The Baby Bust: How The Toxicity Crisis Could Cause the Next Economic Crash

[Beebo Brink]

The Baby Bust: How The Toxicity - The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens - Apple Podcasts

Reproduction rates are falling fast around the world, due to a combination of fewer people deciding to have babies and falling fertility rates for those who do want children. Fascinating topic that is multi-layered and complex in the way it affects the economy and societies.

Today, Nate Hagens is joined by investment strategist Jeremy Grantham to discuss the critical but underreported issues surrounding toxicity and public health – particularly endocrine disruptors and their impact on human fertility, longevity, and societal structures.

In this important conversation, Jeremy highlights the ubiquitousness of toxicity in our modern environments, the cultural and economic factors contributing to declining fertility rates, and the urgent need to transition to non-toxic materials and energy sources.

In what ways could population decline pose serious economic challenges, particularly in aging societies? How might the alarming drop in sperm count affect future policies on immigration? Finally, how can we detoxify both our environments – and capitalism – before it’s too late?

 

[WolfEyes]

Shame there isn't any transcript or CC.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Shame there isn't any transcript or CC.

There's both here on the YouTube video:
How The Toxicity Crisis Could Cause the Next Economic Crash with Jeremy Grantham | TGS 155

 

[WolfEyes]

There's both here on the YouTube video:
How The Toxicity Crisis Could Cause the Next Economic Crash with Jeremy Grantham | TGS 155

Thanks. Didn't even think to look there since I seem to have come down wid a code.

 

[Beebo Brink]

One aspect of the toxicity issue that they didn't touch on was whether endocrine disrupters could influence the formation of gender identity in the womb.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Jeremy Grantham seems like a very interesting guy. The video touches on a lot of interesting points and facts. On one hand, it is good for the Earth if our population dips a bit, but on the other hand, it's likely crashing too fast and this will be a nightmare for a number of reasons. Lack of elderly care is one major problem among others.

One aspect of the toxicity issue that they didn't touch on was whether endocrine disrupters could influence the formation of gender identity in the womb.

Yeah, I don't think we have enough data to know anything conclusive on this, but it is likely a thing. Queer people always existed, but we don't know if it's more common because of this or not. I hope it gets further studied.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

...and the current anti regulation ideology in the USA is a serious problem. It's very hard to ban anything if it hurts corporate profits. We only like to ban chemicals used for recreation...

 

[Noodles]

I listened through most of this. I am a bit confused because at one point the expert person literally said they didn't think the toxins were the primary cause of the baby bust, but there were a lot of factors.

But then later they were talking about the issue.

The more interesting thing here is just all about how the declining population is a problem, but also it seems like its only really a "Capitalism Problem."

I wouldnalso suggest that older people arenoutnumbering younger people, but older people are much more capable than they have been. Especially because we aren't all spending our loves destroying our bodies with labor work anymore. 8:1 rario in South Korea is probably going to cause issues, but are 6 of those 8 old people basically just find living their life on their own? Do they need a grandchild tontake care pf them?

Its also kind of weird that they ratio uses grandparents to grand children. There is an entire other generation in the middle there.

Anyway, I do wonder a bit about the gender identity and even just "queerness" angle. A talk in that would have to be really really carefully crafted though because it could easily start channeling "they are making the frogs gay" energy, even if it was unintentional.

Another thing that felt kind of interesting here is both of these guys feel fairly, progressive types, maybe not "progressive" but not loony conservatives, but the whole "birth issue" keeps being pushed mostly by crazy conservative loonies. Its kind of a bit confusing at first, but a bit refreshing.

 

[Beebo Brink]

The effect of toxins on fertility is growing fast, so it may not have been the determining factor in dropping birth rates up to this point, but there is serious concern for the future. That is why Grantham is sounding the alarm.

The grandchildren-to-grandparent ratio captures two important inflection points in the economy: Elders who stop producing and young people who begin producing. The discordance between those two metrics is where we can see the issue. Also, speaking as a person who just turned 70, and who has no literal grandchildren, very few of us are as completely self-sufficient as we were in our 40s or even our 50s. Two of those 8 old people may be fine, but the remaining 6 will need increasing degrees of help. The ratio is unsustainable.

All that being said, I'm strongly in favor of degrowth, so I see this trend in a more favorable light than the podcasters do. Yes, it will ultimately collapse the economy, but so will sustained growth in a finite system. Of the two collapse scenarios, I prefer going out with a whimper rather than a bang.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

One other theory I have around the baby bust is that evolution should cause this to turn around eventually. In theory, people had kids for many generations even when they didn't want them by instinct because that's just what you had to do to fit in and survive. In theory, people like me who don't naturally crave babies will die off and people who naturally want more kids will have more kids and spread that trait. This is of course ignoring the issues with toxicity and the fact that some people who want babies just can't afford them. Those are other issues I hope we address eventually...

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

One other theory I have around the baby bust is that evolution should cause this to turn around eventually. In theory, people had kids for many generations even when they didn't want them by instinct because that's just what you had to do to fit in and survive. In theory, people like me who don't naturally crave babies will die off and people who naturally want more kids will have more kids and spread that trait. This is of course ignoring the issues with toxicity and the fact that some people who want babies just can't afford them. Those are other issues I hope we address eventually...

Is that you talking or the microplastics?

This post is tongue in cheek.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Is that you talking or the microplastics?

This post is tongue in cheek.

I'll have you know I speak with LEAD (in my brain).

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I'll have you know I speak with LEAD (in my brain).

 

[Casey Pelous]

...This post is tongue in cheek.

 

[Imnotgoing Sideways]

Good old GenX huff'nstuff. =^-^=

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Good old GenX huff'nstuff. =^-^=

Amateur...

 

[Noodles]

Liquid paper was always such a scam. You are out somewhere and you realize you need to write a note, and so you pour a bit out and it just makes a white globy mess.

You can't write on that.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Liquid paper was always such a scam. You are out somewhere and you realize you need to write a note, and so you pour a bit out and it just makes a white globy mess.

You can't write on that.

I thought white out was maybe great till I tried writing over it... I figured it was easier to just cross out your mistake and keep writing.

 

[Knutz Scorpio]

Amateur...

Got an inch wide marker one time because I thought it would make it easier to conceal mailing addresses, I think paper shredders weren't as easily available back then. Holly Shit! I was so buzzed after the one and only time I used it, and the print still managed to show through despite both it and the marker being black.

 

[Kalel]

One other theory I have around the baby bust is that evolution should cause this to turn around eventually. In theory, people had kids for many generations even when they didn't want them by instinct because that's just what you had to do to fit in and survive. In theory, people like me who don't naturally crave babies will die off and people who naturally want more kids will have more kids and spread that trait. This is of course ignoring the issues with toxicity and the fact that some people who want babies just can't afford them. Those are other issues I hope we address eventually...

I've always been curious, how much does this instinct control us? what if governments started pushing a fertility agenda.. if we didn't have to worry about housing or food or stress from work, made it easy to get married...... would we still be pumping them out if all our needs were met? or are our capitalist needs pushing beyond the prolific nature of human reproduction?