This Simpler Living OneEarth Podcast is a co-production of Simple Living Works! and The Common Good Podcast (OneEarth Jubilee).
Today we’re talking to Dave Gardner about three major efforts he has developed—all designed to bring change from the present: (1) GrowthBusters, (2) World Population Balance and (3) the One Planet/One Child Campaign.
I [Jerry] thank you, Lee, for coming up from San Diego to the Central Coast to speak recently.
[Lee} It was my pleasure to speak to two engaged groups at historic Bethel Lutheran Church in Templeton and then for a sizable gathering at St. James Episcopal Church in Paso Robles, sponsored by Paso Peace Community. They asked pertinent questions, bought a good number of my books and gave generously to the cause.
I [Lee] love the conversation you had, Jerry, with our guest on this show. Both of us—you through Simple Living Works and I through OneEarth Jubilee—work on the crises caused by the explosion of human beings on the planet in the past century and on an economics of endless growth on our wonderful planet’s limited resources.
I [Lee] write about this in my book, Blinded by Progress. I have a chapter on species imbalance. I find that approaching the topic in terms of Earth’s correction of imbalance leads to more fruitful conversation than speaking about human population control. In 1920, the world had only 1.8 billion people. Today, 7.8 billion.
Regarding growth economics, I have come to understand that there are two major stories we can live by. We have to choose between them: either MultiEarth or OneEarth. Growth economics is the economics of the MultiEarth way of living. Steady-state, creation-based economics is inherent in OneEarth living.
Simple Living Works!, Jubilee OneEarth Economics and GrowthBusters have so much in common! We have been promoting GrowthBusters in our blogs and listening to their podcasts for quite some time.
Colleagues: GrowthBusters (Dave Gardner)–film and podcast; World Population Balance // OverPopulation Podcast; Post-Carbon Institute programs + CrazyTown podcast (SLW! Ep. 109–Richard Heinberg); CASSE: Center for the Advancement of the Steady-State Economy (The Common Good Podcast Ep. 46–Brian Czech); Center for Sustainable Economy; and Population Connection (SLW! Ep. Ep. 72: John Seager of Population Connection, Part 1; Ep. 73, Part 2); Bill Ryerson of the Population Institute and Population Media Center (SLW! Ep. 113: Part 1–Population Crises; TCGP #97: Part 2–Reducing Population Using Methods that Work)
ESSAY: Overconsumption and Overpopulation as the primary drivers of the Climate Crisis
A great sign carried by a young person in the Climate Action Strikes of Sep. 20 said: Our parents taught us to clean up after ourselves, so why’d you leave us this mess? OneEarth Jubilee has taken another step to help us all counter the CO2 we put into the air as we drive our cars, fly away to places, heat or cool our homes, and all the ways our lives release CO2 into the atmosphere. We can offset those tons of CO2 by planting trees.
Here’s how. First, we calculate our carbon with the calculator online at https://www.terrapass.com/carbon-footprint-calculator. Then we donate the amount the calculator totals for us. We can donate it to Jubilee Economics Tree Fund because the two Jubilee Circles in Mexico and the one in San Diego all work with trusted groups that plant trees. The show notes to this podcast will give you the links to the newsletter and to the carbon calculator.
All of our Circles are keenly aware that the 2020s is the last decade for major climate action to save life in the sacred creation where we live. May we live in the Spirit who is eager to partner with us all.
