Reality and Perseverance in India: Pollution, Poverty, and Policy
The Great Simplification #159 with Sunita Narain
It is an unfortunate reality that the countries least responsible for the climate and ecological crises we face are often the ones most vulnerable to their effects today and in the future. India – with its population of 1.4 billion, rapidly rising temperatures, and limited resources compared to many developed nations – finds itself at the crossroads of these challenges. What do India’s leading scientists and advocates have to say about coping with these extreme pressures?
In this episode, I’m joined by environmentalist and policy advocate Sunita Narain to discuss the intricate relationship between environmental issues and development, emphasizing the need for economically inclusive solutions. She highlights India’s challenges with sanitation, urban mobility, and climate change, while pushing for wiser approaches to governance and community planning.
How can the moral and cultural history of India combine with science and innovation to guide policy making decisions? Why does ‘sustainable development’ need to go beyond environmental considerations to include the economic availability for each nation’s poorest citizens? And perhaps most importantly, how could today’s challenges position India as a global leader in creating an economic system that prioritizes the health and well-being of all life on Earth?
In case you missed it…
Last week, I was joined by professor of psychology and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke to discuss the state of ‘the meaning crisis’, including the social and cultural contexts that have fostered such pervasive loss of connection and purpose. Vervaeke also unpacked the key practices that he and others have found most effective in regaining wisdom and direction while living in the modern era.
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An insightful interview! But I'm sorry she made a case for not being able to talk directly about population. So I guess we're stuck with Ecological Overshoot Unraveling and we'll let Nature tell us what we need to know about population.
Inspiring, educational content. Thank you Nate and Sunita. Wise words and Hope.