Do Your Own Research: Seed Oils, the CIA, and the Metabolic Shitshow w/ Jason Moore

Published in 1968, 'The Population Bomb' by Paul and Anne Ehrlich predicts catastrophic consequences, including mass starvation and environmental ruin, due to unchecked population growth. The book argues that immediate action is necessary to control population growth to prevent these dire outcomes. Although many of the Ehrlichs' predictions did not come to pass, the book significantly raised awareness about population and environmental issues and influenced public policy in the 1960s and 1970s. The authors emphasize the need for conscious regulation of human numbers and highlight the strain that growing populations place on the natural world.

Silvia Federici's "Caliban and the Witch" examines the historical connections between the witch hunts of early modern Europe and the rise of capitalism. Federici argues that the persecution of women as witches was not merely a matter of superstition but a crucial element in the process of primitive accumulation. The book explores how the control of women's bodies and labor was essential to the establishment of capitalist relations of production. Federici connects the witch hunts to the enclosure of the commons, the commodification of labor, and the subjugation of women under patriarchal structures. The book challenges traditional historical narratives and offers a powerful feminist critique of capitalism's origins and ongoing impact.

The book, commissioned by the Club of Rome, uses the World3 computer model to simulate the consequences of interactions between human systems and the Earth. It examines five basic factors: population increase, agricultural production, nonrenewable resource depletion, industrial output, and pollution generation. The authors conclude that if current growth trends continue, the Earth's resources will be depleted, leading to a sudden and uncontrollable decline in population and industrial capacity. However, the book also offers a message of hope, suggesting that forward-looking policy could prevent such outcomes if humanity acts promptly to reduce inefficiency and waste.

Raj Patel and Jason W. Moore's "A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things" explores the interconnectedness of ecological crises and capitalism's inherent drive for cheap production. The book uses the concept of 'cheapness' as an analytical tool to examine how capitalism externalizes costs, leading to environmental degradation and social inequalities. It delves into seven key areas: cheap nature, money, work, care, food, energy, and lives, demonstrating how these factors are intertwined and contribute to global crises. The authors argue that the relentless pursuit of cheapness has created unsustainable systems, and they propose a 'reparations ecology' as a potential path towards a more just and sustainable future. The book's accessible style and compelling examples make it relevant to a broad audience.

Set in 1999, 'Make Room Make Room! ' depicts a dystopian New York City plagued by overpopulation, food shortages, and societal collapse. The novel follows characters like Detective Andy Rusch as they navigate this grim world, highlighting themes of unsustainable consumption and societal fracture. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked population growth and resource depletion.