Crazy Town

The “tragedy of the commons” is an idea that has so thoroughly seeped into culture and law that it seems normal for people and corporations to own land, water, and even whole ecosystems. But there’s a BIG problem: the “tragedy” part of it has been debunked – it really should be the triumph of the commons. Learn the origin story of privatization and explore the true meaning of commons and how to manage them for sustainability and equity. Also check out our suggestions for championing the commons (beyond Robin Hood’s strategy of stabbing the aristocracy). Originally recorded on 2/10/22.Sources/Links/Notes:The oddity of the queen’s ownership of swansMore about the swansAn Act Concerning Swans (1482)Simon Fairlie wrote the article “A Short History of Enclosure in Britain” in The Land (2009).  Briony McDonagh and Carl Griffin wrote “Occupy! Historical geographies of property, protest and the commons, 1500-1850,” Journal of Historical Geography (2016).Stephen Knight of the University of Melbourne writes about Robin Hood and the Forest Laws.Stephen Quilley & Katharine Zywert wrote the article “Livelihood, Market and State: What Does a Political Economy Predicated on the ‘Individual-in-Group-in-Place’ Actually Look Like?,” Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-23, July 2019.Munro Fraser and Thomas Mande wrote a report called The Commons in a Wellbeing Economy, a briefing paper published by the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.David Bollier wrote the outstanding and super-readable book The Commoner’s Catalog for Changemaking: Tools for the Transitions Ahead.   On the Commons has been helping to build a commons movement since 2001.  Peter Barnes has written many articles and books about property rights and the commons.“Elinor Ostrom’s 8 rules for managing the commons” based on Derek Wall’s book Elinor Ostrom’s Rules for RadicalsSupport the show

As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism as the no-regrets way to build community resilience in the face of unprecedented ineptitude that probably won’t go away anytime soon. Originally recorded on 6/16/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance, Avid Reader Press, March 2025.UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses the damage of ‘fast fashion’Kelsey Piper, "Trump’s bizarre new push to make us poorer," Vox, February 7, 2025.Kenneth Pucker, "Lessons From Trump’s Degrowth Experiment," Business of Fashion, May 9, 2025.Kenneth Bradsher, "China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries," New York Times, June 9, 2025.Adam Tooze, "Trump's futurism: Elon's rockets and fewer dolls for "baby girl," Chartbook, May 6, 2025."The End of Fast Fashion?," The Daily, May 15, 2025.Kurt Cobb, "Trade war vise grip: China is squeezing rare earth supply and it’s hurting," Resilience, June 8, 2025."Derek Thompson: Trump's War on Dolls," The Bulwark, May 2, 2025.Richard Heinberg, "How Eco-Localism Differs from Tariff Terrorism," Resilience, April 17, 2025.Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:Episode 86, "Escaping Growthism"Episode 94, “Breaking News: Crazy Town joins the newly formed Department of Entropy”Support the show

Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex, centralized power plants, and expose the truth of the energy transition. After they finish making fun of concentrated solar/golf course/outlet mall complexes in the desert, they discuss how to make real progress on energy and sustainability. Originally recorded on 6/5/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Michael R. Blood, “11 years after a celebrated opening, massive solar plant faces a bleak future in the Mojave Desert,” AP News, January 30, 2025.Laura Paddison, "This alien-like field of mirrors in the desert was once the future of solar energy. It’s closing after just 11 years," CNN, February 13, 2025.Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, More and More and More: An All-Consuming History of Energy, January 1, 2024.Rachel Donald, “The ‘Energy Transition’ is a Pipe Dream | Jean-Baptiste Fressoz,” Planet: Critical podcast, March 19, 2025.Drax Power StationU.S. Department of Energy, Facts about IvanpahEnergy Monitor report on the opening of IvanpahLouis Sahagun, "This Mojave Desert solar plant kills 6,000 birds a year. Here’s why that won’t change any time soon," Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2016.Annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions worldwide from 1940 to 2024Resources for conservation and local solar power:Solar United Neighbors2,000-Watt SocietyPeter Kalmus, Being the Change, New Society Publishers, July 10, 2017.Kris De Decker, "How to Build a Low-Tech Solar Panel," Resilience, October 21, 2021.Coop PowerSeeds for the SolThe Institute for Local Self-Resilience has a community solar program.Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:Episode 45 on feedback loopsEpisode 60 on air conditioningSupport the show

Jason, Rob, and Asher are taking out a huge, unaffordable mortgage on the housing crisis. What’s behind the shortage in housing? Why is it that no one, except canine Tik Tok influencers with billion-dollar bank accounts, can afford to own a home? While mainstream pundits press for an energy-blind buildout of desert sprawl and gleaming towers of glass and steel, we propose a surprising change of course inspired by little people with hairy feet. Originally recorded on 5/21/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:The story of Gunther, the world's most moneyed canine.You can't make this stuff up: Gunther offers to buy Nicholas Cage's island.David Wessel, "Where do the estimates of a 'housing shortage' come from?," Brookings Institute, October 21, 2024.Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng, "Americans' average daily travel distance, mapped," Axios, March 24, 2024.Jon Gertner, "America Is on Fire, Says One Climate Writer. Should You Flee?," New York Times, March 22, 2024.U.S. News and World Report, "Fastest-Growing Places in the U.S. in 2025-2026."Good Ideas for Addressing the Housing Crisis:Jason Bradford, "Growing the Shire, Not the 'Burb: Facing the Housing Crisis with Ecological Sanity," Resilience, May 27, 2025.Global Ecovillage NetworkNate Hagens, "Alexis Zeigler —  Living Without Fossil Fuels: How Living Energy Farm Created a Comfortable Off-Grid Lifestyle," The Great Simplification, April 9, 2025.Energy-Blind Non-Solutions for the Housing Crisis:Conor Dougherty, "Why America Should Sprawl," New York Times, April 10, 2025.Binyamin Applebaum, "Build Homes on Federal Land," New York Times, April 15, 2025.Ezra Klein, "Abundance and the Left," The Ezra Klein Show, April 29, 2025.Samuel Moyn, "Can Democrats Learn to Dream Big Again?," New York Times, March 18, 2025.Tyler Cowen, "Ezra Klein on the Abundance Agenda (Ep. 236)" Conversations with Tyler, March 7, 2025.Related Episode(s) of Crazy Town:Episode 37. Discounting the Future and Climate Chaos, or… the Story of the Dueling EconomistsSupport the show

The world has gone bunking mad. The bespoke security industry is burying bunkers stocked with arsenals of automatic rifles and surrounded by flaming moats. Is there a better way to prepare for the polycrisis, the zombie apocalypse, or whatever hard times are on the horizon? Jason, Rob, and Asher have some fun at the expense of the bunker builders before examining the positive aspects of peasanthood and stressing the need to build community.Originally recorded on 5/5/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Coralie Kraft, "The 'Panic Industry' Boom," New York Times Magazine, April 10, 2025.The SAFE company offers "bespoke, fortified residences" and other silly signs of our times. Aaron Gell, "'All of his guns will do nothing for him': lefty preppers are taking a different approach to doomsday," The Guardian, April 17, 2025.Will Petersen, "Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is again living a good life back in Serbia," Denver Sports, June 20, 2023.Related Episodes of Crazy Town:Episode 73. How Longtermism Became the Most Dangerous Philosophy You’ve Never Heard ofEpisode 34. Fear of Death and Climate Denial, or… the Story of Wolverine and the Screaming Mole of DoomEpisode 100. A Temporary Techno Stunt: Tom Murphy on Falling out of Love with ModernitySupport the show

Democracy and environmental protection have two things in common: (1) they’re both supposed to be enshrined in the laws of the United States and (2) they’re both under severe attack right now. Asher speaks with Thomas Linzey of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights to uncover how the source code of the U.S. Constitution and the body of environmental laws that follow it are actually designed to allow corporations to override the will of the people. After pinpointing the problem, Thomas explains what can be done, especially at the local level, to reach sustainable and just outcomes that provide wellbeing for people and ecosystems.Originally recorded on 4/2/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Bio for Thomas LinzeyCenter for Democratic and Environmental RightsMatt Wuerker's cartoon: "The Closed-Door Constitutional Convention"Support the show

This lively discussion dives into the intriguing balance between entropy and self-organization in nature. The hosts share humorous stories while highlighting the need for sustainable practices that echo natural processes. They explore the advantages of living fences over traditional methods and suggest rethinking urban infrastructure to embrace nature. The conversation also emphasizes community self-organization and the benefits of simplicity in both life and business, all while inspiring listeners to connect more deeply with their environment.

Who knew that the breakthrough moment of AI sentience would come from interacting with an annoying neo-Luddite?After failing to raise a single dollar for PCI’s newest initiative — the $350 billion Transdisciplinary Institute for Phalse Prophet Studies and Education (TIPPSE) —  Jason, Rob, and Asher devise the only profitable pitch for raising capital: using AI technology to cure the loneliness that technology itself causes. The only problem is that AI chatbots won’t talk to us, as evidenced by Asher’s experience of being blocked by an AI “friend.” So Asher turns to the flesh-and-blood author of Blood in the Machine, Brian Merchant, to discuss the rise of the neo-Luddite movement — the only people who might be able to stand your humble Crazy Town hosts. Brian Merchant is a writer, reporter, and author. He is currently reporter in residence at the AI Now Institute and publishes his own newsletter, Blood in the Machine, which has the same title as his 2023 book. Previously, Brian was the technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times and a senior editor at Motherboard.Originally recorded on 1/3/25 (warm-up conversation) and 3/24/25 (interview with Brian).Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Press Release announcing closure of TIPPSEFunding for FriendScreenshot of Asher’s conversation with Friend’s bot, FaithLyrics to “Not Going to Mars” by PyrrhonBrian Merchant’s Substack, Blood in the MachineBrian’s book, Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech  New York Times article on the Luddite Club: “‘Luddite’ Teens Don’t Want Your Likes”Crazy Town Episode 72: Sucking CO2 and Electrifying Everything: The Climate Movement’s Desperate Dependence on Tenuous TechnologiesBrian’s essay in The Atlantic, “The New Luddites Aren’t Backing Down”Support the show

Recovering technology booster Tom Murphy visits Crazy Town to discuss his journey from shooting lasers at the moon, to trying to "solve" the energy predicament, to falling out of love with modernity itself. Asher, Jason, Rob, and Tom discuss the roots and short-lived nature of modernity, which has not only shaped the world we inhabit but conquered our very imaginations. They reminisce about aspects of hi-tech society that have already fallen away in its hubristic march towards mastering (or should we say undermining?) nature. They close by contemplating what it means to detach from humanocentric delusions of grandeur and make peace with living with one foot in and one foot out of the modern world. Originally recorded on 3/4/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:"Acceptance and Agency at the End of Modernity," a live online Resilience event on April 1, 2025 featuring Vanessa Andreotti and Dougald HineTom Murphy's Do the MathSupport the show

How will we feed people living in the megacities of the 21st century, especially while confronting climate chaos and the depletion of fossil fuels and fossil water? According to the mainstream media: ecomodernism! Massive deployment of technology on factory farms and an extreme ramp-up of industrialization will save the day – right? RIGHT?!? If you read the New York Times, you might think that supermarket shelves will forever overflow with 3D-printed fish sticks, mylar bags full of genetically modified cheesy poofs, and faux corn dogs that ooze out of laboratory vats. Jason, Rob, and Asher question the wisdom of doubling down on industrialization in food and farming. It’s no surprise they recommend paying attention to nature and ecological limits. Stick around for ideas you can use in your community to support a healthy, regenerative food system (and keep on eating). Originally recorded on 1/21/25.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Jason Bradford, The Future Is Rural, 2/19/19.Eliza Barclay, "What to Eat on a Burning Planet," The New York Times, 7/29/24.David Wallace-Wells, "Food as You Know It Is About to Change," The New York Times, 7/28/24.Andrew Nikiforuk, "A Reality Check on Our 'Energy Transition'," Resilience, 1/6/25.Michael Grunwald, "Sorry, but This Is the Future of Food," The New York Times, 12/13/24."Changing How We Grow Our Food: Readers disagree with an essay about factory farms," The New York Times, 1/4/25.Jay Famiglietti, "Will We Have to Pump the Great Lakes to California to Feed the Nation?" The New York Times, 8/5/24.Clip of the Hydrologist in Chief "explaining" the oh-so-simple solution to water shortages.Support the show