Growthbusters

Are human beings too stupid to manage the planet? Just asking the question invokes some misplaced conceit; we’ve wreaked havoc on the Earth largely because of our assumption that Earth is all about us. The truth is, we have no business trying to “manage” the planet. But, the scale of the human enterprise has become so gargantuan, that – in many respects – we ARE managing the planet (managing it into oblivion). In the newest episode of the GrowthBusters podcast, we discuss a Raw Story interview with the great, great grandson of Charles Darwin. One of Chris Darwin’s thoughts is that we are poorly equipped to manage the planet. Of course he is right. Chris has launched an app called Darwin Challenge. He’s also focusing a lot of attention on the destructive, unsustainable nature of our appetite for meat. Listen to this episode of the podcast and find out what the GrowthBusters team thinks about managing the planet, the importance of veganism, and the role of human numbers in the sustainability of human civilizati

America’s love affair with big, gas-guzzling vehicles is up for discussion. Is your environmental impact in mind when you decide whether to buy a pickup truck or SUV? How about when you choose your coffee-maker? EPA plans to rollback auto fuel efficiency standards. Then: Are there ways to make K-Cups more sustainable? Is Dave an “eco-god?” What’s greener – running your car’s air-conditioning, or baking in a hot car? Plus: the joys of composting (and you don’t need to have your own garden to do it). Links: The movie: http://www.growthbustersmovie.org EPA Moves to Weaken Fuel Efficiency Rules: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/02/598888447/epa-moves-to-weaken-landmark-fuel-efficiency-rules Ultimate Guide to Recycling K-Cups: https://www.consumerreports.org/recycling/recycle-k-cups-nespresso-capsules-coffee-pods/

One more reason to avoid factory-bottled water, why Californians may have to allow high-rise buildings in their quiet residential neighborhoods, and why we’re now being encouraged to give up traditional meats and start eating insects. Kaitlyn and Ben are on Spring Break, so GrowthBusters director Dave Gardner goes solo in this episode (episode #10). Explore the growth/sustainability issue in more depth at http://www.growthbusters.org Get the film, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, at http://www.growthbustersmovie.org Links mentioned in this episode: World Health Organization to Review Reports of Microplastic Contamination in Bottled Water https://www.salon.com/2018/03/15/world-health-organization-to-review-reports-of-microplastic-contamination-in-bottled-water/ GrowthBusters Podcast Episode 9: Would You Eat a Bug to Save the Planet? https://www.growthbusters.org/would-you-eat-a-bug-to-save-the-planet/ Legislation Would Allow More Home Building Along Transit Routes to Reduce Gas-Guzzling Commutes https://www.ny

To what extremes are we willing to go to fit more and more people and bigger and bigger economies on a finite planet? It seems we’re willing to give up many freedoms, conveniences, safety and security, but we’re not willing to acknowledge we’re overpopulated or overconsuming. Addressing those root causes is not an option. So, get ready to give up that dream home, meat, golf, rock concerts and air travel; and start whipping up a batch of cricket smoothies. The GrowthBusters team discusses the newest footprint-shrinking strategies and whether we’ll adopt them before things are “semi-apocalyptic.” How far will we go, before we’re willing to strongly suggest limiting our offspring and settling for a smaller, stable and sustainable economy? GrowthBusters is a public education project and documentary film. Their mission is to find the cure for growth addiction, so future generations can live decent lives on a planet with healthy life-support systems. Explore these issues, comment on this podcast, and see the film a

A new study reveals some men feel environmental stewardship is not manly. Is this just one more reason we should leave the women in charge? Or should we market green behavior the same way we sell pickup trucks? The GrowthBusters team explores the ins and outs of masculinity and femininity in relation to being green. Also: Ben does something shocking with carrots. For links to the study and stories, see the complete show notes at: https://www.growthbusters.org/trashing-the-planet-is-macho/

Are children bad for the health of the planet, and therefore human civilization? Should we stop making them? Or do we need to step it up and make lots more than we’re currently making (does anyone have a good recipe)? Or does the intelligent answer lie somewhere in-between? The GrowthBusters podcast team doesn’t shy away from tough topics when the fate of human civilization hangs in the balance. In this episode, Ben, Kaitlyn and Dave discuss recent news headlines about fertility rates and offer their opinions on the views of Matt Lewis (The Daily Beast) and Travis Rieder (Berman Institute of Bioethics). Over 15,000 of the world’s scientists also weigh in. Here are links promised during the conversation: Travis Rieder piece at NBC News Digital: https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/science-proves-kids-are-bad-earth-morality-suggests-we-stop-ncna820781 Matt Lewis piece at The Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-fertility-rate-is-way-down-and-yes-thats-a-huge-problem World Scientists’ Warning to Human

Is reducing child-tax credits to encourage smaller families a good idea? Is it “coercive” public policy? Would it be good for your city to be the winner in the Amazon Headquarters Sweepstakes? Do undiscovered joys grace your life when you begin stepping up to trim your footprint on the planet? Special guest Joshua Spodek, author of Leadership Step by Step, shares why he’s launching the podcast Leadership and the Environment. Plus: turning down the heat and skipping toilet flushes. Here’s the website mentioned to check out Spodek’s new podcast: http://joshuaspodek.com/podcast Explore these issues further at http://www.growthbusters.org

One of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., Bend, Oregon has doubled in population over the past two decades. Still, it has at least some intelligent thinking about growth. Tom Hickmann, Bend Oregon’s director of engineering and infrastructure planning, shares the fast-growing city’s somewhat unique approach to city planning, and discusses Oregon’s requirement that cities accommodate growth. According to Tom, cities get challenged if they have a “pattern and practice of rejecting growth.” Tom shares the newest infrastructure planning tool, genetic algorithms, explaining how it allows cities to plan better and grow more efficiently. Planners can put the values of the environmental, development, engineering and general residential communities into this planning model to guide a community’s decisions. Co-host Dave Gardner wonders if unaffordable housing might ultimately influence couples to limit the number of children they conceive. The GrowthBusters team also shares some of their own methods of shrinking th

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma highlight the fact that cities have prioritized growth over safety, valued concrete over nature, and bought into the myth of prosperity from growth over sustainability. Dave, Kaitlyn and Ben discuss the civic addiction to growth. What would be more appropriate metrics for success than high rates of population growth? Also: Living with your parents is green. So is patronizing restaurants that source locally, and skipping the plastic bags offered in the produce department. Links of Interest: Does Population Growth Mean a City is Thriving? http://www.governing.com/topics/urban/gov-population-city-growth-thriving.html Conversation Earth interviews: http://www.conversationearth.org/episode-list Learn more and explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org Media analysis at http://wwwgrowthbiasbusted.org Movie at http://www.growthbustersmovie.org

Are Prince William and Kate Middleton setting a bad example by having a third child in an overpopulated world? Should we do away with child tax credits and dependent deductions? Plus: Rising numbers of visitors are clogging America’s most beautiful natural places. Fees, reservation systems and vehicle bans are among proposed solutions. Are they temporary band-aids when your population is growing? Co-host Dave Gardner has the ultimate solution. Also discussed: recycling plastic grocery bags, cloth napkins, dairy-free ice cream and reusing beer pong cups. Ben Bacher and Kaitlyn Hickmann co-host. Learn more and explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org Media analysis at http://wwwgrowthbiasbusted.org Movie at http://www.growthbustersmovie.org

The Colorado River rarely flows all the way to its delta, and the state of Colorado has determined demand for water will far outstrip supply if anticipated population growth continues. Yet the state advertises for people and companies to move to Colorado. The GrowthBusters team discusses this with Gary Wockner, executive director of Save the Colorado. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has been one of the most pro-growth governors the state has had, in Wockner’s view. But no one is willing to talk about the population growth issue. Wockner raises the issue of having growth pay its way. He shares how a statewide tax being considered to fund water projects is actually a growth subsidy. Growth addiction and our predilection to dam rivers are also on tap. Also: Global Footprint Network’s new footprint calculator. How small does your ecological footprint need to be if you want to use no more than your share of the Earth’s biocapacity? Follow GrowthBusters on Facebook and at http://www.growthbusters.org

New study reveals conceiving one fewer child eclipses all other CO2 reduction strategies. Why Japan’s birth dearth isn’t bad news. What countries are overpopulated? Should the overdeveloped world focus on cutting consumption or reducing births? Could we downshift to a simpler lifestyle? Family planning cuts in the U.S. and how that won’t reduce abortions. Reducing our footprint: are the small things worth doing? Kaitlyn’s pet peeve about veganism. Does peeing in the shower save water? The GrowthBusters team is Dave Gardner, Kaitlyn Hickmann and Ben Bacher. They bring you the latest thinking on living sustainably in a growth-addicted world. For more information, explore http://www.growthbusters.org.

In spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, what keeps us convinced that growth leads to widespread prosperity? It's a never-ending stream of pro-growth propaganda in the media. Dave Gardner finds a wealth of examples of pro-growth media bias in his local paper over less than a month's time. Explore this subject further at http://www.growthbiasbusted.org, and support this podcast with a donation at http://www.growthbusters.org/donate

How the growth machine games the system in your community. Real estate developers, homebuilders, construction companies and banks are most likely pulling the strings. They use the myth of prosperity from growth to con us, and election contributions to wield undue influence over public policy. The result? The public pays much of their cost of doing business. Community watchdog Walter Lawson joins growthbuster Dave Gardner to share details about pressure from developers in Colorado Springs to reduce the public's right to appeal land use decisions.

GrowthBusters director Dave Gardner examines the insanity of watching water levels in Lake Mead drop while campaigning to grow the population in places like Arizona and Nevada. Also, why no mention of overpopulation or population growth by the UN on World Population Day?