Category Archives: Podcast

727: Fun, liberation, freedom: How people talk after seriously acting on sustainability

on October 26, 2023 in Podcast

Evelyn joined the first workshop I led in the Spodek Method: practicing it, leading others through it, and how to create a movement. She then became the teaching assistant for the next two workshops. The liberation, fun, and intimacy of sharing one’s fears, anxieties, and other vulnerabilities from acting more sustainably in a corrupt culture that makes it hard, all the more so in teaching others to reveal these things[…] Keep reading →

726: Amy Westervelt, part 1: Showing What’s Actually Happening Behind the Scenes

on October 23, 2023 in Podcast

Amy hosts and produces a lot of podcasts, but Drilled is the big one I’ve listened to a lot. I listen partly to learn what happens behind the scenes and in the past in the fossil fuel industry. She’s also covered how these companies influence the public in what until about World War II was called propaganda but the advertising industry changed to public relations. As a podcaster myself, I[…] Keep reading →

725: Gautam Mukunda, part 3: The Spodek Method Doesn’t Always Create a Huge Mindset Shift

on October 19, 2023 in Podcast

Gautam and I had a lovely conversation about environmental things. He’s become a good friend (we talk outside our recordings). Still, listen to determine for yourself, but I’d say this conversation exhibited a minor mindset shift if any. After we talked about Gautam’s experience, we spoke mostly about abstract environmental issues, not personal ones. He spoke about some difference in his views and feelings brought on by his commitment, but[…] Keep reading →

724: Dr. Michael Greger, part 2: How Not to Age

on October 10, 2023 in Podcast

I follow Doctor Greger’s newsletter and watch his videos every week. I unsubscribe from nearly everything else. In this episode we get a sneak preview of his next book, How Not to Age. Since he mostly covers diet, I wanted to check how much the book covered. Since my biggest problem with aging is my torn meniscus, I looked it up first, and the book covered torn menisci. Since my[…] Keep reading →

723: David Blight, part 2: A Constitutional Amendment on Stewardship Based on the Thirteenth and John Locke

on October 2, 2023 in Podcast

I’ve spoken to several guests about the idea of a constitutional stewardship amendment in the style of the Thirteenth Amendment, complementary to a Green Amendment. Amendments tend to pass in waves so I could see them helping build a movement together. David knows as much about the history of the need for the Thirteenth Amendment, its evolution, and its passing. In this conversation I share some of what I learned[…] Keep reading →

722: Michael Forsythe: When McKinsey Comes to Town

on September 29, 2023 in Podcast

When I started business school at Columbia, I hadn’t heard of McKinsey. The Firm recruited heavily there, so I found out about them, but little, since they were so secretive. I learned more from my classmates, that the business world held them in high regard. People wanted to work there. I interviewed and learned I got high reviews there, but I had entered business school to improve as an entrepreneur[…] Keep reading →

721: Jim Burke, part 1: The Most Beautiful Street in New York City?

on September 14, 2023 in Podcast

After reading about 34th Avenue in Queens and watching the video linked below, I had to ride to see it. Over a mile of a once congested street was transformed into safer, quieter places people enjoyed, especially kids. There are three schools along the route. The kids can come out and play. I met Jim there, felt inspired to do something similar near me, and invited him to the podcast.[…] Keep reading →

720: Maya Van Rossum, part 2: You Don’t Have a Right to a Clean Environment. You Have to Work for It.

on September 12, 2023 in Podcast

Do you think government should protect people’s life, liberty, and property? What if it turned out it didn’t, if it said other people could destroy your life, liberty, and property, and would help them do it? That’s what pollution does. A lack of a clean environment means that someone polluted it and hurt you, your children, your loved ones. You don’t have a right to a clean environment if you[…] Keep reading →

719: David Blight, part 1: From Abolitionism to Sustainability

on September 9, 2023 in Podcast

Regular listeners and blog readers know my developing abolitionism as a role model for a sustainability movement. I’ve hosted several top scholars on the history of abolitionism in England and America, as well as the relevant constitutional law. Today’s guest is a top historian and I found our conversation fascinating. He knows the history like an encyclopedia and can analyze it to answer my questions immediately. We talk about anti-slavery[…] Keep reading →

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