Upstream

How to Fall in Love with the Future w/ Rob Hopkins


Listen Later

If you look around at the state of the world—and the despair that comes with the reality of climate change, fascism spreading its tentacles around the world, the ethnic cleansing of Gaza—it’s very difficult to feel hope. It begins to feel like the forces of destruction and death have colonized our futures, limiting our dreams and stifling our imaginations. 

It’s in these times specifically that it’s essential we remember that the future, our dreams, our imagination—that these things are political. And that exercising our hope for a just and beautiful future is an important, in fact, crucial political act. Not on its own, of course, but imagining and dreaming fuels our actions and gives soul and spirit to our revolutionary movements. And as the poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote, "The future must enter into you long before it happens." 

Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and the author of several books including The Transition Handbook, From What is to What if, and most recently, How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller's Guide to Changing the World.

In this episode, we explore what it’s like to be a time traveler from Rob’s perspective, how dreams and imagination are powerful tools for driving change, and the role that art and music play in the fight for a better future. We explore examples of communities that have made a claim on the future, from the Afro-futurism and Black Utopianism of jazz musician Sun Ra to the occupation of Waterloo Bridge in London and the pop-up community that arose as a result. And finally, we look at how the future is not just an abstract concept, but something that can be felt, touched, heard, seen, and smelled. 

Further resources:

  • How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveller's Guide to Changing the World, by Rob Hopkins
  • Field Recordings from the Future
  • Crowdfunder: Field Recordings From The Future Immersive Show
  • Sun Ra’s Chicago: Afrofuturism and the City, by William Sites
  • From What If to What Next: 72 - What if we shifted to a not-for-profit economy?

Related episodes:

  • Transition Towns with Rob Hopkins
  • Beer: Crafiting a Better Economy (Documentary)
  • Everyday Utopia and Radical Imagination with Kristen Ghodsee
  • Extinction Rebellion with Gail Bradbrook
  • The Work that Reconnects with Joanna Macy
  • A World Without Profit with Jennifer Hinton
  • Doughnut Economics with Kate Raworth
  • Fully Automated Luxury Communism with Zarinah Agnew and Eric Wycoff Rogers

Intermission music: "A Car-Free Neighbourhood" by Field Recordings for the Future Artwork: Aga Kubish

This episode was produced in collaboration with EcoGather, an experimental educational project focused on heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. EcoGather hosts gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. The EcoGathering for this episode will be held on Friday, June 27th. Find out more at ecogather.ing.

This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support

You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

UpstreamBy Upstream

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

1,786 ratings


More shows like Upstream

View all
Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

Jacobin Radio

1,397 Listeners

The Dig by Daniel Denvir

The Dig

1,535 Listeners

Rev Left Radio by Revolutionary Left Radio

Rev Left Radio

3,258 Listeners

Citations Needed by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson

Citations Needed

3,888 Listeners

The Antifada by Sean KB and AP Andy

The Antifada

927 Listeners

The East is a Podcast by Sina Rahmani (@urorientalist)

The East is a Podcast

320 Listeners

Death Panel by Death Panel

Death Panel

524 Listeners

Red Menace by Red Menace

Red Menace

1,118 Listeners

The Red Nation Podcast by The Red Nation

The Red Nation Podcast

978 Listeners

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker by The Socialist Program

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

529 Listeners

Guerrilla History by Guerrilla History

Guerrilla History

587 Listeners

What's Left of Philosophy by Lillian Cicerchia, Owen Glyn-Williams, Gil Morejón, and William Paris

What's Left of Philosophy

260 Listeners

The Deprogram by JT, Hakim, and Yugopnik

The Deprogram

1,016 Listeners

Colonial Outcasts by Colonial Outcasts

Colonial Outcasts

664 Listeners

The Chris Hedges Report by Chris Hedges

The Chris Hedges Report

259 Listeners