GrowthBusters is a terrific podcast dealing with the environmental costs of growth, hosted by Dave and Stephanie Gardner. On their latest episode, river activist Gary Wockner talks about the state of the Colorado River and the growth obsession that keeps cities and states in the southwestern U.S. from responding rationally to increasing water scarcity.
by Philip Cafaro
Twenty years ago, Ph.D. ecologist Gary Wockner founded Save the Poudre, an organization dedicated to defeating a scheme to drain much of the remaining water out of Colorado’s Cache la Poudre River. Since then, Gary has traded a career in science for one in environmental activism, fighting to defeat dams and keep more water in rivers throughout the Southwestern U.S. and the world. In addition to Save the Poudre he also cofounded Tell the Dam Truth, a nonprofit that engages with federal and state agencies to make sure the greenhouse gas emissions caused by dams and reservoirs are considered during policy making.
Wockner is one of the few environmental leaders in America willing to call out growth as the fundamental driver of our ecological problems. His impressive success in defeating or scaling back bad development projects shows he knows “how to play the game.” But he also knows that the game is rigged against long-term environmental protection. In this podcast, he explains how economic fantasies of endless growth are running up against ecological realities in the arid western U.S., and considers legal and economic changes that would help create a more sustainable society.
GrowthBusters
Fourteen years ago, Dave Gardner released the marvelous feature-length film GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth. Paul Ehrlich said of it, “This could be the most important film ever made. It tackles the three lethal taboos that threaten our civilization, those against discussing overpopulation, overconsumption, and the nonsensical idea that economic growth itself is a net benefit even in rich countries and can and must continue forever.”
Since then, Dave has continued to write, speak, vlog and otherwise advocate for a saner view of economic life and a more realistic view of prosperity. His website is a great resource for key articles on overpopulation, overconsumption, and alternatives to the endless growth economy. His Growthbusters’ podcast, co-hosted with daughter Stephanie, has interviewed many of the leading voices in the alternatives to growth movement. They manage to keep the tone fun and topical, while deeply probing key issues. We at TOP recommend it highly!
