Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich reflects on more than 50 years of effort to educate the public about the unsustainability of endless economic and population growth. In this special Earth Day 50th Anniversary episode, Ehrlich discusses the challenges of getting a good university education, his work with butterflies, and a few of his over 40 books, including The Population Bomb (he shares a 50-year-old secret about a mistake on the front cover).

Plus: Dinner with Johnny Carson, butterfly graffiti, and why the climate crisis has never captured our full attention like the COVID-19 pandemic has.

We also make an important announcement: In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and the fact that most of us are sheltering in place, we’re making access to the documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, and archived recordings of a series of GrowthBusters webinars, free from April 22 through April 29 (2020). Here’s the link to get access.

EARTH DAY 50th ANNIVERSARY LINKS:

GrowthBusters Documentary Free Screening

Free Screening Facebook Event

GrowthBusters Webinars Free Access

Earth Day 2020 (50th Anniversary)

BOOKS DISCUSSED (some recommended by Paul Ehrlich):

Rattlesnake Under His Hat by Sam Hurst

The Wisest One in the Room – by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross

Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect by Paul Ehrlich

Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment by Paul R. Ehrlich, John P. Holdren and Anne H. Ehrlich

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Population Bomb by Anne and Paul Ehrlich

The Silver Lining of COVID Induced Recession - GrowthBusters episode 42

Noam Chomsky on the U.S. media

The Climate Mitigation Gap - study by Seth Wynes and Kimberly Nicholas

One Planet, One Child  Billboard Campaign

Beware the Left's 'Degrowth' Movement by Stephen Moore (example of unenlightened growth boosting)

The Earth Is Telling Us We Must Rethink Our Growth Society by William Rees

The End Of Economic Growth by Sarmishta Subramanian 

Environmental Consequences of Moral Disinhibition by Richard York

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