Non-Toxic

Daniel Penny•nontoxicpodcast.substack.com

From the manosphere to the atmosphere, Non-Toxic is a podcast devoted to understanding the intersections between wellness culture, masculinity and the climate crisis. Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from how to blow up a pipeline to why incels are obsessed with the idea of alphas to why meatfluencers may not have your best interests at heart. Hosted by critic and journalist Daniel Waite Penny.

nontoxicpodcast.substack.com

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Episodes

After cooling with Eric Dean Wilson Part 2

Get your personal protection gear on as we dive into the second of a two-part conversation about the history of the air conditioning with author Eric Dean Wilson. We learn how researchers in Antarctica proved there really was a big hole in the ozone layer and how one Reagan administration official suggested Americans should just wear hats and sunglasses to avoid the worst of the sun’s UV radiation. Listen to Part 1 of our conversation here . Get yourself a copy of After Cooling: On Freon, Global...

Jul 06, 2023•36 min

After cooling with Eric Dean Wilson Part 1

Brrrr. It’s cold in here. In the first part of a two-part conversation with author Eric Dean Wilson, we journey into the shady underworld of used refrigerant sales, take a look back at the history of air conditioning, and wonder how we almost managed to destroy all life on earth in our quest for personal comfort. Get yourself a copy of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort . Read Eric’s recent essay in Orion about this summer’s endless plumes of wildfire smoke...

Jun 29, 2023•29 min

Going hog wild with Lauren Larson

In this episode, it’s Man vs Pig, and Man is losing. We head to the hill country of Texas with journalist Lauren Larson to understand why scientists, hunters, and even conservationists are so concerned about the scourge of feral hogs destroying crops, polluting water, and even eating baby deer. Discussing her recent article on the pig problem for Texas Monthly, Larson unpacks all the weird dynamics of this man-made ecological disaster and what humans can learn from our remarkable hubris. To supp...

Jun 22, 2023•35 min

How to blow up a pipeline with Daniel Goldhaber

In this explosive episode, we talk with the filmmakers behind How to Blow Up a Pipeline , a new movie adapted from Andreas Malm’s political manifesto about why we should all start sabotaging fossil fuel infrastructure. Featuring director Daniel Goldhaber, writer Jordan Sjol, and editor Dan Garber, we talk about why eco-thrillers usually end in tears, the political uses of direct action, and how to stay off the FBI’s terrorist watch list by not showing every step of the bomb-making process. Furth...

Jun 15, 2023•38 min

Alpha male brain worms with Connor Meyer

In this follow-up to Episode 1's conversation on incels (involuntary celibate men) and their obsession with the idea of the alpha male, we drill into the origins of the alpha — and discover it's all pretty much a myth. Our guest is Connor Meyer, a PhD student at the University of Montana who has been studying Yellowstone National Park's wolves, the animal the incel community seems most fixated on. Connor has a new study out that suggests a lot of the more aggressive behavior exhibited by wolves ...

Jun 08, 2023•42 min

"I am the Alpha" with Callum Hood

In the first of this two-part series, we're talking about the myth of the alpha male, where it came from, how it's developed, and why it has remained so prevalent in our culture, despite the fact that a lot of research has overturned the idea. Perhaps the group most obsessed with the idea of alpha males are incels (involuntarily celibate men), who have adopted an elaborate pseudoscientific misogyny that explains why women won't have sex with them. We spoke with Callum Hood, the head of reserach ...

Jun 07, 2023•47 min

The eco-gender gap

Non-toxic is a new podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of masculinity and the climate crisis, hosted by critic and cultural journalist Daniel Penny. Every week, we’ll be looking at climate through the lens of culture, politics, media, and everyday life to understand what researchers call "the eco-gender gap." Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from why incels are obsessed with alphas to how chemical exposure is killing our sperm co...

May 16, 2023•9 min

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