In Avengers: Infinity War the villain Thanos wants to solve overpopulation by exterminating half the population of the universe. Whenever overpopulation pops up in the movies, it’s always a villain with an inhumane solution. Dave and Dana discuss whether this helps or harms the cause of achieving a sustainable human population (yes, the world IS overpopulated today, and the forecasts are to add several billion more). Aren’t there humane, noble solutions to overpopulation?
Plus: Are we hardwired to reproduce? Population control, Paul Ehrlich, Thomas Malthus, Dan Brown’s Inferno novel and movie, Soylent Green, ZPG, and Dave’s Top 10 Overpopulation Films also come up. (See links below)
A number of listener comments are included. Thanks for writing in. Your comments are welcome either via posts on the episode page at GrowthBusters.org or Libsyn, on the GrowthBusters Podcast Facebook page, or on Twitter.
Also in this episode: Listener comments about disposable straws and the movie, Downsizing (episode 13 of the GrowthBusters Podcast).
LINKS:
Maybe Thanos Was Right (by Sparky, at Medium)
Thanos’ plan in Avengers: Infinity War has historical precedent, but he applies it wrong (by Alessandra Potenza, at The Verge)
Inferno (the novel)
Inferno (the movie)
Soylent Green
ZPG
Top 10 Population Films of All Time
84: Strong Economy Begins With Shrinking Workforce
83: We Roasted Elon Musk, Raising the Curiosity of Thousands
82: Governor Whitmer Unveils Ponzi Population Policy
81 Overpopulation Think Tank – Part 2
80 How Do We Get Out of This Mess? University Students Brainstorm
79 Overpopulation Think Tank – Part 1
78 Discussing Overpopulation: Let's Clear the Minefield
77 Fact-Checking News of China’s “Demographic Crisis”
76 Now Here's What We Call an Eco-Superhero
75 A Vasectomy Could Save Herschel Walker a Lot of Money
74 Bleak Friday, 8 Billion Post-Mortem and Damage Done by Guilt
73 Eight Billion is Too Many: Don’t be a Twit About Overpopulation
72 Upping Our Game Alerting the World to Limits to Growth: New Online Community
71 World Population Day 2022: We’re Overpopulated. Pass It On.
70 Paul Ehrlich on The Limits to Growth
69 Chickens are Coming Home to Roost
68 Paul Ehrlich, Unfiltered (Special Earth Day Episode)
67 Obsessive-Compulsive’s Guide to Cutting Your Carbon Footprint
66 Can Living a 1.5 Degree Lifestyle Make a Difference?
65 What Do College Students Think Their Future Holds?
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