Shaun Chamberlin is an author and activist who describes his perspective as one of "dark optimism" -- unashamedly positive about what kind of a world humanity could create, while unashamedly realistic about how far we are from creating it today. He has written and edited diverse publications -- including creating Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival, and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economyfrom the work of his late mentor David Fleming -- and spoken at venues from Occupy camps to Parliaments.

In exploring the cultural narratives charting society’s course, he has held many roles: one of Extinction Rebellion’s first arrestees, pioneer of the Transition Towns network, chair of the Ecological Land Co-Operative, a director of the campaigning organization Global Justice Now and (for his sins) an advisor to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change. Shaun also works with Sterling as a Consulting Scholar and the lead educator/convenor for our Surviving the Future courses and community.

[05:13]-searching in life for answers; course at a Schumacher college, life after oil; meeting Richard Heinberg, David Fleming, Rob Hopkins; beginnings of Transition Movement founded with David Fleming in mind at the community scale

[10:25]-One Fleming quote that changed his life, "large scale problems do not require large scale solutions, they require small scale solutions within large scale frameworks." After Fleming's death; edited Fleming's life's work and manuscript Lean Logic into Surviving The Future, Culture, Carnival and Capitol in the aftermath of the market economy

[17:32]-Evolution to surviving the future, conversations for our time into Sterling course

[19:58]-Dark Optimism the essence of Chamberlin's work; facing the monsters and telling a story of our lives we are proud to tell

[22:49]-Having brave conversations by stepping into the grief of what we know can be a healing process

[27:25]-Current adventures;Surviving the future course, Happy Pig; a non-monetary hostel; the informal and gift economy; relationship with re-wilding charity that's bringing back the natural forest ecologies of Ireland