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Simpler OneEarth Living Podcast*
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Bill Ryerson of Population Institute and Population Media Center
In episode 97 of The Common Good Podcast, we feature part two of a conversation with Bill Ryerson of the Population Media Center on Reducing Human Population through Methods That Work.
PART ONE: Crises Caused by Exploding Human Population
Here’s a reminder of the enormous explosion in numbers of humans that have arrived on planet Earth recently. Today, Homo sapiens are by far the top predators on the planet. Our numbers have doubled since 1970—just 48 years ago. During the 20th century, world population grew from 1.65 billion to 6 billion. In this 21st century, the rate of growth is going down, but we’re at 7.6 billion and still going up. Still, in some countries population is going down. What are those countries doing differently? And just what are the most effective ways we’ve found to reduce human population? What would be a healthy, sustainable balance of humans with all other species?
JERRY: Friend, colleague and podcast guest, Peter Sawtell from Eco-Justice.org recent wrote to me:
“Whenever the subject of population comes up, I quote a quip that I heard many years ago. ‘If you want to have unproductive political battles, talk about The Population Problem. If you want to do something about population, work for the education of women, widespread basic health care including contraception, and the elimination of stark poverty.’ Your essay works in that direction in looking for the practical steps to slow population growth.
“As I look back, I’ve written two Commentaries or blogs dealing specifically with population over the years:
“Both of those (and perhaps your document?) are out-of-date in the projections for 2050 population. I’d been referring to figures that looked for a slowing of the growth curve by then, and leveling off at about 9 billion. I’ve heard more recently that explosive growth in central Africa is steepening the curve, and pointing toward even higher numbers.”
Conversations about overpopulation tend to raise gut reactions, such as “What about China’s One Child policy?” or “I couldn’t possibly suggest to a woman from another culture how many children to have.”
LEE: In 1999, David Pimentel, Cornell University biology professor, estimated two billion people was Earth’s long-term carrying capacity. More recently, the science of ecological foot-printing, which measures Earth’s biological production against human demand to consume, has come up with the figure of five billion people, putting us already two billion over Earth’s limits. Both of these calculations take the question of “how many people” to a deeper level, that of considering our interdependence with the millions of other species on Earth. We know we need millions of species in order for our species to survive. The most basic question can no longer be, “How many Homo sapiens can Earth sustain?” but “How many Homo sapiens and other species can inhabit Earth in a life-sustaining balance?”
JERRY: I wrote an essay recently called Options to Curb the Two Primary Drivers of the Climate Crisis: OverPopulation and OverConsumption. I’ve worked on the issue of overconsumption for some 25 years. Since circulating the essay for response, I’ve learned that few people want to touch overpopulation, not in the progressive church, not among non-profits, not liberal politicians. I’ve vowed to carry on this conversation, which began with my interview of John Seager, head of the Population Connection, formerly Zero Population Growth. PART 1 // PART 2
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*Simpler Formats for 2018–SLW! Weekly Digest has been discontinued and the SLW! Podcast has been reduced to one episode per month, issued on the 15th. The complete SLW! Monthly Digest on the SLW! site will continue to feature the latest posts from colleague organizations and will be updated weekly. Simpler Living Weekly Nudge will feature offerings from SLW! It comes as your free subscription to SLW! Blog. The Daily Nudge comes by email (send NUDGE to SimpleLivingworks@yahoo.com) or by Twitter @GeraldIversen. Choose the options that work for you.
Subscribers to Simple Living Works! (SLW!) Podcast now receive The Common Good Podcast (TCGP)–which I produce and co-host–on the 1st of the month. Likewise, subscribers to TCGP receive SLW! Podcast on the 15th as a BONUS. So, SLW! Podcast subscribers will continue to receive two episodes per month. This makes good sense since the missions of both SLW! and Jubilee OneEarth Economics are so complementary and the two work together closely. Your comments on these changes are welcome.
Previous Episodes
Early June Bonus–Bonnie Tarwater of Church for Our Common Home: Shifting Spiritual Practices and Congregations to More Earth-Based Ways
In the New Story of OneEarth living, religion and science are in a new relationship pursuing a mutual goal. That goal? Living with all beings in interdependent relationship that sustains life, reverses climate change, and breaks through to new social and economic systems. Now, how is this affecting houses of worship? Faith communities of all stripes? It’s the pursuit of this new interconnection between spirituality and science that led to the interview of this podcast. Glad you’re listening.
On Earth Day 2018, two renowned people, a climate scientist and a theologian. They shared the same platform. They described how science and religion were joining together in a whole New Story for OneEarth living. The scientist was Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a distinguished professor at Scripps Institute of Oceanography at University of California San Diego and UNESCO Professor of Climate and Policy TERI University, New Delhi, India. In 1975, Ramanathan discovered the greenhouse effect of halocarbons.
The theologian was John Cobb, a scholar in the field of process philosophy and process theology. He is the author of more than 50 books and is described as one of the most significant theologians of the past century. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been a major influence in the ecologic movement in China. In 2015 at age 90, he was the architect of a major world conference with Claremont School of Theology, “Seizing an Alternative: Toward an Ecologic Civilization.”
The architect of this Earth Day event was Bonnie Tarwater, the innovative pastor of the Church for Our Common Home. On Sunday morning Juanita and Lee went to this house church congregation, formed in the last couple years. John Cobb gave a fascinating homily in the backyard on “God’s Call to Earthism.” A provocative conclusion to a great Earth Day weekend—an inclusive weekend that included Buddhists, Christians, and Sikhs among various religious traditions.
That story is the background for this episode. The Church for Our Common Home takes its name from Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” which has the ecological subtitle “On Care for Our Common Home.”
Lee’s background blog: Climate Scientist and Theologian Tell How Ecological Crisis Requires New Cooperation between Science and Religion
A 3-part series:
** SLW! episode 111 for mid-April, 2018, of SLW! features part 1 of our conversation with Susan Taylor of Just Money Advisors about her book “What About Our Money: A Faith Response” — Wrestling with Systems Where Money Is Boss
** In early May, TCGP #95 features Susan part 2 on Matters of the Heart.
** In mid-May, SLW! #112 features Susan part 3 on Giving and Investing.
In part 1 with Susan, we gave an extensive bio of her many achievements and involvements. Please check that episode or see her bio on the Natural Investments website. Read her bio in back of her book, p.107.
Also hear our earlier conversation with Susan on TCGP Episode 78 : Susan Taylor of Just Money Advisors on Relating to Money in a Toxic Culture and Parenting Children about Money.
If you haven’t yet ordered your copy of Susan’s book, do it. The United Methodist Women commissioned Susan to write “What About Our Money? A Faith Response,” so order it from them. https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/mission-u/money.
Secondly, if you haven’t yet become acquainted with Faith and Money Network, make a point to visit their website, faithandmoney.org.
LEE RESPONSE:
Choosing a bank is a spiritual practice
Taxes as redistribution and as investments
Redistribution is a practice of jubilee–Jubilee engages in redistribution
Women empowered through money and faith–Jubilee Circles involved in women’s empowerment—not just a mother’s day but ongoing revolutionary effort to change minds of women and men to live in a different relationship of sharing and cooperation instead of domination.
Artesanas Shalom
Women’s Collectiva
Women’s legal rights
Sewing machine–indigenous artists
Communitarian Feminism
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Themes/Seasons: Alternatives’ Collections Index: Other Seasons
The Simpler Living Daily NUDGE
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- 2018
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In addition to this podcast and its show notes, we post a weekly SLW! blog. We hope you’ll read and subscribe. The BLOG is the companion to our podcast. The content is different, though the subject is the same. Click on blog at the top of the show notes of any episode. Blog INDEX
Recent Responses to All SLW! Media
Welcome to the other podcast I co-host/produce, The Common Good Podcast.
SLW! Recommends Literacy Service–This service contains books (paper, eBooks, audio), video (DVD, internet), audio (CD, MP3), blogs, podcasts, sites. These are somewhat current resources. For classic resources, visit Study/Activity/Action Guides. For more ideas, go to Getting Started. Also see Champions of Simple Living and other worthwhile Links.
Simple Living blog/podcast/site preview service
Treasury of Celebrations: Create Celebrations That Reflect Your Values and Don’t Cost the Earth, the last edition of the classic series Alternate Celebrations Catalogs.
Simple Living 101: Tools for Activists (shy or bold) | Share the Joy of a Simpler Lifestyle Through Speeches, Workshops, Events, Study/Action Groups, Simplicity Circles and Social Media + BONUS: Social Media Supplement // Self-Starters Needed! // Free coaching for groups on the internet
Themes/Seasons: Alternatives’ Collections Index: Advent/Christmas/Epiphany | Lent/Easter | Other Seasons | Anytime/Non-Seasonal | Music | Art | Audio | Video | Spanish | Living More with Less
Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes and Art for Simpler Living and Global Justice (Foreword by Cecile Andrews) | Introduction | How to Use This Collection | QUOTES | ART | En Español (all)
10 Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Celebrations | SPANISH: 10 puntas
Jubilee Economics / The OneEarth Project colleague Lee Van Ham’s books Blinded by Progress: Breaking Out of the Illusion That Holds Us and From Ego to Eden: Our Heroic Journey to Keep Earth Livable, both part of The OneEarth Project. || NEW three minute film: Ecology and Economics—Colleagues, Not Rivals || Conversation about The OneEarth Project and the book, Blinded by Progress, including TheCommonGoodPodcast.com, episode 42 || Lee’s Slide Show || Lee’s new blog series Jubilee Is Bigger Than We’d Thought: Permeates Scripture, Addresses Today’s Crises
Share your thoughts on this podcast and this episode. Email SimpleLivingWorks@yahoo.com, leave a message on our Facebook page or on the SLW! blog.
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Peace, Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief SLW! Activist
To learn more about SLW! – our MISSION, for example — listen to episodes #1 and 2. We produce a half-hour podcast twice a month, to educate and inspire you, your family and your congregation or group. We blog weekly.
For hard copies of Alternatives’ resources at nominal cost, contact ELCA Archives, 321 Bonnie Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 * (847) 690-9410 * archives@elca.org
Click ABOUT for Music and Cover Art Credits.
We do not solicit or accept donations, nor do we sell anything. All our resources and services are free of charge. We’re an all-volunteer organization. Instead, we urge Alternative Giving. Give away 25% of what you spent last year on all celebrations – Christmas, birthdays, etc. — to local, national and international causes.
Copyright: Creative Commons non-commercial attribution share-alike license.
*Treasury of Celebrations: published by Northstone, a division of Wood Lake Publications, BC, Canada, best known for its Seasons of the Spirit curriculum.