No Economies Without Biodiversity: Why Our Markets Rely on the Complexity of Nature with Thomas Crowther

Today, ecologist, political scientist, and author Patrick Ophuls joins Nate to discuss his new book, The Tragedy of Industrial Civilization and The Future of Politics. As he's been doing for his lifetime of scholarship, Patrick unpacks how energy, ecology and our political arrangements leave us in a predicament with no simple solutions. Before we can even begin to plan for the future, we need to understand the enormity of the biophysical challenges we will have to face - Patrick Ophuls helps us do just that. About Patrick Ophuls: Dr. Patrick Ophuls (who writes under the pen name William Ophuls) is an American political scientist, ecologist, independent scholar, and author. Patrick has a PhD in political science from Yale University and has been a prominent voice in the environmental movement since the 1970s. His award winning book in 1977 is on the bookshelves of most people I know. He has written 10 books including 'Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity', 'Plato's Revenge', 'Politics in the Age of Ecology', and 'Immoderate Greatness: Why Civilizations Fail'. For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/47-patrick-ophuls

30 Nov 20221h 9min

This week, most of the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. As we think about the things we are grateful for - family, food, football, dogs etc. - we don't often remember to recognize energy's role in enabling all this. . In this brief video, Nate reflects on all the things which abundant and cheap energy provide for us, especially in the United States, that we often take for granted. The opposite of energy blindness might be 'energy gratitude', so being more aware of all the magic we are surrounded by everyday is perhaps a first step in conserving it and planning for a less energy intensive future. For Show Notes and more visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/18-energy-gratitude To Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rUEU-0YlPk

24 Nov 20226min

Today, ecology activist and regenerative agriculture advocate Vandana Shiva joins me to discuss how her lifetime of work has shaped the way she sees the world. From chaining herself to trees to winning against powerful agriculture giants like Monsanto, Vandana shares the many lessons she's learned in fighting for food systems that are better for the Earth and better for humans. Can we shift away from fossil input intensive agriculture that produces commodities lacking in full nutrients towards one with more labor, more community and more nutritious food? About Vandana Shiva: Vandana Shiva is a well known activist, author of many books, and is a global champion on regenerative local agriculture, biodiversity and nutritious food. She has a PhD in physics and 40 years ago founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, an independent research institute that works on the most significant ecological problems of our times. For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/46-vandana-shiva

23 Nov 20221h 10min

We were reminded this week of how precarious and dangerous the ongoing NATO/Russia situation is. An errant missile in Poland on Tuesday nearly started World War III (thankfully - cooler heads prevailed). The situation in Ukraine is horribly complex - but are people in the USA even paying attention? Many naively believe getting rid of Putin or 'winning' militarily vs Russia are valid and reasonable goals. But from a systems vantage there is more going on here than the mainstream narrative - we are in the liminal space between a unipolar and multipolar world order - a time fraught with various risks. Our collective understanding/response is vital to livable futures. For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/17-russia-be-careful-what-we-wish-for To Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jY3QpjxiPk

18 Nov 202211min

On this episode, Nate is joined by Sustainability Science and Policy Professor Jon Erickson. He and Nate dive into Jon's new book The Progress Illusion: Reclaiming our Future from the Fairytale of Economics, which covers the economic myths that have shaped our modern reality. How can we reshape the narrative and shift the paradigm towards different economic systems that promote human and ecological well-being over material consumption? About Jon Erickson: Jon Erickson is the David Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy at the University of Vermont. He has published widely on energy and climate change policy, land conservation, watershed planning, environmental public health, and the theory and practice of ecological economics. He advised presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on economics and energy issues.

16 Nov 20221h 22min

In the midst of the COP27 in Egypt and one of the warmest Wisconsin Novembers on record, this week's Frankly is a reflection on the boundaries with which humans use to think about the threat of climate change. The past 26 Climate Conferences have attempted to use the same framing to solve an issue that is both systemic in nature and larger than any one nation or economy. How can we begin to solve such an existential challenge without understanding the scope of the problem and who it will affect most? How do YOU think about climate and the future? For Show Notes visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/16-7-boundaries-of-climate-concern To Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwwKV3Izm5A

11 Nov 202213min

On this episode, petroleum geologist Arthur Berman returns to discuss recent diesel shortages and go into depth on the importance of diesel and the complexity of getting it and other products from a barrel of crude oil. He and Nate also talk about the nuances of the global oil market as it shifts from the effects of the Russian/Ukraine war. Is the USA really a net exporter of petroleum and energy independent? And would making every car and truck on the road electric powered free us from needing crude oil? About Arthur Berman: Arthur E. Berman is a petroleum geologist with 36 years of oil and gas industry experience. He is an expert on U.S. shale plays and is currently consulting for several E&P companies and capital groups in the energy sector. For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/44-art-berman

9 Nov 20221h 15min

With the upcoming election, citizens of the USA once again align our beliefs and dreams with our 'favored'' political party, while often showing disdain and ridicule for the opposition. There is an unspoken hope that if all 3 branches of government are unified (with the right flavor!), the issues that we care about will finally be addressed. In this segment of Frankly, Nate reflects on the growing systemic realities that we'll have to face in the coming decade regardless of who wins this November. These realities can only be solved/responded to with a functioning system of governance. How will we work together as a society to overcome these challenges, rather than pitting ourselves against each other and shouting blame? For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/15-7-realities-no-matter-who-wins To Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spnxD4P1gRA

4 Nov 20229min