The Overpopulation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Dropping Birth Rates are Good News Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

News reports and economists exhibit collective angst about declining birth rates and the resulting aging of populations in many nations. They worry about labor shortages, upside-down pension programs, rising health care burdens and stagnating GDP. A research team at The Overpopulation Project wondered if these challenges are outweighed by the ecological advantage of a population shrinking back to a level that won’t crush the Earth.

In this episode World Population Balance Executive Director Dave Gardner visits with one of the researchers, Philip Cafaro, professor of philosophy at Colorado State University and affiliated faculty member of CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability. Up for discussion: Can a contracting population work economically and socially?

LINKS:

Aging Human Populations: Good for Us, Good for the Earth

The Overpopulation Project

Population Aging and Smaller Populations Have Many Socioeconomic and Environmental Benefits by The Overpopulation Project

Population Growth Will Make It Harder to Meet EU Climate Goals, While Stable or Declining Populations Will Help Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the EU by The Overpopulation Project

Population IS a Problem Oct 02, 2018

Show notes

And it warrants greater attention, not less. This roundtable discussion with the staff of World Population Balance answers the question, “Is there a problem with population?” An attempt to answer the question with a “not really” was recently published in a commentary at Resilience.org. The article, Population: What’s the Problem?, written by Chris Smaje, made some points that World Population Balance staff members believe should not stand unchallenged.

In this staff roundtable edition of the podcast, Executive Director Dave Gardner, Carolyn VandenDolder and Alan Ware examine Smaje’s premise, his characterizations, and his assumptions. Ultimately, we strongly disagree with his conclusion. You can read an article we wrote in response to Smaje: Yes, (Over)Population IS a Problem!

LINKS:

I=PAT equation

A Good Life for All Within Planetary Boundaries (University of Leeds study)

Detailed fertility rate information (including nations achieving rapid fertility rate reduction) https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate

Let's Stop Trampling Our Kids' Rights Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

We need to put our children first. “We treat human babies as property, not as children or human beings that need jobs, breathable air, and crops that don’t just die out because it’s become too hot or too dry.” It’s true, isn’t it? But it just hasn’t dawned on most of us.

Carter Dillard and Karin Kuhlemann of the non-profit, Having Kids, join host Dave Gardner for a very candid conversation explaining “child-first” family planning and how it will benefit our children and make human civilization more sustainable. The folks at Having Kids have made headlines with their open letters to Khloé Kardashian, Elon Musk, Charlize Theron, and even the royal couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton.

In this episode of The Overpopulation Podcast, Dillard and Kuhlemann explain their strategies and the bold thinking that preceded these campaigns. “It hurts your own children when you have more children,” they explain. They challenge the idea that there is no “limit to our freedom to create ‘extra people.” “Everyone thinks there is a limit,” explains Kuhlemann, “but no one is willing to say where that limit is…. Creating a whole new person is so much more significant than most of our freedoms – freedom of speech, privacy. It’s absurd to treat it the same. It’s the most serious and consequential thing you can do.”

LINKS:

Having Kids

World Population Balance

"We Can't Tackle Overpopulation When The Time Comes - We Need To Talk About It Now" on Huffington Post, by Karin Kuhlemann

Listener Roundtable Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

We wanted to hear what you, our listeners, are thinking - about the challenges, the setbacks, and the wins in the race to achieve a sustainable world population. So we convened an online “Listeners Roundtable” for this episode.

Seven listeners joined the four members of our World Population Balance staff for this conversation, which covered: - Ways to break down the population taboo - How to improve “overpopulation literacy” around the world - Getting the topic addressed in schools - Changing the culture to make it okay again, like it was on the first Earth Day, to address overpopulation

Links:

A Call to Action on World Scientists’ Warning - The recent collaboration of several sustainable population groups:

World Population Simulator (website created by listener Christian Roehr)

GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth (film mentioned by Mike Hanauer)

Young Women Consider Family Size Jun 13, 2018

Show notes

Graduate student Emma Spett was surprised not that people in their twenties aren’t interested in having kids, but that they have children in spite of that feeling. She thinks, “It’s not wise to NOT be deliberate about bringing children into this new world.” Her commentary published by Having Kids, Parenting in the Anthropocene, and this conversation on The Overpopulation Podcast, raised important questions like: “Why does everyone need their own genetic offspring to feel fulfilled?” “Is freedom to choose more important than the sustained existence of our ecological and human systems?”

It just doesn’t fly anymore to get pregnant and start a family without serious consideration of all the ramifications – for that child, for the family, and for the planet. Those ramifications include the fact that the Earth is buckling today under the pressure of 7.6 billion of us. Emma’s curiosity, sensibilities and articulate way of addressing this issue inspired us to invite her to have this conversation with World Population Balance Executive Director (and host of The Overpopulation Podcast) Dave Gardner. Emma Spett is a graduate student at the University of Vermont in community development and applied economics. She’s also a fellow at the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.

Links:

Parenting in the Anthropocene – Commentary by Emma Spett

"Learning How to Die in the Anthropocene" - article by Roy Scranton in the New York Times

We’re Doomed. Now What? - article by Roy Scranton in the New York Times

Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization By Roy Scranton

'It’s Cool to Choose a Small Family' - Small Family Stickers from GrowthBusters

Sustainable Population Pledge

Gund Institute

World Population Balance

Can We Live the Good Life Sustainably? May 07, 2018

Show notes

Can 7.6 billion or more people live sustainably and happily on the planet? Can we avoid the sensitive topic of choosing smaller families simply by eating less meat, taking public transportation and turning the thermostat down in winter and up in summer?

The World Population Balance staff kicks this subject around in response to a study that concluded resource use would need to decline by a factor of two to six times for all the world’s people to live well within planetary boundaries.

LINKS:

Oxfam From Poverty to Power Blog: "If Everyone Lived Sustainably, What Would Their Lives Be Like?" by Andrew Fanning

Global Footprint Network: National Footprint Accounts

Teaching Students About Overshoot Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

College students grieve when presented the facts about overshoot. World Population Balance Executive Director Dave Gardner picks the brain of a professor teaching a college course on human population. Chris Bystroff, Professor of Biological Sciences and Computer Science, and Director of the Bioinformatics Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shares what he’s observed about the knowledge and attitudes of young adults enrolled in his college course. Bystroff also shares exciting news about his research project to develop an easily reversible contraceptive vaccine.

Links:

GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth

Mother: Caring for 7 Billion

How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? - David Attenborough on BBC

Soylent Green

Immunocontraception Project

Chris Bystroff

What the Media Gets Wrong on Overpopulation Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

Overpopulation and the impacts of human population growth have been getting more and more media coverage in recent years. World Population Balance thinks it’s important to have the resulting awareness, education and conversations. But how thorough, unbiased and accurate is the coverage?

For this roundtable episode of The Overpopulation Podcast, the World Population team examines two recent radio programs that took up the issue: More People, More Problems, on 1A, produced by WAMU and distributed by NPR; and Can We Avoid Global Catastrophe As the World Population Heads to 10 Billion? on the series, On Point, produced by WBUR and heard on over 290 NPR stations. The WPB staff at the roundtable: Dave Gardner, Alan Ware, Carolyn VandenDolder and Joan Philips.

Links:

More People, More Problems on NPR's 1A

Can We Avoid Global Catastrophe As the World Population Heads to 10 Billion? on NPR's On Point

Capable of Making a Difference Feb 03, 2018

Show notes

Robin Maynard has tremendous faith that the young people of the world have both tremendous power and growing awareness and interest in getting humanity back onto a sustainable path. Our guest, the director of Population Matters, shares his thinking about human overpopulation and talks about the organization’s goals, strategies and tactics. Like World Population Balance, his organization is working hard at “shifting those amplifiers in society who really could reach so many people and talk in a rational, humane and compassionate way about population.”

There is still a perplexing guilt, awkwardness and hesitation to talk about population, among both the general public and even among leaders of environmental organizations. The good news is people ARE becoming a little less cautious in discussing the subject. Hosted by World Population Balance Executive Director Dave Gardner.

To explore this issue further, sign the Sustainable Population Pledge, subscribe to email updates, or donate to support this project, visit worldpopulationbalance.org

Links:

Populationmattters.org

Zombie Overpopulation video

Small Families, Small Planet video

Diana Coole: Too Many Bodies? The Return and Disavowel of the Population Question

MIT Study: Technological Progress Alone Won’t Stem Resource Use

Tap Dancing Around Overpopulation Oct 20, 2017

Show notes

Is discussing overpopulation politically incorrect? Science tells us there are more people on the planet today than the Earth can sustainably support. Is avoiding the subject the best way to solve the problem?

The World Population Balance team tackles these questions in response to a column by journalist David Roberts explaining why he avoids the subject.

Plus: What do hurricanes Harvey and Irma have to do with overpopulation. And good news on the teen pregnancy front. A rousing discussion with Dave Gardner, Carolyn VandenDolder, Alan Ware and Joan Philips of World Population Balance.

Learn more at worldpopulationbalance.org.

Link:

One Planet, One Child short video