Shows
Non-ToxicCarbon-captured broligarchs, with artist and activist Jay CritchleyJoin me in the studio of artist and activist Jay Critchley, a Provincetown legend known for his provocative work at the intersection of masculinity, environmental degradation, and consumption. Each year in his annual RE-ROOTER Ceremony, the artist includes the public in an attempt to discard the objects and experiences that prohibit us making from a deeper connection with the earth and human life, and to “re-root” ourselves to the earth. He also pushes a flaming Christmas tree into the Cape Cod Bay.Down in Jay's former septic system we literally get deep, discussing everything from Jay's long hist...2025-05-3129 minNon-ToxicWhat's Left? with Malcolm HarrisIn this episode, I'm joined by Malcolm Harris, author of Kids These Days, Palo Alto, and What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis, out April 15, 2025 and available for pre-order.His new book is a survey of left political-economic thought, broken down into what Malcolm sees as the three viable strategies for addressing the climate crisis. To end our economic addiction to fossil fuels, we can use the dark magic of marketcraft, build muscular public power, or we can go full communism. Or perhaps we will need all three, he says. "A strategy of strategies."...2025-04-0349 minNon-ToxicTelling the climate story like it's true crime, with journalist Amy WesterveltLike a rhizomatic network, Non-Toxic is linking and building with investigative climate journalist Amy Westervelt. She and the Drilled podcast team will be helping out with a special mini-season of Non-Toxic x Drilled, launching summer 2025.For those of you who aren’t already devoted Drilled listeners, it’s one of the best climate podcasts out there. They’ve covered everything from the birth of climate denial to the criminalization of climate protest to Exxon’s corrupt efforts to secure deep sea drilling rights off the coast of Guyana. While working on Non-Toxic, I’ve always looked to Drilled as...2025-03-2632 minNon-ToxicThe first weeks of Trump's climate agenda, with Andrew LewisOn this bonus episode, we're joined by environmental reporter and former Non-Toxic co-host, Andrew Lewis, to discuss the first weeks of the Trump administration's climate policy. We've also got some personal life updates like moving to Cape Cod, and trying to build a house without wrapping it in plastic. Listen in for insights on FEMA investigations, woke weather, future climate predictions, and our wobbily food system.Support the show via Patreon andfollow us on Substack. And for more detailed doomscrolling, check outDrilled's tally of Trump's enviromental executive orders.2025-02-0926 minNon-ToxicThe problem of Justin Baldoni and fake male feminists, with Emily Kirkpatrick and Dr. Will McInerneyOn this episode of Non-Toxic, we're going Hollywood, breaking down the PR wars and legal wrangling between the stars of the domestic violence drama, It Ends With Us. Justin Baldoni, the director and co-star of the film, is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment, inappropriate on-set behavior–and a coordinated PR campaign to destroy the reputation of the film's leading actress, Blake Lively. (Notably, he's also the host of the podcast Man Enough.) Now, he's filed countersuits of his own. With insights from journalist Emily Kirkpatrick and gender justice researcher Dr. Will McInerney, this episode unpacks how PRs take adva...2025-01-0640 minNon-ToxicFrom the vault: We're all hypebeasts now, with Alec LeachFor this end of year episode of Non-Toxic, we dive back into the vault to revisit a fascinating conversation with Alec Leach, a sustainability strategist and author of The World is on Fire but We're Still Buying Shoes. (He's also got a great substack.)
Alec shares his eye-opening journey from a high-flying fashion editor to an advocate for mindful consumption. We discuss the myths around sustainability, the psychological grip of fashion marketing, and practical steps to deprogram from excessive buying habits. Alec also talks about the pervasive influence of "hype culture" on contemporary fashion, his own wardrobe mi...2024-12-2929 minNon-ToxicSurviving Fire Season, with Clare BoerigterThings 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...2024-12-1233 minNon-ToxicWhy muscle dysmorphia got so big, with Dr Roberto OlivardiaIn 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...2024-11-2841 minNon-ToxicHow Trump won the bro vote, with Shauna Daly from the Young Men Research InitiativeIn 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...2024-11-1430 minNon-ToxicPeeling back skincare for men, with Jessica DeFinoIn this episode of Non-Toxic, we're talking with beauty critic Jessica DeFino about the evolving culture of male beauty standards. 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. Plus, get the inside scoop on Ryan Gosling's controversial fillers at the Oscars and why incels want make their jaws look more square.
If you liked this episode, you can support Non-toxic via our Patreon. And don't forget to sign up for the N...2024-10-3135 minNon-ToxicWild Man Weekend, with Ian MacKenzieIn 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...2024-10-1738 minNon-ToxicWhat does prison reveal about toxic masculinity? with Dr Terry KupersIn 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...2024-10-0131 minNon-ToxicGreetings from Money Island! A special Earth Day bonus episodeThis 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...2024-04-2219 minNon-ToxicHelp me, Non-Toxic. (Bonus call-in epsiode)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...2024-03-2929 minNon-ToxicRight to Roam, with Paul PowleslandIn 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...2024-03-0737 minNon-ToxicThe new climate denial, with Callum Hood from the Center for Countering Digital HateWhere 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 explo...2024-02-2941 minNon-ToxicA part-time Indian and full-time rapper, with Mato WayuhiThis week, we'll be talking with Mato Wayuhi, a musician, rapper, and composer from South Dakota, whose forthcoming major label debut is called Stankface Standing Soldier. You may have also heard his music in the film War Pony, and the hit television series on Hulu, Reservation Dogs.
In this conversation, we talk about the tension between being a traditional versus contemporary Native artist, stereotypes about masculinity in Native culture, and rap as reporting. Though Mato’s been around the world, lately, he has been thinking a lot about his relationship to place and his connection to his fa...2024-02-2229 minNon-ToxicCan the Amazon Rainforest be saved? with Richard MosseThis week we talk to photographer, filmmaker and artist Richard Mosse, who spent two years documenting the desctruction of one of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the world, the Amazon Rainforest. Using infrared film, GIS mapping technologies, and ultraviolet cameras, Mosse explores every scale of the rainforest, from miscroscopic organisms to hectares of cleared land. On the human level, the film follows both the indigenous people who are trying to hold on to their way of life and the loggers, ranchers, and miners who are trying to carve out a living at the edge of the world. The...2024-02-1546 minNon-ToxicWe're all hypebeasts now, with Alec LeachThis week, we're joined from Berlin by author and sustainability expert, Alec Leach. As a former fashion editor, Alec has spent a large part of his career understanding how men in particular are convinced, persuaded and tricked into buying things they don't really need. While in the past, we might've thought of the young woman at the mall as the stereotypical overconsumer, Alec argues that there's a new paradigm at play, that the so-called hypebeast—the nerdy, internet-obsessed, sneaker-collecting guy—has become the new model that fashion and luxury brands have cultivated. With disastrous consequences for the planet.
Su...2024-02-0930 minNon-ToxicThe decade we could have stopped climate change, with Nathaniel RichIn this episode of Non-Toxic, we talk to Nathaniel Rich, author of Losing Earth: A Recent History. It’s a bracing conversation about the little known story of the 1980s, when scientists, politicians, and policy-makers were all in agreement that something had to be done to lower carbon emissions—and how at the crucial moment—they failed to act. There are some surprising insights about what went wrong, how to talk about climate change, as well as what we’ve learned about moral urgency since those early days when many people thought all it would take to change the world wa...2024-02-0143 min
The Exploring Antinatalism PodcastNon-toxic Podcast: Climate babies (part2) with Matti Häyry & Amanda SukenickSend us a textWelcome to this special one-off collab with the Non-toxic Podcast! Huge thanks to Daniel Penny for inviting Matti & I on the show!From the manosphere to the atmosphere, Non-toxic is a podcast devoted to understanding the ways masculinity and the climate crisis intersect. Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from how to blow up a pipeline to why incels are obsessed with alphas to why you should consider getting buried in a mycelium coffin. Hosted by critic and journalist Daniel Waite Penny and environmental...2024-01-2639 minNon-ToxicClimate babies (part 2) with Amanda Sukenick and Matti HäyryIn this episode of Non-toxic, we're talking with activist Amanda Sukenick and philosopher Matti Häyry about the state of antinatalist thinking, exploring the arguments about risk and the potential for suffering that have come to animate a certain corner of the "doomer" climate conversation.
This is the second in a two part series on climate babies. Last week, we talked to Sian Norris about far-right efforts to roll back women's bodily autonomy in order to increase populations of white Americans and Europeans and keep out people from the Global South. This week, we're thinking about the o...2024-01-2541 minNon-ToxicClimate babies (part 1) with Sian NorrisWhat do abortion restrictions have to do with climate change? According to believers of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, it's all connected.
Journalist and author Sian Norris joins Non-toxic to talk about her new book, Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global. We talk about everything from the fascistic obsession with the laws of nature to Vladimir Putin's pro-natalist vision for Russia to why far-right tradwives love to post photos of their homesteads on Instagram. If you've ever wondered why the far-right is so fixated on making more white babies in the...2024-01-1842 minNon-ToxicThe masculine urge to drive a pickup truck, with Lucy von SturmerThis week on Non-toxic we're talking about the state of advertising in the age of the climate crisis with Lucy von Sturmer, greenwashing guru and founder of Creatives for Climate. Lucy charts her journey from fossil fuel hack to climate activist and breaks down how ads continue to tap into the sexual insecurities and desires of men and women to sell them on the idea of sustainability—or undermine it. From electric pickup trucks that won't quit until their payload is delivered to Kim Kardashian's pointy nipple bras that are somehow connected to melted glaciers.
...2024-01-1530 minNon-ToxicIs the cure to male loneliness going to the park? With Hannah SeoResearchers are starting to discover surprising links between loneliness and biophobia. Why are people avoiding social interactions and staying inside so much? Why does an indoor life make the natural world seem so scary and gross? And how do these two trends affect men in particular, who are already more lonely than women? We talk to journalist Hannah Seo to find out.
Support Non-toxic today.
Links:
Recent findings on "the vicious cycle of biophobia"
How spending time in green spaces is linked to social cohesion and im...2024-01-0437 minNon-ToxicHow Danish fashion brands Ganni and (di)vision made sustainability coolWhen it comes to sustainability, something is popping in the state of Denmark. In this bonus episode, recorded in the offices of Ganni during Copenhagen Fashion Week, we talk with former Ganni CEO Nicolaj Reffstrup and (di)vision Creative Director Simon Wick about how Denmark has positioned itself as a global sustainability leader, what it takes to run a sustainable fashion company, and whether sustainability in the fashion industry is even possible.
Further reading:
My article for The New York Times on Copenhagen Fashion Week’s revolutionary sustainability commitments.
A fu...2023-08-2447 minNon-ToxicWill your corpse be waste or compost?It’s the season finale of Non-toxic, and we’re thinking about endings. In this case, what happens to our bodies when we die. We’re asking why do we cremate people or pump them full of formaldehyde and then trap them in a casket six feet under? Bob Hendrikx, inventor and founder of Loop, thinks there’s a better way to return to the place from whence we came: Mycelium coffins that can compost a human body in a matter of weeks. As Bob likes to say, we’re all going to die one day. Do you want your body...2023-08-0331 minNon-ToxicTo save pollinators, plant native. With JP CharismaThere’s a better way to landscape your garden. That's the message Jordan "JP Charisma" Parker is preaching on YouTube and TikTok, where he's teaching his tens of thousands of followers the lost art of native plant gardening. In our conversation with JP, we learn why native species are better than imports for your local environment (and your water bill) and how they can help fragile species, like butterflies and bees, to keep doing their thing.
JP also reflects on his interesting — and sometimes difficult — social media journey, from sports car critic to #BlackButterflyMan, and what it means...2023-07-2723 minNon-ToxicThe ex-intelligence operative bringing wildlife traffickers to justiceDid you know that illegal wildlife trafficking is the fourth largest criminal enterprise in the world? Though it touches every corner of the globe–there is no international agency devoted to stopping it–so ex-intelligence operative Andrea Crosta stepped in. As head of Earth League International, Andrea has spent the past ten years investigating and exposing the people who get rich wiping out rare species and despoiling our planet.
And he’s got a lot of stories to tell. In this episode, Non-toxic goes undercover with Andrea to see how greedy traffickers take advantage of desperate poachers, how La...2023-07-2044 minNon-Toxic"Operation Beefluencer" with Joe FasslerFire up the grill, fellas… This week, Andrew talks to journalist and author Joe Fassler, who went undercover for The Guardian to investigate an invite-only “beefluencer” training program created by America’s biggest beef lobby. What he uncovered was a complex public messaging machine funneling beef industry climate denialism through university-affiliated research groups and into the Facebook feeds of your unsuspecting friends and neighbors. How do you like your psy-ops: rare, medium, or well done?
To keep going, Non-toxic needs your help. If you want to see a second season of this groundbreaking podcast, show you...2023-07-1340 minNon-ToxicAfter cooling with Eric Dean Wilson Part 2Get your personal protection gear on as we dive into the second of a two-part conversation about the history of the air conditioning with author Eric Dean Wilson. We learn how researchers in Antarctica proved there really was a big hole in the ozone layer and how one Reagan administration official suggested Americans should just wear hats and sunglasses to avoid the worst of the sun’s UV radiation.
Listen to Part 1 of our conversation here.
Get yourself a copy of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort.
Fo...2023-07-0636 minNon-ToxicAfter cooling with Eric Dean Wilson Part 1Brrrr. It’s cold in here.
In the first part of a two-part conversation with author Eric Dean Wilson, we journey into the shady underworld of used refrigerant sales, take a look back at the history of air conditioning, and wonder how we almost managed to destroy all life on earth in our quest for personal comfort.
Get yourself a copy of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort.
Read Eric’s recent essay in Orion about this summer’s endless plumes of wildfire smoke.
Read the Proj...2023-06-2929 minNon-ToxicGoing hog wild with Lauren LarsonIn this episode, it’s Man vs Pig, and Man is losing. We head to the hill country of Texas with journalist Lauren Larson to understand why scientists, hunters, and even conservationists are so concerned about the scourge of feral hogs destroying crops, polluting water, and even eating baby deer. Discussing her recent article on the pig problem for Texas Monthly, Larson unpacks all the weird dynamics of this man-made ecological disaster and what humans can learn from our remarkable hubris.
To support the show, visit our Patreon and become a patron today. You can also sign up for...2023-06-2235 minNon-ToxicHow to blow up a pipeline with Daniel GoldhaberIn this explosive episode, we talk with the filmmakers behind How to Blow Up a Pipeline, a new movie adapted from Andreas Malm’s political manifesto about why we should all start sabotaging fossil fuel infrastructure. Featuring director Daniel Goldhaber, writer Jordan Sjol, and editor Dan Garber, we talk about why eco-thrillers usually end in tears, the political uses of direct action, and how to stay off the FBI’s terrorist watch list by not showing every step of the bomb-making process.
Further reading and viewing:
Stream How to Blow Up a Pipe...2023-06-1537 minNon-ToxicAlpha male brain worms with Connor MeyerIn this follow-up to Episode 1's conversation on incels (involuntary celibate men) and their obsession with the idea of the alpha male, we drill into the origins of the alpha — and discover it's all pretty much a myth. Our guest is Connor Meyer, a PhD student at the University of Montana who has been studying Yellowstone National Park's wolves, the animal the incel community seems most fixated on. Connor has a new study out that suggests a lot of the more aggressive behavior exhibited by wolves in the park has nothing to do with genetics but instead a little pa...2023-06-0842 minNon-Toxic"I am the Alpha" with Callum HoodIn the first of this two-part series, we're talking about the myth of the alpha male, where it came from, how it's developed, and why it has remained so prevalent in our culture, despite the fact that a lot of research has overturned the idea.
Perhaps the group most obsessed with the idea of alpha males are incels (involuntarily celibate men), who have adopted an elaborate pseudoscientific misogyny that explains why women won't have sex with them. We spoke with Callum Hood, the head of reserach at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, about how incels look...2023-06-0746 minNon-ToxicThe eco-gender gapNon-toxic is a new podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of masculinity and the climate crisis, hosted by critic and cultural journalist Daniel Penny.
Every week, we’ll be looking at climate through the lens of culture, politics, media, and everyday life to understand what researchers call "the eco-gender gap."
Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from why incels are obsessed with alphas to how chemical exposure is killing our sperm count.
Season 1, Episode 1 drops June 1st, 2023.
To support the show visit patreon.com/no...2023-05-1609 min