In this episode I sit down with Vince Beiser, whose book Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that Will Shape The Future is an incredible follow up to his book Sand: the World in a Grain. When we last caught up with Vince we plumbed the depths of sand and how, while largely unseen, it is one of the major resources our world is built on. In this conversation, Vince and I explore more unseen resources our world is increasingly dependent on: the critical metals that are powering our energy transition. We talk about how everything has a cost, about how the electro digital age, while feeling post-material, is anything but. We touch a little on the materials used in this energy transition. We have a complex conversation around reshoring mining and exploring if where we might mine next is here at home. And then we talk about recycling, repair, and real tangible solutions to what might happen next.

Find Vince:

Instagram: @vince.beiser

Substack

X: @vincebeiser

Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that Will Shape The Future

Sand: the World in a Grain

Resources Mentioned:

Washington Post on Data Centers

NYT Op-Ed on Reshoring Mining

Thea Riofrancos on Novara FM

Fight to Repair Newsletter

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT

• Mine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!
• redmond.life

FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON

• USA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens.
• fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaugh

BAHÉ FOOTWEAR

• Barefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off.

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This is a salty conversation and it’s also the kind of conversation that cracks you wide open. I sit down with Jill Winger - not to discuss her incredible work with Old-Fashioned on Purpose, her courses, her planner, or her book which are all amazing - but to talk about her life philosophies, our shared hot takes, and to lean into our complexity as humans. We explore the complexities of modern communication, the importance of intentional living, and the challenges of building community in a polarized society. We talk about being reflexive contrarians and sometimes needing to go to an extreme to bounce back to some nuance. We discuss the value of discomfort in personal growth as much as we talk about when and how to choose ease, the balance between generalism and specialization, and the necessity of real human connection in an increasingly digital world. We explore choosing when we need to choose discomfort (often!) but also when we need to choose ease. All around, about holding the tension between modern and old-fashioned ways of living, and just holding the tension between so many paradoxical qualities of ourselves and our lives.

Find Jill:

Instagram: @jill.winger

Website

Youtube

2025 Old Fashioned On Purpose Planner

Meal Craft

Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life

Resources Mentioned:

Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman, MD and Michael E. Long

10x is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan

Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT

• Mine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!
• redmond.life

SUNDRIES FARM GARLIC

• Hand grown Sundries Farm Garlic is certified disease-free and grown in the volcanic soils of Idaho. With a range of soft and hard-neck varietals the unmatched flavor and big cloves are perfect for both your seed and culinary needs. Pre-order now for shipping in September.
• sundriesfarm.com

WHOOEE. Brock Dolman, folks, in this episode is weaving together all sorts of things previously explored on the podcast in a new (old) and incredibly articulate way. This podcast is about water cycles, beavers, fire, sand, geology, the oceans, a living earth, and so much more. Brock is a conservation ecologist and a specialized generalist over at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. He’s also, in his own right, a linguist and an incredible waeaver of words. We explore the nouns and verbs of earth as energy flows, matter cycles, and life webs. This episode is a catch all - and at the heart of it, is a message about how to build lasting community.

Find Brock Dolman:

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center

Water and Fire Video

The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story by Brian Swimme

Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine Benyus

Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities by Diana Leafe Christian

The End of Growth By Richard Heinberg

The Ghost Forest by Greg King

Eager by Ben Goldfarb

Beaver Land by Leila Philip

Tree Crops by J. Russell Smith

Picture of subsidence san Joaquin valley of telephone pole

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows

Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken

AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War

Sponsored By:

REDMOND REAL SALT

• Mine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!
• redmond.life