What Would a Sustainable End State Look Like?

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I think that there are a lot of people who've convinced themselves that they're keeping the system in place because that's what's best for them and for everybody else, right? I mean, the system depends on growth. And when the system stops growing, there's a lot of pain that goes around. So changing the system and having it less dependent or not dependent at all on growth is a huge lift. That's the kind of future that bring these same people joy through relationships with each other and the earth.

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.