Crazy Town

After a full season of trying to escape more than a dozen evil -isms (fun things like capitalism, industrialism, extremism, and otherism), Rob, Jason, and Asher come to one conclusion: there is no true escape -- at least not for those of us who want to help their communities collapse and re-emerge gracefully. Join the boys as they explore what the cult classic Groundhog Day has to teach us about navigating the endlessly insane world of modernity and reflect on key lessons and actionable steps we can all take to navigate the Great Unraveling of environmental and social systems. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: TrailerGroundhog DayArticleLion's RoarArticleDo the MathArticleResilienceArticleMultisolving InstituteBookA Darwinian Survival Guide: Hope for the Twenty-First CenturySupport the Show.

The drive to belong to an in-group and the tendency to observe differences in others are core parts of the human condition. But differentiating can (and often does) turn deadly when it morphs into othering. Jason, Rob, and Asher try not to other one another as they explore the roots and consequences of othering, and the ins and outs of belonging as a key organizing principle of society. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: rapping Fox in SocksThe Sneetches and Other StoriesDefinition of otheringStereotype Content ModelSusceptibility to otheringOthering and Belonging InstituteBelonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the WorldCrazy Town episode 51Seeing WhiteRacial Equity InstituteColonial rootsabout immigrantsabout liberalsothering politics of Balaji SrinivasanThe New RepublicChristian Picciolini’s Ted TalkMarnita’s TableNeedham Resilience NetworkSupport the Show.

The forces of media, technology, and even the wiring of our own brains seem aligned to draw people toward extremism. But never fear: Asher, Jason, and Rob unpack why we're so susceptible to wackadoodle viewpoints and offer ways to tamp down extremist thinking and behavior in ourselves, our communities, and across society. Along the way, they tour the worlds of extreme sports, extreme politics, and extreme yogurt. They even question their own decidedly non-mainstream views on the environment and the economy. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: New York TimesA QAnon ‘Digital Soldier’ Marches On, Undeterred by Theory’s UnravelingDefinition of extremismWidening the ‘We’New York TimesYouTube, the Great RadicalizerGuardian‘It let white supremacists organize’: the toxic legacy of Facebook’s GroupsRational inference strategies and the genesis of polarization and extremismNatureStatistics on rising levels of hate crimeStatistics on domestic terrorismStatistics on antisemitismCrazy Town episode 78Rapoport’s RulesBuilding Emotional ResilienceAntidote.ngoThought reform consultationCrazy Town episode 89LawsuitRanked choice votingSupport the Show.

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: defines (and critiques) anthropocentrismGlobal biomass of wild mammalsexceedsDecline of pollinatorsDecline of flying insect biomassIshmaelHuman Nature Odysseyhuman exceptionalismdammedDeclining wild bird populationsAn Immense WorldYellowstone to YukonRestorNature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your YardStory of mining permit revocationTimelineCenter for Democratic and Environmental RightsStop Ecocide InternationalCrazy Town episode with Danielle CelermajerBraiding SweetgrassProminence of nature in the Tuvan languageHolding the Fire episode with Anne PoelinaQuote by Kenneth BrinkQuote by Sammy Gensaw IIISupport the Show.

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 individualismOpumoSuper singles: 10 coolest one seater carsOur Epidemic of Loneliness and IsolationBBC Loneliness ExperimentBowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American CommunityCountry comparison toolPart 1Part 2The Power of Proximity: Co-Locating Childcare and Eldercare ProgramsStanford Social Innovation ReviewPets for the ElderlyMutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)free breakfast movementThe Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow's HierarchyNeighborhood Emergency Preparedness PlanSupport the Show.

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 NationLies and misdemeanours: Nauru, phosphate and global geopoliticsThe Extractive Industries and SocietyFAQsNew York Timesimperialistic miningquestions the claimsHakai MagazineWhy Nauru Is Pushing the World Toward Deep-Sea MiningDefinition of imperialismImperialism: A StudyImperialist appropriation in the world economyCritique of lithium extractionIndigenous people's responseSami people are protestingEpisode 3 of the Holding the Fire podcastGreen Energy's Dirty Secret: Its Hunger for African ResourcesYale Environment 360How Returning Lands to Native Tribes Is Helping Protect NatureIndigenous Land Return AnnouncementNew Zealands's Maori fought for reparations -- and wonSupport the Show.

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: Nike and the University of OregonUniversity of Nike: How Corporate Cash Bought American Higher EducationHow to Be an Anticapitalist in the Twenty-First CenturyCapital in the Twenty First CenturyThe Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers.Twentieth-Century Political Economy: A Brief History of Global Capitalism,Summary of End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes ActThe Commoner’s Catalog for Changemakingdefeat billsMore lobbyingdrug price increaseAnnual reportnot-for-profit enterprisesRankingBoston Ujima ProjectNo Contest: The Case Against Competition, B Corps and B Labsolidarity economySupport the Show.

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: Sarah Winchester's storylargest passenger boatsParks and Rec clipMore Than Monsters: The Deeper Significance of Wendigo StoriesWendigo economicsThe Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving BackCBS news storySparkToroResilient Biocultural Heritage Landscapes for Sustainable Mountain DevelopmentHere's why Indigenous economics is the key to saving natureAl Bartlett lecturingSupport the Show.

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 articleWired articleEver Given profile of China's tradeCheaponomics: The High Cost of Low Prices, The Real Cost of Cheap Foodarticle on cosmolocalismBlessing the Hands that Feed UsFibershedThe Bioregional Economy: Land, Liberty, and the Pursuit of HappinessSupport the Show.

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: big underestimates of Greenland ice lossInside Climate Newsarticlearticleanotherfuture of petrochemicalsWhat would happen if we stopped using plastic?WebsiteLow Tech Magazine10-Mile Building ChallengeA global treaty to end plastic pollution is in sight.EU's efforts to regulate AISupport the Show.

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: most unrealistic car crashesThe Blues BrothersSpeedLive Free or Die HardFurious 7high frequency tradingGreat AccelerationInterview with Hartmut RosaBart Zantvoort's articleArticle about social accelerationJournal of Business EthicsPodcast episode about shrinking attention spansSpeaking of PsychologyArticle about technology and perception of timeScienceAlert Support the Show.

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 HenningThe Rural Climate Dialogues: A Community-Driven Roadmap for Climate Action in Rural MinnesotaTotal and urban populationUnited Nations predictionOut-of-Towners Head to ‘Climate-Proof DuluthNew York TimesIndonesia Is Moving its Capital to a Futuristic, Green CityArchitectural DigestAnthropogenic massAnalysis of transportation-related energy consumption and urban densityThe 15-Minute CityRetrosuburbia: The Downshifter’s Guide to a Resilient FutureGlobal Ecovillage NetworkDaily ActsStoveTeam InternationalOne Planet CouncilSupport the Show.

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: Toys “R” Us theme songremake of the theme songU.S. Material Use Factsheetstatistics on material footprintSelf storage industry trendsThe environmental costs of fast fashionWhat Really Happens to Unwanted Clothes?Forbeslist of billionairescomedic bit about “stuff”Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the PlanetSupport the Show.

Jason, Rob, and Asher take a tour of New Caledonia, California's Central Valley, Bhutan, and Cuba to uncover the ins and outs of industrialism, especially as it has been applied to agriculture. Along the way they riff on how the hell we can escape from an -ism that completely engulfs us. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: declining wild mammal masssectors of the economygraphic and statisticsFarm Size and ProductivityVideo clipOpportunities and Challenges in Sustainable Development and Governance in South Asia: Case Study of Bhutan.Moving Toward Net-Zero Carbon SocietyCan Cuba Recover from its De-Industrialization?The Little-Studied Success Story of Post-Crisis Food Security in Cuba: Does Lack of International Interest Signify Lack of Political Will?International Journal of Cuban StudiesSupport the Show.

Escape Routes! That's the theme of the sixth season of Crazy Town. We're exploring how to escape industrialism, consumerism, globalism, capitalism, and all the other -isms that are causing a polycrisis of environmental and social breakdown. Most of all, Jason, Rob, and Asher are looking to maintain their sense of humor while escaping fatalism and finding meaningful ways to avoid collapse. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: Mango CultDancing Plague of 1518Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging DividesAsch line experimentBystander Intervention Tip Sheetcultural materialismResearch that extends Asch’s conformity experimentsBig Five Personality AssessmentOthering and Belonging InstituteSupport the Show.

Join us on March 13, 2024 for the launch of our sixth season, in which Jason, Rob, and Asher explore escape routes from industrialism, capitalism, consumerism, and a bunch of other "-isms" that are causing the polycrisis of environmental and social breakdown. Support the Show.

LaUra Schmidt visits Crazy Town to discuss her work with the Good Grief Network and her book, How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our Planet. Along the way, she shares wisdom and insights on courage, taking meaningful action, terror management theory, and practices for processing the strong emotions that accompany facing climate change and other aspects of the polycrisis. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Sources/Links/Notes: LaUra's bookHow to Live in a Chaotic Climate: 10 Steps to Reconnect with Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our Planet10 Step ProgramBayo AkomolafeJoanna Macy4-7-8 breathing techniqueBullshit JobsCrazy Town episode 34book reviewNew York TimesThe Denial of DeathAyisha Siddiqa's poem Support the Show.

Asher, Jason, and Rob reflect on 2023 – a year filled to the brim with Crazy Townisms like the COP climate conference being held in Dubai, an anti-aging nutbag who parasitizes his own son, and the hijinks of the world’s dumbest billionaires. After a few predictions (all with money-back guarantees), they turn to some personal resolutions that might even help you cope with what’s coming in 2024. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. References: 183 regional and local conflictsHawaiian bunkerAnti-aging nutteruse the guns10-step programSupport the Show.

The most vomit-inducing document of 2023 has to be the "Techno-Optimist Manifesto," written (oh so obviously) by a billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Join Jason, Rob, and Asher if you feel like sharing in some outrage and learning about a WAY better manifesto that just so happens to focus on the world's smallest monkeys. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. References: Techno-Optimist ManifestoDehumanist Manifestopygmy marmosetBeth Sawin's Multisolving Institutedark triadtaxonomy of Phalse ProphetsArticle by Richard HeinbergSupport the Show.

Investigative journalist Leah Sottile writes articles teeming with insights, and she produces and hosts podcasts filled with ah-ha moments. Rob tries not to sound like too much of a fanboy as he interviews Leah about political extremism, environmentalism, and the craft of storytelling during the Great Unraveling. Resources: websiteSubstack pageArticleThe High Country NewsBundyville: The RemnantBurn WildSupport the Show.