Colorado Springs anti-growth activist and veteran filmmaker Dave Gardner takes on (sometimes comically) the notion that expansion equals prosperity, claiming that his job is to “make it OK to be against growth.” GrowthBusters is a combination of history lesson, political commentary, and personal tale of Gardner's failed bid to win a seat on the city council. Gardner uses archival and contemporary footage to illustrate his points (icebergs shattering, smokestacks spewing gray emissions, Wall Street reporters stoking market anxieties), combined with input from assorted academics, analysts, and authors, including Paul Ehrlich, whose 1968 bestseller The Population Bomb warned of the dangers of overpopulation, and Bill McKibben, a prominent figure in the sustainability movement. The array of major thinkers interviewed here—all sharing Gardner's view—impressively frame the argument, which is built from observations on the nature of money markets, coupled with the notion that our modern economic models are based on an ability to grow and consume with no sense of reasonable limits. DVD extras include several related featurettes (with titles like “Economists Gone Wild,” “Endangered Species Condoms,” and “Phone Call to the Pope”) and an interview with Gardner. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and sure to spark spirited discussion, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)
GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth
(2011) 54 min. DVD: $19.95, individuals; Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $99.95 w/PPR: institutions. Citizen-Powered Media (web: <a href="http://www.growthbusters.org/">www.growthbusters.org</a>). PPR. ISBN: 978-0-9893311-0-4. October 21, 2013
GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth
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