Jefferson Exchange interview, scroll all the way down.

These are radio productions of the Primer.
There are two 28 minute companion productions every month. Part one, is "On The Way."  Part two is "On The Ground."  On the way describes the ideals, values and principles of paradigm shift.  On The Ground describes what the ideals, values and principles of paradigm shift can look like applied on the ground in the real world.  The two parts go together.  Each month On The Way will describe aspects of paradigm shift and On The Ground will describe real life examples of paradigm shift.


Below. This program describes how the Primer is organized. It touches on sound bites for paradigm shift and several of the fundamentals of paradigm shift. Key words, concepts and topics - a critique of the consumer culture, social engineering, prioritizing time and money, allies and assets, reducing eco footprints, taking paradigm shift to a wider audience and why we already have an enormous horizontal Movement for paradigm shift ready to discover itself. The next addition of On The Way will be a deeper deconstruction of the consumer culture. 

Hover over the arrow point, it will turn blue and klik.

Next below. This program describes aspects of paradigm shift such as prioritizing time and money and reducing eco footprints and how those actions can look when applied to a suburban property over 25 years. This program describes producing more basic needs on site - food, water, energy, aesthetics. The site is a permaculture landmark in the Pacific Northwest - thousands of people have visited over the years to see what suburbia can look like. There is a brief look at the history of suburbia and how economic interests are responsible for the social engineering of cars and suburbia. The next episode of On The Ground will describe empowering young people to be Baby Bloomers rather than Baby Doomers. Living with the aftermath of the Baby Boomers.

Next below. A Critique of Capitalism and The Consumer Culture. Paradigm shift is driven by a clear deconstruct of the mythologies of capitalism - economic efficiency, the magic hand, informed choice. America is exceptional - at turning nature into money. The terms external cost is explained as economic malpractice - an enormous dishonest subsidy to affluence paid for my public health and the environment. Suburbia, a make work project, and automobiles are examples of economic interests dominating public policy for their own benefit. The enormous US military exists to protect the over-consumption of the American Way of Life.  

Next below is episode two, On The Way, Feb 26. This episode describes several examples of empowering young people. Young people have the most to gain from paradigm shift. The School Garden Project, Onondaga Earth Corps, Rachel Carson Academy, the Kelly MIddle School Community Service Class and the Scout's Sustainability Merit Badge ALL teach and promote ideals, values and actions that fit into paradigm shift even though these entities do not mention paradigm shift anywhere on there websites or self descriptions. So the podcast explains what these groups do and put that into a paradigm shift context.  I love it!

Next below. This 51 minute audio is made for Spirit In Action Radio.  The first part describes several organizations for young people that teach and encourage ideals, values and actions that are perfect for paradigm shift.  The groups do not mention paradigm shift anywhere on their websites but the ideals are simply sensible and universal. Care for people, care for planet. Taking responsibility. Cooperation, resourcefulness. The second part of this audio describes the dilemma of Benicia, California. The small and prosperous town is challenged by the upcoming loss of its largest employer and 20% of its city taxes, an oil refinery.  The audio describes, what if the citizens of Benicia used this crisis to choose to move towards sustainability instead of efforts to prop up business as usual.  The account is fiction but very realistic. Many cities and towns will be faced with similar difficulties as the mainstream, non sustainable economic system continues on the downslope. Individuals can put many of these ideas into practice in their own lives and neighborhoods, regardless of what the city does or doesn't.

Next below., for my radio program, continues with a critique of capitalism, the focus is social engineering and the consumer culture. There is a short history describing how Edward Bernays, Walter Lippmann and others had the vision and capacity to advance the ideas of how society would be managed. Those with the intellect and skills would run the country on behalf of the wealth and well connected while the masses would be distracted and discouraged to stay out of their way, socially engineered to be compliant by way of an endless stream of consumer projects and distractions. That is the origin story for the consumer culture. It disempowersna degrades positive human potential.

Next below. Benicia, a small town on the northeast corner of the Bay Area is losing its oil refinery. A core part of its economic well being. The program describes what might Benicia do if it chose paradigm shift rather than more of the same. Benicia would call on its greatest potential, its own residents to take action on behalf of sustainability. Life would be very different. The actions Benicia can take on behalf of paradigm shift are basically the same for any city or town for moving towards sustainability. 

Below is an interview with radio station WGBH, central Vermont community radio about paradigm shift. The host asked me several very good questions about my place, paradigm shift, how people can make a start with paradigm shift.

Next below Allies and Asset For Paradigm Shift describes how there are many allies and assets in our homes, neighborhoods and communities for moving towards sustainability. Everyone is has great capacity to be an ally and asset and to initiate taking action.

Allies and assets can be social, they can be organizations or vacant lots to turn into a garden. A run down apartment complex can be an asset for turning into an eco village. Using the terms allies, assets and actions can serve as a nomenclature shortcut for identifying common interests in paradigm shift.

Allies, assets and actions can be seen as 1 + 1 = 3. Each two can create more of the third. The American Association of Retired Persons could be an enormous ally and assets for taking action to advance the cause of paradigm shift. 

Below. The Garden Event and Reflections is companion to 4A, Allies, Assets and Actions. This episode is based on a real life small event in the producer's neighborhood in Eugene. The producer of the Primer was one of the organizers of the event. The goal of the event was to encourage more people to grow food at home and connect with their neighbors.

The event catalyzed some reflections such as, when so many people, the city, public interest organizations call for "sustainability," why are we as a society making so little progress for moving towards sustainability. Another episode on the Primer will go into more detail.

The episode also suggests, how might the organizations participating in the garden event [and others in general] evolve their work and actions in the community if/when our society is confronted by likely poly crisis disruptions to life as we know it.

Next below. This program is the first of several On The Way programs that explains the core aspects of paradigm shift. This program will focus on positive human potential/social uplift, the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions and permaculture.
Positive human potential is our greatest renewable resource. Personal and societal uplift means improving the way we think and how we behave towards others.

The wisdom includes care for the natural world, modesty of lifestyle, service to the community, uplift of the spirit and being accountable for our actions. Individual lifestyles, a society and an economic system can be based on the ideals and values.

Permaculture can help connect our ideals and vision to the real world.

This episode also briefly describes the Global Earth Repair Convergence held in Port Townsend, Washington State in early May where the producer made presentations about paradigm shift and how paradigm shift can look in suburbia. 

Next below. This episode of On the Ground - A Primer For Paradigm Shift hosts a panel of four people who describe life in their shared housing and eco villages. The panel members describe related but very different example of alternative living places.
First location is a shared suburban home with a modest level of social intention. Second is a large house with ten residents with more intention and complexity. Next is a suburban neighborhood where a third of the residents in their private homes identify as members of the eco village. The fourth location is very urban with several upgraded older buildings.

Each location is purposeful in creating a positive and healthy place to live. Each location has a care for cooperation, reducing eco footprints and being a positive member of the nearby neighborhood.

The more members in each location, the greater the dynamics of social, lifestyle and economic complexity.
These stories illustrate a diversity of examples about what paradigm shift can look like.

In this episode of On The Ground, A Primer For Paradigm Shift we have a conversation with Mary Bishop, who lives in Spokane, Washington.

This episode of On The Way describes several aspects of paradigm shift. We take a look at reducing eco footprints, prioritizing time and money. These are three of the basic ten aspects of paradigm shift. The episode describes how the footprint of the average American is close to the largest in the world. Jan explains the footprint calculator, a free on line questionaire where one can learn about their own eco footprint, including its size.

Jan also explains the term prioritize time and money. It simply means, we move towards sustainability and paradigm shift when we make use of our own time and money in a way that advances the cause or paradigm shift. Jan briefly describes how he manages his own eco footprint and makes effective use of his own time and money.

In this episode of On The Ground, below, Jan describe a recent book he read named A Short History of Progress. He also provides an overview of a new plan at global scale from the Global Justice Project, nested in the Paris School of Economics.  The History explains how humanity time after time has run the same pattern of history, build a more complex society, thrive, peak, overshoot and go into terminal decline. The book explains the term, "progress trap." The author [and many others] see the same pattern easily visible in our own global civilization all through history at places such as Sumer, Easter Island, The Maya and The Roman Empire. 

The Global Justice Project is an ambitious undertaking with hundreds of researchers and writers.  It calls for a fundamental reset for global finance, economics and the movement of the output for the global economic system from manufacturing products and "goods" towards education, health care and social services. A tax on the wealth and income of the very rich of the world over a period of decades would build a sovereign fund with assets in the trillions, to pay for these changes. The plan claims the vast majority of people on the planet would benefit a great deal, both in the so called developing countries but also in the well off countries.  Democracy, social, political and economic equity would be primary goals both within countries and also between countries. The project is a fascinating work of scholarship and would address the issues raised in A History of Progress.

For this episode of On the Ground, A Primer For Paradigm Shift, Please join us for a conversation with Mary Bishop of Spokane, Washington.  Mary is a permaculture consultant in Spokane and is also the primary organizer for the 2026, August 22 and 23 Spokane Permaculture Symposium. We learn from Mary about the Symposium such as what kinds of topics and issues to expect for those attending.  Mary wants to bring a wide range of local food practitioners and enthusiasts together to meet each other and to elevate their working together to support creating a more robust local food system.

After the animated and informative interview with Mary, Jan explains how the Symposium and Growing Gardens, a visionary local non profit Mary describes, both deserve full community support because of the vital work they are doing for the community and also because they are real life examples of paradigm shift, on the ground, in the early going.

 


On The Way. Paradigm Shift to the wider world explains the most important point of departure for moving our society towards sustainability, social uplift and paradigm shift are the understandings that the mal practice of capitalism, and its consumer culture is the common denominator for essentially, all our collective social, political and economic problems.

Thousands of public interest organizations are on the same team and we have an enormous progressive social movement waiting to discover itself to confront capitalism. The issue is not only about the environment but also about human potential. How much stuff is produced and consumed and is used as a metric to define the success of humanity has caused and is causing a lot of avoidable problems. There are other choices.

Many thousands of local and national public interest organizations, large and small, have enormous existing assets to work with for helping to bring the information about sustainability and uplift to the wider world. Positive human potential is our greatest renewable resource.

Below, Jefferson Exchange with Mike Green. This 15 minute interview aired on July 30 and takes a look at the presentation Jan will
be making at the Bellview Grange in Ashland August 7 - Climate Change, The Poly Crisis, Human Potential and Paradigm Shift.

This episode, below, of On The Way continues with aspects of paradigm shift - "Be The Change" and "Build civic Culture."

Be the change means practice the ideals of paradigm shift in real life. Care for the natural world, modesty of lifestyle, service to the community, uplift of the spirit and accountability.

These ideas lead to downsizing eco footprints and prioritizing time and money for engaging in the community.

One can take on a paradigm shift lifestyle and one can also become a purposeful advocate of paradigm shift. A paradigm shift lifestyle is the start of one's own resume to be an advocate.

One can also assess one's own assets that can help put the ideas of paradigm shift to the wider world. There are many allies and assets to work with in the community.

Be the change is the precursor to building civic culture.

Civic culture is making time to take part in the life of the community for people and planet. Civic culture is also a place where the wisdom of the world's great spiritual traditions can manifest.

This episode explains the role of Edward Bernays, his friends and his vision that has become the consume culture - a socially engineered society to distract the masses from participation in how their society behaves.

Be the change leads to civic culture which leads to paradigm shift.  

On The Ground. Suburban strip malls are a core element of the American urban landscape. Built for cars and to sell the products of the consumer culture. they can play a critical role in paradigm shift.

A social enterprise in Chicago invites local people to become part owners of local strip malls that social enterprise has bought in various locations in the Midwest.
Being a part owner helps local people build civic culture and care for the community.

This episode uses Chicago Trend, the social enterprise, as a point of departure to tell a plausible fiction story that describes local people buying a strip mall in Eugene, Oregon and what can be done to "repair" the mall by redeveloping it to play an important role for paradigm shift.

The story describes changes at the mall such as mixed use re development on the parking lot for useful businesses and affordable housing that favors car free residents. There are many social positive amenities.

The redeveloped strip mall becomes a micro downtown for several suburban neighborhoods that leads to many positive outcomes for people and planet. This episode explains. 

The episode below was made for Spirit In Action Radio. This program goes into more detail, about the graphic flow chart that explains the basic progressive dynamics of paradigm shift with a review of a recent article about social enterprise and a fiction story of the near future. Based on the article, the story describes how uplifted neighbors buy the local suburban strip mall and turn its 3 acre parking lot into a thriving mixed use development that addresses many of the challenges of a more economically constrained future. Both the article and the fiction story fit in the flow chart and illustrate what paradigm shift can look like.