78 Discussing Overpopulation: Let's Clear the Minefield

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

 

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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.

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