Bad Idea #36 "No infinite growth on a finite planet" with Adam Dorr скачать в хорошем качестве

Bad Idea #36 "No infinite growth on a finite planet" with Adam Dorr

Is “degrowth” a noble environmental solution — or one of history’s truly terrible ideas? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with Adam Dorr, Director of Research at RethinkX and author of The Degrowth Delusion: Dispelling One of History’s Truly Terrible Ideas. Dorr argues that degrowth — the increasingly popular environmental movement calling for economic contraction — meets every criterion of a “Truly Terrible Idea”: it sounds virtuous, promises the moon, spreads easily, appeals especially to the young, and catastrophically backfires when implemented. Mark and Adam explore why degrowth misunderstands economic growth itself, why material “stuff” is not the same as value, how technological progress consistently decouples prosperity from environmental harm, and why shrinking the global economy could never solve climate change — and would instead cause mass deprivation, collapse, and tyranny. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “you can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet,” this conversation will challenge your assumptions. And it lays the groundwork for next episode’s deep dive into the optimistic, data-driven alternative: a future where humanity and nature both thrive. 🧠 Topics Discussed: 💡 What makes an idea a “Truly Terrible Idea” (TTI) — and why degrowth qualifies 🌍 Why degrowth’s core logic (“too many people consuming too much”) is seductive but false 📉 Why “infinite growth on a finite planet” misunderstands value, not stuff 🐎 How technological progress (e.g., cars replacing horses, digital replacing film) eliminates old harms 🔌 Why degrowth would block the very innovations (solar, EVs, biotech) that solve environmental problems 🔥 The “house on fire” analogy: why reducing emissions 50% still leaves the house burning 📉 GDP vs wellbeing: is economic growth actually correlated with human development? 🌐 Why degrowth is a luxury belief seldom embraced by people who’ve experienced real poverty 😡 The role of resentment, pessimism and misanthropy in the appeal of degrowth 🏛️ Why degrowth requires authoritarian state control and cannot be implemented democratically 🤝 The win–win path: how technology enables prosperity and ecological restoration 🔭 Why environmentalism desperately needs a credible, optimistic, tech-enabled vision of the future 👨‍🏫 Guest Bio: Adam Dorr is the Director of Research at RethinkX, a nonprofit think tank analyzing how new technologies disrupt existing systems. He is the lead author of The Degrowth Delusion, a sweeping critique of degrowth ideology and a roadmap for a technologically enabled, sustainable future. Dorr’s work spans energy, food, transportation, and long-term civilizational pathways. 📚 Recommended Reading & Resources: ● The Degrowth Delusion — Adam Dorr https://www.rethinkx.com/publications... ● RethinkX research reports (energy, food, transport disruptions) https://www.globenewswire.com/news-re... ● Studies on GDP vs Human Development Index (UNDP) https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/huma... ● The Limits to Growth: Malthus and the Classical Economists https://www.jstor.org/stable/2808089 ● Steven Pinker — Enlightenment Now https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlight... ● Literature on zero-sum vs non-zero-sum thinking https://brainslow.com/zero-sum-vs-non... 💬 Quote Highlights: “Truly terrible ideas don’t die out on their own — they must be actively refuted.” — Adam Dorr “It’s not that we need to do less — it’s that we need to do better.” — Adam Dorr “There is no sustainable amount of fire. Reducing emissions by half still leaves your house burning.” — Adam Dorr “Poverty is not virtuous. It is not something to aspire to. To believe otherwise is a failure of compassion.” — Adam Dorr “Technology is the only way we have a rational, data-driven basis for optimism.” — Adam Dorr 🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human progress. Learn more at weplanet.org 📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: podcast@weplanet.org 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on X/Twitter: @weplanetint #WePlanet #Science #RebootFood #WhatAWaste #RethinkNuclear #FundFutureFood