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Ep 77  |  Kate Raworth

Kate Raworth: “The Superorganism V. The Doughnut”

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TGS77 Kate Raworth The Great Simplification

Show Summary

On this episode, Nate is joined by the creator of Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth, to discuss alternative economies that measure more than just the material wealth created by a society. As we expand further past planetary boundaries, the gap between the standard of living of the materially wealthiest and poorest continues to grow. Increasingly, these shortfalls in both ecological and social well-being of the current economic system are becoming more recognized by the general populace. Can we create systems that keep people from falling down the cracks, while also respecting the limits of our planetary home? Are there governments and businesses already aligning themselves to these principles and shifting to a different way of leading? Could moving towards a holistic system, such as Doughnut Economics, be enough to overcome the energy hungry growth of a global Superorganism?

About Kate Raworth

Kate Raworth describes herself as a renegade economist focused on making economics fit for 21st century realities. She is the creator of the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries, and co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab, based on her best-selling book Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist. Kate is a Senior Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, where she teaches on the Masters in Environmental Change and Management. She is also Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. She is a member of the Club of Rome and currently serves on the World Health Organisation Council on the Economics of Health for All.

In French, we have a motto that says that a simple drawing is often better than a long explanation. Jean-Marc Jancovici Carbone 4 President

That’s very understandable because with left atmosphere thinking, one of the problems is that you see everything as a series of problems that must have solutions. Iain McGilchrist Neuroscientist and Philosopher

We can’t have hundreds and hundreds of real relationships that are healthy because that requires time and effort and full attention and awareness of being in real relationship and conversation with the other human. Nate Hagens Director of ISEOF

This is the crux of the whole problem. Individual parts of nature are more valuable than the biocomplexity of nature. Thomas Crowther Founder Restor

Show Notes & Links to Learn More

00:10 – Kate Raworth works, info, Doughnut Economics Action Lab, images from the episode

03:55 – Planetary Boundaries

04:02 – Herman Daly + TGS Episode 

04:20 – Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer

07:35 – Keynes 

11:25 – Supply and Demand graph

12:50 – Homo economicus

13:39 – We are the most social of all mammals

15:59 – Nothing grows forever

23:37 – Milton Friedman

25:21 – Amsterdam’s Circular Initiatives

27:20 – Grenoble, France

28:35 – Private Sufficiency, Public Luxury – George Monbiot

33:40 – The role of policy in changing incentives

34:26 – Margorie KellyRegenerative Ownership

40:45 – Dennis Meadows + TGS Episode

41:05 – Long Term Stock Exchange

44:02 – Care Economy

44:53 – Capitalist-Socialist False Dichotomy

46:44 – Elinor Ostrom

47:07 – Tragedy of the Commons and Overcoming it

48:45 – Reagan and Thatcher policies rolling back the state’s role in the economy

58:14 – Surplus and Inequality

1:02:01 – Low Income, Middle Income, High Income Nations

1:04:21 – DEAL report on countries performance based on the Doughnut Economy

1:05:31 – Norway success in scaling EVs, but non-impact on oil consumption

1:05:50 – Norway Oil production

1:10:01 – G20

1:12:29 – Beyond Growth

1:12:45 – Ursula von der Leyen

1:13:56 – Kate’s presentations at Beyond Growth

1:14:53 – Thomas Arnold (Doughnut4EU)

1:17:23 – Bhutan, Gross National Happiness

1:21:18 – Degrowth, post-growth

1:26:26 – Advance Policy

1:35:25 – Janine Benyus

1:39:27 – Humans are an interdependent part of the economic web

1:42:03 – Reality Roundtable

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