Topic: John Michael Greer

[ Episode #50 // Markets By Other Means ]

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

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[ Episode #48 // Urban Minds ]

Human populations have lived a rural lifestyle through most of history, depending on agriculture or hunting and gathering. As abundant oil reserves fueled the rise of modern civilization, urban life grew along with it. In 1800 only 3% of the world's population lived in cities, in 1900 that number reached 14% which increased to 30% in 1950. The majority of our species became urban in 2008 as more than half of humans are now living in cities. Because of petroleum powered agriculture we've supplanted increasingly more humans from food production into other activities. With the exhaustion of our biosphere and the end of cheap oil can we draw on examples from cities of the past to shape the human population centers of the future? Will lessons before economic growth provide a context for life after growth?

In Extraenvironmentalist #48 we speak with archaeologist Paul Sinclair about the Urban Mind project. Paul discusses a new field of archaeological research that is discovering the role of urban gardening throughout history and during wartime in ancient cities. We ask Paul about the role of cities in shaping the way humans think and he tells us how he survived a food crisis in Mozambique. After discussing a world before economic growth, Donnie Maclurcan of the Post Growth Institute tells us how we can start building a post-growth world [1h 14m]. Donnie describes the benefits of asset mapping your community and why you should participate in Free Money Day on September 15th. Last of all, John Michael Greer joins us [1h 58m] to answer listener questions and to talk about David Korowicz's FEASTA study, Trade Off: A Study in Global Systemic Collapse which details how a cascading collapse could lead to rapid end for the global supply chain.


// Music (in order of appearance)
Agnes Obel - Katie Cruel (Feltman & Badutski Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Stevie Wonder - Living for the City (Reflex Stems Revision) via Bandcamp
The Vaccines - The Winner Takes It All (Abba Cover)
via The Pop Sucker
Visitor - Coming Home (Lifelike Remix) via Harder Blogger Faster
Abba - Money, Money (Sebastian Sas Remode) via Soundcloud
Neil Young - Old Man (Sound Remedy Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[Break] - 32m
Bill Rees speaking at the Vancouver Urban Forum
Ed Glaeser speaking at the Vancouver Urban Forum

[End]
Peter Victor at the Montreal Degrowth Conference

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

(more…)