Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism as the no-regrets way to build community resilience in the face of unprecedented ineptitude that probably won’t go away anytime soon. Originally recorded on 6/16/25.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
• Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance (simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488) , Avid Reader Press, March 2025.
• UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses the damage of ‘fast fashion’ (unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-alliance-sustainable-fashion-addresses-damage-fast-fashion)
• Kelsey Piper, "Trump’s bizarre new push to make us poorer, (vox.com/future-perfect/398696/degrowth-economy-trump-right-poverty) " Vox, February 7, 2025.
• Kenneth Pucker, "Lessons From Trump’s Degrowth Experiment, (businessoffashion.com/opinions/sustainability/trump-lesssons-degrowth-fashion-sustainability/) " Business of Fashion, May 9, 2025.
• Kenneth Bradsher, "China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries, (nytimes.com/2025/06/09/business/china-rare-earth-samarium-fighter-jets.html) " New York Times, June 9, 2025.
• Adam Tooze, "Trump's futurism: Elon's rockets and fewer dolls for "baby girl, (adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-380-trumps-futurism-elons) " Chartbook, May 6, 2025.
• "The End of Fast Fashion?, (nytimes.com/2025/05/15/podcasts/the-daily/tariff-shein-temu-china-fast-fashion.html) " The Daily, May 15, 2025.
• Kurt Cobb, "Trade war vise grip: China is squeezing rare earth supply and it’s hurting, (resilience.org/stories/2025-06-08/trade-war-vise-grip-china-is-squeezing-rare-earth-supply-and-its-hurting/) " Resilience, June 8, 2025.
• "Derek Thompson: Trump's War on Dolls, (thebulwark.com/p/derek-thompson-trumps-war-on-dolls) " The Bulwark, May 2, 2025.
• Richard Heinberg, "How Eco-Localism Differs from Tariff Terrorism, (resilience.org/stories/2025-04-17/how-eco-localism-differs-from-tariff-terrorism/) " Resilience, April 17, 2025.
Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:
• Episode 86 (resilience.org/stories/2024-05-01/crazy-town-episode-86-escaping-growthism/) , "Escaping Growthism"
• Episode 94 (resilience.org/stories/2024-11-27/crazy-town-episode-94-department-of-entropy/) , “Breaking News: Crazy Town joins the newly formed Department of Entropy”
Support the show (postcarbon.org/supportcrazytown/)
As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism as the no-regrets way to build community resilience in the face of unprecedented ineptitude that probably won’t go away anytime soon. Originally recorded on 6/16/25.
Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.
Sources/Links/Notes:
• Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance (simonandschuster.com/books/Abundance/Ezra-Klein/9781668023488) , Avid Reader Press, March 2025.
• UN Alliance For Sustainable Fashion addresses the damage of ‘fast fashion’ (unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/un-alliance-sustainable-fashion-addresses-damage-fast-fashion)
• Kelsey Piper, "Trump’s bizarre new push to make us poorer, (vox.com/future-perfect/398696/degrowth-economy-trump-right-poverty) " Vox, February 7, 2025.
• Kenneth Pucker, "Lessons From Trump’s Degrowth Experiment, (businessoffashion.com/opinions/sustainability/trump-lesssons-degrowth-fashion-sustainability/) " Business of Fashion, May 9, 2025.
• Kenneth Bradsher, "China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries, (nytimes.com/2025/06/09/business/china-rare-earth-samarium-fighter-jets.html) " New York Times, June 9, 2025.
• Adam Tooze, "Trump's futurism: Elon's rockets and fewer dolls for "baby girl, (adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-380-trumps-futurism-elons) " Chartbook, May 6, 2025.
• "The End of Fast Fashion?, (nytimes.com/2025/05/15/podcasts/the-daily/tariff-shein-temu-china-fast-fashion.html) " The Daily, May 15, 2025.
• Kurt Cobb, "Trade war vise grip: China is squeezing rare earth supply and it’s hurting, (resilience.org/stories/2025-06-08/trade-war-vise-grip-china-is-squeezing-rare-earth-supply-and-its-hurting/) " Resilience, June 8, 2025.
• "Derek Thompson: Trump's War on Dolls, (thebulwark.com/p/derek-thompson-trumps-war-on-dolls) " The Bulwark, May 2, 2025.
• Richard Heinberg, "How Eco-Localism Differs from Tariff Terrorism, (resilience.org/stories/2025-04-17/how-eco-localism-differs-from-tariff-terrorism/) " Resilience, April 17, 2025.
Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:
• Episode 86 (resilience.org/stories/2024-05-01/crazy-town-episode-86-escaping-growthism/) , "Escaping Growthism"
• Episode 94 (resilience.org/stories/2024-11-27/crazy-town-episode-94-department-of-entropy/) , “Breaking News: Crazy Town joins the newly formed Department of Entropy”
Support the show (postcarbon.org/supportcrazytown/)
