Crazy Town

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.

Just how much has the extractivist growth mindset come to dominate Phoenix and other cities in the desert Southwest of the United States? Prepare to turn your indignation meter up to 11 as Jason, Rob, and Asher consider desalination, pipelines, and the folly of pursuing infinite growth in a dry climate. Support the Show.

We are pleased to share the new podcast from Post Carbon Institute, Holding the Fire. Award-winning journalist and author Dahr Jamail hosts in-depth interviews with leaders from around the world to uncover Indigenous ways of reckoning with environmental and societal breakdown. Support the Show.

Wildlife ecologist and communicator extraordinaire Rae Wynn-Grant visits Crazy Town to talk human-wildlife interactions, the social side of environmentalism, diversity and equity in the sciences, and ideas for young people (don't worry if you're older—the ideas apply to you, too). Rae is the host of the PBS Nature podcast "Going Wild" and will soon be appearing as the cohost of Wild Kingdom, a reboot of the ultra-classic tv nature show. Listen to the end of the episode to catch Rae’s thoughts on the most important stories people need to hear (and tell) to make a transition to sustainable and just society. Notes and Resources: Rae’s websiteGoing Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-GrantAyana Elizabeth JohnsonLeah ThomasConservation Scholars ProgramHBCU Media ScholarshipArticleWild KingdomSupport the Show.

What do Saddam Hussein’s information minister and the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board have in common? Hint: it starts with a “d,” ends with “enial,” and isn’t just a river in Egypt. A new and virulent strain of climate denial could be called “doomer shaming.” Instead of acknowledging how logical it is to be distressed about the state of the climate (and the pitiful worldwide political response), delusional boosters of the status quo would rather belittle people who worry about rising temperatures, wildfires, super-storms, and ecosystem breakdown. Jason, Rob, Asher, and Melody consider how to manage climate anxiety and use it in service of caring for planet Earth. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. References: VideoWall Street Journal op-edNature articleLancet articleRebuttalWall Street JournalarticleThe GuardianSurveyGen DreadClimate Psychology AllianceGood Grief NetworkSupport the Show.

After hearing a story of woe on the streets of Portland, Oregon, Jason, Rob, and Asher cover the four critical ways of cultivating personal resilience to navigate the Great Unraveling. The report we reference several times is Welcome to the Great Unraveling: Navigating the Polycrisis of Environmental and Social Breakdown. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. Support the Show.

Asher, Rob, and Jason explore the lessons and dangers of the brotherhood of Phalse Prophets and consider better ways to achieve a sustainable and equitable society. Along the way, they examine how to start a cult, turn the insufferability index on themselves, respond to listener feedback, and repeatedly mispronounce amygdala. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five (Phalse Prophets), read the definitive peer-reviewed taxonomic analysis from our very own Jason Bradford, PhD. Support the Show.

Meet Elon Musk, the Muskian mogul who Elon Musks his way to the pinnacle of Muskitude. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation. Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language. For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five (Phalse Prophets), read the definitive peer-reviewed taxonomic analysis from our very own Jason Bradford, PhD. Sources/Links/Notes: Musk Foundation websiteErrol Musk, Elon's Dad, Prompts a New ControversyTheStreet attack on Jane GoodallInside Tesla as Elon Musk Pushed an Unflinching Vision for Self-Driving CarsThe New York TimesElon Musk unveils a new Master Plan, a path to sustainable energy future, but no new carsThe VergeElon Musk Has Some bad Ideas for Mass Transit. We Have SolutionsThe New York TimesElon Musk’s Loop is a Bizarrely Stupid IdeaYouTubeElon Musk’s Boring Company Ghosts Cities Across AmericaThe Wall Street JournalPaul Pelosi Conspiracy Theory Trends on Twitter After Elon Musk Pushes ItRolling Stone The billionaire space race reflects a colonial mindset that fails to imagine a different worldThe ConversationThe War in Ukraine is Testing the Myth of Elon MuskThe AtlanticElon Musk’s plan to bring a mini-submarine to rescue the Thai boysVoxpodcast episodeBackpackerYes, Elon Musk created a special system for showing you all his tweets firstPlatformerHow Elon Musk sees the future: His bizarre sci-fi vision should concern us allSalonSupport the Show.