SageTalking

[This podcast is recorded in German]What is the root of hatred, greed and a false sense ofseparatism in this world?Doesn't it always start with the connection to ourselves?Someone who is in peace, who feels centered and is connectedto themselves and earth, attuned harmoniously to the world around them will notengage in wars, coups, betrayal or inclined to divide and spread hatred.So it starts with us.Imagine if politicians before parliamentary session took a5-minute meditation together to ground themselves, served each other tea andcoffee as acts of service and connected to one another in meaningful ways -only 5 minutes a day…The world would be a different place.Whether it is yoga, any devotional practice or spiritualpath, these practices are powerful tools beyond what we sometimes imaginepossible.Widespread engagement with spiritual practices and personalreflection, work and the deep connection and attunement to the inner and outerworld would change our societies deeply, sustainably and meaningfully.We create our lived realities, individually andcollectively. It takes hard work, that is often uncomfortable, that is deep andrevealing, but what happens on the other side of that is deeply healing forourselves and the entire planet if we choose this path.The creation of harmony within creates harmony without.The harmonious will seek and create harmony –the distraught will seek destruction.We muse on these topics in this episode which is the firstGerman episode on this podcast

Nikki (@girl_on_gaia) is a special soul who is one of thosepeople defining herself, her purpose and place and this earth in multi-faceted,earth-connected and freedom seeking ways.In this episode we speak about what different ways ofrelating to earth within the current socio-economic systems might look like.New ways of generating an income that are independent from this system butstill utilizes its tools and offer chances to be financially stable all the way tofinancial freedom, while making a positive impact and being able to connect deeply to earth.Nikki is a glowing woman who really walks the talk. Havingmoved from South Africa to Europe at 19 years old in order to explore this partof the world, she moved from years of working hard out of necessity, withoutpurpose, in ways that deteriorated her well-beingto living a slow, purposeful, abundant life in Spain withher partner who shares her values.Many of us are finding out that being disconnected fromearth and hustling all day within a system that funnels our generated energy,monetary or material creations straight up the line to the company we work for,the CEOs and boards and governments of the countries we live in – is simply not it!Let us explore different ways of living that utilize modern tools but also connect us back to more ancestralways of

Tess van Zalinge, a designer from the Netherlands, started her brand in 2016 with the urge to make sustainable couture. What makes her brand unique is that Tess and her Team create entire collections made from waste materials, crafting truly extraordinary pieces that prove that sustainability never diminishes the beauty of fashion but only adds to the allure because it was designed consciously by closing waste streams and using finite resources smartly and respectfully. Tess's main inspiration comes from Dutch traditional craftsmanship which at its core, like most old traditional ways was inherently sustainable only that it was done out of practicality, financial reasons or emotional reasons, leading to continued repair and care for long lasting garments over decades as the norm. Her way of looking at textiles is influenced by the way her ancestors, repaired, upcycled and re-used garments until the very last thread which is an ecological and simply smart way of looking at any “resource” also beyond fashion. The beauty lies in re-discovering those traditional, artisanal techniques and practices that if utilized and highlighted can find their way back into the here and now. We can all get inspired by smart designing that combines traditional and contemporary technologies to combat and make redundant the craziness of today's industries that often produce double the waste that it took to produce the intended items! On a planet where SO much clothing exists that it will last to clothe the next SIX generations, there is more than enough material to go round without any company having to produce another single new item for the next hundred of years!   Re-think, re-cycle, re-design, re-use. We hope you get inspired for your own work to look into ancestral crafting if you haven't done so yet to harness that knowledge and intention that stems from a time where humans grew and produced without waste and for sustenance.   Thank you for listening to this Talk ☀

Stop Ecocide International‘s goal is to create a new international Crime of Ecocide (long-standing, wide-sclae, severe damage to the environment) within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court where it would sit alongside the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression as one of the “crimes against peace”, which are those crimes which are considered to be most serious by humankind. Sue Miller is Head of global networks where her distinctive role is to help seed and socialize the concept of “Ecocide” in as many communities as possible. Sue explains that when people are introduced to the term “Ecocide” and its meaning they can't believe that this doesn't exist anyway – that there is no law that protects earth from large scale damage already. So why do crimes against earth, which at the end affect every single one of us, take much more hard work and push to be acknowledged as the crimes they are? Perhaps the lack of political will and the assumption that environmental protection will somehow detract from people's lives?   You will also find out what happens once countries decide to include Ecocide into their legislature and rules of law. Let us imagine the changes and shifts that would be happening in a world/economies/societies where crimes against Earth are recognized, tried in courts of law and made an ARRESTABLE offense… While you will never be able to bring round all companies it is hopeful to hear that more and more are realizing that business as usual is not an option anymore – change seems to be happening.   We hope you enjoy this Talk ☀

Ange Chakana is a permaculture & Montessori school teacher as well as a forest educator. She was also one of my own teachers during my Permaculture Design Course this summer. Ange started Earth Keepers camps two years ago after leaving the US and struggling to find good ways to teach permaculture to children in the school system. We speak about how permaculture is so much more than just land management but a pathfinder and guide in life that allows us to (re-)connect to ourselves, our roots, our skills and abilities which is so transformative in a majorly disconnected world where many humans suffer from “mistaken identities”. Permaculture is about a shift in vocabulary, a shift in language, a shift in the way we relate to ourselves and the world around us. We speak about the capacity, the capabilities we have as people to take responsibility and actively BE the living, breathing, tangible, local transformations, each and every one of us in our own rights. “I think that's what is needed right now, that we move from being consumer driven to being PRODUCERS and also to realize our ECOLOGICAL IDENTITY.” -starting by questioning our actions and the ways we are living our lives. We explore the question of why “sitting in silence together and deep listening in community has the potential to transform societies”. Ange also shares some practical ways to re-connect, to engage in permaculture, one of them being to live with the seasons – and helps us understand better how we can do this. To experience Ange's offering for permaculture kids courses visit her website https://www.earthkeepers-camps.org/ or send her a mail for more information as well as offers for adult courses and learning at info@earthkeepers-camps.org PS if the story Ange shared about the community intersection in Portland you can find more information about this or inspiration and support for transforming your home town here https://cityrepair.org/ Thank you for listening to this Talk ☀

This episode features Andreas Koch, founder of Tourythm which is about creating a new rhythm in the tourism industry to help the people in it to regenerate the world and themselves. A business sector that needs a lot of impulses towards more conscious, earth-aligned practices – the travel and tourism industry -which produces 10 % of GDP and employs 10 % of humans on the planet. Andreas works with hotel Teams to become more sustainable from the ground up. Being holistic and inclusive he connects the localities, local businesses, farmers etc. with hotels or event sites to help weave a web of interconnection and mutual support. Inviting farmers to join forces with hotels to create events in collaboration that may include regenerative wine/olive oil tastings or bringing hotels together with engineering experts to redesign energy flows. “Sustainability may mean, doing less harm to nature. Where we want something of a balance sheet between economic, social and ecological activities – and I feel that is not enough. […]The system is asking for change. […] I always describe climate change as being burnout on the outer and depression on the inner landscape. When I heard about regeneration, about permaculture, I felt as a biologist this is something I can apply to the economic world.” A sustainable hotel for Andreas is one where every relationship inside and outside the hotel, everything that it is connected with (infrastructure, food, suppliers, cleaning, personnel,…) feels regenerative. -Employees as ambassadors for regeneration -Suppliers that regenerate the region through what they are producing -Giving back to visitors so they feel regenerated and can relax and renew in meaningful ways and so much more. We talk about what resilience looks like in this industry and why creating redundancies is important, exploring questions like: “how can we serve not just the clients but also the employees, the land, the culture..?”

Claire Murigande is the host and executive producer of the "Narratives of Purpose Podcast" in which she speaks to global changemakers about social impact topics that are aimed to inspire action. Claire is a scientist (life sciences), speaker and podcast host, with a mission to amplify the voices of changemakers around the world. In this wonderful conversation we are speaking about her connection to nature which is centered much around trying to be self aware through connection to nourishment like taking time out of her day to cultivate different kinds of Kefir in peace and silence : ) We speak about the importance of slowing down especially when things are going fast. Exploring the significant role of "boredom" when it comes to problem solving, idea cultivation and feeding our creativity in an overstimulated world. We speak about the beauty of how placing all our attention and focus on the present moment brings satisfaction and clarity, serving as a remedy to a wide spread "distraction epidemic".   Practical tips from Claire and me to help focus attention and experience more aware, rich moments in our everyday lives to eliminate boredom and to experience the world around us differently. Claire shares some of the common threads she sees within all the changemakers she interviews in terms of creating change and taking responsibility for their actions and the impact they all wish to make. -> The power of taking responsibility “If it's to be it's up to me.”

In this episode I am joined by the beautiful Amy Jane Storrønning who ventures out alone into the wild as a way to re-connect.In the spirit of the saying “We can only truly receive when we are empty” Amy has found a way for herself to strip away the impositions of the world and society when she needs a break and a recharge.Discomfort is radical.Silence is radical.Finding peace within is radical.Sitting with our discomfort, truly feeling ourfeelings and taking responsibility for them is radical.In this episode we discuss the blessings,gratitude and transformation we receive when we engage with and sit with discomfort.We speak about the urgency and beauty of becoming aware again. Of walking through our days, neighborhoods, streets,homes, forests, beaches, with open eyes, ears and hearts. Of being present and attuned to our surroundings.To see them for what they are and to be less distracted on our walk through life.Amy shares what growing up in the rainforest meant for her development and how it meant understanding that ecosystem and placing trust in earth at a very early age.She speaks about how she is grounding into “real life” and how you can still hold spiritually and sensitivity while working a 9 to 5 and being embedded into regular society.After all, life is the crossing of manydifferent realities, everyday, everywhere.I want to leave you with something that touchedme deeply that Amy said towards the end of the podcast:“I feel like everything as it is, is perfect right now. I don't feel that anything is wrong. […] If it's still here there is still something for us to learn from it. If there was nothing left to learn then we would have learned from, transmuted and moved through it and we'd be in a different iteration of reality.” If you would like to get to know Amy better or experience her Gene Key readings and more, feel free to visit her site and offerings here. Thank you for listening to this podcast

You want to know more about the world of sustainable investing? About the opportunities, obstacles, how reliable ESG criteria are and what it would potentially take to overpower the harmful investments which are still ruling the industry - then this is the episode for you. Karen Wendt is the CEO of ECCOS Impact, ECCOScience Researcher and Lecturer, Editor for the Springer Nature Series "Investment Reinvented" Investment Banker, Positive Impact Investor and Serial Impact Entrepreneur. She is honest and knowledgeable and shares her very objective opinions about the current state of the sustainable investment management industry. What is the Impact of the EU Taxonomy Directive in comparison to filtering by ESG guidelines? How may large sums of money be divested from dirty funds to truly sustainable ones without hurting pensioners ? Karen explains the current significance of Infrastructure Finance and what decoupling (constructing economic growth without using more planetary resources) is all about. Next to the need for a global Societal Contract in Sustainable Finance we also talk about the turn off topic of politicians and conventional economics - DEGROWTH. How may we reshape the industry and shift it towards truly meaningful, plentiful and sustainable investments and opportunities without creating financial and political upheaval and division while also closing the gap of already deeply engrained national and global inequalities.... Let's dive into it together! this episode came alive through the voices of Karen Wendt and your host Stella Sage

-Midwifery care that bridges the sacred and the scientific- Melissa Chappell has been helping babies enter this world in holistic ways for many years and is a vessel of knowledge when it comes to preserving the naturally induced physiological state women go into during the birth process that is vital for a natural birthing scenario. She got her licensure in 2016 and opened her first birth birth center in 2018. She has since opened another birth center and with her team served over 500 families! Melissa has had the opportunity to travel the world doing birth work in Haiti, Costa Rica, Kenya, and Ethiopia. She is a wonderful person to speak and listen to, full of knowledge and love for the process of birth and connecting it back to its natural roots. In this episode we debunk some myths surrounding birth that are very common. Melissa talks us through some of the ways of how the setting for a safe, holistic delivery can be created and why she isn't a fan of in-hospital births if not absolutely necessary. We speak about the importance of re-establishing trust. In oneself in earthly processes, the knowledge that birth is natural to us and that our body knows how to navigate it if we let it. Partially, this episode was very emotional. Honestly, although it is a long way ahead, I could already picture myself feeling very safe under Melissa's guidance to support my own birth process one day.

10 % of American women are diagnosed with Endometriosis. That is millions of women! Worldwide, fertility issues and inflammation related diseases are extremely relevant topics. In this episode Matilda Rosengren is sharing her personal experiences with fertility and Endometriosis and her motivation to start her online platform Mind and Womb which offers tools and support to those women trying to conceive. This episode is not only for female ears! Fertility issues are wide spread and equally distributed between men and women. The understanding regarding women's cycles and the need for rest and slowing down in work and personal life especially, but not only, when dealing with Endometriosis and the toll it can take on body and mind, can definitely be improved. Matilda shares the rad to her diagnosis, treatments she has undergone and how she has used self-practices like yoga and womb massages to re-connect to her body. Thank you for listening to this Talk

Erik G. Turner has a background in chemical and process engineering and started his career in the Pharma industry. Currently working for Neustark, an ETH spin off which works in the carbon removal space, transforming old concrete and CO2 into recycled concrete, he is contributing to the transformation of one of the largest waste streams in the world. Erik got interested in sustainability in 2018, joining the NGO YES Europe, a youth led initiative focusing on a sustainable energy transition. His thoughts center around identifying leverage points we have as a society to make change happen, around complexity and ambiguity and about "living the questions", which is very much what this episode is about. We explore the topics of "tools" (which will we be choosing to address different crisis), the "simple solutions trap" presented by politics and industry and why Erik's honest answer to: which solutions he is seeing at the moment - is quite shockingly "none!" This is an episode of exploration and questioning and we do hope you enjoy listening

Cate Zoltan is CEO of the Undo App, which is designed to activate self-healing through deep body meditations. In this episode we discuss how Cate found her way to the concept of natural meditation, what it means to live a more "natural life" and how we can re-connect with our "original self" through meditation, which requires slowly carving our way back to who we are at our core, seeing through the experiences, information and all else that is imposed onto us throughout our lives and daily. We ask how important TRUST is and why the lack of trust in our capabilities, in the world, in each other may be informing much of the un-kindness, insecurity or even hatred that is also present at these times. We answer the question, why all of this matters - This internal work, the attention to mental health, deep connection, emotional intelligence... If not simply for our own sakes, think of the farmer providing your food, a teacher or a supreme court judge. All of their decisions and impacts, no matter how big or small will be informed by their worldview, their relationship and connection to themselves, their biases and morals. This will impact their town, a nation, in a wider sense, the world and might mean the difference between: Petrochemicals or farming with the rhythms of nature. Providing safe spaces for children to thrive or pushing for discipline and silence. Verdicts informed by a drive to exert power and having a distrust towards certain cultures or verdicts motivated by the will to make a positive change, to build trust in the law and make people's lives easier, not harder. It always starts with us, whether we think us important or not - we are. Every living being has an impact on their surroundings and the world and how we tread this earth matters greatly. Our healing journey will have ripple affects. Our connection to ourselves will impact our external connections. If you are presently embarked on a healing journey, we are sending our loving wishes, if you would like to try another tool or take new steps towards healing, maybe you will find it with Undo feel free to use the code STELLA24 for a 14-day-free-trial in the App. Thank you for listening to this Talk

Lydia Afriyie - Kraft was born and raised on a farm in Ghana, she holds a Bachelor in silviculture and forest management and a master of international management of forest industries. Currently she is providing consultation to European Wood Importers and on timber trade regulation. Her father, a cocoa farmer, cultivated land not only for cocoa, but also for palm oil production and growing food for the family to live off. Lydia shares memories and experiences from her childhood, inviting us to walk to the water well in the morning, on to a school she was grateful to have been able to attend, from school back to one of the plots of land that needed working on, back to her house at night, guided by the light of the moon and finally studying in the light of a kerosene lamp. Our conversation also takes us to her work in the regulation and certification of sustainable forest management in Germany. Here, mine and Lydia's differing backgrounds, worldviews and influences show, as we discuss sustainable resource use and our views on what sustainably managed forests looks like. We realize here that the two of us have quite different ways of relating to earth and forests in particular. It holds so much value and is very expansive to share perspectives and realize that you and the person you are sitting across are both relating to a topic informed by your own personal beliefs and experiences.

Four extraordinary days in the Engiadin Valley in La Punt, Switzerland. Nestled in between mountains, next to a river where cool, clear water flows steadily is where [y]our2040 found its place for the third time since 2020. I was so very blessed to be part of the Team that delivered [y]our2040 in the summer of 2023 and it had me absolutely hooked. Four days of incredible conversations around all topics mainly centered around regeneration. Regeneration of communities, natural habitats, connections, communication, spirit, systems, oceans, soils, economies... Critical, challenging, loving, discussions and sharing of opinions. Around 100 participants coming together to work on over 10 different projects that should serve a regenerative purpose, carried out and nurtured far beyond the gathering. Music in the background, painting, writing, dancing, laughter, tears, ideas. People from different backgrounds with different mind sets and visions, yet at a closer look fundamentally similar, walking barefoot from one tent to the next, forming a community that feels like family after only a couple of days. I recorded tiny live conversation snippets with about 30 people to put them together into one episode that explores the outlooks on the concept of regeneration that must be central to our present and future actions. One word, many interpretations. This is explored in this episode of SageTalking with a foreword from one of the founders, Jonelle Simunich

Tobias Luthe is a professor at ETH Zurich, teaching in the fields of resilience and complex systems, systemic design and regenerative systems, traveling and adventuring through different countries and landscapes. Powered by a passion for outdoor sports, exploration and the active participation in regeneration. Tobias grew up in a very natural setting, immersed in nature and being introduced to building, making firewood and winter sports in particular in his childhood, setting a foundation of deep trust in one self and life, described as "Urvertrauen" (deep trust) in the German language. Tobias recognizes that this groundedness set him up to be creative, adventurous and entrepreneurial as an important skill set when engaging in regeneration. In this episode we also touch on his work at Mon Viso Institute in the Italian Alps in the village of Ostana which is a University Mountain Campus acting as a real world lab in the fields of sustainability and regeneration. Tobias shares a story of accidental de-generation of soil at the Campus and the journey of learning, questioning and exploring that never stops and highlights the importance of "playing in the un-plannability of the real world"

Who we are as people, how we feel and receive ourselves, the state of our health, purpose, connection to nature and community determines our interactions, beliefs, choices in regards to the ways we act towards earth, other people etc. Nathan Maingard describes himself as having been a misfit in our society at a young age. Not fitting into the boxes that school, society, government, predetermined, which all seemed a skin too tight for him. In this episode he shares how he transformed from thinking he was the problem, acting out and feeling out of place, to living his truth and supporting other people in that journey as well. We reflect on the way many of us feel out of place or forced into structures and the fallacy of "this is just the way things are". Nathan argues that we ARE ALL already FREE. That with the decisions to show up for ourselves and making choices from the moment we get up in the morning that set ourselves up for peace and well-being, we are freeing ourselves. There is a place for everyone to bring value to themselves and community. We need to foster a society and atmosphere that let's everyone contribute, because everyone CAN. There is no useless or valueless person. We all have hands, feet, mouths, eyes, ears and brains to use. Each in their own way and we must let go of the constraints that say that there are only certain predetermined and economically imposed ideas that determine which inputs are worth anything. This way we can let go of feelings of uselessness of not being enough of being "misfits" in a society of essentially a majority of "misfits" that are struggling along, working against themselves and natural cycles and rhythms. "people sitting around a fire with their families, who are at peace with themselves, who have purpose and connection and live with the rhythms of nature won't even look up to listen to that pained, disconnected person coming along, proposing to start a war or plunder another family's home." The ME reflects the WE and it starts with I

John Fullerton imagines a world where we are not breaking the planet's boundaries with our economics. He argues that we have a superbly functioning model of living systems around us, which is regenerating all the time, that we could orientate ourselves toward. In this episode we Talk about clear design principles and processes that are important for us to consider in order to create a global regenerative economy. To read more about John's ideas feel free to dive into the 8 principles of a regenerative economy After a 20 year career as a managing director on Wall Street, John has seen the violence that can occur when it comes to the world of finance and business. We Talk about the mindset shift that happened for him and his path to exploring alternatives to the neoclassical economy. Does it work to speak to the consciousness of investors and shareholders alike? If we offer different alternatives that align more with natural rhythms will they be welcomed or do people stick to what they know? What does the regenerative economy look like, respecting cultural, geological and other differences? Possibly you will find an example of a regenerative economy at your town's very own farmers market which in John's eyes already IS the regenerative economy

The more innovative and "developed" societies become, the more complex the issues within them - and today every issue seems to make its way to span the globe, asking for ever more complex solutions to ever more confusing problems that seem to be well stocked. Have we become too innovative for our own species to handle the issues that arise from all the developments? Or have many societies reached a point of so much wealth and comfort that we are now simply creating problems? - or innovations first, that create problems to then have to solve them? Thinking about this too long feels like mentally doing the splits on a bicycle, but me and Nelly really had the need to try and unpack this and through honest conversation get closer to some of the root causes and closer to core truths (if there are any). *disclaimer here: many issues touched on in this podcast might be misinterpreted, not all you say in a flow of conversation is completely 100 % refined and planned or will be understood by a third party exactly as it was meant since use of language differs and is spontaneous in a flow of conversation + just because we don't agree with the craziness, confusion and division sown around different topics does not mean we don't agree they are generally important or that all people (unless they show they deserve otherwise) should be treated with respect and kindness* We touch on the topics like political correctness and political affiliation, identity markers and the issues that arise form putting people into categories and boxes that overlook all other facets and nuances that we humans bring with us. We try to discover if it were the case that we could strap away much of the BS and generally treat one another and earth with respect - could we begin focusing on the things we KNOW fulfil the basic, biological needs of human beings, the things that are important to ALL of us...?

Marc Buckley is the founder of ALOHAS Regenerative Foundation, an Ecological Economist, Regenerative Futurist, and Solarpunk. He wrote the SDG Manifesto for the United Nations and has been working with the UNFCCC since 2019 on the next set of goals that come after the SDG's the Resilient Development Goals through UNFCCC and Resilience Frontiers. Marc takes a systems view of life and addresses all facets of complex systems in order to solve human suffering and our global grand challenges. As a longtime student of Ecological Economics, Regenerative Futurism, and Systems Science Marc has been involved in Climate and Environmentalism for a long time and would love to show you how to run faster than climate change by being an impactful and exponential human being. One of the first to be trained by Al Gore as a Climate Speaker he has made getting through the Climate Crisis towards Regenerative Desirable Futures his life‘s work.   On top of all of this I have found Marc to be an extremely likeable, humble person who is genuine to the core. In this episode we unpack many different questions (as it seems there is nothing you can't talk about with him when it comes to environmental issues;) ...from the way he structures his days being involved in so many different projects and tasks at the same time, to the question of which ways of farming are the ones going forward, a short history of mankind and what it looks like inside the World Economic Forum or the United Nations – We made sure there is something of interest for everyone. One of the main motivators for Marc to be an active participate in changing some of the ways the world functions was the realization that most of the systems in place today create emissions, food scarcity and malnutrition, poverty, bad economic models and policies and suffering. Every day he sets out to change that and he is optimistic about the powerful, positive impacts humans can have once they set out to create systems that are conducive to a thriving existence on planet earth. Thank you for listening to this Talk

"The fashion industry is better than other industries at covering up how polluting it actually is. It is a massive marketing machine and very good at selling you things you don't need - shaping ideas of desire and beauty." ~ Kiki Boreel The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, in terms of water, air and soil pollution. Their annual greenhouse gas emissions of 2.1 billion even top those of the entire tech-industry. The devastating destruction left in the wake of manufacturing masses of clothing by ruining land and water, depleting resources, spreading dangerous chemicals and microplastics and mistreating and virtually enslaving workers - is nothing short of abysmal, not least to say un -intelligent, wasteful and unnecessary. Kiki Boreel has joined me for another episode after the first Talk she created with me "Kiki Boreel Talks Climate Crisis and Fashion Industry" She recently visited Copenhagen Fashion Week which is also called "Sustainable Fashion Week", requiring brands to fulfill certain minimum standards in order to be able to present their clothing at the show, which is a novelty in the industry. Kiki has gone through a big transformation from jetting around the world, modeling for all kinds of brands to convincing her colleagues that taking a train to Scotland instead of flying is superior because of the beautiful scenery you don't get to see on the plane ; ) - making it mission to gain knowledge and expertise on all things regarding sustainable fashion, sharing her views about the changes that would be critical to make at the current time to knock fast fashion down a peg and make room for a slower and more conscious way of wearing and consuming clothing. Thank you for listening to this Talk☀

I met Natascha at the [y]our2040 gathering in Switzerland in June this year and spoke to her for a short interview where I found out that she had been part of the Exxpedition Atlantic crossing and wanted to know more about it. Somehow we managed to also discuss differing opinions on feminism and identity politics and the value of common decency which just made it all the more interesting : ) Exxpedition is an all women's sailing voyage across different parts of the world's oceans where the participants collect data, mainly about plastics in the oceans with the help of trained professionals, founded by the skipper and ocean advocate Emily Penn. Natascha shares her memories from this three week voyage and the experiences and learnings that she had out on the water. Natascha is an outspoken feminist and wants to do her part to contribute to a whole and more just world in different ways. We open up a conversation about the meaning of feminism and other labels that people tend to give themselves and sometimes even feel obligated to. We try to get closer to the reasons for division and occasional misuses of different words and phrases and if they should even be as important as they are made out to be in today's "hyper aware and correct" political climate. This conversation touches on many different issues and thoughts that we feel should be discussed openly and in respectful manners - much more so without "cancelling" one another but rather inviting in discourse, trying to open ourselves up to different view points and realities. Like the currents of the ocean we let this conversation flow in different directions and we hope you enjoy this Talk

Why would a teacher's pension fund be invested in fossil fuel holdings? Your guess is as good as mine and as Kim Benson and Jillian Maguire explain, there are surprisingly many teachers who don't know what their pensions are being invested in. The two women founded BCTF Divest Now to petition against their pensions being invested in unsustainable ways that they have no control over and to raise awareness amongst teachers. Every public school teacher in British Columbia, Canada gives a mandatory percentage of at least 11 % of every pay check to the B.C. teachers pension plan. These funds are managed by BCI (British Columbia Investments Corporation) and are highly invested in fossil fuel giants as well as other unsustainable companies. Kim and Jillian talk about why they started the campaign, how they are working towards spreading awareness on this issue and how they are working towards getting their pension funds and those of thousands of other teachers, divested. These goals are not always easy to reach because although there might be strong support from other likeminded colleagues, corporations, governments and executives more often than not, still go against the will of the people who actually should have the say! We hope this can serve as a motivator or inspirational push to look at where your money flows and who manages it for you in ways you might not agree with. Money is the result of energy we put into something and we all deserve to know what we are putting our energy into! Strength and gratitude to all those who are standing up and working with integrity against the status quo of investing in environmental breakdown and exploitation of all kinds

We flush tons of valuable materials down the drain everyday. This includes copious amounts of precious water as well as human output that would normally be part of a circular cycle in nature and can have manifold uses if we recognize it as more than material to be flushed and discarded. Kompotoi is a composting toilet that aims to change that narrative. In this episode I am joined by Kristina Hoch from the German Kompotoi office and the co-founder of the venture from its birthplace in Switzerland, Jojo Casanova. Jojo and Kristina explain how the Kompotoi toilets are built, how the processes of using the toilets and then treating the human outputs work and share their experiences with how these toilets that recreate natural cycles are received. Right now the company is mainly renting out their Kompotoi's for events of all sizes as well as offering an alternative to the plastic chemical porta pottie's that are still mainly used at construction sites. Of course, you can also check out their German or Swiss page in order to purchase several different toilet set ups for your own home or backyard which seamlessly re-integrates this part of your life back into already naturally occurring, waste free cycles that people have been utilizing for thousands of years - much longer than the conventional toilets we know today! It's time to change the narrative, value natural resources again and spare the ones that are so precious like water

Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Painter, architecture doctor, ecological activist, philosopher. From the Hundertwassser Archive in Vienna, I am joined by Andrea Fürst to talk about the artist and visionary Friedensreich Hundertwasser. "Only he who acts in harmony with plants and trees, who acts in accordance with the laws of nature and the cosmic cycle cannot go wrong." This sentence encapsulates Hundertwasser's attitude very well. He wanted to break the grid system and functionality of architecture as well as abolish the use of the straight line that is non-existent in nature. Hundertwasser was calling for a peace treaty with nature, for the afforestation of cities. Green roofs, walls and courtyards were some of the most important features of his architecture. He was very much shaped by his childhood, as the son of a Jewish mother during WWII in Austria, when he started to paint to occupy himself, having a limited radius to move and explore in. He supposedly roamed through the forests with his mother often, where he painted nature and landscapes. The creation of his art was a contemplative, conscious process, described by him likened to the process of how a plant grows. He advocated for spontaneous vegetation in cities, greening everything horizontal, to give nature back to territories that have been occupied by building activities, industrialization and modern society. Andrea Fürst tells us about his story, visions and art in this episode. Feel free to visit the Hundertwasser Archive in Vienna HERE Thank you for listening to this Talk

Stephen Lester is the science director with the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. The Center works with grassroots groups around the US that are dealing with toxic chemical problems. On February 3rd, 2023 a train derailment occurred in East Palestine, Ohio. Approximately 38 cars derailed, 10 - 12 of which contained toxic chemicals of the likes of vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, benzene, ethyl hexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Stories like these have the tendency to make headlines and then disappear quickly from public conscience, owed to the fact that big things happen every other day. So , we are revisiting the event, looking at the actions that were taken, or rather not taken by the authorities, the EPA and Norfolk Southern (the company owning the freight train that carried the chemicals), shedding light on the impact of the chemicals released on life and health, now and in the future. We ask questions like: -Was the action taken after the event appropriate? -Why wasn't the EPA testing for specific chemicals? -Was it necessary for Norfolk Southern to conduct a controlled burn of the already spilled chemicals? -Why were people told to return home BEFORE any testing was done? Stephen remarks that the choice of the EPA to only test for generic classes of groups of chemicals instead of testing for specific chemicals for the first few weeks was "pretty inadequate and really poorly planned". He also states that until he came onto the scene, raising the issue of dioxins, no one seemed to be aware that this was something to be concerned about. In fact the EPA had even said that there was NO reason to test for dioxins in the area. Following public pressure the EPA then did not test for dioxins themselves but asked the company to do its own testing. Norfolk Southern hired a consultant who put together a proposal, which Stephen noted, left much to criticize. So the company who was responsible for the disaster was told to do their own testing for dioxins, which they have not released the results on. Of course many questions were raised about the integrity of this testing. We are once again missing accountability and appropriate conduct from a company responsible for damage to life on earth. Thank you to Stephen and people like Lois Gibbs, who founded the Center for Health, Environment & Justice⁠ for supporting communities on the ground at times where support and guidance is desperately needed

The Club of Rome was founded about 50 years ago by an industrialist who saw that if society continued living the same way, we would eventually be using up all resources - owed to the fact that we are using them up faster than the planet can replenish them. He commissioned four Harvard scientists to work on a simulation to see if this was really true and the results of the research showed that it was just as he had feared. In the first publication by the Club of Rome - "The Limits to Growth" - the scientist warned about climate change and the depletion of resources, over 5o years ago, yet not much has happened to counteract or stop the trend and to act on the information presented since it didn't fit the the strong expansion and growth agenda of the time. Dr. Mariana Bozesan was invited to join the Club of Rome based on her work in integral investing, using capital and technology to address the needs of the planet and to move back into the realm of safe planetary boundaries. In this episode we touch on the "smart ways" to implement the UN SDG's (UN sustainable development goals), which were developed by scientists from the Club of Rome.

Dr. Mariana Bozesan is an author, award winning integral investor, serial tech entrepreneur and member of the renowned Club of Rome. I had a lengthy, philosophical and at times even argumentative conversation with Mariana in her Munich home, in a room filled to the brim with books and more books as well as big portraits of Mahatma Ghandi and Albert Einstein. We had the type of conversation I want to have much more on the podcast: different angles and opinions, friendly discourse, revelations, thought provoking, horizon widening and possibly open ended. Where we are allowed to agree to disagree while having conversations which are conducted with laughter and respect for one another while also being able to say: "I would like to challenge you on this point:" - after one has voiced their opinion or made an argument. After all, we are all the sum of our upbringing, environment, belief systems and many different influences and to stay open minded and keep learning is what makes tolerant and expanding minds. Mariana for one is in the unique position to have experienced not just wealth and prosperity as well as scarcity to the pint of going to school without food. She has also lived under the influence of two economics systems: Capitalism and Communism Growing up in communist Romania has inspired Mariana to work hard and make the most of the free education she was offered there. Mariana has a passion for empowering others to realize their ambitions relating to creating a positive impact. She is a big believer in uplifting one another and searching for solutions to deal with the many crisis we are faced with, based on science. She wants to help point out the many things that are right with this world instead of highlighting all the wrongs in order to promote a sense of purpose and direction. She shares with us her journey to fulfilling her personal needs to the point where she felt she was able and inspired to help fulfill others needs as well and talks about the schizophrenia she sees in the system that forces us to choose between profit and non-profit and how she detests the concept of "giving back" to people in questionable ways through foundations that give 5 % of the money made to their cause and invest the rest on Wall Street

E-S-G Environmental - Social -Governance Dr. Rupini Deepa Rajagopalan is head of the ESG office at Berenberg Bank, the second oldest bank in the world. She built up the ESG office and strategy together with a team, from scratch, after joining in 2018. She actually coined the term "finance with a heart" and feels like incorporating ESG standards in financial analysis is indispensable. Though it may sound a bit technical this episode is for everyone. As ESG is becoming a buzzword and regarded more and more as a widespread solution to "cleaning up" the dirty parts of the investment management and finance industry that is crucial to propping up those industries that are currently wreaking havoc on the world and pushing us closer to climate, societal and ecological breakdown, it is favorable that we try as best we can to develop an understanding of the concept and to question it as well. Should you be an investor or working in the finance industry then you may be interested in what Rupini can share from her experience. It is important to Rupini that investors and asset managers look further than solely at financial information and to consider adopting a more holistic view when deciding where money will flow. Since greenwashing is a problem in every industry and I want us all to stay informed and engaged I asked Rupini to elaborate on a few critical questions: - Is ESG really enough to truly transform the investment industry? - Is it genuine and progressive? - Are there enough genuine change agents in the industry or is it being used as a "sustainable front" to be able to continue business as usual with a "green image"? - How is incorporating ESG compatible with the fiduciary duty of investors to get returns? The investment industry is definitely one that needs a big chunk of transformation and the integration of a moral compass that is not geared towards money over everything. Rupini is a very genuine, kind woman who expressed how fortunate she feels that she is possibly able to play a role in bringing about change and hopefully a bit of heart - to the industry. If you want to make up your own mind about the Berenberg ESG implementation and strategy feel free to visit their website here. Thank you for listening to this Talk☀

Kees Klomp is a professor of applied science at Rotterdam University for Applies Science and the co-founder of THRIVE Institute. He is also a very wise, kind, funny and humble person who really has a knack for explaining everything you would want to know about economics so clearly and easy to follow that it makes all those years of high school economics feel redundant because you learned more in one hour with Kees than you ever did in school ;)) In this episode we touch on the ways we are taught about neoclassical economics in school and why that is so problematic: " It basically boils down society to one big marketplace and as it was all taught to us in our formative years, we have internalized this [...] it basically becomes culture and this is where it gets really problematic." Kees explains how we associate ourselves with our current economic system and how its inherent flaws also stem from the fact that it solely takes "material needs" into consideration (that in overproduction) which boils us down to walking wallets - which we are not - as we have spiritual, emotional, social,... needs as well. He also debunks some myths about GDP and the state of our wealth, well-being and economic growth. He stresses the need for the creation of a society which can flourish and blossom rather than purposelessly hustling from a 9 to 5 every day and the need for "existential economics" that support all life in co-existence! And we won't leave you with that cliff hanger and for you to figure out how we get there because Kees will be telling us about the theory of system change he has developed that includes applicable, realistic steps on how to get closer to a different reality that many of us desperately want and we all need

I spoke to Valeriya on the 67th episode of the podcast and wanted to have her come back so that we could create a Talk about how an economist and researcher views the mental health crisis related to the climate crisis and the potential and pitfalls of the current economic model. Valeriya is a postdoctoral researcher at Ifo Institue and LMU Munich. She has a PhD in applied econometrics and is currently doing a research stay at the University of California where she is researching her topics of passion -> the effects of climate change on mental health using real world data. More specifically the mental health expenditures driven by climate change, how that will develop in the future, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies to help us prepare for possible negative impacts. Valeriya has very diverse knowledge which is why I wanted to know different things from her like: - what the biggest advantages and design flaws are in the current economic system - in her opinion. The answers she gives come from a rather scientific mind and are quite cool-headed, it struck me that she looks at data and analyzes it in different ways than many other people I have talked to, as we often tend to go with gut feelings and emotions as well as with our heads, whereas Valeriya for example drew attention to the fact that it is difficult to "measure" happiness , therefore we must recognize that there are indeed people who are "happy" in the current economic system. It is a very interesting conversation that has introduced a different view and tone to the podcast. We hope you enjoy listening! Thank you for listening for this Talk

Earth Altars are an ancient practice that have been used for a long time by many cultures to connect to earth, give thanks, connect to different energies or spirits or in combination with prayer. Prue Rustean is the founder of Earth Altering, the space where she creates and introduces other people to the practice of forming beautiful earth altars. In this episode she shares the story of how she found calm and healing in this practice during a time where she was unwell and unsettled. The wonderful thing is that this practice or elements of it can be used by anybody to connect to earth, ourselves, calm the nervous system and give space to a flow of creativity, peace or play. I can vouch for it - I couldn't help myself but get out to the garden to create an altar right after our interview and it was as lovely as can be! Prue also shares some of indigenous history of earth altars which has come in many forms to honor the land, give thanks or to sit in prayer. Prue is based in South West Australia, on Wardandi Noongar Booja land and has created a business from this passion of hers which you can find at  Earth Altering if you would like to introduce this practice to your life, attend a workshop or have Prue create an earth altar at your retreat or event. We hope you enjoy this Talk! This way of creating can truly be beneficial to everyone and has benefits for body and mind, so we hope that you can open yourselves up to trying it

In this episode I am joined by two wonderful and smart women who are working on a project, called "The Green Mind". Valeriya and Anastasia are dealing with the question of the interconnection between the environmental crisis and the mental health crisis. Two very relevant and prevalent topics that are impossible to separate from each other. We discuss questions like: "Does living more sustainably also improve mental health?" "Does good mental health make people more open and motivated to live sustainably?" "Can we prevent certain healthcare costs by supporting, informing and preparing people before environmental stressors like heatwaves or air pollution occur?" Valeriya's and Ana's aim is also to fill the gap between consumers and businesses by collecting data to provide a framework that can be applied in order to make the relationship a more sustainable one. Their research is interdisciplinary and involves many different entities and considerations which is why they involve institutions, economists, psychologists, environmentalists as well as "regular people", to have an as holistic view as possible. Their research is particularly interesting at a time where it is becoming increasingly important for people and families to prepare and support themselves in the face of environmental stressors such as heatwaves, droughts, floods etc. in order to be able to react appropriately while also upkeeping their mental health. I loved how dynamic this conversation became through picking Valeriya's brain from the economist's side and on the other hand hearing more about the side of behavioral change from Ana! We hope you enjoy this conversation and that everyone finds something to take away from it!

Regenerative farming and land management - some of my favorite topics and I was so lucky to talk to someone as knowledgeable and passionate as Jonathan Gay. Him and his wife Misty were both working in the software industry when they decided that it was time to get out of the office and back to nature. They bought a ranch and some land in Sanoma County in Northern California "with the idea to just be out in nature, but it turns out the land really wants a  relationship with people - a healthy relationship - and it needs care." So they started regenerating the land and are now supporting the local food with grass fed beef, supporting the local water shed and good health for the biome as  a whole. Their focus is on the relationship with the land, questioning what a healthy ecosystem actually is and how we can learn from the people that managed the land for thousands of years. Jonathan struck me as a very thoughtful person who has made it his responsibility to do his part in mending some of the relationships in nature that we as humans have broken over time and to support and tend to ecosystems so they can flourish again. He conveys his deep knowledge and understanding of the land and the relationships within natural systems and  also his respect and interest to learn from the indigenous peoples and culture that was responsible for shaping the Sanoma County landscape .

As a young lawyer he travelled to Ecuador in 1993, the first of about 200 visits, to become part of a case that would change his life. Steven Donziger, a human rights lawyer and key lawyer on the team that won the historic $9.5 Billion judgment against Chevron (fromerly Texaco) in the Ecuadorian Amazon has joined me on the podcast to talk about the devastation that Chevron caused in the rainforest by dumping over 18 billion gallons of oil and toxic waste into the Ecuadorian Amazon, leaving black lakes of poison, destruction and illness behind. Steven shares what experiencing the rainforest and the people who hosted him during his time in Ecuador taught him: "It completely transforms everything you've been taught about our relationship to the natural world. You become part of the natural world. You become humbled. You understand your role is to preserve life and all life's ecosystems instead of just using them for your own pleasure or your own commercial benefit." Steven has been and is still being attacked by Chevron for holding them accountable. Chevron orchestrated a corporate prosecution - the first of this kind in the history of the United States - and criminalized Steven in order to distract the world from what they did and continue to do all over the world and to send a message to those who stand up to them for their crimes and disrespectful treatment of humans, non-human animals and land. As a lawyer and through personally being unlawfully prosecuted, Steven has much experience with the ways in which the law is used and abused for certain agendas and he shares some thoughts in this Talk, for example on how "the mechanisms and the tools of government to regulate corporations and to control them have been weakened dramatically over the course of the last 20 30 years."

Dr. Brock Bergseth is a writer, conservation psychologist, marine biologist and writer of a yet to be published book on how to turn the tide of doom and gloom about our planet. Between news of natural disasters unfolding everywhere and political inaction all over the world we could all use a bit of conversation that helps us turn that thinking around and create space to listen to and orientate ourselves on the potential for positive change and the stories of regeneration, conservation and love for nature put into action - all over the world. Dr. Bergseth researched many of these hope and inspiration filled stories for the book and is sharing some of those with us today. From regenerative agriculture initiatives to the story of the fonder of the 5-minute beach clean up, the Spanish chef, famous for cultivating one of the world's most sustainable crops in the sea and the herpetologist who basically saved the Philippines coral reefs - there is something for everyone. We also Talk about how this climate angst and grief we may feel can actually be a product of the industry's influence that aims to create despondency and inaction amongst the public. Dr. Bergseth shares the story of how his upbringing on a hobby farm sparked a flame for environmentalism and he speaks about how a trip to Papua New Guinea in 2017 resulted in a conversation with gold miners who told him about the practice of taking down entire mountains to get to a handful of gold, left him discouraged at best and how he managed to re-discover his sense of purpose in sight of overwhelming problems and environmental destruction, globally. find him on Instagram and feel free to reach out if you feel like talking about your climate anxiety! He has an open ear for you if you would like support

Rhys James is the founder and content director of EarthlyEducation aka one of my favorite Instagram accounts. But EarthlyEducation is not just an Instagram account, it is a hub that provides education and a constant push to think outside the box. Within the EarthlyEducation online resources you can find an IG account a website with articles and campaigns, a podcast, a TIkTok account and just an overall beautiful, knowledgeable community that shares opinions, news from all over the world and discusses topics that matter in a time of climate and ecological breakdown. We talk about the reason EarthlyEducation was born, how it can be used as a tool in everyday life and help educate people in the face of the climate crisis. Social media can be a confusing and confronting place with many different opinions floating around. Especially if these opinions come from trolls and climate crisis deniers which can be incredibly hard to deal with and Rhys gives us a pretty good tip on how to replace this negative, often delusional commentary with the actual data that needs to be pushed out into the world and arrive on peoples screens in order to create a widespread awakening and open up further productive conversations that lead to action. And of course, we just could not leave out the topic that is BILLIONAIRES. Who and what is the ELITE and why are climate scientists, activists and the rest of the concerned world talking about them so much? What is their role in ecological collapse, why are they so rich when they do nothing but harm planet and people and are weirdly enough still admired? Tune in and you'll find out where this conversation takes us :))

Natalie Kittner started out as an intern at GLS Bank in Bochum, Germany and although she would have never imagined herself working at a bank one day she ended up staying for good. In this episode she tells us about what work at the world's first 'sustainable' bank looks like, what some social and environmental values of this 'alternative' bank are and how it works at changing the ways in which money is used. 'Divesting' is a very relevant word these days. Wayne Duggan defines 'personal divesting' in an article for U.S. News: "Personal divestment is the process of moving money out of a particular company, asset or asset class that no longer fits with an individual investor's overall strategy." Although this is directed towards investors, we as bank's clients can move our money and support away from banks if what the bank does with it does not fit into our set of values. All big banks that are household names and even most smaller, traditional ones are funding the climate crisis and nature and community harming projects. We have the choice to put our money where our values are. Banks are only as powerful as the inflow of money and support of their clients that they receive. I interviewed Natalie because GLS bank is my bank of choice but this Talk applies internationally and it gives a good example of what a more responsible, "green" bank can look like. Natalie also gave us a tip on how we can find better banks all over the world - visit Global Alliance for Banking on Values to find purpose-driven banks internationally and see more criteria that make a difference in banking! I hope you feel inspired to search for a new bank that deserves your money and time

August, 2022, U.S congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act also referred to as a "climate bill" - the biggest in US history, $370 billion - which is not as big a "wohoo moment" when you think about the fact that there has never actually been any climate bill at all. And you might be thinking: why are we are pulling this bill apart when it's better than nothing and finally something is happening? but we wouldn't all have to be so critical of these political somersaults and "green wins" that governments seem to be celebrating left and right if they stopped giving us these lame excuses for radial climate action just to appease the public in order to go along with their business undisturbed in the background. As the world is reaching breaking points and the most powerful industries are fearing the day they will be replaced by actual, decentralized, long-term and even regenerative solutions that we-the-people operate, control and directly benefit from, they are using and abusing their positions in governments and economy to keep the status quo going in a: "til' death do us part", type of fashion. Noah from Climate Vanguard and I are Talking a bit about what this bill entails and are sharing some thoughts on it. And as Noah said: "let's all do our own research" , so here is the Link to read what this "climate bill" entails. And do not despair, there are many ways to stick it to 'the man' ;) Organize and engage within your community, learn who your regenerative farmers, environmental scientists and renewable energy people are and strengthen your community by gaining independence and creating community that thrives irrespective of outside inputs, global supply chain issues or market crashes on the other side of the world. That'll really show em ;) prosperity regeneration human-scale economies localization community it's all possible and we don't have to wait for a "climate bill" or the elite to grow a conscience to get there! PS: If you enjoy learning about these topics you might like to visit the Climate Vanguard podcast☀ Thank you for listening to this Talk

I have been finding myself recording thoughts and ideas on different topics these last few weeks, as an outlet to not get all of them stuck in my head but to "set them free" and get them off my mind to make space for other things. So here is a first part of sharing impromptu thoughts which in this case centered around our reactions in towns, cities, communities to government inaction with the world approaching critical tipping points that warrant radical climate action on all levels to ensure long-term security. Next to protesting, pressuring, petitioning, mobilizing - should we detach from governing bodies as well and see how we can gain independence? At this critical point in time should we go off on our own and just bring about the changes on local and regional levels and look for the visionaries, architects and handymen or farmers who can help us change our communities for the better, instead of hoping governments will do a 180 on the final stretch? As so often I also could not keep myself from going down the road of: "why do politicians do what they do? why do they often disappoint in office? why are there so many people there who compromise their initial values or make decisions like they don't live on this planet?" Surely, surely questions with many different answers but one of them, that came to mind is politicians and ministers comfort. The privileges and comforts the 'higher ups' enjoy may change perspectives and give them such a feeling of security that they don't really feel as vulnerable as the rest of us. PS: take all of my future solo Talks with a grain of salt, please :) these are spur of the moments thoughts and feelings that surely generally apply, but are spontaneous situations as well so not every fact and figure must be 100 % correct, although I do normally check afterwards I also don't think that all politicians are corrupt unfeeling people with warped world views - just for the record ;) Thank you for listening to this Talk

The fossil fuel industry is responsible for 89 % of GHG emissions and continues to rapidly expand at a time where climate scientists are stressing the fact that in order for us to have a livable future we must keep ALL remaining fossil fuels in the ground. So how do we dismantle the fossil fuel industry that seems so untouchable and forms the baseline for the world's current economic system? Jack and Noah have actually conducted intensive research and created an emergency response framework with 8 main points that include steps on how to rapidly dismantle the fossil fuel industry in the Global North, how to roll out renewables to replace fossil fuels in a de-growth framework to meet key decarbonization targets as well as looking at our agricultural systems along with other important steps that form an emergency response in a time of climate and ecological collapse, building towards a just, habitable world. This all might sound pretty heavy and not something a lot of us necessarily want to be dealing with in our spare time, but knowledge truly is power and can help relieve so much uncertainty and anxiety around all of these important questions that are the big fat elephants in the porcelain shop that is this incredible planet earth that we are all living on together. It felt incredibly good talking to Jack and Noah and hearing their conviction, passion and visions for a post-capitalist world was inspiring and soothing all the same. #anotherworldispossible and WE #united will never be defeated

Mama and I sat down to Talk about what it was like growing up in the 70s and experiencing this rush of economic prosperity and the carefree mentality she and her friends experienced pre 2000. She often shares stories with us and other than personal problems or certain worries that we are all bound to encounter in life, most of it always sounded pretty care free in comparison to our youth, who are growing up in a world where above everything there seems to be the looming topic of the climate emergency. I enjoyed this podcast so so much! I am particularly biased on this one I must say :)) but the first part of this Talk is very very wholesome, with my mother sharing snippets of what daily life was like for her as a kid, local grocery shopping, washing dishes by hand, not owning a car... Where and how they grocery shopped, which amenities they had at home, the foraging they did with their grandfather, how it was crazy luxurious to have a car, dishwasher or washing machine and how the introduction into society of so many items, that we now consider "basics", went about. She also reminisces on how different big world events were felt where she lived, like the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the acid rain phenomenon and the major issues regarding the Ozone layer. It was very interesting to explore how different this time was regarding mentality and awareness towards environmental issues, with a lust for economic growth, the birth of overconsumption, the marketing by industries and change in behaviors as well as the first COP meetings, campaigns to save the Amazon rainforest and organizations like Greenpeace gaining traction. Towards the end it got a little emotional because sharing stories with your mother for over an hour and Talking about your climate-crisis-fears will do that to you :) but this episode felt really good and I hope that you find some value in it

Nyombi Morris is a 24 year old climate justice activist from Uganda who I came in touch with over a post on his socials. The post was about new gold being discovered in Uganda which is rich in that resource. Nyombi wrote under this article about the discovery "dead - now we're dead". I asked him to explain and quickly realized that Nyombi faces personal threats engaging in activism and that although this post referred to environmental destruction, he and other activists in Uganda do their work at great personal risk. Nyombi has been physically threatened, his phone has been confiscated, his twitter account suspended and he even relocated to another place of residence to be safer. To support his activism you can donate to his gofundme here

The 'Save Soil' campaign has gained international attention along with its self proclaimed "godman", Jaggi Vasudev - also known as 'Sadhguru'. Rohan John Antony and Manpreet Kalra wrote an article about the campaign together that goes into detail about why " 'Save Soil' won´t save us", you can read the full article here. I myself had seen the 'Save Soil' campaign on social media and thought that it´s quest to save soil around the world looked honorable. I was a bit taken aback when I read the article by Rohan and Manpreet but at the same time it was like a veil had been lifted - suddenly I saw everything that was wrong with 'Save Soil' and was quite embarassed that I had not done more research and not looked at the campaign more closely, because as soon as I did take it under the lens all it's faults quite literally jumped up at me. In this episode Rohan is helping us shed a light on the campaign, its stakeholders, background, purpose and Sadghuru himself (like what actually qualifies this man to educate the rest of the world about soil health). He very clearly explains the faults of this campaign based on evidence and research into the campaign, as well as some tips on how we can try to avoid falling into the trap of putting our time, trust and support into campaigns that use the emerging environmental consciousness to pursue their own agendas. Rohan and Manpreet have reminded me of the importance to not neglect thoroughly researching in this time of quick swipes and first glances. This was an important lesson for me and I am definitely changing my approach when taking in information, reposting or forming an opinion about something. I can highly recommend the library of articles that is present on the 'agrowingculture' website!

Jessica and her family, which is her husband and her two beautiful boys, moved out of the city to the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia, in 2019 to live and work on a piece of land they had fallen in love with. They are now regenerating a rainforest & learning to farm a native food forest on Bundjalung land

'The Ethical Butcher' sells meat from regenerative farms, they are showing that meat doesn't have to cost the earth. I talked to Glen Burrows in this episode and was happy to be able to have him as a conversation partner which made this Talk (in which we also questioned and discussed different information each of us had on certain topics) very comfortable.

Kiki is a dutch fashion model and first and foremost and more importantly an avid advocate for a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry, a climate ambassador for the future in the Netherlands, a student of future planet studies and a kind-hearted, easy-to-talk-to and very thoughtful human being

The investment industry is one that can be full of mysteries for "outsiders". It is important not to discount the role that this industry and investors play in this ciris-rattled world, after all, behind every dirty project there is a dirty investment thus, behind every well-intentioned investment, there is a purpose, an impact. Pascal Botteron is the CEO of Green Blue Invest, a company that acts as an investment advisor solely focused on ESG (Environmental, social & governance) products. From biodiversity funds, to solar panels and investments into vegan ventures there is much that can be invested in. It is very important to change the narrative since the ones ruling the market are still "traditional investments", synonymous with the fossil fuel industry. Pascal believes that governance is a way to change the scenario. That a company which has good governance will have better social and environmental ranking and that this is also a way for governments to incentivize 'sustainable investing' instead of short-term, destructive hunts for profit. He also tells us how to identify greenwashing and how it is identified at Green Blue with the help of a 8,000 word encyclopedia to detect the sincerity of a company via analyzing the language that they are using to communicate about their services and products. ""Sustainable investing is not niche, but there is an urgency." ~ Pascal Botteron Visit Green Blue Invest here to find out more

In this episode I am joined by Liam from "WhatsGrowinOn". He is sharing his story of getting into permaculture, starting on a farm halfway across the globe where he was left to his own devices, to growing in a London apartment and finally moving to his own farm in Cornwall to get serious and make growing food his life. Liam shares the ups and downs of farming, what he has learned throughout the years and how he is adapting to living in an isolated place in the countryside. We explore the differences between grocery store and self-grown food and why it is incredibly confusing to know what the way to "buy better" is, when we are standing in front of the produce shelves in a store. If you are thinking of starting to grow at home

Everyone experiences the climate emergency differently. Everybody lives in different circumstances and has had different life experiences. 7.9 billion realities - you could say ;-) Sidhant is a person who thinks a lot about environmental, climate justice and topics that regard corporate matters etc. He has shared many thoughts over the last months with me and asked many thought provoking questions. Him and me definitely live in extremely different realities - him in a city in India, me on the German countryside. So we decided to get together to Talk about it. Sidhant is very passionate about environmental issues and that not just because of the awareness he has acquired through educating himself but also from personal experience that came to him at an early age - having a father who still works at a steel plant in an industrial town in India. This provoked Sidhant to think about systemic issues and the affects this pollution from the steel plant would have on his father alongside the other 5,000 workers at the plant - many who are in even less fortunate positions. It can be incredibly humbling, help keep us aware and broaden our horizons to share stories, opinions and unique experiences. To listen and to ask questions. So if you have any questions for Sidhant after this Talk or would like to start a conversation with him, feel free to visit him here.

Dr. Sparsha Saha has my deepest respect, she has helped create an episode that is so valuable on an educational and awareness level. One that summarizes a few of the most important points about the costs of animal agriculture and beyond. This is an excellent introduction or further immersion into the environmental, social and humanitarian crisis surrounding the animal industry as well as certain parts of our economies. Sparsha is a lecturer at Harvard University and teaches the first course there on the costs of animal agriculture! The very first one at Harvard that even touches this subject! Sparsha has impressed me greatly during our 1.5 hours of Talking, exploring, sharing and ranting