One of the three podcasts I host is called The Overpopulation Podcast, a project of World Population Balance. One episode this year featured a conversation with author Laura Carroll about making the choice to be childfree. One listener emailed this comment:

“Dear Dave, It’s not population as population is leveling off. It’s consumption, consumption, consumption.”

I’m writing about this today because this is a fairly common occurrence. That’s one of the reasons I’m hosting a free webinar this week:

Solving Overshoot: End Overpopulation or Stop Overconsumption?

I suspect most people think they know the answer to that question. I think I do. So I doubt many will attend hoping to actually find out the answer. I think most who attend will be there to make sure someone doesn’t offer the WRONG answer. Interestingly, there are differing opinions on what the correct answer is. . . .

Together, we’ll find the cure for growth addiction.

It’s tempting to write that growthbusting is not for amateurs. After all, that proton energy pack on my back for trapping growth profiteers is very powerful. You do not want the beams to cross!

“Are we doomed?”

The truth, though, is that we all need to be involved in growthbusting. If you don’t join me in this growthbusting effort, we are doomed. That said, I know you have a day job. My day job is finding the cure to growth addiction. Sometimes that involves confronting growth profiteers and telling them…

“Yippee-ki-yay, mother&^%$#@.”

Mainly, it is doing everything we can to mainstream post-growth thinking. I did raise my hand and volunteer to lead the charge (there are other sustainability leaders, too, thankfully). So, if you’re NOT going to quit your day job, don a proton energy pack, and go after growth boosters and profiteers on a daily basis, let me suggest the next best thing: Join GrowthBusters and support the important work we do. . . .

For ten days, from November 23 to December 2, I’ve arranged for you to be able to stream GrowthBusters into your living room whenever you like - for free.

Ten years ago I described for a freelance journalist my fledgling documentary project, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth. Her advice? "Just don't get into population. That's deadly." Recent events, however, indicate that it's becoming "okay" to address the subject.

I am not alone. That’s the message I got from the results of our recent Green Living Survey. I didn’t expect to have so much company on a number of fronts. Let’s go through the highlights:

1. How are we currently leaving the Earth each year?

A whopping 92% of respondents understand that we’re currently injuring Earth’s ecosystems, each year leaving the planet a little less capable of supporting our massive global population and economy.

3% feel we leave the planet in better shape each year. I imagine they are CEOs of asphalt or concrete companies.

2. Which is causing the most injury to ecosystems?

There was no right or wrong answer to this question. It will be debated till we’ve run human civilization off a cliff. An impressive 72% chose BOTH overpopulation and over-consumption, avoiding the debate. . . .