Topic: Complexity

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[ Episode #79 // Money System Mayhem? ]

Jun 30 2014

Over the last hundred years, the international money system has unraveled every few decades with surprising regularity. With the current US-based system reaching the end of its useful life for newly rising economic powers, will campaigns of financial warfare push countries to abandon the dollar denominated financial regime? How does human nature and behavioral psychology drive reactions to episodes of financial euphoria and fear?

In Extraenvironmentalist #79 we first speak with Jim Rickards about his new book, The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System. We ask Jim about how a potential failure of the US dollar based international financial system would play out. Jim describes how previous money system failures may shape expectations and reactions to the next crisis. Then, we discuss the neuroscience of bubbles with behavioral economist Colin Camerer. Colin tells us about his recent research that maps the human brain as financial bubbles form and crash.

// Books

The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System by Jim Rickards

// Links and News Items

Firefly 2014 video on timber frame construction
Video from CommonBound 2014 hosted by the New Economy Coalition

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 26m

Christine Lagarde on money & the pending global reset
US dollar losing hold as world's reserve currency
Paul Krugman: We need $8 trillion to $10 trillion of QE
World Bank whistleblower: Dollar valueless, about to crash
Inside financial warfare
Jim Rogers on US dollar collapse
Paul Krugman: Fiat money is backed by men with guns

[End]

Finnish comedian Ismo Leikola on Debt

// Music (in order of appearance)

Lowell - I Love You Money via Pigeons & Planes
Snakehips - Days With You ft. Sinead Harnett via Gorilla vs. Bear
Dick Boyell and Orchestra w/ Don Shelton - Oh Sweet Bubbles, You Make Me Feel So Good via WFMU Beware of the Blog
The Lightning Seeds - Blowing Bubbles via Editor Kevin
Mungo's Hi Fi - Serious Time ft. YT
Seun Kuti - IMF

// Production Credits

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #79 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Glen and Barbara in New Zealand
Randall in the noosphere
Steve in BC
Ninh in Idaho
Scott in Alberta
Patrick in North Carolina
Nancy in Colorado

[ Episode #66 // Changing Reactions ]

Oct 1 2013

The catastrophe at Fukushima presents the opportunity to re-evaluate basic assumptions about energy and technology but the temptation to double down on business as usual becomes incredibly strong. Will our species obtain a paradigm shift in the face of an energy emergency? Could we create new models for business that regenerate ecological functions rather than destroy the planet?

In Extraenvironmentalist #66 we speak with Michael Stone and Ian MacKenzie about their new film Reactor which covers their recent trip to Japan. Is the social fallout from Fukushima a template for social change elsewhere? Then we speak with Willem Ferwerda of the Ecosystem Return Foundation about scaling up the ecosystem restoration techniques we discussed on XE #65 with John Liu. We talk about the potential for regenerating ecological functions through new models for business and investing. Can we develop a process for launching permaculture businesses around the world?

// Other Items Discussed

Centre of Gravity
Reactor - the Film
Natural Resilience Initiative
The Planet Fund - Crowdfunding Ecosystem Restoration
(though we didn't talk about this in the show it is definitely related)

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 35m

Alan Watts on the Limits of Language
Terence McKenna from the Psychedelic Salon

[End]

Louis CK on Smartphones

// Music (in Order of Appearance)

Juparo - Broke for Free via Soundcloud
Ludovico Einaudi - Walk (Phaeleh Remix) via Getting Deeper
Foreigner - Urgent (LUXXURY edit) via AudioPorn Central
C A T H E D R A L S - Unbound via Soundcloud
Say Lou Lou - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Tame Impala Cover) via Soundcloud

// Production Credits

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel
Production Assistance via Simon JM

This show was supported by donations from our generous listeners:

Peter in the Noosphere
Erica in Oregon
Michael in Arizona
Sune, Andreas, Mads and other colleagues in Denmark
Gaby in the Noosphere

[ Episode #62 // Land Grabs ]

Jun 30 2013

A financial sector built on a foundation of continuous material expansion is seeking returns in a slowing global economy. Will investments in global farmland be able to provide the returns expected by pension funds, endowments and future financial claims? Why are investors suddenly emphasizing the same data and charts that environmentalists have been pointing towards for decades?

In Extraenvironmentalist #62 we discuss the global race for farmland with Fred Pearce as detailed in his recent book: The Land Grabbers. We hear about his journey around the world to uncover the secret deals being signed by governments at the expense of their people. Then we speak with Gregor Macdonald about the global energy trends driving this search for innovative returns. Gregor describes why the age of nuclear power is ending as complexity overwhelms large systems and how the global economy has changed dramatically since conventional oil reached its plateau.

// Books

Fred Pearce // The Land Grabbers
Gregor Macdonald // Solar's Rise, Nuclear's Demise - June Issue of Terrajoule

// News and Other Items Discussed

One year away from global riots (from 9 months ago)
6.2% Food Inflation in Saudi Arabia
With electricity and water in short supply, Egyptians grow tense

XE Video with Dennis McKenna
XE Video with Nate Hagens

New Economics Institute ReRoute Summit - July 19th-21st

Beatboxin' Rick Wolff

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 23m

Michael Hudson from an upcoming episode of the Extraenvironmentalist
Glen Gary & Ross - A Film About Land Grabs
Jack Alpert from Extraenvironmentalist #11
Brazil - Protests of Discontent

[End]

A clip from our recent video with Nate Hagens

// Music (in Order of Appearance)

Bugseed - Thinking of You via Soundcloud
Shine 2009 - Eurozone (CFCF Remix) via Gorilla vs. Bear
Cosmo Sheldrake - Rich ft. Ana Roo via Pigeons and Planes
Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Beats Antique Cover)
Blackstreet - No Diggity (Bondax Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Production Credits

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #62 was supported by donations from one of our generous listeners: Beccy in Australia

[ Episode #60 // Days of Destruction ]

May 20 2013

While the cultural foundations of the United States are unraveling the unconscious programs of American society lay outside of public dialogue. Where there was once an American Dream, a spiritual void remains. As the framework of consumer society breaks down, will an economic system of inverted totalitarianism reverse become explicit? Why do our elites seem incapable of formulating a rational response to this crisis of civilization?

In Extraenvironmentalist #60 we discuss the current condition of American culture with Chris Hedges and Morris Berman. Chris describes the process of breakdown he's witnessed in other countries as elites withdraw when they feel their system of control crumbling. Morris reflects the current crisis of capitalism against the breakdown of the feudal system hundreds of years ago to describe a broader historical process. Then, we speak with Dmitry Orlov about his new book: The Five Stages of Collapse. Dmitry talks about the psychological damage created by access to large amounts of money and explains how to think practically about a failing global economic system.

// Books

Chris Hedges // Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt
Morris Berman // Why America Failed // also see XE #34
Dmitry Orlov // The Five Stages of Collapse // also see XE #49

// News Items Discussed

Poll: 29% of Americans think 'armed revolution' coming soon via Chris H.
27% of Spaniards are out of work. Yet in one town everyone has a job via Jim

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 24m

President Bush Addresses Nation on Economic Crisis
AP Monitoring Raises Fears of Government Overreach
Web Press Grills Obama on Drones
Bush: We Can Overcome Economic Crisis
Bill Clinton on why we should help the world

[End]

Chris Hedges speaking with Rick Wolff on Economic Update

// Music (in Order of Appearance)

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
dcup - I'm Corrupt via IndieShuffle
Free n Losh - Where do They Go? via Earmilk
YACHT - Second Summer (RAC Remix) via Soundcloud
Moby - Natural Blues (TYR Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Production Credits

Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #56 // So Much Magic ]

Feb 12 2013

// Duncan's Photos From His Canalers Adventures
[nggallery id=2 width=400]

Maintaining the complexity of our civilization requires a consistent input of net energy and a stable climate. We've already experienced the first few years of a long emergency through economic stagnation and contraction, financial fraud and a lack of meaningful political momentum. Can we expect advances in technology to make a useful contribution to solving modern challenges or are we headed for a technological time out? Are we approaching a magic moment when those oppressed by debt refuse to pay?

In Extraenvironmentalist #56 we speak with James Howard Kunstler about his recent book, Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology and the Fate of the Nation. Jim talks about how the magnitude of corruption in our financial system revealed since 2008 has been even greater than he could have imagined. We ask Jim about his views on the rapidly changing landscape of higher education and how to think about its future. Then, Duncan Crary tells us about his years of podcasting on the Kunstlercast and his new podcast A Small American City. Duncan tells us about life on the inland waterways of New York and about pioneering a new American way of life in the small towns abandoned over the second half of the 20th century.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead (DiscoTech Edit) via The Burning Ear
Django Django - Default (Mr Mitsuhirato Edit) via Soundisstyle
Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line (John Bourke's Bmore Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
The Killers - Runaway (RAC Mix) via Soundcloud
Spin Doctors - Two Princes (G Templeton & Branded James Remix) via Youtube

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 40m
Paul Krugman: We Are on The Brink of a Technology Revolution That Will Transform Our Economy
The Superbowl Blackout
US Hides Real Debt, In Worse Shape than Greece

[Additional Resources]

A Small American City Podcast
Canalers
New Economy Summit at The University of British Columbia, April 5th and 6th

// Production Credits

Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #50 // Markets By Other Means ]

Oct 1 2012

Developed nations find themselves stuck in economic quicksand as the status quo is maintained through debts on sovereign balance sheets. Over the last few decades of rapid economic expansion, each country bet on the continued story of globalization that narrates Tom Friedman's dreams each night. As the developing world sees our folly, will they choose a different path? Do their informal markets signal a true alternative to centrally planned economies? Or is the System D economy a symptom of complexity collapse in a world where seven billion humans are fighting for basic necessities?

In Extraenvironmentalist #50, Robert Neuwirth tells us how supply meets demand in the informal markets employing as many as 2/3 of the world's population. Does this System D economy provide the blueprint for an economic system that could exist in developed nations as governments breakdown from debt overhangs and peak complexity? Robert tells us about his journeys through the global trade networks of System D as he wrote the Stealth of Nations in Paraguay, Nigeria, China and more. Then, international business man of mystery Simon Black [1h 11m] joins us to talk about his travels to as many as 60 nations each year. He updates us on the breakdown of Europe and the United States while describing the economic optimism he's seeing in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Last of all, John Michael Greer [2h 03m] takes a break from his hiatus on The Archdruid Report to answer your questions.

You can follow Robert's writings online @robertneuwirth and his blogs on Squatter Cities and the System D economy.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Civil Twilight - River (Ra Ra Riot Remix) via The Music Ninja
Bob Seger - Night Moves (Niko Pusch Bootleg Remix) via Soundcloud
Michael Jackson - We're Almost There (DJ Spinna Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Elle Goulding - Anything Could Happen (Blood Diamonds Remix) via Salacious Sound
Van She - Idea of Happiness (Robotaki Remix) via Too Many Sebastians

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 30m
Robert Neuwirth reads fromThe Stealth of Nations

// Production Credits
Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel
Chris Hehn // Graphics Work

[ Episode #47 // Power Transition ]

Aug 9 2012

After years of stagnant growth in conventional oil extraction rates, ignorance of Hubbert's Curve has peaked. Now that the mainstream can't dismiss the issue, public conversations proclaim an exuberant belief in marginal reserves as our savior. Claims of American energy independence have fueled a dialogue that threatens to drive the US economy towards a fiscal and energy cliff. Can we look toward renewables to meet our energy needs for the future? Is it possible to start telling a new story about our energy future?

In Extraenvironmentalist #47 we discuss the global energy picture with Chris Nelder as he describes the energy stories we tell ourselves and explains exactly how many natural gas wells it will take for the United States to gain energy independence. We ask Chris about the complexity of our international energy markets and why we shouldn't give up on renewable energy even if it doesn't fit the power grid of today. Then, we speak with Gregor MacDonald about the recent blackout in India that cut electricity to 10% of Earth's population. Gregor tells us about the process of normal accidents and why the risk we've offloaded might be trickling back into our energy infrastructure. Last of all, we speculate about the future of capitalism as growth ends. Will we look back on these years of corporate rule as the golden age before serfdom?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Deerhoof - The Trouble With Candyhands via Tiny Mixtapes
Fleetwood Mac - That's All For Everyone (Tame Impala Cover) via Stereogum
F*ck you Pepco via Youtube
Marlena Shaw - California Soul (Diplo Remix) via Soundcloud
Nico - These Days (Shinichi Osawa Edit) via Daily Beatz
Elton John - Good Morning to the Night (PNAU Remix) via Tracasseur

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[1st Break] - 36m
America's Infrastructure is Failing
Heat Adds Misery to Atlantic Power Outage
Congress Ignores Nations Infrastructure

[End]
Gail Tverberg on Peak Oil at the Montreal Degrowth Conference

// Production Credits
Josh B.
Kevin M. via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #44 // Evolving Innovation ]

Jul 1 2012

Our understanding of innovation has been shaped by decades of growth in the rate by which we can extract environmental resources. Now that conventional oil reserves are no longer flowing as readily, what does this do to how our modern civilization thinks about innovation? Do the innovations of the future involve faster processors and further advances is silicon materials or will it encompass something entirely different? Can we achieve sustainability through innovating?

In Extraenvironmentalist #44 we discuss the archeology of innovation with Sander van der Leeuw to learn how our complex societies have shifted short-term risks to long-term risks through the application of technologies. Sander explains how our complex societies developed and describes why our previous models of innovation may not address issues of sustainability. We ask if the genius factor can have a role in developing the breakthroughs necessary to preserve our species or if we'll need to look for other models of development. Then, we travel to Salt Spring Island, BC to meet Amy and Larry who innovated in low-energy models of living by living off the grid for fourteen years in California.

// Music (in order of appearance)
C2C - Mack the Knife (Tribute to Louis Armstrong) via Soundcloud
The Mynabirds - Body of Work via Stereogum
Santigold - The Keepers via Pretty Much Amazing
Hacienda - Don't Turn Out the Lights via The Eargazm
I Am Oak - On Trees and Birds and Fire via Soundcloud
Clams Casino - Swervin (Remix) via Stereogum
Phaeleh - Orchid via Soundcloud
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Damian Taylor Remix) via Soundcloud
C2C - Down the Road via Soundcloud

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[Break]
Sander van der Leeuw

[End]
Nipun Metha - Designing for Generosity

// Production Credits
Production Assistance | Kevin at the Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel
Cover art via creative commons license

[ Episode #41 // Surviving Progress ]

May 27 2012

The complexity of modern civilization has obscured an ecological crisis through a finely crafted system of markets and trade. Local environmental problems can be exported across the world with modern technologies while placing the global economic ladder on ever shakier ground. Is our species capable of sparking a widespread and intelligent discussion of our trajectory as a species before the problems of social inequity and ecological collapse take civilization down?

In Extraenvironmentalist #41 we speak with Ronald Wright about his book A Short History of Progress which chronicles the idea of progress through human history and has been adapted into a new film, Surviving Progress. Then we hear from Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks who directed and wrote Surviving Progress. We ask them about the challenges of adapting the story of our complex civilization into a succinct and slick film. Last of all, we report back from Montreal about the Maple Spring uprising and our interviews with numerous ecological economists at the Montreal Degrowth conference as our civilization attempts to redefine our economic priorities.

Be sure to view the Surviving Progress trailer.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Passion Pit - Take a Walk via Consequence of Sound
Penguin Prison - Fair Warning (Robotaki Remix) via Robotaki
Gossip - Perfect World (RAC Remix) via Idolator
Killer Mike - Ronald Reagan via our listener David, who also left a voicemail
Passion Pit - Take a Walk (Peking Duk Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[Break] - 39'50
Jim Cramer on Bank Runs
Disaster Looms for Greece
Michael Hudson from Surviving Progress

[End]
Montreal Degrowth - Mary Evelyn Tucker

[ Episode #37 // Techno-Fix ]

Mar 4 2012

Are you optimistic about technology? Let's talk about why. Could the majority of our proposed technological solutions be doing little more than kicking the can down the road towards ecological collapse? Politicians and economists speak of the ability for technological innovation to boost and grow economies, yet where does their techno optimism come from? Do technologies hold intrinsic values or are they neutral tools that are misused by a species with the wrong intentions?

In Extraenvironmentalist #37 we discuss technological optimism with Dr. Michael Huesemann. Michael explains his fifteen year study into environmental science and philosophies of technology as outlined in his recent book Techno-Fix, co-written with his wife Joyce Huesemann. Is there an inherent reason that the United States is the most technologically optimistic culture in the world? We ask if he has advice for students who are thinking about careers in advanced science and about the value systems embedded in technological systems.

Be sure to visit the Techno-Fix website and to pick up a copy of Techno-Fix if you want to learn more about the limitations of technology in addressing our global problems.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Dusty Springfield - Spooky via IndieShuffle
St. Lucia - We Got It Wrong via Consequence of Sound
CHLLNGR - Change via Soundcloud
Santigold - Disparate Youth via Skeetbeatz
Summer Camp - Losing My Mind via All Things Go Music

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[First Break]
Jason Silva - Techno-Optimism
Bush on Google
Ray Kurzweil Explains the Coming Singularity
Michio Kaku - Are We Ready for the Coming Age of Abundance
[Second Break]
MPR: America's Crumbling Infrastructure
Activists Publicly Pray For Lower Gas Prices
[End]
Alan Watts - A Conversation With Myself

[ Episode #31 // Simplifying Complexity ]

Dec 15 2011

Is our species capable of looking ahead to prepare for the potentially disastrous results of larger trends? While daily existence has always presented challenges, modern civilization uses advanced technologies to address problems. Yet, is our ability to problem solve the very problem itself? What if the technology we're developing is increasing our reliance on a strategy yielding rapidly diminishing returns? Though a general understanding of complexity eludes us, are there ways of feeling it in our day-to-day life?

In Extraenvironmentalist #31 we speak with Dr. Joseph Tainter about collapse, complexity and energy. Dr. Tainter recently co-authored Drilling Down which explains why the BP Gulf Oil spill occurred in terms of the complexity that supports supports our society. We discuss concepts of complexity, energy and a meaningful definition of sustainability. In our conversation, Dr. Tainter covers the dynamics of the Roman Empire as it moved further down the road of collapse; debasing its currency and unraveling due the expenses of foreign wars. Seth and I ask if energy alternatives exist that can support civilization, such as solar photovoltaics or wind power. If they can't, are we trapped in a complexity spiral with no way out?

// Music (in order of appearance)
Sinnitus Tempo - C'est La Vie via Elbo.ws
Penguin Prison - Multimillionaire (Shook Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Miike Snow - Devil's Work via Pretty Much Amazing
DJ Shadow - Scale It Back ft. Little Dragon (Robotaki Remix) via The Music Ninja
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (ENiGMA Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
Shopping Seizes Minds, Leaves No Room for News
Bill Rees - How to Convince People to Face Reality
Richard Heinberg on Transition
Thomas Homer-Dixon on Civilization Far From Equalibrium

// Additional Links
Jamie of Steppin' Off the Edge interviews KMO and Justin about collapse

[ 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 #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 #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 #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 #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