Season 3, Ep 10: thinking in (eco)systems with Dr Vishnu Prahalad

What do a grandmother’s advice on ants, a time machine and an iceberg have in common? 

According to Dr Vishnu Prahalad, they’re all part of what it means for us to live more sustainably, by learning to  think in terms of systems. 

 On this episode of the reMAKERS, we talk to Dr Prahalad: a conservationist, ecologist, systems thinker, and Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

Dr Prahalad connects different fields – from environmental management and geography to history, politics and economics – that need to come together for us to live harmoniously on our planet with the environment and the species who rely on it. 

This episode is sure to get you thinking about life, the Universe and everything, from the smallest ant to the biggest systems that surround us all.

This episode of the reMAKERS was recorded from the lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and the lands of the muwinina and palawa peoples in nipaluna/Hobart in lutruwita/Tasmania.  We honour the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters, and pay our respect to Elders past and present.

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Show notes

Things and people we mention

• The Bachelor of Natural Environment and Conservation at the University of Tasmania 

• Vishnu’s talk on systems thinking and sustainability for the Modern Money Lab 

• Vishnu’s recent co-authored paper on making sustainability laws work, while treating our addiction to economic growth

• From What Is to What If by Rob Hopkins 

• The Transition Network

• Economist Stephanie Kelton  

• NewDemocracy.com.au

• Wales’ former Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe on the reMAKERS 

• The history of Tasmania Together 

• The Iceberg Model and our intro to systems change thinking

• The Australia Institute’s Richard Denniss on the reMAKERS

• The Bioregional Economy by Molly Scott Cato

• Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows 

• Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber 

Recommendations and things you can do

• Check out Vishnu’s work at the University of Tasmania (UTas).

• Check out the Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation at UTas.

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