Academy of Ideas

#BattleFest2016: Are greens the enemies of progress?


Listen Later

Listen to the introductory remarks from last week's Battle of Ideas satellite in Amsterdam

We are living longer, healthier and richer lifes than ever

before. These trends have already spread to billions of people in poorer
countries. But are the costs of all this progress beginning to outweigh
the benefits? Greens worry that the Earth cannot sustain our desire for
more, more, more. Do their worries halt progress?

Some believe that environmental concerns have gone too far, putting a

brake on growth, especially in poor countries. Are the world’s poor
only allowed to experience ‘sustainable’ development? Lately, a new
brand of greens is emerging. These so-called ‘eco-modernists’ believe
the planet can be ecologically vibrant even with many billions more
people living a good life - if only we would use our scientific
knowledge to steward the world’s resources. But can science also tell us
what kind of balance is desirable between allowing humanity to flourish
while preserving the natural world? Maybe in the end, most people
simply do not care that much about nature. And what is a good life
anyway?

Has the modern idea of progress outlived its usefulness? Do we need

new ways of understanding progress, or is it environmentalism that needs
an overhaul? And what role do greens play in this debate? Do they want
to halt progress, or simply to redefine it? Or might their redefinition
be another way of halting development? Is progress ultimately a myth?


SPEAKERS

Brendan O’Neill

editor, spiked; columnist, Big Issue; contributor, Spectator

Frank Mulder

researcher, writer and journalist; ; columnist, De Groene Amsterdammer; author, De geluksmachine (The Happiness Machine)

Ted Nordhaus

chairman, Breakthrough Institute

Joris Thijssen

campaigns director, Greenpeace Netherlands


To find out more about this year’s festival and buy tickets visit the Battle of Ideas website.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Academy of IdeasBy academyofideas

  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9

3.9

7 ratings


More shows like Academy of Ideas

View all
Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,327 Listeners

Americano by The Spectator

Americano

263 Listeners

The spiked podcast by The spiked podcast

The spiked podcast

208 Listeners

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

33,221 Listeners

TRIGGERnometry by TRIGGERnometry

TRIGGERnometry

2,127 Listeners

Academy of Ideas by Academy of Ideas

Academy of Ideas

565 Listeners

The Brendan O'Neill Show by The Brendan O'Neill Show

The Brendan O'Neill Show

363 Listeners

Last Orders - a spiked podcast by Last Orders - a spiked podcast

Last Orders - a spiked podcast

55 Listeners

Quillette Podcast by Quillette

Quillette Podcast

799 Listeners

Planet Normal by The Telegraph

Planet Normal

193 Listeners

heretics. by Andrew Gold

heretics.

634 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,271 Listeners

The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters by lotuseaters.com

The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters

542 Listeners

The Current Thing by Nick Dixon

The Current Thing

28 Listeners

Beyond Gender by Stella O'Malley, Mia Hughes, Bret Alderman

Beyond Gender

58 Listeners