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LF24 Shaun Chamberlin – Energy, Environment and the Shift to Sustainability

Shaun Chamberlin on the Transition Network and the shift to a sustainable society in response to Global environmental and energy crises. Shaun is author of The Transition Timeline and blogs regularly at www.darkoptimism.org
Transition Network’s role is to inspire, encourage, connect, support and train communities as they self-organise around the transition model, creating initiatives that rebuild resilience and reduce energy consumption. These communities have started projects in the areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts and many more, as small-scale local responses to the global challenges of climate change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy. Together, these individual responses make up something much bigger, and help show a way forward for governments, business and the rest of us.
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Labradford ‘Mi Media Naranja’

LF23 Richard Grove – What We Can All Learn from John Taylor Gatto

Richard Grove of Tragedy and Hope on the topic of compulsory public education and specifically the work of author and former New York schoolteacher of the year John Taylor Gatto, and the 2012 film The Ultimate History Lesson.
Gatto is the author of Weapons of Mass Instruction which focuses on mechanisms of traditional education which cripple imagination, discourage critical thinking, and create a false view of learning as a by-product of rote-memorisation drills. His earlier book, Dumbing Us Down introduced the now-famous expression of the title into the common vernacular. This book adds another chilling metaphor to the brief against conventional schooling. Gatto demonstrates that the harm school inflicts is rational and deliberate. The real function of pedagogy, he argues, is to render the common population manageable. To that end, young people must be conditioned to rely upon experts, to remain divided from natural alliances and to accept disconnections from their own lived experiences. They must at all costs be discouraged from developing self-reliance and independence. Escaping this trap requires a strategy Gatto calls ‘open source learning’ which imposes no artificial divisions between learning and life. Through this alternative approach our children can avoid being indoctrinated. Only then can they achieve self-knowledge, good judgement, and courage.
Tragedy and Hope’s video version of this interview can be found here.
Want to know more? Check out The Peace Revolution Podcast
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’

LF22 Bruce Lipton – Science, Spirituality and the Global Shift in Consciousness

Bruce H Lipton, Ph.D. on his books The Biology of Belief and Spontaneous Evolution.
Dr. Lipton is an internationally recognized authority on bridging science and spirit. His groundbreaking book The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles documents the amazing new awareness that is currently rewriting the science of biology and medicine – awareness that the mind’s perception of the environment, not genes, controls life at the cellular level. Dr. Lipton describes his own life as “radically transformed” because of his research: “Though I sought science as an alternate to accepting spiritual truths, lessons learned revealed that life was not an issue of science OR spirituality, it was an amalgam of science AND spirituality.”
Through the research of Dr. Lipton and other leading-edge scientists, stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology, that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our thoughts. The new science of Epigenetics is revolutionising our understanding of the link between mind and matter and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.
In Spontaneous Evolution, Dr. Lipton and political philosopher Steve Bhaerman reveal how our changing understanding of biology will help us navigate this turbulent period in our planet’s history and how each of us can participate in this global shift.
www.brucelipton.com
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Bernard Xolotl ‘Procession’

LF21 David Goodstein – The End of the Age of Oil

David Goodstein offers a stark assessment of the scientific, political, economic and social aspects of the looming global energy crisis which threatens the comfortable, complacent lifestyles so many of us take for granted.
Professor Goodstein is a scientist, educator and author of Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil (2004) and co-author of Climate Change and the Energy Problem, A Physical Science and Economics Perspective (2012).
Topics discussed include Peak Oil, climate change & global warming, renewable energy, emergent energy technologies, nuclear fission & nuclear fusion, depopulation and the short, medium and long term prospects for industrial society.
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Ennio Morricone / John Carpenter ‘The Thing’ OST

LF20 Robert Schoch – Forgotten Civilization

Geologist Robert Schoch on his recent book Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future.
Building upon Schoch’s revolutionary theory that the Sphinx dates back much further than 2500 BCE, Forgotten Civilization reveals scientific evidence of advanced civilization predating ancient Egypt, Sumeria, and Greece, as well as the catastrophe that destroyed it nearly 12,000 years ago and what its legacy can teach us about our own future.
Weaving together a new view of the origins of civilization, the truths behind ancient wisdom, and the dynamics of the planet we live on, Schoch maintains we must heed the megalithic warning of the past and collectively prepare for future events.
Topics discussed include: global warming and climate change, the ice age, evolution, astronomy, cosmoclimatology, solar and plasma outbursts, ancient Egypt, Easter Island, Gobekli Tepe, megalithic monuments, the Biblical flood, Atlantis and lost civilizations, apocalyptic myths and legends, Quantum physics, and 2012.
www.robertschoch.com
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Robert Rich ‘Wheel of Earth’
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LF19 Steve Taylor – Back to Sanity: Healing the Madness of Our Minds

Steve Taylor on his book Back to Sanity – Healing the Madness of Our Minds. Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with human beings, even that we might be slightly insane? Why is it that so many human beings are filled with a restless discontent, and an insatiable desire for material goods, status and power? Why is it that human history has been filled with endless conflict, oppression and inequality?
In Back to Sanity, Steve Taylor shows that we do suffer from a psychological disorder, which he refers to as humania, or ego-madness. This disorder is so close to us that we don’t realize it’s there, but it’s the root cause of all our dysfunctional behaviour, both as individuals and as a species. This book explains the characteristics of humania, where it stems from and how it leads to the madness of materialism, status-seeking, warfare, inequality and other symptoms of our insanity. But equally importantly, Back to Sanity shows how we can heal this mental disorder and allow the fleeting moments of harmony that we all experience from time to time to become our permanent state of being.
Steve Taylor is a lecturer in psychology at Leeds Metropolitan University, and the author of several best-selling books on psychology and spirituality. These include Waking From Sleep, The Fall, Out of the Darkness and his new book Back to Sanity. His books have been published in 13 languages, and his work has been described by Eckhart Tolle as ‘an important contribution to the shift in consciousness which is happening on our planet at present.’
Steve’s articles and essays have been published in over 40 academic journals, magazines and newspapers, including The Journal of Humanistic Psychology, The Journal of Consciousness Studies, The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Psychologies, Natural Health, Kindred Spirit and Resurgence. His work has been featured widely in the media in the UK, including on BBC Breakfast, BBC World TV, BBC Radio 4 and 5, and in The Guardian and The Independent.
www.stevenmtaylor.com
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Klaus Schulze ‘Dune’

LF18 Michael Cremo – Forbidden Archaeology and Human Devolution

Michael Cremo discusses his books Forbidden Archaeology and Human Devolution, and what they tell us about true nature of human origins, identity and destiny.
Over the past two centuries researchers have found bones and artifacts showing that people like ourselves existed on earth millions of years ago. But the scientific establishment has ignored these remarkable facts because they contradict the dominant views of human origins and antiquity. In Forbidden Archaeology, Michael Cremo and Richard L. Thompson challenge us to rethink our understanding of human origins, identity, and destiny. Forbidden Archaeology takes on one of the most fundamental components of the modern scientific world view, and invites us to take a courageous first step towards a new perspective.
If Darwinian evolution is not the answer, then this begs the question: “If we did not evolve from apes, then where did we come from?” Human Devolution is Michael Cremo’s definitive answer to this question. “We did not evolve up from matter; instead we devolved, or came down, from the realm of pure consciousness, spirit,” says Cremo. He bases his response on modern science and the world’s great wisdom traditions, including the Vedic philosophy of ancient India. Cremo proposes that before we ask the question, “Where did human beings come from?’ we should first contemplate, “What is a human being?” Cremo asserts that humans are a combination of matter, mind, and consciousness, or spirit.
Human Devolution contains solid scientific evidence showing how a subtle mind element and a conscious self that can exist apart from the body have been systematically eliminated from mainstream science by a process of knowledge filtration. “Any time knowledge filtration takes place you can expect a great deal of resistance, criticism, and ridicule when it is exposed and challenged,” says Cremo.
Michael Cremo is a member of the World Archaeological Congress and the European Association of Archaeologists as well as an associate member of the Bhaktivedanta Institute specializing in history and philosophy of science. His latest book, My Science My Religion, is published in November 2012.
www.mcremo.com
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Popol Vuh ‘Aguirre’

LF17 Peter Reynolds – Cannabis, Freedom and the Law

Peter Reynolds on Cannabis, freedom and the law. Peter is leader of the UK political party CLEAR, a single issue party that seeks an end to the prohibition of cannabis. We discuss the history of cannabis prohibition, widespread ignorance and disinformation concerning cannabis, five thousand years of its recreational and medicinal use, risks vs benefits and prospects for decriminalisation. (Click below to listen)
CLEAR’s aims and objectives:
1. To end the prohibition of cannabis.
Prohibition is a big, dumb, and very expensive failure. It is brutal. It puts prejudice before people. The ‘war on drugs’ is responsible for more death, destruction and despair than it has ever prevented. History has shown that prohibition creates far more problems than it solves. In the 21st century we should expect far better solutions from our policy makers and governments.
2. To promote as a matter of urgency and compassion the prescription of medicinal cannabis by doctors.
No reasonable human being can deny another relief from pain, suffering or disability. There is no rational argument against permitting access to medicinal cannabis for those who need it. The fact that the British government and the deeply rooted bureaucracy of the Home Office stand in the way is a deep and lasting shame on our nation.
3. To introduce a system of regulation for the production and supply of cannabis based on facts and evidence.
Authoritative research from the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit proves that a cannabis tax and regulate regime in Britain would produce a boost to the UK economy of at least £6 billion per annum. That’s based on a cannabis tax of £1 per gram, massive savings in law enforcement costs but allowing for the cost of administering the system and providing additional healthcare and education services. All the evidence and experts agree that a responsibly regulated system would also reduce all health and social harms.
4. To encourage the production and use of industrial hemp.
The prohibition of cannabis has caused huge damage to our society, environment and economy by preventing the cultivation of hemp. Although the industrial strains of the plant have no psychoactive potential, the absurd level of control has effectively destroyed its value as an agricultural crop. With that we have lost the most efficient producer of biomass in the natural world, the strongest natural fibre, a better fabric than cotton, a better paper than wood and one of the most ecologically important activities on the planet.
5. To educate and inform about the uses and benefits of cannabis.
Prejudice is based on ignorance. In the case of cannabis there is also deliberate misinformation. It started with Randolph Hearst, the media, timber and oil magnate of the 1930s and it continues today with the vested interests of alcohol, tobacco, Big Pharma and, yes, media, timber and oil. The truth about cannabis is clear and we have to spread the truth in the face of ignorance and lies.
www.clear-uk.org
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Steve Hillage ‘Rainbow Dome Musick’

LF16 Neil Kramer – The Unfoldment

Neil Kramer on his current book The Unfoldment – The Organic Path to Clarity, Power and Transformation.
The Unfoldment presents a body of sacred wisdom and a deep spiritual perspective that puts real power and real magic into the hands of those who seek a path of awakening. The author draws on a lifetime of spiritual encounters and experiential gnosis to formulate a unique synthesis of metaphysics, mysticism, and esoteric knowledge – genuine, hands-on tools and teachings for transformation and enlightenment in the 21st century.
Neil Kramer is an English writer, philosopher and teacher, specializing in the fields of consciousness, metaphysics, and mysticism. He has made a lifelong independent study of philosophy, mystical traditions, religion, shamanism, and esoteric world history. He shares his path of transformation and empowerment in writings, interviews, and lectures, as well as giving one-on-one teachings and group workshops.
He is a frequent guest on leading alternative radio and internet shows, enjoying international audiences and enthusiastic support. His work regularly appears on cutting-edge web sites, news portals, and magazines, and has featured on television networks in the US, UK, Canada and Europe.
Kramer has spoken at numerous international conferences and events, including The Beyond Knowledge Conference 2009, The Alternative Research Community Convention 2010, The Transitional Alchemy Tour 2009/10, The Awakening & Transformation Conference 2011, The New Living Expo 2012, and The 2012 Global Transformation Conference.
Kramer speaks on many fascinating subjects and is renowned for his unique blend of lucidity, empowerment, and authenticity. He travels widely with his writing and teaching work. He lives in Oregon, USA.
www.neilkramer.com
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Michael Stearns ‘Chronos’

LF15 Chris Johnstone – Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy

Chris Johnstone on his book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy.
Co-authored with Joanna Macy, Active Hope is about finding, and offering, our best response to the crisis of sustainability unfolding in our world. It starts by accepting that the challenges we face can be difficult even to look at: climate change, the depletion of oil, economic collapse and the die-back of our natural world act together to create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope offers an approach that strengthens our capacity to face disturbing information and respond with unexpected resilience and creative power.
Drawing on decades of experience running workshops in an empowerment approach widely known as The Work That Reconnects, the authors guide the reader through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, holistic science and spiritual perspectives. This process equips readers with tools to help them face the mess we’re in and find and play their role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.
At the heart of this book is the idea that Active Hope is a gift that is not only given but also received. The journey of finding, and offering, our gift of contribution helps us to discover new strengths, open to a wider network of allies and experience a deepening of our aliveness. When our responses are guided by the intention to act for healing of our world, the mess we’re in not only becomes easier to face, our lives also become more meaningful and satisfying.
www.activehope.infowww.chrisjohnstone.info
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