(Conversation recorded on October 17th, 2024)

As the trust in the U.S. presidential election process continues to be in question, alongside growing polarization and dwindling good-faith conversations, the precarity of our democratic systems is becoming increasingly worrisome. Amongst the rising tensions, calls for civility are sorely needed – regardless of who wins.

In this conversation, Nate is joined by former Congressman Richard Gephardt to discuss the importance of democracy as a system of self-governance, as well as the need for respecting differing views in order to keep that system intact. Richard highlights the unique historical context of U.S. democracy, emphasizing the ongoing commitment of citizen participation required for its survival.

How can we encourage bipartisan collaboration and compromise toward effective policy action beyond the current election cycle? In what ways do our rapidly evolving information systems, including social media and artificial intelligence, deepen our political divides? Despite the domestic and global challenges facing us, is there hope for the future of the American "democratic experiment"?

About Richard Gephardt:

Richard Gephardt is an attorney, author, lobbyist, and politician who served 28 years in the United States House of Representatives. He is the President and CEO of the Gephardt Group, where he works to inspire a new understanding of citizenship based on activism to bring about economic, social, and political change.

Gephardt previously served as the United States House Majority Leader (1989-1995) and House Minority Leader (1995-2003). He is the author of three books, including An Even Better Place and The American Immigrant: The Outsiders.

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(Conversation recorded on October 16th, 2024)

Ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, both of whom have distinct monetary and fiscal policies, there is much debate on the potential systemic consequences for the global economy. What is the current status of the United States in the socio-political landscape, and how might trends in energy, commodities, and geopolitical tension affect the actions and capabilities of the next U.S. presidential administration? In turn, how could this affect the global economy?

In this roundtable discussion, Nate is joined by financial analysts Luke Gromen and Michael Every to explore the precarious nature of current fiscal practices, the relationship between military power and economic stability, and the potential need for radical policy shifts worldwide. They also delve into the future of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency and the importance of price, availability, and stability of energy resources for thinking about future economic strategies.

What are the implications of NATO's actions in Ukraine for global financial relationships, and what are the resulting strategic dilemmas for Europe? How is China potentially using gold to prepare for a fundamentally different economy with fewer resources? Most of all, how can we begin to steward our economic systems in a more sustainable direction if we don’t have a shared understanding of the values and goals that underpin everything we’re doing, regardless of who the next U.S. President may be?

About Michael Every:

Michael Every is Global Strategist at Rabobank Singapore analyzing major developments and key thematic trends, especially on the intersection of geopolitics, economics, and markets. He is frequently published and quoted in financial media, is a regular conference keynote speaker, and was invited to present to the 2022 G-20 on the current global crisis. Michael has lived and worked in 9 countries and been in the industry for nearly 25 years, with previous roles at Silk Road Associates, the Royal Bank of Canada, and Dun & Bradstreet. He holds a BA from Lancaster University, and a master’s degree from University College London.

About Luke Gromen:

Luke Gromen is the Founder and President of research firm Forest For The Trees, LLC, whose goal is to aggregate a wide variety of macroeconomic, thematic and sector trends in an unconventional manner to identify investable developing economic bottlenecks for clients. Luke founded FFTT to apply what clients and former colleagues consistently described as a “unique ability to connect the dots” during a time when he saw an increasing “silo-ing” of perspectives occurring on Wall Street and in corporate America. Luke has 25 years of experience in equity research, equity research sales, and as a macro/thematic analyst. He holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Cincinnati and received his MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He earned the CFA designation in 2003.

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(Conversation recorded on October 3rd, 2024)

While humans, like all animals, are subject to certain fundamental realities, we also possess the unique ability to shape the world around us through physical infrastructure, laws and institutions, and our economic and social systems. And yet, it’s important to remember that, as today’s guest would say, what we design designs us back. In short, the systems and structures we build influence our cultures, values, and identities.

Today, Nate is joined by architect and professor of planetary civics, Indy Johar, to explore the relationship between system design and human behavior - and what might be possible for transformational change. Along the way, they discuss the impact of sunk costs on our ability to change, the importance of new language to describe and respond to our human predicament, and envision future governance and economies that could enable the full spectrum of what it means to be human.

What sorts of unconventional ideas, like self-owning land and technology, could lead to economies that are capable of sustaining humans as well as foster a healthy planet? How do our current societies prevent us from embodying and living into our greatest gifts as human beings? Is it possible to intentionally redesign our systems at the physical, structural, and psychological levels in service of all the entangled life inhabiting the Earth?

About Indy Johar:

Indy Johar is co-founder of Dark Matter Labs, as well as the RIBA award winning architecture and urban practice Architecture00. He is also a founding director of Open Systems Lab, seeded WikiHouse (open source housing), and Open Desk (open source furniture company).

Indy is also a non-executive international Director of the BloxHub, which is the Nordic Hub for sustainable urbanization. He has taught & lectured at various institutions from the University of Bath, TU-Berlin; University College London, Princeton, Harvard, MIT and New School. He is currently a professor at RMIT University.

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(Conversation recorded on September 16th, 2024)

Where have all the elders gone? As the world grapples with its unfolding economic and energy crises, it can often feel like we lack capable guides to help our societies navigate these transitions. How can we cultivate ourselves as individuals to become balanced, true adults who are fully equipped to contribute to our communities, the planet, and the massive changes ahead?

In this episode, Nate is joined by eco-depth psychologist Bill Plotkin to explore the profound themes of human development, the urgent need for ecological awakening, and the importance of art and nature in navigating the crises of modern society. Plotkin also outlines his eight stages of eco-centric human development to foster a healthier future for humanity and the planet.

What circumstances have led to generations of individuals stuck in psychological adolescence? What role does the concept of the soul play in shaping our life purpose? How do we implement a cultural regeneration that aligns with the natural world and the stages of human development, ultimately helping us prioritize the health of the planet, people, and all species?

About Bill Plotkin:

Bill Plotkin, PhD, is an eco-depth psychologist, wilderness guide, and agent of cultural regeneration. As founder of southwest Colorado’s Animas Valley Institute, he has, since 1980, guided thousands of people on the journey of soul initiation and is the training director of the Soulcraft Apprenticeship and Initiation Program. He’s also been a research psychologist (studying non-ordinary states of consciousness), rock musician, and white-water river guide.

In 1979, on a solo winter ascent of an Adirondack peak, Bill experienced a “call to spiritual adventure,” leading him to abandon academia in search of his true calling. He is the author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche (an experiential guidebook), Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World (a nature-based stage model of human development), Wild Mind: A Field Guide to the Human Psyche (a nature-based map of the psyche), and The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries (a guidebook for the descent to soul). His doctorate in psychology is from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Visit him online at www.animas.org.

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(Conversation recorded on September 25th, 2024)

There has been much discussion lately of Planetary Boundaries – the 9 biophysical systems and processes that regulate the functioning of life support systems on Earth, and ultimately the stability and resilience of the Earth system as a whole. But how close are we, today, to pushing these systems past their ability to function and recover?

In this special release episode, Nate is joined by Kari Stoever, Chief of Strategic Partnerships & Policy at the Planetary Boundary Initiative, to explore the answer to this difficult but vital question. They delve into the Planetary Health Check, an annual analysis of Earth's nine Planetary Boundaries, exploring the science behind the metrics as well as aspirations for the project's future in guiding us back toward a safe operating space for Earth.

How could a real-time assessment of the health of our planetary home help us prioritize taking care of it? What are we able to measure, and what do we still need to learn to best inform our policies and actions for the future? What would it take for each of us to act as Planetary Guardians to safeguard our planetary home before it’s too late?

About Kari Stoever:

Kari Stoever is a seasoned social entrepreneur and strategist with extensive experience in global health, development, international relations, and planetary health. She has led pivotal global initiatives, including contributions to four U.S. Presidential programs. Her work focuses on strategy, policy advocacy, resource mobilization, and systems change, with a passion for building partnerships that drive global improvements for the common good.

Currently, Kari collaborates with Johan Rockström and the Planetary Guardians on the Planetary Health Check (PHC), an innovative system that uses satellite data and AI to monitor Earth's health. As a doctorate student at Georgetown University, she is focused on studying interconnectedness and systems change in the context of the polycrisis—the systemic interrelationships among global challenges—drawing from Ubuntu philosophy, deep ecology, and evolutionary consciousness.

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(Recorded October 7, 2024)

In a polarized and fractured society, those who draw attention to the ecological devastation wrought by human activities, and those who champion the importance of protecting non-human life, increasingly face the label of being ‘anti-human.’ In this Frankly, Nate reads a poem he wrote 20 years ago this month “The Lament of the Bigfoot” which highlights the disproportionate role humans have on the ecosystems they inhabit and reflects on how his attitudes have both changed and stayed the same 20 years on.

Yes, the scale of the human enterprise has resulted in unprecedented harm to Earth’s biosphere. But separate from - and indeed as a result of - our past decisions, it is our actions today that will steer the future. Imagine how different that future might look if humanity harnessed its ingenuity and innovation to become active contributors, embedded within the web of life.

Is it possible to overcome 'the agenda of the gene'? And if so: how? And when? In what ways could humans actively enhance ecosystems by creating, rather than appropriating, biological productivity? And how might we reframe cultural and economic incentives to accelerate the shift towards an ecological civilization? Big open questions.

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(Conversation recorded on September 5th, 2024)

The deeper we dive into the complexity of the metacrisis, the more it becomes apparent that the changes we desire in our communities, governments, and societies must start with individual mindsets and behaviors. But what practices can help us cultivate this shift in consciousness?

Today, Nate talks with Erik Fernholm about The Inner Development Goals, a framework designed to foster the skills and capacities needed to tackle the existential challenges we face. Erik unpacks the nuance and complexities of creating such a massive project, and discusses how he’s used them in his own life to foster personal change.

How can we shift from dominant societal values, like individualism, towards ones rooted in complexity and contextual awareness? Why is it important to share these journeys of personal development and grow together as communities? How can each of us make inner changes in our own lives to reflect a more interdependent and resilient outer world?

About Erik Fernholm:

Erik Fernholm is a father, an award winning global speaker and bridge builder. Through his background in cognitive neuroscience and happiness research, he has spent the past 15 years exploring which fundamental shifts in relationships, skills, and worldviews are needed for us to become sustainable and generative at an individual and collective level. Erik's work mainly focuses on communicating the link between inner development and outer change as well as creating spaces for it to unfold.

Erik is the co-founder of The Inner Development Goals, a communication framework mapping what inner shifts are needed to reach the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, implemented in corporations, governments and through its 750 hubs globally. Erik is the Chair of the Ekskäret Foundation where he co-founded the 29k Foundation/Aware platform, which has scaled inner development processes to over 100,000 people in 160 countries.

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(Conversation recorded on August 6th, 2024)

The damaging effects of humanity’s disconnected relationship to Earth’s ecosystems are broad and deep. Yet, despite targeted efforts to address these issues and mitigate risks, our insatiable appetite for fossil hydrocarbons continues to grow at an alarming rate. What will it take to reframe our relationship with nature to move forward in a symbiotic, life-supporting path?

In this episode, Nate is joined by longtime colleagues Tom Murphy and D.J. White for an in-depth exploration of the mounting ecological crises driven by human behavior and unsustainable energy consumption. Together, they offer both scientific insights and personal reflections on trends such as the rapid decline in wild animal populations, the rise of microplastic pollution, the overwhelming scale of human-built mass, and many other facets of this unparalleled time in human history.

Why is it so difficult for society to recognize the scale of ecological destruction, and what needs to change to raise awareness? In what ways is academia struggling to provide the systems understanding we need to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time? How could recognizing our kinship with all living beings reshape our relationship with the planet?

About Tom Murphy:

Tom Murphy is a Professor of Physics at the University of California San Diego and is the Associate Director of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences. He is also the author of Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, and continues to write regularly on the challenges associated with long-term human success through his blog Do The Math.

About DJ White:

DJ White is a co-founder of Greenpeace International and founder of EarthTrust. He has played a leading role in protecting dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and countless other marine animals, including successfully stopping a national dolphin drive kill, and breaking the deadlock in capping the Kuwait oil fires. He was the driving force behind the transition to more dolphin-friendly tuna as well as stopping widespread use of ocean drift nets in the 1980s.

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