As we approach the 8 billion population milestone, activist/author Valorie Allen thinks it's high time we stop avoiding the overpopulation subject. Yet here we are, on World Population Day 2022, and the UN is still beating around the bush, journalists rarely report on the subject (and when they do, it's usually with a pro-growth bias), and most environmental groups run and hide from it. Allen believes that we can bend the long-rising population curve soon and begin the needed contraction. But we must stop avoiding the subject, and we need to make a project of it.

As we observe World Population Day 2022, we share this insightful conversation with Valorie Allen, author of the new book, 8 Billion Reasons Population Matters: The Defining Issue of the 21st Century. This is a rich and comprehensive encyclopedia of history, information, opinion and inspiration.

After this conversation, Stephanie and Dave review recent "GrowthBusting News," including new insanity from Elon Musk, outrageous ideas for overconsumption on hyperdrive, a new paper by Paul and Anne Ehrlich, and sad words of wisdom from actor Jeff Goldblum.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

UNFPA World Population Day 2022 Statement https://www.unfpa.org/press/world-population-day-statement-2022

UN Secretary-General's World Population Day Statement https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-population-day

8 Billion Reasons Population Matters - new book by Valorie Allenhttps://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000096587474

Surviving the 21st Century - by Julian Cribbhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30420519-surviving-the-21st-century

Population in Sync - Valorie Allen's websitehttps://populationinsync.net/

Paul Ehrlich on Limits to Growth - Episode 70 of the GrowthBusters podcasthttps://www.growthbusters.org/ehrlich-limits-to-growth/

Leaked Amazon Memo Warns the Company is Running Out of People to Hirehttps://www.vox.com/recode/23170900/leaked-amazon-memo-warehouses-hiring-shortage

Elon Musk Breaks Silence on Birth of Secret Twins with 'Overpopulation' Jokehttps://www.joe.co.uk/news/elon-musk-on-birth-secret-twins-overpopulation-joke-346768

Elon Musk is Wrong: We Need Smaller Familieshttps://populationmatters.org/news/2021/12/elon-musk-wrong-we-need-smaller-families

Climate Damage Caused by Growing Space Tourism Needs Urgent Mitigationhttps://phys.org/news/2022-06-climate-space-tourism-urgent-mitigation.html

Nuclear-Powered Sky Hotelhttps://youtu.be/ZrodDBJdGuo

Let Them Eat Fermented Protein - Review of Monbiot book, Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planethttps://literaryreview.co.uk/let-them-eat-fermented-protein

Returning to "Normal"? Evolutionary Roots of the Human Prospect - by Paul and Anne Ehrlichhttps://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biac044/6608897

Your Kids Are Not Doomed - uninformed column by Ezra Kleinhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/opinion/climate-change-should-you-have-kids.html

Current Policies Will Bring 'Catastrophic' Climate Breakdown, Warn Former UN Leadershttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/02/current-policies-will-bring-catastrophic-climate-breakdown-warn-former-un-leaders

For 50 Years, Governments Have Failed to Act on Climate Change. No More Excuses - by Christiana Figueres, Yvo de Boer and Michael Zammit Cutajarhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/02/for-50-years-governments-have-failed-to-act-on-climate-change-no-more-excuses

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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." Co-host, and self-described "energy nerd," Stephanie Gardner has degrees in Environmental Studies and Environmental Law & Policy.

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