Stay ConnectedReversing Climate Change is a podcast about carbon removal and climatetech that keeps wandering off into literature, history, philosophy, theology, and geopolitics on the theory that the technical and scientific questions stop making much sense without them. Hosted by Ross Kenyon, who did not go past a year of political philosophy PhD coursework and has visibly not let it go.
Paid subscriptions live on Substack @ https://rosskenyon.com.
© Carbon Removal Strategies LLC
Copyright: © Nori
Empires rise and fall. And while we understand these cycles conceptually, there’s a bizarre notion that we are somehow immune. That we can continue to evolve toward greater ease and material abundance generation after generation. That our potential for growth is somehow unlimited. But natural resources are finite. So, what happens when we run out?
Dr. Jason Bradford is the Cofounder of Farmland LP and Cohost of Crazy Town, a podcast produced by the Post Carbon Institute that explores “climate change, overshoot, and runaway capitalism”. He is also the author of The Future Is Rural: Food System Adaptations to the Great Simplification. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Dr. Bradford joins Ross to explain what differentiates ecological economics from other schools of thought and why some resources are simply too valuable to price.
Dr. Bradford shares his prediction regarding a great simplification of civilization, describing his vision of a future where we might still enjoy modern conveniences but at a very different scale. Listen in to understand why we he thinks we can’t ‘artificial ecosystem’ our way on to other planets, why industrial carbon capture is a bad idea, and how we might build a lower-complexity society that is sustainable for the long term.
Connect with Ross
Check out our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom
Resources
The Future Is Rural: Food System Adaptations to the Great Simplification by Jason Bradford
Tom Murphy’s Do the Math Blog on Economic Growth
Ted Nordhaus on Reversing Climate Change EP100
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e59-is-endless-growth-crazy-townw-128
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Few of us live at sea, so the ocean doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves in the climate conversation. But Kim McCoy contends that phytoplankton deserve just as much consideration as polar bears, and it’s time for us to understand how rising temperatures impact the water, the wind, the waves, and the weather. After all, we all live downstream of climate change.
Kim is the oceanographer who updated Willard Bascom’s Waves and Beaches: The Powerful Dynamics of Sea and Coast, adding new insights around the impact of climate change. On this episode of the podcast, Kim joins Ross to discuss the impact of changing the amount of energy in a given system (i.e.: adding energy in the form of heat) and explain the relationship between changes in the atmosphere and changes in the ocean.
Kim shares the scientific data around the increase in accumulated cyclone energy fueling Atlantic hurricanes and describes how private property is becoming public due to sea level rise. Listen in for Kim’s take on interventions like iron fertilization and solar radiation management and find out what we can do restore the health of the hydrologic cycle that connects us all!
Connect with Ross
Resources
Waves and Beaches: The Powerful Dynamics of Sea and Coast by Willard Bascom and Kim McCoy
Brian Von Herzen on Reversing Climate Change EP034
Brian Von Herzen’s RCC Bonus Episode on the Documentary 2040
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e58-oceans-and-climate-waves-and-dc3
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Regenerative agriculture is sometimes branded as a new idea. But the tradition of maintaining soil carbon and honoring the earth, of leaving the land better than we found it, has been part of indigenous traditions for thousands of years. So, what can we do to re-center the stories of Black and Native American growers and give credit where credit is due?
Leah Penniman is the Co-Director and Farm Manager at Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-Indigenous-centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. Leah has 20-plus years of experience as a soil steward and food sovereignty activist, and she is the author of Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation of the Land. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Leah joins Ross and cohost Rebekah Carlson to explain George Washington Carver’s work pioneered modern regenerative agriculture—two decades prior to J.I. Rodale.
Leah describes the work she has done to reclaim a connection with the land (beyond the oppression of slavery and sharecropping) and offers advice on reconnecting with your own indigenous roots. Listen in for Leah’s insight on the shift among Black Americans from rural to urban farming and learn how you can support Soul Fire Farm’s work to promote social and environmental justice.
Connect with Ross & Rebekah
Listen to our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom
Resources
Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation of the Land by Leah Penniman
‘Why Farming Is an Act of Defiance for People of Color’ in Healthyish
Owen Taylor on The Table Underground Podcast EP030
The land-healing work of George Washington Carver at Grist
The Justice for Black Farmers Act
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e57-farming-while-black-race-and-91a
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
The Passover story is one of intense grief and loss as well as redemption and freedom. And while the Jews fled Egypt 3,000 years ago, many aspects of the story seem particularly relevant in a world plagued by extreme climate events and COVID-19. So, how might the events of Passover inform the way we think about climate change? Can we customize our Passover observances in a way that considers our responsibility to solve the climate crisis?
Sarah Tuneberg is the CEO of Geospiza, a software company that helps cities and corporations take action around climate risk, and she spent 2020 leading the State of Colorado’s Coronavirus Innovation Response Team. On this episode of the Reversing Climate Change podcast, Sarah returns to explain the Jewish tradition of the Passover Seder and explore how it might be customized around the theme of climate change.
Sarah walks us through the Seder meal, describing the inclusive nature of the service and the Jewish tradition of questioning that allows for reinterpretation of the Passover story. Listen in to understand how the idea of tikkun olam requires an active pursuit of social justice and learn how to incorporate climate elements in your Seder celebration this year.
Connect with Ross
Resources
Sarah Tuneberg on Reversing Climate Change EP094
New American Haggadah by Jonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer on Reversing Climate Change S2EP29
An Overview of the Story of Passover
What to Expect at a Passover Seder
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e56-celebrating-your-very-own-climate-d52
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
There is a growing movement among Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, cultural, and political identities. And restoring indigenous food practices is central to this work. The new documentary Gather follows several indigenous leaders as they work toward food sovereignty, demonstrating the hope and healing power of traditional food.
On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, three of the people featured in the film join Ross to discuss how they got involved in Gather and share their work around reclaiming indigenous foodways with the world. First, traditional food forager and educator Twila Cassadore explains the importance of food sovereignty in the context of her work with the Western Apache Diet Project.
Then, Apache & Navajo restauranteur and executive chef Nephi Craig of Café Gozhóódescribes his journey through classical French cuisine back to Native food, exploring the power of indigenous food practices in healing chemical dependency and generational grief. Finally, Yurok fisherman and Ancestral Guard founder Samuel Gensaw III offers insight on the Fish Wars of the 1970s and his ongoing fight to protect future generations through indigenous food. Listen in to understand why he believes indigenous values are key in sustaining life on earth and learn what you can do to support Twila, Nephi, and Sammy’s work.
Connect with Nori
Listen to our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom
Resources
Tribal Food Sovereignty Advancement Initiative
Twila Cassadore at the Quivir Coalition
Guardians of the River on YouTube
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e55-gather-reclaiming-indigenous-f04
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Extreme weather can cause desperate situations. So, what can survival experts teach us about navigating wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and severe winter storms? Can we prepare for these natural events without turning into full-fledged preppers or giving into the assumption of doom? How do we adapt to a changing climate?
Les Stroud is a filmmaker, musician, and author best known for Survivorman,the pioneering documentary series that launched Survival Television as a genre. He is also the author of the new children’s book Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivormanand the creator of the forthcoming PBS special Surviving Disasters with Les Stroud. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Les joins Ross to share his mission around connecting people with nature and using film as an outlet to teach bushcraft and primitive earth skills.
Les explains how his work is ‘changing into the future’ to help people adapt to climate change, stressing the general skills of resilience and ingenuity, and reminding us that the truth of survival is in community. Listen in to understand how Wild Outside encourages kids to have adventures in their own backyard (be it the back forty or an urban park) and learn how to prepare for natural events so that they don’t turn into disasters.
Connect with Nori
Resources
Survivorman Les Stroud on YouTube
Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud
Surviving Disasters with Les Stroud
The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves
Primitive Technology on YouTube
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e54-survivorman-in-an-age-of-climate-b85
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
A temperature rise of three or four degrees doesn’t seem like a big deal… Until you go back a few million years and start exploring what the world looked like the last time the Earth was that hot and CO2 levels were even higher than they are now.
Peter Brannen is an award-winning science journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED and The Guardian, among many other national publications. He is also the author of The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Peter joins Ross to discuss his most recent article in The Atlantic, ‘The Terrifying Warning Lurking in the Earth’s Ancient Rock Record.’
Peter explains what the planet was like during the Pliocene (the last time CO2 reached 400 PPM), the Miocene (500 PPM) and the Eocene (600-plus PPM), describing how rising levels of carbon dioxide might transform the Earth as we know it. Listen in for Peter’s insight on what an understanding of deep time can teach us about the impact climate change has on the planet and help us appreciate the difference three degrees can make.
Resources
‘The Terrifying Warning Lurking in the Earth’s Ancient Rock Record’ in The Atlantic
Peter on Reversing Climate Change EP087
David Grinspoon on Reversing Climate Change S1E47: 47: David Grinspoon, Astrobiologist
The Long Thaw: How Humans Are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth’s Climate by David Archer
Ted Scripps Fellowship Program
‘Atmospheric CO2: Principal Control Knob Governing Earth’s Temperature’ in Science
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/a-jaunt-to-the-climate-crises-of-a9c
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Paul Kingsnorth is tired of talking about the scope of the climate crisis. In his view, we can’t fix climate change. But we can uncover the spiritual root of the problem and explore how we might live through it.
Paul is the founder of The Dark Mountain Project and a prolific writer of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. His latest release, the novel Alexandria, serves as the capstone of the acclaimed Buckmaster Trilogy. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Paul joins Ross to discuss the connection Paul sees between transhumanism and the climate crisis, explaining what’s behind our ideology against limits and why he believes the mind and soul can’t live separate from the body.
Paul shares his take on capitalism versus distributism, describing how systems of radical local democracy would root us in community and prevent the kind of scale that leads to tyranny. Listen in for Paul’s insight on the emptying of the will at the heart of most religious traditions and learn why he believes a connection with something greater than ourselves is key to effective activism.
Resources
Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist and Other Essays by Paul Kingsnorth
Savage Gods by Paul Kingsnorth
Ronald Wright on The Progress Trap
What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams
‘The Immortal’ by Jorge Luis Borges
Rerum Novarum, papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIII
The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy
Hieromonk Gabriel on Orthodox Christianity and Politics
God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible by Adam Nicolson
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e53-paul-kingsnorth-on-the-shared-ea1
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
In the new community economy, many content creators have moved beyond simply sharing ideas with an audience. For many the goal is to facilitate connection among their followers and foster a sense of belonging. So, how can businesses and organizations in the climate space leverage community to shape the low-carbon future we need?
Evan Hynes is a Cofounder at Climatebase, a platform that makes it easy to discover jobs, people, and organizations working to solve the climate crisis. On this bonus episode of the podcast, Evan joins Ross to discuss how Climatebase has evolved into a professional network for the climate space, sharing his team’s mission to build a one-stop shop for climate opportunities.
Evan explores the sense of belonging that comes from being a part of a few small, unique climate communities and challenges content creators to complement each other rather than compete for attention. Listen in for Evan’s insight on following a healthy ‘information diet’ and learn how you can contribute to the next iteration of the Climatebase community.
Connect with Ross & Nori
Resources
Climatebase Fellowship Program Application
Nori’s Job Opening on Climatebase
Evan Hynes on Reversing Climate Change in May 2020
The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community Your Competitive Advantage by David Spinks
‘Dunder Mifflin Infinity’ on The Office
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/what-makes-an-online-climate-community-c47
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
When artist Annalee Levin learned about carbon capture on the Reversing Climate Change podcast, the idea captured her imagination. Knowing that the technology exists to capture and store CO2 in concrete, for example, Annalee set out to find a way to make art out of materials containing captured carbon.
Today, Annalee is the textile, hand embroidery, and sculpture artist behind Captured Carbon Studio, a space for exploring captured carbon as an art medium and avenue for educating the public about reversing climate change. She is also a chef-in-training, an experienced beekeeper and the first ever Artist-in-Residence at Carbon Upcycling Technologies. On this episode of the podcast, Annalee joins Ross to discuss her hands-on approach to making art and explain why she is drawn to physical, material crafts as opposed to other art forms.
Annalee describes how she came to make crayons out of recycled CO2 and shares what she is trying to communicate by using captured carbon in her art. Listen in to understand how organic and industrial materials coexist within Annalee’s carbon removal aesthetic and learn how you can support her work or create your own art using tools that reverse climate change.
Resources
Captured Carbon Studio on Instagram
Lorraine Smith on Reversing Climate Change EP044
San Francisco School of Needlework and Design
Carbon Upcycling Technologies on Reversing Climate Change EP078
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
Carbon Upcycling Pen-100 Nurdles & Talc
Carbon Upcycling Enhanced Fly Ash
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e52-using-captured-carbon-to-make-31e
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
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