Ashes Ashes
by Ashes Ashes
Ashes Ashes is a podcast about the end of the world. Each week we explore a new systemic or apocalyptic issue that society is facing now or will have to deal with in the coming decades. Through this we hope to draw the listener to the conclusion that our overarching economic and political systems are inherently flawed. Once that fact is accepted, it's that much easier to do something about it.Find episodes, full transcripts, links, and more at https://ashesashes.org.
Episodes
-
Ep 107 – Face Off
Episode 107 - "Face Off" We're back with more discussions about facial recognition and the draconian world we're quickly building. Updating our previous discussion with new information out Clearview AI, the 2020 protests, coronavirus and our new masked world, and much more. We're thrilled too…
more -
Ep 106 – Human Nature
Episode 106 - "Human Nature" This week we get back to the basics with an episode about climate change and the many people waking up to it. Join us as we explore everything from a new European report on need for renewable energy to fuel economic growth to the work archaeologists are doing on how...
-
Ep 105 – School's Out
Episode 105 - "School's Out" Friend of the podcast Moriah sits down with us to discuss life as a grad student during the pandemic. Then, we dive into Wendell Berry, a brief history of the start of some universities, the school-to-sports pipeline, competition in the workforce, and we ask what is…
more -
Ep 104 – This Land Is My Land
Episode 104 - "This Land Is My Land" You might be surprised how much our cities and streets are designed to keep people out. From spikes on sidewalks, baby shark music in our parks, to gates, buzzers, bouncers, water, deeds, and a whole bunch of clowns, and more! Why are our places designed to be...
-
Ep 103 – Minimum Justice
Episode 103 - "Minimum Justice" Mandatory minimums, three strike rules, and other similar laws were created to strengthen the "justice" system and make us safer - but have they done the opposite? This week we interview newly minted activists working to free a man caught up in this system and...
-
Ep 102 – The Then, The Now, and The Next
Episode 102 - "The Then, The Now, and The Next" We've been away for a while and this episode exists to fill in the gap. Catch up with us as we discuss what we've been up to, a small state of the world, and the big question of where do we go from here? We hope you've been healthy, happy, and…
more -
Ep 101 – Collapse Chat: We Didn't Start the Fire
Episode 101 - "We Didn't Start the Fire" Jack from Uni Students for Climate Justice joins us to discuss the bushfires in Australia, some of the resulting political and economic fallout and ways to respond. Then, with fire and ashes on our mind, we turn our attention to the unfolding catastrophes...
-
Ep 100 – One Hundred Years of Ashes
Episode 100 - "One Hundred Years of Ashes" We're incredibly lucky to spend this week celebrating our 100th episode with all of you. Looking back at all the episodes we've recorded, the many systemic threats, issues, and problems explored, we thought it would be a nice change to look forward...
-
Ep 99 – Collapse Chat: Border Patrol Catch COVID-19
Episode 99 - "Collapse Chat: Border Patrol Catch COVID-19" It's time for another chat show as David and Daniel review more bad news // from the border involving a recent Supreme Court decision // which reminds us to reflect on the real gun control debate not being had // recent labor struggles in...
-
Ep 98 – Water World (Spoiler: Not So Good)
Episode 98 - "Water World (Spoiler: Not So Good)" The latest IPCC report details observed effects of climate change on the ocean and cryosphere (really really cold places), which are altering the environment from the highest mountain peaks to the lowest depths of the ocean. The implications for…
more -
Ep 97 – Collapse Chat: Borders, Fires, Viruses, and Cannibalism
Episode 97 - "Collapse Chat: Borders, Fires, Viruses, and Cannibalism" We've published our big border show and now take a chance to reflect on the production (and why it took so long) as we ease back into weekly episodes. A lot happened over the past few months and we briefly address new border...
-
Ep 96 – Walls That Divide U.S.
Episode 96 - "Walls That Divide U.S." There is a crisis at the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Global forces of climate change, development and war conspire in a deadly feedback loop of human suffering. At the heart of this crisis is the most sprawling system of detention and surveillance the...
-
Ep 95 – Collapse Chat: Silviculturists, Entrepreneurs and Social Science
Episode 95 - "Collapse Chat: Silviculturists, Entrepreneurs and Social Science" A real silviculturist provides inputs on last week's show // David provides first-hand knowledge of essential bathroom upgrades // The big business of promoting entrepreneurship abroad // Co-opting social scientists…
more -
Ep 94 – If a Tree Falls
Episode 94 - "If a Tree Falls" We're missing the forest and the trees. Not only has logging exploded in recent years, but it is has done so often in the explicit name of sustainability and green energy. We examine the authenticity of these practices as well as look at some of the long-term...
-
Ep 93 – Collapse Chat: Birds, Vindictive Climate, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Episode 93 - "Collapse Chat: Birds, Vindictive Climate, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch" You asked for topic updates so we deliver. Bird populations are not doing well in North America and researchers are shocked at how effective it is to connect the dots. Tropical storms in Texas remind us of the...
-
Ep 92 – Good Heavens
Episode 92 - "Good Heavens" In 1967 the world witnessed the signing of the Outer Space Treaty, and now over 100 countries have joined the international agreement to declare space as "the province of all mankind," to be used "exclusively for peaceful purposes", and kept free of weapons and…
more -
Ep 91 – Collapse Chat: Name and Shame, Community, and Re-Imaginings
Episode 91 - "Collapse Chat: Name and Shame, Community, and Re-Imaginings" It's another chat episode as we take a break between deep dives and this week we explore in more depth some of the experiences Daniel has had in the organizing for his new work. It turns out there are important lessons to…
more -
Ep 90 – A Grave Situation
Episode 90 - "A Grave Situation" Over 100 billion people have died on this planet and been laid to rest through countless burial traditions and customs, and while a majority of these passings simply re-entered natural ecological cycles, many popular burial traditions of today require exorbitant...
-
Ep 89 – Collapse Chat: Banality, Good, and Evil
Episode 89 - "Collapse Chat: Banality, Good, and Evil" Another week, another collapse chat! This week we explore bullshit jobs through a listener email, dive into the upcoming Earth Strike event through interviews with activists and organizers, and take a look at the playbook of the forces who…
more -
Ep 88 – This Land is Our Land
Episode 88 - "This Land is Our Land" The IPCC released their special report "Climate Change and Land" to examine how human-led land use change is contributing to global warming irrespective of our direct GHG emissions, and how this might impact our future resilience in the face of…
more -
Ep 87 – Collapse Chat: On the Border
Episode 87 - "Collapse Chat: On the Border" David and Daniel are in person in Tucson, AZ reflecting on their time at the US Border Patrol Museum, running into border patrol agents on New Mexico state road 9, walking into Juarez, Mexico, and much more. Chapters 01:21 Border Patrol Museum 17:10...
-
Ep 86 – Sprawl Above All
Episode 86 - "Sprawl Above All" What began as a harmless attempt by the wealthy to escape the poor peasants they were forced to rub shoulders with in the cities turned into the greatest infrastructural nightmare ever to be unleashed upon this world: the American suburb. Countless people and...
-
Ep 85 – Collapse Chat: Beach Vibes, Rockets, and Burgers
Episode 85 - "Ep 85 - Collapse Chat: Beach Vibes, Rockets, and Burgers" What compels a group of truck owners to drive in a procession down the sandy Florida coast (and how does racism relate to environmental issues)? How can you bypass the paywall to access the latest scientific papers? Why do…
more -
Ep 84 – Carbon Bootprint
Episode 84 - "Carbon Bootprint" They're the single biggest polluter on earth in both chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions, their effects can be felt around the world in both rising temps and destroyed lives, in fact they're in the very business of destruction: it's the US Military. This week we...
-
Ep 83 – Collapse Chat: Love, Life, and Salmon
Episode 83 - "Collapse Chat: Love, Life, and Salmon" Collapse Chat is back and it's here to stay. This is the first of a new period for Ashes Ashes. To keep up our high levels of research, we're going to need a little more time per episode and will be transitioning to an every other week schedule...
-
Ep 82 – Cash Out
Episode 82 - "Cash Out" South Korea is eliminating coins and requiring shoppers to upload their cash receipts to a digital database; Indians are still reeling from a 2016 decision that turned 86% of the country's cash worthless in a matter of hours; migrants and refugees are being targeted for…
more -
Ep 81 – This Is Not a Place of Honor
Episode 81 - "This Is Not a Place of Honor" It has threatened to start wars and it has (arguably) finished them; its effects and influences can be found throughout our world today; it has nearly limitless power for creation and destruction; and according to some people it may be our only hope.…
more -
Ep 80 – The Nuclear Option
Episode 80 - "The Nuclear Option" It has threatened to start wars and it has (arguably) finished them; its effects and influences can be found throughout our world today; it has nearly limitless power for creation and destruction; and according to some people it may be our only hope. This week…
more -
Death Dealers - Part II
Episode 79b - "Death Dealers Part II" Part II of Ep 79 - Death Dealers Merchants of Death. War Profiteers. Death Dealers. These are the people who fan the flames of war to transmute human suffering into profit. They play one nation against another to sell to both sides. Although the international...
-
Ep 79 – Death Dealers
Episode 79 - "Death Dealers" Merchants of Death. War Profiteers. Death Dealers. These are the people who fan the flames of war to transmute human suffering into profit. They play one nation against another to sell to both sides. Although the international community condemned these actors as...
-
Ep 78 – Grounded
Episode 78 - "Grounded" Sweeping deregulation of the Airline industry in 1978 brought big changes to air travel. Lower prices, more routes, and consolidation of the market allowed for regional hub-and-spoke models of logistics and greater access to air travel with the associated massive surge in...
-
Ep 77 – Coping with Collapse
Episode 77 - "Coping with Collapse" Awareness of the systemic threats to our world comes at a cost. Often, that cost includes feelings of isolation, existential dread, depression, shock, and other uncomfortable realities. But these emotions do not define the final stage of our journeys. This week...
-
Ep 76 – Self-made
Episode 76 - "Self-made" For once we thought it would be nice to look at a culture of building things up, rather than the slow collapse of everything around us that we normally discuss. We find this culture in a huge variety of different fields from repair in the home to hacking and building in...
-
Ep 75 – Business. School.
Episode 75 - "Business. School." The past few decades has seen explosive growth in the number of universities around the world, but it may not be for the noble reasons we would like. Decreased public funding, and new conceptions of universities as engines for economic growth has spurred an...
-
Ep 74 – Eco-lapse
Episode 74 - "Eco-lapse" The IPBES Global Assessment summary is out and we're digging in to all 39 pages this week. The report lays out a grim picture of our current world in terms of life on earth, the ecosystems they create, and our relationship with them that our civilization as we know it...
-
Ep 73 – Tear Up, Tear Down
Episode 73 - "Tear Up, Tear Down" Protests around the world in 2011 gave riot-gear dealers a three-fold increase in sales of tear gas. In 2013, Turkey used up an entire year's supply of tear gas in just two days, before promptly ordering more. 2015 was the year Kenyan police fired tear gas into a...
-
Ep 72 – BONUS EPISODE
BONUS EPISODE (there is no episode) Well we fucked up and here we are without an episode (it would've been really great, we swear). We didn't want to leave our loyal listeners hanging, so we put something together anyway. Listen in and find out how and why we made such a big screw up, get updated...
-
Ep 71 – The Mean, Big Green, Corporate Machine
Episode 71 - "The Mean, Big Green, Corporate Machine" The world may be burning, but more and more companies are giving us green alternatives to our favorite products so we can continue to shop and consume the same way we always have, but without hurting the Earth - or so they would like us to...
-
Ep 70 – Thinner Ice
Episode 70 - "Thinner Ice" New reports find the Arctic to be the warmest it's been in millennia, and complex feedback loops mean this warming could continue unabated for decades to come. While the Arctic may feel like a distant place far removed from the concerns of daily life to many of us, the...
-
Ep 69 – Rent Seekers
Episode 69 - "Rent Seekers" Half of America's poor pay at least 50% of their income on rent, while a quarter of them pay over 70%, and this trend is worsening as the number of affordable housing units continues to outpace Americans' abilities to pay for them. How did we get in a scenario where so...
-
Ep 68 – Mask Off
Episode 68 - "Mask Off" Half of all US Citizens have their faces in a database that can be searched by facial-tracking software, and the slow creep of surveillance technology means more of us are being watched and analyzed by AI face-detection cameras, often without us knowing, and almost always...
-
Ep 67 – Collapse Chat: So Long and Thanks for All the Surveillance
Episode 67 - "Collapse Chat: So Long and Thanks for All the Surveillance" This week we're trying a new format for periodic updates. Daniel, David, and Moriah King all sit down together to discuss a handful of important articles and texts they selected covering everything from dolphins to…
more -
Ep 66 – Trash Talk
Episode 66 - "Trash Talk" The world is garbage and we're talking trash in this week's episode. What really happens when you throw something away? Is recycling as green as we think it is? Just how much garbage are we making anyway? All this answered and so much more as we find ourself waist deep…
more -
Ep 65 – Above the Paving Stones, the Desert
Episode 65 - "Above the Paving Stones, the Desert" Two-thirds of Spain is at risk of permanent desertification. The cold and wet country of Iceland holds half of all Europe's deserts. China's Gobi Desert is expanding rapidly, swallowing thousands of villages and threatening to envelop the capital...
-
Ep 64 – Sweet Re-Release
Episode 64 - "Sweet Re-Release" It's natural, it's delicious, it's everywhere, and it may be killing us. For years, sugar has been overlooked as a serious detriment to our health because of the manipulations of the sugar industry in both science and politics, but the lies are coming to light as…
more -
Ep 63 – Busy Work
Episode 63 - "Busy Work" Some 37% of workers believe their jobs are pointless, and if we include the jobs that exist to serve those pointless jobs in some way, it's possible that half of the jobs in our economy today (mostly residing in the informational sectors of white-collar work) could...
-
Ep 62 – Separate Ways
Episode 62 - "Separate Ways" A global epedimic of loneliness is spreading rapidly. 20% of the UK population claims to be always or often lonely, 3 out of 4 people fin the US are affected by loneliness, a quarter of Japanese men over 60 don't have a single friend or family member they can talk to,...
-
Ep 61 – Owning Change
Episode 61 - "Owning Change" In an age of global disparity and inequity, billionaire philanthropists (dead and alive) are stepping up to the plate with powerful foundations and acts of charitable giving to solve some of the world's greatest challenges. But how much faith should we place in the...
-
Ep 60 – Drawn Apart
Episode 60 - "Drawn Apart" Invisible, but they define our world. Borders are the lines that limit us as we live our lives and as we increasingly feel the frictions they cause, it brought us to wonder: where did these things comes from anyway? A look back through history shows that what we take…
more -
Ep 59 – Bankrupt Ethics
Episode 59 - "Bankrupt Ethics" After the US government shutdown of 2018-2019 witheld two paychecks from 800,000 federal workers and countless more contractors and businesses, and with US officials encouraging furloughed employees to simply take out loans, we've got debt on the mind again.…
more
About this show
Ashes Ashes is a podcast about the end of the world. Each week we explore a new systemic or apocalyptic issue that society is facing now or will have to deal with in the coming decades. Through this we hope to draw the listener to the conclusion that our overarching economic and political systems are inherently flawed. Once that fact is accepted, it's that much easier to do something about it.Find episodes, full transcripts, links, and more at https://ashesashes.org.
Hosted by
Ashes Ashes