Planet: Critical

Gary Juffa is the Governor for Oro Province in Papua New Guinea, and has become famous for taking on the illegal logging cartels decimating one of the world’s most precious rainforests. He attended COP26 in Glasgow to speak on behalf of his people, his forests and the creatures that call it home—and to bravely name and shame the companies “raping and pillaging” his country. Gary explains how the “...

Dr Carey King is a research scientist at the university of Texas and Assistant Director at the Energy Institute. He performs interdisciplinary research related to how energy systems interact within the economy and environment, and how these can impact the policy. We discuss the fallacy of pursuing economic growth whilst trying to decarbonize the planet, how to re-evaluate what an economy provides...

Blair Fix is an economist and post-doc at York University, but he has done a lot of his research outside of the structure and security of the academy. Blair is in the same camp as Steve Keen, believing neoclassical and mainstream economists are not only holding back society’s progression, but putting humanity and the planet in danger. We discuss his research that proves the relationship between po...

So much of the hope we put in solutions for climate change falls away under a microscope. Did you know wind turbines aren’t recyclable, for example? Guess where they’re buried. Are enough people thinking about what happens when globalisation fails and post-industrial states like Europe and the US are left to mine their own materials? How can we mitigate climate change, truly, without plunging bill...

Maya Moumne is a Lebanese designer and activist who has devoted her professional life to understanding the mechanisms of propaganda in order to drive progression both in the Middle East and abroad through graphic design. Maya co-runs Safar Studio, a graphic design studio who works closely with clients whose mission they believe in. Alongside this, for the past year she has been creating Al Hayya M...

Professor Steve Keen was one of the few economists to realise that a serious economic crisis was imminent in 2005. He publicly warned the world, and helped his native Australia navigate the 2008 crash without the major repercussions that crippled markets everywhere else. He is now working on a new model of economics for a post-crash world. He joined me today to discuss why and how capitalism needs...

Bruno Skvorc is a blockchain expert committed to save Web 3.0 from privatisation. He joins me to discuss how the blockchain can liberate individuals from reliance on private and state-owned systems, why the NFT space is currently going mad, how we can expect to be advertised to in the future, and the alternatives he and his community are building on to save this phenomenal technology from the grip...

Reverend Billy is the world-famous secular preacher singing out against climate change, corporate greed and consumerism. Billy has been pounding the streets of New York for decades, preaching against Disney, against mindless consumption, and against the corporations putting our planet in danger. Together with his choir, The Church of Stop Shopping, Reverend Billy uses song and arrest as a form of...

Platform is for people who are pissed off with capitalism. Subscribe to get episodes like this delivered to your inbox every week. On this week’s episode is Dan Leibsohn, a long-time problem solver in the alternative economy space. Dan set up an alternative community cash checking which provides loans and cash at a much lower rate than the predatorial financial schemes who exist purely to scam tho...

This week I’m joined by James Dyke, a senior lecturer in Global Systems at the University of Exeter. James reveals why net-zero targets for carbon emissions do nothing but provide an excuse to continue business as usual, posing an existential threat to humanity. He goes into great detail about the interplay of politics, economies, culture and the industrialisation connecting us all, explaining tha...

This week I’m joined by David Anderson, a “helper of helpers” who works in the non-profit/alternative currency space. David joined me to discuss one of his main projects, Simbi, an online marketplace which promotes “volunteership, mutual aid, education and community development.” The idea is people can seek or offer aid to other users but, importantly, earn and pay in simbi credits, the non-profit...

You know when you have one of those conversations that manages to crystallise feelings into thoughts and direction? This is one of those. I am so thrilled to present Linda Havenstein as this week’s guest, a phenomenal artist who explores and tests both capitalism and language through her incredible work. We delve deep into the irony of the art market, the profound terror of creating within a capit...

On this week’s show is Will Evans, co-creator of Ignition Brewery , the UK’s first brewery and taproom bar staffed exclusively by people with learning disabilities. Will explains that his colleagues were typically offered jobs that kept them hidden in back rooms or storage centres—but Ignition Brewery has successfully shown that his colleagues exceed in everything, from public facing roles, to man...

This week I’m joined by British filmmaker, Marc Silver, whose documentaries demand deep investigation into culture, society, and the self. Marc is well-known for 3 1/2 minutes, ten bullets, a documentary which told the story of Jordan Davis’ murder in 2012 and invites viewers to better understand their own relationship to race and judgement. We discuss this film, his upcoming project about extract...

On this week’s episode is Chiara Ciccarello, an Italian artist based in Germany, who joined me to discuss the fascinating Discuvry project, a home she built with her husband out of wood found on the streets of Berlin. After an arson attack—rumoured to have been coordinated by the landowner—shut down the space they’d been living in for years, Chiara and Yuki began travelling the world, showcasing D...

On this week’s episode is housing activist and all-round Leftie, Gordon Maloney. One of the founding members of Living Rent, Gordon has campaigned for a fair and equitable housing market for years, growing Living Rent from a campaign to a red-blooded organisation with thousands of members all over the U.K. Gordon joins me to discuss the future of British politics, The Left, and what fighting the h...

On this week’s episode is author, journalist and financial hacker, Brett Scott . Brett’s work centres around analysing and developing new monetary systems (stay tuned for a blistering review of crypto), whilst also campaigning for the bits in ours that aren’t broken (did you know cash is crucial to a democratic society?) Brett’s specialism is phenomenally interesting in a world being devoured by c...

This week I speak with Ugandan entrepreneur, Trinity Heavenz, a former street child who now employs over 25 people, many of whom were living in poverty before working at Era92 , the company that “builds brands to build lives”. This is a startling conversation about the benefits of the free market in a nation where people are afforded little opportunity. Trinity makes the case for business in Afric...

This week I am joined by acclaimed poet, Joelle Taylor, the spoken word artist credited for bringing slam to the U.K. Joelle has a profound analysis of class and artistry that she threads through her work and this conversation; it is a startling investigation into privilege, poetry, and the literati. Buckle in—and enjoy. Watch this episode on Satellite , or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify . Ge...

On this week’s episode is Jens Trier, COO of We Make Change, a platform that partners skilled volunteers from all around the world with social enterprises. We discuss the politics of volunteering before taking a wonderful left turn into whether or not Scandinavia is as progressive as most of us believe. You can also listen on  Apple Podcasts  or  Spotify . We Make Change: https://www.wemakechange....

On this week’s episode is designer and activist Charlie Waterhouse. Charlie has done fantastic work for both the Brixton Pound and Extinction Rebellion, and we had a fascinating discussion around alternative currencies and the power of communities before delving into how to design a movement. Watch the episode here: https://www.satellite.earth/pub/@rachel:designing-rebellion You can also listen on...

On this special edition of Platform Enterprise, Intellectual Property journalist, Charlotte Kilpatrick, returns to discuss why Biden's recent announcement to waive COVID-19 vaccine IP rights is too little too late for the developing world—and what we must learn from Big Pharma's refusal to produce a people's vaccine. Watch the episode here:  www.satellite.earth/pub/@rachel:pharmageddon-the-destruc...

This week I am joined by economic anthropologist, Julio Linares, to discuss Circles, a cryptocurrency project tackling world poverty. Circles provides users with a Universal Basic Income in Trust tokens, meaning accounts are topped up every day with new tokens. The aim is to build economies around communities—and trust. Watch the episode here: https://www.satellite.earth/pub/@rachel:circles-the-cr...

Alice Frecknall is a poet, short fiction writer and fine artist whose collection will be published with Outspoken Press later this year. Alice joined me on the podcast to discuss artistry, language and the creative process. In this wonderful conversation, she highlights her journey from literature student to published poet, and delves into what being an artist and a writer means to her, and how th...

This week I’m joined by the Stuart Bowman, creator of Satellite, a social network that puts decentralization and data ownership at the heart of its code. Satellite is mind-bogglingly good. Simply put: it’s the answer to the Facebook problem—you know the one I mean. Built on the blockchain, Satellite prioritises authenticity, diversity and privacy, with an algorithm specially coded against echo-cha...