Breaking Down: Collapse

Amongst the plethora of worries (or opportunities?) that AI presents, perhaps one of the most talked about recently is: Will AI take all our jobs? Kellan and Kory take the time to discuss different sides of the idea. 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.

Climate change consequences, conflict, political turmoil - you name it, 2023 had it. It was a wild year, and we just couldn't let it pass by without a recap! 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.

It's pay to play! Apparently it's legal to pay the government to pass (or not pass) desired legislation. This episode focuses on how the wealthy corporations and individuals control the system. Learn More: Is Lobbying Good or Bad? | RepresentUs America’s lobbying addiction (brookings.edu) Lobbying: How the Wealthy and Business Get Their Way | Second Rate Democracy Corruption is Legal in...

I bet you didn't know that 10% of all emissions come from the fashion industry. Or that 75 million people are employed in manufacturing plants for the fashion industry, with only 2% of them being paid a living wage. This episode highlights these and many other global issues with fast fashion. Learn More: What Is Fast Fashion—and Why Is It a Problem? (treehugger.com) The 10 Essential Fast Fash...

Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. How do young adults feel about the future, and how does it compare to their elders? What do they feel their role is in the future of our world? Let's break it down! Learn More: Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon by Elizabeth Marks, Caroline Hickman, Panu Pihkala, Susan Clayton...

The impacts of climate change dramatically influence and are influenced by cyclical weather patterns.  Future El Niño cycles have major implications on society at large. Learn More: Stronger El Niño events may speed up irreversible melting of Antarctic ice, research finds | El Niño southern oscillation | The Guardian What does the return of El Nino mean for the planet – and you? | The Straits Time...

There's been much talk lately about the threat of H5N1 (Avian Influenza). In this episode we talk about what there is (and isn't) to fear about the virus, as well as we take a look at David Quammen's book "Spillover". Learn More:  An Expert Says Why H5N1 Bird Flu Is Here to Stay (insider.com) 7 Reasons Diseases Are Spreading Faster These Days (insider.com) Emergence and Ev...

Can technology save us? Nah. Can it help us, though? Sure! Here's an example of a great technology with a lot of potential... but we don't think it answers all of life's problems.  Learn More: Heat Pumps Can Lower Home Emissions, but Not Everywhere - Eos Heat Pumps Will Change Everything About Climate Change—and Not Enough (foreignpolicy.com) How Do Heat Pumps Work to Be the Ultimat...

How we cope with the knowledge of the future is deeply personal. In this episode we touch on 2 ancient Eastern philosophies that many use as a source of maintaining a healthy mental attitude. Learn More: Understanding Wuwei: The Daoist Art of Going With the Flow - YouTube Tao of Yoda: Based Upon the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu: Kreger, D. W., Patacsil, Jamielly: 9780983309925: Amazon.com: Books Daois...

It's no secret that capitalism doesn't take kindly to those caught in the feedback loop of homelessness. How will collapse affect homelessness, and how will homelessness affect collapse? Learn More: How a hard-working, middle-class family spiraled into homelessness - The Boston Globe (archive.ph) State of Homelessness: 2022 Edition - National Alliance to End Homelessness List of sovereig...

This week we discuss journalist and author Chris Hedges and his book "America, The Farewell Tour. Learn More: America: The Farewell Tour | Book by Chris Hedges | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com) 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.

Consumer and national debts are growing exponentially.  The unsustainable nature in which we borrow money in order to maintain our economic system is the perfect definition of a bubble. But when will it burst and what will it look like? Learn More: Americans’ household debt surpasses $16T for first time | The Hill Average American Debt: An Overview | First Republic Bank Household debt soars at fas...

What is the future of ownership? Is it "The Great Reset" or "Feudalism 2.0"? In this episode we look into the direction we're headed, and the existing theories commonly shared around. Learn More: 8 predictions for the world in 2030 - YouTube The Great Reset | World Economic Forum (weforum.org) Fact check: The World Economic Forum does not have a stated goal to have people...

Here is a sample of our weekly bonus episodes. You can access all 80 of our bonus episodes by joining us on Patreon ($5/month). Kellan runs through several news stories of the week and their relation to collapse. Learn More: Déjà coup: How election lies sparked the violent attack on Brazil's government | CNN Business Seattle Schools Sue Big Tech Over Youth Mental Health Crisis - Bloomberg Che...

This week we talk about the potentially dark future of AI and what is known as the "singularity", were it able to break the constraints that currently hold it back. Learn More: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: Part 1 - Wait But Why The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: Part 2 - Wait But Why World’s most powerful AI chatbot ChatGPT will soon ‘look like a boring toy’ says OpenAI b...

There is a lot of hype, especially recently, around the future of AI. The fact is that AI is present now in our world, for both positive and negative. In this episode we talk about the current reality and near-term expectations of AI, and how it relates to collapse. From surveillance and policing to job and culture loss to deepfakes, AI is helping drive us towards a dystopian future. Learn More: C...

Our second annual installment, discussing the happenings of the previous year and how they relate to collapse. We often forget everything that's happened over the course of just 365 days and stepping back to take it all in can be eye-opening! Learn more: 2022 CPI and Inflation Rate for the United States | CPI Inflation Calculator (2022 Updated Monthly) How Africa Can Escape Chronic Food Insec...

In dire times, such as these, it is more important than ever to have empathetic leaders who strive to do the right thing for their people. So why do we keep electing narcissists? Learn More: Narcissism: 5 Signs to Help You Spot Narcissistic Behavior (webmd.com) Narcissistic personality disorder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic The Rich Have Higher Level of Narcissism, Study Shows | TIME.com Psy...

Relevant in the news recently have been the multiple attempts at railroad strikes by unions. What is the cause of these strikes, what impact would they have, and will they continue? Learn More: The Averted National Rail Strike Is a Parable of Contemporary American Capitalism | The New Yorker House passes bills to stop railroad strike, give rail workers more paid sick leave - YouTube Rail Strike Ah...

Infrastructure is the glue that holds our supply chain and economy together. The Army Corps of Engineers rates our roads at a grade of D, and our Public Transport at a D-. 43% of US roads are considered to be in poor or mediocre condition. With a growing backlog ($786 million) of repairs and upgrades needed, it's no mystery that our infrastructure is in a freefall of decay.  This episode help...

We know that sea level rise is a real and accelerating threat - but what are nations doing to respond to it? In this episode, we talk about adaptation plans for two different Pacific Island nations: Fiji and Tuvalu. Learn More: https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/08/how-to-move-a-country-fiji-radical-plan-escape-rising-seas-climate-crisis https://www.greenbiz.com/article/what-world-ca...

Shaun Chamberlin is an author and activist who has been exploring collapse and possible responses for over twenty years.  He is the editor of 'Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy' and his late mentor David Fleming’s 'Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It', as well as executive producer of 2020 film &...

Greenland and Antarctica combine to hold a potential 225 feet of sea level rise. How much of that will be unlocked, and over what time frame? We discuss the knowns, the unknowns, and the newest research coming out. Learn More: https://sealevel.nasa.gov/faq/11/how-much-rise-should-we-expect-from-greenland-and-antarctica/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/04/study-says-antarctic-ice-sheet-...

The ancient philosophy of stoicism offers a great model for coping with collapse. In this episode we discuss its merits, along with its pitfalls. Learn More: The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User'... - Kindle (amazon.com) How To Practice Stoicism: An Introduction & 12 Stoic Practices - The Mindful Stoic Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join o...

Fascist ideologies are on the rise around the United States and the Western world. What is fascism, why is it threatening us now, and how does it relate to collapse? Learn More: Eco-fascism: What It Is, Why It’s Wrong, and How to Fight It | Teen Vogue What Is Eco-Fascism, the Ideology Behind Attacks in El Paso and Christchurch? | GQ Eco-fascism: The greenwashing of the far right – DW Where in the...