GrowthBusters

Learn about a new think tank that's doing some of the most important thinking on the planet. Matt Orsagh is co-founder of the Arketa Institute for Post-Growth Finance and co-author of a just-published white paper, By Disaster Or Design: How Finance Can Evolve to Avoid the Worst of the Ecological Challenges We Face and Enable the Transition to a Better Economic Model. That paper, and this episode, offer an introduction to degrowth, the rational response for a society in ecological overshoot. Degrowth is “an equitable downscaling of production and consumption that increases human well-being and enhances ecological conditions at the local and global level, in the short and long term.” We also explore how the financial industry needs to evolve as we transition to a post-growth economy. Matt is also author of the Substack column, Degrowth is the Answer. The Arketa Institute is working to “normalize the conversation around ecological economics and degrowth in the financial world.” Steve Rocco and Anastasia Linn are co-founders with Matt Orsagh. The white paper was written by the three of them, and edited by Nicholas Harland. Some upcoming events of note: April 29: Webinar to discuss the paper 'By Disaster or Design'. Register here: https://eu.bigin.online/org20104687142/forms/by-disaster-or-design-webinar May 7-9: Matt, Anastasia and Steve will attend and present at the in-person gathering of the Barcelona Action Circle of Financial Leaders. This is the culmination of a months-long engagement organized by the world-renowned team at Research & Degrowth: https://degrowth.org/ May 13-15: Matt will attend the Finance Montreal Sustainable Finance Summit in Montreal, Canada: https://www.sommet-financedurable.com/en/home July 26-29: Matt will speak at the Degrowth Institute's inaugural DeSchool event in Chicago: https://www.degrowthinstitute.org/events/deschool-2025 Fall 2025: Arketa Institute will survey global financial professionals on their understanding of ecological economics and post-growth ideas to inform a report to be published by the end of 2025. LINKS: By Disaster or Design: How Finance Can Evolve to Avoid the Worst of the Ecological Challenges We Face and Enable the Transition to a Better Economic Modelhttps://www.arketa-institute.org/resources/by-disaster-or-design What We're Doing Isn't Working: It's Time for a New Approach – Episode 9 of Dave the Planet podcasthttps://davetheplanet.substack.com/p/what-were-doing-isnt-working Behavior Change to Provide a Bright Future – Episode 15 of Dave the Planet podcasthttps://davetheplanet.substack.com/p/behavior-change-to-provide-a-bright Planetary Boundaries – Stockholm Universityhttps://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World - by Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants)https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books FURTHER READING: Post-Growth: The Science of Wellbeing Within Planetary Boundarieshttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00310-3/fulltext This Isn't Capitalism — It's Growthism, and It's Bad for Usby Umair Haque, Harbard Business Review, October 28, 2013https://hbr.org/2013/10/this-isnt-capitalism-its-growthism-and-its-bad-for-us Growthism: Its Ecological, Economic and Ethical Limits - by Herman Dalyhttps://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue87/Daly87.pdf https://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv15n04page15.html Essays Against Growthism, by Herman Daly, published by World Economics Association Books.  Pdf or ebook https://www.worldeconomicsassociation.org/files/Essays-Against-Growthism-Herman-Daly-PDF.pdf https://www.worldeconomicsassociation.org/library/essays-against-growthism/ The Entropy Law and the Economic Processhttps://content.csbs.utah.edu/~lozada/Adv_Resource_Econ/En_Law_Econ_Proc_Cropped_Optimized_Clearscan.pdf Quantity of Metals Required to Manufacture One Generation of Renewable Technology Units to Phase Out Fossil Fuelshttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/367682085_Quantity_of_Metals_Required_to_Manufacture_One_Generation_of_Renewable_Technology_Units_to_Phase_Out_Fossil_Fuels   Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/growthbusting/ Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/growthbusters.bsky.social Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:      

Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos thinks the U.S. can grow its way out of a massive deficit. He says we need a “growth mindset.” Stephanie and Dave call it a “suicide economic model,” and note that growth addiction is exactly what afflicts most policymakers around the world. The dynamic duo discuss the little-understood fact that a shrinking economy can be healthy – when it accompanies a contracting population. Bezos also proposes that we plunder the universe in order to protect Earth “we've sent robotic probes to all of the planets in this solar system. This is the good one.”) Also: The Congressional Budget Office lowers U.S. population projections, further stoking the fires of depopulation panic – the result of a lack of overpopulation literacy Isaac Asimov's “metaphor of the bathroom,” about the need for more regulation as our population grows (we dug up great video of Asimov; see link below) The parable of the Mexican fisherman A great poem, Rather Than by Sandy Trust. Featured in an episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Planet Critical (see link below)   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Congressional Budget Office Lowers U.S. Population Projectionshttps://www.cbo.gov/publication/61164#_idTextAnchor003 Immigrants Fill the Birth Dearth: U.S. Population Will Crater Without NewcomersNew York Daily News editorialhttps://www.nydailynews.com/2025/01/17/immigrants-fill-the-birth-dearth-u-s-population-will-crater-without-newcomers/ The Interview: From Amazon to Space — Jeff Bezos Talks Innovation, Progress and What's Next – 2024 New York Times DealBook Summit, with Andrew Ross Sorkinhttps://youtu.be/s71nJQqzYRQ?si=uTMCtPVaXw8WnDeD The Four Hour Work Week - by Tim Ferrisshttps://fourhourworkweek.com/ The Story of the Mexican Fishermanhttps://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherman/ A blog post on the website of Courtney Carver, author of Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More, and Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want Isaac Asimov on World of Ideas – 1988 Interview by Bill Moyershttps://youtu.be/CWovZtCQWfE?si=nnxiJJb8LmC026Q_ Planetary Solvency – Finding Our Balance With Nature – report by Institute and Faculty of Actuarieshttps://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2025/jan/16-jan-25-planetary-solvency-finding-our-balance-with-nature/ Planetary Solvency: Sandy Trust – episode of Planet Critical with Rachel DonaldSandy Trust responds to one question with his poem, Rather Thanhttps://www.planetcritical.com/p/planetary-solvency-sandy-trust Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Unplug from an overshoot economy serving a growth-obsessed oligarchy. On March 15, the multitudes will begin a general strike across the U.S. – starving our profit and growth obsessed system. The commoners will reclaim power taken by the elite. Learn about Shutdown315 as Stephanie and Dave discuss, and chat with two Shutdown315 movement organizers, Chet and Bones. We're excited to share this with you, because Shutdown315 may be a great on-ramp to post-growth living. It starts March 15, 2025, and continues. We also launch the GrowthBusters book club – listen to learn our first book selection. And we offer a few comments about actor Kieran Culkin's appeal to his wife to give him four kids in his Oscar acceptance speech, of note because the Earth cannot meet the needs of our current 8 billion population without damaging critical life-supporting ecosystems. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: GrowthBusters Survey – https://growthbusters.org/survey Shutdown315 website – https://shutdown315.org Will the Wealthy Consume Less? That would be helpful – by Matt Orsaghhttps://degrowthistheanswer.substack.com/p/will-the-wealthy-consume-less What Is #Shutdown315? Nationwide Plan to Shut Down USA for 1 Day - Newsweekhttps://www.newsweek.com/what-shutdown315-nationwide-plan-shut-down-usa-one-day-2030742 Bright Future Project from Dave's Presidential Campaign - https://brightfutureproject.us Shutdown315 Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/shutdown315/ Shutdown315 Substack - https://substack.com/@theshutdown315movement Donate - https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Small-Family Stickers - https://youtu.be/jz_wVCPKyVY?si=0jNikVEPyTMHtFCj Donate and write to us at podcast at growthbusters.org to get yours GrowthBusters Online Community - https://growthbusters.groups.io/ The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World - by Robin Wall Kimmererhttps://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

In the face of accelerated global warming and increasingly severe consequences of climate disruption, UN projections are outdated and understating the problem, and the U.S. is going to produce and burn fossil fuels like they're going out of business. Meanwhile Trump wants to be sure Gazans aren't using condoms to float bombs over the border, and to be sure condoms and other family planning resources are not available the world over. On a positive note, a small town in Canada has adopted a “Limits to Growth” policy. Learn more about it in this episode. Please take a short survey to help us do a better job of growthbusting! https://forms.gle/fFXMEVaGRwe92Aa97   MENTIONED: Global Warming Has Accelerated: Are the United Nations and the Public Well-Informed? By James Hansen et al.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00139157.2025.2434494 ReproductiveRights.Gov Vanished, So We Brought It Backhttps://www.theskimm.com/news/reproductive-rights-gov District of Tofino Council Adopts 'Limits to Growth' Policyhttps://www.westerlynews.ca/local-news/district-of-tofino-council-adopts-limits-to-growth-policy-7701330  

Is optimism required in order to alert folks to our ecological overshoot emergency? Dave and Stephanie discuss the challenge of communicating the depth and urgency of overshoot without shutting people down. Also: Dave shares how he and a group of local growthbusters projected a guerilla “pop-up” billboard on New Year's Eve – attempting to provide an honest reality check, but not put revelers off (or entice police or security personnel to stop them) The wisdom in U.S. President Jimmy Carter's “malaise” speech Congestion pricing results in kids walking, riding bikes, or taking public transit to school China wants to goose consumption in order to keep high GDP growth Rampant growthism in reporting on UK economic contraction Incoming Trump advisors count on economic growth to balance the budget The enormous carbon footprint of stadium concerts and sporting events A new book by Robin Wall Kimmerer: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: President Jimmy Carter's “Malaise” Speechhttps://youtu.be/sXwZSzy9Ies?si=ekyAsmL0FokRvpCc London Saw a Surprising Benefit to Fining High-Polluting Cars: More Active Kidshttps://grist.org/cities/london-fining-polluting-cars-more-active-kids/ How the Debt Could Topple Trump's Growth Agendahttps://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/16/trump-ceos-american-debt-plan-00194362 The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World - by Robin Wall Kimmererhttps://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books   Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Dave and Stephanie dig into what caused voters to ignore Donald Trump's felony convictions, indecency, incompetence, narcissism, and dishonesty – and elect him president. This includes a review of the 50-year war waged by the mega-rich and corporations to undermine civility, compassion, equity and rule of law, to elevate the free enterprise system, rob the working class and enrich themselves. The Lewis Powell Memo kicked this into high gear 50 years ago. They also propose theories about why Dave's campaign for president failed in its mission to alert the public, media and policymakers to the ecological overshoot emergency. Clips: Desi Lydic on The Daily Show on Comedy Central and Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC. Mentioned in this episode: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, Chris Hedges, Thom Hartmann, William Kristol, Andrew Egger, Dan Lashoff of World Resources Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Guttmacher Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, Mercatus Center, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Terry Spahr, John McCain, Reagan, Bush, Grist. We invite your feedback, including thoughts about the recent election, and promise to share some of your comments on the next episode. Call and leave a voice message (which we may play on that episode) by dialing +1-719-402-1400. Or send an email to podcast at growthbusters dot org. LINKS:  Desi Lydic Reacts to Trump's Election Win & the Media's Blame Game | The Daily Showhttps://youtu.be/hPHH5trgC1w?si=vww-V3qoIRpLCgmH Jimmy Kimmel Reacts to Donald Trump Winning the Presidential Electionhttps://youtu.be/5JxELubSgJg?si=v9LRIHd5FqDZCQLf Strong Economy Begins With Shrinking Workforce - Episode 84 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/strong-economy-shrinking-workforce/ Dave the Planet – Dave's campaign Substack columnhttps://davetheplanet.substack.com I'm Withdrawing from the Race for U.S. President - Episode 21 of the Dave the Planet podcasthttps://davetheplanet.substack.com/p/im-withdrawing-from-the-race-for Welcome to Overshoot: Have a Nice Day – episode of the Conversation Earth podcasthttp://www.conversationearth.org/welcome-to-overshoot-2020/ Trump Wins, Planet Loses – by Tik Root on Gristhttps://grist.org/article/the-massive-consequences-trumps-re-election-could-have-on-climate-change/ If Trump Wins, Is It Game Over? – by David Todd McCarty on Mediumhttps://medium.com/rome-magazine/if-trump-wins-is-it-game-over-26f1cc296342 The Billionaires Won: The 50-Year War on Democracy That Built Trump's Oligarchy and Killed the American Dream – by Thom Hartmannhttps://hartmannreport.com/p/the-billionaires-won-the-50-year-841 The Lewis Powell Memo: A Corporate Blueprint to Dominate Democracyhttps://www.greenpeace.org/usa/democracy/the-lewis-powell-memo-a-corporate-blueprint-to-dominate-democracy/ Tentacles of Rage: The Republican Propaganda Mill, a Brief History – by Lewis Laphamhttps://msuweb.montclair.edu/~furrg/gned/laphamtentacles04.pdf Dave the Planet Substack columnhttps://davetheplanet.substack.com/ Dave Gardner for Presidenthttps://davetheplanet2024.com Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

A new study debunks depopulation panic. For decades economists have perpetuated the false narrative, “If population growth reverses and begins to decline, the economy is doomed.” This belief has so frequently been repeated by economists, politicians, business people and the public, that it is generally taken as gospel. Psychologists have characterized the phenomenon as the illusory-truth effect, or believing something to be true if it's repeated often enough, even if it is false. For the first time in modern history, a handful of countries are witnessing actual population declines. The data is now available to separate reality from what has heretofore been baseless theory. An October 2023 study conducted by Professors Theodore Lianos, Anastasia Pseiridis and Nicholas Tsounis, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications and featured on Nature.com examined volumes of economic data of twenty countries experiencing population declines. To their surprise, virtually every country with a contracting population enjoyed reduced unemployment, increased wages, and a larger real GDP per capita! Guest-host Terry Spahr, Executive Director of Earth Overshoot, speaks with the study's authors to illuminate their findings that dispel the firmly entrenched false notion that endless growth is the only path to economic salvation. Guests: Theodore Lianos Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business Anastasia PseiridisAssistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Regional DevelopmentPanteion University Regular co-hosts Dave Gardner and Stephanie Gardner are taking a break from the podcast while Dave runs for U.S. President this year. If you would like to guest-host a podcast, email us with details of the episode you would like to produce and host. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Declining Population and GDP Growthhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02223-7 Summary published at The Overpopulation Projecthttps://overpopulation-project.com/declining-population-and-gdp-growth/ Earth Overshoothttps://www.earthovershoot.org/ Dave Gardner's Campaign https://davetheplanet2024.com   Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

We made it VERY clear that Musk's worries about population collapse are ill-founded, and that attracted thousands more listeners than usual to our podcast. How did that happen? What kind of comments did we get? Find out in this episode. And get important truths about overshoot and overpopulation.  Plus, learn how we'll give YOU the mic for an episode of the GrowthBusters podcast. We explain the long wait for this episode, and share our offer to listeners to “adopt” a future episode to discuss an aspect of limits to growth important to you.  If you do want to guest-host an episode, email us your proposal. Include a paragraph or two about you, and a paragraph or two about your proposed topic, guest, approach, etc.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Eight Billion is Too Many: Don't be a Twit About Overpopulation (Episode 73 of the GrowthBusters podcast)https://www.growthbusters.org/8-billion-is-too-many/ This episode on YouTube (so you can read the comments)https://youtu.be/cKPnJU59tHw?si=rmkxk4mU9YT3d5G7 Paul Ehrlich on The Limits to Growth (Episode 70 of the GrowthBusters podcast)https://www.growthbusters.org/ehrlich-limits-to-growth/ GrowthBusters Podcast YouTube channelhttps://youtube.com/@growthbusterspodcast Dave the Planet 2024 (Dave Gardner's campaign for U.S. President)https://davetheplanet2024.com GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – Dave's 2011 documentary, now available free on YouTubehttps://growthbustersmovie.org Episode graphic includes a photo of Elon Musk by Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. We turned him on his side and added the fire. Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

The Michigan Governor is apparently unaware that the world, the U.S. and even Michigan are overpopulated. Michigan population has been growing a little too slowly for her taste, so Whitmer has appointed a Chief Growth Officer and formed the Growing Michigan Together Council. Not surprisingly, her bottom line is to “spur economic growth.” In an episode you should share with YOUR governor, you'll get the details and find out why this news puts “a bee in Dave's bonnet,” plus news about some outstanding new studies, a wonderful commentary in Newsweek, a crazy podcast you'll like, and a possible candidate for U.S. President. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: A Just World on a Safe Planet: First Study Quantifying Earth System Boundaries https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/a-just-world-on-a-safe-planet-first-study-quantifying-earth-system-boundaries Gov. Whitmer Appoints Michigan's First-Ever Chief Growth Officer (news release) https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/06/01/whitmer-appoints-michigans-first_ever-chief-growth-officer Gov. Whitmer Establishes the ‘Growing Michigan Together Council' to Focus on Population Growth, Building a Brighter Future for Michigan (news release) https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/06/01/whitmer-establishes-the-growing-michigan-together-council-to-focus-on-population-growth Gretchen Whitmer Keynote Address at Mackinac Policy Conference https://youtu.be/jTfnZbSZRpM Arizona Announces Limits on Construction in Phoenix Area as Groundwater Disappears https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/01/us/arizona-phoenix-groundwater-limits-development-climate/index.html Mass Immigration Experiment Gives Canada an Edge in Global Race For Labor https://economictimes.indiatimes.com//nri/work/mass-immigration-experiment-gives-canada-an-edge-in-global-race-for-labor/articleshow/101100076.cms Saying Out Loud What Others Won't Even Whisper About Climate Change – by Kirsten Stade https://www.newsweek.com/saying-out-loud-what-others-wont-even-whisper-about-climate-change-opinion-1806109 Population Growth is the Main Driver of Increased Carbon Emissions, Study Finds https://phys.org/news/2023-04-population-growth-main-driver-carbon.html Crazy Town podcast – Post Carbon Institute https://www.resilience.org/crazy-town-podcast/ Learn more about possible presidential campaign https://davetheplanet2024.wixsite.com/dave-the-planet Shop and Sell Your Clothes Sustainably With These 13 Buyback and Resale Programs https://www.ecowatch.com/clothes-buyback-resale-programs.html Recycle or Purchase Used Levi's Jeans https://www.secondhand.levi.com/trade-in Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Are many vegans self-righteous, overbearing and insufferable in their efforts to recruit us? Would you believe “overpopulation” is still a taboo word? Or that human population numbers are still an “off-limits” topic at some conferences? This episode continues the conversation we began in episode 79 with five smart people:   Nandita Bajaj, executive director of Population Balance Sarah Bexell, director of humane education at the Institute for Human Animal Connection at University of Denver Paul Sutton, professor of geography & the environment at DU Stephanie Gardner, co-host of the GrowthBusters podcast Dave Gardner, co-host of the GrowthBusters podcast     MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Population Balance https://populationbalance.org Population Denialism is Reminiscent of Climate Denialism - by Kirsten Stade https://www.ipsnews.net/2023/05/population-denialism-reminiscent-climate-denialism/ Pro-Birth Policies Are Killing Us – by Nandita Bajaj and Kirsten Stade https://www.newsweek.com/too-much-good-thing-pronatalism-killing-earth-opinion-1784197   Pronatalism & Overpopulation: The Personal, Cultural, and Global Implications of Having a Child (Course at Antioch University taught by Nandita Bajaj) https://www.populationbalance.org/pronatalism-and-overpopulation-course   Backpedalling on Overpopulation – by Rory Cockshaw https://www.rorycockshaw.com/blog/backpedalling-on-overpopulation   Trains, Plants and Condoms: How to Save the Planet in 3 Simple Steps – by Rory Cockshaw https://www.rorycockshaw.com/blog/trains-plants-and-condoms   Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World – by Anand Giridharadas https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/37506348   The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market – by Dr. Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57693264   How Free-Market Fundamentalism Fuels Overpopulation Denialism & Undermines Democracy – Episode of The Overpopulation Podcast with Naomi Oreskes https://www.populationbalance.org/podcasts/naomi-oreskes   President Condemns ‘Obsession' With Economic Growth Irish President Michael D Higgins speaks out against growth https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/04/28/president-condemns-obsession-with-economic-growth/   Welcome To MAGA World: Trump Wants 'Freedom Cities' Where Cars Can Fly, Parents Get 'BONUSES' for Having Babies and Huge Monuments are Built to 'True American Heroes' in 'Quantum Leap' Vision for the Future https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11818381/Trumps-2024-pitch-New-cities-flying-cars-babies.html Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Students in a DU ecological economics class discuss their biggest concerns and how our society might overcome them. Overshoot, polarization, the American Dream, politics, selfish individualism, and the capitalism growth imperative are among the topics explored – as GrowthBuster Dave Gardner sits down with leaders of tomorrow.   Dave is joined by Professor Paul Sutton at the University of Denver and students Lilia Davis, Julia Gainey, Cassienne Levan, Nathan Cox, Mikey Ford, Geordie Shonk, Elsa Krantz, and Alexandra Van de Water. Surprisingly, all the students seem to have a clear picture of how deadly serious our overshoot predicament is, but - just as surprisingly - optimism wasn't found wanting.   MENTIONED:   GrowthBusters Campus Tour https://www.growthbusters.org/campus-tour/   What Do College Students Think Their Future Holds? – Episode 65 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/college-students-think/   Overshoot: World's Best Introduction – Episode 57 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/overshoot-worlds-best-introduction/   G7 Clean Energy Economy Action Plan - May 20, 2023 Statement https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/20/g7-clean-energy-economy-action-plan/

Five thought leaders break the silence on the role of human overpopulation in ecological overshoot –with an informed, engaging conversation about the subject. This is what intelligent discourse sounds like. For thirty years, many people – some well-intentioned – have been trying to silence discourse about human overpopulation. One of our goals on the GrowthBusters podcast is to break that silence, and this episode does that well by bringing together three great thinkers – actually five, educators and crusaders on the subject. The occasion was a visit to Colorado by Nandita Bajaj, executive director of Population Balance and co-host of The Overpopulation Podcast. Nandita designed & teaches the first graduate course on Pronatalism & Overpopulation: The Personal, Cultural, and Global Implications of Having a Child at the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University. As a bonus, we were joined by her hosts from the University of Denver, Paul Sutton and Sarah Bexell. Sarah leads DU's Center for Sustainability and teaches at the Institute for Humane Education. Paul is Professor in the Department. of Geography & the Environment, and teaches geographic statistics, population geography, and ecological economics. The conversation covers a lot of ground – pronatalism, animal rights, human rights, and collaboration. LINKS: Pronatalism & Overpopulation: The Personal, Cultural, and Global Implications of Having a Child -Nandita's course at Antioch University https://www.populationbalance.org/pronatalism-and-overpopulation-course Abortion Bans Are a Natural Outgrowth of Coercive Pronatalism – by Nandita Bajaj, in Ms. magazine https://msmagazine.com/2022/06/07/abortion-bans-coercive-pronatalism-forced-birth/ Dismissal of “Population Alarmism” is Rooted in Pronatalist Ideology – by Nandita Bajaj https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/opinion/5709-dismissal-of-population-alarmism-is-rooted-in-pronatalist-ideology Challenging Pronatalism Is Key to Advancing Reproductive Rights and a Sustainable Population – by Nandita Bajaj and Kirsten Stade https://www.whp-journals.co.uk/JPS/article/view/819 Coercive Pro-Birth Policies Have Devastating Impacts on People and the Planet  – in Newsweek, by Nandita Bajaj and Kirsten Stade https://www.newsweek.com/too-much-good-thing-pronatalism-killing-earth-opinion-1784197 Population Balance https://www.populationbalance.org/ The Overpopulation Podcast https://www.populationbalance.org/podcasts Countdown - by Alan Weisman https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332183-countdown Mechai Viraveidya https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechai_Viravaidya Overpopulation Facts - The Problem No One Will Discuss - Alexandra Paul's TedX talk https://youtu.be/fNxctzyNxC0 Population Media Center https://www.populationmedia.org/ The Green Growth Delusion – 1st installment of new series, Green Tinted Glasses – by Christopher Ketcham https://www.truthdig.com/dig/green-tinted-glasses/ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Why do discussions of overpopulation often elicit emotional responses of fear, anger, or indignation? Are anger and indignation what prevents productive discussion of population? These responses in a graduate college class provide an opportunity to explore how we might pave the way for productive conversations. Our guest in this episode, Professor Christopher Bystroff of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute wonders whether a “global therapy session” could end what he describes as a “global, sullen silence.” We need intelligent discourse on the subject, but too often it is being shut down. Open, honest, and factual discussion of the human overpopulation crisis can put an end to the myths, misassumptions and misinformation that cloud the subject. Spoiler alert: we don't find a fast-acting, magic solution, but Dave does come up with one good idea – “a pill that makes men more mature.” MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Chris Bystroff https://faculty.rpi.edu/chris-bystroff  Footprints to Singularity: A Global Population Model Explains Late 20th Century Slow-Down and Predicts Peak Within Ten Years – by Chris Bystroff https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247214 Don't Reduce Your Footprint! – by Mathis Wackernagel https://www.footprintnetwork.org/2023/01/18/dont-reduce-your-footprint/? You Deserve the Truth About Overpopulation – by Dave Gardner (in our Ending Overshoot Medium publication) https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/you-deserve-the-truth-about-overpopulation-784f40e46902 I'm Thankful Smart People are Telling the Truth https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/im-thankful-smart-people-are-telling-the-truth-654f3ae27155 Ending Overshoot – publication on Medium https://medium.com/ending-overshoot Overshoot: World's Best Introduction – episode 57 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/overshoot-worlds-best-introduction/ Jimmy Kimmel for Vice President http://jk4vp.com/ Recommended by Tom in Listener Feedback: Fossil Fuel Fascism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGlrX6lA9O8    The Fossil Fuel Industry is a Factory of Fairy Tales, Says Activist and School Strike for Climate Organizer Luisa Neubauer https://www.ted.com/talks/luisa_neubauer_the_fairy_tales_of_the_fossil_fuel_industry_and_a_better_climate_story/comments The Last Tourist https://thelasttouristfilm.com Al Bartlett Growth and Sustainability Lecture October 27, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O133ppiVnWY&t=1806s   Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

The news that China's massive population dropped by nearly a million people last year was almost universally reported as a “crisis.” In this episode we unpack the news coverage and take journalists to task for completely overlooking the fact that, in an overpopulated world, population contraction should be greeted with a collective sigh of relief. The population news was accompanied by an announcement that China's economy grew by only three percent, less than half the previous year's 8.1 percent. This, too, was reported as bad news for China. Of course, obsession with GDP growth is what's driving China's recently-found determination to convince its citizens to start birthing more laborers. And globally the GDP growth fetish is killing the planet. Dave explains how China's efforts to keep its population growing are an effort to perpetuate a Ponzi scheme, and this is not the behavior of a good global citizen. “We need to make one-child families the norm, for the next hundred years, if we want those children to have any shot at a decent life.” We give special attention to the reporting of Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition, as well as Geoff Bennett of PBS NewsHour. These journalists should have a much more comprehensive understanding of limits to growth and the unsustainability of perpetual economic and population growth. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: China's Population Can Still Prosper - by Catherine Bowen and Vegard Skirbekk https://www.wired.com/story/china-fertility-population-decline-demography-economics/ Mainstream Media Blindness to China's Depopulation Dividend - by Jon Austen, in our Ending Overshoot publication on Medium https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/mainstream-media-blindness-to-chinas-depopulation-dividend-419e708e460 Now Here's What We Call an Eco-Superhero - Episode 76 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/eco-superhero/ Join the GrowthBusters online community https://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Getting take-out in your own reusable container, recycling bubble-wrap properly, and getting arrested – it's all in a day's work for an eco-superhero. Stephanie and Dave learn about climate activism with Extinction Rebellion, sharing quirky sustainability life hacks on social media, and the joy of a 58-hour train trip – from Stephanie's former co-worker and friend, James Comiskey. Find out... why James is angry and thinks he has a right to be if #AmtrakLife should be your new favorite hashtag why Steve Bannon wears three shirts at one time why Dave proposes we organize a conference for journalists (spoiler, we can't resist: to “deprogram” the pro-growth bias that's been instilled in them) LINKS: Before the Flood – documentaryhttps://www.beforetheflood.com/ James Comiskey on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jamescomiskey/ Avoiding Air Travel and Going by Trainhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CmALljmPh9-/ Reusable Take-Outhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CJcnt_vnGhb/ The One About Bubblewraphttps://www.instagram.com/p/CSQOPcfn4Uj/ List of Multiple Discoveries (from John's email about invetntions)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multiple_discoveries Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

More men are stepping up and taking responsibility for avoiding unplanned parenthood. Dave celebrates this trend as he shares GrowthBusters plans for the new year in this special year-end mini-episode. A typical vasectomy takes about ten minutes. It's much less invasive, and less expensive, than the equivalent procedure for women. GrowthBusting highlights for next year: GrowthBusters online community continues into its second year, developing resources and providing support for sustainability activists. GrowthBusters Campus Tour now has 8 impressive speakers to virtually enter your classroom, campus event, conference, workshop, seminar, symposium, forum, colloquium, service club, church or community group meeting. The GrowthBusters podcast continues. We depend on your financial support to keep these important initiatives humming. Please make a one-time or recurring donation at https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Mentioned in this Episode: Fewer Abortions, More Vasectomies: Why the Procedure May Be Getting More Popular https://www.npr.org/2022/12/20/1143639556/vasectomies-dobbs-roe-abortion-contraception   Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Examining news coverage and commentaries about human population passing 8 billion on November 15, we unpack the reasons far too many of us avoid discourse about human overpopulation. Why are we tap-dancing around the very dialogue needed so people around the world can make informed, responsible family-size decisions? We conclude the guilt many feel about their privilege is actually hurting those who don't share our fortune. Also, find out why Black Friday was really bleak, and how TV networks refused to run Buy Nothing Day commercials. Plus, should Dave get over his obsession with phantom power and wall warts? And, how do you approach the occupant of an idling vehicle and educate them about wasting gas and needlessly polluting – without getting shot?  LINKS: GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – the documentary (see it free)https://tinyurl.com/growthbustersmovie World Population Hits 8 Billion: What Do People on the Street Think? – our YouTube videohttps://youtu.be/ncT-J5BsVuc  8 Billion is Too Many: Don't be a Twit About Overpopulation – Episode 73 of GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/8-billion-is-too-many/ Child-Free by Choice: The Birth Rate Crisis Gripping the West - by Rosa Silverman in the UK Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/child-free-choice-birth-rate-crisis-gripping-west/ World Population At 8 Billion Humans -- And Still Growing – AFP story by Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIShttps://www.barrons.com/news/world-population-at-8-billion-humans-and-still-growing-01667786407 8 Billion People: A Milestone by the Numbers – by Jennifer Sciubba at Population Reference Bureauhttps://www.prb.org/articles/8-billion-people/ Earth at 8 Billion: Consumption Not Crowd is Key to Climate – AP story by Seth Borensteinhttps://apnews.com/article/science-africa-pollution-climate-and-environment-1c70df435acda74301ff2df96a86dd43 The Human Eco-Predicament: Overshoot and the Population Conundrum – by William Rees in the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 2023https://www.austriaca.at/0xc1aa5576_0x003dcfa1.pdf Bending the Curve - by Chris Tuckerhttps://www.whp-journals.co.uk/JPS/article/view/761/515 Global Population About to Hit 8 Billion - by William Ryerson (Population Media Center) and Kathleen Mogelgaard (Population Institute)https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3712763-global-population-about-to-hit-8-billion/ 8 Billion Day Facts and Myths: A Guide to the 8 Billion Global Population Milestone on 15 November – by Sustainable Population Australiahttps://population.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Briefing-Note-8-Billion-Day.pdf Crisis Point: The World at 8 Billion People - Fact Sheet from Population Mattershttps://populationmatters.org/resources/the-world-at-8-billion-people/ Has the Population Bomb Exploded? - by Julian Cribbhttps://juliancribb.blog/2022/11/02/has-the-population-bomb-exploded/ Buy Nothing Day TV commercial produced by Adbusters in 1999https://youtu.be/UOqRXBJgapQ Internet Spreads Word as Networks Shun Adverts for Buy Nothing Dayhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2000/nov/24/internetnews.internationalnews Herman Daly commemorative sampler from CASSEhttps://steadystate.org/in-commemoration-a-sampling-of-herman-daly/ Economic Heresy – Herman Daly on the Conversation Earth radio series/podcasthttp://www.conversationearth.org/economic-heresy/ I'm Thankful Smart People Are Telling the Truth: Economic and Population Growth Need to End ASAP – by Dave Gardner at Mediumhttps://medium.com/ending-overshoot/im-thankful-smart-people-are-telling-the-truth-654f3ae27155 NYC Anti-Idling Law Turns Into Huge Payday ($125K for One Man) for Citizens Who Reporthttps://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/nyc-anti-idling-law-turns-into-huge-payday-125k-for-one-man-for-citizens-who-report/3637231/ Idle Threat – 2012 documentaryhttps://www.videoproject.org/Idle-Threat.html 19-minute free versionhttps://cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/53634/Idle-Threat MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

While Elon Musk erroneously claims population collapse is our biggest worry, world population is hitting 8 billion, adding the latest billion faster than any time in history. The UN has declared world population will surpass 8 billion on November 15, 2022. We persist in adding about 80 million people to the planet every year, despite overwhelming evidence we've outgrown our planet. Christopher Tucker, author of A Planet of 3 Billion: Mapping Humanity's Long History of Ecological Destruction and Finding Our Way to a Resilient Future, joins Dave in a conversation intended to help cure the rampant overshoot illiteracy resulting from misguided silence on the subject. This illiteracy is demonstrated as Dave shares his new YouTube video (link below) about the 8 billion milestone. Tucker shares his disappointment in United Nations messaging around World Population Day (July 11) and the 8 billion milestone, and Dave turns his criticism up to eleven. He makes this important point about the silence on overshoot and overpopulation: If responsible people don't talk about these issues, irresponsible people will – and they'll spread disinformation and perpetuate the negative attitudes we want to avoid. The conversation also turns to coercive pronatalism, a topic that may be new to some listeners. It's surprisingly pervasive.  LINKS: 8 Billion is Too Many: Don't be a Twit About Overpopulation - by Dave Gardner on Medium(we'll post this link here later today)  World Population Hits 8 Billion: What Do People on the Street Think? - new YouTube video by Dave Gardnerhttps://youtu.be/ncT-J5BsVuc New Rule: Let the Population Collapse - Bill Maherhttps://youtu.be/HB97iwcm_Qc A Planet of 3 Billion: Mapping Humanity's Long History of Ecological Destruction and Finding Our Way to a Resilient Future - by Christopher Tuckerhttp://planet3billion.com/index.html  Bending the Curve by 2030: On the Path to a Population Safe Harbour - by Christopher Tuckerhttps://www.whp-journals.co.uk/JPS/article/view/761/515 We Know How Many People the Earth Can Support – by Christopher TuckerJournal of Population and Sustainability December 2020https://www.whp-journals.co.uk/JPS/article/view/657 How Many People Can the Earth Sustain? - The Stream on Al Jazeerah English  10/27/22https://youtu.be/EStNKj5WNnI Sustain What: How Many Billions Can a Heating, Pandemic-Wrapped Planet Support? - A Sustain What chat hosted by Earth Institute's Andrew Revkinhttps://youtu.be/KkPIyR_SrO4 Decline and Prosper! Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children(new book debunking aging and other depopulation fears)https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-91611-4 Dismissal of “Population Alarmism” is Rooted in Pronatalist Ideology - by Nandita Bajaj https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/opinion/5709-dismissal-of-population-alarmism-is-rooted-in-pronatalist-ideology GrowthBusters Online Communityhttps://growthbusters.groups.io/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth - 2011 documentary by Dave Gardnerhttps://tinyurl.com/growthbustersmovie Global Footprint Network - data on biocapacity, ecological footprint and overshoothttps://www.footprintnetwork.org/ Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

World population may peak this decade and start dropping, over 60% of Coloradans are fed up with the negative consequences of growth of their communities, a new online community and resource for sustainability advocates, Elon Musk keeps populating our conversations, and should Dave run for president of the U.S.? Stephanie and Dave sit down with professors Paul Sutton and Chris Bystroff for a conversation that includes an update on Chris' contraceptive vaccine and Paul's COP26 experience.  We announce the launch of a new GrowthBusters online community for sustainability advocates. If you want to bring a speaker like Paul Sutton, Chris Bystroff or Dave Gardner to your campus, you can find out how to contact Nicole, our staffer who's coordinating the GrowthBusters Campus Tour and the new online community. Stephanie shares a bit about greening her recent wedding, and Dave has shocking news about the carbon footprint of feeding dogs and cats (at least their typical diet).  LINKS: Running Out of Gas - Episode 26 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/running-out-of-gas-podcast-episode-26/ World Leaders COP Out - Episode 62 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/world-leaders-cop-out/ Footprints to Singularity: A Global Population Model Explains Late 20th Century Slow-Down and Predicts Peak Within Ten Years - by Chris Bystroffhttps://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.04.429734v1 GrowthBusters Campus Tourhttps://www.growthbusters.org/campus-tour/ New GrowthBusters Online Communityhttps://growthbusters.groups.io/g/main Colorado Voters Worry State Becoming Too Crowdedhttps://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/july_2022/colorado_voters_worry_state_becoming_too_crowded Planet in Crisis podcasthttps://www.scientistswarningeurope.org.uk/podcast Ecological Economics with Prof Tim Jackson: Scientists Warning into Action COP26 Press Conference - Episode 25 of Planet in Crisis podcasthttps://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/planetincrisis/id/22555061 Video of the abovehttps://youtu.be/1EEm5P0h8pk How to Have a Green Wedding - episode 25 of the GowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/green-wedding-episode-25/ Sarah's Wildlife Friendly Wedding - episode 47 of the GowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/wildlife-friendly-wedding/  The Truth About Cats' and Dogs' Environmental Impacthttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170802142835.htm GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

As we approach the 8 billion population milestone, activist/author Valorie Allen thinks it's high time we stop avoiding the overpopulation subject. Yet here we are, on World Population Day 2022, and the UN is still beating around the bush, journalists rarely report on the subject (and when they do, it's usually with a pro-growth bias), and most environmental groups run and hide from it. Allen believes that we can bend the long-rising population curve soon and begin the needed contraction. But we must stop avoiding the subject, and we need to make a project of it.  As we observe World Population Day 2022, we share this insightful conversation with Valorie Allen, author of the new book, 8 Billion Reasons Population Matters: The Defining Issue of the 21st Century. This is a rich and comprehensive encyclopedia of history, information, opinion and inspiration. After this conversation, Stephanie and Dave review recent “GrowthBusting News,” including new insanity from Elon Musk, outrageous ideas for overconsumption on hyperdrive, a new paper by Paul and Anne Ehrlich, and sad words of wisdom from actor Jeff Goldblum.  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: UNFPA World Population Day 2022 Statement https://www.unfpa.org/press/world-population-day-statement-2022 UN Secretary-General's World Population Day Statement https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-population-day 8 Billion Reasons Population Matters - new book by Valorie Allenhttps://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000096587474 Surviving the 21st Century - by Julian Cribbhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30420519-surviving-the-21st-century Population in Sync - Valorie Allen's websitehttps://populationinsync.net/ Paul Ehrlich on Limits to Growth - Episode 70 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/ehrlich-limits-to-growth/ Leaked Amazon Memo Warns the Company is Running Out of People to Hirehttps://www.vox.com/recode/23170900/leaked-amazon-memo-warehouses-hiring-shortage Elon Musk Breaks Silence on Birth of Secret Twins with 'Overpopulation' Jokehttps://www.joe.co.uk/news/elon-musk-on-birth-secret-twins-overpopulation-joke-346768 Elon Musk is Wrong: We Need Smaller Familieshttps://populationmatters.org/news/2021/12/elon-musk-wrong-we-need-smaller-families Climate Damage Caused by Growing Space Tourism Needs Urgent Mitigationhttps://phys.org/news/2022-06-climate-space-tourism-urgent-mitigation.html Nuclear-Powered Sky Hotelhttps://youtu.be/ZrodDBJdGuo Let Them Eat Fermented Protein - Review of Monbiot book, Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planethttps://literaryreview.co.uk/let-them-eat-fermented-protein Returning to “Normal”? Evolutionary Roots of the Human Prospect - by Paul and Anne Ehrlichhttps://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biac044/6608897 Your Kids Are Not Doomed - uninformed column by Ezra Kleinhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/opinion/climate-change-should-you-have-kids.html Current Policies Will Bring ‘Catastrophic' Climate Breakdown, Warn Former UN Leadershttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/02/current-policies-will-bring-catastrophic-climate-breakdown-warn-former-un-leaders For 50 Years, Governments Have Failed to Act on Climate Change. No More Excuses - by Christiana Figueres, Yvo de Boer and Michael Zammit Cutajarhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/02/for-50-years-governments-have-failed-to-act-on-climate-change-no-more-excuses Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:  

Biologist Paul Ehrlich reflects on the 1972 MIT study, The Limits to Growth, on its 50th anniversary – including the fact that it has been refuted (poorly), ignored, and confirmed. The study was done by a team of scientists commissioned by the Club of Rome to develop a computer model to simulate the interaction of earth and human systems. It revealed that continuation of the then-current trends in population, industrialization, resource use and pollution would result in overshooting the carrying capacity of the Earth and result in a general collapse at some point in the first half of the 21st century. The study results were published in the 1972 book, The Limits to Growth, which holds the record as the top-selling environmental book. The book was authored by four system dynamics scientists (Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, Jørgen Randers, and William Behrens III). Gaya Herrington, whose 2020 analysis of The Limits to Growth was published in Yale's Journal of Industrial Ecology, described the study and book aptly: “the authors identified society's relentless pursuit of growth not as the solution to, but the cause of, so many of the environmental and social crises that plague humanity still today.” “....what is it about Homo sapiens that leads us to the limits as a moth to a flame.  Why don't we stop?  Why should we?  Can we?”   – Brian Czech, Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Read The Limits to Growth: Online Read, but includes scans of pages and downloadable charts https://collections.dartmouth.edu/teitexts/meadows/diplomatic/meadows_ltg-diplomatic.html High Quality Scan https://collections.dartmouth.edu/content/deliver/inline/meadows/pdf/meadows_ltg-001.pdf Mentioned in Our Discussion of The Limits to Growth: Limits to Growth 50th Anniversary Events - on Club of Rome website https://www.clubofrome.org/ltg50-events/ UN Event June 2-3: Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity View live on the web: https://www.stockholm50.global/events/programme The Stockholm+50 Conference: What You Need to Know and Why It Matters https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/the-stockholm50-conference-what-you-need-to-know-and-why-it-matters/ Take this survey before June 2: https://www.stockholm50.global/state-planet-global-public-survey June 10 seminar: Limits to Growth +50: Can Economies Keep Growing Indefinitely on a Finite Planet? Organized by: Norwegian University of Life Sciences https://www.nmbu.no/en/faculty/landsam/department/noragric/research/seminars/node/44433 The Limits to Growth at 50: From Scenarios to Unfolding Reality - by Richard Heinberg https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-02-24/the-limits-to-growth-at-50-from-scenarios-to-unfolding-reality/ Limits and Beyond (New book April 2022 from the Club of Rome, a collection of essays) https://exapt.press/books/limits-and-beyond Nate Hagens interviews Dennis Meadows in his podcast, The Great Simplification. https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/12-dennis-meadows Dennis Meadows on the 50th Anniversary of the Publication of The Limits to Growth - interview by Richard Heinberg https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-02-22/dennis-meadows-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-publication-of-the-limits-to-growth/ Is Global Collapse Imminent? – by Graham Turner (2014) The Limits to Growth “standard run” (or business-as-usual, BAU) scenario produced in 1972 aligns well with historical data that has been updated in this paper https://sustainable.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/2763500/MSSI-ResearchPaper-4_Turner_2014.pdf Update to Limits to Growth: Comparing the World3 Model with Empirical Data - by Gaya Herrington https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.13084 Come On! Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet - by Anders Wijkman and Ersnt Von Weizscker and with contributions from more than 30 members of the Club of Rome https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/come-capitalism-short-termism-population-destruction-planet/ What a 50-year-old World Model Tells Us About a Way Forward Today - by  Gaya Herrington, now vice president of ESG Research at Schneider Electric and member of The Club of Rome's Transformational Economics Commission https://www.clubofrome.org/blog-post/herrington-ltg50/ In this episode, we also discuss these “growthbusting news” items: Walk Or Cycle Instead of Driving, Urges Ford Boss https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2022/05/16/walk-or-cycle-instead-of-driving-urges-ford-boss/?sh=2283c3ba3481 New flight of fancy for billionaires – the Air Yacht https://theuglyminute.com/2022/05/11/air-yacht/ Back From a Touring Hiatus, Coldplay Pledges to Make Performances More Sustainable https://www.npr.org/2022/05/14/1098947216/back-from-a-touring-hiatus-coldplay-pledges-to-make-performances-more-sustainabl The European Environmental Bureau has launched a campaign calling on the EU to refocus from GDP Growth to Wellbeing Campaign Page: https://eeb.org/doughnuteconomicsforall/ https://meta.eeb.org/2022/05/12/doughnut-economics-how-to-bake-a-better-future/ The 25% Revolution - film https://vimeo.com/535791169 GrowthBusters Called Me Extreme, So I Responded - episode of This Sustainable Life podcast by Joshua Spodek https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/this-sustainable-life-593342/episodes/583-growthbusters-called-me-ex-139440528 Mobilising Humanity Film Premier at COP26 - Ed Gemmel described his nightmare in this episode of the Planet in Crisis podcast from Scientists Warning Europe https://planetincrisis.libsyn.com/30-mobilising-humanity-film-premier-at-cop26 Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

While nary a week goes by that we don't get a new report of the destruction we're wreaking on our home planet, the news has been particularly bad over the last few weeks. Plus: Bill Maher, usually praised by us for speaking the truth, needs to get there on the benefits of a shrinking economy. We devote half of this episode to the news, and half to our swelling file of listener feedback. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Population Decline is Part of the Solution - YouTube video (by GrowthBusters)https://youtu.be/XXyyCY5IM6Q Paul Ehrlich, Unfiltered – Episode 68 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/paul-ehrlich-unfiltered/ GrowthBusters Campus Tourhttps://www.growthbusters.org/campus-tour/ 8 Billion Angels – documentary produced by Terry Spahrhttps://8billionangels.org/ Can Living a 1.5 Degree Lifestyle Make a Difference? - Episode 66 of the GrowthBusters podcast, with Lloyd Alterhttps://www.growthbusters.org/can-1-5-degree-lifestyle-matter/ Obsessive-Compulsive's Guide to Cutting Your Carbon Footprint - Episode 67 of the GrowthBusters podcast, with Lloyd Alterhttps://www.growthbusters.org/cutting-carbon-footprint/ This Sustainable Life podcast with Josh Spodekhttps://joshuaspodek.com/podcast 7th Generation Initiative / Sustainability Project (Mike Nickerson)http://www.sustainwellbeing.net/ Life, Money & Illusion: Living on Earth as If We Want to Stay – by Mike Nickersonhttp://www.sustainwellbeing.net/what_the_book_is_about.html More Fun, Less Stuff- Episode 55 of the GrowthBusters podcast, with Mike Nickersonhttps://www.growthbusters.org/more-fun-less-stuff/ Al Bartlett's Laws Relating to Sustainabilityhttps://www.albartlett.org/articles/art_reflections_part_5.html Where Lawns Are Outlawed (and Dug Up, and Carted Away)https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/climate/las-vegas-lawn-grass-ban.html As Climate Fears Mount, Some in U.S. Are Deciding to Relocatehttps://e360.yale.edu/features/as-climate-fears-mount-some-in-u.s.-are-deciding-to-relocate Chronic Land Degradation: UN Offers Stark Warnings and Practical Remedies in Global Land Outlook 2https://www.unccd.int/resources/global-land-outlook/overview Humanity Entering ‘Spiral of Self-Destruction', UN Warnshttps://www.france24.com/en/environment/20220426-humanity-entering-spiral-of-self-destruction-warns-un-disaster-agency?ref=tw Latest IPCC Report Skips Population Growth in Summary for Policymakers, but Highlights it in Full Report and Technical Summaryhttps://overpopulation-project.com/population-in-the-ipccs-new-mitigation-report/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

A reprise of Paul Ehrlich's candid conversation with us on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, in April of 2020. We discuss the COVID pandemic, overpopulation, The Population Bomb (including an amusing mistake on the cover), dinner with Johnny Carson, the deficits of our university system, the climate crisis, and human civilization's prospects (“I'm very pessimistic about the future but very optimistic about what we could do”). Dr. Paul Ehrlich is most famous for co-writing The Population Bomb (1968). He is Bing Professor of Population Studies, Emeritus at Stanford University, and founded the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: GrowthBusters Campus Tour https://www.growthbusters.org/campus-tour/ EarthX https://earthx.org/ EarthxTV https://video.earthxtv.com/ The Population Bomb by Anne and Paul Ehrlich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb Nov/Dec 2019 Sierra Magazine https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2019-6-november-december BOOKS MENTIONED (by Paul Ehrlich): Rattlesnake Under His Hat by Sam Hurst https://www.earlbrockelsby.com/ The Wisest One in the Room – by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25205421-the-wisest-one-in-the-room Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect by Paul Ehrlich https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159685.Human_Natures Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment by Paul R. Ehrlich, John P. Holdren and Anne H. Ehrlich https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6348326-ecoscience Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: +1-719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org See the film, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Chickens, Tomatoes and Cars: The Wonky Numbers Behind Your Carbon Footprint We NEED to be obsessed with shrinking our footprint, and Lloyd Alter did the research, the spreadsheet, and the book to help us all do our part. Did you know you can cut your carbon footprint from food in half? In a continuation of last episode's conversation, Lloyd Alter, author of Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle: Why Individual Climate Action Matters More than Ever, shares what matters most from what he learned while shrinking his annual carbon footprint to meet the carbon budget allowed to meet 1.5°C goals. Don't Miss: Stephanie makes a shocking confession about her 2019 lifestyle and carbon footprint. And Lloyd raised quite a stir with this tweet: “I was shocked when I e-biked past the gas station, the price is twice as high as when I last filled the car two years ago.” Some of the Revelations: Tomatoes have an unusually large carbon footprint. Eating food in season tastes better! He introduces us to the term “climatarian” - a person who chooses what to eat according to what is least harmful to the environment. We engage in “portion distortion” – we put too much on the plate and either eat too much or toss the excess The delivery of a take-out order emits twice the carbon of producing that food. Embodied energy or carbon, or upfront carbon emissions, are a big part of our consumption footprint We'd be well-served to focus on “sufficiency.” What is enough? What do you need? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle – by Lloyd Alter https://newsociety.com/books/l/living-the-1-5-degree-lifestyle TreeHugger – one of the world's leading sustainability information websites https://www.treehugger.com/ Take the Jump - Less consuming but more creativity, care, comedy, camaraderie, contentment, craft, connection, celebration, culture and community. https://takethejump.org/ Lettuce is Stupid http://lettuceisstupid.com/ Pilot project and spreadsheet https://1five.org Hot or Cool Institute https://hotorcool.org/  Global Footprint Network ecological footprint calculator https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: +1-719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org See the film, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Should we be sitting around eating burgers and driving pickup trucks, and just wait for the system change needed to live sustainably on this planet? We attempt here to put to rest the tired and misdirected debate about whether individual footprint-shrinking action is a distraction that slows needed systemic change, and whether it's worth doing. Joining us in this conversation is Lloyd Alter, former managing editor of Treehugger, and author of a fairly new book, Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle – by Lloyd Alter https://newsociety.com/books/l/living-the-1-5-degree-lifestyle TreeHugger – one of the world's leading sustainability information websites https://www.treehugger.com/ Lifestyle Carbon Footprints and Changes in Lifestyles to Limit Global Warming To 1.5 °Chttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-021-01018-6 Simplicity Institute https://simplicityinstitute.org/ Elizabeth Warren on Major Industry Emissions - September 2019 Presidential Debate https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/09/04/elizabeth-warren-fossil-fuel-industry-cnn-climate-town-hall-vpx.cnn Just 100 Companies Responsible for 71% of Global Emissions, Study Says – UK Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change Jevons Paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox The JUMP Is a Movement Challenging Consumers to Live for Joy, Not Stuff – by Lloyd Alter https://www.treehugger.com/take-the-jump-less-stuff-more-joy-5215018 Take the Jump - Less consuming but more creativity, care, comedy, camaraderie, contentment, craft, connection, celebration, culture and community. https://takethejump.org/ Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Still Matters – Slate home.https://slate.com/technology/2018/10/carbon-footprint-climate-change-personal-action-collective-action.html IPCC Issues ‘Bleakest Warning Yet' on Impacts of Climate Breakdown – UK Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/ipcc-issues-bleakest-warning-yet-impacts-climate-breakdown Managing Without Growth – by Peter Victor https://www.pvictor.com/ Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: +1-719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org See the film, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

OK, boomers, you blew it. Our best hope is that younger generations are aware and smart enough to save the planet. What do they know, and what are their planet-saving intentions? We went straight to the source, and sat down with a University of Denver Ecological Economics class to get their perspective. This conversation explores awareness and solutions – for inequity, poverty, hunger, and overconsumption, but mainly for the climate crisis and overshoot. A very big thanks to Professor Paul Sutton and the members of his Ecological Economics class: Angie Cody Tim Uma Baysal Taynah Fernandes Matt Gartland Christian Giles Katie Johnson KJ Jumper Melissa Kreppein Juanlin Lin Zein Massoud Ava Moin Katherine Sweeney Gui Zeng MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Engagement/Outreach Part-Time Position Open at GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org/part-time-position-open-join-the-growthbusters-team/ Climate Anxiety in Children and Young People and Their Beliefs About Government Responses to Climate Change: A Global Surveyhttps://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2542-5196%2821%2900278-3 World Leaders COP Out - Episode 62 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/world-leaders-cop-out/ Keeping Human Rights in Family Planning Policy as Depopulation Fears Mount – by Sam Sellers https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2022/01/keeping-human-rights-family-planning-policy-depopulation-fears-mount/ Is Parenthood an Entitlement? - Episode 64 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/is-parenthood-an-entitlement/ The Causes and Consequences of Depopulation - Conference https://www.oeaw.ac.at/vid/events/calendar/conferences/the-causes-and-consequences-of-depopulation YouTube Playlist of conference https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNxGCu8j-xgKN3nm8oiqOeB6-KkVAvlFj When Baby Well Runs Dryhttps://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2259507/when-baby-well-runs-dry Will Rotterdam Make Way for Jeff Bezos, Lord of the Seas?  https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/02/what-will-happen-to-the-bezos-superyacht.html Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: +1-719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Get married, buy a house, raise a family. For many of us, that's the expected life trajectory. Are we entitled to meet that expectation? If many follow the typical trajectory, including having two or more children, then we drive human civilization right off a cliff. On an overpopulated planet, does society have an obligation to make parenthood possible, practical, convenient, and/or affordable to all? Public policy on the table in the U.S. today is designed to make it easier for couples to have children. Ethicist Philip Cafaro joins us to discuss the motivations behind these policies and the moral questions about whether people are “entitled” to have children on an overpopulated planet. In this episode, we hear some unenlightened statements about U.S. population from U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, including inviting listeners to conclude U.S. population is declining (it is not), and a healthy dose of depopulation panic. Cafaro is professor of philosophy at Colorado State University and an affiliated faculty member of CSU's School of Global Environmental Sustainability. He's also written a couple of books about human overpopulation, and he is co-founder of The Overpopulation Project. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Overpopulation Project https://overpopulation-project.com/ Just Population Policies for an Overpopulated World - by Philip Cafaro https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/epub-046.pdf Climate Ethics and Population Policy - by Philip Cafaro https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264492830_Climate_ethics_and_population_policy Climate Ethics and Population Policy: A Review of Recent Philosophical Work - by Philip Cafaro https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/wcc.748 Toward a Small Family Ethic: How Overpopulation and Climate Change Are Affecting the Morality of Procreation – by Travis Rieder https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29846041-toward-a-small-family-ethic Moral Basis for Small Families: Travis Rieder - Episode #206 of Conversation Earthhttp://www.conversationearth.org/moral-basis-small-families-travis-rieder-206/ Public Policy Brakes on Procreation? Travis Rieder - Episode #207 of Conversation Earthhttp://www.conversationearth.org/public-policy-brakes-procreation-travis-rieder-207/ One Child: Do We Have a Right to More – by Sarah Conly https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26308950-one-child Stuck in Traffic? Head to Mars - Episode 63 of GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/stuck-in-traffic-head-to-mars/ 8 Billion Angels – documentary film https://8billionangels.org/ Earth Overshoot https://www.earthovershoot.org/ Sustainable Population Australia https://population.org.au/ Time's 2021 Person of the Year Elon Musk Is So Wrong – by Simon Cole https://equanimity.blog/2021/12/29/times-2021-person-of-the-year-elon-musk-is-so-wrong/ Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival – by Richard Heinberg https://power.postcarbon.org/ Ice Shelf Holding Back Antarctica's ‘Doomsday Glacier', Is Fracturing And ‘Won't Last Long', Scientists Warn https://au.yahoo.com/news/ice-shelf-holding-back-antarctica-184346587.html Human Consciousness – by Robert Bolman https://robertbolman.com/human-consciousness/ This Sustainable Life podcast – by Joshua Spodek https://joshuaspodek.com/podcast Don't Call Doof Food: Systemic Change Begins with Personal Change – Joshua Spodek TEDx Talkhttps://youtu.be/L4OAaI_uXgY GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

“If people don't have more children, civilization is going to crumble,” according to Time Magazine's “Person of the Year” – Elon Musk. He is, of course, dead wrong. We briefly explore that in this episode, and offer our take on Musk's stone-age solutions to traffic congestion. We also share thoughts about several growthbusting news items: Recent Arctic and Antarctic Research News Smart Perspective on Falling Birth Rates News (in India) Buzzkill Condoms Google Displays Emissions Info Systemic vs. Individual Climate Solutions A Black Box to Record Demise of Human Civilization Give Us Feedback: Record a voice message for us to play on the podcast: 719-402-1400 Send an email to podcast at growthbusters.org The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: World Leaders COP Out – Episode 62 of GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.org/world-leaders-cop-out/ See How the Antarctic Is Signaling Major Climate Disruption https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-antarctic.html Arctic Report Card: What More Rain and Less Snow in the Region Means for the Rest of the World https://www.marketwatch.com/story/arctic-report-card-what-more-rain-and-less-snow-in-the-region-means-for-the-rest-of-the-world-11639502532 Population Slowdown is Triumph of India's Peoplehttps://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/population-slowdown-is-triumph-of-indias-people-7644983/ Time Magazine Person of the Year – Elon Muskhttps://time.com/person-of-the-year-2021-elon-musk/ Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an Interview with WSJ's Joanna Stern at the CEO Council Summithttps://youtu.be/lSD_vpfikbE Elon Musk is Wrong: We Need Smaller Families – By Olivia Nater https://populationmatters.org/news/2021/12/elon-musk-wrong-we-need-smaller-families 1 in 4 Childless Adults Say Climate Change Has Factored into Their Reproductive Decisions – Morning Consult Poll in September of 2021https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/adults-children-climate-change-polling/ Colbert: Don't Want to Bring a Child into This World? Try Trojan Buzzkill Condomshttps://youtu.be/nGNnK9j58Og Make a Year-End Gift to the GrowthBusters Project https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Google Flights to Display Emissions Next to Every Single Flighthttps://www.treehugger.com/google-flights-display-emissions-on-every-flight-5205037 Colbert: Is Systemic Climate Action Possible https://youtu.be/rbzMvJf1Vxg Earth is Getting a Black Box to Record Our Climate Change Actions, and it's Already Started Listeninghttps://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-12-06/climate-change-earth-black-box-recorder/100621778 GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

The climate pact achieved at COP26 was woefully inadequate. We could be in for over four degrees Fahrenheit of warming this century over pre-industrial temperatures, and some scenarios would put us closer to eight degrees. In this episode, Paul Sutton shares his observations from Glasgow, and we get assessments from a few other noted experts. Policymakers are not willing to embrace any climate actions that give up economic growth, but economic growth virtually guarantees climate disaster. The bottom line: only drastic policy and behavior changes will avoid a very bleak future. Sutton is a Professor in the Department of Geography & the Environment at the University of Denver. He served as an official delegate for the American Association of Geographers (AAG) at the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow in early November of 2021. He is not speaking for the AAG in this episode. One interesting class Paul teaches is Envisioning Utopia Through the Lens of a Wellbeing Economy. Also: recommended reading, and the new movie, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Titanic cartoon in this episode's graphic was created for the GrowthBusters project by artist/writer Stephanie McMillan. https://stephaniemcmillan.org/ The GrowthBusters theme song was written and produced by Jake Fader and sung by Carlos Jones. https://www.fadermusicandsound.com/ https://carlosjones.com/ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Running Out of Gas – Episode 26 of the GrowthBusters podcast, with Paul Sutton and James Ward https://www.growthbusters.org/running-out-of-gas-podcast-episode-26/ GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo The Limits to Growthhttps://collections.dartmouth.edu/teitexts/meadows/diplomatic/meadows_ltg-diplomatic.html Planet of the Humans documentary https://planetofthehumans.com/ More Fun, Less Stuff – Episode 55 of the GrowthBusters podcast, with Mike Nickerson https://www.growthbusters.org/more-fun-less-stuff/ COP26: If We Don't Know Where We're Going, We Will End Up Someplace Else – by Paul Sutton https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/579095-cop26-if-we-dont-know-where-we-are-going-we-will-end-up-someplace?rl=1 Bankers Took Over the Climate Change Summit. That's Bad for Democracyhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/25/opinion/cop26-gfanz-climate-change.html Soylent Green – trailer; see the movie on YouTube, AppleTV, Vudu and elsewhere https://youtu.be/N_jGOKYHxaQ The Powell Memorandum https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/powellmemo/ The Powell Memo and links to many essays about it https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/democracy/the-lewis-powell-memo-a-corporate-blueprint-to-dominate-democracy/ The Powell Memo – a critical book excerpt about the memo https://billmoyers.com/content/the-powell-memo-a-call-to-arms-for-corporations/ A Finer Future – by L. Hunter Lovins, Stewart Wallis, Anders Wijkman, and John Fullerton https://ourfinerfuture.com/ Quick Take from Katharine Hayhoe of The Nature Conservancy https://youtu.be/9wZz253lZwg Planet in Crisis podcast from Scientists Warning Europe https://www.scientistswarningeurope.org.uk/podcast World Scientists' Warnings into Action, Local to Global – New paper from Scientists Warning Europe https://www.scientistswarningeurope.org.uk/signature Shared Socioeconomic Pathways https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-how-shared-socioeconomic-pathways-explore-future-climate-change Prosperity Without Growth – by Tim Jackson https://timjackson.org.uk/ecological-economics/pwg/ COP26 demonstrations – photos by Paul Sutton https://urizenapw02-vlp.du.edu/~paul.sutton/COP26/ Rebelling Against Black Friday Consumerism – Episode 61 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/non-material-holidays/ So Kind Gift Registry https://sokindregistry.org/ Make a Year-End Gift to the GrowthBusters project https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/   RECOMMENDED READING: Insist that Public Policy Respects the Rights of Children and Women – by Dave Gardner https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/insist-that-public-policy-respects-the-rights-of-children-and-women-d961478d36f5 Ending Overshoot – a publication on Medium edited by Dave Gardner and Jem Randles https://medium.com/ending-overshoot Welcome to Gilead: How Population Fears Drive Women's Rights Abuses – new report from Population Matters https://populationmatters.org/news/2021/11/welcome-gilead-how-population-fears-drive-womens-rights-abuses To Breed or Not to Breed – by Alex Williams in the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/20/style/breed-children-climate-change.html The End of Growth: Ten Years After – by Richard Heinberg https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/11/20/end-growth-ten-years-after Climate Change with 8 Billion Humans - by Joseph Chamie http://www.ipsnews.net/2021/11/climate-change-8-billion-humans/ Why Renewable Energy isn't the Only Answer in our Climate Emergency - by Julie Peconi, also from Scientists Warning Europe https://www.scientistswarningeurope.org.uk/discover/why-renewable-energy-isnt-the-only-answer-in-our-climate-emergency On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

We generate 23% more waste during December than other months of the year, but more than three in four Americans wish the holidays were less materialistic. Our retail and consumer culture have gotten out of hand over holiday gift-giving. 9 in 10 believe holidays should be more about family and caring for others than about giving and receiving gifts. It's too easy to hit Amazon or just grab something off the shelf at a store. Non-material gifts require more thought, so they are valued more by the recipients. The Center for Biological Diversity's Kelley Dennings joins us to share what she's learned about dematerializing and greening up the holidays. Just like “paper or plastic,” does the question of natural or artificial Christmas tree haunt you? She also points us to resources her team has created to help you do a holiday reset (see links below). They include helpful ways to introduce new non-material holiday traditions in your family. We hope this episode inspires you. We also discuss the successful crowdfunding campaign to make our documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth free from now on (see links below). MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Simplify the Holidays Gift guides and other green holiday info https://simplifytheholidays.org/ SoKind alternative gift registry https://sokindregistry.org/ Simplify the Holidays Through Waste Reduction – Webinar https://youtu.be/jdxyYZfV27I What Would Jesus Buy? (2007 documentary) https://youtu.be/mAxuNdtZt7c GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth – free on YouTube https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo Overshoot: World's Best Introduction - Episode 57 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/overshoot-worlds-best-introduction/ GrowthBusters Black Friday Trailer (2018) https://youtu.be/OiTepSTPnM0 GrowthBusters Crowdfunding Campaign (It's still active!) https://fundrazr.com/growthbustersmovie Ending Overshoot – a publication on Medium https://medium.com/ending-overshoot On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

We're running out of booty on planet Earth, so billionaires are racing to mine and populate the rest of the universe. In this follow-up to our Billionaires in Space episode, we examine and applaud points made by economist Tim Jackson in his recent essay, Billionaire Space Race: The Ultimate Symbol of Capitalism's Flawed Obsession with Growth. We also share an update on the crowdfunding campaign to make the documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth free, as of its 10th anniversary on November 3, 2021. We are very close to making our goal. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Billionaires in Space - Episode 58 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/billionaires-in-space/ Make the GrowthBusters Movie Free - Crowdfunding Campaign https://fundrazr.com/growthbustersmovie Dark Optimism – Episode 13 of the Planet in Crisis podcast https://planetincrisis.libsyn.com/13-dark-optimism-life-after-economic-growth-a-future-worth-fighting-for Billionaire Space Race: The Ultimate Symbol of Capitalism's Flawed Obsession with Growth – by Tim Jackson https://dave-gardner.medium.com/billionaire-space-race-7e0738703554 Soylent Green – 1967 Feature Motion Picture starring Charlton Heston https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3dq3ef On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Co-host Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

“Once a species becomes powerful enough to take over a planet, then is it also intelligent enough to understand the limits to its own power?” This is a question posed in the new book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival. Author Richard Heinberg is a Senior Fellow at Post Carbon Institute and author of 13 books, including Power Down, The Party's Over, and The End of Growth. Richard shares what his research has revealed about humankind's cultivation of power, including how we abuse it and how that now threatens our very existence.  “The sheer power of the Superorganism is staggering. Each year, it cuts and uses up to seven billion trees; it excavates 24 million metric tons of copper and nine billion short tons of coal; and it produces (and brews and drinks) one billion tons of coffee. In order to mine resources and construct buildings and highways, it moves up to 80 billion tons of soil and rock — over twice the amount moved by all natural forces such as rivers, glaciers, ocean, and wind. The Superorganism is taking control of Earth, and the Anthropocene is its era of dominance.” We discuss the importance of trust in the possible scenario that doesn't drive us right off a cliff. The book is an effort to shift the conversation, to shift our culture – from one seeking and worshipping materialism, consumerism and more and more economic and population growth, to one that values beauty and self-limitation. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival - by Richard Heinberg https://www.postcarbon.org/publications/power-limits-and-prospects-for-human-survival/ Make the GrowthBusters Movie Free https://www.Fundrazr.com/growthbustersmovie Museletter – monthly newsletter by Richard Heinberg https://richardheinberg.com/museletter Richard Heinberg's website https://www.Richardheinberg.com On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Are Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk doing civilization a favor and advancing science? Are they preparing to colonize space like the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation? Or are they seeking status and boosting their egos – AND their carbon footprints – with expensive toys? July was a big month for space travel, with two billionaires blasting into space. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic sold seats and launched space tourists into near space and promised many repeat performances. Elon Musk's SpaceX plans manned Earth orbits before the year ends. Most of us tend to believe in science and support government funding of scientific advancement. But if we're in a climate emergency, should we put non-essential, carbon-intensive research projects on hold in order to implement every possible CO2 emissions cut? In this episode, environmentalist Stephanie Gardner joins host Dave Gardner to explore the questions these flights raise. They also examine the carbon footprints of lifestyles of the rich and famous. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: How to Have a Green Wedding – Episode 25 of the GrowthBusters podcast https://www.growthbusters.org/green-wedding-episode-25/ Sarah's Wildlife-Friendly Wedding – Episode 47 of the GrowthBusters podcast http://www.growthbusters.org/wildlife-friendly-wedding/ Population Decline is Part of the Solution (2008 YouTube video featuring Stephanie Gardner) https://youtu.be/XXyyCY5IM6Q   RELEVANT LINKS: Billionaire Space Race – by Tim Jackson https://medium.com/ending-overshoot/billionaire-space-race-7e0738703554 As Bezos Completes Blue Origin Mission, Many Ask What's the Climate-Change Impact?https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-bezos-completes-blue-origin-mission-many-ask-whats-the-climate-change-impact-11626795950 Space Flight for Fun: Billionaire Egotism Trumps Sustainability – by Steve Banker https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2021/07/12/space-flight-for-fun-billionaire-egotism-trumps-sustainability/ The Surprising Carbon Footprint of Space Travel – by John Armstrong https://energycentral.com/c/ec/surprising-carbon-footprint-space-travel Where is Starman? Track Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster in Space!https://www.whereisroadster.com/ The Environmental Impact of Emissions from Space Launches: A Comprehensive Review (May, 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production, by Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620302560 An Increase in Rocket Launches Could Have a Significant Environmental Impacthttps://startupsavant.com/news/increase-rocket-launches How Much CO2 Did Bezos' Rocket Ride Release? Close to Zero (Politifacts factcheck by The Poynter Institute) https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/20/tweets/how-much-co2-did-bezos-rocket-ride-release-close-z/ Where the Space Industry is Grounded – by Andrew Beattie (published by the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere) https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/where-the-space-industry-is-grounded/ Private Planes, Mansions and Superyachts: What Gives Billionaires Like Musk and Abramovich Such a Massive Carbon Footprinthttps://theconversation.com/private-planes-mansions-and-superyachts-what-gives-billionaires-like-musk-and-abramovich-such-a-massive-carbon-footprint-152514 Environmental Concerns Grow Among Scientists as Space Tourism Lifts Offhttps://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228942.shtml Why Space Flights' Green Credentials Don't Fly (opinion column in Financial Times) https://www.afr.com/technology/why-space-flights-green-credentials-don-t-fly-20210711-p588oy How Bad is Space Tourism for The Environment? And Other Space Travel Questions, Answeredhttps://www.vox.com/recode/22589197/space-travel-tourism-bezos-branson-rockets-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-spacex Forbes Billionaires List https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#3384987c3d78 Jeff Bezos' $400 Million Flying Fox Yachthttps://youtu.be/MRYEcushHjc On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program from our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

Everything your friends, family, colleagues, journalists and elected representatives need to know about Earth Overshoot Day. Every other week, another scientific report is added to the stack of evidence human civilization has outgrown the planet. What are we doing about it? Earth Overshoot Day is the point in time during the year at which we've already burned through the renewable resources it takes the Earth a year to regenerate. Earth Overshoot Day in 2021 is July 29. Global Footprint Network continuously analyzes UN data and satellite imagery to estimate the planet's capacity to meet our needs (biocapacity), and humankind's footprint - or demand (ecological footprint) - on that capacity. According to their analysis, we're demanding almost twice what the planet can sustainably provide. In the U.S. and a few other nations, we're engaged in 5-planet living (U.S. Overshoot Day was March 14). Every year as Earth Overshoot Day approaches, we dedicate an episode of the GrowthBusters podcast to playing an audio documentary we produced in 2019. Welcome to Overshoot: Have a Nice Day explores overshoot's causes, effects, and possible solutions, as well as some of the barriers to solving the problem. LINKS: Earth Overshoot Day https://www.overshootday.org/ The Limits to Growth http://donellameadows.org/the-limits-to-growth-now-available-to-read-online/ Conversation Earth - Radio Series/Podcast http://www.conversationearth.org/episode-list Reported by: Dave Gardner Interviews: William Catton, author of Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change Brian Czech, author of Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution, and executive director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Herman Daly, author of Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development Paul Ehrlich, Stanford Biologist, author of The Population Bomb Kerryn Higgs, author of Collision Course: Endless Growth on a Finite Planet Ian Johnson, former World Bank vice president, former secretary general of Club of Rome Bill McKibben, environmental journalist, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, co-founder of 350.org. Dennis Meadows, lead scientist, The Limits to Growth Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist William Rees, co-originator of ecological footprint analysis Bill Ryerson, President of Population Media Center and Chair of Population Institute Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston University and author of Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth John Seager, CEO of Population Connection Gus Speth, former chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality Mathis Wackernagel, founder of Global Footprint Network and co-author of Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget Rex Weyler, environmental journalist On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program for our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

What do the Green New Deal, Santa Claus and the tooth fairy have in common? Find out as we talk with the founder of The REAL New Green Deal Project. Megan Seibert thinks we're being sold a fantasy – that we can run our current, materialistic, growth-obsessed economy forever on solar and wind (what she calls “faux renewables”).  “It's not about what we want..., it's about what is possible. And what is possible is defined by ecological limits.” She advises we need to “engineer a planned, intelligent descent.” It may be painful, but you don't want to miss this conversation.  LINKS: The REAL Green New Deal Project https://www.realgnd.org/ U.S. House resolution calling for a New Green Deal https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/text A 100 Trillion Dollar Storytelling Campaign – introduction and links to The Manufacturing of Greta Thunberg – for Consent https://www.wrongkindofgreen.org/2019/10/06/a-100-trillion-dollar-storytelling-campaign/ World Population Day July 11 Webinar : What is a sustainable population? Why, when and what should we do about it? RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-is-a-sustainable-population-how-when-and-why-to-get-there-tickets-161244718293  On the GrowthBusters podcast, we come to terms with the limits to growth, explore the joy of sustainable living, and provide a recovery program for our society's growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture's obsession with, and pursuit of, growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

“We need to end the game of Monopoly and start playing the game of sustainability – recognizing the limitations of the planet and building our systems to live within those.” Those are the wise words of Mike Nickerson, author of Life, Money & Illusion: Living on Earth as If We Want to Stay. In this episode Mike explains why he is promoting the mantra, “more fun, less stuff.” We're in a “tailspin consumerist debacle,” according to Mike, and he's quite sure we need to be “liberated from the materialist cult.” Our discussion includes the American Dream, the voluntary simplicity movement and the role of advertising in our overconsumption. LINKS: 8 Billion Angels screening and webinar - June 24, 2021 7th Generation Initiative / Sustainability Project  Life, Money & Illusion: Living on Earth as If We Want to Stay – by Mike Nickerson e-book print edition – contact Mike Nickerson Eco-Village project A Strategy for Long Term Well-Being – by Mike Nickerson Work Less Party What Really Counts: The Case for a Sustainable and Equitable Economy – by Ron Coleman More Fun, Less Stuff Starter Kit – by Betsy Taylor Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth – by R. Buckminster Fuller Spaceship Earth Passenger Safety Briefing – short film by Dave Gardner Small Is Beautiful – by E.F. Schumacher Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.”  Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/Growthbuster Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:

How often do you think about the effect of your actions today on the wellbeing of future generations? What do we owe our children’s children? Are we capable of responsibly delivering on that debt? Philosopher Roman Krznaric explored these questions in the book, The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking. Krznaric thinks we do, and we can: “...humankind has always had the innate ability to plan for posterity and take action that will resonate for decades, centuries, even millennia to come. If we want to be good ancestors and be remembered well by the generations who follow us, now is the time to recover and enrich this imaginative skill.” Long-term thinking and the rights of future generations (not to mention, compassion toward them) are a recurring theme in the GrowthBusters podcast, so we just had to read the book and schedule a conversation with its author. This fascination discussion touches on ecological economics, rights of children, short-termism, and much more. LINKS: How to Get Started with Family Cloth (Yup, Reusable Toilet Paper is a Real Thing)https://redandhoney.com/how-to-get-started-with-family-cloth-and-why-you-might-actually-love-it/ Why You Shouldn't Use 'Family Cloth' Reusable Toilet Paperhttps://www.thelist.com/196323/why-you-shouldnt-use-family-cloth-reusable-toilet-paper/ The Good Ancestor website https://www.romankrznaric.com/good-ancestor A Resolution for 2021: Be a Better Ancestor (review of The Good Ancestor) https://grist.org/climate/a-resolution-for-2021-be-a-better-ancestor/ Doughnut Economics https://www.kateraworth.com/ Flipping Economics on Its Head: Kate Raworth – episode 219 of Conversation Earthhttp://www.conversationearth.org/flipping-economics-head-kate-raworth-219/ Thriving Economy: Not Rocket Science – episode 220 of Conversation Earthhttp://www.conversationearth.org/thriving-economy-not-rocket-science-kate-raworth-220/ Shrinking Your Travel Footprint – episode 52 of the GrowthBusters podcast http://www.growthbusters.org/shrinking-your-travel-footprint/ Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Erika Arias is researching the childfree/environment connection and is about to enter grad school. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/Growthbuster Follow or Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Can we achieve some unity without giving up our integrity and core values? That’s a very current conundrum, so this seems the perfect time for us to publish this conversation. We confess we recorded this conversation last May! Apologies to our guests for the long delay. We could not make up a believable excuse that would keep our integrity intact. When it seems like we can’t agree on even the simplest choices, one has to wonder if humanity will ever find common ground and a way out of the climate crisis. Seattle authors Kevin Wilhelm and Natalie Hoffman help answer these questions in their book, “How to Talk to the Other Side”: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession and Climate Change.”  CEO and professor, Kevin Wilhelm is a thought leader on how to bring people from different viewpoints and ideologies together to solve big challenges. He is also an instructor at the University of Washington and the author of four books – including the acclaimed “Return on Sustainability – How Business Can Increase Profitability & Address Climate Change in an Uncertain Economy.”    Natalie Hoffman specializes in research and communication between differing cultures and points of view. Hoffman has taught cross-cultural translation to a range of people from university students to environmental activists. Kevin and Natalie share pro tips for shifting the climate conversation away from the facts and the science and instead towards personal experiences and values. Erika questions them about this method, and what is proposed to be the first step in overcoming our anxieties about the other side in order to find common ground. Plus, more about win-win solutions and focusing on the “financial bottom line.” LINKS: Finding Common Ground and Win-Win Sustainability Solutions in a Crisis https://www.greenbiz.com/article/finding-common-ground-and-win-win-sustainability-solutions-crisis Talking to the Other Side: Keys for Setting Up Difficult Conversations https://sustainablebrands.com/read/marketing-and-comms/talking-to-the-other-side-keys-for-setting-up-difficult-conversations Finding Political Common Ground in These Uncertain Times https://www.acc.eco/blog/2020/5/6/finding-political-common-ground-in-these-uncertain-times How to Talk to the Other Side: Finding Common Ground in the Time of Coronavirus, Recession, and Climate Change https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578671328 On the GrowthBusters podcast, Erika and Dave explore the joy of sustainable living and provide a recovery program for our society’s growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture’s obsession with and pursuit of growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Erika Arias is researching the childfree/environment connection and is about to enter grad school. OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/ Make a donation to support this non-profit project. https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/ Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/ Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth http:www.growthbustersmovie.org Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/Growthbuster Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Is flying always the worst travel choice for climate stability? Is traveling by rail always the best? You might be surprised. In this episode of GrowthBusters, Dave shares his research on this subject with co-host Erika Arias and frequent guest Joshua Spodek. We also share a great cheat-sheet, Getting There Greener – The guide to Your Lower Carbon Vacation, from the Union of Concerned Scientists. We’d like to remind listeners that while it may seem like the system is stacked against us, we really do have choices about how to transport ourselves. With a little bit of creativity, personal agency, and help from the experts, our choices can change the system! USEFUL LINKS: The Four Lifestyle Choices that Most Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (Lund University Study ranking carbon reduction actions) Vacation Traveler Carbon Guide – Quick Reference Chart and the stuy behind it (Union of Concerned Scientists) Getting There Greener – full report behind the above vacation guide Skyscanner greener flight booking site UCS web tool for EV efficiency in your area Carbon Offset Info and Programs American Idling: The Ecological Cost of Keeping the Engine Running Climate Perks The future of conference: Will events remain virtual after lockdowns? On the GrowthBusters podcast, Erika and Dave explore the joy of sustainable living and provide a recovery program for our society’s growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture’s obsession with and pursuit of growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Erika Arias is researching the childfree/environment connection and is about to enter grad school. OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

We set out to make this the second of a series of episodes about shrinking our travel footprint, but the conversation ended up being a broader exploration of philosophical issues related to all kinds of footprint-shrinking actions. Erika and Dave are joined by recurring guest, Joshua Spodek, host of the This Sustainable Life podcast. The conversation includes: The joy of not flying Generating a lot less waste Is the new iPhone really green? And plastic, plastic, plastic. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Donate to Support this Podcast (yes, it’s a 501(c)3 non-profit project) Apple’s New iPhone Is Far from Green Apple is aiming for ‘zero climate impact.’ The iPhone 12 won’t help. The Story of Plastic The Story of Plastic screenings (search for The Story of Plastic) Joshua Spodek’s The Story of Plastic panel discussion Joshua Spodek's This Sustainable Life podcast On the GrowthBusters podcast, Erika and Dave explore the joy of sustainable living and provide a recovery program for our society’s growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture’s obsession with and pursuit of growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Erika Arias is researching the childfree/environment connection and is about to enter grad school. OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

How far will you go in your quest to shrink your carbon footprint? What’s eco-tourism, and is it really ecologically responsible? International tourism accounts for 8% of all carbon emissions in the world, and transportation of all types accounts for an even greater proportion of of our carbon emissions. In the first of several episodes about shrinking our travel footprint, Dave and Erika chat with Dr. Michael Hall, Professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at University of Canterbury in New Zealand. According to Hall, “tourism leads to the short and long term decline of natural capital at local and global scales.” Find out what Hall has to say about carbon offsetting, public transportation, local food, and building a market to service communities of people. Hall says that it isn’t about avoiding travel altogether, but about how to travel smart! On the GrowthBusters podcast, Erika and Dave explore the joy of sustainable living and provide a recovery program for our society’s growth addiction (economic/consumption and population). This podcast is part of the GrowthBusters project to raise awareness of overshoot and end our culture’s obsession with and pursuit of growth. Dave Gardner directed the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, which Stanford Biologist Paul Ehrlich declared “could be the most important film ever made.” Erika Arias is researching the childfree/environment connection and is about to enter grad school. LINKS The Routledge Handbook of Tourism and Sustainability Economic Greenwash: On the Absurdity of Tourism and Green Growth A Radical Way to Cut Emissions – Ration Everyone’s Flights Pandemics, Transformations and Tourism: Be Careful What You Wish For Pandemics, Tourism and Global Change: A Rapid Assessment of COVID-19 Carbon Trading: How Does it Work?   OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

If we were on a spaceship, the end really would be near – August 22. That is Earth Overshoot Day for 2020. We all know we can’t graze 100 head of cattle for long on a one-acre patch of land. We’d have a barren wasteland and a bunch of dead cattle in no time. It’s a little more challenging for us to make this calculation about meeting the needs of 7.8 billion people on a larger patch of land – the entire planet. But the laws of physics equally apply. Analysts at Global Footprint Network do an impressive job of performing this worldwide calculation. Since 2003, they’ve been analyzing UN data and satellite imagery to estimate the planet’s capacity to meet our needs (biocapacity), and humankind’s footprint - or demand (ecological footprint) - on that capacity. Their analysis suggests we have been in overshoot since about 1970. If you have too many people, consuming resources faster than the planet can regenerate them, and generating waste faster than the planet can convert that waste, you are in overshoot. This bonus episode of GrowthBusters features the Conversation Earth special, Welcome to Overshoot: Have a Nice Day. This is a 2020 update of the special we shared a year ago. Welcome to Overshoot explores overshoot’s causes, effects, and possible solutions, as well as some of the barriers to solving the problem. It features a who’s who of environmental and economic experts: William Catton, author of Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change Brian Czech, author of Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution, and executive director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Herman Daly, author of Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development Paul Ehrlich, Stanford Biologist, author of The Population Bomb Kerryn Higgs, author of Collision Course: Endless Growth on a Finite Planet Ian Johnson, former World Bank vice president, former secretary general of Club of Rome Bill McKibben, environmental journalist, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, co-founder of 350.org. Dennis Meadows, lead scientist, The Limits to Growth Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist William Rees, co-originator of ecological footprint analysis Bill Ryerson, President of Population Media Center and Chair of Population Institute Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston University and author of True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans Are Creating a Time-Rich, Ecologically Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy John Seager, CEO of Population Connection Gus Speth, former chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality, Co-Chair of the Next System Project Mathis Wackernagel, founder of Global Footprint Network and co-author of Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget Rex Weyler, environmental journalist   LINKS: Earth Overshoot Day The Limits to Growth Conversation Earth podcasts Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget by Mathis Wackernagel and Bert Beyers Footprint Calculator Move the Date Solutions to accelerate the shift to one-planet living Past Earth Overshoot Days   OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Physician Sofia Pineda Ochoa became so concerned about the future of life on Earth that she wrote, produced and directed the new documentary, Endgame 2050. “There is no human health without planetary health,” she tells us. She interviewed several notable experts in the film, but musician/environmental activist Moby provided the most brutally candid assessment of our situation: “Things are not fine.” He told Sofia we “are destroying the only home that we know of in the universe that will support life…. if we can’t change ourselves, if we can’t learn how to live in sustainable harmony with the only world that will support us, we need to go away.” The film doesn’t shy away from human overpopulation as a chief contributor to our ongoing destruction of Earth’s life-supporting ecosystems. Dr. Ochoa does more than diagnose our problem; she also offers some solutions: “I think we have a moral obligation to raise awareness about the unsustainability of our current population growth rate, and the importance of slowing that rate down, as well as changing our consumption patterns.” On the consumption side, Endgame 2050 makes a compelling case for eliminating meat from our diet. Alec Baldwin, Brad Pitt, “nature porn,” and the United Nations all come up in our free ranging conversation. The film is free to view on several streaming services. Visit endgame2050.com for screening information (and for good resources if you want to dig deeper into the subjects raised in the film). DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: Welcome to Overshoot: Have a Nice Day – Conversation Earth Special Podcast Version Radio Broadcast Version Endgame 2050 MeatYourFuture.com – Sofia’s website supporting a plant-based diet Lie Down in Darkness – by Moby The Game Changers Bad science and bad arguments abound in 'Apocalypse Never' by Michael Shellenberger – by Dr. Peter H. Gleick Decoupling Nonsense – episode 35 of the GrowthBusters podcast OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

If you're planning your wedding, or have a friend planning theirs, this episode is for you. The idea of a virtual wedding seemed pretty geeky a year ago, but in the COVID era, suddenly the notion isn’t so far-fetched. But if you’re not going virtual, we have some other recommendations for you to shrink the footprint of your wedding. In this follow-up to episode 25 of the GrowthBusters podcast, Sarah Baillie reports on how she made her wedding “wildlife friendly.” Sarah wrote the Wildlife Friendly Wedding Guide, and told us about this before her own wedding in episode 25 (link below). At the time she was just embarking on planning her own wedding, so we invited her back to report on the blessed event. Sarah is Endangered Species Condoms Coordinator at the Center for Biological Diversity, so we also asked her for an update on this program (we are big fans), especially during the pandemic period of isolation. The Wildlife-friendly Wedding Guide (e-version is free) How to Have a Green Wedding – GrowthBusters Episode 25 Bury Mom in the Back Yard? The Ins and Outs of Green Burial – GrowthBusters Episode 41 The SoKind Registry (register your wedding for small-footprint gifts - homemade gifts, charitable donations, secondhand goods, experiences, time, day-of-event help, and more.) Center for Biological Diversity Endangered Species Condoms Avoid Unplanned Parenthood (video of Dave handing out Endangered Species Condoms) How To Make Vegetable Broth With Kitchen Scraps Sustainable Gift Giving in the Time of Coronavirus – by Sarah Baillie Our Webinars (video and podcast versions) about Planet of the Humans: VIDEO: Planet of the Humans: a Sequel (Webinar) Planet of the Humans Webinar Part 2 PODCASTS: Planet of the Humans: What Did the Film Get Right? (webinar part 1) 1-See Planet of the Humans; 2-Resolve Overshoot (webinar part 2) OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

What should we do in response to the key messages of the 2020 documentary, Planet of the Humans? This is a continuation of the discussion begun in part one of the webinar, Planet of the Humans: a Sequel. In part 2, our panel explores actions we can take now – to avoid terminating  human civilization. Both parts of the webinar addressed the roles of overpopulation, overconsumption and economic growth in the most serious environmental crises we face. The webinar was co-hosted by GrowthBusters and World Population Balance. Panelists: Kristine Mattis: An interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in Biology and Earth System Science, Kristine has worked as a medical researcher, a science reporter for the congressional record in the U.S. House of Representatives, and a science teacher. She holds a PhD in Environment and Resources. Her writing encompasses issues of social and environmental justice, public health, risk, and science. Brian Czech: Executive director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE). With a Ph.D. in renewable natural resources, his specialties intersect ecological economics, conservation biology, and public policy. The author of several books, Czech recently edited Best of The Daly News: Selected Essays from the Leading Blog in Steady State Economics. Dave Gardner: Co-host of the GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living; co-host of The Overpopulation Podcast; director of the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth; host of the syndicated radio series, Conversation Earth; and executive director of World Population Balance. Erika Arias: Co-host of the GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living; co-host of The Overpopulation Podcast; Programs & Engagement Coordinator for World Population Balance, and a childfree researcher and advocate. LINKS VIDEO: Planet of the Humans: a Sequel (webinar part one) Planet of the Humans Webinar Part 2 BOOKS: Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered - by E.F. Schumacher  Enough Is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources - by Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill  Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders, and a Plan to Stop Them All - by Brian Czech  Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth - by Juliet Schor  Bullshit Jobs: A Theory - by David Graeber  PODCASTS: The Overpopulation Podcast  GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living    PAPERS & ESSAYS: Works by Kristine Mattis  Degrowth A Vocabulary for a New Era (2014)  Nobody Takes the Renewable Energy Transition Seriously - by Richard Heinberg  Beyond Green Growth - by Dan O’Neill  Wake Up Call on the Environment: A Student Manifesto  Exiting the Fast Lane: Job Sharing is One Route to Discovering the Personal and Environmental Benefits of Working Less How to Make a Job Sharing Situation Work  Planning for Post-Corona: A Manifesto for the Netherlands  Crossroads for Planet of the Humans – by William Rees    PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS: World Population Balance GrowthBusters Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Herman Daly  Transition Network Transition U.S. Common Future (formerly Business Alliance of Local Living Economies)  Wellbeing Economy Alliance Doughnut Economics Action Lab Take Back Your Time The Simplicity Collective OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

“There are too many human beings, using too much, too fast.” Those are the words of Richard Heinberg in a controversial new documentary executive produced by Michael Moore. Planet of the Humans presents us with some inconvenient truths – far more inconvenient than just the greenhouse gas effect. Yet because the film skewers some renewable energy advocates for painting an overly rosy picture that’s not 100% accurate, there’s been a lot of backlash and effort to keep the film from being seen. In the film, director Jeff Gibbs notes: “It was becoming clear that what we had been calling green, renewable energy, and industrial civilization are one and the same – desperate measures not to save the planet, but to save our way of life.” We think the most important messages of the film are just too critical to avoid, so GrowthBusters teamed up with World Population Balance to co-host the webinar, Planet of the Humans: a Sequel. You can view a video replay of that webinar here. Or you can listen to the audio of the webinar in this episode of the GrowthBusters podcast. We just recorded a continuation of the panel discussion begun in that webinar. Watch for that as another episode of the podcast in the very near future. Subscribe to our email updates or the GrowthBusters YouTube channel to be notified immediately when that video is posted. LINKS: Planet of the Humans film Planet of the Humans: a Sequel webinar video replay World Population Balance One Planet, One Child Billboard Campaign Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Fact Check at Planet of the Humans Website Full and Sustainable Employment Act (post in Steady State Herald) The Real Green New Deal Project Green New Deal Panelists’ reviews of Planet of the Humans: The Inconvenient Truth of Planet of the Humans – by Dave Gardner Climate Crisis: Our Ecological Dysfunction Has a Marketing Problem (and it’s not Michael Moore) – by Kristine Mattis Planet of the Humans Puts Sacred Cows Out to Pasture – by Brian Czech Other Insightful Reviews: Sequence Matters – by Herman Daly Review: Planet of the Humans – by Richard Heinberg Crossroads for Planet of the Humans - by William Rees OTHER LINKS: Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Is there any use in choosing to live more sustainably if you’re surrounded by an unsustainable system? There are those who argue there is little value in making efforts to trim your own ecological footprint. They lament, “It’s difficult to skinny up your life when you live within a system that needs structural change,” built to drive itself off a cliff. The GrowthBusters disagree. But who can you turn to for good advice on this? An astrophysicist, of course! We’re joined in this episode by NYU professor Joshua Spodek. Yes, he has a degree in astrophysics, but these days he’s busy teaching and coaching leadership and entrepreneurship, doing TEDx talks, authoring best-selling books, blogging daily, and hosting his own podcast. It takes Joshua a year to accumulate a load of trash, and he hasn’t hopped on a plane in four years. So when it comes to both the joy, and the value, of individual planet-saving action, Josh is our guy. Here is the complete email from Rob Boman in Oregon (we shared a portion of it on the podcast) Links promised are below this. Hello, I just listened to podcast #35 (uncoupling nonsense). I could send a lot of stuff and I’m in the process of developing a website, but for now, you might find this interesting: I call it The Fifteen Criteria Points of Genuine, Meaningful Sustainability Thanks for your work, Robert Bolman 1) What people commonly refer to as “sustainability” is not truly sustainable. For example, people will refer to “sustainably harvested lumber”. Lumber may be harvested in a manner that is not destructive of forest ecosystems, but in order for lumber to be sustainably harvested, not only would the chainsaws and logging trucks need to be running on something other than fossil fuels, but the chainsaws and logging trucks would need to be MANUFACTURED using something other than fossil fuels. When you consider the amount of energy required to make a large metal object like a logging truck, it is clear that even Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber is far from sustainable 2) Genuine, meaningful sustainability is defined by a rigorous set of criteria including, but not limited to the use of nonrenewable resources and the impossibility of infinite growth on a finite planet. 3) It therefore follows that achieving genuine, meaningful sustainability is a dauntingly complex, remote, far-flung ideal. It will be VERY difficult to achieve. 4) As difficult as it may be, genuine, meaningful sustainability WILL be achieved because to do anything less is unsustainable. Whatever the human family fails to do voluntarily, we WILL do involuntarily. It is possible that we will become a sustainable, advanced, complex civilization. On the other hand, dust blowing on the wind is sustainable. 5) The longer we wait, the longer we procrastinate, delay and make excuses, the more wrenching and traumatic the transition to sustainability will be. We are squandering precious time and resources presently. We have used up approximately half of our one-time geological allotment of fossil fuels. The remaining half will be increasingly more expensive and energy intensive to extract. We should be feverishly using the remaining half to construct the post-fossil fuel infrastructure that we will need. This is especially the case when considering Climate Change. Fully preparing for life without fossil fuels could take decades. Also, it is not at all clear just HOW everything we do with fossil fuels can be accomplished with wind, solar and biofuels. The time to begin that transition is NOT when the fossil fuels are dwindling and the economy is collapsing. 6) Growth is unsustainable. Period. Within a closed, finite system like a petri dish, an island or a planet, growth of the physical environment cannot be continued. Thus, mainstream economics with its emphasis on perpetual growth is quite misguided and unsustainable. (The joke goes that an economist is someone who believes that given sufficient water and fertilizer, a tree can grow to be 100 miles tall.) 7) The best efforts at sustainability will be in vain if population isn’t addressed. It has been consistently shown that the best way to encourage poorer populations to have fewer children is to provide them with education, health care and a more humane quality of life, generally. Therefore, arguably, the extremely poor distribution of the world’s wealth is unsustainable. 8) When the consequences of a given action are not fully understood, it is best to err on the side of caution. This is called The Precautionary Principle and if so called “conservatives” were genuinely conservative, it would be the bedrock of their philosophy. It is safe, prudent and truly conservative. When looked at in the context of genuine, meaningful sustainability, so called “conservatives” are not conservative at all. They are radical, cavalier and dangerous. 9). Carrying on with business-as-usual, assuming that technology will emerge to save us is optimistic to the point of irresponsibility. This is a good place to invoke The Precautionary Principle. No doubt new technologies will emerge to help us through the coming transition to sustainability, but we are facing some    serious challenges and there is no guarantee that technology will make this an easy transition. Technological optimism IS NOT a sound basis for public policy. 10) Human labor is environmentally neutral. So, wherever any toxic, energy intensive industrial or agricultural practice can be replaced with a different process using human labor, that’s what we should do. Seen in the context of the approaching depletion of fossil fuels, we perhaps don’t need to worry about unemployment. There will be plenty of work for people to do. 11) In order for market forces to govern a sustainable world, environmental and social costs must be accounted for. The way mainstream economists view the world, countless true environmental and social costs are nonchalantly brushed aside – dismissed as “externalities”. Then, with a straight face, these same economists insist that the “wise and invisible hand of the free market” should be allowed to decide things for us. We might as well have a chimpanzee with a Ouija board making some of society’s more important decisions. It’s absurd. For example, if the true environmental and social costs of fossil fuels were accounted for, they would be far more expensive and we would be living in a very different world with dramatically different transportation, land use, manufacturing and agriculture. 12) So many powerful economic interests make so much money from such unsustainable business practices and so many people enjoy such great levels of comfort, convenience and entertainment through such unsustainable means that achieving genuine, meaningful sustainability will be very upsetting to a lot of people. In other words, the necessary and inevitable changes are gonna PISS PEOPLE OFF. 13) Therefore, in order to achieve genuine, meaningful sustainability, those in positions of power must carry out dramatic, sweeping changes for which there may not yet be widespread, popular support. The practice of politicians tiptoeing around, reluctant to upset people must end. True leaders must be ready to say, “Here’s what we’re gonna do. Here’s why. And this pallet of document boxes is the scientific research supporting our decision, so please stop shouting and start reading.” 14) It follows that in order to achieve widespread, popular support for sustainability, the public must be educated – a task too important to be left to the mainstream media & “education” as it commonly exists. Corporate lawyers should not earn ten times the income of a public school teacher. Rather than cutting funding for National Public Radio and Television, funding should be dramatically increased with the condition that all corporate underwriting be eliminated. We should consider a national public print media to provide an alternative to the New York Times and Washington Post. 15) In order to function better as a species, human beings must develop an enhanced faculty of discernment whereby we will tend to believe what is true as distinct from believing what happens to be convenient. It has been articulated by people ranging from Albert Einstein to Shirley MacLane that HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS MUST CHANGE for the world’s problems to be resolved, but this idea is viewed as being vague or abstract – better discussed by philosophers and psychologists than by policy makers. But there is nothing vague or abstract about the DENIAL, DELUSION and sometimes SOCIOPATHIC BEHAVIOR being exhibited by those in positions of power in the world. The hierarchies of power don’t groom and condition the finest people among us to rise to the positions of leadership. In order to achieve and thrive in positions of power, people often find it necessary to embrace a deeply flawed view of reality. Or in many cases, sociopathic behavior can serve those in power very nicely as they dig, claw, kick and gouge their way to the top. This is how politicians and corporate executives wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, genuinely believe that their behavior is acceptable and then spend their days doing a gross disservice to future generations. It is high time we bring the full weight of modern psychology to bear on those running the world. LINKS: (We didn’t get around to discussing all these, but we want to share them with you, anyway.) Joshua Spodek website Leadership and the Environment (Joshua Spodek’s podcast) Dave Gardner episodes of Leadership and the Environment What everyone Gets Wrong About the Environment – TEDx Talk by Joshua Spodek Find Your Delicious: Leadership and the Environment – TEDx Talk by Joshua Spodek Joshua Spodek on flying: What a Year Without Flying Taught Me About Responsibility, Empathy, and Community – in Inc. Magazine Covid-19: Addiction to Flying and Other Polluting Behavior Was a Lack of Motivation and Imagination Year 4, Day 1 of Not Flying The Longer I Go Without Flying, the More People Talking About Flying Sounds Like They’re Talking About Heroin The Longer I Go Without Flying, the More People Talking About Flying Sounds Like They’re Talking About Heroin, Part 2 Joshua’s 20-Minute Vegetable Stew A Christmas Thought on Climate and Population - by Joshua Spodek Towards the 'Walden Wage” Waiting for the World to End - by The Mavericks Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich reflects on more than 50 years of effort to educate the public about the unsustainability of endless economic and population growth. In this special Earth Day 50th Anniversary episode, Ehrlich discusses the challenges of getting a good university education, his work with butterflies, and a few of his over 40 books, including The Population Bomb (he shares a 50-year-old secret about a mistake on the front cover). Plus: Dinner with Johnny Carson, butterfly graffiti, and why the climate crisis has never captured our full attention like the COVID-19 pandemic has. We also make an important announcement: In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and the fact that most of us are sheltering in place, we’re making access to the documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, and archived recordings of a series of GrowthBusters webinars, free from April 22 through April 29 (2020). Here’s the link to get access. EARTH DAY 50th ANNIVERSARY LINKS: GrowthBusters Documentary Free Screening Free Screening Facebook Event GrowthBusters Webinars Free Access Earth Day 2020 (50th Anniversary) BOOKS DISCUSSED (some recommended by Paul Ehrlich): Rattlesnake Under His Hat by Sam Hurst The Wisest One in the Room – by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect by Paul Ehrlich Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment by Paul R. Ehrlich, John P. Holdren and Anne H. Ehrlich   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Population Bomb by Anne and Paul Ehrlich The Silver Lining of COVID Induced Recession - GrowthBusters episode 42 Noam Chomsky on the U.S. media The Climate Mitigation Gap - study by Seth Wynes and Kimberly Nicholas One Planet, One Child  Billboard Campaign Beware the Left's 'Degrowth' Movement by Stephen Moore (example of unenlightened growth boosting) The Earth Is Telling Us We Must Rethink Our Growth Society by William Rees The End Of Economic Growth by Sarmishta Subramanian  Environmental Consequences of Moral Disinhibition by Richard York Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Coronavirus has brought the economies of the world to a grinding halt. The world is (almost) universally mourning the recession – almost. There is a small, but rising chorus of hopeful speculation that the increasingly apparent deficiencies of our growth-obsessed economic system make it ripe for this crisis to shock it onto a more sustainable path. We invited Brian Czech, executive director of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE) to explain how this recession is “setting up a brighter future for the generations to come.” Our “suicidal obsession with economic growth has caused us to make some bad deals. What happens at the end of the recession is what really matters. Have we learned enough about the shortcomings of GDP growth on a full planet to NOT climb right back on that horse?   LINKS: Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE) Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train by Brian Czech Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution by Brian Czech The Steady State Press Best of the Daly News The Silver Lining of the COVID-Caused Recession – by Brian Czech How To Avert Economic Catastrophe: Ideas From 5 Top Economists (NPR) Herman Daly and Kate Raworth on Pandemic-Resistant EconomiesFacebook Live Event hosted by Andrew Revkin An Act of Congress for the Steady-State Timeline Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act (1978) Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

Did you know we bury enough metal in caskets each year to build a new Golden Gate Bridge? You’re living your life trying to be green. Have you given any thought to the impact of the way you exit the planet? What’s your final act? In this episode we explore how to exit gracefully, with a lighter footprint. Funeral director Elizabeth Fournier is known as the “green reaper,” for her and work to make information about “going green,” as your last heroic act of volunteerism, readily available to the public. Families can feel pressure, sometimes of their own making, to send someone off in high style. Fournier’s book, The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial, is a practical guide that can help you make decisions that are lighter on the planet, and happen to reduce funeral and burial costs. She owns and operates Cornerstone Funeral Services in the small town of Boring, Oregon. But we can promise you this episode is anything but boring. LINKS: The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial Cornerstone Funeral Services (includes excellent green burial resources) Why a ‘Green’ Burial is Best for the Environment Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode:

The documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth is guaranteed to provoke conversations. Over eight years after it originally premiered, it’s still being screened. Is it still relevant? What kind of conversations does it spark? After he first watched, famed Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich wrote, “This could be the most important film ever made.” You may want to screen the film in your community around Earth Day this year. It sparked such a spirited discussion as part of an Earth Day screening attended by filmmaker Dave Gardner in 2019, that he invited one of the audience members to join him in the studio to discuss his response. This conversation was recorded nearly a year ago; it just kept being pushed aside as more time-sensitive topics and guests arose. Finally, we’re sharing it now. Erika had not yet joined the podcast when we recorded this. Sean Svette is very active in the local food community/movement in Colorado Springs. He’s an instructor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and played a key role in the development of SWELL (Sustainability, Wellness & Learning). If you’d like to organize a screening of the GrowthBusters documentary, the project makes it easy and very affordable. Visit the DVD store (links below) to order a community screening licensed DVD. Contact us if you have questions or special needs around this. DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth documentary website DVD Store Community Screening DVD Rent or Buy Digital Version SWELL (Sustainability, Wellness & Learning) Join the conversation on Facebook Make a donation to support this non-profit project. Archive of all episodes of the GrowthBusters podcast Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth Explore the issues at www.growthbusters.org View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube Subscribe (free) so you don't miss an episode: