This week we were pleased to interview Haven Scott McVarish, who is the founder and director of the non-profit organizations Common Sense Democracy and 5Journeys. He has been a community organizer, a strategist for local political campaigns, a union leader, and the founder of one of the most successful immigration law firms in Los Angeles. He is a former congressional candidate, a frequent progressive political commentator for Real America’s Voice, and now a regenerative farmer. His second book,...
Dec 22, 2021•59 min•Ep. 66
When it comes to greenhouse gasses, C02 typically takes center stage. In this episode we take on the 2nd most prolific greenhouse gas, methane, which is comparatively a much more powerful gas when it comes to global warming. There are many theories that exist regarding the future of methane, and we try to take a balanced look at those here. Learn More: https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-a-new-way-to-assess-global-warming-potential-of-short-lived-pollutants https://www.science.org/content/art...
Dec 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 65
Previously (episode 45), we talked about the weaknesses in global infrastructure from a very high level, with the promise to touch deeper on different aspects of infrastructure later on. In this episode we focus on dams and bridges, two very critical aspects of our physical infrastructure, and each with their own unique battles to fight now and in the coming decades. Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-0362-5 https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Dams...
Dec 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 64
This podcast, and the exploration of collapse itself, can be a bit of an echo chamber. In this sub-series we want to take an honest look at the counter-arguments that exist which try to explain why collapse won't happen. In this episode, we take a look at the arguments against resource scarcity. Learn More: https://interstem.us/2021/07/10/will-the-earth-ever-run-out-of-resources https://www.jstor.org/stable/23596679 https://mindmatters.ai/2020/08/business-prof-stop-it-the-world-is-not-runni...
Dec 01, 2021•51 min•Ep. 63
History is full of examples of collapse of all sorts. This week we take a high level look at some of those collapses and attempt to find the parallels with our situation today. Learn More: https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-some-common-reasons-why-empires-fall/ https://www.theguardian.com/education/higher/humanities/partner/story/0,9885,678228,00.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-states-and-em...
Nov 24, 2021•41 min•Ep. 62
This is an example of the bonus episodes we release weekly every Friday to our Patreon subscribers. Use the link below to join! Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 19, 2021•18 min
We were pleased to interview Michael Rezl, one of the senior moderators on r/collapse, on his perspective on Reddit, moderating, and getting his insights on Paul Chefurkas "Ladder of Collapse Awareness". Learn More: Ladder of Awareness Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 17, 2021•56 min•Ep. 61
It is one of the most talked about aspects of climate change in the mainstream, and yet one of the most misunderstood. Sea level rise is more than just cities under water and is not something we have until 2100 to start seeing the effects of. It's happening now, and the problem is growing exponentially. Learn More: https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/publications/ranking-of-the-worlds-cities-to-coastal-flooding/11240357 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z.pdf https:/...
Nov 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 60
When it comes to natural disasters, California doesn't have it easy. Droughts, wildfires, mudslides, The Big One, (and last but certainly not least), ARkStorm. ARkStorm is more than just an ominous-sounding name. It is a storm that has happened in a historically consistent pattern, and one that would decimate the California economy as well as potentially that of the US and even the world. It would leave behind destruction, death, famine and cause mass migration from the US' most populo...
Nov 03, 2021•38 min•Ep. 59
In the "Can Technology Save Us?" series up to this point we've taken a look at renewable electricity, nuclear fission, geoengineering, and nuclear fusion. In this episode, we take a look at electric vehicles and the hopes that have been put in them to help power a sustainable future. Can electric cars save us? I think you already know the answer (not a chance), and this episodes shows us why. Learn More: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021/policies-to-promote-electr...
Oct 27, 2021•34 min•Ep. 58
The US defence budget is enormous - as big as the next 10 countries combined! In this episode we discuss the true cost of the US military, beyond just dollars. Learn more: https://sipri.org/media/press-release/2021/world-military-spending-rises-almost-2-trillion-2020 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-rein-in-inflated-military-budgets/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States https://www.newsweek.com/2014/07/25/us-department-defence-one-worlds-bigges...
Oct 20, 2021•38 min•Ep. 57
A recent model predicts civil conflict and even civil war in the United states. A prerequisite for this to happen is that there has to be restrictions on upward socioeconomic mobility. In this episode we explore how that has taken place, and what the final result will be for the ruling elite if the working class is pushed too far. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 13, 2021•45 min•Ep. 56
With increases in technology come increases in complexity. Over the years we've continually added important infrastructure to Earth's orbit, infrastructure which is now imperilled by ever-increasing chances for a cascading failure that could jeopardize our financial systems, communication, and supply chains. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 06, 2021•30 min•Ep. 55
In this episode we take an up-close look at one example of our currently strained supply chains, semiconductors. Why are we running short? What implications does it have? How is it an example of overall supply chain disruption? Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 29, 2021•39 min•Ep. 54
Many parts of the world live in areas heavily impacted by tropical cyclones. Costing 10's and even 100's of billions of dollars per year in damages, these storms have the potential to cause real harm to supply chaines, infrastructure, and economy. Thanks to climate change, they're getting worse. Learn More: Projected Increases in Hurricane Damage in the United States: The Role of Climate Change and Coastal Development - ScienceDirect https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/07/how-...
Sep 22, 2021•37 min•Ep. 53
Mental health and resilience is one of the lesser-spoken-about topics of collapse, but one that is so important as the world around us continually changes at an accelerated pace. In this episode, we check in on eachother's mental health and Kellan gives some specific examples and ideas for building mental resiliency. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 15, 2021•47 min•Ep. 52
We sat down with Professor Tom Murphy to discuss his views on collapse. Tom is a professor in the physics department at UCSD, and recently released a free textbook online called Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, which you can find here . Enjoy the interview! Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 08, 2021•49 min•Ep. 51
We often hear about the importance of the Amazon and that it's in danger. What does that really mean? In this episode we dive into what the future looks like for the world's biggest rainforest. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 01, 2021•38 min•Ep. 50
Collapse is a heavy topic, and many people struggle with how to bring it up to others. While the situation may not always warrant teaching someone about collapse, sometimes it is and it's worth being prepared for those conversations. In this episode we discuss the dos and don'ts of talking about collapse, with some specific approaches that can be used. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 25, 2021•47 min•Ep. 49
Much of the focus of collapse conversation seems to be growing consumption and the energy resources required to make it possible. Less spoken of, however, is the waste byproduct of all that production and consumption. From trash, to spilled chemicals, to air pollution and more, waste is a growing issue with more problems than solutions. Learn More: https://blog.idrenvironmental.com/what-is-industrial-waste https://publicintegrity.org/environment/industrial-waste-pollutes-americas-drinking-water/...
Aug 18, 2021•55 min•Ep. 48
Some of climate change's most deadly consequences will come from an increase in deadly heatwaves. In this episode, Kory and Kellan discuss what the wet bulb temperature is and how we can expect it to affect us in the future. Learn More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Conceptual_Physics/Book%3A_Body_Physics_-_Motion_to_Metabolism_(Davis)/10%3A_Powering_the_Body/10.09%3A_Efficiency_of_the_Human_Body https://www.engineersedge.com/heat...
Aug 11, 2021•34 min•Ep. 47
In this episode of the "Can Technology Save Us?" mini-series Kory and Kellan discuss nuclear fusion - its potential for providing vast amounts of energy, as well as the serious roadblocks to its actualization. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 04, 2021•39 min•Ep. 46
A functioning civilized society requires an ever-increasingly complex network of infrastructure. As that infrastructure ages, and necessary maintenance is not done to ensure it remains whole, it can have severe and lasting impacts on society. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 28, 2021•45 min•Ep. 45
This is a bonus episode, which reflects the weekly bonus episodes we release as a "ThankYou" to our Patreon supporters. This week's topic is the leaked IPCC report and how it differs from their past reports. To receive these bonus episodes, join us here ! Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 23, 2021•27 min
As governments around the world feel the stress of collapse, they will likely attempt to increase control of their people. One of the ways this is done is through censorship - silencing voices and diminishing free speech. In this episode, Kory and Kellan take a look at the the ways that censorship can accelarate collapse, and the ways that collapse can increase censorship. Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 21, 2021•37 min•Ep. 44
Insects are at the bottom of the food chain, and entire ecoystems rely on them. As human activity continues to fill the corners of the earth and cause unrelenting climate change, insect populations are being affected. What do we know about the scale of the problem, and what it means for us? Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 14, 2021•33 min•Ep. 43
Birth rates decline for many reasons - both voluntary and involuntary. What are those reasonds, and what does this mean for society and for collapse? Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 07, 2021•42 min•Ep. 42
Many of our scarce resources are known, somewhat mainstream, and fairly obvious. Others, however, are not as apparent. This episode is about the surprisingly urgent need for ethically sourced sand. Peak sand may be reached in the next few decades. Learn More: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/rising-demand-sand-calls-resource-governance https://www.ecomagazine.com/in-depth/featured-stories/slipping-through-our-fingers-are-we-running-out-of-sand https://www.theguardian.com/globa...
Jun 30, 2021•32 min•Ep. 41
Kory and Kellan describe the reasons for, and potential outcomes of, a slowing AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation). And no, it's nothing like The Day After Tomorrow tries to make you believe. They also briefly discuss jet streams and the effect climate change has on weather patterns. Learn more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-weakest-in-a-millennium-say-scientists https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/climatechange/imp...
Jun 23, 2021•33 min•Ep. 40
Referring back to episode 4, Kory and Kellan give an update on the scenarios presented in the book "Limits to Growth", with information from updated models, as well as empirical data gained since the original publishing in 1972. Learn More: Branderhorst Document Turner Paper (2012) The original Limits to Growth (1972) Support the show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 16, 2021•38 min•Ep. 39
