How Do We Fix It?

Massive wildfires in the west have burned through more than five million acres, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and spread smoke and air pollution across many states. This year's historic wildfire season prompted calls for reforms of the nation's fire management policies, and are a clear sign that the impacts of climate change are now being felt. Changes in the weather leading to temperature extremes and drought are no longer a theory.We discuss the causes of raging wildfires, including forestry management, climate, and the movement of people, as well as practical steps can be taken now to reduce the destruction to property and people's lives. Our guests are Guardian journalists Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano, authors of the new book, “Fire In Paradise: An American Tragedy", a harrowing account of the most destructive wildfire in a century. Both Dani and Alastair reported extensively on the Camp Fire in 2018, and this year's megafires in California, Oregon and Washington. Jim writes about The West's fires in City Journal: "Wildfire Hype and Hope".Recommendation: Jim is feeding his recent passion for birdwatching, reading "A Season On The Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration" by Ken Kaufman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Tech For The Public Good” is supported by a grant from Solutions Journalism Network. Technology is a double-edged sword, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite well-publicized threats from bots, hackers, government spooks and huge online firms, tech is often a force for public good. In this special episode on civic tech, we report on a local effort to promote better healthcare for those who need it most: the residents of America's poorest Congressional District: New York's 15th CD in The Bronx. Ivelyse Andino is our guest. She's the founder and CEO of Radical Health, a minority-owned, Bronx-based health-equity social enterprise that uses technology, an app powered by artificial intelligence; and community conversations to help (among others) pregnant women and new mothers understand their health care rights.  According to U.S. government statistics, black women are up to six times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women. "The U.S. is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to give birth if you are a black or brown woman," says Ivelyse.  She compares the healthcare system to a McDonalds. "You're in. You're out."  Ivelyse was born and raised in the Bronx. She began her career in health tech, and trained oncologists on new drugs. Her life took a dramatic turn when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, which forced her to personally confront systematic disparities and failings of the healthcare system. Our producer, Miranda Shafer, spoke with several local activists including Kaniya Samm who is a community organizer; and Alexis Del Rio, the co-founder of Bronx Móvil, a bilingual mobile harm reduction program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fears about COVID-19 can take an emotional toll, leading to a growing sense of worry and panic. We ask: How can philosophy help us cope with adversity in a pandemic?We go in pursuit of wisdom and discovery with journalist and author Eric Weiner, author of the new book, "The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers". This episode is a rollicking ride, as we follow in the footsteps of history’s greatest thinkers—from Epicurus to Nietzsche, Thoreau to Gandhi— who show us practical and spiritual lessons for today’s unsettled times.Philosophy helps us as we struggle with disturbing questions raised by coronavirus. How to find a level of calm and certainty in an uncertain age? How do we endure tough times? There are no easy answers, but as with religious texts, philosophy helps us ask better questions. "We often confuse knowledge and wisdom, and we think that what we need to get out of this mess is more information," Erik tells us. "More information, we think, is always better. And that's clearly not the case."The age-old lesson from philosophy, says Erik, is that you can "put down your iPhone and close your laptop and stop acquiring more bits of data"Recommendation: Richard enjoys "Tiny Vampires," a podcast series about about disease, science and blood sucking insects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American worker is in crisis and faces a very uncertain future. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a deep recession and millions of layoffs. Even before coronavirus— despite a decade of continuous economic growth— the percentage of Americans with jobs was well below normal levels. Many people had dropped out of the labor force, and gave up looking for work. For the first time in modern memory, life expectancy started to fall as substance abuse and obesity rates rose. Our guest, conservative author Oren Cass, argues that we've abandoned the American worker, and pushed four-college at the expense of more effective solutions.In his widely-praised book, "The Once and Future Worker",  Oren argues that government policy should emphasize production, not consumption. His arguments were summarized  in The Atlantic."We've become obsessed with consumerism-- measuring everything in terms of consumers and living standards... In the process, we've forgotten that producing stuff is important too.”Oren Cass is Executive Director of the new conservative think tank, American Compass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people reject facts that cause them discomfort or don't line up with their view of the world. All too often emotion, not reason, informs our beliefs. Despite social media claims that #factsmatter, it's surprisingly difficult to use rational arguments to change minds."It's surprising how much we still put faith in rational argument," says our guest, Australian writer and philosopher, Eleanor Gordon-Smith. In this summer re-run episode from November, 2019, we take a fun, fascinating journey to the limits of human reason. Eleanor's book "Stop Being Reasonable. How We Really Change Our Minds," includes personal stories of successful persuasion that illustrate what most of us get wrong about rationality she says. Her latest book is, Illogical Stories: how to change minds in an unreasonable world."Hearing the story of how somebody changes their mind is hearing the story of how they change their life," Eleanor tells us. "Why, when we know that changing our minds is as tangled and difficult and messy as we are, do we stay so wedded to the thought that rational debate is the way to go about it?"The book and our podcast begin with Eleanor interviewing men who catcalled her in the street and made obscene gestures. Did she convince these guys to change their behavior? Find out what happened... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden's selection of Kamala Harris to be his vice-presidential running mate is a reminder that the fall election season is about to start in earnest.In this episode, we discuss solutions for America's voting crisis. People of all political persuasions have expressed concerns about holding an election in the COVID pandemic. President Trump made unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud. Many have protested the barriers faced by voters who find it difficult or nearly impossible to have their say in elections. In Georgia this summer, some voters waited in line for 5 hours to make their voices heard, while New York election officials took many weeks to count absentee ballots and get the results from congressional primary elections.This podcast is produced with assistance from the Democracy Group podcast network. We feature groundbreaking interviews from "Democracy Works" podcast with elections expert, MIT political science professor, Charles Stewart, and former Obama speechwriter David Litt, who appeared recently on "Democracy Matters" podcast.David Litt is the author of the new book, “Democracy in One Book Or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn’t, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think.”Charles Stewart has spoken with election officials across the country about election security, and how to successfully implement voting-by-mail, while ensuring that in-person voting during COVID is safe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a time of social distancing, limited travel and other restrictions to protect public health, we get a nostalgic reminder of the joy of journeys, and infinite variety of America's small cities and towns.This episode was first published in 2018. Our guest, Dar Williams, has been called "one of America's very best singer-songwriters" by The New Yorker. A remarkably well-traveled musician, she tells us how towns and cities can turn themselves around. "What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musician's Guide to Rebuilding America's Communities" is an impassioned account of the fall and rise of small American towns she cherishes. Dar chronicles practical success stories and challenges, delivering her message with hope and love."The opposite of division is not unity. It is collaboration," says Dar.We discuss the power of positive proximity and how working on local projects together can bring different parts of a community together. Dar speaks of the strength of weak ties and why they help build networks of people who act as stewards for the places that they love. From improving police-community relations in Gainesville, Florida, to the revival of Beacon, New York, we learn of many examples of how communities can succeed and thrive.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate change is real, but it's not the end of the world, says our guest, science writer, Michael Shellenberger.He argues in the controversial new book, "Apocalypse Never", that activists use alarmism to describe threats posed by rising levels of carbon in the atmosphere, and are harming the cause of environmentalism. His proposed solutions include support for carbon-free nuclear power, agricultural industrialization, urbanization, and technological innovation. This episode provoked a lively debate. Richard disagrees with the tone and some of the arguments made here. Jim is more supportive. But both of our hosts agree that discussing tough issues with plenty of room for conflicting opinions is an important part of what we do. A self-described eco-modernist, Michael Shellenberger is an author, environmental policy writer, co-founder of Breakthrough Institute, and founder of Environmental Progress.  Recommendation: Richard is reading "In This Together" by Bill Shireman and Tramell Crow, and is following the work of EarthX, a series of conferences that bring together environmental activists, corporate leaders and researchers interested in a more sustainable future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the many impacts of COVID-19 is a sharp decline in travel. In many parts of the world, the virus led to a temporary hold on one of the greatest trends of the modern age: the mass movement of people— from tourists to migrants, expats, asylum seekers, refugees, and IDP’s, internally displaced people. An estimated 244 million people, or about 3.3% of the world’s population, were born in one country and now live in another.Even before COVID hit, The Trump Administration reversed decades of US policy on immigration and refugees, imposing sweeping restrictions on admitting foreign workers, refugees, and students. Business groups sued the Administration over new limits on work visas. Universities and colleges objected to restrictions on foreign students. House Democrats passed a bill to reverse the restrictions.Many see migration as a threat. But for others it’s an opportunity. On this show we re-visit interviews with advocate Tolu Olubunmi, Leonard Doyle the UN migration agency, IOM, and podcaster Ahmed Badr.Tolu Olubunmi, hosted the podcast series, "A Way Home Together: Stories of the Human Journey". She is a global advocate for migrants, refugees, and displaced people. She is a Dreamer, born in Nigeria, who now lives in The United States.Leonard Doyle is a former journalist, and head of media and communications at the UN migration agency IOM. He spoke with Richard about global migration trends, and the need for a better understanding of immigrants and refugees.Ahmed Badr is a 21-year-old author, social entrepreneur and former Iraqi refugee. He is the host of the new podcast series, "Resettled", and founder of Narratio, a digital platform that highlights the creative work of young people across the world.Recommendation: Jim is watching the TV series, Never Have I Ever, airing on Netflix. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all canceled something. Whether it’s a subscription, a vacation, or a date, cancelling or erasing a person? It seems so brutal. So unforgiving and final.It’s no surprise that cancel culture began on social media. Supporters say they are targeting people, companies and institutions for endorsing systems of racism, inequality, and bigotry. Opponents of cancel culture argue that this form of shaming causes personal injury, stifles debate and is a chilling threat to free speech.In this episode, we speak with opinion columnist Megan McArdle of The Washington Post, who wrote the recent article, "The Real Problem With Cancel Culture." She is also the author of "The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success.” We also discuss the Harper's Letter on open debate, signed by more than 150 academics, journalists and intellectuals, and the resignation of opinion journalist Bari Weiss from The New York Times."One of the arguments you get into is that cancel culture isn't real because there've always been things you couldn't say," Megan tells us. "But now the things you couldn't say are in a much wider range of topics, and a much broader range of things about those topics that you can't say."Recommendation: Richard recommends the news website allsides.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.