Mr. Kahn's theory of small choices idea where we could embed the decisions of the past and make changes to them? Right. It requires the ability to make collective choices, to do comprehensive planning, right? To have a little bit of foresight, which is what we do very often in ecological economics. And if people are given the opportunity to think outside their own kind of individual consumptive choice or their own individual life,. they say no, that's not the future I want. So this is the economical equivalent of the ocean ecological concept of shifting baselines.
On this episode, Nate is joined by Sustainability Science and Policy Professor Jon Erickson. He and Nate dive into Jon’s new book The Progress Illusion: Reclaiming our Future from the Fairytale of Economics, which covers the economic myths that have shaped our modern reality. How can we reshape the narrative and shift the paradigm towards different economic systems that promote human and ecological well-being over material consumption?
About Jon Erickson:
Jon Erickson is the David Blittersdorf Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy at the University of Vermont. He has published widely on energy and climate change policy, land conservation, watershed planning, environmental public health, and the theory and practice of ecological economics. He advised presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on economics and energy issues.