This is a special edition of conscient roundtable featuring Aaron Lui-Rosenbaum, Barry Truax, Jacek Smolicki (for more on Jacek’s work also see conscient e113 part 1 and e133 part 2)  Kathy Kennedy, Lindsey French, Natalie Dusek, Sabine Breitsameter (all see conscient e175) Vincent Andrisani and myself. We are part of the Sonic Research Group out of Simon Fraser University (for more from this group see episodes 157 and 170). This time our topic was ‘low technology’ or low tech in the sense of what do we do when we have less energy and technology, which is coming and how does it relate to our field of acoustic ecology. Being a research group, we pondered 3 questions :  

1. How can we continue our work in acoustic ecology in a world with less energy and in perpetual crisis, including the climate emergency, the depletion of non-renewable resources, loss of biodiversity and so on ?
2. What role can artistic practice in acoustic ecology play in the transition towards sustainability? 
3. What steps can we take now to prepare a better future for generations of acoustic ecologists to come? 

The group shared some convincing answers and some new questions. You’ll find a set of resource links in the episode now (below). 

Resource List

• AI's impact on energy and water usage
• Alexis Zeigler –  Living Without Fossil Fuels: How Living Energy Farm Created a Comfortable Off-Grid Lifestyle
• climate amnesia : canada’s cultural moment and the climate emergency are one and the same
• Decomposed : The Political Ecology of Music
• How to Build a Low-tech Internet
• Music, Soundscape and Acoustic Sustainability
• Peter Strack – 2000-Watt Society: The Realities of Living a Lower Energy Lifestyle
• Regenerative Energy Communities
• Sun Thinking
• Trapped by Industrialism: Civilization's Daily Resource Demands

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). 

It’s my way to give back.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on July 8, 2025