Breaking Down: Collapse

We sat down with Professor Tom Murphy to discuss his views on collapse. Tom is a professor in the physics department at UCSD, and recently released a free textbook online called Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, which you can find here .  Enjoy the interview! Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

We often hear about the importance of the Amazon and that it's in danger. What does that really mean? In this episode we dive into what the future looks like for the world's biggest rainforest. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Collapse is a heavy topic, and many people struggle with how to bring it up to others.  While the situation may not always warrant teaching someone about collapse, sometimes it is and it's worth being prepared for those conversations.  In this episode we discuss the dos and don'ts of talking about collapse, with some specific approaches that can be used. Support the show Please join us o...

Much of the focus of collapse conversation seems to be growing consumption and the energy resources required to make it possible. Less spoken of, however, is the waste byproduct of all that production and consumption. From trash, to spilled chemicals, to air pollution and more, waste is a growing issue with more problems than solutions. Learn More: https://blog.idrenvironmental.com/what-is-industr...

Some of climate change's most deadly consequences will come from an increase in deadly heatwaves. In this episode, Kory and Kellan discuss what the wet bulb temperature is and how we can expect it to affect us in the future. Learn More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet-bulb_temperature https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Conceptual_Physics/Book%3A_Body_Physics_-_Motion_to_Metabolism_(Dav...

In this episode of the "Can Technology Save Us?" mini-series Kory and Kellan discuss nuclear fusion - its potential for providing vast amounts of energy, as well as the serious roadblocks to its actualization.  Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A functioning civilized society requires an ever-increasingly complex network of infrastructure. As that infrastructure ages, and necessary maintenance is not done to ensure it remains whole, it can have severe and lasting impacts on society.  Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

This is a bonus episode, which reflects the weekly bonus episodes we release as a "ThankYou" to our Patreon supporters. This week's topic is the leaked IPCC report and how it differs from their past reports. To receive these bonus episodes, join us here ! Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

As governments around the world feel the stress of collapse, they will likely attempt to increase control of their people. One of the ways this is done is through censorship - silencing voices and diminishing free speech. In this episode, Kory and Kellan take a look at the the ways that censorship can accelarate collapse, and the ways that collapse can increase censorship. Support the show Please...

Insects are at the bottom of the food chain, and entire ecoystems rely on them. As human activity continues to fill the corners of the earth and cause unrelenting climate change, insect populations are being affected. What do we know about the scale of the problem, and what it means for us? Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hoste...

Birth rates decline for many reasons - both voluntary and involuntary. What are those reasonds, and what does this mean for society and for collapse? Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of our scarce resources are known, somewhat mainstream, and fairly obvious. Others, however, are not as apparent. This episode is about the surprisingly urgent need for ethically sourced sand. Peak sand may be reached in the next few decades. Learn More: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/rising-demand-sand-calls-resource-governance https://www.ecomagazine.com/in-depth/featur...

Kory and Kellan describe the reasons for, and potential outcomes of, a slowing AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation).  And no, it's nothing like The Day After Tomorrow tries to make you believe. They also briefly discuss jet streams and the effect climate change has on weather patterns. Learn more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-...

Referring back to episode 4, Kory and Kellan give an update on the scenarios presented in the book "Limits to Growth", with information from updated models, as well as empirical data gained since the original publishing in 1972. Learn More: Branderhorst Document Turner Paper (2012) The original Limits to Growth (1972) Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content an...

Religion can be a touchy subject, especially in reference to collapse. Given that 85% of the world claims some sort of religion, Kory and Kellan felt that it's important to discuss the countless positives and negatives associated with people's beliefs around the world, and how those beliefs relate to collapse. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to joi...

Kory and Kellan take a look at geoengineering, and whether or not it can stave off the effects of climate change. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a follow up to episode 5 ("Catabolic Collapse"), Kory and Kellan take a deeper look at the concept, specifically by analzying the paper written by John Michael Greer titled "How Civilizations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse". Learn more: "How Civilizations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse" (PDF) Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus c...

Kory and Kellan discuss the rapid increase in plastic pollution and it's potential affects on biodiversity and human health. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kellan and Kory break down two important factors of disease: antibiotic resistance and ancient microbes being released from permafrost.  Learn More: https://www.mintpressnews.com/coming-antibiotic-resistance-pandemic-could-make-covid-look-like-flu/276526/ https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/new-report-by-world-animal-protection-documents-antibiotic-resistance-in-the-environment-near-us...

Kellan and Kory discuss the ways in which our soil is being degraded and the potential consequences of reaching a peak in soil availability. Learn More: “Why Soil Is Disappearing from Farms” https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/why-soil-is-disappearing-from-farms/ Soil loss in Midwest farms https://www.npr.org/2021/02/24/967376880/new-evidence-shows-fertile-soil-gone-from-midwestern-...

Kellan and Kory discuss the oft-disputed question of what's to blame for collapse: are there too many people, or are we simply consuming too much? Population Balance - Podcast/website for ethical ways to reduce overpopulation/overconsumption. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Kory and Kellan discuss the role of nuclear fission in our energy production and consumption, and whether or not fission provides an answer to our future energy shortages. Learn More: What is nuclear fission? https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-fission/Fission-theory Nuclear fission explainer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pY5HeZpNr8 Nuclear power in France https://world-nuclear-news.org/...

Kory and Kellan discuss the increasingly important role that firearms play as civil unrest, political tensions, and the delegitimacy of governments increase worldwide. Learn More: Mass Shootings 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2020#:~:text=There%20were%20614%20mass%20shootings,there%20were%20180%20more%20incidents . Mass Shootings 2021 https://en.w...

Perhaps one of the least talked about (but one of the most important) aspects of ecological and environmental collapse: our oceans. From ocean acidification and dead zones to rising temperatures and overfishing, there are multiple threats to marine life. The delicate ocean ecosystems are dissolving before our eyes, with unprecedented consequences to our societies. Dead Zones https://oceanservice.n...

Not every aspect of collapse has to be negative.  In this episode Kory and Kellan discuss the potential positives to collapse, as a way to see the best in the worst of situations. Links: How Trauma can Change you for the Better: https://time.com/3967885/how-trauma-can-change-you-for-the-better/ The positive Legacy of Trauma: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8827649/ What Good can Come of Trauma? ht...