The Steady Stater

Beverly Hills isn't the first place most people would think of harboring a steady-state government. Yet, led for three terms by past Mayor John Mirisch (who still serves on the city council), the enclave west of Hollywood has pushed back against the pro-growth strictures emanating out of the statehouse in Sacramento. This experience has turned Mr. Mirisch into a die-hard steady stater, a badge he wears proudly. John's website: https://cityofbh.org

In the second part of our conversation with Chris Matthews, the former Hardball host ponders the mixed legacies of Al Gore, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and FDR. He also shares his opinions on where to look for political support for the steady state economy, and which former president came closest to steady statesmanship.

In the first part of a two-part special, Chris Matthews of MSNBC fame joins Brian to discuss the steady state economy. The CASSE signatory comments on his favorite episodes of Hardball, his recent book This Country: My Life in Politics and History, his insights as a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, and the resource impacts of population growth. Tune in next Monday for part 2!

For Woody Tasch, founder of Slow Money Institute, it's all about balance. Every moonshot needs an Earthshot; diversity and efficiency; simplicity and complexity. That's where the “deceptively simple” concept of Beetcoin comes in. Providing crowdfunded, 0% loans to organic and local food projects, Beetcoin is a challenge not just to the food system but the growth economy at large. Hear Woody and Brian dig into the details on this week's Steady Stater.Beetcoin: https://beetcoin.org/

The future, as they say, is unwritten. But that didn't stop authors Christina Conklin and Marina Psaros from speculating, in their acclaimed book The Atlas of Disappearing Places: Our Coasts and Oceans in the Climate Crisis. We spoke with Christina about some of the 20 locations covered, combining artistry with science, and seaweed. Can our cultures and economies leap forward in acts of transilience?Christina's website: www.christinaconklin.com What's Next For Earth art project: www.whatsnextforearth.com

In our first podcast episode of the year, Brian Czech takes a moment to remember some of the steady staters who left us in 2021: David Schindler, Valerius Geist, Mason Gaffney, Dick Lamm, Thomas Lovejoy, E.O. Wilson, and Lisa Vandemark. Brian lists their achievements, shares personal encounters, and reflects on life, death, and limits.Our conversation with Dick Lamm: The Almost Steady-State President (October 2020)

Heading into the holidays we take a rare optimistic detour in the world of conservation. Our guest is Dr. Chris Haney, President of Terra Med Applied Sciences, a public interest ecological research company. He and Brian discuss the fate of the ivory-billed woodpecker – the bird that keeps scientists guessing no matter how often it's declared extinct. Hear the only known recording of the woodpecker, and consider: is it really gone? Or is Woody getting the last laugh?Chris's book, Woody's Last Laugh: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/changemakers-books/our-books/woodys-last-laugh-making-thinking-errors

Ann Vileisis is an author and environmental historian, intrigued by stories of food, ecology, and the connections between the two. This week, Brian traverses his fond memories of Ann's vivid wetlands book, Discovering the Unknown Landscape, as they discuss these often-misunderstood ecosystems. They also explore Ann's other books on the loss of traditional food knowledge, and the iridescent wonders of California's abalone shellfish. Get stuck in! Ann's website: https://www.annvileisis.com/

Michael Bayliss of the Post-Growth Australia Podcast likes all kinds of communication, whether it's hosting thoughtful and conversational interviews, his communications role at Sustainable Population Australia, or spreading ecological messages with his band, Shock Octopus. This week, Brian puts Michael in the hotseat to discuss these projects, Blockade Australia and direct action, Green Party-backed housing sprawl and a whole lot more.Michael's website: https://michaelbayliss.org/Post-Growth Australia Podcast: https://pgap.fireside.fm/

Stephen Mulkey from the University of Florida is known to some as “Dr. Doom.” Yet the “doom” is in the data; Mulkey is just exceptional at compiling and communicating it. A better title might be “Dr. Do.” Consider for example his pivotal role in the divestment movement. His vision for education in a sustainable world goes much further, too. Hear Stephen and Brian—two scientists with track records of censorship—explore the vision in this week's episode.Stephen's website The Environmental Century: https://environmentalcentury.net/

How should the past inform the future? How should the global inform the local? To get an idea, Brian chats with Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of the long-running non-profit Local Futures. They discuss all manner of topics from the Economics of Happiness and the urbanization of India, to Noam Chomsky and the Localization Action Guide.  This conversation on the future of local societies is available globally, right now.

Our guest this week is Dr. Phoebe Barnard, CEO and Executive Director of Stable Planet Alliance, a new organization working to "bend the curve" on population and hyper-consumption. Brian and Phoebe discuss this budding alliance, the World Scientists' Warning Into Action, and GirlPlanet.Earth, among other topics. If you want to know what forward-thinking scientists are up to, be sure to catch this one.

This week The Steady Stater podcast reaches its milestone 50th episode. To celebrate we're doing something a little different: going behind the scenes of CASSE's history, meeting its staff, and looking to the projects of the future. Plus, Brian shares some of his thoughts on a new biography of Herman Daly. Warning: his review is not entirely positive. Thanks for listening!

This week Brian is joined by Jonathan Clough, one of the nation's foremost experts on sea-level rise and its effects on ecosystems. Jonathan and Brian discuss the different methods for observing sea-level rise, the sophisticated SLAMM model, and the potential rates of sea-level rise we might expect. If you're interested in how these important calculations are made, this one is for you!

Timothée Parrique joins us for a record third appearance on The Steady Stater! Following previous discussions exploring the social limits to growth and the European degrowth movement, Tim and Brian discuss the final part of his dissertation "The Political Economy of Degrowth,” which focuses on policy design. That includes property, work, money and more: don't miss it!

Sandy Irvine was a prominent figure in the early days of the Green Party of England and Wales and an Associate Editor at The Ecologist magazine. This week on The Steady Stater, Sandy joins Brian to discuss everything from supergrids to soccer, and Green New Deals to green old people.  Sandy Irvine's Green Blog: https://sandyirvineblog.wordpress.com/

Our episode this week covers the delightful (and occasionally dark) world of insects with Professor Dave Goulson, author of the new book Silent Earth. Brian and Dave discuss fireflies, glow-worms, bumblebees and butterflies. They also discuss eating insects, cleaning up cow pies and what can be done to assist our tiny friends. Plus, is Dave the new E.O. Wilson?

Richard Heinberg has written a lot of powerful (and power-themed) books throughout his career. But his recent release — simply titled 'Power' — is the one that he hopes to be remembered for. Brian talks with the Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute about the role of power in shaping human history, the pathology of power, and whether we as a species can understand our power enough to keep it from destroying us. 

The Steady Stater podcast returns for Season 2! Our first episode also sees the return of our very first guest Laurel Hanscom, CEO of the Global Footprint Network. Laurel and Brian discuss the 2021 rebound of Earth Overshoot Day, the #100DaysOfPossibility campaign in the run up to COP26, acknowledgements of limits to growth creeping into government organizations, and the ecological poverty trap. Enjoy!

In a first for the Steady Stater, Brian hosts two guests at once. These guests have a lot in common: scientists, civic-minded citizens, organic farmers, and certainly steady staters. As a bonus, they happen to be married, which makes for a smoothly flowing episode. If you want to hear how steady statesmanship percolates at the local government level, don’t miss this episode!

Can we learn from history? It depends on the historian! Hear the erudite Adam Rome reflect upon the roots of American conservation (interesting take), the Progressive Movement, the Dust Bowl, FDR, the Great Suburbanization, Earth Day and more. Adam and Brian emerge from the halls of history to reflect upon the steady-state prospects for the 21st century (with a plan to continue the dialog).

Sabine O’Hara occupies a unique niche in ecological economics, with numerous titles to show for it. She’s also developed a dynamic research program at the only urban land-grant university in the USA. Listen to Sabine discuss with Brian her theory of production, urban food hubs, capitalism, and input:output analysis. Learn too about CAUSES, the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia. It’s a hub, too; of food for thought and thoughts on food.

The balance of nature. Balancing resources among nations. Balancing politics with the raw facts of overpopulation. Working in the population education field is a constant balancing act, and David Paxson has been on the tightrope ever since establishing World Population Balance in 1991. Listen to him discuss his voluminous insights with Brian Czech in this week’s episode of The Steady Stater.

This week’s guest at the Steady Stater is a renaissance man in sustainability studies. Bill Rees conceived the ecological footprint concept, and helped develop the footprinting methodology thereafter. In this episode we explore the concept and do some “backtracking,” too, all the way back to Bill’s original thoughts. Brian and Bill also entertain the backtracking of GDP to the ecological footprint itself. 

Ever wonder why 50% of plastic bags have holes—and always near the bottom? What about Hummers; how in heck did those happen? Then we have McMansions, the NRA’s special Kuznets Curve, and “20 % off” everything, all the time! Let Brian Czech guide you through these mysteries of American life, as a bit of comedic relief inches the steady state economy closer to the cusp of a cultural awakening. 

Kate Raworth may be the most effective economic reformer today. Her vision of a “doughnut economy”—between the hole of poverty and the outer darkness of planetary overshoot—has rolled into Amsterdam and it’s not stopping there. If we roll it out into a “breadstick”—poverty below and overshoot above—does it amount to a steady state economy? Brian and Kate explore the concept.

Herman Daly’s well-developed thoughts on markets and capitalism have been misunderstood and misrepresented among Marxists and undiscerning muckrakers. It’s time to set the record straight! Don’t miss this clarifying conversation between Brian and Herman. In addition to fascinating discussion about markets, market failures, and models of political economy, this episode is a perfect fit for economics classes.

Why such a fuss about a signable position calling for a steady state economy? Let us count the reasons. Follow along with Brian and guest Madeline Baker until you get to 10—you’ll probably think of even more!

What’s a simple step anyone can take to support the steady state economy? Take a position! The CASSE position, that is. In this episode, producer Rick Tibbetts runs through the clauses of the CASSE position, while Brian “reads between the lines.”

In this eventful episode, guest Timothée Parrique describes how his voluminous thoughts on degrowth are evolving, and Brian notes how the CASSE position on economic growth has adapted to include degrowth. As degrowthers and steady staters develop a unified front, the prospects for people and planet are palpably uplifted.

Why the glaring absence, in the media, of limits to growth? Why do we hear nothing about the steady state economy? The answers might surprise you. Listen to Tom Horton — long-time newspaper journalist and steady stater — discuss with Brian the Barriers to the Steady State Economy in the Media.

"They paved paradise to put up a parking lot." From Joni Mitchell to Counting Crows — and of course CASSE — steady staters have lamented the surge of suburbanization. As Americans settle ever farther from urban centers, they significantly increase their carbon footprint and denigrate once-cherished pillars of community. In this episode, famed broadcast journalist Ray Suarez chats with Brian about the often-overlooked externalities of suburbanization and how an obsession with GDP growth is driving the trend.

Population growth is a tough nut to crack. Gender dynamics, religious beliefs, education systems, and cultural values have to be grappled with. Undaunted by this challenge, Bill Reyerson, founder and president of the Population Media Center, has dedicated over 45 years of his professional life to doing just that. In this episode, Brian and Bill talk about the fascinating and heartbreaking realities of population growth around the world and how soap operas—yes soap operas—have helped with family planning and population politics.

If there's something strange in your economy, who you gonna call? Growthbusters! And that's exactly what we did. In this episode, Brian chats with renowned podcaster, conservationist, and director of the movie Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth, Dave Gardner, about advancing the steady state economy, his forays into local politics, and his laudable, affable, and often (intentionally) laughable efforts to put de-growth on the big screen.

Steady staters have something to say about biodiversity conservation. Brian Czech is a case in point, if not in spades. In this episode, Czech presents a “unified theory” of biodiversity conservation encompassing aspects of conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, ecological economics, and political science. Even the philosophy of science is not off limits. (Don’t miss the “epistemological kicker” on non-human knowledge).

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Bigger is not always better. In fact, we would argue that smaller is often a better option, especially in terms of national economies! Renowned anthropologist and Regent's Professor John Bodley arrived at the same conclusion, and even wrote a groundbreaking book on the topic, The Small Nation Solution. In this episode, Brian and John explore the themes of this book, focusing on problems of scale, our cultural metabolism, and anthropology's place in steady-state economics.

Population stabilization was once a bipartisan goal that featured prominently in the environmental movement. Today, thanks to unfounded criticism and irrational politicization, population topics are taboo and serious discussion has been silenced. Luckily, iron-willed individuals like Leon Kolankiewicz remain vocal about the threat of overpopulation. In this episode, Brian and Leon explore facts, figures, and politics pertaining to population growth, as well as policies for stabilization.

Money: Means of exchange? Unit of account? Store of value? In the 21st century, there’s way, way more to the story. Some of it might shock you; much might dismay you. But steady staters (and sound citizens) need to grasp the basics of modern money and the monetary system. Get a great start with Brian’s guest, Ann Pettifor, the steady staters monetary economist!

Degrowth toward a steady state economy requires an overhaul of our mental infrastructure. Few understand this concept better than Timothée Parrique, author of the groundbreaking dissertation, "The Political Economy of Degrowth." In this episode, Brian chats with Timothée about his revolutionary research, focusing on "growthism," social limits TO growth, and the social limits OF growth.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, a group of far-right radicals stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent the congressional certification of Joseph R. Biden as president. At first glance, the insurrection had nothing to do with GDP growth, right? Yet further reflection leads us to connect some overlooked dots. A Trump-like obsession with growth is part of a broader mentality that too readily incorporates reckless, selfish, and destructive behavior and politics. Brian Czech explains the connections in this first special episode of The Steady Stater.Music citation:Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3996-long-road-aheadLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

2020 has been a trying year for us all. A global pandemic, racial reckoning, and presidential election barely scratch the tumultuous surface. Thankfully, 2020 didn’t only deliver duds. There is much to be thankful for! In this episode, Brian Czech gives an uplifting rundown of CASSE projects, initiatives, and organizational growth from the past year. Though we cannot undo the horrors and hardships that many suffered in 2020, we hope that this episode gives you a glimmer of hope for a brighter, fully sustainable future. From all of us at CASSE, happy holidays and may 2021 be a joyous, steady-statish new year!

The time has come to reject the fuzzy notions that "everything will be okay" while populations grow and economies expand. Humankind is headed for misery and collapse if we fail to take unprecedented action to stabilize our footprint. Unfortunately, our brains didn’t evolve to deal with the 21st century. Frankly we need some “uncommon sense.” In this episode, Brian Czech and Rick Tibbetts discuss a book that provides just that — Uncommon Sense: Shortcomings of the Human Mind for Handling Big-Picture, Long-Term Challenges by Peter Seidel.

How is our chemical-laden economy impacting wild animals and wildlife populations? To answer this question, Brian chats with renowned biologist, ecologist, and Professor Steven R. Sheffield. The two offer a rousing discussion on the detrimental effects that man-made toxins are having on innocent animals and how the runaway economy is fueling this injustice.

At some point in our lives, we've all received the patient advice, "go with the flow." But what happens when that flow is obstructed by dastardly diversions and deadbeat dams? In Gary Wockner's case, he gets a Ph.D. in environmental geography, writes countless articles, a book, and founds an advocacy organization, Save the Colorado, to help protect the world's rivers. In this episode, Brian chats with Gary about his important work and why saving the Colorado River requires a steady state economy.

You can't have a steady state economy without a smartly designed policy infrastructure. In this episode, Brian explains six policies that would bring any nation closer to a steady state: (1) the Full and Sustainable Employment Act, (2) cap-auction-trade systems, (3) luxury taxes, (4) salary caps, (5) population stabilization incentives, (6) phase-out of fractional reserve banking.

It’s Thanksgiving week, and in this episode of the Steady Stater Brian talks with Herman Daly, the father of steady-state economics. It’s no coincidence: Steady staters have Daly to thank—more than anyone else—for the vision of a steady state economy. After listening to this episode, you too will have an additional reason to be thankful, even amidst the daunting trends of the 21st century. To our weekly listeners, CASSE also sends a big thank-you for your support!

Disrupting the status quo in American politics is a notoriously difficult task, but in the 1990s, the Reform Party did just that. It gave Americans a viable third choice in a rigid two-party system. In this episode, Ph.D. economist and former Reform Party vice-presidential candidate Pat Choate speaks with Brian about the challenges of running a third-party campaign, effective messaging tactics, and how to bring steady state economics to the mainstream.

In this week's episode, Brian Czech and Rick Tibbetts (producer of The Steady Stater) provide candid and cogent reactions to the 2020 presidential election from the steady stater point of view. The two CASSE colleagues discuss the current state of the election, why 68 million Americans voted for Trump, and what a Biden victory might mean for steady staters.

Wisconsin's Secretary of State Doug LaFollette is a wellspring of fascinating information on steady-state politics. In this episode, Brian and Doug continue their conversation from last week, exploring topics such as government-issued gag orders, the backlash to the population stabilization movement, and the Pope's implicit endorsement of the steady state economy.

Hailing from the chilly upper reaches of America's midwest is stalwart steady stater Doug LaFollette, Wisconsin's current Secretary of State. In addition to holding high office, LaFollette has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, co-founded the Clean Wisconsin initiative, and served as a Wisconsin organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970. In this episode, Brian speaks with LaFollette about his ascent into environmentalism, the Wisconsin conservation movement, and his efforts to bring steady statesmanship to the state.

There is so much to say about the Trophic Theory of Money that we had to break the topic down into two parts! In this episode, Brian Czech fills in the gaps from last week's discussion of agricultural surpluses and ancient currencies. He then shifts the conversation to today by identifying the implications of the trophic theory of money for modern economic policy.