I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing the man who led the MIT team, Dennis Meadows, for the film. Recently I was also fortunate to interview another team member, Jorgen Randers.

In retrospect, it may be the biggest shame of humanity that we ignored The Limits to Growth. I think I make that clear in my film. I continue to watch world behavior closely, and I’m saddened to see that on the 40th anniversary of this seminal work, the world is just as preoccupied with economic growth as it was in 1972, perhaps moreso. The Limits to Growth and the series of decadal updates – including the latest by Jorgen Randers, 2052 – are not on the radar screens of most of society. Collectively we are determined to burn the house down to keep warm.

My sense is that Dennis and Jorgen are saddened to have worked so hard for 40 years to introduce sanity, and to have watched for 40 years as we have chosen to party like there is no tomorrow. Now I am beginning to share their sadness.

I’m quite certain what we’re witnessing today is a civilization that is at the end of the stretch of its bungee cord. We passed through the point of sustainable equilibrium, overshooting the mark for 30 years, and now nature and physics are pulling us back. It’s not likely to be pretty.

Dave Gardner
Director of the documentary
GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth

My tribute to the 40th Anniversary of The Limits to Growth can be found at http://www.growthbusters.org/home/limits-to-growth/