Solutions Rewind: David Orr on Saving Democracy—and the Planet

In a time of deep political division and environmental crisis, what would it look like to design a democracy that’s truly in harmony with the natural world?

In this episode, we revisit a powerful 2022 conversation with David Orr, Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, editor of Democracy in a Hotter Time, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of ecology, education, and politics.

Orr challenges us to think beyond short-term fixes and consider how a “biophilic democracy” rooted in care for each other and the planet could transform the way we live and govern. We explore why democracies fail, how our brains are wired for both division and connection, and how education might help us build a more resilient and compassionate society.

Show Notes:

• Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation, edited by David W. Orr
• Democracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People, edited by David W. Orr, Andrew Gumbel, Bakari Kitwana, and William S. Becker
• Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward by David Orr
• Democracy in a Hotter Time, presentation at Elon University (YouTube)
• Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg
• The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by E.O. Wilson and Stephen R. Kellert
• Dr. David Orr and Dr. Miranda Yaver on the Stand Up! With Pete Dominick Podcast
• Children & Nature Network
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
• Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate Raworth

Keywords:  David Orr, biophilic democracy, nature and politics, ecological design, climate crisis, democracy reform, environmental education, sustainability, biophilia, civic engagement, ecological literacy, long-term thinking, political polarization, community resilience, democratic transformation, environmental ethics, nature connection, systems thinking, education and ecology, hope and renewal, doughnut economics, circular economy

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