Ashes Ashes

Episode 48 - "Black Ballot Box" Of all Western Democracies, the US is ranked last in terms of free and fair elections (52nd worldwide). On top of the political reasons for that, our election systems (voting machines; registration lists; centralized election management systems; reporting sites) are all vulnerable and easy to hack. Audits on these systems rarely ever occur. In a broken system like this, what does political participation mean? The solutions to these problems are right in front of our eyes, but when those who write the rules come to power through the very system we need to fix, can we ever hope to implement them? Chapters 02:25 Our least favorite Gerry 06:30 The annual purge 14:12 The founding fathers would be proud 26:44 The scary part 31:04 Voting machines we use 41:38 Not just voting machines 49:45 Will the internet save us? 54:56 How do we go forward? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more i

Episode 47 - "painKiller" The final part of our American healthcare series, painKiller brings together everything we've learned the past two weeks and beyond in Ashes Ashes to explore how the opioid crisis was created and how it is perpetuated to fulfill a single ultimate goal: profit. Pharmaceutical companies, the insurance industry, hospitals, doctors, and politicians - all which ostensibly exist to serve the public have instead mostly contributed to our modern day hellscape of pain, addiction, and increasingly death. This isn't a show about how the end of the world is looming, this is a look at the ugly truth of collapse affecting people all around us right now. Chapters 4:40 Pharma companies create misuse 11:25 Pill Mills 13:42 The modern day problem 19:09 Chronic pain 24:18 Physician frustration 30:16 Making sense of it all 43:21 What can we do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along w

Episode 46 - "Pill of Sale" Drug prices, shortages, and barriers to access are out of control, prompting hospitals to join forces to make their own, and spurring the emergence of inventors hoping to chart a future in which life-saving drugs can be made cheaply at home. To lock in high prices, drugmakers have learned to game the American patent system to extend their monopolies, and block generic alternatives for essential medicines. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies have for years withheld data from important clinical trials, skewed the data that is published, and put the health and safety of clinical trial participants at risk. In this episode, we will examine these trends, as well as the historical quirks of drug approval in the United States that have led us down this sick path. Chapters 01:51 Drug prices out of control 08:08 Case story: Inhalers 10:38 The process of drug approval 14:41 American drug patent system and the games companies play 20:23 Behind the scenes: clinical trial results manipu

Episode 45 - "Bill of Health" American healthcare is taking a toll on America's health. Costs outpace economic growth, medical debt plagues millions, confusing and surprising bills infect further more, insurance premiums and deductibles are out of control, and at the end of the day we're not even receiving better care as a result of all this change. In part one of a three part series, we will hear three personal stories as we try and make sense of where American healthcare went wrong - and how we can get it back on track. Chapters 06:31 Juanne from Ontario 11:44 Insurance and surprise charges 17:55 Insurance's humble origins 20:06 Insurance competition raises costs 24:40 Hospitals flex their power 32:44 Joel from DC 37:11 American medical coding oddity 48:24 Emergency service private equity 53:07 "Residency and training, or free labor?" 56:29 Matt from Nashville 1:03:57 What can we do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes

Episode 44 - "Do Not Disturb" The world is waking up to the negative health consequences of noise pollution. The WHO recognizes noise as a health crisis, and the number of places around the world not devastated by human noise is rapidly depleting. But the problems posed by our traffic noise, our airplane noise, and other anthropogenic intrusions go much deeper than the long list of human health effects like stroke, heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems, and increased general mortality. The natural world organizes itself in large part through sound. Our noise disrupts these delicate systems, breaks down ecosystems, and drives species into confusion, disarray, and death. Bernie Krause joins us to help illuminate the complexity of natural soundscapes, and the threats to their stability. Can we relearn how to listen before it's too late? Chapters 06:22 Bernie Krause 08:56 Components of a Soundscape 11:29 Niche Hypothesis 13:02 What are ways animals vocalize to survive? 14:52 The sound of habitat

Episode 43 - "FUBAR" The military exists to engage in seemingly endless war, but the damage doesn't stop during peace time. For decades, the US military (and many others around the world) has been systematically destroying the Earth and the very nations they're sworn to protect. Disregard for the natural world and those that inhabit it has resulted in the US military becoming the largest single polluter in the world, destroying large swaths of land, and poisoning foreigners and Americans alike. Can this machine be stopped? Additionally, this week we're joined by activist and journalist Sophia Perez for a special interview on the military's plans to destroy islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands - plans we're running out of time to stop. Chapters 01:57 Around the World 10:21 Sophia Perez 12:08 CNMI 15:36 Original Bargain 17:42 How does the military sell this idea? 21:10 Natural Connection 26:09 Alternative Zero Coalition 27:35 NEPA 30:25 Resistance 35:30 What can we learn from the Mar

Episode 42 - "No Catch" The peak of our industrial fishing returns has come and gone, despite a myriad of innovations. In fact, these very innovations may be driving food insecurity even deeper. As fish stocks decline, new methods of extraction are trained on ever-dwindling fish populations to prop up an unsustainable system, leaving vulnerable communities all over the world in their destructive wake. Ironic, since the communities we are leaving behind may ultimately hold the secrets to regional food security. Can we find a life vest to weather the coming tsunami of international food crises? Or will we simply trawl our way to the bottom? Chapters 02:30 The Cod War 15:54 Industrial High Seas Fishing 21:54 The Wondyrechaun 31:51 The Importance of Small-Scale Fisheries 35:42 Fish are food not friends 39:18 Food Production Through Theft 41:37 "As Always, Climate Gets the Final Word" 45:01 What Can We Do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our web

Episode 41 - "Dead Tired" Despite a plethora of health benefits that sleep promotes, and a host of dramatic consequences when we neglect it, the world is rapidly trending towards fewer and fewer restful hours. 40% of Americans are sleep deprived and on average we get 2 hours less sleep than just a few decades ago. What has driven this change? Can we survive the consequences of those decisions? Chapters 04:07 Benefits of Sleep 10:56 Consequences of Sleep Loss 19:57 Sleep Variations 28:41 Demands of Modern Life 43:53 Circadian Disruption 52:10 Sleep Denied 54:45 What can we do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 40 - "Land of the Free" Never have as many people been locked up than right now, here in the United States. The US has more prisoners per capita than anywhere else on the planet and that number continues to climb at a terrifying rate. Once within the prison system, inmates are abused and exploited out of sight and out of mind of the rest of the population. With these crimes against humanity growing ever greater and the impossible to ignore racial disparity continuing to get worse, it's time we take a critical look at our prison system and the monster we've all created. This episode is dedicated to the prisoners currently on strike across the United States who just want to be treated with the humanity that all of us deserve. Chapters 3:49 Nothing New 11:42 Prisons in America Today 15:57 Prison Labor Today 27:42 What sparked the strike? 28:53 Forced riots 32:54 All demands matter 38:28 What can we do on the outside? 42:38 Language 45:18 Risks higher for some 46:36 How large is this prison strike? 5

Episode 39 - "Impact of Growth" From the ancient philosophers, to modern day scientists, much has been said about the relationship between human population growth and its effects on environmental destruction, famine, and death. Modern policy makers and political leaders have taken inspiration from these debates to craft initiatives aimed at curbing population, but through these efforts a host of human rights abuses have emerged worldwide. With millions of people left in the wake of forced sterilization and other population control programs, we are compelled to ask: what role, ultimately, does population play in a rapidly deteriorating world? Chapters 00:55 A Little History 13:43 Ecology and Systems 27:56 Modern Population Control 36:38 The Wrong Question 55:51 Structural Change or Nothing 1:00:44 Who Gets the Last Laugh? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on

Episode 38 - "Dead Air" Despite efforts to develop cleaner technology, air pollution remains quite possible the world's greatest killer. New reports by the WHO put the annual deaths around 7 million, with 90% of the global population breathing dangerous air. Air pollution itself is an amalgam of particles with different sizes and chemical properties, and so the health impacts of polluted air are complex and encompass a diversity of chronic illnesses, cognitive dysfunction, infectious disease, and more. The implications of this health crisis are not fully understood, but the costs are widespread, and rising. Worse, addressing this problem seems to lead us into a classic catch-22. Can we afford to ignore this problem anymore? Can we afford not to? Chapters 02:43 Magnitude of Air Pollution by Deaths 04:32 What is Air Pollution? 08:14 Hazy Places 10:30 Sources of Air Pollution 21:50 Does Progress Outweigh the Cost? 29:13 Health Impacts of Air Pollution 49:30 Catch-22 57:23 What Can We Do? A full transcri

Episode 37 - "Logistics Of Slavery (Part 2 of 2)" Last week we explored some of the conditions of the record number of slaves all across our world today. But to really understand the issue, we need to look at the systems that create and depend upon this cheap form of exploited labor - and to do that we turn our conversation to logistics. No other force has reshaped our world as much as modern day logistics. From it's humble beginnings with the shipping container to redefining national security and our very political borders today, the massive power of shipping goods from A to B has dramatically changed the world - often for worse. This week we explore some of the effects of this force and the workers that get caught up in the process. Chapters 00:19 Paris Transforms 05:00 Military and Logistics 07:37 Logistics Transforms the World 14:45 Flags of Convenience 17:36 Cruise of Convenience 22:22 Speeding Up Goods and Death 24:53 Driving Faster Logistics 41:25 Security of Logistics 55:42 Workers are Threats 59

Episode 36 - "Slaves to Progress (Part 1 of 2)" Despite universal condemnation of slavery, there are more slaves than ever before. They are cheaper (and more disposable) than they ever have been. Who are these people toiling without rest and what forces bind them? Can economic expansion find innovative solutions to this age-old problem? Or is slavery itself built into the foundation of our modern economy? We will explore these questions and more, as well as the connections between slavery and environmental destruction, migration, and the products we consume daily. This is the first of a two part series. Chapters 03:19 Pirates 07:42 Slaves by the Numbers 12:04 Diversity of Products 14:33 The "Third World" and the Environment 21:03 Vicious Cycle 23:10 Global Demand; Local Conflict 24:33 Conflict Mineral Supply Chain 28:55 Debt Path to Slavery 33:28 Malaysia 37:53 Vulnerability through Migration 39:56 Seafood 48:00 What are Rights? 55:28 Benevolence of Jobs? 57:49 Thinking in Aggregates A full transcrip

Episode 35 - "Plugged In" What compels people to throw their money away at a slot machine? In short: design. The design that goes into making a slot machine addicting is deliberate and effective, but restrained in some part by regulation. But what happens when the same tools used to addict people to losing money are released unfettered into products and services we interact with every day, constantly? And how might these tools evolve when aided by artificial intelligence that can customize design for each individual without their consent or awareness? Is such a thing even plausible? Join us as we explore these questions and much, much more. Chapters 03:16 The Slot Machine 07:31 Time on Phone Numbers 10:24 Addicting by Design 28:00 Notifications 33:40 Business of Addiction 43:09 The Illusion of Choice 56:23 The Children 01:00:22 Going Forward? 01:04:38 Practical Tips and Tricks A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. F

Episode 34 - "Irreplaceable" The expansion of human beings is perhaps unrivaled by any other species. Yet that success threatens to be our downfall. As civilization grows, the wildlife that enables it gets pushed out, and valuable ecosystems are stressed to their breaking point. Worse still, the destruction of biodiversity means the keys that could unlock a path forward for life are lost forever. How much time do we have to halt the sixth mass extinction before we too drown in its wake? The answer is much, much shorter than you think. Chapters 05:40 Human Beings and Our Place on Earth 09:17 Defining the Anthropocene 11:19 The 6th Extinction 18:38 The Greatest Threat? 21:50 Global Changes are Cyclical? 26:08 Ecosystems and their Services 29:55 Biodiversity 36:30 In Crisis: Insects 48:09 Our Gardens 59:51 History of Lawns 1:07:13 Normalized to Catastrophe 1:09:05 Crisis: Amphibians 1:12:55 In Crisis: Birds 1:18:12 What Can We Do? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus

Episode 33 - "All Rights Reserved" Ideas have become property. This is the magic spell that intellectual property has cast across our society. Innovation, art, new ideas, and even our culture can be locked behind the restrictions of the law, protected by armies of lawyers, devastating fines, and the full power of the justice system. This system is built for and run predominantly by publishers, not the creators it purports to support - and we all suffer from it. How did we get here? Where did we go astray and lose control of the very act of creation that defines what it is to be human? This week we explore the foundations of intellectual property, the effects it has had on our history and our current day, times and places where IP is lacking and creativity flourishes, and finally we share our hope for a better future. This is the most expensive Ashes Ashes show ever and we hope you enjoy and share freely. Chapters 01:43 $1 Billion 04:05 A Brief History 07:17 Printing Press 13:30 Statute of Anne 20:31 Fra

Episode 32 - "For Better or For Worse 2" This week we explore updates to many of the subjects we've tackled so far. Guest host Moriah King joins us as we discuss our biggest fears, as well as updates in government surveillance, water insecurity, automation, financial crises, and so much more. Strap in: it's a few months of bad news all at once (with a little good news and a whole lot of analysis thrown in), but as always we hope you'll be as motivated by these stories as we are to start working towards something better. Chapters 03:50 Moriah's Fear 09:59 Walls 13:58 Government Surveillance 30:31 Tracking Children's Faces 37:46 Automation 40:28 Debt 45:15 "Plastic, Walls, and Trade" 51:30 Heat 54:45 Water 1:07:11 Wet and Dry 1:10:27 Wildfires 1:13:28 Pensions 1:14:29 Infrastructure 1:19:10 For Better? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social

Episode 31 - "No Entry" Rescue ships denied; children detained far away from parents; smugglers profiting to the tune of hundreds of millions. As crises across the globe drive people from their homes, the nations of the world are stepping up border security and building walls like never before in human history. While walls purport to increase security and halt unwanted people and activities, a closer inspection reveals something entirely different. In the first of a series exploring the ins and outs of borders, we examine the paradoxes that exist on the margins of the walls that define our nations today. This is a world desperate to resist the powerful forces of climate change and economic collapse (events we directly caused) - and failing miserably. Walls, borders, immigration, what it means to be a human in a global age, and so much more this week in Ashes Ashes. Chapters 02:29 Modern Border Walls 06:37 Paradoxes of Modern Walls 09:00 US-Mexico Border 14:11 Walls Stop Crime and Drugs? 29:39 Dangers an

Episode 30 - "Parched" As always, the world is facing a crisis. This week we explore the exploding problem of water access as large swaths of the world find themselves drying out risking agriculture, industry, and the very water we drink. By 2020, 100 million Indians will find themselves without water - and this is just the beginning of what might be the largest disaster in human history. Can states prepare themselves for the coming hordes of water refugees? Can civilization survive water hungry industrial agriculture as climate change reshapes where rain falls? Can we act as sustainable stewards of our shared water resources? Or is it all too little, too late? Chapters 4:26 Climate Contribution to Water Stress 7:40 Current Victims of Water Stress 9:52 Day Zero 13:35 India 19:52 Irrigation vs Drinking Water 21:43 "Migrants, Borders, and Conflict" 27:48 Ethiopia and African Tension 32:38 Business of Water 37:44 Infrastructure and Cost 39:45 Australia Reacts to Water Scarcity 41:55 Need for Systems Thinkin

Episode 29 - "War Machine" International calls to ban autonomous weapon systems have done little to slow the escalating arms race between nations to acquire weapons of the so called third revolution in warfare - or simply "killer robots." The intersection of AI, deep learning, and lethal weaponry presents a future of war unlike any the world has ever seen. In the crosshairs of this new frontier of violence we find moral accountability, the ethics of killing, and of course the comforting lullaby that we have any meaningful control over our world. What will war become when all the warriors are replaced by weapons that "think" but do not feel? Listen in this week to find out. 5:10 Arms Race for LAWS 8:28 Autonomous Weapons: This Time It's Different 15:47 Calling for a Ban 28:46 Robot Dystopian Future #1 32:03 Is Technology Just a Tool? 39:30 Robot Dystopian Future #2 42:22 War Business and Following Orders 47:12 Robot Dystopian Future #3 55:46 Robot Overlords 58:31 Sitting on a Man 1:01:14 Culture that Outpa