Earthgauge Radio October 4 2012: James Kunstler, Fast for Climate Justice and the new “Passive House” in Wakefield
On Earthgauge Radio this week, we’re talking about techno-optimism, fasting for climate justice and energy efficient buildings. I have 3 interviews for you on today’s show:
- Novelist and critic James Howard Kunstler talks about his latest book ‘Too Much Magic’ in which he argues that our faith in technology to solve our environmental problems is delusional and is preventing us from finding real solutions.
- Lynn Adamson of Hungry of Climate Leadership discusses the recently concluded 12-day fast for climate justice on Parliament Hill
- Stephen Magneron of Homesol Building Solutions talks about the incredibly energy efficient, “Passive House” Special Events Centre under construction at Le Belvedere in Wakefield, Quebec
Click the audio player above to stream the show or right click here to download.
It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to James Kunstler this week about his latest book Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation. Kunstler is well-known author and critic who has made his name in books such as The Geography of Nowhere and The Long Emergency, in which he has ranted against strip malls, fast food, and argued persuasively that the decline of cheap oil will bring an end to civilized life as we know it. In Too Much Magic, Kunstler takes aim at the idea that our technologically sophisticated civilization will come up with a solution to all the problems we face, from the end of cheap oil to the arrival of extreme climate change. We have part 1 of an exclusive Earthgauge interview with James Kunstler on today’s show. Part 2 of the interview will be posted here soon and will be broadcast on the October 18 edition of Earthgauge Radio on CKCU.
Click the audio player to hear the James Kunstler interview or right click here to download:
Also on the show today, we check in Lynn Adamson of Hungry for Climate Leadership. She was part of a Fast and Vigil for Climate Justice on Parliament Hill that just wrapped up this week so I talk with Lynn about how things went.
We also speak with Stephen Magneron of Homesol Building Solutions about the incredibly energy efficient, “Passive House” Special Events Centre under construction at Le Belvedere in Wakefield, Quebec. With a target of being North America’s largest commercial Passive House (Passiv Haus) building, the Centre will be nearly six times the size of an average North American new home yet its annual electric heating bill is expected to be less than $600.
As usual we catch up with with Ecology Ottawa about local environmental events and campaigns going on around town. You can find more information about these events on their website www.ecologyottawa.ca.
Earthgauge Radio is broadcast every Thursday at 7:00 AM on CKCU FM. Our Facebook address is facebook.com/EarthgaugeRadio and you can contact me at earthgaugeradio ‘at’ gmail.com if you have comments or suggestions for a future show. Podcasts on iTunes and the twitter handle is @earthgaugeCA so get in touch and let me know what you think about what you’re hearing!
