Gaya Herrington: "Humanity’s Soul: Life or Growth?"

Episode 57
February 8, 2023

(Conversation recorded on December 29th, 2022)  

Show Summary

On this episode, Nate speaks with econometrician and sustainability researcher Gaya Herrington about her new book, Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse, a more in-depth and personal telling of her 2021 review of the Limits to Growth (LTG). More than 50 years after the original LTG report was released, the model trajectories remain relevant - and also controversial - as we continue to track the ‘business as usual’ scenario, which results in collapse in the ‘standard run’ of the original LTG model. Are we locked in on this path and are our growth based economic systems optimized to keep us there? Is it possible to shift our goals to a different path, away from growth, focused on the well-being of all life? Can we plan or mitigate the path to descent?

About Gaya Herrington

Gaya is a Dutch econometrician, sustainability researcher, and women's rights activist. Gaya holds masters’ degrees in both econometrics and sustainability studies. After becoming disillusioned by initially working in the financial sector Gaya became the executive director of StoereVrouwen, a non-profit Dutch women's movement promoting sustainable economic policies through activism. In 2014, Herrington became the Director of Sustainability Services of KPMG. Most recently, her study on the projections made in the 1972 Limits to Growth report was widely publicized internationally. She is currently Vice President Sustainability Research at Schneider Electric.

To watch this video episode on Youtubehttps://youtu.be/by5L8iFN70Q

Show Notes and Links to learn more:

PDF Transcript

00:40 - Gaya Herrington works + info

03:02 - Limits to Growth Report, Gaya’s update on LtG, Dennis Meadows + TGS Episode

14:10 - Planetary Boundaries

14:30 - S-Curve

16:05 - Overshoot Date

16:40 - Breaking Boundaries

19:16 - Technology takes a long time - fusion breakthrough

21:15 - Donella Meadows - black box/systems dynamics

23:55 - Gaya’s Book: Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse 

25:20 - Homo economicus

27:58 - Once physcial needs are met, social needs are more about purpose and less about materials

29:20 - Reports studying trickle down economics and negative effects of income inequality (reduced trust in others and government, environmental effects)

30:10 - Thorstein Veblen, conspicuous consumption

30:58 - Increase in social inequality

31:10 - Reduced social capital

31:55 - Climate action requires significant decrease in global consumption

32:55 - Circular economy

34:23 - Income inequality erodes the middle - women coming out 50/50, while men are impacted more with 30/70

38:43 - NOT For Sale Frankly

42:04 - Nate’s Paper and Video on the Superorganism

44:48 - How money is actually made (by banks, not the Fed)

46:25 - Discussions on financially valuing nature

49:09 - Resource scare of the 70s

53:14 - Club of Rome

54:07 - Transformational Economics Committee, EarthforAll book

55:24 - 5 leverage points in the global system

57:05 - The benefits of empowering women

57:25 - Domination vs partnership mindsets in organizing society

1:02:05 - Well-being economy

1:02:16 - Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth 

1:02:26 - Mariana Mazzucato 

1:02:37 - Mission Economics

1:02:57 - Riane Eisler 

1:06:39 - New Zealand government well being principles

1:06:54 - Bhutan’s interest in well-being governments

1:11:40 - ESGs

1:11:55 - More environmentally conscious companies have been shown to perform better

1:12:33 - Europe’s regulations moving towards circularity

1:24:45 - Why do humans innovate

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David Sloan Wilson: "Chickens, Cooperation and a Pro-social World"