“The current human trajectory of growing population and rising consumption is simply not sustainable.   Something has to give.”

I had originally intended to end our series honoring the 40th anniversary of The Limits to Growth (the landmark MIT study commissioned by the Club of Rome), on Earth Day. I have so much good material yet to share, and the warnings provided by The Limits to Growth are so important, I’ve decided to extend the series indefinitely. I will now cut back on the frequency of posts to no more than once or twice a week. Incidentally, the Club of Rome is also stepping up the conversation this year about limits. I recommend you explore the Club’s Change the Course website. Today I’m sharing commentary I invited from Robert Walker, president of the Population Institute. Bob is extremely knowledgeable in the population and public policy arenas. His views are published regularly on Huffington Post, and this commentary should also appear there soon.  – Dave Gardner . . .

Imagine sitting in your home office this weekend having a cup of coffee with Deepak Chopra, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bill McKibben, and Joan Blades.

That’s just what you can do, thanks to my good friend Steven Zuckerman. Over the next two weekends he’s bringing some of the world’s most innovative thinkers to you – via the Better World Forum.

This forum brings together participants across six continents and over 80 nations around the world, to discuss cutting solutions for unprecedented cultural, economic, environmental and political changes that are happening in our world today.

Thirty-six sessions will explore topics like enabling human and civil rights, new media engagement, new economic models and creative financing. You can simply listen in, or you can fully engage and participate in discussions following the presentations. . . .

One hundred years ago April 15, the Titanic disappeared beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Several have marked this anniversary by noting the similarities between the Titanic and human civilization. In Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron, on the National Geographic channel, James Cameron, director of the blockbuster film, Titanic, aptly turned the event into metaphor:

“Part of the Titanic parable is of arrogance, of hubris, of the sense that we’re too big to fail. There was this big machine, this human system, that was pushing forward with so much momentum that it couldn’t turn, it couldn’t stop in time to avert a disaster. And that’s what we have right now.”  He continues, “We can’t turn because of the momentum of the system, the political momentum, the business momentum.”* . . .

For a month now I’ve been urging people to take our Pledge to Think Small. And I’ve been asking supporters to spread the word and encourage others to take it. I’ve been stupefied by the response. A measly 177 pledgers so far. That is very disappointing. No one likes to admit defeat, and all my corporate spin experience over the years tells me not to be honest about this failure.

In order to be effective, however, I’ve got to be authentic and honest. So today I will lay my soul bare and admit – at least so far – that the Pledge to Think Small is a big bust. I’m not giving up. I still think it’s a good idea. But I’m open to learning from my mistakes. . . .

Greetings from New York City, where GrowthBusters hits the big screen this Thursday. Yesterday was the first day of the SOHO International Film Festival, and it was quite exciting to meet other filmmakers, just as committed to their vision as I am to mine. Get your tickets now to see the New York City premiere of GrowthBusters at 3:30 Thursday.

The theater was packed last night for the screening of The Night Never Sleeps. This is a narrative cop film with Eric Roberts and Armand Assante in supporting roles, made on a shoestring, and quite engaging. The bad guy, played by Russ Carmada, was one of the all-time greats. You really wanted this guy to get his due. My compliments to Fred Carpenter and Russ Carmada for pulling this off. . . .