To kick off 2018, we have a special 2-part podcast with Paul Hawken. Paul continues to influence heads of state, CEOs, activists & people from all walks right around the world. He was in Australia for a few weeks in February touring new best-seller 'Drawdown: The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming' & was kind enough to spend some time with Anthony for this in-depth conversation.

This resulted in a special opportunity to explore not just Drawdown (in Part 2, out next week), but also his highly influential life & thinking more generally. We'll also podcast his keynote from the National Sustainable Living Festival from the week prior to this conversation.

Music:
Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.

Gone Clear, by William Tyler off the album Modern Country.

Find more:
Tune into a very special little extra with Paul - A Reading on the Wilderness Within.

Project Drawdown.

Paul's website.

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The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

Here's a little something to spur your mood for change through the festive season - highlights from our soulful and eclectic mix of brilliant guests this year. We've put the lot together for our 12th and final podcast for 2017. You could think of it as our Regenerating Society Soundtrack.​

With thanks for tuning in this year, have a wonderful festive season and we look forward to joining you in many more inspiring transitions in 2018.

Here's the 'track list' for our 2017 soundtrack: 

1. Introductory collation of guest quotes put to our podcast theme music - Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra
2.  John Fullerton (ep 1)
3. Trevor Meier (ep 2)
4. Kate Raworth (ep 3)
5. Michelle Maloney (ep 4)
6. Frank Fisher (ep 5)
7. Tim Costello (ep 6)
8. Bob Costanza (ep 7)
9. John Hewson (ep 8)
10. Frances Jones (ep 9)
11. Amanda Cahill & Ron Ipsen (ep 11)
12. The Hazelwood Song, by local musician & former Latrobe Valley mine-worker, Danny Boothman (ep 11).

Due to licencing restrictions, most of our guests' nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts. 

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The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

This was one of the most compelling dialogues generated out of the Ecocity World Summit in Melbourne recently. A seven-person panel explored a number of powerful stories of transition across regional Victoria, Australia, with themes echoing experiences all over the country and the world. Our seven panelists feature:

• Dr Nick Aberle, Environment Victoria’s Acting CEO at the time (starts at 2 mins 30);
• Wendy Farmer & Ron Ipsen, President & Vice-President of Voices of the Valley, an award-winning community advocacy group that formed during the catastrophic Hazelwood coal mine fire. The fire poisoned over 70,000 residents and contributed to 13 extra deaths across the Latrobe Valley (start at 10 mins);
• Harry & James Troedel, award-winning developers of a regenerative enterprise project, Seacombe West Regeneration Project, in a previously rich farming district that is so degraded it can no longer be farmed (the back story to this is also remarkable) (start at 23 mins 30);
• The prolific Sam Alexander from the University of Melbourne & the Simplicity Institute, whose recent documentary film about his eco-village project has attracted nearly a million views already (starts at 31 mins);
• And the highly respected Amanda Cahill from The Next Economy, with the sort of insider insight that only comes from trusted, long-term engagement with communities, business and authorities (starts at 38 mins)
• Hosted by Anthony James.

Each panelist spoke for 5 minutes each – well, they tried! - before an extensive dialogue with the full house of about 80 people, which itself included esteemed figures like the internationally renowned Professor Katherine Gibson, Dr Dominique Hess, Dan Musil from Earthworker Cooperative, and Josh Floyd at The Rescope Project.

This conversation is so very relevant to communities, business, governments, policy makers, researchers, facilitators and activists everywhere. And while the challenges may be extremely acute for communities often labelled ‘coal communities’ and the like right now, transition is underway, and it involves all of us, as you’ll hear. This is a charged, informative and inspiring conversation – the sort we so very much need more of.

Music:
Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.

The Hazelwood Song, by local musician & former Latrobe Valley mine-worker, Danny Boothman.

Find more:
Voices of the Valley.

Seacombe West Regeneration Project.

A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity – the documentary film co-written, directed and produced by Sam Alexander, now approaching 1 million views.

Ecocity Worl

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The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

Next up is one of the most compelling dialogues generated out of the Ecocity World Summit in Melbourne recently. A seven-person panel explored powerful stories of transition across regional Victoria, Australia, with themes echoing experiences all over the country and the world. Here's a preview, featuring the voice of Ron Ipsen from Voices of the Valley, an award-winning advocacy group in the 'coal communities' of the Latrobe Valley.

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Support the show

The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

Next up - we’ve had a few people ask to hear more about The Rescope Project. So we’ve turned the tables in our latest podcast. This time, we’re the guests - in conversation with radio show host, regenerative farmer & good food advocate, Cynthia Lim. Here's a preview.

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Support the show

The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

We’ve had a few people ask to hear more about us, so today we’re turning the tables. This time, we’re the guests - in conversation with radio show host, regenerative farmer and good food advocate, Cynthia Lim, at Seymour FM.

Cynthia and her partner Nick have left the ‘rat race’ and set up a regenerative farm and stay operation together in Seymour - about 100 k’s north of Melbourne. When Cynthia got wind we were coming through her neck of the woods on our way to the New Economy Conference recently, she kindly asked us to drop in for a chat for her local Seymour FM radio show – The Food Exchange.

We talk about the new economy, experiences of living more meaningful lives with less, and just how a former corporate executive (Keith Badger), and a former corporate-backed scholar (Anthony), came to ‘see the light’ and join the movement for change to the systems in which we live.

As the afternoon shadows stretched across the hillside, Anthony and Keith headed into the studio at the Blue Tongue Berries farm in Seymour, for this chat with Cynthia Lim.

Production by Ben Moore.

Music:
Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.

Find more:
Blue Tongue Berries Farm.

The Food Exchange, a passionate community food group with a radio show, promoting local, ethical food. Their by-line? We don't buy food from strangers!

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Support the show

The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

“Cattle, sheep, prosperity, first Australians, land on a knife edge, the politics of food and a struggle for future sustainability. An outback eco-tourism experiment that challenges a hundred years of European orthodoxy.” That’s from the flyer at the remote Wooleen Station, where David Pollock and Frances Jones have radically destocked the land to regenerate it, after more than a century of degradation.

Despite a moving story of nearly going broke, dealing with out-dated laws, and the politics around re-introducing a natural predator, they’re finding ways to continue their vital project, and producing some incredible outcomes. So it was great to visit them, learn more about what they’re up to, and what it means not just for them, but for the broader transition to sustainable, flourishing societies.

Joining Anthony for a chat in the garden of the beautiful Wooleen Homestead, here’s Station Co-Manager, Frances Jones.

Production by Ben Moore & Anthony James.

Music:
Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.

Due to licencing restrictions, our guest’s nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts of this episode.

Find more:
Wooleen Station website.

Article on the Auditor General’s report released this month, ‘Control of pastoral leases ‘bigger than Western Europe’ failing’

Note: John Forrest was the first premier of the state of Western Australia.

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The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

“Cattle, sheep, prosperity, first Australians, land on a knife edge, the politics of food and a struggle for future sustainability. An outback eco-tourism experiment that challenges a hundred years of European orthodoxy.” That’s from the flyer at the remote Wooleen Station, where David Pollock and Frances Jones have radically destocked the land to regenerate it, after more than a century of degradation. 

Despite a moving story of nearly going broke, dealing with out-dated laws, and the politics around re-introducing a natural predator, they’re finding ways to continue their vital project, and producing some incredible outcomes.

Pic: Nic Duncan Photographer

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!

Today we’re featuring a conversation with one of the world’s most prominent political elders - former Australian Federal Liberal Party leader, and now Professorial Fellow at the Australian National University, John Hewson.

In recent years, John has become an increasingly admired figure across the political spectrum, as a powerful advocate for more leadership, transparency, responsible investment, and evidence-based policy. This is particularly in the context of the inter-related global challenges of climate change, a possible further financial crisis, and so-called ‘post-truth’ politics. So it was a real pleasure to receive a call from John upon our arrival in Canberra, welcoming a conversation.  It became an even greater pleasure as John’s level of candour, depth, insight, humour and care became more apparent.

Most Australians probably still recall John from his contesting of the 1993 federal election for the Prime Ministership. But he’s a bit like the life-long musician who had a few years in a famous pop band. The rest of his life has featured an extensive array of studies, achievements and experience, across a range of sectors and senior positions globally.

We talk about his frustrations and great concerns – the precariousness of our financial and ecological systems, the hollowness of money and economic growth for their own sake, and the difficultly current systems are having grappling with all this.

And we talk about his proposals for change, his experiences of dealing with vested interests, the great potential of the youth vote in particular, but also of a broad movement based on a greater sense of national purpose.

We also gain more of a sense of the deeply felt purpose driving John; a purpose that sees corporate responsibility as about culture rather than charity, acting beyond our own immediate interests for the good of the whole, and an openness to learn from each other.

Anthony's co-host for this conversation is former senior corporate executive, Keith Badger.

Production by Ben Moore & Anthony James.

Title image: sourced from fambiz.org.au.

Music:
Let Them Know, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.

Due to licencing restrictions, our guest’s nominated music can only be played on radio or similarly licenced broadcasts of this episode.

Find more:
Dr John Hewson AM, ANU biography.

For some more about John.

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Support the show

The RegenNarration is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help keep the show on the road, and gain access to a great community and some exclusive benefits - on Patreon or Substack (where you'll also find my writing).

You can also donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

I hope to see you at an event, and even The RegenNarration shop. And thanks for sharing!