A few weeks ago I got a phone call from Australia. A gentleman named Dick Smith was on the line and he was very complimentary about our film project. Quickly I was brought up to speed on this man and his new, noble effort to get the world talking about limits to growth and into a recovery program for growth addiction.

$1m cash to save civilization

That was the headline in the Sydney Morning Herald last week as Mr. Smith announced his one million dollar Wilberforce Award – a grant to be awarded to someone under 30 “who can impress me by becoming famous through his or her ability to show leadership in communicating an alternative to our population and consumption growth-obsessed economy.” . . .

That’s my line in the opening tease for this recent conversation on Peak Moment TV. If I do say so myself, this is a good metaphor to explain how we’re fiddling around at the margins while we fail to recognize we’re participants in a growth-seeking system that has us locked on a collision course with limits to growth.

Janaia Donaldson interviews Dave Gardner on Peak Moment

I’m happy to share this interview produced by Janaia Donaldson and Robin Mallgren of Peak Moment TV. They gave me an outstanding opportunity to explain the what and why of my upcoming documentary, Hooked on Growth. If you want to understand what the non-profit GrowthBusters film project is all about, watch this interview. . . .

Where in the world is GrowthBuster Dave Gardner?

The GrowthBusters project really kicked into high gear this year. The pace has kept me from sending updates with any regularity. I’ll try to do better! Lots to share…

THE VANCOUVER DE-GROWTH CONFERENCE in May was the catalyst for a 10-day shoot trip from Vancouver to San Francisco with multiple stops. A highlight was finally interviewing Bill Rees, originator of Ecological Footprint Analysis.

Rees co-authored, Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth back in 1995. In 40 minutes he brilliantly and comprehensively addressed nearly every topic in our film! Check out this Rees presentation: Is Humanity Sustainable? . . .

One of the challenges that come with appearing in the film you’re directing is you have to get over your vanity. To be authentic, you have to be willing to show the warts along with the good moments. So in that spirit I’m sharing this interview which wasn’t one of my best. I have my good days (in which I’m brilliant!) but there are also days I can’t think as fast as my mouth moves.

Apparently last Wednesday was one of those, but the conversation was still meaningful.

I was glad to meet Shane Snipes, who stopped in as part of his Eco-Road Trip across the 48 contiguous United States. Every day he webcasts a live interview, which is pretty impressive. Those interviews are archived here, and at Shane’s website, www.sustainable1000.com/ you can find links to his YouTube channel, blogs, etc. . . .

Today fifteen on-camera performers and a volunteer crew of 10 will be joining me in a big Hollywood production. We’re shooting a video visualizing what our world might look like in a future where continued overpopulation and over-consumption have led to worldwide resource scarcity and social conflict.

It will be a scary picture. Will this kind of shock therapy work? Will audiences view this science fiction scenario and immediately change their own lives, get over the taboo on discussing responsible family-size decisions, and step up efforts to change a system hooked on growth?

The truth is we don’t know. Some sustainability advocates advise that instead of pointing out the dangers of where we’re headed, we should focus on painting an optimistic picture of where we want to go. They’re dead certain doom and gloom won’t sell an idea. And they may be right. Yet, there is no evidence it’s any more effective to follow the advice of that old song: “eliminate the negative, and accentuate the positive.” . . .