The Overpopulation Podcast

Dec 10 2024 78 ep. 59 mins 239
The Overpopulation Podcast artwork

The Overpopulation Podcast features enlightening conversations between Population Balance executive director Nandita Bajaj, researcher Alan Ware, and expert guests that draw the connections between pronatalism, human supremacy, social inequalities, and ecological overshoot. Population Balance's mission to inspire narrative, behavioral, and system change that shrinks our human impact and elevates the rights and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet.

  Science  Society & Culture
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Ingrid Newkirk | PETA: Leading the Fight for Animal Liberation

Dec 10 2024 47 mins  
Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment. For International Animal Rights Day, we are joined by Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and President of PETA, the world’s largest animal rights organization. Highlights of our conversation include: The formative experiences that inspired Ingrid to co-found PETA and dedicate her life to animal liberation; PETA�

Hannah Evans and Pam Wasserman | Progressive Pathways for a Smaller Population

Nov 26 2024 55 mins  
Population dynamics are deeply connected to environmental sustainability and social justice. That's the message of Pam Wasserman and Hannah Evans from Population Connection - the oldest grassroots population organization in the U.S. Highlights include: The origins of Population Connection and its evolution from ZPG (Zero Population Growth) to a broader mission addressing the inter

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Gorilla Conservation, Coffee, and Family Planning

Nov 12 2024 51 mins  
Healthy and thriving animal communities depend on healthy and thriving human communities. That’s the message from this week’s guest, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian and founder of Conservation Through Public Health. Highlights include: How a scabies outbreak among gorillas reshaped her approach to conservation, linking human health to the hea

Olivier De Schutter | The Poverty of Growth

Oct 29 2024 46 mins  
Obsession with growth is enriching elites and killing the planet. That’s the message of this week’s guest, Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and author of The Poverty of Growth. Highlights include: Why poverty is about more than low income and how unequal economic growth creates greater social exclusion and status anxiety for the ma

Melanie Joy | We Can Fight Each Other Or We Can End Injustice

Oct 15 2024 50 mins  
In this episode, we sit down with social psychologist, Dr. Melanie Joy, to explore her groundbreaking concept of “carnism” - the belief system that conditions people to see eating animals as normal, natural, and necessary. Dr. Joy offers insights into how hidden ideologies shape behavior, and how building relational literacy can foster healthier relationships across social move

Marc Bekoff | Understanding the Emotional Lives of Animals

Oct 01 2024 46 mins  
In this episode, we talk with animal behavior expert Dr. Marc Bekoff about the emotional lives of animals and the urgent need for a shift in how we treat them. A pioneer in the field of cognitive ethology, Dr. Bekoff shares his insights on animal emotions, the interconnectedness of animal rights and environmental sustainability, and how we can better understand and care for the inc

Chris Funk | Being Better Together: Using Early Warning to Reduce Exposure to Climate Extremes

Sep 17 2024 59 mins  
Note: Despite the slightly compromised sound quality, Chris offers absolutely essential insights. In this episode, we talk with climatologist and director of the Climate Hazards Center, Dr. Chris Funk, about the intersection of population growth and extreme weather events. With a focus on regions vulnerable to extreme heat and drought, particularly in Africa, Chris has helped creat

Joshua Farley | Challenging Growthism: Reclaiming our Humanity from the Destructive Grip of Mainstream Economics

Sep 03 2024 69 mins  
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Joshua Farley, an expert in ecological economics, about the urgent need to realign our economic systems with ecological and social justice imperatives by reclaiming our humanity from the destructive grip of mainstream economics. Highlights include: How mainstream economic ideologies disregard planetary boundaries and contribute to ecological damag

Erica Gies | What Does Water Want? Restoring Earth by Realigning with Water’s Rhythms

Aug 19 2024 70 mins  
In this episode, we chat with Erica Gies, award-winning journalist and author of Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge. We explore the complex relationships between water, nature, and human societies, emphasizing the need to embrace 'slow water'—respecting the natural rhythms of water’s cycles for the benefit of both human and nonhuman life. Highlights inc

Announcement: New Podcast "Beyond pronatalism | Finding fulfillment, with or without kids"

Aug 15 2024 4 mins  
Hello, this is Nandita Bajaj, cohost of The Overpopulation Podcast and Executive Director of Population Balance. I am excited to share that we’ve launched a second podcast, Beyond Pronatalism: Finding Fulfillment, With or Without Kids. Please subscribe and share it widely. Episodes drop every two weeks and you can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your pod