Posts – Page 4 – Extraenvironmentalist

[ Episode #56 // So Much Magic ]

Feb 12 2013

// Duncan's Photos From His Canalers Adventures
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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 #55 // Degrowth ]

Jan 16 2013

Decades of material growth have left us with a limited imagination for alternatives. Now that we've hit the point of diminishing returns for additional economic growth, can we decolonize our mind? In the developed world, is it possible to improve our quality of life while decreasing our standard of living? Could it be possible to degrow our economies in a way that creates a happier and healthier society while creating a true alternative for the undeveloped world?

In this epic length episode #55 of The Extraenvironmentalist we cover the Montreal Degrowth Conference from May 2013. We hear from a number of degrowth academics and activists about the ideas in the movement. Through more than twelve interviews we speak with Peter Brown, Michael M'Gonigle, Josh Farley, David Suzuki, Bill Rees, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Janice Harvey, Charles Hall, Gail Tverberg, Juliet Schor, Joan Martinez-Alier and Erik Assadourian. Then, we recap 2012 by hearing from Gregor MacDonald about the IEA's headline grabbing scenario for a United States that produces more oil than Saudi Arabia and Jeremy Grantham's recent eyebrow raising report on resource scarcity. We close out with a preview of our 2013 interviews.

// Index

Peter Brown on degrowth - 6m
Michael M'Gonigle on education - 17m
Josh Farley on money and alternatives to GDP - 26m
David Suzuki on localism - 43m
Bill Rees on denial - 53m
Mary Evelyn Tucker on a new narrative - 1h06m
Janice Harvey on culture change - 1h12m
Charlie Hall on energy return - 1h27m
Gail Tverberg on peak oil - 1h43m
Juliet Schor on working less - 1h5om
Joan Martinez-Alier on ecological economics - 2h6m
Erik Assadourian on degrowth - 2h15m
Gregor Macdonald on the IEA, claims about US oil production and Jeremy Grantham - 2h38m

You can find the individual degrowth interviews on our video page at http://vimeo.com/extraenvironmentalist

// Music (in order of appearance)

Tor - Glass and Stonevia Earmilk
Electric Guest - Awake (Dennis Rivera Remix) via Soundisstyle
Marvin Gaye vs. Pryda - Too Busy Thinking About Leja via Soundcloud
Marvin Gaye - Anger (Jeremy Sole edit) via Soundcloud
American Authors - Believer via Youtube
Adele - Skyfall (Dorsh Remix) via Indieshuffle
Plastic Plates - Things I didn't Know I loved (Bufi Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Young-Wonder - To You via The Music Ninja
Emancipator - Minor Cause via Earmilk

Special thanks to Nathan at Southern Energy and Resilience for transcribing this episode!

[ Episode #54 // Love + Marriage ]

Dec 10 2012

Our cultural institutions face such immense challenges from economic and environmental factors that even our assumptions about love and marriage on the table. What does recent research into early human sexuality say about our ideas of love as practiced by our early ancestors? In hard times, did our predecessors practice fierce egalitarianism to ensure group survival?

In Extraenvironmentalist #54 Chris Ryan joins us to talk about evidence of prehistoric sexuality in the book Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality co-written with Cacilda Jetha. Chris discusses his research into why so many marriages fail. We try to develop a conversation about sex and love between all guys without turning it into a boys club. Is that even possible? Examples are given of rituals from ancient societies that bypassed jealousy to defeat feelings of scarcity amongst hunter-gatherer bands.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Frank Sinatra - Love and Marriage (Remix)via Youtube
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Ohdahl Remix) via Tracasseur
Mariah Carey - We Belong Together (Siik Remix) via Soundcloud
Porter Robinson and Matt Zo - Easy (Extended Remix) via The Music Ninja
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Leonard Destroy Remix) via The Blunted Library

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 39m

Alan Watts on why Christianity is afraid of sex

[End]

Jiddhu Krishnamurti on Sex and Love

[Additional Resources]

Secrets of the Tribe
XE on C-Realm Podcast #334
XE on the Ecohypen Podcast via Ecohyphen

// Production Credits

Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #53 // Without Growth ]

Nov 22 2012

The global economy is searching for growth and choosing austerity when it can't be found. Is it possible to manage an economy, obtain full employment, and provide social equity without economic growth? Can we develop a dialogue about our economy that recognizes the human enterprise as a subset of biophysical processes?

In Extraenvironmentalist #53 we speak with Peter Victor about his book Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, Not Disaster which describes why our obsession with GDP isn't necessary. Peter describes the field of Ecological Economics and how it differs from other disciplines of economic thought. We ask if there are some first steps we could take to start building a society that doesn't need GDP expansion. Then, we speak with Dave Gardner [85m] about how he's built a dialogue on the diminishing returns of economic growth with his film Growthbusters. Dave tells us about his run for city council in Colorado Springs, CO.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (Louis La Roche Remix) via Soundcloud
Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Psychemagic Remix) via Youtube
Broke for Free - The Gold Lining via The Music Ninja
Isley Brothers - Prize Posession (Follow Me Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Chaundon - El Mariachi (Instrumental) via Mixcloud

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 35m

Gar Alperovitz - Green Party Keynote via Democracy Now

[Second Break] - 107m

Glenn Beck, yes, we actually used a clip from Glenn Beck, I know, I'm shocked too.

[End]

Uruguay's President

// Production Credits

Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #51 // Culture of Dying ]

Oct 15 2012

The globally dominant culture is suffering from an economic, ecological and social crisis that has deeper roots than failing budgets and environmental degradation. Do we have a role to play if our culture is headed towards its eventual death? Though our economic system has trained us to be needy, can we approach these challenges as if we were needed?

In Extraenvironmentalist #51 we speak with Stephen Jenkinson about our cultural difficulty with death. Stephen draws on lessons learned from decades of working with death to describe how we can frame our civilization's trajectory. We ask how to find sanity in a time of alienation and if we can be a human in difficult circumstances. Stephen describes the distinct jobs given to us as our family members die. Also, John Michael Greer joins us briefly to talk about the death of Western culture.

You can stream Griefwalker, the film made about Stephen's work.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Van She - Don't Fear the Reaper via The Fader
Kaki King - Bowen Island via KCRW
Trails and Ways - Animal (Miike Snow Cover) via IndieShuffle
Elle Goulding - Anything Could Happen (Blood Diamonds Remix) via Salacious Sound
Crystal Fighters - At Home (Passion Pit Remix) via Fist In the Air

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 40m
John Michael Greer speaks on death

// 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 #49 // Developing Breakdown ]

Sep 14 2012

Central banks are undertaking unprecedented actions to keep the monetary system from unraveling. Despite unlimited Quantitative Easing and wealth transfers between Europe's economies, growth has yet to return and debt is demanding to be serviced. This process is stretching the banking system to its limit. What happens when the pretense is dropped and money loses its full faith and credit? As the global economy continues its slowdown, are there people preparing for life after the global credit system falls apart?

In Extraenvironmentalist #49 we speak with Dmitry Orlov about the developing systemic breakdown threatening to destroy the global credit system. Dmitry describes his view of the mortal blow to globalized trading and discusses ideas of how society would transform after it evaporates. We ask Dmitry about those who may be best prepared for the financial system to go broke. To find out more about people prepared for a world without money, we speak with photographer Lucas Foglia [1h 19m] who tells us what it was like to capture the lives of those dropping out of society for his book A Natural Order. After we hear from the people in Lucas' work, we play a discussion from CNBC with Marc Faber [1h 52m] where he echoes the sentiments of Dmitry and those living off the grid.

// Music (in order of appearance)
The Kooks - Runaway (Lonsdale Boys Club Remix) via Golden Scissors
Richard House and the Five Fellows - You Can Do a Lot of Living on a Credit Card via WFMU
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive via The Music Ninja
POP ETC - Everything is Gone via Et Musique Pour Tous
Corb Lund - Down on the Mountain via Corb Lund
Muse - Unsustainable via Soundcloud

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break] - 25m
Andy Zaltzmann on the Global Economy

[End]
Frank as recorded by Lucas Foglia

// Production Credits

Josh Balik // Production Assistance
Chris Hehn // Graphics Work

[ Episode #48 // Urban Minds ]

Aug 26 2012

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

[ 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 #46 // Recovering Environmentalists ]

Jul 28 2012

Success for the environmental movement has meant many of its members adopted mainstream values in attempts to sustain the unsustainable. Is sustainability a farce when associated with a way of life that is out of touch with reality? Global droughts, weather catastrophes and heatwaves are demonstrating the rapidly increasing impact of atmospheric greenhouse gases. With decades of inaction on climate change, are we all climate denialists? Could there be an environmental movement that works to exit the collapsing global system?

In Extraenvironmentalist #46 we speak first with Paul Kingsnorth on why he's withdrawn from the mainstream environmental movement and its discussions of sustainability. Paul tells us about developing the Dark Mountain Project to help us tell creative stories that embody the new narrative evolving from the end of industrial society. Then, Michael M'Gonigle [55m] joins us to talk about the importance of creating an exit-environmentalism that allows us to leave a global system which is falling apart. Michael describes why liberal environmentalism is no longer useful in creating laws to protect our environment in the extended version of an interview that originally aired on Radio Ecoshock. Finally, John Michael Greer [1h 56m] takes root in a new recurring and irregular segment to talk about denial and his take on the environmental movement. All that and more as our latest episode proves there aren't limits to growth for XE podcast episode runtimes.

// Music (in order of appearance)
GRiZ - The Future is Now via Fist in the Air
Adele - Rolling in the Deep (Blackbird Blackbird Rework) via Sound Is Style
Jeremy Fisher - Built to Last via Ride the Tempo
Elle Goulding - Hanging On (Syvable & PRFFTT Bootleg) via Earmilk
Marvin Gaye - Real Thing (Pillow Talk Rework) via Ecosalon
Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Monolith Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[1st Break] - 28'27"
Shaking Spain - Expect Violence
Marc Faber - Markets to Crash in 12 Months
Euro-Doomsday Scenario
How close are we to a new great depression

[2nd Break] - 83'27"
Record Drought Has Cascading Consequences
Heat Wave
Americans Scramble to Safety
George Will: "It's Just Summer, Get Over It"

[End]
Alan Watts - Man in Nature

// Production Credits
Production Assistance by Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #45 // Opening Money ]

Jul 11 2012

By failing to question our money system, we've accepted an understanding of finance and fiat that's showing its flaws greater than ever. This globalized currency system draws money out of localities and into the hands of corrupt financial institutions. Can we start recapturing these flows of money to build resilient communities? If the Federal Reserve can print money, why can't we?

In Extraenvironmentalist #45 we speak to Michael Linton, developer of LETS and the Community Way currency system about how to open up our money to emphasize positive aspects of human nature . Michael describes how local currencies can help to overcome the feeling of scarcity imposed by a centralized national currency. We ask Michael if our federal dollars should be replaced or if we should be looking to compliment them through local money. Then, we speak with Jordan Bober who is launching the Seedstock in Vancouver, BC based on Michael's Community Way model.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Chick Bullock - Are You Making Any Money? via Youtube
Gold Diggers of 1933 - We're in the Money via Youtube
Matt and Kim - Let's Go via Consequence of Sound
The Beatles x Carlos Santana x Griz x Gramatik – Don’t Let Me Change (Ego Mashup) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[Break]
FT - Libor scandal rocks banking
Max Keiser - How Tom Cruise Stole Libor
Michael Hudson - Summit MMT in Italy

[End]
Michael Hudson - Summit MMT in Italy

// Production Credits
Production Assistance | Kevin at the Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #85 // Slow Money // Part B ]

Apr 13 2015

Our 20th century food system has created a global market for cheaply priced commodities of corn, wheat, soybeans and rice. We pump a plethora of food from the earth, in the same way we pump barrels of oil. A vision of never-ending technological progress frames the creation of genetically modified organisms in an attempt to keep agribusiness as usual moving forward. But do GMOs work as claimed? Will they be a crucial part of a sustainable food future?

Extraenvironmentalist #85 focuses on the topic of GMOs in the second of our three part series from the 2014 Slow Money Gathering. We first hear from a town hall meeting on food with Patrick Holden, Richard McCarthy, Judy Wicks and Preston Correll. Then Severine von Tscharner Fleming presents a youth perspective on farming and food. Then, a panel on GMOs covers the latest research into industry claims. In the second half of our show, we hear an exclusive radio edit of Vandana Shiva's keynote on the psychology of war embedded in our industrial food system.

// Links and News Items

Town Hall Meeting: Food
Severine von Tscharner Fleming
Breakout session: GMOs
Vandana Shiva - Keynote Video

The Heretic's Guide to Global Finance: Hacking the Future of Money - free ebook

What's the true cost of gasoline?

Wolf Street: no bottom yet under the fracking bust

// Books

Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local-Economy Pioneer by Judy Wicks

Making Peace With the Earth by Vandana Shiva

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break]

Slow Money 2014 Highlight Video

[End]

Aziz Ansari on Chickens

// Music (in order of appearance)

Phoria - Emanate (Tom Gillieron Rework) via Soundcloud
Gregory Porter - Liquid Spirit (Claptone Remix) via IndieShuffle
Daniel Martin Moore - Live from the Slow Money 2014 Gathering
The Be Good Tanyas - Waitin' Round to Die (Avener Remix)
Gramatik - Victory via Soundcloud
Monkey Safari - Cranes (Wolf + Lamb Remix) via Soundcloud

// Production Credits and Notes

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel
Ben Evans of BenEvansCreative.com

Episode #85 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Richard in Spain
Paul in CA
Benny in Australia
Jim in WA
Zach in NJ

[ Episode #84 // Slow Money // Part A ]

Mar 2 2015

Our industrial system of agriculture and an integrated global marketplace has created an abundance of available food for those in wealthy nations. Cheaply priced produce and meat shows up in our supermarkets and restaurants with rarely any concern. Values of efficiency and synchronized just-in-time deliveries have been served by a philosophy of capital-intensive financing for food. A monoculture has been created that is now threatened by droughts of water and credit. Are there less complex ways of growing food that can reduce dependencies on large-scale finance?

Extraenvironmentalist #84 is the first of our three part series from the 2014 Slow Money Gathering. We’ve taken more than 22 hours of our live broadcast footage from the leading thinkers on sustainable sustainable food systems, editing their thoughts and speeches down to the best parts for our podcast audience. We first hear from Woody Tasch, author of Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered, Marco Vangelisti of Essential Knowledge for Transition and Mary Berry of The Berry Center. Then, Joel Salatin outlines a vision for building a truthful farming system that can dramatically reduce the capital intensity of farming while building living systems.

// Links and News Items

Joel Salatin Keynote video
Marco Vangelisti video
Woody Tasch - Opening Keynote Video
Mary Berry - Keynote Video

Dead malls: Half of America’s shopping centres predicted to close by 2030

‘Not Mayberry anymore’: Oil patch cops scramble to keep up

// Books

Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered by Woody Tasch

Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World by Joel Salatin

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)

[Break]

Slow Money 2014 Highlight Video

[End]

Christine Lagarde on facing strong headwinds in the global economy

// Music (in order of appearance)

Caribou - Back Home (umami edit) via Soundcloud
Hayasua - Farewell Blues via IndieShuffle
Daniel Martin Moore - Live from the Slow Money 2014 Gathering
Huon Kind - Feel Like This via The 405
Shakarchi & Stranéus - Hissmusik (HNNY Edit) via Soundcloud

// Production Credits and Notes

Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #84 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Ekaterina in Canada
Pete from North Carolina
Eric from Massachusetts

[ Episode #95 // Economy of Things ]

Jan 28 2017

Though we often think the modern culture of consumerism is an export from United States and a product of capitalism, people long before today’s era were enjoying the benefit of soft shoes, beautiful cloth and exceptional goods. Acquisition has been an important part of community and identity, essential to societies even though only recently so many people have been part of a middle class, capable of affording the mass consumption of today's world. What insights can we glean from the history of consumption and economic thought for what it means to be human?

In Extraenvironmentalist #95 we first speak with Professor Frank Trentmann about his new book Empire of Things: How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First. We hear from Frank about how we've come to live with so much stuff. Then, we talk to Professor Laurence Malone about his work and teaching on Adam Smith and in editing the Essential Adam Smith. Dr. Malone helps us understand the real meaning of the invisible hand.

//Books

Empire of Things: How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First by Frank Trentmann
The Essential Adam Smith edited by Robert Heilbroner and Laurence Malone.

// Music (in order of appearance)

Jose Gonzalez - This is How We Walk on the Moon (Thomas Jack Remix) via Et Musique Pour Tous
Mozambo & Basic Tape – Bright Side (ft. Julia Church)[RYI Remix] via Et Musique Pour Tous
Card on Spokes - Faded Pictures via RTFKT
Peter Doran - Every Little Thing via Soundcloud

// Production Credits and Notes

Our editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #95 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Scott in Ontario
Brian in Oregon

[ Episode #94 // Rocking the Google Bus ]

Oct 25 2016

Companies like Twitter can make billions of dollars in revenue while providing a widely used service and still be considered a financial failure. Though today's digital technologies provide new innovations that reorganize daily life, can the digital economy expand forever? Will our most promising tech ever reach its potential in an economy pushing for growth at all costs?

In Extraenvironmentalist #94 we first speak with Douglas Rushkoff about his new book, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity. Douglas discusses drivers of recent tech businesses and how relentless financial incentives are undermining their possible value to society. Then we speak with Jennifer Hinton about the possibility of a not-for-profit model for business and technology described in her forthcoming book How On Earth: Flourishing in a Not-For-Profit World by 2050.

//Books

Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus by Douglas Rushkoff
How On Earth: Flourishing in a Not-For-Profit World by 2050 by Jennifer Hinton and Donnie Maclurcan

//Clips (in order of appearance)

How private tech industry buses became a symbol of the economic divide in San Francisco
Exponential Technology

// Music (in order of appearance)

Overjoy - Another via Soundcloud
Rufus Du Sol - Innerbloom (Lane 8 Remix) via We Got This Covered

// Production Credits and Notes

Our editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

Episode #94 was supported by donations from the following generous listeners:

Ian in Australia
Kyle in Colorado
Ben in Colorado

[ Episode #43 // Occupy With Aloha ]

Jun 13 2012

The people of Hawaii have lived an incredible story of cultural assimilation. Numerous external influences on the island have driven a process of creation and destruction, resulting in innovative musical styles. Now, Hawaii faces difficult challenges with food security and genetically modified seeds as it survives the dying values of a corporate culture. Can we learn from the adaptability of the Hawaiian people to facilitate a process of cultural change in Western society?

In Extraenvironmentalist #43 we speak with Makana about his mastery of the slack-key guitar and the lessons Hawaiian culture has to teach us at this tumultuous time. Makana tells us about GMOs in Hawaii, the importance for food security and the story of his experience in singing truth to power at an APEC dinner in Honolulu hosted by President Obama. We ask him for a brief summary of how his aquaponics system works. Next, we speak with Darren Drrda [at the 1h12m mark] about the themes in his book The Four Global Truths and how we can take the first steps towards living an interconnected life that embodies the new story we're creating about our species.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Telepopmusik - Brighton Beach (Freddie Joachim Remix) via The Music Ninja
Makana - Napo'o Ka La via Makana
Makana - We Are the Many via Makana
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Man on Fire (Little Daylight Remix) via Soundcloud
Sunday Girl - Self Control (Young Empires Remix) via IndieShuffle

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[1st Break] - 25m
Hawaii GMOs - Islands at Risk
What is aquaponics

[2nd Break] - 52m
Makana on CNN

[End]
Bill Rees speaking at the Montreal Degrowth Conference

// Production Credits
Production Assistance | Kevin at the Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #42 // Green Illusions ]

Jun 5 2012

We've imagined for several decades that in an ideal energy future we'll have solar panels on every building and wind turbines accompanying the corn on rural farmland. Yet, is our energy context ready for photovoltaic modules and wind generated electricity? Who doesn't love the idea of harvesting solar energy that would just hit the planet whether we use it or not? Will renewable energy technologies replace our oil infrastructure or will environmentalists need to tackle many other issues before we should even start talking about renewable energy?

In Extraenvironmentalist #42 we hear from Ozzie Zehner about his new book Green Illusions which discusses the ecological impacts of manufacturing a renewable energy future. Ozzie tells us about his research into the stories of renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines. Are solar panels on a rapidly decreasing cost curve? Do wind turbines reduce carbon emissions of electricity generation? We also ask Ozzie what environmentalists should advocate for if they aren't pushing for renewable energy.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Princeton - Grand Rapids (RAC Remix) via RAC Soundcloud Page
Elliot Yamin - Let's Get to What's Real via ThatEricAlper Soundcloud Page
Joe Bataan - Es Tu Costa (It's Your Thing) via Funky16Corners
Bodies of Water - Like a Stranger via Icarus & Occident
Dolly Parton - House of The Rising Sun (Apollo Zero's Dolly House of Remix) via Apollo Zero

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[1st Break] - 34m
Obama on Renewable Energy
Rep. Inslee floor statement on American optimism and renewable energy jobs
Mark Jacobson - Renewable Energy is Now
Alan Grais on Renewable Energy from the Montreal Degrowth Conference on an upcoming Vimeo video
Windfall Trailer
T. Boone Pickens
Obama on Winning the Future - Renewable Energy

[2nd Break] - 1h05m
Juliet Schor on working less from the Montreal Degrowth Conference

[End]
Jiddu Krishnamurti on Technology

//Production Credits
Production Assistance | Kevin at the Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel

[ Episode #40 // Corporate Influence ]

Apr 30 2012

The logic of neoliberalism behind our economic model is fading as its fundamental conclusions about human nature are reaching an extreme. As global economies continue to reveal numbers indicating a spiraling trend of contraction in manufacturing and economic growth, corporations maintain enough power over our societies to stay afloat. Though we are influenced by the corporate mindset from the moment we enter the school system as children, can we find alternatives to corporate control of our education, media and health?

In Extraenvironmentalist #40 we speak with Joel Bakan about how the dystopian possibilities imagined by his film The Corporation have become a reality. Joel describes the reasons why neoliberalism can be appealing to us even though it is based on a limited understanding of human potential. We ask Joel about his recent book Childhood Under Siege, where he describes corporate influence on children through education and the modern medical system. Next, we talk with Laurette Lynn of Unplugged Mom Radio [a the 67' mark] about how the best option for educating our children may be for parents to take their kids out of the school system entirely to learn critical thinking skills. Then, we talk to The PPL [at the 102' mark] about how they are taking media out of the hand of major corporations for the 2012 Democratic National Convention so that citizen journalists who understand the magnitude of today's challenges can ask tough questions. Last of all, Seth and I discuss our upcoming coverage of the Montreal Degrowth Conference.

If you are interested in hearing more about our thoughts on education and society give our interview a listen on the Unplugged Mom show with Laurette Lynn.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Bibio - Lovers' Carvings (Bruno Be & Eddie M Remix) via The Music Ninja
Bonobo - All In Forms (Letherette Remix) via This is Real Music
Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice (St Etienne Cover) via Soundcloud
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Ane Brun Cover) via It's a Trap
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (RAC Remix) via Soundcloud
Foxes - Youth (Adventure Club Remix) via Skeetbeatz

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[First Break] - 15'
A Selection of Clips from The Corporation Film
Pink Slime + BP Corexit
[Second Break] - 45'
Montreal Student Protests
Global Youth Unemployment
Italy Youth Unemployment Reaches Over 30%
Clip from upcoming XE interview with University of Victoria professor Michael M'Gonigle
[End]
J. Krishnamurti Speaks on Education

[ Episode #39 // Debunking Economics ]

Apr 22 2012

Roughly 90% of the world's economics professionals failed to see the current economic crisis forming on the horizon of the early 21st century. Many of them are now striving for stability through policies of refinancing and quantitative easing. While this class of economic thinkers have driven the planet's policies for decades, their faulty logic is being exposed by structurally high unemployment and failing banks. Ben Bernanke and Mario Draghi are using central bank policies to prop up a system that's imploding due to heavy debt burdens by using national deficits for attempts to accelerate private debt accumulation once again. Could one of the few economists that predicted the current financial crash outline a path forward for educating the next round of economists while providing an alternative to austerity?

In Extraenvironmentalist #39 we speak with Steve Keen about how neoclassical economics controls the ways our governments think. Steve draws on themes from the second edition of his book that exposes neoclassical economics and its faulty logic, Debunking Economics. In the first half of the interview, we draw on a technical understanding of where neoclassical economics has gone wrong and where the economies of the Eurozone are headed through following the path of austerity. In the second half, we talk about modern debt jubilees and retooling economics education. After which, Jennifer Baichwal joins us at the 95' mark to talk about her newest film, Payback, based on Margaret Atwood's book about debt and debtor relationships. Last of all, Seth and I recall our recent gig at Jackson Hole.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Vacationer - Good as New via The Swill Merchants
Niia - Mad World via The Music Ninja
Mark Foster, Kimbra, A-Trak - Warrior via Hard Candy
Dragonette - Let It Go (The Knocks Remix) via KickKickSnare
Ibrahim Ferrer - Ay Candela (Henry Krinkle Remix) via International Beat Forum

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[First Break] - 35'40"
Austerity Suicides
Greeks in Despair
This is War: Italy Burns Paintings to Protest Austerity
Greek Town Develops Alternative Currency
[Second Break] - 67'40"
Bernanke Impresses Students at GWU
Steve Keen on Ponzi Schemes
Krugman Knocked Out of Neoclassical Orbit by Steve Keen
[End]
Michael Hudson - INET Talk on the Politics and Economics of Restructuring

[ Episode #38 // Hard Times ]

Mar 17 2012

Debt is placing a stranglehold on the global economy, restricting the ability for growth to occur at a rate fast enough to prevent the monetary system from unraveling. To delay a massive deleveraging, governments are turning on the central bank taps to fill the system with liquidity. With severe structural issues that continue to avoid inclusion in the political discourse, can ordinary people prepare to maintain control over their assets to ensure success of future decentralization initiatives? How is preparing for this world different for our generation than for our parents?

In Extraenvironmentalist #38 we talk about living in hard times with Nicole Foss of The Automatic Earth. Nicole tells us about the Canadian housing bubble and why the initial collapse might just be faster than the one America experienced in 2005. Seth and I ask about what life was like in the Great Depression and how the process of labor exploitation may continue into the near future. We ask Nicole if misunderstandings about economic collapse could have us preparing for the wrong thing.

Also, we get to meet our blog editor Louisa Clarence-Smith who tells us about WWOOFing and her experiences working on farms in Scotland and Italy.

For more from The Automatic Earth, check out our interview with TAE writer Ashvin Pandurangi back in XE #13.

// Music (in order of appearance)
St. Lucia - All Eyes on You via Soundcloud
Cody ChestnuTT - Under the Spell of the Handout via Indieshuffle
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Cosmo Black Remix) via Hard Candy
Alpine - Hands (Goldroom Remix) via Fader
ANDREYA TRIANA – Lost Where I Belong (Banks Remix) via Aerial Noise

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[First Break]
Sunshine and Eclipse
Rioting Across America During the Great Depression
Stories From the Great Depression
[Second Break]
Making a Difference: Rebuilding From a Tornado
Bill McKibben: Rebuilding Community
[End]
Jiddu Krishnamurti - Fear

[ Episode #36 // Art Into Action ]

Feb 16 2012

With an educational system that trains artists to develop their talents into commercial skills, our culture is missing out on the ability for art to disrupt normalcy. Why should we hope for systemic reform when the vast majority of water cooler conversations turn to American Idol and the fashion at awards shows? Will concerted efforts from artists allow us to breach difficult topics and address the economic elephant in the room? Can we use art to support behavior change, moving deeper than simply building awareness?

In Extraenvironmentalist #36 we discuss art and activism with Steve Lambert. Steve describes how his work as an artist has allowed him to create temporary utopias that prompt people to question the fundamental assumptions of society. We ask Steve how his varied work experience has helped him understand our education system and barriers to reform. What if the people around us aren't lazy and are just optimizing where their agency can have an effect?

Give Steve a follow on Twitter to keep track of his thoughts... and jokes.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Active Child - Johnny Belinda (White Arrows Remix) via Tell All Your Friends
Django Django - Storm via Music That Isn't Bad
Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere (Rosebuds Cover) via The Rosebuds Bandcamp
Ra Ra Riot - Oh, La (Submarines Remix) via The Burning Ear
Bonobo - The Keeper (Banks Remix) via The Music Ninja

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[First Break]
Cuts and Chaos - Desperation Drives Greek Clashes
Occupy the Dream - From Wall Street to Congress
US Economic Collapse - Dmitry Orlov + Max Keiser
[Second Break]
The Secret World of Shoplifting
Bill Moyers Interview with David Stockman
[End]
Meeting an awakened person - Thomas Hübl

[ Episode #35 // Ecology + Alcohol ]

Feb 1 2012

You can easily enjoy a beer without knowing about the thousands of years alcohol has modified the senses of our species. We'll go out to a bar to participate in a ritual to help us deal with the tasks of a work day, yet what if a tree does the same? Should alcohol be recognized for its ability change our consciousness in a sacred way? Are other species using the same substances we do in modifying their ability to perceive signals?

In Extraenvironmentalist #35 we speak with Stephen Harrod Buhner about his thoughts on the role of alcohol on humans and nature based around his book, Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. We ask Stephen about the ecological role of humanity in the environment. Are Homo Sapiens like bees that serve a role much bigger than we'll ever understand? Our conversation covers the ways ancient people experienced the world and alternative approaches to brewing beer. Once your hear Stephen explain the chemistry of plants, you'll never think about that tree outside your window in the same way again.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Labyrinth Ear - Walk on the Moon (Arthur Russel Rework) via The Fader
Mansions on the Moon - Athens via Iceland Music Maffia
Kishi Bashi - Bright Whites viaConsequence of Sound
Polica - Lay Your Cards Out via Life+Times
Parov Stelar - Catgroove via IndieShuffle

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
Alan Watts - Roots of the Ecological Crisis
Bill Rees - The Dangerous Disconnection Between Economics and Ecology
The History of Alcohol
Terence McKenna: On Alcohol, Caffeine, Culture and Extraenvironmentalism

[ Episode #34 // Why America Failed ]

Jan 19 2012

Twilight is on the horizon for American culture. After spreading an ideology of endless economic growth around the world, the definition of modernity has been defined by the United States. American values are now written into the cultural textbook for nations across the globe. Now that America is failing, what does it feel like to look back and what did we achieve? Was the collapse written in the opening chapters? What if our technological legacy comes with a terrible dark side?

In Extraenvironmentalist #34 we speak with author and historian Morris Berman about his recent look back at the history of American values as chronicled in the book Why America Failed. We ask Morris why American culture has dominated the globe despite so many dark aspects within its technology and values. Our discussion covers the ways in which people can seek meaningful lives as part of a counterculture and why our ideologies of technology and infinite growth were born on the landscape of an endless frontier. Is there a way to avoid the culture of hustling by channeling the alternative values that have arisen from those discontented by capitalism? Is it best just to become an expat?

Check out the new Extraenvironmentalist blog edited by Louisa, the newest member of our team.

// Music (in order of appearance)
Marvin Gaye - Sunny (Mercury II Edit) via Pigeons and Planes
FM Belfast - American via Iceland Music Maffia
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold via Blahblahblahblahscience
Cheerleader - Do What You Want via Turntable Kitchen
Buddy Holly - Slippin' and Slidin' (Jacques Renault Remix) via RCRDLBL

// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
Chris Hedges - Brace Yourself for America's Collapse
Detroit Savaged by Economic Problems
America's New Poor
Judge Napolitano
Frank Zappa on Schools
Ray Kurzweil on Technology
Kevin Kelly on Technology
Terence McKenna on Western Civilization
Jiddhu Krishnamurti - Why Do We Live With Stress

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