In the debut episode of House of Life, hosts Asim Hussain and Tom Greenwood pull sustainability out of its usual carbon-counting box and wrestle with its deeper meaning. From the flow of power and privilege, to the lessons of Hopi cosmology, they explore why saving the planet isn’t just about tech fixes—it’s about rethinking who we are, how we decide, and what we owe the living world. Expect mind-bending detours through chakras, assembly theory, and radical democracy, plus a hard look at energy’s future: fusion dreams, fossil fuel traps, and the messy politics of who controls it all. This isn’t your average green podcast—it’s a call to reimagine everything, from the ground up.
Chapters
00:00 - Defining Sustainability
02:59 - Spectrum of Power and Sustainability
05:51 - The Human-Centric View of Sustainability
08:42 - Hierarchy of Needs and Sustainability
11:41 - Chakras and Their Relation to Human Needs
14:37 - The Living World and Sustainability
17:30 - Beyond Human-Centric Sustainability
20:16 - Interconnectedness of Life and Sustainability
22:32 - The Complexity of Nature and Human Understanding
23:51 - Assembly Theory and the Definition of Life
25:48 - The Evolution of Humanity and Its Path Dependence
29:15 - Hopi Cosmology and the Cycle of Worlds
32:21 - Learning from Myths and Cataclysms
39:36 - Sustainability and Our Relationship with Nature
48:34 - The Future of Energy: Fusion vs. Fossil Fuels
49:31 - The Control of Energy: Renewables and Distribution
50:18 - Reframing Fossil Fuels: Efficiency and Waste
52:18 - Collective Decision-Making: Power Dynamics in Energy Use
53:42 - Imagining Alternatives: The Future Beyond Sustainability
57:34 - Adapting Systems: Governance and Decision-Making
59:43 - Lessons from History: Democracy and Power Dynamics
01:02:38 - Radical Democracy: Rethinking Governance
01:07:32 - The Mechanisms of Power: Voting and Representation
01:13:02 - The Flow of Power: Sustainability and Human Care
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