Blinded by the Light - Facing Reality with Renewable Energy

Blinded by the Light - Facing Reality with Renewable Energy

Author: Post Carbon Institute June 18, 2025 Duration: 56:39

Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex, centralized power plants, and expose the truth of the energy transition. After they finish making fun of concentrated solar/golf course/outlet mall complexes in the desert, they discuss how to make real progress on energy and sustainability. Originally recorded on 6/5/25.

Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

Sources/Links/Notes:


Resources for conservation and local solar power:


Related episode(s) of Crazy Town:


Support the show


Trying to make sense of a world that often feels like it's lost the plot? That's the space where Crazy Town lives. Hosted by Asher, Rob, and Jason from the Post Carbon Institute, this fortnightly conversation navigates the disorienting headlines and deeper systemic crises-from climate chaos and ecological overshoot to the relentless engine of runaway capitalism-with a necessary blend of sharp analysis and dark humor. They’re not just diagnosing the "Great Unraveling" of our social and environmental fabric; they’re actively exploring what a transition to a genuinely sustainable and equitable society could look like, all while trying to keep their own wits about them. This podcast is for anyone who looks at the status quo and senses the profound delusions holding it together, offering listeners a mix of grounded understanding and candid discussion that’s as engaging as it is urgent. Tune in for conversations that are both a reality check and a search for a viable path forward.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 165

Crazy Town
Podcast Episodes
Band-Aid Town and the Psychology of Climate Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:02
Pop quiz! A friend of yours has just had an unfortunate chainsaw accident and cut a femoral artery: do you (a) make a tourniquet with your t-shirt, or (b) stick a Band-Aid on the wound? If you picked (b), congratulations…
My Dinner Is Stuck in Traffic: Fossil Fuels and the Food Transition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:47
You know what drives Jason really crazy about auto traffic? No, it’s not the 42 hours per year that the average commuter wastes stuck in it or even the global warming pollution spewed, it’s the 3 BILLION (with a B people…
Tackling Inequality in the Economy, One Pair of Lederhosen at a Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:32
Chuck Collins joins Asher, Rob, and Jason in Crazy Town to describe his startling journey from undercover trust fund kid to tireless campaigner for economic equality. Together they examine why Richie Rich, Donald Trump,…
Zombies, Magic Rocks, Collapse, and Other Fun Sustainability Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:07
Apocalypse is upon us, at least in movies, television shows, books, and even podcasts. Teen characters in youth literature are more likely to solve their differences by bow-hunting one another rather than hugging it out…