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    Earth Sciences

    Crazy Town

    With equal parts humor and in-depth analysis, Asher, Rob, and Jason safeguard their sanity while probing crazy-making topics like climate change, overshoot, runaway capitalism, and why we’re all deluding ourselves. Each fortnightly episode helps you understand the “Great Unraveling” of our environmental and social systems and describes how we can make the transition to a sustainable and equitable world. If you’re someone who questions the trajectory of society and struggles to understand why most people would rather eat nachos on the deck of the “SS Denial” than face reality, you’ll find community and plenty of laughs in Crazy Town.

    Brought to you by https://www.resilience.org/ and the unconventional minds at Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit think tank that builds awareness of the polycrisis and prescribes community resilience-building as the most appropriate response.

    Your hosts:
    Asher Miller – Nonprofit executive director by day, apocalypse comedian by night. Feels most at home exploring insanity-inducing topics while trying not to spill coffee on his keyboard as he convulses over the latest ecomodernist fantasy. In danger of losing his mind every time he encounters someone using a gas-powered blower to move leaves from one spot to another.

    Rob Dietz – Jack-of-all-trades environmental scientist, conservation biologist, and ecological economist with a penchant for relating planetary overshoot to the catalog of movie scenes that play on a continuous loop in his colonized brain. Known for inserting random ecological facts into casual conversation, often in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice. His friends call him “pessimistically hilarious.”

    Jason Bradford – Activist farmer and former encyclopedia salesman with a PhD in plant ecology who gets genuinely excited discussing soil microbes and societal collapse in the same breath. Morally opposed to doomsday prepping, but predisposed toward sharing everything he keeps in his bunker, er root cellar, including potatoes, wine, and a 47-month supply of scientific esoterica and embarrassing anecdotes.

    These guys are the Three Stooges of sustainability podcasting, although they tend toward scientific analysis, righteous outrage, and self-deprecation rather than beating each other up with hand tools. How can they have this much fun while contemplating collapse and navigating the Great Unraveling?

    Heartfelt thanks to the team at Post Carbon Institute, our volunteers, and all our fellow Crazy Townies out there who help bring this podcast to life.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © 2022 Crazy Town

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    Latest Episodes:
    Escaping Humanocentrism: Why a Slime Mold Will Be President in 2028 May 29, 2024
    Show notes

    The myth of human dominion and exceptionalism is as old as the Bible and as unquestioned as gravity, at least in "modern" society. Rob, Asher, and Jason explore the ways that humanocentrism has come to dominate the planet and our minds, while pointing to ancient and newly emerging ways that the more-than-human world is respected and protected, even the dung beetle.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.


    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Eileen Crist defines (and critiques) anthropocentrism.
    • Global biomass of wild mammals
    • Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass.
    • Decline of pollinators
    • Decline of flying insect biomass
    • Daniel Quinn’s book Ishmael
    • Human Nature Odyssey podcast with Alex Leff
    • Tom Murphy’s journey of understanding the pitfalls of human exceptionalism
    • Two-thirds of the world’s longest rivers have been dammed.
    • Declining wild bird populations in North America
    • Ed Yong’s book An Immense World
    • Yellowstone to Yukon conservation initiative
    • Restor
    • Douglas Tallamy’s book Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard
    • Story of mining permit revocation in Panama
    • Timeline of expansion of the rights of nature that was compiled by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
    • Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights
    • Stop Ecocide International
    • Crazy Town episode with Danielle Celermajer on multispecies justice
    • Robin Wall-Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass
    • Prominence of nature in the Tuvan language
    • Holding the Fire episode with Anne Poelina
    • Quote by Kenneth Brink of the Karuk Tribe
    • Quote by Sammy Gensaw III of the Yurok Tribe

    Support the show


    Escaping Individualism: Why Rickey Don't Like It When Rickey Feels Lonely May 22, 2024
    Show notes

    The epidemic of loneliness isn't just a product of technology or even capitalism -- it has its roots in the same fertile ground as the founding of the United States. And it may just be the most important "ism" of all to escape as we enter the Great Unraveling of social and environmental systems.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.


    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Definition of individualism from the American Psychological Association
    • Article in Opumo magazine - "Super singles: 10 coolest one seater cars"
    • U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 report: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
    • BBC Loneliness Experiment
    • Robert Putnam's classic book - Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
    • Country comparison tool for exploring Hofstede's Individualism Index
    • Part 1 of Post Carbon Institute's webinar on mutual aid; Part 2
    • Donna M. Butts and Shannon E. Jarrott, "The Power of Proximity: Co-Locating Childcare and Eldercare Programs," Stanford Social Innovation Review, April 2021
    • Pets for the Elderly
    • Dean Spade's book - Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)
    • History of the free breakfast movement of the Black Panther Party
    • Teju Ravilochan, "The Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow's Hierarchy"
    • City of Knoxville program guide: Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Plan

    Support the show


    Escaping Imperialism: Where Does Darth Vader Get His Lithium? May 15, 2024
    Show notes

    Perhaps no community has undergone more versions of imperialism than the tiny island nation of Nauru, which has morphed from being "Pleasant Island" to the mined-out home of offshore banks, discarded refugees, and deep sea mining interests. Jason, Rob, and Asher take a bad trip to wrap their heads around Nauru, the topic of "psychedelic imperialism," and imperialism's new frontier - the clean energy transition.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.


    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • "A Dark History of the World's Smallest Island Nation" tells the tale of Nauru.
    • S.J. Gale, "Lies and misdemeanours: Nauru, phosphate and global geopolitics," The Extractive Industries and Society, vol 6, July 2019.
    • FAQs of the Metals Company
    • Eric Lipton's New York Times article about imperialistic mining of the Pacific Ocean floor.
    • Mining Watch Canada questions the claims of the Metals Company.
    • Elham Shabahat's article in Hakai Magazine, "Why Nauru Is Pushing the World Toward Deep-Sea Mining"
    • Definition of imperialism from the Cornell Law School
    • J.A. Hobson's book Imperialism: A Study
    • Jason Hickel et al., "Imperialist appropriation in the world economy: Drain from the global South through unequal exchange, 1990-2015," Global Environmental Change, vol 73, March 2022.
    • Critique of lithium extraction in the Atacama Desert
    • Indigenous people's response to lithium mining in Nevada
    • How the Sami people are protesting Sweden's "green transformation"
    • Episode 3 of the Holding the Fire podcast, featuring Sami leader Aslak Holmberg
    • Cobus van Staden on "Green Energy's Dirty Secret: Its Hunger for African Resources"
    • Jim Robbins in Yale Environment 360 on "How Returning Lands to Native Tribes Is Helping Protect Nature"
    • "Indigenous Land Return Announcement by Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and Movement Generation!" -- article by Ines Ixierda
    • "New Zealands's Maori fought for reparations -- and won"

    Support the show


    Escaping Capitalism: How to Replace the "Logic" of Psychopaths, Pharma Bros, and Private Prisons May 08, 2024
    Show notes

    Capitalism ruins SO many things, from key sectors like college sports all the way down to novelties like people's health and the environment. Jason, Rob, and Asher rely on their keen insight and otherworldly investigative talents to somehow unearth a few flaws of capitalism. But rather than wallow in the world of profiteering and privatization, they explore the solidarity economy and other alternatives to the "greed is good" way of running things.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Wikipedia page “Nike and the University of Oregon”
    • Joshua Hunt book: University of Nike: How Corporate Cash Bought American Higher Education.
    • Erik Olin Wright, How to Be an Anticapitalist in the Twenty-First Century, Verso 2019.
    • Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty First Century, Harvard University Press 2014.
    • Robert Heilbroner, The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers.
    • Jeffrey Sachs, “Twentieth-Century Political Economy: A Brief History of Global Capitalism,” Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 15, No. 4.
    • Summary of End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act
    • David Bollier, The Commoner’s Catalog for Changemaking
    • Lobbying to defeat bills that prohibit private prisons
    • More lobbying in support of private prisons
    • Incredible drug price increase after hedge fund manager acquires it
    • Annual report of Weaver Street Market
    • Donnie Maclurcan's explanation of not-for-profit enterprises
    • Ranking of the world's happiest countries
    • Boston Ujima Project
    • Alfie Kohn, No Contest: The Case Against Competition, Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
    • B Corps and B Lab
    • Definition of the solidarity economy from the New Economy Coalition

    Support the show


    Escaping Growthism: Wendigo Economics, Mystery Houses, and Becoming the Bear May 01, 2024
    Show notes

    Grow or die. It's the governing principle of companies, investment portfolios, national economies, and even philanthropic foundations. Oh, and cancer. Asher, Jason, and Rob lay bare the stats on everything from human population, energy consumption, global GDP, greenhouse gas emissions, and the size of cars and cruise ships, before concluding that the global economy should be named after the Wendigo from Algonquian folklore. They turn to the natural world for examples of self-regulation, along with promising new economic frameworks and on-the-ground models, for how to end Wendigo economics before it ends us.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Timeline of Sarah Winchester's story
    • Timeline of the largest passenger boats
    • Parks and Rec clip on soda sizes
    • Kaitlin Smith, "More Than Monsters: The Deeper Significance of Wendigo Stories"
    • Winona LaDuke discusses Wendigo economics in a Yes! Magazine online conversation.
    • Hannah and Kevin Salwen, The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back
    • CBS news story about a family giving away half their income
    • SparkToro, an unusual tech company that doesn't believe bigger is better
    • Report: Resilient Biocultural Heritage Landscapes for Sustainable Mountain Development, which contains information about Peru's Potato Park
    • Krystyna Swiderska, "Here's why Indigenous economics is the key to saving nature"
    • Al Bartlett lecturing on exponential growth

    Support the show


    Escaping Globalism: Rebuilding the Local Economy One Pig Thyroid at a Time Apr 24, 2024
    Show notes

    From the top of a skyscraper in Dubai, Jason, Rob, and Asher chug margaritas made from the purest Greenland glacier ice as they cover the "merits" of globalism. International trade brings so many things, like murder hornets, piles of plastic tchotchkes, and deadly supply chain disruptions. The opposite of globalism is localism -- learn how to build a secure local economy that can keep Asher alive, hopefully at least through the end of the season.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Guardian article about shipping Greenland glacier ice to Dubai
    • Wired article that tells the story of the Ever Given and all the supply chain problems that ensued
    • The Observatory of Economic Complexity compiles statistics on global economic activity with interesting graphics, including this profile of China's trade.
    • Michael Carolan's book Cheaponomics: The High Cost of Low Prices, and his follow-up book The Real Cost of Cheap Food
    • Vasilis Kostakis's article on cosmolocalism
    • Vicki Robin's book Blessing the Hands that Feed Us
    • Website for Fibershed
    • Molly Scott Cato's book The Bioregional Economy: Land, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

    Support the show


    Escaping Technologyism: Dreams of AI Sheep and the Deadliest Word in Film History Apr 17, 2024
    Show notes

    Modern humans have a Stockholm Syndrome relationship to technology, which has kidnapped us while convincing us it has our best interests in mind. But when one looks back at the history of plastics or the current frenzy around AI, it isn't hard to see the insanity of doubling down on new technology to save us from previous technology. Find out what a person or society can actually do to develop a healthy, non-abusive relationship with technology, aside from joining an Amish community or going "full Kaczynski."
    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Moriah McDonald reports on the big underestimates of Greenland ice loss in Inside Climate News.
    • Typical article about how AI can solve climate change
    • Another such article about the "magic" of AI
    • And another -- sheesh (no wonder Jason was so upset)!
    • Report on the future of petrochemicals from the International Energy Agency
    • Kelly Oakes of the BBC asks, "What would happen if we stopped using plastic?"
    • Website of The Ocean Cleanup
    • Low Tech Magazine
    • Low Technology Institute's 10-Mile Building Challenge
    • Sulan Chen writes for UNDP, "A global treaty to end plastic pollution is in sight."
    • BBC reporting on the EU's efforts to regulate AI

    Support the show


    Escaping Speedism: How to Slow Down and Enjoy the Collapse Apr 10, 2024
    Show notes

    Consult your inner tortoise to find novel ways of slowing down and living the good life. In a world haunted by just-in-time delivery, hyperactive business, accelerating environmental calamities, and metric tons of stress, Jason, Rob, and Asher work at a fast and furious pace to savor the moments, because there aren't many left.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Top 10 most unrealistic car crashes in movies
    • Clip from the movie The Blues Brothers
    • Clip from the movie Speed
    • Clip from the movie Live Free or Die Hard
    • Clip from the movie Furious 7
    • Definition of high frequency trading
    • Graphical representation of the Great Acceleration
    • Interview with Hartmut Rosa
    • Bart Zantvoort's article about Harmut Rosa's work
    • Article about social acceleration by Bettina Hollstein and Hartmut Rosa in the Journal of Business Ethics
    • Podcast episode about shrinking attention spans (episode 225 of Speaking of Psychology)
    • Article about technology and perception of time by Fiona MacDonald in ScienceAlert


    Support the show


    Escaping Urbanism: Green Acres, Climate Migration, and the End of the Megacity Apr 03, 2024
    Show notes

    Did a whimsical 1960s TV sitcom presage climate migration and a reversal of urban growth? We're not calling for a Godzilla-esque teardown of cities, but climate change is forcing a serious urban rethink. Jason, Rob, and Asher offer visions of better infrastructure, policies, and culture that you can embrace, even if your home is in the city.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • Wikipedia page for Paul Henning, creative force behind the spate of 1960s rural sitcoms.
    • The Rural Climate Dialogues: A Community-Driven Roadmap for Climate Action in Rural Minnesota is a report by Tara Ritter with good summary statistics on the rural U.S.
    • “Total and urban population” in UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2023.
    • United Nations prediction about urban migration.
    • “Out-of-Towners Head to ‘Climate-Proof Duluth,’” article by Debra Kamin in the New York Times.
    • “Indonesia Is Moving its Capital to a Futuristic, Green City,” article by Katherine McLaughlin in Architectural Digest.
    • Anthropogenic mass – the weight of everything humanity has built, statistics from the World Economic Forum..
    • Analysis of transportation-related energy consumption and urban density, published in “U.S. Cities Factsheet” from the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems.
    • The 15-Minute City
    • Retrosuburbia: The Downshifter’s Guide to a Resilient Future, book by David Holmgren.
    • Global Ecovillage Network
    • Daily Acts
    • StoveTeam International
    • One Planet Council

    Support the show


    Escaping Consumerism: Why Crocheted Codpieces Are the Perfect Antidote to Fast Fashion Mar 27, 2024
    Show notes

    If American consumers ever come up for air under the pile of crap in their storage units, they find themselves face to face with a materialistic hellscape of megastores, McMansions, endless fleets of delivery trucks, and evil hordes of targeted ads. But help is on the way. Jason, Rob, and Asher present ideas for shaping up a world beyond consumerism.

    Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

    Sources/Links/Notes:

    • The original (and both catchy and annoying) Toys “R” Us theme song
    • The melancholy remake of the theme song for a bankrupt Toys “R” Us, performed by Chase Holfelder
    • U.S. Material Use Factsheet
    • United Nations statistics on material footprint
    • Self storage industry trends
    • The environmental costs of fast fashion
    • Story by Beth Porter, “What Really Happens to Unwanted Clothes?”
    • Forbes list of billionaires
    • George Carlin’s classic comedic bit about “stuff”
    • Sandra Goldmark’s book Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet

    Support the show


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