Across the next two episodes of PGAP, we will be showcasing the good work from CASSE NSW Inc., who are advocating for the steady state economy in Australia.

For this episode, we interview Phil Jones, Treasurer and Secretary, as he shares with us the progress of government reports and inquiries into the Circular Economy. Furthermore, why it is crucial that we encourage the government to take serious action in implementing the circular economy, rather than letting their reports gather dust in Canberra.

We discuss two reports in particular:

• The Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group, established in 2023, and:
• The Productivity Commission “Opportunities in the Circular Economy” interim report

The circular economy is defined by Wikipepdia as: “a model of resource production and consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.”

Phil is positive with the potential for the rollout of the circular economy in Australia, especially in its capacity to catalyse existing initiatives such as recycling programs, repair cafes, second hand exchange initiatives, etc. However, he cautions that the circular economy is alone insufficient in achieving true sustainability unless it is coupled with the Steady State Economy. That is, "an economy made up of a constant stock of physical wealth (capital) and a constant population size, which does grow over the course of time".

The episode concludes with a call to action to get some real and action in response to these reports. A good place to start is by signing the CASSE NSW INC petition to establish a Federal government inquiry into the steady state economy.

Did you like this episode and want to explore further?

You may be interested in PGAP’s first ever episode with Steady State ACT, or with CASSE’s international director Brian Czech. We also discussed the New Economy Network Australia on the episode, so you may be interested in PGAP’s coverage of the 2023 NENA conference (sadly, I didn’t get around to recording Phil’s excellent talk).

You can find out more about Phil and CASSE NSW in the Sustainable Population Australia Newsletter November 2024. Speaking of SPA, who proudly support PGAP, please consider signing their position statement, calling for an end to population growth in Australia.

You can also support PGAP by sharing this or other episodes with your networks. Encourage the online community to listen to PGAP by rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcast. On the PGAP website, you can subscribe or contact us, as we appreciate your invaluable feedback and suggestions.

All perspectives of PGAP guests, including legacy past, present and future, are exclusively theirs and do not always reflect the perspectives or working of PGAP or SPA.

Special Guest: Phil Jones.

Yet, Harvey is not fatalistic. He envisions a radically different future that is grounded in degrowth, steady-state economics, and a shared commitment to equity and ecological sustainability. The Age of Humachines explores how today’s tech revolution increasingly shapes every aspect of our lives, introducing critical concepts like the Technocene (the possible successor to the Anthropocene), Smartheid societies, and CIMENT, a term Harvey uses to describe the dominant values of Competitive Individualism and Materialist Entitlement.

In contrast, he proposes a new framework: SEWP (Sustainable, Equitable Wellbeing Planetwide), offering offering a hopeful lens through which we might transition toward an Ecocene future.

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Cover of 'The Age of Humachines'. You can purchase your copy, or find our more, HERE.
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This conversation also provided PGAP co-hosts Mark Allen and Michael Bayliss the opportunity to reflect on their personal relationships with technology over the past three decades, from the optimism of the 1990s to the increasing unease of today’s digital world.

Michael D.B. Harvey holds qualifications in English Literature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Organizational Psychology. He is also the author of Interactional Leadership: The Art of the Choice-Focused Leader and Utopia in the Anthropocene: A Change Plan for a Sustainable and Equitable World.

Harvey’s connections include the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE), who helped make this interview possible.

If this episode resonated with you, we highly recommend picking up a copy of The Age of Humachines [HERE], and checking out Harvey’s engaging talks and interviews on YouTube, e.g. [HERE].

Michael is also a musician, performing solo and withhis band Bridges of Sound. This episode features a sample of his song “Standing Up for Being Human.”

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of technology. Reach out to PGAP through our contact form, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and share this episode with your networks.

You can find out more about PGAP co-hosts Mark Allen [HERE] and Michael Bayliss [HERE].

Episode Timestamp:

00:00 - Introduction with Mark Allen and Michael Bayliss
11:40 - Part 1 interview with Michael D.B. Harvey
40:56 - Interlude with Michael Bayliss and excerpt from “Standing Up for Being Human.”
43:06 - Part 2 interview with Michael D.B. Harvey

Please note: The views expressed by PGAP guests are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of PGAP or Sustainable Population Australia (SPA), who support this podcast.

Special Guest: Michael DB Harvey.

Brian Czech has a Ph.D. in renewable natural resources. He is the founding President of CASSE, and a prolific author. His scientific articles have appeared in dozens of peer-reviewed journals, dealing primarily with ecological and economic sustainability issues. His books include Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads, released in May 2013, Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train, which calls for an end to uneconomic growth, and The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy. Brian is also an Interdisciplinary Biologist in the national office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where he received a 2010 Star Award for outstanding performance. He has played a leading role in engaging the environmental sciences and natural resources professions in ecological economics and macroeconomic policy dialog.

Check out Earth Overshoot Day and Global Footprint Network for a rundown on Earth Overshoot Day. According to their press release for Earth Overshoot Day 2022:

“Each year, Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year. Humanity currently uses 75% more than what the planet’s ecosystems can regenerate—or “1.75 Earths.” From Earth Overshoot Day until the end of the year, humanity operates on ecological deficit spending.”

Further:

“Earth Overshoot Day 2022 lands on July 28, earlier than last year. Over 50 years of global overshoot have led to a world where aggravated drought and food insecurity are compounded by unseasonably warm temperatures. As the date indicates, humanity continues to widen its annual ecological deficit two years after the pandemic-induced resource-use reductions exceptionally pushed the date back temporarily by 24 days.”

As you can see, EOD2022 is an absolute riot!

What can YOU do for Earth Overshoot Day? Glad you asked!

• Use the hashtag #movethedate in your social media correspondence

• Donate to Earth Overshoot so they can continue their good work

• Sign the CASSE petition calling for a Steady State Economy

• Support Sustainable Population Australia, the only Australian environmental NGO willing to investigate the ‘P’ part of the IPAT equation

• Last but not least, share this and other episodes of PGAP and rate and review on Apple Podcast

(This list is not exhaustive of course. Reduce your consumption, embrace small families, annoy big business and property developers and TRY not to vote for one of the major political parties next time -as tempting as this may be. Basically, be the opposite of Elon Musk)

Enjoy this episode and want to down a rabbit hole of links? With PGAP’s help, you’ll never have to leave your computer screen again! (Thank us later).

The CASSE website is a great place to start!

The Steady Stater Podcast (which Brian hosts) can be found here. A fantastic program with a rotation of extremely high quality guests. I was part of that rotation not so long ago! ‘A Song For Post -Growth Australia (with Michael Bayliss) can be found here.

The first ever episode of PGAP interviewed two Australian Chapter directors of CASSE: Martin Tye and Jonathan Miller. See where we began and where PGAP (and CASSE!) have gone since.

July has been a busy month at PGAP – on July 11th we commiserated World Population Day. You may be interested in an article I wrote for the YourLifeChoices journal on behalf of Sustainable Population Australia: “Should we rethink a Big Australia for World Population Day?” (The question is rhetorical). You may also be interested in SPA’s media release.

In the interview I mentioned the EarthX interview with Brian and Degrowth expert Anitra Nelson. PGAP also interviewed Anitra Nelson back in Season 1

More information on PGAP host Michael Bayliss can be found on his website here.

_All views and opinions expressed by our guests, including references to their past and present work are totally their own and do not necessarily reflect any views or positions held by Post Growth Australia Podcast.
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Special Guest: Brian Czech.