Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
The “tragedy of the commons” is an idea that has so thoroughly seeped into culture and law that it seems normal for people and corporations to own land, water, and even whole ecosystems. But there’s a BIG problem: the “tragedy” part of it has been debunked – it really should be the triumph of the commons.
Indigenous rights lawyer, leader, and author Sherri Mitchell describes how the Christian Doctrines of Discovery made their way from 15th-century European religious leaders into the U.S. legal system.
As seafaring colonizers divvied up the world and justified their actions using the Doctrine of Discovery, the era of land-grabbing imperialism led to outrageous exploitation of Indigenous peoples and ecosystems.
When greedy power-trippers perpetrate unspeakable acts of exploitation, they often rationalize their loathsome acts after the fact.
Investigative journalist and podcaster Amy Westervelt talks with Asher about the cultural roots of the climate crisis.
Join Asher, Rob, and Jason as they sort through some terrible human behavior, suggest encouraging ways to change our views and habits regarding our fellow Earthlings, and try to figure out what the hell “estimativa” is. Warning: animal cruelty is discussed at length.
What we do with water matters even more in the era of global warming. Can we learn to treat this most precious of resources in a way that achieves sustainability?
Climate Sabotage with Tim DeChristopher (Season 3 – February 24, 2022) Stop Saving the Planet with Jenny Price (Season 3 – January 26, 2022) Holiday Guide for the Perplexed (Season 3 – December 15, 2021) It’s All Paradox with Douglas Rushkoff (Season 3 – November 24, 2021) Oceans of Knowledge with Sylvia Earle (Season 3 … Read more
In this bonus episode, Post Carbon Institute brings together the hosts of its two podcasts: What Could Possibly Go Right? and Crazy Town. Our host Vicki Robin sits down with the guys from Crazy Town to cover climate change, empathy, the stages of grief, and other related topics.
It’s the end of the world as we know it. OK, maybe not just yet, but it is the end of Crazy Town’s third season. If you’ve been able to look past some of the more absurd parts of the podcast, perhaps you’ve noticed a pattern.
The “maximum power principle” may sound like the doctrine of an evil supervillain, but it actually applies to all living creatures. The principle states that biological systems organize to increase power whenever constraints allow.
This episode examines the fascinating world of positive feedback loops, which play an outsized role in the not-so-positive phenomena of climate change, biodiversity loss, and political polarization.
