Pullback is a podcast that explores big ideas and asks: is this a real solution or a distraction? Through discussions with leading experts, we cover ideas that proponents say will address global problems like inequality and climate change.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
“It was definitely a movie we had to crack a few beers for. If we’d been in Canada, we might’ve been smoking it up, but since we can’t: it was weird.” We all need a little fun right now. So, Kyla runs the show for this special collaborative episode on movies, featuring Kieran and Matty D. from Potential Spoilers (a podcast that predicts the plot of movies from the trailer). Topics: diversity in Hollywood; the environmental impact of the film industry; animals and film; child actors; baby burlesque used to be a thing and it is just as horrifying as it sounds; what you can do to help; Kyla, Kristen, Matty D., and Kieran see independent movies.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/hollywood
Featuring Potential Spoilers: https://potentialspoilers.podbean.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Recorded Wednesday, March 18, 2019.
Social distancing! In this bonus episode, Kyla and Kristen each shout out three problems and three champions as the COVID-19 pandemic asserts itself in Canada. Kyla notices how pandemics change our lives and routines in unexpected ways. Kristen realizes she had no idea what a week’s worth of groceries looks like. Topics: social distancing; are we over- or under-reacting to the crisis; gig economy and wage workers; is it ethical to order online during a pandemic; temporary foreign workers and refugees; the Government of Canada announces emergency aid; public trust and civic duty; what you can do to help.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/covid-19
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
“Don’t get rid of all your pants. You’ve gotta wear pants.” In this episode, Kristen and Kyla talk about what it means to have a conscious closet. Kristen’s hoodie becomes mattress stuffing. Kyla glues her shoes. Topics: escaping fast fashion; what is a conscious closet; fashion personality types; doing a wardrobe impact inventory; your clothing reuse plan; where clothing donations go; recycling clothes; clothing resale and rentals.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/clothing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Thursday Mar 12, 2020
Thursday Mar 12, 2020
“That’s like our whole show: ‘Better than nothing, I guess!’” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen talk about the environmental impact of clothing. Topics: the environmental impact of polyester, other synthetics, cotton, cellulosic fibres, wool, and bast fibres (best fibres!); pollution, water use, and emissions in the production of clothing; tools you can use to find sustainable clothing; the environmental impact of tossing clothes; Kyla and Kristen do an impact inventory of their wardrobes.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/clothing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
In this episode, Kristen and Kyla unravel the problems with fast fashion. Kyla learns that making clothes really is that hard. Kristen calls out Jay-Z and P-Diddy. Topics: what is fast fashion; we are buying (and throwing out) so many clothes; how the fashion supply chain works; offshoring; FDR, labour hero; sweatshops; garment industry disasters; forced labour; child labour; why is everything so shitty; is it getting better; what you can do.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/clothing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Tuesday Feb 25, 2020
Tuesday Feb 25, 2020
Not on my wash! In this episode, Kristen and Kyla air their dirty laundry. Kristen is appalled by her own wardrobe. Kyla is worried she doesn’t wash her clothes enough — although honestly, if it saves the planet... Listen in for practical tips on doing ethical laundry! Topics: water and energy use; how often should you wash your laundry (it’s a clothes call); waste-free detergents and softeners; Kyla’s (soap) nuts; plastic microfibre pollution; and microfibre capture devices. Clean jokes only, we promise.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/laundry
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
“I need to be able to fit my cellphone in my pants; this is a feminist crisis!” In this bonus episode, listen to more of Kristen and Kyla’s discussion with food, migration, and labour historian Alexandra (Lex) Sundarsingh. Topics: Lex misses stationary street food; Toronto’s racist health panic (the one about food trucks, not COVID-19); Pad Thai robots!!; France’s kitchen brigade system; Canada is terrible at food diplomacy; sea lice is a thing, apparently; Lex’s new project on complaints filed by female Indian indentured labourers on British colonial sugar plantations.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/sugar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Lex's Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSundarsingh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
In this episode, Kristen and Kyla are joined by food, migration, and labour historian Alexandra (Lex) Sundarsingh. Lex adds her knowledge about historical human rights abuses in sugar production — which, unfortunately, look a lot like present-day human rights abuses in sugar production. In their discussion, Lex, Kyla, and Kristen explain sugar production and why human rights practices are so fraught. They also discuss what you can do if you want to combat human rights abuses in sugar. Topics: indentured servitude in the British empire; sugarcane versus sugar beets; sugarcane is still a human rights hellscape; there’s some baggage in the history of Canadian sugar beet production; Stevia and biopiracy; Kyla goes through sugar withdrawal; Kristen struggles to find fair trade; Lex is giving out Sweetness and Power like it’s a car and she’s Oprah.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/sugar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Lex's Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSundarsingh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Thursday Jan 30, 2020
Thursday Jan 30, 2020
Veganuary is over! How did Kristen and Kyla do?
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/veganuary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Veganuary — it’s what’s for dinner! (And breakfast, and lunch…) In this episode, Kristen and Kyla talk about veganism. This episode looks at the history of veganism and vegan activism, as well as vegan eating. Topics: Veganuary at the Golden Globes; veganism is getting more woke (but it hasn’t always been); there’s secret meat in everything; meat substitutes; and cultured meat. Kyla and Kristen also discuss their Veganuary successes and failures.
Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/veganuary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/
Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.