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OVERSHOOT | Shrink Toward Abundance
OVERSHOOT tackles today’s social and ecological crises driven by our excessive population and consumption and explores the paradigm shifts needed to bring our human footprint into balance with all life on Earth. With expert guests, hosts Nandita Bajaj and Alan Ware examine the drivers of overshoot: from the pronatalism fueling overpopulation, to economies based on consumerism and social injustice, to the worldview of human supremacy that exploits animals and nature. Our vision of shrinking toward abundance offers transformative pathways beyond technological fixes, toward interconnectedness with all beings. With a global rank of 1.5%, we draw listeners from across 150 countries.
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New to our podcast?
There are over 90 episodes of OVERSHOOT. If you are new to the podcast and looking for a good place to start, we recommend you listen to these episodes first.
Episodes
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The “Biological Clock” Myth
Medical institutions help fuel pronatalism. Kristyn Brandi, a proud abortion provider and board chair with Physicians for Reproductive Health, debunks the “biological clock” and discusses what the overturning of Roe v Wade means in terms of safe abortion care for already marginalized communities.
Regretting Motherhood
Women who choose not to be mothers are frequently warned that they will regret their decision later in life, yet we rarely discuss the possibility that mothers who have children might regret it. Sociologist Orna Donath, author of Regretting Motherhood, joins us.
Soap Operas For Social Justice
Mass media can be used to model positive social change at large scale. Bill Ryerson, the founder and long-time leader of Population Media Center, joins us.
Cops, Cabbages, and Condoms
Creativity, humor, and a keen sense for collaboration defined one of the most innovative small family campaigns ever undertaken. Mechai Viravaidya, public health leader and visionary, joins us.
Being Black and Childfree
What does it mean to be Black and childfree in a world that often imposes rigid expectations around race, gender, and reproduction? Kimya Nuru Dennis, sociologist and community advocate, joins us.
Vasectomy as an Act of Love
Offering free, non-scalpel vasectomies in a mobile vasectomy clinic helps men take reproductive responsibility - as an act of love for their partners and the planet. Esgar Guarin joins us.
My So-Called Selfish Life
The choice to be childfree is made so much harder by the intense pronatalist cultural messages that we’re all exposed to. Therese Schecter, filmmaker of the documentary, My So-Called Selfish Life, joins us.
Endangered Species Condoms
Human reproductive decisions affect the biodiversity of all life on Earth. To discuss how they broach this sensitive topic within their work, Sarah Baillie and Kelley Dennings from The Center for Biological Diversity, join us.
Pronatalism and Overpopulation
Pronatalism and overpopulation webinar : The decision to have children or not is largely regarded as an isolated personal decision, but how personal is it really? We are joined by four expert international panelists to unpack the pervasive and oppressive powers of pronatalism.
The Unmet Need for Family Planning
Great strides have been made in advancing women’s reproductive autonomy, but there is still much to accomplish. Kathleen Mogelgaard, president of the Population Institute, joins us.
Meet our New Executive Director
New Executive Director and podcast co-host Nandita Bajaj shares her brief history and the evolving path that led her to becoming a sustainable population advocate.
Are There Too Many of Us?
A recent report on Deutsche Welle’s Eco India environmental news magazine recently asked, “Are There Too Many of Us on Our Planet?” Bajaj helps put to rest the false dichotomy between overpopulation and overconsumption and argues that we must address both.
Separating Sex from Conception
Sex and conception are separated by contraception. Malcolm Potts and Alisha Graves, experts in reproductive health and sustainable population advocates, join us.
Busting Only-Child Myths
Journalist and author of One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One, Lauren Sandler tells us there is “a lot of data supporting the one-child family as a healthy, important choice.”
To Kid or Not to Kid
Is motherhood an essential part of womanhood? Filmmaker Maxine Trump joins us to discuss the enduringly strong pronatalist pressures in her documentary film, To Kid or Not to Kid.
Choosing Childfree
For over 20 years Laura Carroll has been researching the childfree choice and she’s interviewed thousands who’ve made this choice. We discuss the roots of our pronatal culture, where to get support for the childfree decision, myths about family size, the cost of raising children, and doing your part to solve overpopulation.