“Once a species becomes powerful enough to take over a planet, then is it also intelligent enough to understand the limits to its own power?” This is a question posed in the new book, Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival. Author Richard Heinberg is a Senior Fellow at Post Carbon Institute and author of 13 books, including Power Down, The Party’s Over, and The End of Growth.
Richard shares what his research has revealed about humankind’s cultivation of power, including how we abuse it and how that now threatens our very existence.
“The sheer power of the Superorganism is staggering. Each year, it cuts and uses up to seven billion trees; it excavates 24 million metric tons of copper and nine billion short tons of coal; and it produces (and brews and drinks) one billion tons of coffee. In order to mine resources and construct buildings and highways, it moves up to 80 billion tons of soil and rock — over twice the amount moved by all natural forces such as rivers, glaciers, ocean, and wind. The Superorganism is taking control of Earth, and the Anthropocene is its era of dominance.”
We discuss the importance of trust in the possible scenario that doesn’t drive us right off a cliff. The book is an effort to shift the conversation, to shift our culture – from one seeking and worshipping materialism, consumerism and more and more economic and population growth, to one that values beauty and self-limitation.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Power: Limits and Prospects for Human Survival - by Richard Heinberg
https://www.postcarbon.org/publications/power-limits-and-prospects-for-human-survival/
Make the GrowthBusters Movie Free
https://www.Fundrazr.com/growthbustersmovie
Museletter – monthly newsletter by Richard Heinberg
https://www.Richardheinberg.com/newsletter
Richard Heinberg’s website
https://www.Richardheinberg.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.”
Join the conversation on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/GrowthBustersPodcast/
Make a donation to support this non-profit project.
https://www.growthbusters.org/donate/
Archive of GrowthBusters podcast episodes
http://www.growthbusters.org/podcast/
Subscribe to GrowthBusters email updates
https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/umptf6w/signup
See the film – GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth
http:www.growthbustersmovie.org
Explore the issues at http://www.growthbusters.org
View the GrowthBusters channel on YouTube
Follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode:
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?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL