Regenerating Life, the Movie: How to cool the planet, feed the world & live happily ever after, with John Feldman

The RegenNarration Podcast

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Regenerating Life is a new feature-length documentary that takes a fresh look at solving the climate crisis - and everything else. Internationally acclaimed New York filmmaker John Feldman recently premiered it in the US (where recent podcast guest Judith Schwartz featured on the panel). He’s now about to accompany its premiere in Europe.
The film shifts away from the narrative that burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of the climate crisis – seeing that as just one symptom, significant as it is, of humankind’s relentless destruction of nature as a whole. This is because it’s the vast biodiversity on this planet that regulates and balances the climate. And the key take home? We can and are reversing this destructive process by Regenerating Life.
The film is also a kind of tribute to a much-loved Aussie scientist, Walter Jehne. And John talks here about his own transformation with varied projects and other legends in systemic thinking over the decades. Some feature in this film, like Vandana Shiva, Wes Jackson, Didi Pershouse, Satish Kumar and Naima Penniman. At the close, a special feature, with music made for the film by John’s wife, renowned composer Sheila Silver.
Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers (also available on Apple and some other apps, and the embedded player on the episode web page), and a transcript of this conversation (the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read).
Recorded 16 February 2024.
Title slide: John Feldman (supplied).
See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.
Music from the film by Sheila Silver, with piano by Sheila and violin by Emmanuel Vukovich.
The RegenNarration playlist, featuring music chosen by guests (with thanks to podcast member Josie Symons).
Find more:
Regenerating Life website with trailer, more on John, and how you can see and screen the film.
The composition Shooting Ruminants (partly inspired by the Kachana Station story), part of Resilient Earth by Sheila Silver.
My conversation with Tony Rinaudo for episode 64.
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Chapters

1. Music, Preview, Introduction & Supporter Thanks (00:00:00)

2. How did he come to be making this film? (00:03:46)

3. How John came to change in his own life (00:07:30)

4. If we need to transcend adversarialism, what does it mean for a filmmaker trying to win a would-be battle of narratives? (00:14:10)

5. What about John's personal background disposed him to this? (00:17:00)

6. How the film came to start with Walter Jehne & the water story (00:20:00)

7. The incredible story of how water cools the planet - & how this could be better understood (00:25:00)

8. The Power of Regeneration in Nature (00:28:49)

9. Incredible stories of speed & scale of regeneration (& meeting Tony Rinaudo) (00:33:30)

10. The African American origins of Community Supported Agriculture (& other opportunities to redress the colonial roots of modern agriculture) (00:38:35)

11. Revitalizing Agriculture for Sustainable Future (00:40:30)

12. When the US government instituted regenerative policies everywhere (00:42:55)

13. The huge opportunities ahead (00:48:25)

14. How to see or screen the film (00:50:30)

15. Special feature of some music from the film (00:54:50)