The Steady Stater – Details, episodes & analysis

Beverly Hills isn’t the first place most people would think of harboring a steady-state government. Yet, led for three terms by past Mayor John Mirisch (who still serves on the city council), the enclave west of Hollywood has pushed back against the pro-growth strictures emanating out of the statehouse in Sacramento. This experience has turned Mr. Mirisch into a die-hard steady stater, a badge he wears proudly.

 John's website: https://cityofbh.org

In the second part of our conversation with Chris Matthews, the former Hardball host ponders the mixed legacies of Al Gore, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and FDR. He also shares his opinions on where to look for political support for the steady state economy, and which former president came closest to steady statesmanship.

How should the past inform the future? How should the global inform the local? To get an idea, Brian chats with Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of the long-running non-profit Local Futures. They discuss all manner of topics from the Economics of Happiness and the urbanization of India, to Noam Chomsky and the Localization Action Guide.  This conversation on the future of local societies is available globally, right now.

Our guest this week is Dr. Phoebe Barnard, CEO and Executive Director of Stable Planet Alliance, a new organization working to "bend the curve" on population and hyper-consumption. Brian and Phoebe discuss this budding alliance, the World Scientists’ Warning Into Action, and GirlPlanet.Earth, among other topics. If you want to know what forward-thinking scientists are up to, be sure to catch this one.

This week The Steady Stater podcast reaches its milestone 50th episode. To celebrate we’re doing something a little different: going behind the scenes of CASSE’s history, meeting its staff, and looking to the projects of the future. Plus, Brian shares some of his thoughts on a new biography of Herman Daly. Warning: The review is not entirely positive. Thanks for listening!

This week Brian is joined by Jonathan Clough, one of the nation’s foremost experts on sea-level rise and its effects on ecosystems. Jonathan and Brian discuss the different methods for observing sea-level rise, the sophisticated SLAMM model, and the potential rates of sea-level rise we might expect. If you’re interested in how these important calculations are made, this one is for you!

Timothée Parrique joins us for a record third appearance on The Steady Stater! Following previous discussions exploring the social limits to growth and the European degrowth movement, Tim and Brian discuss the final part of his dissertation "The Political Economy of Degrowth,” which focuses on policy design. That includes property, work, money and more: don't miss it!

Sandy Irvine was a prominent figure in the early days of the Green Party of England and Wales and an Associate Editor at The Ecologist magazine. This week on The Steady Stater, Sandy joins Brian to discuss everything from supergrids to soccer, and Green New Deals to green old people.  

Sandy Irvine's Green Blog: https://sandyirvineblog.wordpress.com/

Our episode this week covers the delightful (and occasionally dark) world of insects with Professor Dave Goulson, author of the new book Silent Earth. Brian and Dave discuss fireflies, glow-worms, bumblebees and butterflies. They also discuss eating insects, cleaning up cow pies and what can be done to assist our tiny friends. Plus, is Dave the new E.O. Wilson?

Richard Heinberg has written a lot of powerful (and power-themed) books throughout his career. But his recent release — simply titled 'Power' — is the one that he hopes to be remembered for. Brian talks with the Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute about the role of power in shaping human history, the pathology of power, and whether we as a species can understand our power enough to keep it from destroying us.