In this episode, we speak with Dr. Robert Romanyshyn, a retired emeritus professor of clinical psychology. Prof. Romanyshyn is an internationally recognized scholar in depth psychology, which attends to how unconscious dynamics shape human behavior. A prolific author, he has published many books, chapters, and, articles on the cultural and historical origins and development of the scientific and technological worldview. His most recent book Victor Frankenstein, the Monster and the Shadows of Tec...
Nov 16, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 81
With over half of CO2 recaptured from the atmosphere going into the world’s oceans, they are by far the world’s largest carbon sink. Regenerating the oceans both for the benefit of the climate and the millions of people who rely on them for their livelihoods is therefore essential. In this episode, we are joined by Drawdown Advisor Dr Brian Von Herzen for an exploration into one of Drawdown’s most exciting “Coming Attractions”; marine permaculture. As has become well established, the accumulatio...
Nov 05, 2019•36 min•Ep. 80
With the growing reach of climate change-induced extreme weather events and increasing urbanization, it is becoming more and more important to be deliberate about the way we build our cities. In this episode, we talk with Peter Head about resilience and the importance of systems-thinking for cities and city regions. Every day, intense weather events such as flooding, earthquakes, mudslides and more, disrupt local infrastructure such as energy, water, and food systems, and tests the resilience of...
Oct 15, 2019•52 min•Ep. 79
Two years on from the book’s publication, the Drawdown team have got their sights on how they can turn their groundbreaking research into action. In this interview, we talk to Drawdown Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Foley to reflect on the research’s impact and discuss plans for Drawdown 2.0, the next iteration of Drawdown that will help implement solutions across sectors and across the globe. As a renowned scientist and science communicator, Jonathan tells us that he initially admired Drawdown...
Oct 06, 2019•56 min•Ep. 78
In this interview with Mark Campanale, we discuss divestment from coal, oil and gas and the carbon bubble. Mark asks the important question, if we can’t even burn all the reserves of fossil fuel companies, why are we still investing in their expansion, which could end the world as we know it? Stock prices are not properly valuing the climate risk. He goes on to describe the substantial momentum that has begun to take hold, with many taking a step up to voice their concerns and divest by moving t...
Sep 25, 2019•51 min•Ep. 77
In this episode we speak with Eva Garen, Director of ELTI, Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative. ELTI focuses on capacity development in human-dominated mosaic landscapes, primarily in Latin America and Indonesia, teaching the people who manage landscapes to restore and rebuild biodiversity. Much of ELTI’s work is in tropical regions that were once forested, and one of the reasons ELTI’s programs are so important is that only 9.8% of tropical forest is protected. In Latin America, EL...
Sep 15, 2019•45 min•Ep. 76
As a society, we constantly hail growth as the mark of progress and solution to our problems, whether it be poverty or inequality. In doing so, we ignore that there are limits to growth and the ecosystem we live in has finite natural resources. In this episode we speak with Herman Daly, the dean of ecological economics, on his pioneering work on steady-state economy, based on the idea a constant population of people and a constant stock of physical wealth. Professor Herman Daly is a pioneering f...
Aug 28, 2019•56 min•Ep. 75
In this interview with Caroline Lucas, the first Green Party Member of Parliament, we discuss how “green” the UK is, and what progress – if any – is being made towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is getting more and more attention from across the political spectrum. Theresa May, in one of her last acts as prime minister, committed the UK to net zero emissions by 2050 – a target Caroline says it is too late. We are off target on near-term goals and the longer term ...
Aug 19, 2019•31 min•Ep. 74
Biological diversity and climate change are two incontrovertibly intertwined issues. Destroying and degrading ecosystems releases huge amounts carbon into the atmosphere, and in turn, increasing carbon in the atmosphere adversely affects the delicate balance of biodiversity where it presently exists. Professor Thomas Lovejoy has spent many years studying the relationship between biological diversity and climate change, today he talks with us about why we should think about them together and what...
Aug 01, 2019•31 min•Ep. 73
People feel defeated when they hear the grand cost of achieving carbon neutrality. But what if some of the solutions were to be found in revitalising the collective imagination, harnessing the dynamism of local communities and rethinking local economies to achieve a sustainable future? In this episode we speak with Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition movement, which seeks to do exactly that. The Transition movement is all about dreaming the future we want to create and rebuilding the worl...
Jul 16, 2019•52 min•Ep. 72
In this interview with Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris, we explore the Gaia hypothesis or metaphor of a living earth, integrating physics, biology and spirituality. Indigenous cultures have long viewed the earth in such a way. Treating the earth and universe as living means we can develop a richer relationship with them than what traditionally happens with Western scientific views. Care for the earth leads to resilience and will give a greater chance of survival through the coming climate crisis. She see...
Jul 11, 2019•49 min•Ep. 71
The scale of human impact on our planet is not easy to engage with – even scientists often have a narrow focus on the specific problems they’re trying to solve. In this episode, we talk with Professor Mark Maslin about humanity’s impact on the planet and the new geological epoch into which we are entering as a result – the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is the scientific definition of the geological time frame in which human impact has become so large that we’re now in a new geological epoch. It...
Jun 17, 2019•49 min•Ep. 70
Solutions to many of the major problems in the world have been identified in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, funding these SDGs remains an immense challenge, in the region of $5-7 trillion annually. In this episode, we talk with Marc Ventresca and Michele Scataglini, two experts in economic systems and emerging technology, to explore the potential application of crowdfunding as a solution to bridge the funding gap. While today’s donation-based crowdfunding amounts to less than a h...
Jun 04, 2019•49 min•Ep. 69
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) ( www.ciwf.com ) is a leading international charity working to improve farmed animal welfare around the world. Its mission is to end factory farming and advance the well-being of farmed animals globally. CIWF’s undercover investigations have exposed the reality of modern intensive farming systems and brought the plight of farm animals to the attention of the world’s media. It has a long track record of political lobbying and campaigning–facilitating, for exampl...
May 21, 2019•49 min•Ep. 68
Since the 1970s, credit has become increasingly easy to acquire. We have become a consumption-based society driven by our wants, supported by credit, rather than a sustainable society driven by our needs. In this compelling interview, renowned economist and author Ann Pettifor discusses the impact of deregulation of credit on consumption, and the environment, and shows how the globalization of our financial system undermines our ability to solve the climate crisis. She also discusses the impact ...
May 07, 2019•48 min•Ep. 67
Helena Norberg-Hodge is a pioneer of the ‘new economy’ movement. Through writing and public lectures over more than thirty years, Helena has been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being. She is a widely respected analyst of the impact of the global economy on communities, local economies, and personal identity, and is a leading proponent of ‘localization’, or decentralization, as a means of countering those impacts. Local Futures is a non-profit organization “dedicat...
Apr 12, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 66
Martin Kirk is co-founder of /The Rules, a global collective of activists of all types dedicated to challenging the root causes of global poverty and inequality. He is also a consultant for the NoVo Foundation, helping advise their work on supporting communities to transition to new economic models. Prior to /TR Martin was the Head of Campaigns at Oxfam UK, and Head of Global Advocacy for Save the Children. He has written extensively on issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change, includin...
Mar 22, 2019•49 min•Ep. 65
When we think about the magnitude of global emissions and the scale of the decarbonisation challenge, it is easy to feel that our individual actions are inconsequential. In this episode, we talk to Brett Jenks, President and CEO of the conservation organisation Rare, to look at the crucial role of behaviour change in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Brett tells us about the practical insights Rare has gleaned on how to facilitate behaviour change– and talks us through a recent report by Rare w...
Mar 04, 2019•48 min•Ep. 64
Peter Barnes is an innovative thinker and entrepreneur whose work has focused on fixing the deepest flaws of capitalism. He has written numerous books and articles, co-founded several socially responsible businesses, and started a retreat for progressive writers. His most recent books are With Liberty and Dividends for All and Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons. Peter lives in northern California with his wife, dogs and vegetable garden. In this wide-ranging and compelling intervi...
Feb 07, 2019•50 min•Ep. 63
In this interview with author Daniel Pinchbeck, we explore the ultimate meaning of the psychological and civilizational crisis we are facing today. As humanities rapid evolution has disrupted our fragile ecosystems, we must consider a transition between an old world and way of living to the next world, our future societies. Daniel describes his ideas for regenerative or post-growth societies, where an emphasis is placed on the things we can grow together, indefinitely, rather than our current sy...
Jan 08, 2019•39 min•Ep. 62
Professor Carlota Perez has spent her career researching the profound impact technology has had on socio-economic development. In this fascinating interview, we explore the two distinct phases of a technological revolution as outlined by Carlota: installation – or experimental early phase – and deployment (or “Golden Age”). Carlota emphasizes the critical role governments play in this phase. By setting a clear and context-sensitive pathway for the transformation through new policies, regulations...
Dec 18, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 61
In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to how economic theory is divorced from environmental reality, exemplified by how environmental breakdown is often dismissingly referred to as a mere “externality”. In this fascinating interview, we’re talking to self-described renegade economist Kate Raworth about a new economic vision that is firmly grounded in social progress and embedded in the environmental limits of our planetary household. Images are immensely powerful in shaping our ...
Dec 03, 2018•56 min•Ep. 60
In this interview, we welcome Ian Gough to discuss his most recent book Heat, Greed and Human Need: Climate Change, Capitalism, and Sustainable Wellbeing. Here, Ian describes his initial concerns over the evident gap between the climate change agenda and social policy over the last decade. Ian’s work aims to blend together economy, ecology, social policy, and politics into a conclusive analysis to explain both the drivers and the human consequences of climate change. He discusses the importance ...
Nov 20, 2018•40 min•Ep. 59
Founded in 1993, Global Witness is a non-profit organization working to expose environmental and human rights abuses resulting from the exploitation of natural resources supported by political and/or economic corruption through the help of a global network of partners and allies. Global Witness currently has active campaigns in over 15 countries designed to make national level impacts through international systems changing reform. In this episode, Gillian shares with us some of the hard-hitting ...
Nov 08, 2018•37 min•Ep. 58
Jeremy Lent is an author whose writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. He is the founder of the non-profit Liology Institute, which is dedicated to a worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably; Jeremy works to integrate history and philosophy to shape a more meaningful and sustainable life for all. More recently, his book, The Patterning Instinct, outlines how different cultures shape values and how those va...
Oct 24, 2018•51 min•Ep. 57
Dr. Jason Hickel is an anthropologist, author and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His book, The Divide, addresses global inequality and was published by Penguin Random House in 2017. Jason has taught at a number of universities including Goldsmiths, and the University of London where he currently convenes the MA in Anthropology and Cultural Politics. He serves on the Labour Party task force on international development, works as Policy Director for the Rules collective, sits on the Execut...
Oct 05, 2018•57 min•Ep. 56
Daniel Nyberg is a Professor of Management at the Newcastle Business School in Australia. His main research focus is seeking to understand how corporations responsibly – or not so responsibly – engage with society and the environment. He has a background in social sciences and co-authored the book Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations: Processes of Creative Self-Destruction . In this thought provoking interview, Daniel offers a challenging perspective on how corporations pursue sustainabi...
Sep 13, 2018•53 min•Ep. 55
As more and more cities transition away from the port and manufacturing hubs of old to brain-based, service leading economies of the future, a greater emphasis will be placed on cities to push for sustainability in order to successfully compete for global commerce. In this insightful interview with Dr. Cohen, co-author of The Sustainable City (2017), we consider the ways urban life is changing and how we can effectively transition to a renewable resource based economy. He provides numerous examp...
Sep 01, 2018•35 min•Ep. 54
Tobias Webb is the founder of the Innovation Forum, a sustainability events and publishing company based in London. Innovation Forum facilitates debate-driven events to help drive innovation and dialog. Through collaborative events with partners, the company focuses on addressing the most difficult questions companies are facing today to assure sustainable supply chains. Tobias has also spent eight years teaching Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability, and is now a visiting lecturer on co...
Aug 21, 2018•42 min•Ep. 53
Tim Jackson is Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP). His vision for CUSP builds on thirty years of multi-disciplinary research on sustainability and decades of policy experience, in particular his work as Economics Commissioner on the UK Sustainable Development Commission. Tim is the author of Prosperity Without Growth, recently published in a substantially revised and updated 2nd editio...
Aug 09, 2018•40 min•Ep. 52
