DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Tom van Dooren, a field philosopher and writer whose work explores the philosophical, ethical, and cultural issues surrounding species extinction and human entanglements with threatened species. He discusses the unique roles snails play in ecosystems and the significance of the loss of two-thirds of Hawaiian land snail species.
Van Dooren highlights the importance of understanding animal cultures and the impact of their loss on indigenous communities. He examines the complexities surrounding conservation efforts, such as captive breeding programs, and the challenges of reintroducing species into environments that have changed significantly since their endangerment or extinction.
The conversation delves into acts of resistance and solidarity between indigenous peoples, scientists, and activists to protect lands and species from destruction caused by military activities and other threats. Van Dooren emphasizes the need for a holistic, biocultural approach to conservation that acknowledges the interconnectedness of human and non-human cultures.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Understanding animal cultures and their loss is crucial for effective conservation efforts.
- Captive breeding programs and de-extinction projects raise ethical concerns and may prioritize technological ambitions over genuine ecological restoration.
- Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by biodiversity loss, and their cultural connections to species should be recognized in conservation efforts.
- Conservation practices must acknowledge the interconnectedness of human and non-human cultures and adopt a holistic, biocultural approach.
- Acts of resistance and solidarity between indigenous peoples, scientists, and activists are crucial for protecting threatened species and their habitats.
- The framing of conservation problems can limit or expand the range of possible solutions, necessitating a nuanced and contextual understanding.
- Channeling creativity and passion towards positive change is vital for achieving sustainable and life-affirming transformation.
- Conservation efforts must address the historical and ongoing processes of colonization, militarization, and globalization that contribute to species loss.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “One of the things I think is most fascinating about it is just why this restorative work needs to be done in the first place. How did we ever arrive at such a silly notion of animal life that we would have bracketed out all of these complex processes of learning and sociality, but we did, or at least dominant conservation practices did.“ by Tom van Dooren
- “Rather than seeing that as a guilty pleasure, whatever it is that inspires your creativity and passion, I think in the midst of so much crisis, we can sometimes do that to find ways to channel it towards change. I think that's where really life affirming long term change is going to come from.“ by Tom van Dooren
- “And yet, in the midst of all this, there's this group of people trying to connect and reconnect with this valley and have this cultural visit. It's a really strange situation.“ by Tom van Dooren
- “So I got obviously very interested in that, but also interested in particular in the work that the snails had done in that, and how this kind of solidarity with snails and with the power of the endangered Species Species act to halt the us military in interesting ways, how the malamaku had been able to operationalise some of those laws where indigenous people weren't protected by law, but endangered species were in more significant ways.“ by Tom van Dooren
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Episode Information
Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration
Kamea Chayne
12/20/22
In this episode, we welcome Thom van Dooren, a field philosopher and writer. Thom is Deputy Director at the Sydney Environment Institute and teaches at the University of Sydney and the University of Oslo. His current research and writing focus on some of the many philosophical, ethical, cultural, and political issues that arise in the context of species extinctions and human entanglements with threatened species and places. This research works across the disciplines of cultural studies, philosophy, science and technology studies, and related fields.
He has explored these themes in depth in three books: Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction (Columbia University Press, 2014), The Wake of Crows: Living and Dying in Shared Worlds (Columbia University Press, 2019), and A World in a Shell: Snail Stories for a Time of Extinctions (MIT Press, 2022).
(The musical offering featured in this episode Hummingbird by Lea Thomas. The episode-inspired artwork is by Haruka Aoki.)
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