What Could Possibly Go Right?

Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is an author, strategist, teacher, and co-host of the podcast, A Matter of Degrees. Dr. Wilkinson co-founded and leads The All We Can Save Project with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, in support of women leading on climate. Her books on climate include the bestselling anthology All We Can Save (2020, co-editor), The Drawdown Review (2020, editor-in-chief and lead writer), the New York Times bestseller Drawdown (2017, lead writer), and Between God & Green (2012). She addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:That “at our very best, we as human beings are active and generative collaborators with lifeforce... in these relationships of reciprocity and almost play with the planet's living systems.”The “different kind of leadership that women are bringing in droves on climate”That dialog about solutions is often about scale and speed; yet, we would benefit from considering solutions at depth with “heart-centered wisdom” and love as a powerful leverage pointThe value of “making our hearts public”, bringing feelings and stories into climate conversation That what could go right is “in the onslaught of the quest for power and profit and prestige, that maybe these things could actually be replaced with care and courage and connection and community and creativity.”ResourcesThe All We Can Save Project: www.allwecansave.earth Book: All We Can Save: www.allwecansave.earth/anthology Podcast: A Matter of Degrees: www.degreespod.comConnect with Katharine WilkinsonWebsite: kkwilkinson.comTwitter: twitter.com/drkwilkinsonInstagram: instagram.com/drkwilkinsonFollow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

John Wood, Jr. is a national leader for Braver Angels, a former nominee for Congress, former Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, musical artist, and a noted writer and speaker on issues of political and racial reconciliation.He addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:The optimism that “we come to remember the higher-minded traditions of moral and social idealism that have inspired this country towards social progress in the past, such that we might rally towards some of these ways of engaging in politics and relating to one another in our own current time”The lessons that can be taken from the nonviolence tradition taught by Martin Luther King, Jr.The importance of seeking mutual understanding and goodwill, to leverage these into collaboration and shared work to improve our local communities and governmentThe fostering of empathy and respectful recognition of others’ experiences towards “laying the foundation for more durable social progress”The many organizations such as Braver Angels that are incubating social innovation and stimulating changeResourcesBraver Angels braverangels.orgConnect with John Wood JrWebsite: braverangels.org Facebook: facebook.com/TranscendingPolitics Twitter: twitter.com/JohnRWoodJr Follow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Penny Livingston is internationally recognized as a prominent permaculture teacher, designer, and speaker. She has been teaching internationally and working professionally in land management, regenerative design, and permaculture development for 25 years. She holds an MS in Eco-Social Regeneration, has 3 diplomas in Permaculture Design, and has been studying the Hermetic Tradition of alchemy and herbal medicine making all over the world.She addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with insights including:That there’s a growing interest in permaculture and expanding ecological literacy.That permaculture “is a solution-based design system… rooted in observing natural ecosystems and how we can design our human settlements to have the same level of stability and resiliency.”That conventional civil engineering is turning to permaculture solutions now.That studying permaculture will help decision-makers to understand community economics and boost local resilience. That a deconstructionist involves looking at a problem backwards, “to arrive at the systemic core cause and not just treating the symptoms.”That a focus on regeneration is needed, not just sustainability. “We have to start giving back more than what we take, because we've been working on a deficit.”Connect with Penny Livingston-StarkWebsite: pennylivingston.com Website: regenerativedesign.org Facebook: facebook.com/RDIpermacultureInstagram: instagram.com/penny_livingstonFollow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Jeremy Lent is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. He is the Founder of the Liology Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering an integrated worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the Earth. He addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:The increasing recognition of our shared humanity and connection, “even in the face of the forces of separation that are potentially driving us to destruction”.The potential of the Internet to shift human consciousness and provide “massive epic possibilities that we haven't even begun to even conceptualize”. The fear underpinning polarization and the reminder that white supremacy “doesn't just oppress the people who are not white as a result, but oppresses the white people who think that they're maintaining their privilege... (who) have to always stay on the defensive and tired and worried about losing, rather than actually sharing a space with others, where it's not a zero sum game.” The analogy of unraveling the tightly woven rug of our society and structures, to reweave into a better, resilient pattern of meaning.The benefits of a “shift away from a growth-oriented wealth-accumulating world” to “an ecological civilization... founded on connectivity, on the power of symbiosis between humans and non-human nature.”ResourcesThe Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning by Jeremy Lent: https://www.jeremylent.com/the-patterning-instinct.htmlThe Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe by Jeremy Lent: https://www.jeremylent.com/the-web-of-meaning.htmlConnect with Jeremy LentWebsite: www.jeremylent.com Facebook: facebook.com/JeremyRLent Twitter: twitter.com/JeremyRLent Follow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Juliet Schor is Professor of Sociology at Boston College, a member of the MacArthur Foundation Connected Learning Research Network, and co-founder of the Center for a New American Dream. Schor’s research focuses on consumption, time use, and environmental sustainability. Her books include After the Gig: How the Sharing Economy Got Hijacked and How to Win it Back (2020), The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need (1998), and The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure (1992).She is also the vice-chair of the board of the Better Future Project, one of the country’s most successful climate activism organizations.She addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:The growing global climate movement and activismThe success of experiments in universal basic income and servicesThe increasing rates of democratic engagement and activationThe rising popularity of a four-day workweek, without losing productivityThe benefits of de-legitimizing of extreme wealthResourcesCenter for a New American Dream www.newdream.orgBetter Future Project www.betterfutureproject.orgFollow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, Director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program, author of several popular books, and former White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later as the President’s deputy domestic policy adviser. He has served as a board member of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Washington State Board of Education, and the Seattle Public Library. He is a co-founder of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. Eric addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:That Citizen University is working to foster a culture of powerful citizenshipThat “all great endeavors are collective endeavors”The “incredible surge of mutual aid” we’ve seen during the pandemicThe importance of civic catalysts, who “may not have the title, authority or formal office of a leader, but they're the ones who make it happen.”That “you can't possibly change another person's mind if you yourself aren't willing to have your own mind changed or your own heart opened.”ResourcesBook: “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America” by James and Deborah FallowsBook: “You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen” by Eric LiuBook: “Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy” by Eric LiuThe Better Arguments Project https://betterarguments.orgConnect with Eric LiuWebsite: https://citizenuniversity.us Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericpliu Follow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceJoin our Patreon Community to receive bonus conversations with guests and "backstage" conversations between Vicki and other podcast hosts: https://www.patreon.com/vickirobinLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Christabel Rose Reed is a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and activist. She is on a mission to link inner transformation with social change and empower people to embark on the entwined journey of inner and outer healing.In 2015, Christabel and her sister Ruby founded Advaya, the London-based system change initiative that organizes around the principles of radical regeneration and joyful revolution. Since then they have launched a media platform called EarthSpace and organized over 150 events including full-day immersions, panel discussions, retreats, pilgrimages, circles, and festivals.Christabel addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:That we need to engage more with our imaginations, to look beyond the false solutions that are being presented to us, and to “envisage the kind of future that we know deep down we want and that we know are possible.”That “our understanding of what our purpose is has been shifted, because so much of our stability has gone” and despite that, we could “harness this opportunity, this pause, in order to co-create futures that can truly thrive.”That online events can bring together more speakers and audiences across geographic limitations, giving "accessibility to new narratives and new stories."That despite their benefits, online events can sever the deeper human connection and community building that comes from meeting in-person.That we should avoid feeling overwhelmed by large scale in systemic change, instead focussing on our own small impacts we can make.That "cultivating the love within us, for each other and for this incredible life that we've been blessed with" can create a different world of creativity, fearlessness, compassion and joy.Resources- Regenerative Activism: https://www.regenerativeactivism.com - EcoResolution: https://advaya.co/my-eco-resolution- Guardians of the Forest course: https://advaya.co/events/series/guardians-of-the-forest Connect with Christabel Rose ReedWebsite: https://advaya.co Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christabelrosereedyogateacher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christabel_roseFollow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceJoin our Patreon Community to receive bonus conversations with guests and "backstage" conversations between Vicki and other podcast hosts: https://www.patreon.com/vickirobinLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Richard Heinberg is an author, Senior Fellow-in-Residence of the Post Carbon Institute, and widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost educators on the need to transition society off fossil fuels. His forthcoming book, POWER: LIMITS AND PROSPECTS FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL is now available for pre-order.Since 2002, Richard has spoken to hundreds of public, government, and business audiences around the world, and has made countless appearances on radio and television. He is the award-winning author of fourteen books and a recipient of the Atlas Award for climate heroes (2012) and the M. King Hubbert Award for Excellence in Energy Education (2006).He addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:That there are many definitions of power - energy transfer, ability, authority, domination.That the adoption of fossil fuels was the most consequential event in human history – providing many benefits, but at enormous cost of climate change, resource depletion, pollution and crowding out other species.That we have to relearn and apply the wisdom of power self-limitation, “in a way that enhances our experience of life”. That “native cultures, indigenous cultures, had ways of conserving resources and sharing resources and preventing some people from getting a lot more powerful than others.”That today’s social fabric is woven of vertical social power, whereas pre-agricultural societies were characterized by horizontal power of “we can all do this together”.That we need to consider: “How do we use power responsibly, in order to overcome some of these unhealthy systems of power that have gotten out of control?”Pre-order POWER: LIMITS AND PROSPECTS FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL: https://power.postcarbon.org/preorder/Connect with Richard HeinbergMonthly Museletter: http://bit.ly/pci-subscribeWebsite: https://richardheinberg.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/richardheinberg/Twitter: https://twitter.com/richardheinberg Follow WCPGR on Social MediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCouldPossiblyGoRightPodcast​Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildresilience​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildresilienceJoin our Patreon Community to receive bonus conversations with guests and "backstage" conversations between Vicki and other podcast hosts: https://www.patreon.com/vickirobinLearn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

May East is a sustainability educator, spatial planner, and social innovator. Her work spans the fields of cultural geography, urban ecology, and women’s studies. Designated one of the 100 Global SustainAbility Leaders three years in a row, she leads a whole generation of regenerative designers and educators in 55 countries working with community-based organizations and intergovernmental agencies in the development of policy guidance and projects strengthening climate resilience, food security, and livelihood action.May addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with insights including:The importance of edge-work, ”not about the dying of the old world, or the emergence of the new world, but the edge between the two.”That edge isn’t marginal, but is actually at the center of change.The potential of ”ecotone” areas, the buffer zones in nature where different landscapes meet. These edges of high intensity and diversity provide conditions for new species and life.  Her coined concept of “sociotone”, recognizing that societies in tension is where new structures will emerge.That serendipity happens in the edge and that surprise is not a question of luck, it is a question of alertness and enactment to turn these into something useful.That we need to move beyond sustainability to regeneration. “We need to train ourselves to become regenerative practitioners at the edge, because if we maximize edge, we maximize diversity and potential of life.”Connect with May EastWebsite // Facebook // Twitter // InstagramFollow WCPGRFacebook // Twitter // InstagramJoin our Patreon Community to receive bonus conversations with guests and "backstage" conversations between Vicki and other podcast hosts.Learn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes

Andrew Revkin is one of America’s most honored and experienced environmental journalists and the founding director of the new Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute.  He has held positions at National Geographic and Discover Magazine and won the top awards in science journalism multiple times, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship. Revkin has written acclaimed books on the history of humanity’s relationship with the weather, the changing Arctic, global warming, and the assault on the Amazon rain forest.He addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:That we need to be aware of narrative capture and being misled by stories or avoiding truth.That we should engage in more conversations with others who have different views, and stay in curiosity rather than debate. That we need to work through the trauma of recent times and “look for compassionate intervention in our traumatized psyches”.That the resilience of an ecosystem to environmental stress is a function of the diversity of responses and species; we need the “edge pushers”That like the “Serenity Prayer”, we should embrace “the perfect imperfectness of our nature as humans”.ResourcesArticle: “Complicating the Narratives” Article: My Climate ChangeVideo: We are perfect*: Andrew Revkin at TEDxPortland Article: My Lucky StrokeConnect with Andrew RevkinWebsite // Facebook // Twitter // InstagramFollow WCPGRFacebook // Twitter // InstagramJoin our Patreon Community to receive bonus conversations with guests and "backstage" conversations between Vicki and other podcast hosts.Learn more: https://bit.ly/wcpgr-resSupport the showComplete Show Notes