Braced for Impact: Cutting through the Greenwash and Lies with Rachel Donald of Planet: Critical podcast
Dec 6, 2023
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Rachel Donald, host of Planet: Critical podcast, discusses the global crisis, challenging carbon credits, navigating power dynamics, revolutionizing systems, and legal challenges with ISDS. She emphasizes the need for systemic change through collaboration, sustainability, and building a transnational Green Party.
Systemic catastrophe in global crisis requires urgent action for sustainable solutions.
Transition from fossil fuels to renewables faces challenges like lithium mining limitations.
Empowering women in leadership and collaborative communities vital for systemic change.
Deconstruction of existing hierarchies and narratives key for equitable and resilient future.
Deep dives
The implications of the current global crisis and climate catastrophe
The conversation delves into the urgent need to address the global crisis, focusing on the poly-crisis affecting the world. The guest sheds light on the systemic catastrophe humanity has created, emphasizing the drastic impact on both the global North and South. There's a bleak outlook on the potential collapse of financial sectors in the global North and the ensuing chaos, contrasting with the potential resilience of global South communities amidst crisis.
Challenges in implementing carbon credits and renewable energy solutions
The discussion critically examines the flaws in using carbon credits as a solution to offset emissions, highlighting the detrimental impact on indigenous peoples and biodiversity. The guest emphasizes the need to move away from the reliance on fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy while acknowledging the material limitations in scaling up lithium mining for battery production. The conversation delves into the challenges of adopting renewable energy solutions as a viable alternative.
Exploring the role of women in leadership for transformative change
A vision is presented where empowering women in leadership roles could bring about more progressive and sustainable decision-making processes. The potential shift to a network of sovereign communities collaborating and sharing resources is discussed, aiming to challenge existing power structures. The conversation navigates the role of women in governance and the potential for transformative systemic change.
Contemplating strategies for societal transformation and defense against violence
The dialogue contemplates the necessity of deconstructing existing institutions and hierarchies to pave the way for a more equitable and collaborative future. There's a focus on narratives that challenge traditional power dynamics and envision a decentralized network of communities. The notion of defense against systemic violence and the role of radical strategies like sabotage are explored as potential tools for societal transformation.
Reflections on historical patterns and the urgent need for paradigm shift
The conversation reflects on historical revolutions and the recurring patterns of power structures mirroring one another. The urgency to shift the prevailing paradigm towards sustainable and community-centric models is emphasized. The discussion points to the critical importance of storytelling and proactive measures to navigate societal challenges and foster a collective vision for a more resilient and equitable future.
Building a Transnational Green Party for Global Change
The episode discusses the idea of creating a transnational Green Party, drawing inspiration from movements like Democracy in Europe Movement 25. The concept involves forming a unified global party with national chapters, sharing common values but adapting policies to local contexts. The aim is to present a united front in international forums to address pressing environmental and political challenges.
Navigating System Dynamics Towards a Sustainable Future
The podcast delves into the complexities of systemic power structures and challenges surrounding global change. It highlights the need for a paradigm shift towards compassion, collaboration, and love as tools for transformation. Emphasizing the importance of understanding historical contexts and envisioning new possibilities, the conversation underscores the urgency of mobilizing globally while minimizing suffering to navigate the current crises and uncertainties.
Challenging Assumptions and Embracing New Realities
The episode encourages letting go of ingrained assumptions and embracing a new reality focused on prioritizing care and compassion for all. It explores the potential for international collaboration through initiatives like a transnational Green Party, uniting diverse groups under common values for a sustainable future. By challenging power structures and fostering a culture of empathy and cooperation, the podcast advocates for creating a vision of change that transcends global divisions and fosters collective action.
Our guest this week is host of one of my must-listen podcasts - one I've been following since the spring, when Dr Simon Michaux mailed me and said, you need to listen to Rachel - and he was right.
Rachel Donald is host of Planet: Critical one of the world's top-rated podcasts on the poly-crisis and systems change. She interviews some really big players on the world stage with integrity and panache - her conversation with Alastair Campbell where she never lets him off the hook is an absolute exemplar of how to hold power to account and I think we're seeing the change in real time on his podcast with Rory Stewart.
When she's not podcasting, Rachel is a climate corruption journalist who investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it. With world exclusives in major papers, Rachel investigates the gaslighting which props up our broken systems. She travels the world talking on - and off - the record to heads of government and oil industry executives, to the people who make our current system tick and who are often just as afraid as we are about the direction and speed of travel towards the edge of the extinction cliff.
Rachel has an almost unique insight into the nature of the systemic catastrophe we've built for ourselves and therefore of the ways we might address it. This was a bracing conversation. There are no easy answers and I had some of my rosier tinted lenses broken along the way. But in the end we came to the place we often get to with this podcast - that building communities of place, purpose and passion where we value each other, and our capacity to love bravely is what might - perhaps - bring us to the emergent edge of inter-becoming that Indy Johar spoke of a few weeks ago.
So brace yourselves, this is not an easy podcast, but we need to know where we're at so we can let go - again - ever more completely - of our assumptions about business as usual and do whatever we can, wherever we are, to be that emergent edge.
