Breaking Down: Collapse
Episodes
Daily Episode 40 - This week in Fascism (#6)
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How long will tyranny reign in the US?Trump: I don't think we're gonna necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we're just gonna kill people....
Daily Episode 39 - Arctic Shipping Lane: Boon or Burden?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, a massive cargo ship has gone from mainland China to the UK, through the Arctic. This new route cut nearly a month off of the trip...
Daily Episode 38 - Catching Up with Shaun Chamberlin (and announcing a new forum)
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I had the pleasure to meet quickly with Shaun Chamberlain to announce the start of a new forum hosted on his page, for listeners of this podcast. Hope...
Daily Episode 37 - The Surveillance State
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration is making big moves to increase the capability of governmental surveillance against its own citizens.The growing surveillance...
Daily Episode 36 - New Research on Climate Accord Failure
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are already fully aware that we'll blow through 1.5C and 2.0C above the baseline. New research shows the gap between Paris Climate Accord pledges a...
Daily Episode 35 - This Week in Fascism (#5)
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fascism this week in the US (10/17-10/23).Trump: "Don't forget I can use Donald Trump declares he hasJudge tells Homeland SecurityImmigrants with no c...
Daily Episode 34 - Is the Clathrate Gun Hypothesis Underway?
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New discovery in Antarctica shows that methane seeps are increasing - more research is needed (and currently underway) to determine the extent and eff...
Daily Episode 33 - Tipping Point Officially Crossed
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to new research, we've officially crossed the coral reef death tipping point. Our temperature range above the preindustrial average is now h...
Daily Episode 32 - Greg Nelson Interview (Bonus Content)
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy an excerpt from my interview with Greg Nelson, as part of our Patreon bonus content. To finish this interview, and hear the others we've been do...
Daily Episode 31 - About that Job Loss from AI...
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few years there has been a lot of conversation about AI taking jobs. Is it taking place, and will it be as bad as some say?92 Million Jo...
Daily Episode 30 - This Week in Fascism (#4)
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A fresh new week from hell in the USA. Enjoy?Supreme Court Signals Final BlowTrump administration revokes 6 visasDepartment of State on X:TN man arres...
Daily Episode 29 - Moving a Capital City
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tehran (with a metro population of nearly 17 million) is experiencing a major water shortage, after 5 years of drought. Subsidence, as a result of gro...
Daily Episode 28 - Meta Reflections on Collapse Awareness
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Counterintuitively, a collapsing world may just be resulting in people who are less likely to become collapse aware.Please join us on Patreon for week...
Daily Episode 27 - The War from Within
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*Caveat: This was recorded on October 7th so may not be completely up to date in regards to recent happenings.An escalation in the battle for states' ...
Daily Episode 26 - AI Bubbles, Economic Headwinds
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Deutsche Bank now says that the AI bubble is all that's keeping the economy afloat. Meanwhile, several other indicators show how the economy is strugg...
Daily Episode 25 - This Week in Fascism (#3)
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 3rd installment of the weekly segment I think I'll call "This Week in Fascism".'Plenary Authority?' Chicago Pastor SuesJudge finds ICE violated co...
Daily Episode 24 - Troubling new Bird Flu Discovery
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers discovered that bird flu and human influenza can simultaneously occupy the cells of cow udders, heightening the risk of future reassortmen...
Daily Episode 23 - 7 of 9 Planetary Boundaries Now Crossed
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New research indicates the planet has not crossed 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries described in the "Breaking Boundaries" documentary from 2021, an inc...
Daily Episode 22 - Did we all become terrorists?
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
NSPM-7 is the Trump administration's newest effort to rip away free speech rights and suppress his dissenters. It is one of the most blatant acts of f...
Daily Episode 21 - "But where will I get my fish and chips?"
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Waters surrounding the UK have been so overfished that cod is down to just 1% of the population. If fishing doesn't stop immediately, it could collaps...
Daily Episode 20 - 2 Weeks of Trump Chaos
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's make it a weekly thing.... I wasn't able to post all the links, as my podcast host only allows so many!Trump says he’s designating Antifa...Tr...
Daily Episode 19 - Fatalism in Australia
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Kemp addresses fatalism vs realism, and Australia's government released a 1,000 page report on expected climate impacts on the country.Climate ri...
Daily Episode 18 - A Government's Collapse Scenario
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Finnish government has put out a 163 page paper describing 4 potential scenarios between now and 2044, and how those scenarios would affect EU and...
Daily Episode 17 - Peak Water Security
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This research paper indicates that the US has surpassed "peak water security", and that people lose access to water from here. Beyond peak water secur...
Daily Episode 16 - Trump's efforts to destroy climate accountability
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration is doing everything in its power to roll back regulatory protections that reduce emissions, along with restricting the collec...
Daily Episode 15 - Increasing Risk of Oil Supply Shock
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new report from the IEA shows that 90% of investments in oil and gas go towards simply making up for declines in production. EROEI has gotten so poo...
Daily Episode 14 - The newest tool in the ICE fascist tool belt
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ICE has gained a new surveillance tool, thanks to Trump and, in part, Biden. I discuss the reality of the danger it poses, and some tips for staying s...
Daily Episode 13 - Antifa "Terrorism" and the Pacific Heat Blob
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump has issued an Executive Order classifying Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. Tell us Trump - where is their headquarter and who is the...
Daily Episode 12 - New Geoengineering Research
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New research argues that not only are dramatic geoengineering ideas too costly, ungovernable, and dangerous, but also they serve as a distraction from...
Daily Episode 11 - News Avoidance
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How much news is too much news? A recent article from The Guardian explores the rapidly increasing number of people who are avoiding the news for thei...
Daily Episode 10 - Quickly Eroding Rights
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at the overwhelming number of headlines from the last week, chronicling the erosion of constitutional rights in the USLeavitt confirms the DOJ ...
Daily Episode 9 - Ethical Pessimism and Collapse Paradoxes
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roy Scranton, a researcher at Notre Dame, feels that "Ethical Pessimism" is the right attitude to take in regard to collapse. I think I agree... mostl...
Clarifying New Season Formatting
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I received a note from a friend who said that he had no idea I was doing daily episodes, because it was under a new season and he would have had to ch...
Daily Episode 8 - New Research, New Concerns
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
More new research reveals that previously optimistic estimates for climate mitigation were... too optimistic. Feeding off of yesterday's episode, we d...
Daily Episode 7 - Carbon Capture Disappointment
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New research indicates that previously assumed levels of potential for carbon capture storage were overestimated by 10x. Worse, the area that is curre...
Daily Episode 6 - Can We Trust the Data?
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newly revised jobs numbers were released and its not pretty. Almost a million jobs revised downwards. With leaders removing people who don't present t...
Daily Episode 5 - Increasing Violence in Collapse
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discuss the increasing amount of violence seen around the world, some of which is a direct reaction of people and governments to col...
Daily Episode 4 - Temperament vs Temperature
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we discuss a study which researched the downward shift in mood that correlates with upward shifts in temperature. Rising temperatures linked to ...
Daily Episode 3 - It's hot and getting hotter
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You'd think that coming off of an El Nino year and headed into La Nina, that there'd be a large decrease in average global surface temperature for the...
Daily Episode 2 - Insurance Woes
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Day 2 of trying out a daily episode format. If you doubt whether climate change is real, just follow the money. The insurance industry isn't cutting p...
Daily Episode 1 - New format announcement
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're new to the podcast: Welcome! Please enjoy these daily episodes, and also go back and listen to at least the first 8 episodes of the podcast....
Episode 160 - Interview with Rachel Frazin
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I interviewed Rachel Frazin, co-author of Poisoning the Well, How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America.Bio:Rachel Frazin is one of the auth...
Episode 159 - Direct Action
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What can be done when "voting" stops working? When a corrupt or oppressive government rigs the game to win? Direct action has been used for centuries ...
Episode 158 - Years and Years
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I give my review of the BBC series "Years and Years", which explores collapse in the 2020s UK.Please join us on Patreon for weekly bon...
Episode 157 - Talking Collapse with a Friend - Johnny
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Doing something new with this episode - chatting with a friend who doesn't listen to Breaking Down: Collapse, or necessarily agree with its premise. T...
Episode 156 - Water with Cydian Kauffman
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I sat down with Cydian Kauffman to discuss the multi-faceted world of water. How safe is our water? What are the main threats that we face? ...
Episode 155 -The Environmental Impact of AI
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No doubt, there are many dangers of AI. One of the most unexplored is simply the environmental impact of creating and running it. In this episode we t...
Episode 154 - Plastic Eating Worms with Sam Baker
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Baker is the co-founder and CEO of WriggleBrew, a regenerative agriculture company turning earthworms and microbes into high-performance organic f...
Episode 152 - Microplastics Revisited
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After speaking with Dr. Brahney a couple of weeks ago, I felt it was time to touch again on the health impacts of microplastics and what the state of ...
Episode 151 - Wet Bulb Temperatures with Dr. Rob Meade
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I was able to link up with Dr. Rob Meade to discuss his recent research on wet bulb temperatures. Taken from his bio on his Harvard profile:...
Episode 150 - Microplastic Pollution with Dr. Janice Brahney
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I had the privilege this week of speaking with Dr. Janice Brahney, who is credited as being one of the first researchers to discover the severity of m...
Episode 149 - Tech Bro Oligarchs with Sarah Wilson
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains the audio from an interview I was invited to do with the amazing Sarah Wilson for her Substack. She was gracious enough to allow...
Episode 148 - Who is to blame for collapse?
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We know by now that collapse is happening and will continue - but who's fault is it? And is there any point in laying blame? Who should be held accoun...
Episode 147 - Curtis Yarvin and The Butterfly Revolution
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a follow up to the previous episode "The end of the American Experiment", we take a look at The Butterfly Revolution, a blog article posted in 2022...
Episode 146 - The End of the American Experiment
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard by now about Curtis Yarvin and the tech billionaire plan to rule the world. In this episode I break down the relationships and moti...
Episode 145 - Why Technology Won't Save Us
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the series of frequently asked questions, Kory discusses the commonly heard optimistic take that "Technology will pull through and get us o...
Episode 144 - What Will Collapse Look Like?
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A continuation of our series of frequently asked questions about collapse. What will it actually look like and how will it affect individuals?A remind...
Episode 143 - Predictions
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What the future will be like (and more importantly - when) is a total guess. Sometimes, it's fun to give it a shot - this episode is meant for fun and...
Episode 142 - Collapse in 2024 (Year in Review)
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the 4th year we've done a year in review, looking back at the state of collapse through the year. Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus c...
Episode 141 - Why Collapse is Inevitable
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kory's back! With a new format and renewed energy. Let's do this!Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content and to join our Discord community....
Episode 140 - The Role of Conspiracy Theories in Collapse
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kellan and Kory discuss the role that conspiracy theories play in the social aspect of collapse. Please join us on Patreon for weekly bonus content an...
Episode 139 - The Dangers of Abandoning Nuclear Sites
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The question has come up many times: What will happen to our nuclear sites in the event of a rapid collapse? Will it cause widespread meltdowns, which...
Episode 137 - Project 2025
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Project 2025 is a nearly 1,000 page document explicitly stating the ways the GOP plans to disrupt democracy as we know it in the US. Kellan and Kory t...
Episode 136 - Longtermism
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Upon first hearing the supposed tenets of the Longtermism movement, you may think it sounds wonderfully thought-out and worthy of support. Think again...
Episode 135 - AI Job Loss
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amongst the plethora of worries (or opportunities?) that AI presents, perhaps one of the most talked about recently is: Will AI take all our jobs? Kel...
Episode 134 - Collapse in 2023
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change consequences, conflict, political turmoil - you name it, 2023 had it. It was a wild year, and we just couldn't let it pass by without a...
Episode 132 - Lobbying
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's pay to play! Apparently it's legal to pay the government to pass (or not pass) desired legislation. This episode focuses on how the wea...
Episode 131 - The Problem with Fast Fashion
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I bet you didn't know that 10% of all emissions come from the fashion industry. Or that 75 million people are employed in manufacturing plants fo...
Episode 130 - The Outlook of Youth
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. How do young adults feel about the future, and how does it compare to their elders? What do they feel ...
Episode 129 - El Niño
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The impacts of climate change dramatically influence and are influenced by cyclical weather patterns. Future El Niño cycles have major implications...
Episode 128 - Zoonotics and H5N1
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's been much talk lately about the threat of H5N1 (Avian Influenza). In this episode we talk about what there is (and isn't) to fear ab...
Episode 127 - Heat Pumps
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can technology save us? Nah. Can it help us, though? Sure! Here's an example of a great technology with a lot of potential... but we don't t...
Episode 126 - Eastern Philosophies (Part 1)
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How we cope with the knowledge of the future is deeply personal. In this episode we touch on 2 ancient Eastern philosophies that many use as a source ...
Episode 125 - Homelessness
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that capitalism doesn't take kindly to those caught in the feedback loop of homelessness. How will collapse affect homelessne...
Episode 124 - Book Review: Chris Hedges "America, The Farewell Tour"
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we discuss journalist and author Chris Hedges and his book "America, The Farewell Tour.Learn More: America: The Farewell Tour | Book by...
Episode 123 - Debt
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Consumer and national debts are growing exponentially. The unsustainable nature in which we borrow money in order to maintain our economic system is...
Episode 122 - The Future of Ownership
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of ownership? Is it "The Great Reset" or "Feudalism 2.0"? In this episode we look into the direction we're...
Bonus Episode - 80
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a sample of our weekly bonus episodes. You can access all 80 of our bonus episodes by joining us on Patreon ($5/month).Kellan runs through sev...
Episode 121 - Artificial Intelligence (Part 2): Dark Potential
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we talk about the potentially dark future of AI and what is known as the "singularity", were it able to break the constraints that...
Episode 120: Artificial Intelligence (Part 1): Current Reality
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot of hype, especially recently, around the future of AI. The fact is that AI is present now in our world, for both positive and negative....
Episode 119 - Collapse in 2022
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our second annual installment, discussing the happenings of the previous year and how they relate to collapse. We often forget everything that's ...
Episode 118 - Narcissism in Leadership
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In dire times, such as these, it is more important than ever to have empathetic leaders who strive to do the right thing for their people. So why do w...
Episode 117 - A History of the Railroad and its Strikes in the US
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Relevant in the news recently have been the multiple attempts at railroad strikes by unions. What is the cause of these strikes, what impact would the...
Episode 116 - Infrastructure Deep Dive: Roads and Public Transport
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Infrastructure is the glue that holds our supply chain and economy together. The Army Corps of Engineers rates our roads at a grade of D, and our Publ...
Episode 115 - The Adaptation and Relocation of Fiji and Tuvalu
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We know that sea level rise is a real and accelerating threat - but what are nations doing to respond to it? In this episode, we talk about adaptation...
Episode 114 - Interview with Shaun Chamberlin
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shaun Chamberlin is an author and activist who has been exploring collapse and possible responses for over twenty years. He is the editor of 'S...
Episode 113 - The Impact of Greenland and Antarctica on Sea Level Rise
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Greenland and Antarctica combine to hold a potential 225 feet of sea level rise. How much of that will be unlocked, and over what time frame? We discu...
Episode 112 - Stoicism
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The ancient philosophy of stoicism offers a great model for coping with collapse. In this episode we discuss its merits, along with its pitfalls.Learn...
Episode 111 - The Rise of Fascism
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fascist ideologies are on the rise around the United States and the Western world. What is fascism, why is it threatening us now, and how does it rela...
Episode 110 - The Collapse of the Overseer Class
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The maintenance cost of capital continues to rise, and the US (along with many places in the world) have tied up so much into their overseer classes, ...
Episode 109 - Raising Children in a Time of Collapse
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's an ugly truth that those with children today will raise their children through extremely difficult times. This episode aims to help give som...
Episode 108 - Interview with "Alone" Season 9 Winner
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we speak with the winner of season 9 of the popular History Channel series "Alone". If you're a fan of the show but hav...
Episode 107 - Peak Phosphorus
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Phosphorus is an essential element to sustain life on earth, from plants to humans. Like oil, it is finite and we're using it an exponentially in...
Episode 106 - Nihilism
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The way individuals view the world shapes the way they cope with the reality of collapse and respond to each crisis that presents itself. What exact...
Episode 105 - Vertical Farming
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
By 2050, 1/3rd of the world population is expected to live in urban areas. This is just one of the many issues facing humanity regarding food supply. ...
Episode 104 - The Broken US Healthcare System (Part 2)
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While last week we spoke about the inefficiencies in the US healthcare system that have existed for decades, this week we discuss the current state of...
Episode 103 - The Broken US Healthcare System
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is too much to say about why the US healthcare system is awful. This episode discusses broadly some of those reasons, with follow-ups to come on...
Episode 102 - Combatting the Urban Heat Island Effect
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some bold claims are made about many technologies and their potential abilities to combat or adapt to climate change. This week we discuss one that cl...
Episode 101 - The Role of Property Insurance
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As risks from climate change and other collapse factors rise, many people are left wondering: "what will happen to insurance?" We've go...
Episode 100 - The Cooling Paradox
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the planet heats up, air conditioning is becoming more and more necessary for maintaining quality of life and in some cases life itself. All this c...