My guest today is Daniel Waite Penny, a journalist and cultural critic whose recent work investigates the connection between masculinity and the climate crisis.
He’s the creator of NonToxic, a podcast exploring men and sustainability, and co-creator of Carbon Bros, an investigative series made in collaboration with Drilled.
Here’s an overview of the series:
You’ve heard it from cable news pundits, Democratic strategists, and your favorite YouTuber: young men swung the last U.S. election for Trump. Understanding what’s driving “the manosphere” and how to reach the young men in its grips is on everyone’s mind right now, but we’re zooming in on a different corner of it: the intersection between male grievance culture and climate denial.
Why are men less likely than women to believe in climate change, or take personal or political actions against it? What does their reluctance to deal with the climate crisis have to do with men’s shift to the right in general? And what can be done to reverse it?
Daniel and I first connected years ago when he interviewed me about the mythopoetic men’s movement.
In our conversation today , we return to the themes of men, meaning, and the cultural forces shaping our times. We trace the strategic targeting of men by fossil fuel interests, the rise of the manosphere, and the appeal of dominance-based narratives offered by figures like Trump and Tate.
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We ask why so many men resist climate action, and how the deeper hunger for belonging, nobility, and story has been misdirected. We explore the absence of an inspiring masculine vision within progressive politics, and what might be possible if men were invited into a role of protection and stewardship.
Would love to hear your comments below!
For men who wish to join me in-person, I have one more Awakening the Wild Erotic weekend Aug 22-24 on Vancouver Island. Otherwise, men from all over the world can take the Deep Masculine journey.
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