchy known as corporate capitalism is fading, and with its collapse goes the standard of life it engendered. The realization that our embedded expectations of the future might rapidly diverge from reality is one that can be very difficult to integrate. By reaching the global maximum flow rate of oil we face significant psychological issues - as young adults facing this reality, the range of options for preparation can be staggering.

Kathy McMahon of Peak Oil Blues has been helping many deal with the psychological issues one faces when grasping the reality and severity of peak oil. In Extraenvironmentalist #6, we interview Kathy to talk about the psychological dimensions of peak oil and how those of us just starting our adult lives can prepare for life after the peak.

Many thanks to Kevin M. who provided an edit of several documentaries on peak oil - an edit which beautifully and elegantly introduces the issue. At the end of the episode we play a voicemail Kevin left us regarding his thoughts on the Extraenvironmentalist #3's clash between podcast titans KMO and Doug Lain.

// Media Links
Media Collage | A 5 Minute Introduction to Peak Oil assembled by and courtesy of Kevin M.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Glasser - Mirrorage via The Music Ninja
Decemberists - Down by the Water via The Music Slut
Caribou - Sun (Midland Remix) via Redthreat
Humans - Avec Mes Mecs via IndieShuffle
Keith Reedy - Drinkin' Billy's Beer via WFMU Beware of the Blog

// Corrections and Blunders

- Please do call or email us with corrections if you find something we've said to be factually inaccurate -

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