Donnie Maclurcan talks about a post-growth world - SHP012

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Episode 12 of The Slow Home Podcast - an interview with Donnie Maclurcan of The Post-Growth Institute

One of the biggest questions I have of the minimalism movement is a somewhat unexpected one: What happens to the world’s economies if we all bought significantly less stuff?

Like it or not, many of the planet’s economies are built, at least in part, on ever-growing levels consumption, so it makes sense that a decrease in buying stuff would have a big impact on things like wealth, employment, government spending, infrastructure…

Honestly, it’s one of the few questions that make me uncomfortable. Which is why today’s episode of The Slow Home Podcast is such an interesting one. 

In today's show I chat with Donnie Maclurcan, co-founder of The Post Growth Institute and a vocal advocate for a new economy. He is also an Affiliate Professor of Social Science at Southern Oregon University, author of a brand-new book 'How on Earth?' and one of the most interesting guests I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing.

I will admit to feeling intimidated before my chat with Donnie, as understanding in-depth economic issues is…not my strong suit. But he is so good at taking incredibly complex ideas and making them accessible and easy to understand. He’s also incredibly passionate about steering the world into a more community-centric, asset-based era.

During our conversation we look at what that actually means in real terms and whether it goes beyond the current trend of the Uber-esque sharing economy (hint: yes, it does).

I came away from our chat feeling hopeful and light and significantly more aware of the issues our world is going to face in the coming years. There is a whole heap of food for thought in this episode, and I really hope you enjoy it.

Today's show is sponsored by Audible.com. There you can access over 180,000 audiobooks, including Thrive, by Arianna Huffington. Click here to get a free 30-day trial of Audible and claim one free audiobook of your choice.

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Head over to iTunes to subscribe to the show and play the episode.

Alternatively, you can listen to the show directly, simply by hitting the Play button above. Enjoy!

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What You’ll Hear About  in Today’s Episode:

    • What we mean by 'post-growth' and how it applies to our lives today.
    • Why it goes beyond the idea of sharing, à la Uber.
    • Why my idea of a not-for-profit was almost totally wrong, and what a well-run not-for-profit can bring to a community.
    • Why these ideas don't just apply to small, artisanal producers but can be (and are being) adopted by large corporations.
  • How community is at the heart of a stronger, richer, more sustainable and more supportive economy.

Things to Check Out After Today’s Episode:

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