Growth or Degrowth? w/ Oliver Hartwich, NZ Initiative - EP208

Oct 3, 2023

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Episode notes

Show host Gene Tunny delves into the concept of Degrowth: the idea of deliberately shrinking economies to avoid the runaway climate change, ecological collapse, and societal breakdown that degrowth proponents are worried about. Gene first discusses degrowth with Oliver Hartwich from the New Zealand Initiative, and then responds to questions about degrowth at a recent University of Queensland Politics, Philosophy, and Economics student event.

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About this episode’s guest: Dr Oliver Hartwich, NZ Initiative

Dr Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords. Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business administration and a PhD in Law from Bochum University in Germany.

What’s covered in EP208

[00:04:39] Degrowth to stop climate change?
[00:08:00] Economic growth and adaptation to climate change?
[00:11:53] How a threatened lungfish colony stopped a new dam in South East Queensland.
[00:15:47] Are we rich enough already?
[00:20:20] Democratization of wealth and prosperity.
[00:24:05] Economic growth as a positive.
[00:30:39] Carbon pricing.
[00:34:10] Decreasing Antarctic sea ice extent.

Links relevant to the conversation

Gene’s September 2023 Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) paper on Degrowth:

https://www.cis.org.au/publication/debunking-degrowth/

NZ Initiative podcast from which part 1 of this episode was borrowed:

https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/podcasts/podcast-debunking-degrowth/

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