How The Toxicity Crisis Could Cause the Next Economic Crash with Jeremy Grantham | TGS 155

(Conversation recorded on November 5th, 2024) It is no secret that population dynamics significantly impact global stability. But what’s really behind today’s shifting global birth trends, the increased need for medically-assisted pregnancy, and the changing age demographics of industrialized nations? Furthermore, what are the implications of these shifts for future economic security? Today, Nate 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? About Jeremy Grantham: Jeremy Grantham co-founded GMO in 1977 and is a member of GMO’s Asset Allocation team, serving as the firm’s long-term investment strategist. He is a member of the GMO Board of Directors, a partner of the firm, and has also served on the investment boards of several non-profit organizations. Prior to GMO’s founding, Mr. Grantham was co-founder of Batterymarch Financial Management in 1969 where he recommended commercial indexing in 1971, one of several claims to being first. He began his investment career as an economist with Royal Dutch Shell. Mr. Grantham earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Sheffield (U.K.) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, holds a CBE from the UK and is a recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy. Show Notes and More: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/155-jeremy-grantham --- Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/support Join our Substack newsletter: https://natehagens.substack.com/ Join our Discord channel and connect with other listeners: https://discord.gg/ZFfQqtqMJf --- 00:00 - Introduction 03:50 - Recent Findings 08:49 - Loss of Labor 12:26 - Culture or Plastic? 15:05 - Population Implosion 18:13 - Global North vs Global South 20:56 - Upcoming Paper 27:35 - Brain Drain 29:37 - GDP Impacts 33:18 - Impact on Fertility 43:08 - One World, One Health 46:29 - Plasticizers, PFAS, and Agricultural Chemicals 51:28 - Toxicity and Capitalism 01:00:07 - Nonpartisan Wake Up Call 01:05:18 - Household Actions 01:07:55 - Technological Inventions 01:09:46 - Cognitive/Emotional Impacts 01:13:02 - What Would You Do? 01:15:00 - Top Down or Bottom Up? 01:18:24 - Degrowth 01:22:44 - Baby Depletion 01:24:55 - Umbrella Pitch to the Privileged 01:31:10 - Public vs Corporate Interests 01:33:45 - U.S. Lag 01:36:40 - The Future of Capitalism 01:41:58 - Closing Thoughts