Take Me to the River: Getting Rid of Deadbeat Dams

About this episode

The episode discusses the removal of dams and the impact of concrete on natural ecosystems, featuring an interview with Tara Lohan.

People REALLY love their impervious surfaces. Concrete structures practically permeate human-built landscapes. Rather than layering ever more concrete on top of living soils, in waterways, and all over the countryside, what if we re-established our connection with natural ecosystems and put a stop to the concrete madness? One of the most inspiring developments of environmental and cultural restoration involves the cleanup of tons and tons of concrete. We’re talking dam removal today. So grab a sledge hammer, a few sticks of dynamite, and a wrecking ball, and come along as we explore the battle between concrete placement and concrete removal. And don’t miss our interview with Tara Lohan, author of Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life. Originally recorded on 3/17/26. Sources/Links/Notes: The Reef Line “Underwater ‘traffic jam’ off Miami beach, CBS News, November 3, 2025 Miami Beach’s New Traffic Jam Frolics With the Fishes, New York Times, December 1, 2025 We Finally Know Why Ancient Roman Concrete Stood The Test of Time, Science Alert by Michelle Starr, October 29, 2025 L“Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future” by Mary Soderstrom. University of…

People in this episode

Guest: Tara Lohan

Topics covered

• dam removal
• environmental restoration
• concrete structures
• natural ecosystems
• waterways
• cultural restoration

Keywords

• dam removal
• environmental restoration
• concrete
• natural ecosystems
• Tara Lohan
• waterways
• cultural restoration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Post Carbon Institute

Books & works: Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life, Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future, Concrete: From the Ground Up

Places: Miami, Miami Beach

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