Breaking Down: Collapse

Kory & Kellan

Apprehensive about the future? Like many, you likely have a gut feeling that things aren't quite right, but haven’t been able to place your finger on why. That feeling only grows with the increasing political tensions, economic uncertainty, natural disasters, and supply chain disruptions. What do all these challenges mean? And what will be the result of society’s current trajectory? “Breaking Down: Collapse” takes the complex concepts surrounding the ultimate collapse of modern industrial society and simplifies them so they’re easier to learn. The compelling evidence for our inevitable decline is introduced by collapse-aware Kory to his good friend, Kellan, who probably doesn’t realize what he signed up for! Skeptical? Gear up for a paradigm shift!

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377 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes377

Newest first

Feb 23, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 75 - Mental Health Crisis
In this episode we discuss the ongoing and worsening mental health crisis taking place globally. Learn More: https://www.mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/16/well/mental-health-crisis-america-covid.html https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/mental-health-america-crisis https://www.projecthope.org/the-global-mental-health-crisis-10-numbers-to-note/10/2020/ Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 16, 2022 · 42 min
Episode 74 - Preparation with Margaret Killjoy
Margaret Killjoy joins us on the podcast to dicsuss community and individual preparedness. Margaret is a transfeminine author, musician, and podcaster living in the Appalachian mountains. She is the author of A Country of Ghosts as well as Danielle Cain series of novellas and is the host of the community and individual preparedness podcast Live Like the World is Dying. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 9, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 73 - Technology Won't Save Us (Carbon Capture)
There are two technologies that techno-optimists love to tout as our saviors, that which will save us in the future: Carbon Capture and Geoengineering. While Geoengineering has been covered previously in this podcast, this episode focuses on the current state of carbon capture and why it's not the answer to all our problems. Learn More: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/book-excerpt-the-uninhabitable-earth-david-wallace-wells.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/31/carbon-capture-technology.html https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-is-ccs-how-does-it-work https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02184-x https://scitechdaily.com/cheaper-carbon-capture-is-on-the-way-marathon-research-effort-drives-down-cost/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/20/a-shocking-failure-chevron-criticised-for-missing-carbon-capture-target-at-wa-gas-project https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kb43x/shell-quest-carbon-capture-plant-alberta?utm_source=reddit.com Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 2, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 72 - Interview with Dr. Joseph Tainter (Complex Societies)
Kellan and I were pleased to interview Dr. Joseph Tainter. The conversation revolved around his widely known book "The Collapse of Complex Societies". Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 26, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 71 - Mass Migration
One of the most concerning consequences of the future is mass migration. Mass migration is both a cause and consequence of collapse, creating a positive feedback loop of escalating problems. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 19, 2022 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 70 - Pop Culture & Collapse (Interview with The Pop Mythologist)
This week we had the opportunity to speak with Daniel J Kim, AKA The Pop Mythologist, about the role that pop culture and works of fiction play when it comes to learning about, coping with, and educting on collapse. The Pop Mythologist is the founder and editor of the pop culture blog, PopMythology.com. In his "Hero Wisdom" column he uses pop culture to discuss important real-life issues such as climate change, racial justice, political activism, surviving adversity, and the psychology of post-traumatic growth. He is co-author of a chapter in the book Black Panther Psychology and regularly appears on pop culture podcasts and discussion panels at comic conventions as both a panelist and a moderator. He also enjoys combining the activity of cosplay with various political and charitable causes such as the Spider Army Project, inspired by Spider-Man, and the Real-Life Cleric Project, inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. Currently, he is host of the podcast This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse, where he uses pop culture to help raise collapse awareness among those who might otherwise avoid the topic. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook by searching "Pop Mythology" or "This is the End Podcast." Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 12, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 69 - Why We're Wrong (or so they say) - Climate Change Part 2
In this second installment of our new Why We're Wrong (or so they say) subseries, we're exploring why they say we're wrong about Climate Change. the conversation is lengthy, so we made it a two-parter! This is part 2, which covers the remainder of the arguments made against climate change. Please forgive the audio issues with this week (and last week's episode), we had a mic mishap that wasn't discovered until after we had recorded! Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 5, 2022 · 51 min
Episode 68 - Why We're Wrong (or so they say) - Climate Change Part 1
In this second installment of our new Why We're Wrong (or so they say) subseries, we're exploring why they say we're wrong about Climate Change. the conversation is lengthy, so we made it a two-parter! We also discuss at length the new movie "Don't Look Up", and it's relevancy to this conversation! Please forgive the audio issues with this week (and next week's episode), we had a mic mishap that wasn't discovered until after we had recorded! https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jul/24/scientific-consensus-on-humans-causing-global-warming-passes-99 https://www.earthday.org/6-arguments-to-refute-your-climate-denying-relatives/ https://theconversation.com/another-link-between-co2-and-mass-extinctions-of-species-12906 https://climatechange.procon.org/ https://www.climaterealityproject.org/sites/climaterealityproject.org/files/the12questionseveryclimateactivisthears_theclimaterealityproject.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2014/may/06/top-ten-global-warming-skeptic-arguments-debunked https://opr.ca.gov/facts/common-denier-arguments.html https://www.livescience.com/mass-extinction-events-that-shaped-Earth.html https://earth.org/data_visualization/a-brief-history-of-co2/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/stella-immanuel-trumps-new-covid-doctor-believes-in-alien-dna-demon-sperm-and-hydroxychloroquine https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/07/20/so-you-think-were-reducing-fossil-fuel-think-again/?sh=406aef2952fb https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/what%E2%80%99s-hottest-earth-has-been-%E2%80%9Clately%E2%80%9D https://www.factcheck.org/2009/12/climategate/ Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 29, 2021 · 55 min
Episode 67 - Collapse in 2021
This year we start an annual tradition of discussing how collapse has played out during the year, as well as discussing predictions for the next year. Sources: https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/siberia-us-wildfires-broke-emissions-records-this-year-2021-12-06/ https://www.space.com/2021-record-wildfire-season-from-space https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arctic-record-siberia-100-degree-heat-climate-change-alarm-bells-un/ https://www.axios.com/weather-climate-disasters-billion-54a2a7f9-e492-47f9-a804-6eb7abe798aa.html https://www.businessinsider.com/us-tornadoes-highlight-rising-risk-climate-change-supply-chains-2021-12 Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 22, 2021 · 58 min
Episode 66 - Death of Democracy with Haven Scott McVarish
This week we were pleased to interview Haven Scott McVarish, who is the founder and director of the non-profit organizations Common Sense Democracy and 5Journeys. He has been a community organizer, a strategist for local political campaigns, a union leader, and the founder of one of the most successful immigration law firms in Los Angeles. He is a former congressional candidate, a frequent progressive political commentator for Real America’s Voice, and now a regenerative farmer. His second book, Last Chance to Save American Democracy, was published weeks before the 2020 election. In the conversation we discuss the crucial role democracy plays in global stability, and the immediate threats it faces. We also speak about Haven's non-profit organization, 5Journeys and how he aims to help people build resiliency in their lives. Haven's book, 'Last Chance to Save American Democracy' is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. It's also available on Bookshop.org and Barnes & Noble. Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 15, 2021 · 35 min
Episode 65 - Methane
When it comes to greenhouse gasses, C02 typically takes center stage. In this episode we take on the 2nd most prolific greenhouse gas, methane, which is comparatively a much more powerful gas when it comes to global warming. There are many theories that exist regarding the future of methane, and we try to take a balanced look at those here. Learn More: https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-a-new-way-to-assess-global-warming-potential-of-short-lived-pollutants https://www.science.org/content/article/only-humans-can-create-climate-altering-methane-burns-new-studies-suggest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrate_gun_hypothesis https://www.iea.org/reports/methane-tracker-2020 http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/climatechange2/11_3.shtml https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210805-the-search-for-the-worlds-largest-methane-sources Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 8, 2021 · 46 min
Episode 64 - Infrastructure Deep Dive (Bridges and Dams)
Previously (episode 45), we talked about the weaknesses in global infrastructure from a very high level, with the promise to touch deeper on different aspects of infrastructure later on. In this episode we focus on dams and bridges, two very critical aspects of our physical infrastructure, and each with their own unique battles to fight now and in the coming decades. Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-0362-5 https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Dams-2021.pdf https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/should-taxpayers-foot-bill-restoring-midland-dams https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-fled-their-lives-when-two-michigan-dams-collapsed-more-n1230841 https://e360.yale.edu/features/water-warning-the-looming-threat-of-the-worlds-aging-dams https://infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2021-logotype.png https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320216532_Method_for_Rapidly_Assessing_the_Overtopping_Risk_of_Bridges_Due_to_Flooding_over_a_Large_Geographic_Region https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridge_failures Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 1, 2021 · 50 min
Episode 63 - Why We're Wrong (or so they say): Resource Scarcity
This podcast, and the exploration of collapse itself, can be a bit of an echo chamber. In this sub-series we want to take an honest look at the counter-arguments that exist which try to explain why collapse won't happen. In this episode, we take a look at the arguments against resource scarcity. Learn More: https://interstem.us/2021/07/10/will-the-earth-ever-run-out-of-resources https://www.jstor.org/stable/23596679 https://mindmatters.ai/2020/08/business-prof-stop-it-the-world-is-not-running-out-of-stuff/ Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 24, 2021 · 41 min
Episode 62: Historical Precedent of Collapse
History is full of examples of collapse of all sorts. This week we take a high level look at some of those collapses and attempt to find the parallels with our situation today. Learn More: https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-some-common-reasons-why-empires-fall/ https://www.theguardian.com/education/higher/humanities/partner/story/0,9885,678228,00.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-states-and-empires/a/rise-and-fall-of-empires https://youtu.be/Okph9wt8I0A https://youtu.be/K_Lj84_gLiA https://youtu.be/Hnxmh_NxPcs Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 19, 2021 · 18 min
Bonus Episode 20 - Catastrophes in British Columbia
This is an example of the bonus episodes we release weekly every Friday to our Patreon subscribers. Use the link below to join! Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 17, 2021 · 55 min
Episode 61 - Interview with Michael Rezl (U/LetsTalkUFOs) | Ladder of Collapse Awareness
We were pleased to interview Michael Rezl, one of the senior moderators on r/collapse, on his perspective on Reddit, moderating, and getting his insights on Paul Chefurkas "Ladder of Collapse Awareness". Learn More: Ladder of Awareness Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 10, 2021 · 38 min
Episode 60 - Sea Level Rise
It is one of the most talked about aspects of climate change in the mainstream, and yet one of the most misunderstood. Sea level rise is more than just cities under water and is not something we have until 2100 to start seeing the effects of. It's happening now, and the problem is growing exponentially. Learn More: https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/publications/ranking-of-the-worlds-cities-to-coastal-flooding/11240357 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12808-z.pdf https://www.statista.com/chart/19884/number-of-people-affected-by-rising-sea-levels-per-country/ https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/publications/ranking-of-the-worlds-cities-to-coastal-flooding/11240357 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/the-world-s-coastal-cities-are-going-under-here-is-how-some-are-fighting-back/ http://cosee.umaine.edu/cfuser/resources/tr_sea_level.pdf https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/2017-state-climate-mountain-glaciers https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/saltwater-intrusion?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 3, 2021 · 38 min
Episode 59 - ARkStorm
When it comes to natural disasters, California doesn't have it easy. Droughts, wildfires, mudslides, The Big One, (and last but certainly not least), ARkStorm. ARkStorm is more than just an ominous-sounding name. It is a storm that has happened in a historically consistent pattern, and one that would decimate the California economy as well as potentially that of the US and even the world. It would leave behind destruction, death, famine and cause mass migration from the US' most populous state. And, of course, it's being made more and more likely by anthropogenic climate change. Learn More: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1312/ https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/arkstorm https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/science-application-risk-reduction/science/arkstorm-scenario?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects https://www.popsci.com/ARkStorm-megastorm-california/ https://www.popsci.com/california-wet-dry-season/ https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Nearly-1-Trillion-California-Flood-Likely-Occur-Within-40-Years https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/27/california-farms-produce-a-lot-of-food-but-what-and-how-much-might-surprise-you/ Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 27, 2021 · 34 min
Episode 58 - Can Technology Save Us? (Part 5 - Electric Vehicles)
In the "Can Technology Save Us?" series up to this point we've taken a look at renewable electricity, nuclear fission, geoengineering, and nuclear fusion. In this episode, we take a look at electric vehicles and the hopes that have been put in them to help power a sustainable future. Can electric cars save us? I think you already know the answer (not a chance), and this episodes shows us why. Learn More: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021/policies-to-promote-electric-vehicle-deployment https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/zero-emission-vehicle-program/about https://www.eei.org/resourcesandmedia/newsroom/Pages/Press%20Releases/EEI%20Celebrates%201%20Million%20Electric%20Vehicles%20on%20U-S-%20Roads.aspx https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/26/lifetime-emissions-of-evs-are-lower-than-gasoline-cars-experts-say.html https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021/trends-and-developments-in-electric-vehicle-markets https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/06/18/electric-vehicles-wont-save-us/ https://earth.stanford.edu/news/roadmap-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-50-percent-2030#gs.dfxaqy https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car https://www.wsj.com/graphics/are-electric-cars-really-better-for-the-environment/ Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 20, 2021 · 38 min
Episode 57 - The True Cost of the US Military
The US defence budget is enormous - as big as the next 10 countries combined! In this episode we discuss the true cost of the US military, beyond just dollars. Learn more: https://sipri.org/media/press-release/2021/world-military-spending-rises-almost-2-trillion-2020 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-rein-in-inflated-military-budgets/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States https://www.newsweek.com/2014/07/25/us-department-defence-one-worlds-biggest-polluters-259456.html https://www.pgpf.org/budget-basics/budget-explainer-national-defense https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-federal-budget-breakdown-3305789 https://www.statista.com/statistics/217577/outlays-for-defense-and-forecast-in-the-us/ https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2010-TAB/pdf/BUDGET-2010-TAB.pdf Support the show Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.