thegreatstory | Rupert Read: Post-doom with Michael Dowd @thegreatstory | Uploaded September 2019 | Updated October 2024, 6 hours ago.
Rupert Read, author of "This Civilisation Is Doomed," converses with post-doom host Michael Dowd about his involvement with Extinction Rebellion, his advocacy for climate emergency action, and how climate grief can culminate in "radical surrender" — which then opens up possibilities for activism and for emotional wellbeing. Timecoded topics with direct links:
00:16 Title of conversation: "Radical Surrender" and Previews
01:39 Host Michael Dowd (MD) opens the conversation
01:45 image overlays of lectures & book by Rupert Read (RR)
02:08 (RR ) summary of his sense of emergency (and Extinction Rebellion)
03:38 (MM) Joanna Macy's influence on both; "post-doom"
04:12 Q: What was your own journey awakening to this perspective?
05:03 (RR) meanings of "post-doom"; distinction from "doomers"
06:12 (RR) work with Nassim Taleb on Precautionary Principle
06:26 (RR) where differs from perspective of Jem Bendell
06:48 (RR) describes his own "post-doom" perspective
07:12 (RR) influence of Joanna Macy; his actions within Green Party
08:25 (RR) story of his sudden awakening & book: "This civilisation is finished"
10:44 (RR) reflects on his early over-reaction criticizing Dark Mountain Project
11:07 (RR) fear that his book would "demoralize" people; they would give up
12:53 (RR) people are grateful to hear the truth and having fears brought into open
13:00 (RR) his "Green House Think Tank" and "Facing Up to Climate Reality"
13:33 (RR) origin story of his participation in Extinction Rebellion
15:19 (MD) doom as the midpoint; WASF; stages of grief; finding the gift
16:31 (MD) importance of William Catton's 1980 book "Overshoot"
16:43 (MD) Catton distinguishes Homo colossus from Homo sapiens
18:01 Q: Has the big picture, evolution story, supported you in your work?
18:14 (RR) "Universe Story" not much; orientation to the present is primary
20:37 (RR) importance of grief and grief work; mental health crisis is coming
22:00 (RR) fully feeling grief and terror can impel us toward action: e-motion
23:08 (MD) "hope" is a problematic word; importance of "pro-future" action
24:07 (RR) crucial question is What are you hoping for? problem of "hopium"
24:42 (RR) "realistic hope", "radical hope" (Jonathan Lear); "active hope"
26:07 (MD) importance of learning history of the rise and fall of civilizations
27:06 Q: Have you had to "re-story the past"? Do you have any "if only's"?
27:35 (RR) helpful to learn from other social mammals: bonobos, cetaceans
29:56 (RR) imperative to do all we can to diminish biodiversity losses
30:55 (RR) important to consider that our actions could have been worse
32:28 (RR) Harvey Jackins useful belief: the past was determined; future is freewill
33:23 (MD) D.S. Wilson: "practical truth and factual truth" distinct; both important
34:03 (RR) Extinction Rebellion - not oppositional; come together in emergency
35:47 Q: How do you hold impermanence and death (personal and collective)?
36:38 (RR) sacredness of death; Buddhism; anti transhumanism
37:33 (RR) must act with the children in mind
39:14 (MD) moral imperative to carry forward other life forms; assisted migration
40:00 (RR) from anthro- to eco-centrism; agrees with assisted migration of species
40:24 Q: Compare and contrast your view with J Bendell and C Ingram?
40:48 (RR) Roy Scranton's work, "We're Doomed, Now What?" is inspiration
41:03 (RR) Jem Bendell: collegial; mostly agree, with one main disagreement
42:18 (RR) Extinction Rebellion makes him more hopeful
42:45 (RR) has greater disagreement with work of Catherine Ingram
43:17 (RR) even with massive global collapse, human extinction very unlikely
44:11 (RR) explains why name "Extinction Rebellion" is valid and helpful
44:43 (RR) beyond the human, the sixth great mass extinction is underway
45:19 (RR) his own stance is "balanced" (not overly optimistic or pessimistic)
45:47 (MD) "useful" to be emotionally at peace with worst-case scenario
46:17 image overlay of Dowd's webpage - "Death through deep-time eyes"
thegreatstory.org/death-programs.html
46:28 Dowd and Read dialogue on ethics of young people having children now
47:31 (RR) "Radical surrender" leads to empowerment and sense of possibility
48:55 Dowd and Read agree on necessity of "Homo colossus" extinction
49:20 Read retains hope that civilization collapse need not be massive dieoff
49:51 Dowd disagrees; urges the reading of Catton's book "Overshoot"
50:17 (RR) concluding words and his book, "This Civilisation Is Finished"
51:14 image overlay of three of Read's academic philosophy books
RUPERT READ LINKS:
Website: rupertread.net
Facebook: facebook.com/GreenRupertRead
Twitter: twitter.com/GreenRupertRead
Instagram: instagram.com/rupertread
Youtube: youtube.com/rupertreadgreens
Mailing list sign-up: rupertread.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6178ea00e567ee2647a90f118&id=3879d8ed24
POST-DOOM SERIES: post-doom.org
Rupert Read, author of "This Civilisation Is Doomed," converses with post-doom host Michael Dowd about his involvement with Extinction Rebellion, his advocacy for climate emergency action, and how climate grief can culminate in "radical surrender" — which then opens up possibilities for activism and for emotional wellbeing. Timecoded topics with direct links:
00:16 Title of conversation: "Radical Surrender" and Previews
01:39 Host Michael Dowd (MD) opens the conversation
01:45 image overlays of lectures & book by Rupert Read (RR)
02:08 (RR ) summary of his sense of emergency (and Extinction Rebellion)
03:38 (MM) Joanna Macy's influence on both; "post-doom"
04:12 Q: What was your own journey awakening to this perspective?
05:03 (RR) meanings of "post-doom"; distinction from "doomers"
06:12 (RR) work with Nassim Taleb on Precautionary Principle
06:26 (RR) where differs from perspective of Jem Bendell
06:48 (RR) describes his own "post-doom" perspective
07:12 (RR) influence of Joanna Macy; his actions within Green Party
08:25 (RR) story of his sudden awakening & book: "This civilisation is finished"
10:44 (RR) reflects on his early over-reaction criticizing Dark Mountain Project
11:07 (RR) fear that his book would "demoralize" people; they would give up
12:53 (RR) people are grateful to hear the truth and having fears brought into open
13:00 (RR) his "Green House Think Tank" and "Facing Up to Climate Reality"
13:33 (RR) origin story of his participation in Extinction Rebellion
15:19 (MD) doom as the midpoint; WASF; stages of grief; finding the gift
16:31 (MD) importance of William Catton's 1980 book "Overshoot"
16:43 (MD) Catton distinguishes Homo colossus from Homo sapiens
18:01 Q: Has the big picture, evolution story, supported you in your work?
18:14 (RR) "Universe Story" not much; orientation to the present is primary
20:37 (RR) importance of grief and grief work; mental health crisis is coming
22:00 (RR) fully feeling grief and terror can impel us toward action: e-motion
23:08 (MD) "hope" is a problematic word; importance of "pro-future" action
24:07 (RR) crucial question is What are you hoping for? problem of "hopium"
24:42 (RR) "realistic hope", "radical hope" (Jonathan Lear); "active hope"
26:07 (MD) importance of learning history of the rise and fall of civilizations
27:06 Q: Have you had to "re-story the past"? Do you have any "if only's"?
27:35 (RR) helpful to learn from other social mammals: bonobos, cetaceans
29:56 (RR) imperative to do all we can to diminish biodiversity losses
30:55 (RR) important to consider that our actions could have been worse
32:28 (RR) Harvey Jackins useful belief: the past was determined; future is freewill
33:23 (MD) D.S. Wilson: "practical truth and factual truth" distinct; both important
34:03 (RR) Extinction Rebellion - not oppositional; come together in emergency
35:47 Q: How do you hold impermanence and death (personal and collective)?
36:38 (RR) sacredness of death; Buddhism; anti transhumanism
37:33 (RR) must act with the children in mind
39:14 (MD) moral imperative to carry forward other life forms; assisted migration
40:00 (RR) from anthro- to eco-centrism; agrees with assisted migration of species
40:24 Q: Compare and contrast your view with J Bendell and C Ingram?
40:48 (RR) Roy Scranton's work, "We're Doomed, Now What?" is inspiration
41:03 (RR) Jem Bendell: collegial; mostly agree, with one main disagreement
42:18 (RR) Extinction Rebellion makes him more hopeful
42:45 (RR) has greater disagreement with work of Catherine Ingram
43:17 (RR) even with massive global collapse, human extinction very unlikely
44:11 (RR) explains why name "Extinction Rebellion" is valid and helpful
44:43 (RR) beyond the human, the sixth great mass extinction is underway
45:19 (RR) his own stance is "balanced" (not overly optimistic or pessimistic)
45:47 (MD) "useful" to be emotionally at peace with worst-case scenario
46:17 image overlay of Dowd's webpage - "Death through deep-time eyes"
thegreatstory.org/death-programs.html
46:28 Dowd and Read dialogue on ethics of young people having children now
47:31 (RR) "Radical surrender" leads to empowerment and sense of possibility
48:55 Dowd and Read agree on necessity of "Homo colossus" extinction
49:20 Read retains hope that civilization collapse need not be massive dieoff
49:51 Dowd disagrees; urges the reading of Catton's book "Overshoot"
50:17 (RR) concluding words and his book, "This Civilisation Is Finished"
51:14 image overlay of three of Read's academic philosophy books
RUPERT READ LINKS:
Website: rupertread.net
Facebook: facebook.com/GreenRupertRead
Twitter: twitter.com/GreenRupertRead
Instagram: instagram.com/rupertread
Youtube: youtube.com/rupertreadgreens
Mailing list sign-up: rupertread.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6178ea00e567ee2647a90f118&id=3879d8ed24
POST-DOOM SERIES: post-doom.org
