THE SPACESHIP EARTH PODCAST

Vanessa Andreotti, Dean of Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria and author of "Hospicing Modernity," dives into the themes of intergenerational responsibility and ecological justice. She discusses the urgency of acknowledging destructive systems for a thriving future and emphasizes the power of collective action. Topics include the importance of unlearning colonial narratives, the role of education in fostering emotional maturity, and the interconnectedness of waste management and healing. Andreotti advocates for authentic storytelling to engage younger generations in addressing complex societal issues.

Time for some tunes.Time for moving.As Autumn unfoldsI offer you another Earth Sessions mixFallingA gathering of tracks that have been looping heavily of late for me.A deep, cosmic, organic house vibe.I hope they move you in some way as things fall.If you enjoy this, check out the artists, producers and labels in this selection, they are all exceptional creators with stunning offerings to dig into.More conversations coming soon.Right I’m off to see Sasha and Digweed.Wishing you peace wherever you are.Track Listing on Site Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

What does one do when everything in our world feels so unhinged ?As the planet becomes swamped this week with flooding and hurricanes, climate protest as we know it, in the UK at least, carries an increasingly high chance of arrest and conviction.Politics even with a new administration feels as stuck, exhausted, divisive and non-participatory as ever.As the polycrisis intensifies, the systems of governance and ways of organising ourselves become more ossified and brittle, and we can see how woefully unfit for purpose they have become for a complex uncertain future.Now must be the time to accelerate constructive, people-powered participation, for more of us to begin to practice, rehearse, prototype and birth the new moves and the new systems that will put life at the centre.Because ask yourself - if we’re not doing it - is it going to happen from the top down - led by Govt, Media and Corporations ?Do you still trust that putting an X in a box during an election is going to do the job, to tackle all the things that keep you awake at night about the future and the rapidly unravelling and violent present ?My guest in this episode is active citizen - Clare Farrell.With a background in sustainability, fashion and more recently climate activism as one of the original Co-founders of Extinction Rebellion.As a designer her work has expanded beyond clothing and material products and into experience design and participation design, strategic communications and strategies for positive social change. Clare has been focussing her energies and creativity of late towards constructive forms of social and cultural transformation in the UK.Manifesting through work with The Humanity Project - a platform focussing on grassroots, participatory democracy via innovative local citizens assembliesandwith Hard Art Collective - with artist and activist Brian Eno - an artist led ‘feel tank’ exploring how we might weave new cultural contexts that put care and solidarity at the centre.We explore:* Grassroots Democracy and Intersectional Issues* The Power of Collective Imagination* The Role of Non Violent Protest and Civil Disobedience* Legal Systems and the Fight for Justice* The Importance of Disruption in Social Movements*  Imaginative Capacity and Hard Art* The Role of Artists in Cultural Change* Participatory Democracy and Cultural Networks* Designing Spaces for Interaction and Engagement in people led changeUltimately to build a connected, resilient society based on care, compassion, freedom and love is going to need big numbers of people actively participating in local assemblies and community organising in the places they live and through the networks and influence they hold.Citizens not consumers as my friend Jon Alexander puts it.Becoming Crew on Spaceship Earth as we like to say around here.Play Out SongSeeds - Olivia Fern feat Carrie Tree Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

Dive into a six-minute immersive journey that reflects on humanity's connection with Earth's ecosystems. This segment critiques the narratives that divide us from nature and promotes a sense of shared existence. It invites listeners to engage with the evolving inquiry of community and collaboration. Expect thought-provoking insights and an open invitation to participate in future gatherings, both online and offline, as we collectively explore what it means to nurture our planet and each other.

Episode 92 is a conversation with three very smart, courageous and thoughtful humans from new regenerative venture with a massive ambition - Nature 2Gail Gallie, Jay Lipman and Patricia Zurita are co-founders who between them represent highly experienced operators and practitioners across worlds of campaigning and mobilisation, ethics driven finance and global conservation.Nature 2 is a collaboration that seeks to connect, build and scale systems to urgently drive finance into protecting and regenerating the natural world globally.At this moment in time there is a funding gap around nature, biodiversity and ecosystem protection and regeneration of approximately 830 billion dollars (gulp!)  - something they call the ‘nature financing gap.’Nature 2 are on a mission to close that gap. Seeking to catalyse the finance and investor communities to commit to directing 2% of managed assets towards nature based solutions.We explore:* Nature 2: A new mission - how this idea emerged, how it works and the roles within this collaborative venture* The role of finance in nature conservation* The importance and complexity of shifting destructive subsidies towards regenerative practices* Navigating capitalism and conservation* Balancing big company action with local farmers and land based communities* Mapping the most urgent places on Earth for nature conservation and regeneration* Philanthropy and capitalism and the entanglement of todays economic system design with climate and ecological breakdown* Stories and communication to engage funding and investor communitiesThis conversation was recorded in spring 2024. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

My guest on this episode David Johnstone is in my view a beautiful example of a human taking responsibility and using their gifts, experience and influence to cultivate the courage and creativity to face into the uncomfortable questions we are being confronted with* To speak up to the messy contradictions of this moment* To raise awareness of the massive changes coming down the line* To  experiment with weirder movesTo keep self examining not just the impacts of business as usual but to imagine and participate in business unusual, where we commit to the messy process of healing, reconnecting, reimagining and liberating. He is founder, CEO and Executive Creative Director of global design studio, Accept and Proceed , host of the brilliant podcast ~Endless Vital Activity, convener of strange solstice gatherings We don’t know what this is yet on Hackney Marshes.David is a humble, curious, insightful, creative human, a radical experimenter with a big heart and infections imagination.This was a wide ranging conversation exploring his work in brand design, his journey working with global corporations, awakening to the impacts of commercial creativity,  of taking responsibility for the impacts we are making through these creative human entities we call ‘brands.’This has led to the Design for the Future mission of Accept and Proceed which he unpacks alongside an exploration of brand power, the ‘dark ages of the future’, ‘Together World’ strategy and the emergence of new relational entanglements between humans, enterprise and this living mysterious Spaceship Earth we call home.We explore:The nervous energy of these timesPanpsychism and ConsciousnessDavid's journey into brandThe power and responsibility of brandDesigning for a ‘Together World’Navigating the Three Horizons FrameworkEmbracing complexity and uncertaintyUnderstanding business and systemic cycles - death and endingsThe significance of tuning into Earth’s patterns like sunrisesImagining brand futuresLINKSAccept and ProceedDavid Johnston InstagramAccept and Proceed InstagramEndless Vital Activity Podcast Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I’m in conversation with Jasmine Isa Qureshi - a multimedia journalist, marine biologist, queer ecologist, award winning spoken word / published poet and storyteller.She writes and studies across ecology, conservation, trans / queer / muslim identity, politics and sociology.Her work seeks to understand the systems by which we and nature have grown intertwined and apart, explore the intersections of identities, origins as queer, global majority folk, and provide alternative systems for our futures, by sparking discussions, thoughts and creating resources to make these as accessible as possible.She is currently working on her first book.We explore:* Personal identity and its connection to the natural world* Anthropocentrism and the Human vs nature binary* Queer Ecology and Queerness - perspectives and misconceptions* Colonialism and identity and the dismantling of colonial structures to envision inclusive and liberating systems.* Intersectionality and Global majority futurism* The necessity of community, interdependence, and the power of unlearning and renewal to craft liberating, inclusive futures free from systemic oppression.LinksJasmine Qureshi websiteJasmine Qureshi Instagram Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I’m in conversation with Lily Cole.Lily is a model, activist, social entrepreneur, writer, actor and mother who has campaigned and acted persistently on multiple social, environmental and climate justice issues throughout her working life.She is committed to exploring new possibilities and ways of being which put care and life at the centre.I connected with Lily last year when we were both invited to attend a climate activism retreat at Plum Village, the Zen Buddhist Monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat HanhThe Plum Village force is strong in this episode.This conversation is grounded in this moment, it’s a dive into the deeper parts of change, the inner and outer dimensions of our values and actions and how they influence and shape the systems we seek to change.We explore:* Mindfulness, practicing deep listening and cultivating empathy for addressing the complex, contradicting and overwhelming issues of living in these times.* The interconnectedness of all beings, ancient wisdoms and other ways of knowing, and the potential of shifting perspectives to create more caring and sustainable cultures.* How we can integrate these practices and insights into our lives and communities as part of a collective journey towards regenerative and peaceful change.LinksLily ColeWho Cares Wins PodcastPlum VillagePlay out TrackWill Flisk with Sif Augustdottir - Satie and the Crow Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

Recorded in 2021 I’m posting this Episode with Dr Wallace J Nichols today to honour his sudden passing this week.The most humble human who gave so much to widening our collective understanding of the human entanglement and interdependence with the waters of this Earth.His book Blue Mind is a must read and rightly influenced so many to see beyond water just as a resource to be protected but a sacred flow of life itself, so entangled with human life and health and our emotional regulation and wellbeing.I spent a little bit of time with ‘J’ in California in 2018 and hosted him on the podcast in 2021 as we were emerging from the pandemic and he was coming to terms with the loss of his family home from wild fires.He spoke a lot then about the need for water connection and blue mind in these times of increasing rage, stress, violence and divisiveness.We had planned to record another conversation exploring loss, trauma, losing what we love and healing with the Earth but we never managed it.He had those very rare qualities of deep intelligence and wisdom, empathy for all life, the capacity to invite curiosity and inquiry from people with humility and without the need to shout loudly or divide. He always spoke so beautifully of his family too - we send them love for these most challenging times of loss.He would always hand out blue marbles, and say -‘if we zoom out from our planet Earth a million miles - all you can see is a little blue marble floating in space - a planet made of water. Keep that marble in your pocket to remember this miracle’He would encourage you to go and find your water, a river, stream, lake, pond or the ocean if you’re lucky. Be near it, on it, in it - cultivate your blue mind.Water is medicine - he said.In these time more than ever._______________________________________Dr Wallace. J Nichols is a renowned marine-biologist, wild water advocate and author of the bestselling book - Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do.His experiences as a field research scientist, government consultant, teacher, mentor, public speaker, parent, founder and director of businesses and nonprofit organisations, all support his quest to build a stronger and more diverse global blue movement. Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe

In this Episode I’m in conversation with the brilliant Immy Kaur and Kavita Purohit from Civic Square in Birmingham UK.Civic Square’s mission is demonstrating neighbourhood-scale civic infrastructure for social, ecological, economic, and climate transition.I’m a huge fan of their work, they are pioneers in the UK when it comes to demonstrating what communities can achieve when it comes to responding to some of the gnarliest, complex systemic issues we face as a species.They use practical, decentralised approaches, translating complex systems change thinking into participative inquiry and co-design projects working with  place based communities alongside diverse practitioners, knowledge and wisdom holders and regenerative innovators.When the times we are in can feel so overwhelming and mainstream political approaches exhausted, look to Civic Square and their ecology of collaborators for how we might create very different ways of imagining and realising better futures which put people and places at the centre around cultures of care, connection and solidarity.We explore* Systemic Issues and community approaches to finding solutions* The importance of neighbourhoods and Public Goods* Health Justice and ecological Health in neighbourhoods* Demonstrating radical imagination* The role of Doughnut Economics in neighbourhoods* Community engagement and co-ceation approaches* Different ways of knowing, re-pairing and re-imaginingLinksCivic SquareCivic Square MediumNeighbourhood DoughnutStories for Life Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe