Ecotopia Revisited with Ernest Callenbach

MP3 Download

In his 1981 prequel to Ecotopia, Ecotopia Emerging, Callenbach envisions a social, economic, and technological landscape that presents practical and ecologically sustainable living. The story is set in 1999, 25 years after Washington, Oregon, and Northern California have seceded from the U.S. to form an independent nation called Ecotopia. He has been prescient in his view of what is now at the forefront of public discourse. Here, he critiques short-term economic perspectives that harm long-term ecological survival. Callenbach emphasizes the need for a shift in values towards sustainability and community, advocating for a more responsible and ecologically aware society. (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Ernest Callenbach (1929 - 2012) was an American author, film critic, editor, and advocate of simple living. He became famous for his internationally successful semi-utopian novel Ecotopia.

Ernest Callenbach's books include:

• Ecotopia (Banyan Tree Books 1975)
• Ecotopia Emerging (Banyan Tree Books 1981)
• Living Cheaply with Style: Live Better & Spend Less (Ronin Press 2000)
• Ecology, Revised and Expanded: A Pocket Guide (University of California Press 2008)
• The Complete Ecotopia (Banyan Tree Books 2021)

Topics explored in this dialogue include:

• What is the origin of the term “Ecotopia”
• How using the fictional novel form gave inspiration for political fiction rather than science fiction
• What political influence does the novel have on government officials
• How the novel sensitizes readers to major issues overlooked by traditional press
• What is the need for biological and sustainable criteria for life on planet earth
• How the report on Gross National Product does not reflect the quality of life
• What is the role of a corporate shift from exploitative to ecological sustainability
• What are Ecotopian values that support life on the planet 

Host: Michael Toms    Interview Date: 5/3/1982  Program Number: 1680