Things are heating up in this episode of Non-Toxic. I'm talking to Clare Boerigter, a fire research fellow, science writer, and former wildland firefighter who has been on the front lines of America's increasingly out of control wildfires. Clare shares stories from her three seasons fighting fires, the impact of climate change on wildfires, and the challenges faced by women in the firefighting community. We also explore the science of fire behavior, human encroachment on places likely to burn, and the problem with trying to prevent all wildfires. And Clare generously shares an except from her forthcoming memoir from Beacon Press, Wild Light: Notes from the Safest, Most Dangerous Places.

Further Reading:

The age of the “megafire”

Women fighting forest fires say abuse is rife – but men often go unpunished

How to Save a Forest by Burning It

Wildfires Will Put $11 Billion Worth of U.S. Property at Risk Every Year by 2050

Damage from sprawling Prospect Park brush fire may take years to repair, officials say

In this episode of Non-Toxic, I dive into the world of extreme muscularity with Dr Roberto Olivardia, a researcher and clinician who helped coin the term “muscle dysmorphia.” Dr Olivardia charts the rise of muscle dysmorphia among men and his own journey into studying eating disorders and OCD through the lens of masculinity.

His book, The Adonis Complex, came out in 2000, and we look back at how body image issues among men have evolved from the 1970s to the present day. While social media and steroid use have accelerated the problem, Dr. Olivardia isn’t so sure they’re the only reasons why so many are struggling with this condition. And finally, we look at the challenges faced by those affected, and what options are available for treatment.

This episode is part of the Non-Toxic Performative Male Book Club. It’s a series of all the author interviews I’ve done over the years, featuring some of the smartest writers, journalists, and academics I know. If you’re into Non-Toxic book coverage, click on any epsiode with the tag “Performative Male Book Club” to find more good books for guys who read, or pretend to.

⁠Bluecorn Candles⁠ is sponsoring our third season. Use the code: NonToxic20 for 20% off your first order.

And if you want to keep the show going, consider becoming a subscriber today.

In this election special, we're diving deep into the not so surprising rightward shift among young men. Our guest, Shauna Daly, co-founder of the Young Men Research Initiative and a seasoned Democratic campaign operative, provides insights into why many young men turned to Trump in 2024.

We explore the widening gender gap, the unique media consumption habits of young men, and the broader implications for the Democratic Party. From the rise of podcasts like Joe Rogan's to the underlying issues men face in America, this conversation is packed with critical analysis and future strategies. Tune in for an in-depth look at the shifting political landscape and what it means for upcoming elections (assuming there are any).

If you liked this episode, you can ⁠support Non-Toxic via our Patreon.⁠ ⁠And don't forget to sign up for the ⁠Non-Toxic Newsletter on Substack⁠.

⁠Bluecorn Candles⁠ is sponsoring our third season. Use the code: NonToxic20 for 20% off your first order.

How Barron Trump Connected His Father to the Manosphere

Why Democrats won't build their own Joe Rogan

In this episode of Non-Toxic, we’re talking with beauty critic Jessica DeFino about the evolving culture of male beauty standards. Jessica DeFino is an award-winning beauty reporter whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and more. A former editor for the Kardashian-Jenner apps, she now writes the newsletter Fleshworld and has been called “the woman the beauty industry fears the most” by the Sunday Herald. From the rise of the metrosexual to the booming trend for unisex products to the intricacies of hair plugs, we explore how the beauty industry is making money by shifting beauty norms to include men.

Non-Toxic Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this episode of Non-Toxic, we're traumatizing our egos in nature's vastness and exploring the roots of the term "toxic masculinity" in the mythopoetic men's movement. Through a conversation with Ian MacKenzie, host of The Mythic Masculine Podcast, we delve into the history, core concepts, and key figures of that largely forgotten (yet hugely influential) moment. We also examine how the mythopoets reacted to second-wave feminism, and how the current incarnation of Men's Work has been influenced by the #MeToo movement.

Whether you’ve been to a Sacred Sons convergence or prefer your psychodramas to take place on a therapist’s couch, (or you avoid reflection all together by doing cold plunges with your bros) this episode offers some intriguing connections between a “self help” community and the future of our planet.

If you liked this episode, you can ⁠support Non-Toxic via our Patreon.⁠ ⁠And don't forget to sign up for the ⁠Non-Toxic Newsletter on Substack⁠.

⁠Bluecorn Candles⁠ is sponsoring our third season. Use the code: NonToxic20 for 20% off your first order.

Further reading:

⁠My article ⁠on the history of the term toxic masculinity

Ian's free webinar on Men's Work.

A 1990 interview with poet and author of Iron John, Robert Bly.

The ManKind Project

Sacred Sons

In episode 1 of Season 3, I talk to one of the main figures responsible for the spread of the term “toxic masculinity,” Dr Terry Kupers, an academic, psychiatrist, expert witness, and former doctor for the LA chapter of the Black Panthers. (He’s led quite the life.)

Terry’s research on the violent conditions he saw in US prisons helped spread the term “toxic masculinity” beyond its hippie origins (more on those origins later this season). While I was only able to include a few quotes from him in a recent article I wrote for GQ, I knew I wanted to share his story at greater length.

If you liked this episode, you can support Non-toxic via our Patreon.⁠ And don't forget to sign up for the Non-toxic Newsletter on Substack.

⁠⁠Bluecorn Candles⁠⁠ is sponsoring our third season. Use the code: NonToxic20 for 20% off your first order.

Further reading:

My article on the history of the term toxic masculinity

“Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prisons,” by Dr Terry Kupers that helped popularize the term.

A recent New York Times article on solitary confinement in Rikers that quotes Dr. Kupers.

Climate change and extreme heat are making prisons even more miserable and dangerous.

This week we have a special Earth Day bonus episode. The intrepid producer of our show, Andrew Lewis, is reporting from the Society for Environmental Journalists. Andrew gives us an update on Money Island, the community at the center of his first book, who refused to sell their land to a New Jersey flood program.

He also shares so very interesting polling data for the 2024 election that came out during SEJ. Apparently there are hundreds of thousands of self-declared evironmentalists who have never voted, and perhaps as many young conservatives who say climate change is one of their main priorities. Will climate voters decide the future of democracy in 2024? Probably not, but when the margin is a only a few thousand votes, every one counts.

As always, Non-Toxic is supported with the help of our listeners. And we need your support now more than ever. Sign up to become a supporter today. We're already planning season three, so keep you ear to the ground for more news from Non-Toxic!

For this bonus episode of Non-toxic, we're catching up with our producer, Andrew, and taking calls from our loyal listeners while dispensing poorly thought out advice. From how to get your brother-in-law to stop watching Formula 1 to the climate impact of AI, we are covering a lot of ground this week, and hopefully, helping you live a little less toxically.

To thank these callers, we're asking listeners to head over to our Patreon to vote on your favorite question. Whoever wins this poll will receive a free Non-toxic T-shirt. Vote for your favorite here.

And if you'd like to support Non-toxic, you can go to our Patreon and smash that subscribe button.

Links:

F1's path to sustainability is ⁠"a journey"

10 ways to reduce plastic in laboratories, according to University College London

Despite Google exec claims, ⁠AI likely to increase energy use⁠ and accelerate climate misinformation

A Tory journalist went on a $4000 mushroom retreat in the Netherlands, and all she got was an awareness of life's beauty and fragility

In the Season 2 finale of Non-toxic we're talking with barrister Paul Powlesland about the universal right to enjoy natural places, despite what landowners may tell you. He's the legal counsel for the activist group Right to Roam, who are pushing for greater access to England and Wale's wild places and the end of restrictions on hikers and walkers (within reason). The more time people spend in nature, Paul argues, the more they care about it. Which is critical when it comes to building the political will to fight climate change.

And because fixing the damage we've already done to the planet is the job of a lifetime, Paul has got some interesting ideas about how to tap into a more positive vision of masculinity that also repairs the planet. Why brag to your date about a fancy car when you can tell them how lush you've made the bird habitat in your garden. (Something to listen to in the morning?) And when you're with your buddies, you could be challenging them with a friendly "Do you even plant, bro?"

⁠⁠Support Non-toxic today.

Sign up to join Right to Roam

And pick up a copy of Wild Service

Bio:

Paul Powlesland is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers. He specialises in upholding the rights of environmental activists to protest and protect the natural world, and uses environmental law and regulations to defend trees, rivers and wildlife. Paul is the legal counsel for Right to Roam and co-founder of Lawyers for Nature, and regularly gives talks and workshops on the rights of nature, the relationship between the law and the natural world and what barristers and other lawyers should do in a time of climate and ecological emergency. As a boat-dweller for many years, he is also determined to protect the rights of boaters and other Traveller groups.

Where does your crazy climate-denying uncle come up with those outlandish talking points that he trots out at Thanksgiving or Christmas? Things like: “Wind turbines cause autism!”

Whatever he's saying probably isn't something he made up on his own. In all likelihood, he's been watching too much YouTube, the source of an alarming amount of climate disinformation. But it’s not just the volume of climate disinformation that’s changing on Youtube, it’s also the specific talking points that people use to undermine public understanding.

As Callum Hood from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate explorers in a new paper, there are really two eras of climate denial: Old denial, which is the head in the sand, "climate change isn't happening” or “climate change isn't caused by humans” versus something a lot more pernicious and harder to combat. New denial. In this conversation, we get into how it is that climate deniers changed their tactics, what external conditions they are are responding to, why manosphere influencers are becoming climate deniers, as well as the financial incentives for spreading this stuff. And of course, there’s the role that tech platforms have in profiting from or combating climate disinformation.

⁠⁠Support Non-toxic today.

For our earlier conversation with Callum on incels and alphas, listen to Season 1: Episode 1.

Links:

Listen to our previous episode with Callum on the myth of the "alpha" and incels

Read the CCDH’s report on online climate denial.

The Heartland Institute’s own leaked internal memos admit they’re climate deniers.

How Jordan Peterson generates millions of Youtube hits for climate deniers