A conversation with Co-Founder of Rizoma School, Ashley Colby—
Last month we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashley Colby. Ashley is an environmental sociologist, homesteader, and author. She is also the co-founder of Rizoma School and Executive Director at Rizoma Foundation and Loconomy Project.
After months of digital exchanges on Twitter, Ashley is yet another mutual from the digital sphere to come on the podcast to tell her unique story. We had such a good time riffing on a number of subjects that are parallel and intersecting with Eclectic Spacewalk’s interests.
Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and just all-around a fun time. We discussed energy sources, scales, agriculture, aggregate data, the power of myth & story, along with co-coining the term “Doomer Optimism,” amongst a number of other interesting topics.
We thank Ashley for her time, research, and eclectic mind. We hope you enjoy the conversation!
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Timestamps:
- Cultural differences between the north & south sides of Chicago (04:54)
- Global supply chains, regenerative agricultural, grassroots movements, and intellectual humility by turning ‘Theory into Practice’ (11:52)
- Globalism, localism, and scales - ‘Local Practices & Global Principles’ (21:44)
- Transparency, economic structures, systems thinking, problem-solving, and continuing to push towards optimism (28:50)
- “Helping people move along the curve before they are forced to by doing a little bit each day” (38:29)
- Wendell Berry, Dr. Vandana Shiva, technological realism, and the fallacy of the Enlightenment (40:24)
- Technopoly, scientism, savior complexes, and the holy grail of fusion energy; the needed shift from recycling & renewables to regeneration in all areas (48:04)
- Her book: Subsistence Agriculture, running a homestead, school, and foundation based in Colonia, Uruguay (57:52)
- Doomer Optimism (Terms: Anthropocene, Cosmo-Localism, Updated Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Managed Retreat, Solar Punk, Retroactive Public Goods Funding) (01:10:39)
- The power of mythmaking, creating impact through storytelling, ‘changing the narrative’ and finding meaning and belonging (01:22:14)
- “My only goal in doing digital media is to get people to integrate that experience and ask themselves: What is my thing that I love? What is the thing I can move toward? Who also loves the things that I love?”
- Ashley’s response to what she would say if she was experiencing the “Overview Effect” (01:30:44)
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More on Ashley Colby:
Rizoma Foundation
Loconomy Project
Rizoma Field School
Ashley’s book: Subsistence Agriculture in the US
Twitter
