I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Bronner, the Cosmic Engagement Officer of the famed Dr Bronner’s, whose life story is as rich and foamy as the company's iconic soap.

Since David became CEO of the top-selling brand of natural soaps, body care and food products in 1998, the company has grown from $4 million in revenue to well over $100 million, and all while continuing to change so much about the systems and stories we live by. In recent times, they’ve co-founded Regenerative Organic Certification, setting a whole new standard of global supply chain transformation. And here today David announces a new upcoming initiative called the Purpose Pledge, which follows on from last week’s conversation on regenerative finance with Esther Park uncannily well.

But what really had me wondering, as I approached Bronner’s Californian HQ, was how David feels about the iconic All-One company ethos and legacy, 76 years in, given the state of the world today. Having emerged from the tragedy of the Holocaust at the hands of David’s inspired grandfather Emanuel, and knowing that amongst the company’s trailblazing regenerative supply chains are communities in both Palestine and Israel, this was a profound opener to our conversation.

We go on to talk about their deep involvement in plant medicine and the psychedelics resurgence, and how it relates to David’s personal healing – and even how he returned to work at the company. Then there’s the capping of executive pay and giving to others all profits they don’t need, how to grapple with ‘regen washing’, David’s ‘big journey’ as a vegan now advocating for regenerative agriculture, and finally, the breaking news.

As always, head here for chapter markers if you’d like to see an overview or navigate the conversation that way. You can find a transcript there too (also available on Apple and some other apps), which is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded on 16 May 2024.

Title slide: AJ & David, after the yarn (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

With thanks to Mel from Dr Bronner’s Australia, and everyone at Bronner’s HQ.

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For all the great regenerative work bubbling up everywhere right now, it seems fair to say that finance and investment in it is lagging a little. As my guest today puts it, we often hear about how farmers and land managers need to change, for example, but we hear less often about how finance and investment needs to change. It’s why a major report and project was launched online in Australia last year by Sustainable Table, ‘Regenerating Investment in Food and Farming’. I hosted a conversation at that launch, which you might remember became episode 161. I never forgot it. So as soon as we knew we were coming to the US / Turtle Island, I asked Esther Park if she’d be up for meeting in person, to dig deeper into her paradigm changing work as CEO of Cienaga Capital.

Key to this story, too, is another pioneering woman you’ll hear about, Sallie Calhoun. 23 years ago, Sallie and her partner acquired Paicines Ranch, originally named Rancho Cienega de los Paicines. They subsequently set in tow a remarkable regeneration of the land, an array of enterprises, and learning journeys for people – including other investors and philanthropists. Sallie later founded Cienaga Capital, and recruited Esther to the lead role. Also key to this story, in all manner of unexpected ways, is Esther’s Korean ancestry.

Head here for chapter markers if you’d like to see an overview or navigate the conversation that way. You can find a transcript there too (also available on Apple and some other apps), which is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.

Recorded at UCB, Berkeley, on 3 May 2024.

Title slide: Esther Park where we started our conversation (pic: Anthony James).

See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, music

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Richard Heinberg is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates on the urgent need, and inviting prospects, of a transition away from fossil fuels. He’s the author of 14 books including some of the seminal works on our current energy and environmental crises. I remember reading The Party’s Over 20 years ago, and have followed Richard’s work right through to his most recent book (and excellent parallel podcast series), Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival – and what praise that one drew, from people like Bill McKibben, Joanna Macy, Wes Jackson, Maude Barlow, Peter Buffet, Dahr Jamail, Douglas Rushkoff and Dennis Meadows.

Richard also features in countless film and other productions, along with the online course developed with the Post Carbon Institute, where Richard is a founder and Senior Fellow. And seven years ago, Richard was kind enough to be a special guest on a panel event I brought together on energy transition, which attracted a couple of hundred people and later became episode 23 on this podcast. Richard is also an outstanding musician, with an extensive tour and back catalogue extending from the ‘60s. All the more reason that after the event we did in 2017, we resolved to catch up if I ever made it to Santa Rosa.

That’s where this sweeping conversation took place, on transformations in energy and food systems, us humans, and his own fascinating life. Culminating in Richard’s crystalised framing of the unprecedented challenge facing us, and how we might pull it off.

Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded by a restored Santa Rosa Creek on 30 April 2024.

Title slide: Richard & AJ in Santa Rosa (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

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This special extra to episode 204 features the last handful of minutes with the legendary best-selling author Paul Hawken. This is where the episode culminated in Paul offering a world premiere reading of the rousing finale to his upcoming book, Carbon: The Book Of Life. The reading happened to be accompanied, too, by some notable sounds from around the garden and surrounding redwoods.

Head here for a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded at Paul's place in northern California on 27 April 2024.

Title slide: The nearby Muir Woods National Monument (pic: Anthony James).

Hear the full episode, and see more photos, on the episode web page. And to see and hear more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

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Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

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Paul Hawken is the legendary author behind myriad best-sellers, including most recently Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation, and before it, Drawdown: The most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming. Both books were accompanied by comprehensive online portals that continue to engage people from all walks, all around the world. Paul’s next book is a more personal volume – perhaps his most personal. It’s called Carbon: The book of life. And ahead of its release, it was my privilege to join him at his place near San Francisco, to talk about the book, and so much else, in what might be his most personal podcast too.

The upcoming book puts carbon back into perspective, as no less than the centerpiece of life itself. If you’re anything like me, be prepared to have your mind blown. You won’t see, or perhaps more pointedly hear, the world the same way again. In some ways, this book feels like a legacy piece. And so too this podcast. Not that they’re the last we’ll hear from Paul (the next book is already in mind). But this feels like a very special moment in time with this extraordinary writer, journo, entrepreneur, consultant to world leaders, and so much more. And it culminates in a world premiere reading, of the rousing finale to the book – accompanied uncannily by some notable sounds from around the garden.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 27 April 2024.

Title slide: Paul & AJ (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a paid subscriber via the links below.

Music:

Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

Cascade Falls.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

Find more:

The most popular episode on this podcast, with Paul on the release of Regeneration, for ep.96.

And from the Kimberley,

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The community in the Australian federal seat of Curtin elected the 7th new independent MP to parliament 2 years ago now, and the first and only (to date) in WA. In those two years, that community independent, Kate Chaney, has continued to drive a level of engagement and outcomes that no one I speak to has any memory of happening before. Perhaps it happened back when the major political parties first got going, when they had some membership to speak of? Today, less than 0.5% of Australians are members of a major party – not even the 1%!

In contrast, democracy is on the rise via this community independents movement. And here in Curtin, it’s resulted in multiple deliberative democratic processes, consistently brilliant outcomes, and some recent ground-breaking developments – from wellbeing economies, to climate, to transparent elections. But Kate’s expressed great fear too, based on what she’s seeing in parliament.

Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations.)

Recorded 19 April 2024.

Title slide: Kate & AJ in conversation (pic: Angie Hewitt).

See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).

Find more:
Curtin’s Pathway to Net Zero: Making our community healthier, fairer and more liveable as we address climate change.

Upcoming events.

Kate’s article on the Fair & Transparent Elections Bill.

My articles:

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Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

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I’ve been promising some big news for a little while now. Well, earlier this week, on Earth Day, a special and unexpected launch took place.

Head here for a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded at San Francisco Airport on 22 April 2024.

Title slide: In the redwoods just outside San Francisco, where a woman passed us on the trail and wished us happy Earth Day. (The local radio station also played nature sounds all day.)

To see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from the film Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, featuring music chosen by guests (with thanks to podcast member Josie Symons).

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on:

• Patreon (NB: if you're using an iPhone, you can avoid Apple's new 30% app store charge for new subscribers by subscribing on your laptop or PC).
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Lamine Sonko is an acclaimed composer, artistic director, performer and multi-instrumentalist continuing his family line of Guéwels. That’s a role inherited by certain members of traditional communities in Senegal who are tasked with communicating ancient storytelling and ‘songlines’ through dance, rhythms and song. And earlier this year, that converged with his role in Melbourne-based afro-beat band, the Afrobiotics, when he was joined by his five bandmates back in Senegal on a landmark tour. And one of those five blokes is an old mate I played in a rock band with in the ‘90s. Simon Edwards is an incredible guitarist, teacher, and soulful traveller. I’ve been wanting to speak with these guys for years, and when they happened to return from the tour while I was in Melbourne, it finally happened.

Connected to the band's journey, in 2018 Lamine embarked on a search for a deeper understanding of how ancient musical traditions are embodied by the Guéwel elders of Dakar, Senegal. The project, called 13:12, has culminated so far in a film, guided by Lamine’s mother, and a live theatre production that previewed at The National Theatre Sorano in Dakar on this tour. It was said to be ‘an unforgettable blend of joy, emotion, and ancestral presence’. And when the band converged on Dakar at the same time, there was profound revelation, connection and healing for visitors and locals alike.

The word Guewel means 'to bring people together in a circle', and that’s what we did a few weeks ago at Simon’s place. In the still of a late evening, a certain stillness enveloped this conversation too, through to a very special live rendition at the end.

Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript. (The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded 14 March 2024. Dedicated to Lamine's mother, Guewel elder Oumy Sene.

Title slide: Lamine & Simon on stage with the Afrobiotics.

See more photos on the website, and for more behind the scenes,

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The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

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Welcome to the bicentennial episode. And who better to mark the occasion than this legend of regenerative agriculture, David Marsh. To visit Allendale Farm is like stepping into an incredible rewilding of country – as a livestock farm! David’s been here for nearly 60 years, the first half of which he ran industrialised cropping and livestock farming, which continued to devastate the land, his bank account, his family’s health, and increasingly, his conscience. The second half, he ditched the cropping and started to run livestock regeneratively, letting the land do more of what it wanted to do. Now he sees birdlife akin to RAMSAR listed wetlands, 1500 new trees that seeded themselves, and myriad other extraordinary changes. And powering this enormous legacy, a family tragedy that continues to shape their lives in profound ways.

A long-held hope, my family visited David and his wife Mary near Boorowa in NSW a few weeks ago. I only half-jokingly wanted to call this episode ‘the do-nothing farmer’ – and even the ‘do-nothing and pay-nothing farmer’ - with reference to the deft, laid-back, ‘hands off’ approach David applies to the land, its self-organising regeneration so evident. But he thought that sounded a bit less than glorious, and insisted it’s more complex than that. I’ll let David explain, in a treasured exchange, in suitably golden twilight.

Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded at Allendale Farm on 10 March 2024.

Title slide: David & AJ ahead of this conversation (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode web page, and to see more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.

Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from the film Regenerating Australia.

The RegenNarration playlist, featuring music chosen by guests (with thanks to podcast member Josie Symons).

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

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This podcast has been increasingly hearing about the extraordinary outcomes that can stem from deliberative democratic processes. I still hear from listeners about past episodes with people like Jeff Goebel and Amanda Cahill.

So this week, we head to the nation’s capital to speak with someone I’ve been looking forward to meeting for years. Professor Nicole Curato is with the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. She’s also a prominent journalist, particularly in her former home country of the Philippines. She’s written op-eds for the New York Times, The Guardian & Al Jazeera. And she regularly collaborates with CNN Philippines, occasionally serving as a television presenter, and has hosted documentaries and produced podcasts.

Nicole explores how democratic innovations unfold in the aftermath of tragedies, including disasters, armed conflict, and urban crime. To that we might add increasing stresses like climate change, housing and political polarisation. Nicole is the author of Democracy in a Time of Misery: From Spectacular Tragedy to Deliberative Action. Which might just as well have been sub-titled, from spectacular tragedy to spectacular deliberative action, such is the nature of some of the stories she has to share - in terms of their outcomes in the world, and their life-changing effects on those involved. And in a context right now where democracy itself is on the line, and with it the possibility of coming together to produce more of the extraordinary outcomes we know we can, Nicole was the person I needed to speak with.

I suggested to Nicole that we meet in her favourite part of Canberra. She took us to Tilley’s. And what a place. No surprises then, that we wind up talking about how all this relates to social media, karaoke and Taylor Swift. 

Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers and a transcript, also available on Apple and some other apps. (Note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read.)

Recorded in

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The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on:

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