The Grass Ceiling was originally conceived as a podcast series to discuss topics in sustainability. At first, the goal was to break down the complexity and communicate the basics. To an extent, we’re still doing that with this project, but there’s always more to learn and more to document along the way.
As that learning continued, we also decided that we wanted to go beyond just environmental considerations – and the name of the podcast was born. We want to cultivate dialogues about sustainability that aren’t centred around the “environment” as we traditionally perceive it – somewhere green, somewhere with trees.
That’s why we’re bright yellow! Proudly different. And sneakily Australian.
Yellow is the colour of Wattles blooming in spring – a signal that the turtles are ready to nest and that soon, the eels will be plentiful. We are the colour of gold, shining through the ages on glorious Incan crowns, Conquistador’s spoils, semiconductors, and spacecraft. We are the colour of sunset, sunrise, and supernova – the cosmos at its most serene and savage. There is so much more to sustainability than just the green. We want to show you glimpses through that kaleidoscope.
We’ll explore the familiar regularly too. It’s impossible not to. But we also want to bring a range of topics to the forefront that don’t usually get as much attention. We hope you’ll join us on this journey, as we take each other on a guided tour of sustainability, that’s sometimes more of a guided detour instead. Getting lost can be fun. Exploring can be fun.
Ready for an adventure?
Original Grass Ceiling Content
Created by Sumithri Venketasubramanian and Nick Blood
Edited and supervised by Edwina Fingleton-Smith
Podcast Episodes (Project lead: Sumi)
- Episode 1: How did we get here?
- Episode 2: Parks, plastic, and problem solving
- Episode 3: What’s the point of it all?
- Episode 4: Peter Piper picked a peck of … climate change solutions?
- Episode 5: Hyperthreats: Too big to fathom? (w/ Dr. Elizabeth Boulton)
Written content (Project lead: Nick)
Introduction
Sustainability in theory and practice
- Article 3: Praxis and Paradox
- Article 4: Sustainability and culture
- Article 5: Environmental Sociology
- Article 6: Sustainability as a unifying concept
Philosophy and sustainability
- Article 7: Key Philosophical Concepts
- Article 8: Terror, black mirrors, and the era of threats
- Article 9: Going deeper with philosophy
Risk and sustainability (In depth investigation)
- Article 10: Introduction
- Article 11: Triage
- Article 12: Blind spots
- Article 13: Triage in practice
- Article 14: Risk-based sustainability models
- Article 15: Infinite risk
- Article 16: Defining Risk
- Article 17: Risk and the Hyperobject
- Article 18: Risk and survival
- Article 19: S-Risks
Virtualization and sustainability (in Depth investigation)
- Article 20: Press Start
- Article 21: Whining my way towards the Fermi Paradox
- Article 22: Civilizational development
- Article 23: Utility and sustainability – Major essay
- Article 24: Resisting the bliss of ignorance
We’re busy studying, but still keen to add to this original body of work over time, as well as nurture and expand what we’ve already set down. If you’re interested in working with us let us know!
The Grass Ceiling 