I had the pleasure to meet quickly with Shaun Chamberlain to announce the start of a new forum hosted on his page, for listeners of this podcast. Hopefully it will become a great place to chat about the episodes or get to know each other a bit more. I also highly encourage you to engage with the other forums there, as well as all of Shaun's other material! Previous Interview with Shaun: Episode 114 - Interview with Shaun Chamberlin - Breaking Down: Collapse forum.darkoptimism.org survivingthefut...
Oct 29, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 38
The Trump administration is making big moves to increase the capability of governmental surveillance against its own citizens. The growing surveillance state in the U.S. is far worse than you imagined ALPR Map | DeFlock Cities Are Fighting Back Against The Law-Breaking Flock License Plate Cameras The Shocking Far-Right Agenda Behind the Facial Recognition Tech Used by ICE and the FBI – Mother Jones When the government can see everything: How one company – Palantir – is mapping the nation’s data ...
Oct 28, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 37
We are already fully aware that we'll blow through 1.5C and 2.0C above the baseline. New research shows the gap between Paris Climate Accord pledges and reality are growing. The Production Gap Report 2025 | SEI The Rest of the World Is Following America’s Retreat on EVs - WSJ 1 in 4 new cars sold in 2025 will be electric, new report says, and China is the undisputed EV leader | CBC News Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See aca...
Oct 27, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Fascism this week in the US (10/17-10/23). Trump: "Don't forget I can use Donald Trump declares he has Judge tells Homeland Security Immigrants with no criminal record now largest group Officials Scrub Data Showing U.S. Citizens Swept Up Republican Governor Orders National Guard Deployed Justice Amy Coney Barrett Admits Supreme Court $300million-100% paid by trump-Military involved Trump says he has final say on paying himself $230m Noem Approves Spending $200 Million to Buy Trump: “Democrats di...
Oct 24, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 35
New discovery in Antarctica shows that methane seeps are increasing - more research is needed (and currently underway) to determine the extent and effects. Scientists discover methane leaking out from beneath the ocean around Antarctica | CNN Massive methane leaks detected in Antarctica, posing potential risks for global warming | Climate | EL PAÍS English Leaking ‘fire ice’ is new threat to the planet Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted o...
Oct 23, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 34
According to new research, we've officially crossed the coral reef death tipping point. Our temperature range above the preindustrial average is now higher than coral reefs can survive in the long term (and effects are already being seen). Planet’s first catastrophic climate tipping point reached, report says, with coral reefs facing ‘widespread dieback’ | Climate crisis | The Guardian Coral die-off marks Earth’s first climate ‘tipping point’, scientists say Global Tipping Points | understanding...
Oct 22, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 33
Enjoy an excerpt from my interview with Greg Nelson, as part of our Patreon bonus content. To finish this interview, and hear the others we've been doing with out listeners, please join us on Patreon! Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2025•25 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Over the last few years there has been a lot of conversation about AI taking jobs. Is it taking place, and will it be as bad as some say? 92 Million Jobs Lost to AI: Who’s Most at Risk? Why Is Job Growth So Slow When GDP Is So Strong? - Apollo Academy Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 20, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 31
A fresh new week from hell in the USA. Enjoy? Supreme Court Signals Final Blow Trump administration revokes 6 visas Department of State on X: TN man arrested Insider Whales Made $100 Million US is working on doubling aid GOP’s Jim Jordan on judges: Heavily armed ICE agents illegally ICE Rams Civilian Car, Drags Woman WGN-TV producer Debbie Brockman Trump calls Mamdani a ‘communist,’ Letitia James, the New York attorney general President Trump calls on Criminal charges against Bolton CBP Enforces...
Oct 17, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Tehran (with a metro population of nearly 17 million) is experiencing a major water shortage, after 5 years of drought. Subsidence, as a result of groundwater removal, is simultaneously causing the land to sink and destroying infrastructure. Iran must move its capital from Tehran, says president as water crisis worsens | Iran | The Guardian ‘We must change’: how drought and overextraction of water has run Iran dry | Environment | The Guardian Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content an...
Oct 16, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Counterintuitively, a collapsing world may just be resulting in people who are less likely to become collapse aware. Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 15, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 28
*Caveat: This was recorded on October 7th so may not be completely up to date in regards to recent happenings. An escalation in the battle for states' rights to defend against invading federal forces in the US (not a sentence I thought I'd write in my lifetime). Judge to block 'relocation, federalization, or deployment' of any National Guard to Oregon - ABC News Texas Gov. Abbott deploys National Guard to protect federal property | Fox News Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and ...
Oct 14, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Deutsche Bank now says that the AI bubble is all that's keeping the economy afloat. Meanwhile, several other indicators show how the economy is struggling for the everyday person. The AI bubble is the only thing keeping the US economy together, Deutsche Bank warns | TechSpot China Labor Market Struggles Deepen, Clouding Economic Outlook | FXEmpire Elizabeth Warren calls for Trump to release the jobs report despite shutdown Student Loan Borrowers Skipping Payments Face Credit Score Declines - Blo...
Oct 13, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 26
The 3rd installment of the weekly segment I think I'll call "This Week in Fascism". 'Plenary Authority?' Chicago Pastor Sues Judge finds ICE violated consent decree, takes issue with some arrests Trump says JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson 'should be in jail' Gov. JB Pritzker on protecting his constituents " We took the freedom of speech away" UVA antifascist students plan American flag-burning protest Friday | Fox News Trump Touts His Administration's Ties to Project 2025 Trump just hosted an...
Oct 10, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Researchers discovered that bird flu and human influenza can simultaneously occupy the cells of cow udders, heightening the risk of future reassortment leading to human spread avian influenza. Bird Flu and Human Flu Viruses Could Mix in Cow Udders and Spark a Pandemic | Scientific American H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation | Bird Flu | CDC Avian flu forces Jefferson County poultry farm to cull 3M birds - WPR More Than 400,000 SD Turkeys Killed In Response To Bird Flu Outbreak, Ducks Identified As C...
Oct 09, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 24
New research indicates the planet has not crossed 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries described in the "Breaking Boundaries" documentary from 2021, an increase from 4 at the time it was released. Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached - Stockholm Resilience Centre Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet | Official Trailer | Netflix Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 08, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 23
NSPM-7 is the Trump administration's newest effort to rip away free speech rights and suppress his dissenters. It is one of the most blatant acts of fascism to date in his presidency and will be a potentially disastrous tool in his effort to quiet those who push back. Trump’s NSPM-7 Labels Common Beliefs As Terrorism “Indicators” Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence – The White House Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. H...
Oct 07, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Waters surrounding the UK have been so overfished that cod is down to just 1% of the population. If fishing doesn't stop immediately, it could collapse completely and permanently. UK could see fish and chips shortages as cod supply in ‘grave danger’ | The Independent Collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery - Wikipedia Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 06, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Let's make it a weekly thing.... I wasn't able to post all the links, as my podcast host only allows so many! Trump says he’s designating Antifa. .. Trump’s NSPM-7 Labels. .. Stephen Miller Claims ... Trump administration to link Tylenol. .. Trump Orders US Troops ... Fox News' Jesse Watters. .. In Pressuring ABC Over Kimmel. .. FCC Chair Brendan Carr's post. .. Why Trump’s directive to AG Bondi. .. James Comey reacts to his indictment. .. Trump declaring war on United States cities. .. ‘Most Lo...
Oct 03, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Luke Kemp addresses fatalism vs realism, and Australia's government released a 1,000 page report on expected climate impacts on the country. Climate risks report paints grim picture, but expert on societal collapse explains giving up is not the answer - ABC News How is Australia affected by climate change? The National Climate Risk Assessment models the future - ABC News National Climate Risk Assessment | Australian Climate Service Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join o...
Oct 02, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 19
The Finnish government has put out a 163 page paper describing 4 potential scenarios between now and 2044, and how those scenarios would affect EU and Finland itself. One of those scenarios was global collapse. Part 1 of the Report on the Future: Strategic Analysis of the Operating Environment and Scenarios until 2045 - Valto (report in Finnish and Swedish) Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Oct 01, 2025•19 min•Season 2Ep. 18
This research paper indicates that the US has surpassed "peak water security", and that people lose access to water from here. Beyond peak water security: Household-scale experiential metrics can offer new perspectives on contemporary water challenges in the United States | PLOS Water Global water crisis could cost trillions – DW – 08/25/2025 Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 30, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 17
The Trump administration is doing everything in its power to roll back regulatory protections that reduce emissions, along with restricting the collection of data. E.P.A. to Stop Collecting Emissions Data From Polluters - The New York Times EPA aims to undo authority to regulate climate pollution : NPR Mauna Loa Observatory captured the reality of climate change. The US plans to shut it down Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. Se...
Sep 29, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 16
A new report from the IEA shows that 90% of investments in oil and gas go towards simply making up for declines in production. EROEI has gotten so poor that 100s of billions of dollars are being spent just to meet demand. What happens if investments falter? Oil 2025 – Analysis - IEA Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 26, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 15
ICE has gained a new surveillance tool, thanks to Trump and, in part, Biden. I discuss the reality of the danger it poses, and some tips for staying safe. Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 25, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Trump has issued an Executive Order classifying Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. Tell us Trump - where is their headquarter and who is their leader? Also, the Pacific heat blob is back and larger than ever. Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization – The White House The ‘blob’ is back — except this time it stretches across the entire North Pacific | CNN (1) Leon Simons (looking up) on X: "🌊🌡️📈 The warming rate over the North Pacific Ocean the past 25 years. .. Please...
Sep 24, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 13
New research argues that not only are dramatic geoengineering ideas too costly, ungovernable, and dangerous, but also they serve as a distraction from our true need, which is to reduce emissions. Scientists warn polar ice-fixing plans are ‘flawed and dangerous’ Frontiers | Safeguarding the polar regions from dangerous geoengineering: a critical assessment of proposed concepts and future prospects Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acas...
Sep 23, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 12
How much news is too much news? A recent article from The Guardian explores the rapidly increasing number of people who are avoiding the news for their mental health. Why more and more people are tuning the news out: ‘Now I don’t have that anxiety’ | Mental health | The Guardian Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 22, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 11
A look at the overwhelming number of headlines from the last week, chronicling the erosion of constitutional rights in the US Leavitt confirms the DOJ officials have talked about banning trans ... New Bill Would Give Marco Rubio Power to Revoke U.S. Passports Trump and his advisers plan for crackdown on left-wing groups ... DHS Says Filming, Posting Videos of ICE Agents Is “Doxxing,” ... Attorney General Pam Bondi says DOJ will be 'targeting' people. .. GLENN: They still have their 1st Amendment...
Sep 19, 2025•19 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Roy Scranton, a researcher at Notre Dame, feels that "Ethical Pessimism" is the right attitude to take in regard to collapse. I think I agree... mostly? New research explores climate change and the limits of human progress Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 18, 2025•19 min•Season 2Ep. 9
