J. Maarten Troost on Kiribati's atolls, climate change, and what travel writing is for RERELEASE

<p>This podcast has been running for almost a decade. There are some real gems buried in the catalogue that I am happy to have a chance to rerelease. This is one of those episodes. It has a new intro.</p><p>I recorded it with J. Maarten Troost in April 2020 and published it as <a href="https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e9-travel-writing-a-disappearing-994" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">S2E9, "Travel writing a disappearing Oceania"</a>. It remains a personal favorite of mine.</p><p>Maarten wrote four travel memoirs: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/180474/the-sex-lives-of-cannibals-by-j-maarten-troost/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em>The Sex Lives of Cannibals</em></a> (2004), about the two years he spent in Kiribati after his partner got a job at an NGO who operated there; <em>Getting Stoned with Savages</em> (2006), about their move to Fiji and Vanuatu; <em>Lost on Planet China</em> (2008) where Maarten ends up wandering around quite a bit of China; and <em>Headhunters on My Doorstep</em> (2013), a <em>Treasure Island</em> retracing written in recovery.</p><p>We talk about his time in a huge place that very few have visited to the depths he has, and how the world was changing (or maybe beginning to change) since his time in the region.</p><p>Travel writing when it's good, acknowledges both difference and universality. It helps us understand Other, and mocks the way that we are in taking our Otherness for granted. Maarten does a wonderful job at both.</p><p>And he hates the f*@!ing Macarena.</p><p><strong>This Episode's Sponsor</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://www.ecoengineers.us" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<strong>EcoEngineers: a full-service advisory and consulting firm focused on carbon dioxide removal, decarbonization, and carbon markets</strong>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/how-to-hire-fire-and-get-max-value" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to the RCC episode I made with David LaGreca from EcoEngineers about how to choose, hire, and fire carbon market contractors.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://www.ecoengineers.us/ecoforums/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<strong>2026 EcoForums Training Series: </strong><em><strong>Navigating Global Carbon and Fuel Regulations, Market Mechanisms, and Life-Cycle Analysis Fundamentals</strong></em>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Resources</strong></p><p><a href="https://climateworkersanonymous.substack.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<strong>⁠Check out my new show, </strong><em><strong>Climate Workers Anonymous</strong></em>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/subscribe" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<strong>Become a paid subscriber of </strong><em><strong>Reversing Climate Change </strong></em><strong>(and get rid of the ads on Spotify)</strong>⁠⁠⁠</a><a href="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/subscribe" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://www.rosskenyon.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<strong>⁠Subscribe to the </strong><em><strong>Reversing Climate Change </strong></em><strong>Substack</strong>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/51835/j-maarten-troost/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">J. Maarten Troost at Penguin Random House</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bjrobbinsliterary.com/j-maarten-troost" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">J. Maarten Troost at BJ Robbins Literary Agency</a></p><p><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/180474/the-sex-lives-of-cannibals-by-j-maarten-tro