Best Dirty Footprints Podcasts (2024)

1
Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary Neal | Getting the Numbers Right: The Childfree Choice More Prevalent than Reported 1:03:47

7d ago1:03:47

1:03:47

In this episode with Dr. Zachary Neal and Dr. Jennifer Watling Neal, we explore their research about the prevalence and characteristics of childfree adults in the US and globally. Despite the fact that people without children make up a significant portion of the population, both nationally in the US (20-25%) and globally, this group remains largely…

1
Travis Rieder | Catastrophe Ethics: How to Choose Well in a World of Tough Choices 1:01:17

22d ago1:01:17

1:01:17

In this episode with bioethicist and moral philosopher Dr. Travis N. Rieder, we discuss his latest book Catastrophe Ethics, in which he explores how individuals can make morally decent choices in a world of confusing and often terrifying problems. We explore the morally exhausting and puzzling nature of modern life in which individual actions can o…

1
Laura Carroll | Breaking Out of the Baby Matrix: Busting Common Pronatalist Myths 1:01:36

1M ago1:01:36

1:01:36

To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, we interviewed Laura Carroll, internationally recognized expert on pronatalism and the childfree choice, who starts by sharing highlights from her latest book A Special Sisterhood: 100 Fascinating Women From History Who Never had Children. We also unpack her book The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our …

1
Christopher Ketcham | The Megamachine and Green Growth Delusions 52:28

2M ago52:28

52:28

In this interview with freelance writer Christopher Ketcham, we unpack the techno-industrial extractivism that plagues modern societies and the media’s complicity in failing to challenge the growth model on which it is based. We discuss Chris’ book This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism, and Corruption Are Ruining the American West in which he outlines…

1
Angela Saini | The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule 1:03:22

2M ago1:03:22

1:03:22

In this interview with award-winning science journalist Angela Saini, based on her bold and radical book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, we explore the roots and complex history of how patriarchy first became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present. Angela discusses how gendered roles, pronatalism, a…

1
Diana Coole | The Toxification of Population Discourse: How Population Became a Dirty Word 1:05:15

3M ago1:05:15

1:05:15

When and why did population become a dirty word? And why are so many people shamed for advocating for population reduction? Despite innumerable scientific studies showing the impact of human overpopulation and overconsumption on mounting social and ecological catastrophes, including climate change, biodiversity destruction, ocean acidification, res…

1
Asher Miller & Rob Dietz | Navigating the Great Unraveling with Resilience 1:00:04

3M ago1:00:04

1:00:04

In this episode, we chat with Asher Miller and Rob Dietz of the Post Carbon Institute about their latest report "Welcome to the Great Unraveling", which explores ways to navigate the environmental and social breakdown resulting from multiple intersecting crises. Recognizing human supremacy and overshoot as the drivers of the polycrisis, we discuss …

1
Hope Ferdowsian | Phoenix Rising: Pathways toward Animal and Human Liberation 1:00:54

4M ago1:00:54

1:00:54

Dr. Hope Ferdowsian, president of Phoenix Zones Initiatives (PZI) and a public health physician, discusses how she and her colleagues are working to dismantle the roots of oppression, exploitation, and domination harming humans and non-humans. She highlights the physical and psychological suffering and harm that animals face in food production and …

1
William Rees | Confronting Overshoot: Changing the Story of Human Exceptionalism 1:30:41

4M ago1:30:41

1:30:41

We chat with population ecologist, co-creator of the ecological footprint analysis, and one of the world’s best big-picture ecological thinkers, Dr. Bill Rees. Bill explains how our blind faith in human exceptionalism, technological optimism, and neoliberal economics fooled us into disregarding ecological limits and brought us into a state of extre…

1
Kevin Bales | Population Growth, Modern Slavery, and Ecocide 1:05:26

5M ago1:05:26

1:05:26

Dr. Kevin Bales, world-renowned expert on contemporary global slavery, shines a light on the human rights violations and ecocidal impacts of modern day slavery, which tragically still exists in much of the world today. Dr. Bales discusses the history of slavery, from ancient civilizations to modern times, highlighting how it has evolved over time, …

1
Isabel Fassbender | Neoliberalism in the Womb: Japan’s Answer to its Baby-Shortage Panic 1:02:53

6M ago1:02:53

1:02:53

Japan-based feminist scholar, Dr. Isabel Fassbender, discusses her new book, Active Pursuit of Pregnancy: Neoliberalism, Postfeminism and the Politics of Reproduction in Contemporary Japan, and how a toxic mix of patriarchy, biomedical capitalism, and nationalism has emerged in response to Japan’s slightly declining population. As a country whose e…

1
Camilo Mora | Population: A Threat Multiplier for Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, & Pandemics 1:00:18

7M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

In this interview with Dr. Camilo Mora, widely acclaimed professor and award-winning researcher, we discuss the impacts of human activity on climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and pandemics, and how to move past population denial to grapple with our compounding crises. Dr. Mora shares his firsthand experience of the direct impact…

1
Trevor Hedberg | The Environmental Impact of Overpopulation: The Ethics of Procreation 1:07:32

7M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

We chat with environmental and procreative ethicist Dr. Trevor Hedberg about his recent book The Environmental Impact of Overpopulation: The Ethics of Procreation, and the ethical implications of bringing new life into existence, both in terms of the risk of harm to which the child is subjected, but also the environmental impact that it has on the …

1
Suprabha Seshan | From Ego to Eco: Rewilding Nature and Ourselves 1:02:07

8M ago1:02:07

1:02:07

What happens when we renounce our ego and allow nature to become our teacher? We talk with rainforest conservationist and educator Suprabha Seshan about her incredible efforts to protect and restore the forest at the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala, India. Suprabha shares with us her decades of work which has involved the integration of scie…

1
Andrew Kyamagero | Engaging Boys and Men to Confront Patriarchy in Uganda 1:03:41

9M ago1:03:41

1:03:41

We chat with Andrew Kyamagero, an award-winning Ugandan journalist and family-planning advocate, about the interaction of population dynamics, family planning, and male involvement in the promotion of gender equity within Uganda. Because of his incredible efforts to enhance gender equity and healthcare delivery across the country, Andrew has been a…

1
Robert Engelman | Reproductive Autonomy: A Human Right and a Foundation for a Healthy Planet 1:04:38

9M ago1:04:38

1:04:38

In honor of World Population Day, we are joined by Robert Engelman, researcher, writer, and former newspaper reporter on environmental, demographic, reproductive health and gender-related topics. Through his deep learning experiences over three decades at leading environmental, journalism, and population organizations, Bob shines a light on the int…

1
Amanda Janoo | Wellbeing Economy: An Economy in Service of Life 1:13:50

10M ago1:13:50

1:13:50

We are joined by Amanda Janoo, Economics and Policy Lead at the Wellbeing Economy Alliance where we unpack the fundamentals behind the Wellbeing Economy. What happens when we stop treating people and the planet like they're here to serve the economy and start treating the economy like it's here to serve us? Through clear examples and policy strateg…

1
Naomi Oreskes | How Free-Market Fundamentalism Fuels Population Denialism & Undermines Democracy 1:06:45

11M ago1:06:45

1:06:45

We are joined by Naomi Oreskes, Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University, and a world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker. Using her latest book that she co-authored with Erik M. Conway, The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loa…

1
Richard Heinberg | Powering Down: Beyond Growth, Toward Simplicity 59:33

11M ago59:33

59:33

We are joined in this episode by Richard Heinberg, one of the world’s foremost experts on energy and sustainability. Using his latest book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival as the basis of our conversation, we unpack how humans have come to overpower Earth's natural systems and oppress one another and how we might address this. Richar…

1
Amrita Nandy | Patriarchy, Motherhood, and the Search for Meaning 1:08:14

12M ago1:08:14

1:08:14

India has just surpassed China as the most populous country in the world. What role has patriarchal pronatalism played in spurring this growth? If autonomy is a basic human right, why do many women have little or no choice when it comes to motherhood? Do women know they have a choice? Why roles do patriarchy, religion, and the free market play in i…

1
Vegard Skirbekk | Embracing an Aging Population & Declining Fertility with Dignity 1:00:25

1y ago1:00:25

1:00:25

To counteract the increasingly alarmist fears of population decline, we have a sobering conversation with population economist and author of the book, Decline and Prosper! Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children, Dr. Vegard Skirbekk. Dr. Skirbekk takes us through decades of demographic research to lay to rest apocalyptic fo…

1
A 27-minute, flight-long Pod. 27:57

1y ago27:57

27:57

This pod is 27 minutes. The same duration as a flight taken by a Premier League club in 2023. The thought-provoking study released this week by BBC Sport suggests the average flight time of Premier Clubs around matches in a period between mid-January and mid-March was just 42 minutes. Short-haul domestic flying is rife in football. Everyone's at it…

1
Carl Safina | The Beauty and Complexity of Animal Cultures 1:01:12

1y ago1:01:12

1:01:12

We are joined by ecologist and author Carl Safina, whose writing explores the human relationship with the natural world. We discuss how human supremacy keeps us from appreciating the incredible beauty and complexity of other creatures, and has led to the diminishment of most wild beings and places. Carl's work fuses scientific understanding, emotio…

1
Kristyn Brandi | An OB-GYN Unpacks the "Biological Clock," Abortion, & Medical Pronatalism 1:00:37

1y ago1:00:37

1:00:37

In this illuminating episode, we talk with Dr. Kristyn Brandi, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist, proud abortion provider, and board chair with Physicians for Reproductive Health, where she debunks the “biological clock” among other pronatalist myths and shares how the medical institution in one of many that fuels pronatalism. We also discuss what the o…

1
Green Football Weekend: Pomegranate Pods and Car Wash Controversies. 31:48

1y ago31:48

31:48

Ahead of Green Football Weekend (2nd-6th February), Jonathan and Melissa get busy with some easy, everyday environmental wins, "scoring goals" for their chosen clubs! At www.greenfootballweekend.com you can send your team soaring up the sustainability league table by achieving positive results in and around your own home. Jonathan's been whipping u…

1
Helen Kopnina | In memory of Haydn Washington | The Social and Ecological Costs of Population Denialism 55:53

1+ y ago55:53

55:53

We were scheduled to speak with Dr. Helen Kopnina and Dr. Haydn Washington on December 16th when this episode was recorded. We are very sad to report that Haydn died on December 10th after a battle with cancer. We are grateful to be joined by his friend and colleague, Helen, and we dedicate this episode to the memory of Haydn Washington. Highlights…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Dirty Footprints Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
The Overpopulation Podcast

Population Balance

1
Emergency on Planet Sport

NinetyFour 19 Ltd

1
The Green Pea Podcast

Amanda Fearn and Emma Hewlett

1
Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary Neal | Getting the Numbers Right: The Childfree Choice More Prevalent than Reported 1:03:47

1
Travis Rieder | Catastrophe Ethics: How to Choose Well in a World of Tough Choices 1:01:17

1
Laura Carroll | Breaking Out of the Baby Matrix: Busting Common Pronatalist Myths 1:01:36

1
Christopher Ketcham | The Megamachine and Green Growth Delusions 52:28

1
Angela Saini | The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule 1:03:22

1
Diana Coole | The Toxification of Population Discourse: How Population Became a Dirty Word 1:05:15

1
Asher Miller & Rob Dietz | Navigating the Great Unraveling with Resilience 1:00:04

1
Hope Ferdowsian | Phoenix Rising: Pathways toward Animal and Human Liberation 1:00:54

1
William Rees | Confronting Overshoot: Changing the Story of Human Exceptionalism 1:30:41

1
Kevin Bales | Population Growth, Modern Slavery, and Ecocide 1:05:26

1
Isabel Fassbender | Neoliberalism in the Womb: Japan’s Answer to its Baby-Shortage Panic 1:02:53

1
Camilo Mora | Population: A Threat Multiplier for Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, & Pandemics 1:00:18

1
Trevor Hedberg | The Environmental Impact of Overpopulation: The Ethics of Procreation 1:07:32

1
Suprabha Seshan | From Ego to Eco: Rewilding Nature and Ourselves 1:02:07

1
Andrew Kyamagero | Engaging Boys and Men to Confront Patriarchy in Uganda 1:03:41

1
Robert Engelman | Reproductive Autonomy: A Human Right and a Foundation for a Healthy Planet 1:04:38

1
Amanda Janoo | Wellbeing Economy: An Economy in Service of Life 1:13:50

1
Naomi Oreskes | How Free-Market Fundamentalism Fuels Population Denialism & Undermines Democracy 1:06:45

1
Richard Heinberg | Powering Down: Beyond Growth, Toward Simplicity 59:33

1
Amrita Nandy | Patriarchy, Motherhood, and the Search for Meaning 1:08:14

1
Vegard Skirbekk | Embracing an Aging Population & Declining Fertility with Dignity 1:00:25

1
A 27-minute, flight-long Pod. 27:57

1
Carl Safina | The Beauty and Complexity of Animal Cultures 1:01:12

1
Kristyn Brandi | An OB-GYN Unpacks the "Biological Clock," Abortion, & Medical Pronatalism 1:00:37

1
Green Football Weekend: Pomegranate Pods and Car Wash Controversies. 31:48

1
Helen Kopnina | In memory of Haydn Washington | The Social and Ecological Costs of Population Denialism 55:53

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