DO 254 - The Spiritual Side of Childbirth w/ Leah @TallSnail and Ashley
How does modern society shape our perceptions of childbirth, and are we missing a deeper, more primal experience? Ashley sits down with Leah, a software engineer and mother, to explore childbirth's deeply personal and often overlooked spiritual dimensions. Together, they unpack the ways modern society frames birth—medicalized, blissful, or terrifying—and contrast these narratives with Leah’s raw, primal experience of labor. They discuss the psychological and physiological forces at play, the importance of surrender and instinct, and the role of partners in supporting a natural birth. Ashley and Leah also reflect on the lost traditions of communal birthing knowledge and how reconnecting with this ancestral wisdom can reshape our approach to pregnancy, labor, and motherhood.
4 Feb 1h 14min
DO 253 - Plough Magazine and the Bruderhof w/ Alan Koppschall
How has the Bruderhof community balanced individual autonomy with collective decision-making to maintain harmony and functionality? Ashley sits down with Alan Kopschel, editor at Plough Magazine and a member of the Bruderhof community. Together, they explore the unique history and philosophy of the Bruderhof community, a Christian community founded on values of pacifism, shared resources, and direct accountability. Alan sheds light on Bruderhof’s commitment to communal living, regenerative agriculture, and a governance system that balances personal autonomy with collective needs. Ashley and Alan get into Bruderhof's international growth, cultural traditions, and practical strategies for maintaining harmony and purpose in a shared life. Alan Koppschall is a managing editor and an event coordinator at Plough. He is a member of the Bruderhof and lives at the Fox Hill Bruderhof in Walden, New York. Twitter: @koppsch_a
28 Jan 1h 18min
DO 252 - Brick and Mortar Localism w/ Ben, Lucy, Longstory Farms and Ashley
In this episode, Ashley interviews husband and wife team Ben and Lucy about their eco-market in upstate New York, and Geoffrey from Longstory Farms about his planned local farm story in South Carolina. We discuss the importance of local commerce, challenges, and nuts and bolts approaches to competing in the market. Ben and Lucy Janssen both grew up in upstate NY and met at the local Community College. Lucy started her store Reuse Refuge in October 2020 with a friend while many small businesses were closing. The goal was to help provide the local community with non-plastic or biodegradable necessities of everyday life that help reduce domestic waste streams. It has since adapted and branched out its focus to maintain a foothold in the small city of Auburn's downtown. Going on its 5th year it has struggled to flourish financially as its vision doesn't prioritize consumerism but the more traditional scale economy. Ben works a job helping the developmentally disabled. The store hours are limited to weeknights and weekends when he's not working as they raise their 5-year-old. Ben grew interested in soil health and eventually peak oil. Ben met Jason Snyder in Joe Brewer's online regeneration class in 2020 and has kept in touch with the Doomer Optimism community since. Although Ben has grown more agnostic on peak oil or collapse perspectives he continues to read many books on the theme of industrial society and its effects on ecological and cultural shifts over time while supporting his wife's vision for her store. @reuserefuge on Instagram and TikTok @bennirubber on Instagram, Youtube, Substack, X, and Benjamin Janssen on goodreads.com Long Story Farms, LLC is a family-run pasture-based, sustainable farm just outside Newberry, SC. We offer pork and poultry, eggs, and select produce to consumers in the Newberry, Chapin, and Columbia areas. In the next few months, we will open a store offering local farm products, a zero-waste refiller, and some bulk foods. website: Longstoryfarms.com Instagram: @longstoryfarmsc X.com: @longstoryfarms Facebook: @longstoryfarms https://www.instagram.com/reuserefuge?igsh=eGVlNXlia2F0dnZp Tik tok https://www.tiktok.com/@reuserefuge
21 Jan 1h 13min
DO 251 - LA Fires w/ Leighton Woodhouse and James Pogue
How have urban development patterns in California, particularly in LA, exacerbated wildfire risks? James Pogue and Leighton Woodhouse discuss the LA fires following Leighton’s piece in the Free Press “LA Was Built to Burn.” The conversation explores the ecological, political, and cultural factors contributing to the wildfire crises across Los Angeles and beyond. We shed light on the human and environmental stakes in a burning state. Leighton Woodhouse is a journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Oakland, California. He has written for The Intercept, The New Republic, The Nation, Tablet, UnHerd, and other publications.
15 Jan 1h 23min
DO 250 - Civics at a Human Scale w/ Wally Chamberlain aka Anarchocontrarian and Ashley
How can localism serve as an alternative to large-scale governance and globalized economies? Ashley and Wally discuss small-scale, secular models for civic and economic organizing, and compare/contrast them with their Catholic equivalents (subsidiarity and distribution). We discuss practical ways to build community agency, neighborliness, and autonomy at the smallest scale, exploring the New England town meeting model and the role of direct democracy, If you are interested in regaining a sense of local autonomy in a large-scale world, this episode is for you!
14 Jan 1h 42min
DO 249 - NEPA babies w/ Jimmy Tobias, James Pogue and Ashley
How will the overturning of Chevron deference reshape the regulatory landscape for environmental policy? Special guest investigative journalist Jimmy Tobias joins Ashley and James to discuss the complexities of environmental policy and regulation. They explore how the Chevron decision will reshape the regulatory landscape and what it means for NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and federal land management. The conversation highlights the growing clash between the rapid push for renewable energy development and its impact on ecosystems while dissecting the bureaucratic and cultural hurdles to preserving public lands and wildlife.
7 Jan 1h 10min
DO 248 - AI, Language, and Animal Consciousness w/ Charles Carman, Travis Logan, and ARX-Han
Can AI rival human artistry? Is the potential of AI rivaling human creativity an opportunity to enhance artistic expression and reimagine authorship? Travis Logan, Charles, and A.R.X. Han discuss the complexities of consciousness, creativity, and the limits of AI, drawing on David Bentley Hart’s critique of materialism to explore whether human experiences and meaning can be reduced to physical processes.
31 Dec 20241h 52min
DO 247 - What ever happened to climate? w/ Ilan Kelman, James Pogue and Ashley
In this episode, James and Ashley speak with a return guest and climate and disaster researcher Ilan Kelman. We discuss the state of climate activism, the eco-modernist approach to solving climate change, the uselessness of international climate summits, how the new Trump administration factors on the environment, and what are some points of optimism to focus on.
24 Dec 20241h 16min
