Dave the Planet Substack

I was thrilled to find that ONE discussion of driving more slowly to conserve energy these days. Author Sam Sklar got that chart from another piece I was glad to hear about, Is There an Optimal Driving Speed that Saves Gas—and Money? It was published in 2022 in Wired. Unfortunately it’s behind a paywall (but worth paying to read). It’s author, Rhett Allain, actually proposes living closer to work in order to save gas and money. How often do we see this suggested?

Our conservation ignorance and avoidance is sheer lunacy. We’ve outgrown the planet. 8 billion people and a $126 trillion economy cannot long be supported by our one beautiful planet. At the rate we’re growing, it won’t be beautiful for long and in fact won’t even meet our needs. Earth Overshoot Day is coming up July 30. Acquaint yourself with what that means. The rational response is to conserve energy and material consumption, and make a lot fewer babies, until we have shrunk our ecological footprint back to a sustainable level.

NOTES:

Excellent NPR Story: As President, Jimmy Carter Focused on Energy Conservation at a Time of Long Gas Lines

*That 55 mph limit was raised to 65 mph in 1987, and the law was repealed in 1995. Its purpose was to conserve energy.

**I borrowed the American lifestyle statement from 1992 Rio Earth Summit remarks by U.S. President George H.W. Bush

Paid Subscribers: You’re invited to join my co-host Stephanie and me in recording a special roundtable episode of the GrowthBusters podcast. Reply to this email to let us know if you’re interested.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

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GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

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Join Stephanie and Me for a GrowthBusters Roundtable

Dave Gardner — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:49:29 GMT

I invite you to be heard. I promised special access for paid subscribers to my Dave the Planet column, and this is the first such perk. We’re going to record a special “roundtable” episode of the GrowthBusters podcast, and hand you the mic. If you’re a paid subscriber and accept this invitation, you’ll join my cohost, Stephanie, and me for a wide-ranging conversation about growthbusting issues. We genuinely want to know your thoughts. We’ll publish a nicely edited version of this conversation as an episode of the podcast.

Let's Go Beyond "Earth Day Lite"

Dave Gardner — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:27:21 GMT

Today is Earth Day. What does that mean to you? When first observed in 1970, it represented a serious wake-up call. It was a response to the news in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring that the pesticides we were spraying were killing more than just mosquitos. It was a response to the news in Paul and Anne Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb that we were outgrowing our planet. It was a response to the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, so polluted it was bursting into flames. And it was a response to over four million gallons of oil spilled by a platform off the coast of Santa Barbara.

Everyone was inspired and activated - elected leaders, activists, scientists, teachers and students, moms and dads. In many ways we cleaned up our act. The early 1970s saw establishment of the EPA, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Republican and Democratic lawmakers passed legislation and a Republican president signed it.

But soon, big businesses that valued profits over a healthy planet launched a long-term plan to minimize regulation (see The Powell Memo). They eventually hijacked the White House. In 1981, Ronald Reagan took office, ripped solar panels off the White House, and halted progress on sound environmental stewardship. Over time many of us became complacent. Earth Day morphed into “Earth Day Lite.” For one day of the year, schools would promote recycling to the kids and groups would organize community clean-ups. As I said in this promo video, these efforts are “all well and good,” but they pale in comparison to the task at hand.

What is the task at hand? Scaling back our presence on the planet. We are deep into overshoot and need to shrink both our economy and our population back to a size that doesn’t chisel away Earth’s critical life-supporting ecosystems. Recycling and picking up trash alone won’t do it. If this is news to you, then I strongly recommend you view some of the important films in the GrowthBusters Earth Day Film Festival. If you’re already familiar with ecological overshoot and limits to growth, then gather friends and family for a viewing and conversation. We need to spread overshoot literacy.

I listed No Impact Man as the first film because it really is a great story and one of the most charming documentaries I’ve seen. Also first because it focuses on living more lightly on the planet. I want to be sure that doesn’t get lost among the many messages about overpopulation in the films we’ve curated. It IS critical that every young adult making family-size decisions understands that we have overpopulated the planet. But when your civilization is demanding nearly twice the ecosystem services Earth can provide, we can’t afford to focus on only one of the multipliers in the human impact equation.

Greenwashed, a fairly new film, offers the most comprehensive view of our overshoot predicament. It should be part of life’s operating manual. So pop some popcorn and hold a screening in your family room.

My So-Called Selfish Life

Don’t worry, these films don’t go away at midnight tonight. You can continue this Earth Day Film Festival the rest of the week and into the weekend. And should you see every one of these films, I have a bonus for you. Here are a few films that are every bit as good and important as those that made our festival list:

The Great Simplification | Film on Energy, Environment, and Our Future

An Introduction to the Importance of Oil to Society – 3-part series by Nate Hagens

What Would Jesus Buy?

And here are some great films we didn’t list because they are not available free on YouTube. They are worth the price to rent or purchase:

I Am (available on Netflix)

Visit earthdayfilmfestival.com for a list of the films and links to view them. Or head straight to the GrowthBusters Earth Day Film Festival playlist on YouTube.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

Support GrowthBusters with your charitable contributions

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A True Earth Day Film Festival

Dave Gardner — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:07:31 GMT

The first Earth Day, in 1970, arose from concern about very serious environmental threats – a major oil spill off the California coast, pollutants on fire on the surface of an Ohio river, and aerial spraying of the toxic insecticide DDT, to name a few. But ever since, it’s been too easy to organize Earth Day actions like beach cleanups, tree planting and recycling.

There’s nothing wrong with planting trees and recycling. But honestly, I find picking up trash to be a really lightweight, downstream act. Change the industries and behaviors that cause the trash, please.

As dire as the environmental crises of the 1960s were, they pale in comparison to what humankind has wrought on the planet of late. Today there are more than twice as many people wreaking more deadly havoc. PFAS, the “forever chemical” is in everything, everywhere. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are being pumped dry. Non-human animal species are being erased from the planet at a super-alarming rate. And we’re pumping so much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere that the climate is well on its way to uninhabitable.

We’re not going to fix this by recycling more or picking up trash. But when I interview members of the public, they demonstrate a remarkable lack of awareness about ecological overshoot. We’ve outgrown the planet. The sheer scale of our global population and economy is crushing the Earth, destroying the ability of its ecosystems to support life (us!).

True Earth stewardship requires more significant action and more comprehensive understanding of ecological overshoot and what it takes to live in that safe space within planetary boundaries. So instead of Earth Day Lite, let’s direct our attention this year toward more serious issues and what we can do about them. This is adult swim.

The GrowthBusters project has curated a collection of films addressing this need. Watching these films will be hazardous to our apathy. During the days before and after Earth Day 2026, invite neighbors and friends, and gather family to view and discuss. These films can, and should, inspire new attitudes and behaviors.

As any film festival should, we’re offering a variety of films – both shorts and feature-length documentaries. But I want to spotlight one new film, released in late 2025.

Greenwashed does the best job I’ve seen of explaining the complexity of our “wicked problem” - how living simply, recycling, moving toward a plant-based diet, and ditching fossil fuels are all essential, but inadequate. We’ve reached a scale on this planet that can’t be rendered benign or “sustainable” by tweaks or technology. This is a long film, but it’s well shot and heartfelt, a personal project from physician Sofia Ochoa Pineda (who gave us Endgame 2050 in 2020). It includes powerful interviews with William Rees, Chris Packham, Nandita Bajaj and Partha Dasgupta). Because of its length, you may need to split viewing into two or even three nights. But don’t skip it. And be sure to invite friends, family, journalists, and/or elected representatives to watch it with you.

Next week I’ll publish a follow-up with recommendations for some films that were not available for our free-on-YouTube festival, but are worth seeking out.

Visit earthdayfilmfestival.com for a list of the films and links to view them. Or head straight to the GrowthBusters Earth Day Film Festival playlist on YouTube.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

Support GrowthBusters with your charitable contributions

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GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

My posts here will still be available free, but I plan to offer paid subscribers access to some special events. So feel free to upgrade here on Substack if/when you’re inspired.

The Wit and Wisdom of Paul Ehrlich

Dave Gardner — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:39:05 GMT

Continuing my tribute to the late Paul Ehrlich, in the newest episode of the GrowthBusters podcast we discuss the critiques and praise that followed news of his passing. I also share a VERY candid – and charming – “uncensored” Earth Day 50^th anniversary conversation we recorded with Paul in 2020. In this conversation, Ehrlich points out a flaw on the cover of The Population Bomb. Can you guess what it is? Listen to find out. If you already know, prior to listening, let me know in the comments (spoiler alert).

This is our longest podcast episode to date, but you won’t be disappointed. Take your time and get to know Paul. In the episode’s extended prelude and epilogue, Stephanie and I discuss Paul’s acerbic wit – was it helpful or did it hurt the cause of overshoot literacy? Someone we respect, Joshua Spodek (host of This Sustainable Life podcast) proposed that insulting the environmentally illiterate probably hurt the cause. I disagree, thinking of the contributions to public awareness and dialogue made by such artists as George Carlin, Michael Moore, Jon Stewart and John Oliver.

One fact is certain: Paul Ehrlich wasn’t boring. What if thousands of scientists around the world spoke with Ehrlich’s level of candor about the state of the world, and how tenuous our future really is as we continue deeper and deeper into overshoot?

I also reveal some rarely shared details about The Population Bomb and The Tonight Show (listen to get the scoop). Plus, learn some interesting details about Paul’s relationship with Johnny Carson and NBC, failures of the university system, the relationship between population and pandemics, comparative advantage, and the vulnerability of our food system.

Lastly, here is some recommended listening and reading discussed in the episode:

Paul Ehrlich on The Limits to Growth – Episode 70 of the GrowthBusters podcast

Paul Ehrlich (1932-2026): Behaving Against Our Interests – Episode 96 of the GrowthBusters podcast

Goodbye Paul Ehrlich – The Overpopulation Project

The Vindication of a Public Scholar – by Tom Turner

Did Paul Ehrlich Help or Hurt His Cause? – by Joshua Spodek

Books mentioned by Paul in this episode:

The Wisest One in the Room - by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross

Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment – by Paul R. Ehrlich, John P. Holdren and Anne H. Ehrlich

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

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GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

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Paul Ehrlich, a Scientific/Environmental/Cultural Iconoclast (1932-2026)

Dave Gardner — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:57:13 GMT

Famed Stanford biologist Dr. Paul Ehrlich passed away on March 13, 2026 at age 93. I mourn this loss because he was a genuine hero. He was catapulted into the national limelight by Johnny Carson, who had him as a guest on The Tonight Show 28 times. That made him the spokesman for our planet. Carson was genuinely interested in what Ehrlich had to say – largely about human overpopulation, but also overconsumption, after he and wife Anne penned the bestselling book, The Population Bomb.

“Few problems are less recognized, but more important than, the accelerating disappearance of the earth’s biological resources. In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched.” - Paul Ehrlich

Paul wasn’t crazy about that title, but the publisher got the final say. In truth, the book was as much about overconsumption as about overpopulation. But it did inspire an active movement to address our ballooning numbers. Of course, growth profiteers – who wanted more customers, not fewer – attempted to discredit him.

“Anytime you hear anybody praising economic growth or population growth, you know you’re listening to somebody who can’t do arithmetic.” - Paul Ehrlich

Along with John Holdren (who was later director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for U.S. President Barack Obama), Ehrlich came up with the famous IPAT equation: Impact (on the planet) equals Population times Affluence times Technology.

Eventually, even the Sierra Club, whose executive director David Brower had persuaded the Ehrlichs to write The Population Bomb, became reluctant to address the population issue. It became taboo because of misguided efforts by some to focus on the birth rates of the poor, or the dark-skinned people of the global south. There were also human rights violations of forced sterilizations or abortions, notably in China and India.

But the truth has always remained the truth – the Earth cannot sustainably support more than a few billion people, at most, living comfortable, decent lives. And addressing the population multiplier in the equation can be done humanely, ethically and voluntarily.

Paul Ehrlich didn’t shirk his responsibility to speak that truth. He usually did so with candor and color, and in spite of harsh criticism from profit-seeking growth pushers and from hyper-sensitive social justice warriors. The nuance (that we all have a responsibility to choose small families, regardless of our skin color or socio-economic status) was sadly lost on many.

“Growthmania is surely the most pervasive social disease in America…. Most economists are hooked on growth the way junkies are hooked on heroin.” - Paul Ehrlich

During his career, Ehrlich wrote more than 50 books and 1,000 scientific papers about population biology, entomology, ecology, environment and our culture. You’ll find a few reading recommendations in the show notes for the current episode of the GrowthBusters podcast.

He was one of the first interviews I did – in 2007 – for my documentary, GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth. I interviewed Paul several more times since then, for the GrowthBusters podcast and a webinar or two. I’m honoring Paul Ehrlich’s memory on the GrowthBusters podcast by revisiting some of those interviews in the next few episodes. First up, that first interview, outside Paul’s Stanford University office. Only a few minutes of that interview made it into the GrowthBusters documentary (because I interviewed so many brilliant experts for the film), so I shared much more of that interview in an episode of the Conversation Earth syndicated radio series I hosted in 2015-2017. That’s what you’ll hear in episode 96 of GrowthBusters. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

I’ll never forget the morning after I sent Paul a link to preview the final cut of the film. He hopped on Skype with me, in his bathrobe at his home, to express his excitement. He gave me this quote to use in promoting the film:

“GrowthBusters 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.” - Paul Ehrlich

I confess that if no one else had praised or even bothered to view GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth, the fact that Paul Ehrlich praised it made it worth all the effort.

The photo is from the author’s interview with Paul Ehrlich in 2007 at Stanford University.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

Support GrowthBusters with your charitable contributions

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GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

My posts here will still be available free, but I plan to offer paid subscribers access to some special events. So feel free to upgrade here on Substack if/when you’re inspired.

It’s Time to End Subsidized Parenthood

Dave Gardner — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:30:14 GMT

It costs $200,000 to $500,00 to raise a child in the United States (through age 18, and depending on the study and your lifestyle preferences). So it’s not for sissies. The cost of child care is attracting headlines – stressing family budgets and making it hard for both parents to work. Should we all be pitching in to cover the cost of child care?

Of course, none of us want to see kids underfed or otherwise impoverished. And most of us gladly fund public schools, knowing that educating all children makes our society better. But how far should this go? Young parents are complaining pretty loudly about those daycare costs, and there seems to be a growing, unexamined assumption that our society needs to step up and pitch in to make parenthood more affordable. Let’s evaluate that idea thoroughly.

A recent controversy in Salt Lake City most recently brought this question to mind. The Salt Lake County Council voted in October to close four county-funded daycare facilities at the end of this year, as a cost-cutting measure. On November 9 the Council revised that plan, to keep the centers open, but only until May of 2026. Both votes raised noteworthy public outcry.

An editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune stated: “Finding affordable child care is one of the greatest challenges to modern American family life. Lacking it does not build families, support children, help parents (mostly mothers) build careers or accumulate wealth.”

It was accompanied by this editorial cartoon:

Numerous county residents (many of whom have children attending these daycare centers) have been up in arms about the closings. Mackenzie Miller will have to cut back on his 401(k) contributions if his child-care expenses rise. He launched a petition at change.org that has gathered 2,158 signatures.

Utah has a large share of Mormons, who are noted for favoring large families, so I would have thought the Council’s conservative majority would be worrying about declining birth rates and favor a program that makes it easier or more attractive to have lots of kids. While the national fertility rate is about 1.5, Utah’s average is 1.8, but it is falling. Nine states have higher rates.

With human civilization so clearly and deeply into ecological overshoot, it’s time to acknowledge that bearing a child is NOT doing a service for our society.

Clearly, the Salt Lake County Council is more concerned about balancing the budget than it is with depopulation. I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, with human civilization so clearly and deeply into ecological overshoot (Global Footprint Network estimates we’re demanding almost twice the ecosystem service the Earth can sustainably provide), it’s time to acknowledge that bearing a child is NOT doing a service for our society. I know that’s a foreign concept. For a long time, conceiving children has been considered a positive contribution. There is a lingering notion that couples bringing children into the world are doing a favor for society. But that’s simply not the case now that we’ve outgrown the planet. They are doing us a disservice. I’m not suggesting that children are a scourge. I am suggesting that if we love children, if we want them to be able to live decent lives on a healthy planet, then our growth culture must catch up to reality.

I’m not suggesting that children are a scourge. I am suggesting that if we love children, if we want them to be able to live decent lives on a healthy planet, then our growth culture must catch up to reality.

The last things we need are the pronatalist policies sprouting today from mistaken depopulation panic over declining birth rates. President Donald Trump has declared himself to be the “fertilization president.” “I want a baby boom,” he’s quipped. Vice President J.D. Vance has said, “I want more babies in the United States of America.” These views are uninformed.

One county in South Korea this year began offering a “multi-child merit allowance.” A couple’s first child receives 50,000 won per month (about $36 U.S.), while each additional child receives 100,000 won per month. County Governor Son Byungbok stated, “We will continue to create an environment where multi-child families are respected and raising children becomes a source of pride in our community,” adding, “We will pursue various birth and childcare-friendly policies so that parenting can directly contribute to the growth of our community.”

Research indicates that the financial incentives tried so far by various governmental entities around the world have not significantly increased fertility rates. Still, they signal that birthing babies is a valued service to society. This is an absurd message to send your populace when you’re in ecological overshoot.

On an overpopulated planet, we don’t have an obligation to make parenthood affordable. In fact, our public policies must now provide a signal that the best service a young couple can do for society is to choose to have no children or at most one. So we need to be phasing out policies that offer any financial benefit for having children. We need to do this thoughtfully and carefully, though, because we don’t want children living in poverty. Once we eliminate child tax credits, dependent tax deductions, subsidized daycare and the like, prospective parents can make well-considered family-size decisions that won’t result in a cadre of starving children. But the children alive today need to have their needs met. I don’t know how we accomplish the transition, but it’s time we start figuring that out.

Imagine a “Thank-You! Vasectomy Bonus” rather than a completely counter-productive baby bonus.

If we’re concerned that such a policy shift could render parenthood a luxury exclusive to the rich, we might consider adopting policies that provide generous support for one-child families, but none for additional children. We might think about providing extra support to families who’ve had medical procedures to end their fertility. Imagine a “Thank-You! Vasectomy Bonus” rather than a completely counter-productive baby bonus. Again, I don’t have a complete set of policies ready to prescribe. I just want to jump-start the conversation. Let’s sort out unintended consequences and surface the best ideas.

NOTE: The next episode of the GrowthBusters podcast will examine a series of reports on “population decline.” Find it wherever you listen. Follow the podcast so you don’t miss it. Also, we will soon invite paid subscribers here to record an episode of the podcast with us.

In Memory of Jane Goodall, Outspoken on Overpopulation

Dave Gardner — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:41:33 GMT

The world lost Dame Jane Goodall yesterday, at age 91. She first gained fame in the 1960s for her research work with chimpanzees in the wild. She, her work, and the chimpanzees were the subject of numerous National Geographic articles and photo essays, and network television documentaries. The image above was captured by Hugo van Lawick for her early National Geographic coverage (he and Jane later married).

She established the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, which today has offices in 35 nations and teaches youth about conservation in 120 countries. Her contributions to science were so impressive early in her career she was accepted into a doctoral program at University of Cambridge without an undergraduate degree.

I’m choosing to stop and honor Dame Goodall because, during her lifetime of devotion to science and conservation, she spoke intelligently, factually and fearlessly about human overpopulation. Why was this “fearless?” Because for over three decades there has been an effort by some to silence discussion of the subject – so much so that this “cancellation” campaign earned the moniker, “population taboo.” Jane Goodall never caved to that taboo.

“We can’t go on like this. We can’t push human population growth under the carpet.“ – Jane Goodall in 2019

The pressure to silence such discussion may well have just been a reaction to some efforts to “control” human population that ran from questionable to horrific – forced sterilizations and abortions, and family planning efforts specifically targeting people of color, the disabled, or the impoverished. But quashing the discussion perpetuates misconceptions, depriving us of the opportunity to educate and enlighten about better solutions. Jane would say there was no need for “population control.”

“It’s absurd really to think that there can be unlimited economic development on a planet with finite natural resources, and the fact that human populations are still growing on this precious planet of ours is something that everybody should be aware of.” – Jane Goodall in 2019

One example of the ignorance caused by the taboo on discussion of overpopulation is that many today believe the world’s population is already contracting. It is not. Some projections expect our numbers to peak in 20 to 40 years, but the latest United Nations report estimates we won’t see the peak until early in the next century. This is important to know, as today we are in ecological overshoot, the product of both our numbers and our overconsumptive behaviors. The sooner our population peaks, and begins to contract, the better the chances our children can live decent lives on a healthy planet.

“…there’s these three huge problems that we have to solve and one of them is population growth, one of them is reducing the unsustainable lifestyle of millions of us. Most of us have more than we need. Some people have way, way, way more than they need.” – Jane Goodall in 2021

I firmly believe that every couple that is well-informed about our ecological crisis and the impact their family-size decision will have on the quality of life of their children, will voluntarily make the most loving decision possible. So Jane Goodall is a hero for contributing to overpopulation literacy.

“It’s been politically Incorrect for a very long time. If you go to a global conference on those issues and I’m there you will hear me talking about the mushrooming human population growth that’s led to deforestation, that leads not just to harm for the for the animals in the environment, but the people living there, too.” – Jane Goodall in 2007

At the extreme, some assume the cure for overpopulation is to exterminate some of the living. Of course, that’s absurd. But the existence of bad remedies doesn’t make the ill any less real. And there are very humane, beneficial strategies for encouraging voluntary, informed, responsible family-size decisions - respectful of human rights.

“It’s been shown all around the world that as women’s education improves family size tends to drop.“ – Jane Goodall in 2019

If more scientists had the courage and confidence of Jane Goodall to educate about our overpopulation crisis, we might well be at the peak of human population today, looking forward to a humane contraction toward a sustainable number that the planet can sustainably support. It’s astonishing how many people are unaware that human overpopulation is preventing us from solving numerous environmental crises – climate destabilization, deforestation, rampant species extinction, drying aquifers and dropping reservoir levels, fisheries collapse, fertile soil depletion, and toxification of our planet among them.

“We cannot hide away from human population growth, because it underlies so many of the other problems. All these things we talk about wouldn’t be a problem if the world was the size of the population that there was 500 years ago.” - Jane Goodall, at the World Economic Forum in 2020

Some critics of sustainable population advocacy complain that discussing overpopulation “distracts” from what they feel are “the real” causes of ecological destruction. But Jane knew that overpopulation rightly belongs right alongside the other contributors – economic growth and overconsumption.

“I would encourage every single conservation organisation, every single government organisation to consider the absurdity of unlimited economic development on a planet of finite natural resources.” - Jane Goodall

Thank you, Jane Goodall, for your lifetime of devotion to science, the natural world, the animal friends who share it, and to a better-informed public on overdevelopment, overconsumption, and overpopulation.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

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Economic Wisdom from the Natural World – The Serviceberry

GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

My posts here will still be available free, but I plan to offer paid subscribers access to some special events. So feel free to upgrade here on Substack if/when you’re inspired.

A Master’s Degree in Economics from Mother Nature

Dave Gardner — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:49:46 GMT

Reciprocity, abundance, cannibal economies, gift economies and doughnut economics all come up in the newest episode of the GrowthBusters podcast. In this episode, Stephanie and I discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer’s latest book, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World. Easy access to this episode on your podcast app of choice:

It also includes an interesting bit about politicians being hooked on economic growth as a way to spend more money and claim the budget will balance. Not to miss.

A Note About This Column:

I originally started this column as part of my 2024 U.S. Presidential campaign, so – once I ended my candidacy, I thought I’d post very rarely. But now I’ve decided to reinvigorate Dave the Planet on Substack, to do a better job of communicating with the people who deeply care what kind of planet we’re leaving our kids. Substack works well and allows me to communicate quickly with you.

You’ve told us you need to hear from me more often, so you may get a Dave the Planet post as often as once a week. This column is now part of the nonprofit GrowthBusters project I started in 2006. It includes:

GrowthBusters podcast

GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth (2011 documentary)

GrowthBusters YouTube Channel (over 100 shorts)

Growthbusting on Instagram

GrowthBusters is a 501(c)3 nonprofit project. Your donations make it possible. You can donate to the project here. I’ve also now enabled paid subscriptions here on Substack.

My posts here will still be available free, but I plan to offer paid subscribers access to some special events. Let me know if I’ve failed to set this up properly. I want you to have access. So feel free to upgrade here on Substack if/when you’re inspired.

World Population Day: Rights of Children Eclipse What Parents “Want”

Dave Gardner — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:36:10 GMT

World Population Day, July 11, is the day I’m routinely reminded that the UN and UNFPA continue to tap dance around the issue of human overpopulation. Their statements this year distance those organizations so far from the critical truth, I can no longer call it a “tap-dance.” It’s more like a full-on sprint – away from what is a very real problem for everyone on the planet. I’ll offer an explanation of why, later in this commentary.

First, I want to be clear about why human overpopulation is real, and then why it’s very important for us to acknowledge that and not avoid the topic. One might be forgiven for not even realizing there are too many of us on the planet. After all, UN leadership is avoiding telling you that truth. So are many environmentalists, scientists, journalists and political leaders. Not ALL of them, mind you, but far too many.

ECOLOGICAL OVERSHOOT & THE REALITY OF HUMAN OVERPOPULATION

In short, we are currently in ecological overshoot. We’re demanding more resources and ecosystem services than Earth can sustainably provide. The ill effects, and evidence, of that are mounting: rapid species extinction, declining fertility of soil, deforestation, fresh water crises, ocean dead zones, proliferation of toxins, and an increasingly unstable climate. There is plenty of data on this. Just ask a scientist (not an economist).

Staying in overshoot is a path to a dead planet. On a dead planet, there are no jobs, no affordable housing, no cheap groceries and gas. Think Mad Max, or worse.

“There is no business on a dead planet.”
– David Brower, Sierra Club Executive Director 1952-1969

Some overpopulation deniers insist that our overshoot situation is caused solely by our overconsumption. What they don’t tell you is that getting out of overshoot and back into balance with the planet WITHOUT reducing our numbers would require that we all live drastically simpler lives – no cars, no air travel, no hamburgers (if that’s important to you), no air conditioning, no movies, no TV, and only a few hours of electricity every day.

Essentially, this means that – while we whittle away at our overconsumptive lifestyles, we also need to reduce our numbers. We are so deep into overshoot that we must address both overpopulation AND overconsumption. It’s not a competition, and there is no need to choose just one of these issues. In fact, it would be foolhardy to address one and ignore the other. Based on the overshoot data and rigorous scientific analysis, while we work to shrink our supersized obsession with more of everything, we need to also contract our population – from today’s 8 billion to well below 4 billion.

So dropping fertility rates is good news. The most important thing to talk about on World Population Day isn’t the fact that, “Millions of people around the world are unable to have the number of children they want.” But that is the UN’s message today. On World Population Day, we should be celebrating the fact that more and more couples are making voluntary, informed, and responsible family-size decisions. We should be applauding the fact that more and more women are accessing education and finding a world of opportunities to live fulfilled lives that aren’t limited to birthing and raising children. We should be acclaiming the fact that worldwide more and more women are achieving and exercising reproductive agency – thus the declining fertility rates.

Yes, more needs to be done, but reproductive rights and family-size decisions should not START with what the prospective parents WANT. It should begin with the rights of children. “What can we do so children will be born onto a healthy planet, with a chance to live decent lives?” THAT needs to be the focus of the conversation.

The dialogue needs to include that we are overpopulated – and that talking about it and doing something about it can be a beautiful thing. But today, most of us aren’t getting that message. In fact, the World Population Day 2025 statement from UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem offers a different, possibly conflicting, perspective: “…while many still argue that the greatest threat to the planet is overpopulation. The real fertility crisis, however, is lack of reproductive agency. Young people are too often unable to create the families they want….”

The United Nations has adopted this theme for World Population Day 2025: “Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.” The UN’s World Population Day page calls for “ensuring youth have the rights, tools, and opportunities to shape their futures.” It’s clear in the UN message that shaping their futures is about choosing their family size. Maybe that is their right. But it’s unquestionable that with that right comes a responsibility, and that responsibility flows from someone else’s right:

Future children have a right to be born onto a healthy planet, with clean air and water, and a habitable, life-friendly climate. They deserve a chance to be born onto a planet where they have a chance of living a decent life. This is a right too seldom acknowledged and discussed. It seems to be foreign to the UN and UNFPA.

According to the Fair Start Movement, “A fair start in life is the first human right – it overrides all others.”

“Children have a right to be born into a healthy environment with the resources they need to thrive.” – Fair Start Movement

The Fair Start Movement states the truth that far too many hide from: “The Fair Start Model promotes smaller or more ecocentric, and more equitable families so that we can all invest more in each child, right from the start.” In no way does this infringe on the rights of couples making family-size decisions. It honestly describes a responsibility they need to understand.

Today’s tragedy is the UN messaging subordinating the rights of children for fear of offending those who hold in their hands the ability of the next generation to either endure a Mad Max world or live decent lives on a healthy planet. The UN, UNFPA, and many others are afraid to speak the truth. They’ve fled from the truth about overpopulation for over 30 years, for fear they will be called out and blamed for past injustices. They’re afraid if they acknowledge overpopulation and even suggest population contraction is desirable, they’ll be called out for infringing on someone’s “reproductive rights.” Well, our reproductive rights are subordinate to the rights of future children to be born onto a healthy planet. So it’s time we get over our fear and start speaking the truth.

Yes, injustices have been perpetrated in the interest of arresting population growth. But there are ways to reverse population growth which respect human rights. Too few understand this because of the silence that’s been imposed on this issue. Bringing this issue into the daylight is the best way to protect everyone’s rights. It’s how we can eliminate any remnants of the ugly attitudes, fears and misinformation which fed those injustices. We need to talk about overpopulation so we can call out unenlightened scapegoating and educate people about the true facts and the ethical solutions.

"It is reasoned and rational discussion that will prevent a descent into xenophobia, not ignoring the topic and leaving it in the hands of those who feed off irrational soundbites."
– Mark Allen, Founder of Population, Permaculture and Planning

The number of children today’s young people WANT is not as important as the rights of children to be born onto a healthy planet.

Dave Gardner is founder and executive director of GrowthBusters.

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Let’s Keep GrowthBusting in 2025!

Dave Gardner — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 15:02:35 GMT

Thank you for following the Dave the Planet campaign this year. And a very special round of applause if you volunteered or donated to the campaign – or if you’ve been sharing our message with friends, family and colleagues.

I’ve decided I cannot let despondence over the election of a felon shutter our quest to alert the public, journalists and policymakers to our ecological overshoot emergency. In fact, I’ll be hard at work New Year’s Eve alerting revelers and inspiring them to live more lightly on the planet (follow my activity Tuesday evening on the GrowthBusters Facebook page and the new GrowthBusting Instagram account).

It bears repeating: If you’ve appreciated the conversations here, you’ll value the work I’m doing at GrowthBusters. We’ve completed shutting down the Dave Gardner for President Election Committee. The committee was unable to repay me $6,000 of the funding I’d advanced the campaign. That’s no help for the GrowthBusters nonprofit project, so we could really use your support now more than ever.

Reminder: I’ll post here on the Dave the Planet substack from time to time, but will be much more active at GrowthBusters. So I encourage you to…

Follow the GrowthBusters podcast

Support GrowthBusters with your charitable contributions

Let’s continue this work to leave our children a bright future, not a dead planet.

It’s Ecological Overshoot, Stupid

Dave Gardner — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 16:09:32 GMT

My campaign to be elected U.S. President is over, but the reason I ran will continue to hound our civilization: Ecological Overshoot. In the wake of the electoral victory by a convicted felon who promises to gut environmental regulations and “drill, baby, drill,” I am weighing my options. Should I continue my effort to educate the public, journalists and policymakers about ecological overshoot? Or is this a civilization that’s just not worth saving?

The jury is still out on this. So, for now, I’ll continue alerting and educating. I’ll be more active on my GrowthBusters podcast, now that the election is behind us. But I’ll post here when inspired to do so (like today). Do check out this week’s episode of GrowthBusters.

And subscribe to get GrowthBusters email updates.

But more importantly, I want to recommend a short, but on-the-money read that explains our overshoot predicament very well:

Why Climate Change Isn’t Our Biggest Environmental Problem, and Why Technology Won’t Save Us – by Richard Heinberg
(Published in August by Ecowatch, and republished by Post Carbon Institute)

Heinberg is a great teacher and communicator, so his first paragraph is simply required reading for everyone:

Our core ecological problem is not climate change. It is overshoot, of which global warming is a symptom. Overshoot is a systemic issue. Over the past century-and-a-half, enormous amounts of cheap energy from fossil fuels enabled the rapid growth of resource extraction, manufacturing, and consumption; and these in turn led to population increase, pollution, and loss of natural habitat and hence biodiversity. The human system expanded dramatically, overshooting Earth’s long-term carrying capacity for humans while upsetting the ecological systems we depend on for our survival. Until we understand and address this systemic imbalance, symptomatic treatment (doing what we can to reverse pollution dilemmas like climate change, trying to save threatened species, and hoping to feed a burgeoning population with genetically modified crops) will constitute an endlessly frustrating round of stopgap measures that are ultimately destined to fail.

But don’t stop there. Read the entire (short) piece - for all its gems of wisdom - and share it with everyone you know.

I’m Withdrawing from the Race for U.S. President

Dave Gardner — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 21:20:17 GMT

I announced at our recent virtual town hall, Make EARTH Great Again, on October 5, that I am withdrawing my candidacy and terminating the campaign for president.

For more details about this, plus a discussion of where we go from here, please view this edited version of the town hall:

Or listen to it on the Dave the Planet podcast here, or wherever you listen:

“It’s not a happy time when Dave Gardner has to cancel his campaign, the last hope for a living planet.” – Chris Bystroff, campaign team volunteer

I promised all along that I would do whatever became necessary to avoid being a spoiler that could allow Donald Trump to be elected. In early September I announced I would be voting for Kamala Harris, and recommended my supporters do the same. But we had also just welcomed my running mate to the campaign. So I didn’t terminate the campaign at that time. I wanted Stefanie Hawks-Johnson to be a V.P. candidate for a month or two, and I knew the main mission of the campaign – to alert and educate the public about our ecological overshoot emergency – remained.

I must tell you that the facts haven’t changed. I’m the only candidate we know of who’s election to office gives your kids any chance of a bright future. Unfortunately, our campaign failed to attract the attention and support needed to get on any state ballots. So, clearly I am not headed to the White House.

Please don’t write me in on your ballot. Many states require I register as a write-in candidate before they will even count your vote, and I’ve not done that. And any vote that isn’t cast for Kamala Harris is a vote that could give the election to Trump. We can’t take that chance. If I had gotten more attention and support, and if the GOP candidate wasn’t so unfit for the office, then votes for me might have had some symbolic value. We’re just not there this time.

The campaign team and I remain committed to this mission, but it is now time to officially end the campaign and close the books on the Dave Gardner for President Election Committee. Learn more about what we’ll do next in episode 21 of my podcast. And watch for news here, for the time being.

Thank you for following this project. More to come!

More about episode 21 of the podcast:

See/hear comedian and HBO host Bill Maher implore his audience to “Make Earth great again,” and see/hear musician Bruce Springsteen endorse Kamala Harris.

Campaign team members who appear in this episode:

Ally Richardson
Chris Bystroff
Jan Mulder

Thanks also to these team members for their support over the past year and a half:

Florence Blondel
Robert Fireovid
Mike Hanauer
Mike Skylark
Joshua Spodek
Isaac Tate

Here are links to items mentioned in this episode:

Weekly CO2 – CO2.Earth

New Rule: Make Earth Great Again | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

Bruce Springsteen Endorses Kamala Harris For President

Make a Donation to GrowthBusters

GrowthBusters podcast

Let's Chat

Dave Gardner — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 18:32:04 GMT

Please join me and my running mate, Stefanie Hawks-Johnson, for an informal chat this Saturday. We’ll share observations of the 2024 U.S. presidential race and make an important campaign announcement. We’ll share thoughts about decency and integrity and my promise not to be a spoiler. We’ll also discuss The Bright Future Project and steps we can take to ensure we don’t leave our kids a dead planet. AND, we’ll answer questions and respond to input from you in the live, virtual audience. Some members of our campaign team will join us.

Streaming live here on YouTube

I hope to see you there!

Trump in Search of Infinity Stones

Dave Gardner — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 20:36:49 GMT

After an incoherent clownshow of a performance in the presidential debate on ABC last night, Donald Trump is reported to be frantically searching for the famed Infinity Stones. Each one allows its owner extreme control over one aspect of the universe: time, space, reality, mind, power, and soul. When all six are directly wielded together, nothing is impossible for their bearer. The last time all six of these legendary gemstones were in the possession of one individual, it was Thanos, who used them to vanquish half of all life on Earth.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that you can only fool SOME of the people all of the time. Trump’s attempt to con half of the American public into funding his astronomical legal fees and vote for him in this election is crumbling – thanks to his fumbling. The former president lost the Cosmic Cube responsible for his surprise election victory in 2016. Perhaps the Stones could empower him to convincingly feign dignity, decency, honesty, empathy and competence.

The infinity gems represent the Donald’s last hope for staying out of prison. He could wield their super powers to make American voters forget their humanity and shudder in their boots out of fear and hate for non-white, dog-eating foreign people, and to believe those people are all rapists and escapees from insane asylums. He could harness the stones’ powers to disable the moral compass of record numbers of American voters – to render them selfish, short-sighted and unable to discern incompetence and lack of integrity.

An anonymous Trump aid took a break from scrubbing ketchup off the walls of Trump Force One to report the boss reached out to a number of his heroes for help in locating the stones. To his chagrin, Elon Musk, Hannibal Lecter, Lex Luther, Dementus, Immortan Joe, the Riddler, and the Joker wouldn’t take his calls.

Dave Gardner is a candidate for U.S. President in 2024, promising to declare an ecological overshoot emergency and mobilize the nation to end overshoot to leave our children a bright future. He has recently endorsed Kamala Harris. Learn more at davetheplanet2024.com and brightfuture.us

Announcing My Running Mate

Dave Gardner — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:03:24 GMT

I’m pleased to announce that marine biologist Stefanie Hawks-Johnson has accepted my invitation to be my running mate. Stefanie won the “People’s Choice” vote, the confidence of the campaign team and myself. I invite you to get to know her in the newest episode of the Dave the Planet podcast.

Watch it here:

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts:

In this episode, we share how ranked choice voting worked in our “People’s Choice” running mate contest. We’re all frustrated at how our current election system allows the GOP and Democratic parties to dominate, and prevents independent and third-party candidates from even being taken seriously, let alone having a chance at being elected. We need all the states to adopt ranked choice voting.

We also discuss our state of overshoot, the importance of biodiversity, and challenges in communicating about human overpopulation. Why don’t influencers like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon talk about it? We also discuss why we’re voting for Kamala Harris, and why, nevertheless, we’re proceeding with the Dave the Planet campaign. Spoiler alert: the campaign will continue to alert and educate about ecological overshoot, and to develop the blueprint for The Bright Future Project – which any administration is encouraged to adopt.

LINKS:

Weekly CO2 Tracker

Population Balance

Our VP Vote Page

All 5 Applicant Videos

Dave the Planet Population Policy

What’s Wrong With Kamala Harris’ Baby Bonus Proposal?

Dave Gardner — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 17:30:10 GMT

Presidential candidate Kamala Harris last week proposed a major expansion of the child tax credit. She envisions a new $6,000 tax credit for families during the first year of a child’s life.

A day doesn’t go by that we don’t hear about how difficult and expensive it is to raise a family. “The price of day care is ridiculous,” we hear – constantly. Is it the federal government’s job to remedy this? Do we owe it to couples to make it affordable to have a child? There appears to be an assumption that we do. But that’s an unexamined assumption. It’s time we put it under the microscope.

Is conceiving and raising a child an “experience” that is so special, no one should be deprived of it? So taxpayers should subsidize the costs for those who can’t otherwise afford it?
Or is committing parenthood providing a service to society, one valued highly enough that all taxpayers should pitch in to subsidize the cost for new parents?
Or, if not #1 or #2, is a baby bonus the only way to prevent widespread child poverty?

As for #1, there are plenty of experiences some may prize more than parenthood. For some it might be a trip to Disneyland. For others it could be to live in palace with a ballroom and 20 bathrooms. If you can’t afford it, don’t come to me or the federal government for assistance.

If we’re subscribing to #2, let’s examine that assumption -- that bringing children into the world and raising them is a societal good. I think this is a common assumption. After all, in order for our species to survive and thrive, we must replace ourselves, right? Otherwise, it just wouldn’t be fair to ask childfree taxpayers to cover parenting costs for others.

But what if we over-achieve? What if we’ve propagated to the point that our demands are crushing the planet? What if we’ve been so successful that adding another child is no longer a benefit to society? What if society – and especially our children -- would benefit from humankind taking a procreative break – bringing far fewer children into the world for a while?

Few like to talk about it, but that is exactly the situation in which we find ourselves. The planet’s life-supporting ecosystems are taking a pounding from 8 billion people and a $100 trillion global economy. Species are being extinguished at an unprecedented rate, we’re pumping rivers and aquifers dry, and our greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelming the atmosphere and baking the planet.

'Worrying' Population Declines Are Actually A Hopeful Sign

So, while we would like raising a child to be joyful, and not oppressively expensive, and we want all children to have their needs met (#3 above), it’s not in our best interest to expand tax credits that signal our society wants you to make babies. Anything that puts dollars in your pocket based on having a child, or based on the number of children you have, is not a good idea. One exception might be if we provide a generous tax credit for couples who, after having one child, take measures to ensure they won’t conceive additional children. A one-child per family norm would be of great benefit.

I hope Vice President Harris didn’t propose this expanded tax credit because she is alarmed about the so-called “baby bust” we’ve been reading about. I don’t think she wants the U.S. to join the ranks of growth-addicted countries (Russia, Hungary, South Korea, and many more) wringing their hands over dropping birth rates and paying “baby bonuses” in an effort to get women birthing more consumers, workers, taxpayers and soldiers (yes, that’s insulting and dehumanizing). But, let’s call this tax credit expansion what it is: a baby bonus. And let’s be clear: dropping birth rates for a species in overshoot are a blessing.

As for #3, yes, we all want to protect children from poverty. So we will need to find ways to ensure children’s needs are being met -- while phasing out any programs that could be interpreted as “make a baby, get a check.” It won’t be easy, but it will be possible once we recalibrate our compass.

This is critical of Harris’ proposal, but in no way should it be interpreted to mean that I don’t want her to be elected. I do. We need decency and integrity in the White House, and the GOP candidate doesn’t even know the meanings of the words. I’m still a “candidate,” but I’m voting for Kamala.

Raising a child is more expensive than most realize – one USDA estimate puts the cost at over $300,000 for the first 17 years. It also requires a lot of parents’ time and attention. We can parent much more successfully in one-child families.

Being “pro-family” shouldn’t mean turning women into baby factories.

Being “pro-family” shouldn’t mean turning women into baby factories. It shouldn’t mean quantity over quality. It should mean doing whatever it takes to ensure a healthy planet and good lives for children.

At this point in human history, that means everyone needs to know we’re in ecological overshoot, and couples must get the message that small families, freely chosen, are one important part of respecting the rights of all children to be born onto a healthy planet, with clean air, ample nutritious food and pure water, and a life-friendly climate.

RECOMMENDED READING

Population and the Great Transition

Population Policies the U.S. Needs

A Scientist’s Warning to Humanity on Human Population Growth

How Much Does It Cost To Raise a Child In 2024? Things for Prospective Parents to Consider.

The Only Child: Debunking the Myths

Welcome to Overshoot: Have a Nice Day

Learn more about my campaign and The Bright Future Project.

This was also posted here on the campaign website.

The Bright Future Project: How Do We Achieve Our Vision?

Dave Gardner — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:57:44 GMT

We’re all united by a desire for our kids to have good lives. How do we achieve that bright future when ecological overshoot threatens to leave our kids a dead planet instead? The Bright Future Project. That’s how!

NOTE: We’re in the final days of voting to help me choose my running mate. Meet the applicants and vote your preferences before midnight, August 18 at davetheplanet2024.com/vp

During my campaign for U.S. President, I’ve been sketching out a national project to get out of ecological overshoot. It needs to be an all-hands-on-deck, WWII mobilization scale effort. The project plan is a work in progress. I’ve been having conversations with smart people on my Dave the Planet podcast to add detail to the blueprint. The third such episode is now available (video below). In this new episode, we primarily discuss what the public communication campaign might include.

Mission of The Bright Future Project: What Must We Do to End Overshoot?

Scale down our population and economy
Create new social norms that bring our appetites and behaviors back within planetary boundaries
Identify and implement public policy and programs to accelerate this
- Programs to HELP us make the needed changes
- Programs to REMIND us daily of the changes we all need to be making

Bright Future Project episodes (so far):

15: Behavior Change to Provide a Bright Future – Part 1
Guest Joseph Merz shares his perspective on catalyzing the needed culture shift
On YouTube
Substack Post
Also wherever you get your podcasts

16: Population Policies the U.S. Needs
Carter Dillard reacts to my policy questions and proposals
On YouTube
Substack Post
Also wherever you get your podcasts

And, just published today,
19: The Bright Future Project - How Do We Achieve Our Vision? (Behavior Change Part 2)
Ally Richardson and I explore the needed public communication campaign
On YouTube:

Also wherever you get your podcasts

Posters and Other Graphics Discussed

LINKS MENTIONED:

Ed Begley Population Growth PSA

Ed Begley Food Waste PSA

Ed Begley Energy PSA

Now Here’s What We Call an Eco-Superhero – Episode 79 of the GrowthBusters podcast featuring climate and eco footprint vlogger James Comiskey

I’m voting for Kamala Harris, but this campaign is still doing essential work, creating a blueprint for The Bright Future Project. Please support the campaign.

This was also posted here on the campaign website.

Dave Gardner Must Choose a Running Mate

Dave Gardner — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 22:10:11 GMT

Kamala Harris is about to announce her V.P. pick. I happen to know she didn’t choose me, which improves her chances of victory in November. That’s good for decency and integrity in the White House. But not so good for giving our kids a bright future rather than a dead planet. So my campaign continues (even though we’re all going to vote for Kamala). Now it’s time for me to choose a running mate.

Five beautiful people submitted videos in our Planet-First V.P. Search. I love all of these people. Three are qualified to serve. Two are submissions from non-U.S. citizens, residing in Europe. They simply wanted to contribute to the conversation. View all five videos below. Learn more about the three qualified contenders and cast your vote here.

My team and I will make the final decision as to who I invite to join the Dave the Planet ticket. However, we will carefully consider the results of our People’s Choice voting, which takes place now through August 18. Then we’ll announce our selection. We want to give you the opportunity to hear what these applicants have to say. And we genuinely want to know what you think.

We also want you to experience ranked choice voting, so our People’s Choice ballot is set up to demonstrate that. You’ll want to try it. In ranked choice voting, you rank candidates -- without fear of wasting your vote. If your most preferred candidate cannot win, your #2 vote is considered. There's no penalty for voting for the candidate you most believe in. See Understanding Ranked Choice Voting for a deeper dive into ranked choice voting. From that page:

“With this approach, your vote has a higher chance of influencing the outcome. Your vote is better represented. Your voice is better heard.”

If all 50 states had ranked choice voting in presidential elections, you could cast a vote for me without worrying about the spoiler effect. Your second-choice vote could be for Kamala Harris, and it would count – unless by a miracle I got more votes than Kamala.

Please watch the five videos, read the applicants’ statements, and cast your vote.

Also, please join me in supporting efforts to make ranked choice voting the standard in our country. Scroll down for some resources, as well as organizations you may want to support.

QUALIFIED APPLICANTS:

Ally Richardson, Permaculture Educator:

Katrina Nguyen, Peace Activist:

Stefanie Hawks-Johnson, Marine Biologist:

NOT OFFICIAL APPLICANTS:

RESOURCES AND EFFORTS TO SUPPORT:

FairVote

The Voter Choice Act

RCV for Colorado

I’m running for president on the promise that I’ll declare an ecological overshoot emergency and launch a WWII-scale national project to end overshoot. Learn more about that project at brightfutureproject.us

Overshoot? What the Hell Is Overshoot?

Dave Gardner — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:25:15 GMT

Chances are you’ve never heard of Earth Overshoot Day or ecological overshoot. Don’t feel badly. But this needs to change! We’re in an ecological overshoot emergency, and that promises to leave our kids a dead planet.

Overshoot is a deal-breaker for human civilization. Being in overshoot is like disassembling your spacecraft as you hurtle through space. So it warrants our attention. That’s why the centerpiece of my presidential campaign is the promise to declare an ecological overshoot emergency and launch The Bright Future Project to get us back into sustainable balance with our home planet.

You don’t have time to read, and I don’t have time to write. So listen to this episode of the Dave the Planet podcast (find it wherever you listen):

Or watch the podcast on YouTube:

In this episode, William E. Rees, the originator of ecological footprint analysis, provides a primer for the uninitiated – plus some advanced thinking for those already well aware of the metacrisis.

PLEASE share this episode with friends, colleagues, elected representatives and journalists. Our kids desperately need us to increase overshoot literacy. Earth Overshoot Day (August 1 in 2024) is the day Global Footprint Network calculates that we’ve consumed the entire year’s work of Earth’s regenerative capacity – using 12 months’ worth of biocapacity in 7 months. I’m putting several links below to help you dig deeper into the subject if you wish.

Here’s just one example of why policymakers need to understand ecological overshoot:

Just yesterday, South Korea announced new measures in its response to what President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a national emergency: the country has the world’s lowest birth rate. Today, many nations beginning to experience population contraction are responding with efforts to boost the birth rate.

They are addicted to economic growth, and they see women’s wombs as a tool for producing more human capital. It’s dehumanizing. It’s no reason to bring a new life into the world. And it’s insane to try to grow your population and economy when you’re in overshoot. It may be challenging to replace the current economic Ponzi scheme with a healthy 21^st century economy not hooked on growth, but there is NO economy on a dead planet.

South Korea is in overshoot. Global Footprint Network’s analysis reveals the country’s people are demanding nearly ten times what the nation’s biocapacity can sustainably deliver. In the U.S., we’re demanding about twice our sustainable biocapacity. We are in overshoot. And we’ve been digging ourselves deeper over time. Staying this course will leave our kids a dead planet, unable to meet their basic needs, let alone decent lives. In both countries, the rational response is to embrace the trend of young people choosing smaller families, and to end the destructive pursuit of robust economic growth – scaling back our overconsumption.

That’s not happening. And that’s why I chose to run for president. Unfortunately, my campaign has not caught fire, so I won’t be elected. I announced a week ago that I, myself, will vote for Kamala Harris. Our system requires us to vote blue in order to ensure we don’t have an incompetent, indecent, hateful, criminal in the White House. That doesn’t eliminate the urgent need to change the conversation and give our elected policymakers permission to take the dramatic actions being sketched out in The Bright Future Project.

Bill Rees developed the concept of ecological footprint pre-1990, but in 1995, he and one of his doctoral students at University of British Columbia, Mathis Wackernagel, published the definitive book, Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, introducing the concept to the world. Wackernagel went on to found Global Footprint Network, which collects and analyzes data to provide the best estimates of biocapacity and ecological footprint on a nation-by-nation basis. Rees is human ecologist, ecological economist, Professor Emeritus and former Director of the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning.

Quick Note: Tomorrow is the last day to apply to be my running mate. Details here.

Some Recommended Resources, Viewing and Reading: