Jack Alpert’s Top Videos

Welcome to the future world that Jack built

I am making readable transcripts for these videos and, with the video, featuring each as a Medium post. The transcript is created by Otter AI, but requires human editing. The value, importance (for posterity’s sake) of Jack’s work is implied.

The order is as Jack would have you consider his life’s work. SKIL is short for Stanford Knowledge Integration Laboratory, no longer associated with Stanford University as Jack is retired from serving the economy.

Jack is the last active member of a team that formed in the 1970s to think about what a viable, sustainable, hydro-powered (no fossil fuels) civilization that remained within limits long term could look like. The idea is to preserve a remnant of modern techno-industrial society insofar as possible (within biophysical limits of matter-energy flows) in the form of three megacity states. They would be too far apart to be in conflict in a low energy world (no air passenger travel, limited trade via sailing vessels). Each could preserve/retain and add information, the flower and fruit of the last 7 thousand years of human endeavor (the better part), to help posterity understand the planet and live with it properly to persist long term.

Jack Alpert’s videos with transcripts

That humanity wasn’t listening isn’t the team’s fault.

This is Jack’s list, so his name isn’t on it.

After reading William Catton’s Overshoot 1980 book (or at least a summary), read on. Donella Meadow’s book, Thinking in Systems, is to consider. Jack’s videos are within the context of understanding limits to growth and that overgrowth leads to an overshoot debt posterity will soon pay (involuntarily).

The first and second videos are on Medium (and 12 &13), with new ones added every other day. For now, links go to YouTube or Jack’s web site. Current Medium versions will be added to this Medium List.

1. Civilization’s Running out of gas Story (beta5.0)
2. How Much Degrowth Is Enough?
3. Too Many People (SKIL short video series 1–5 in one)
4. Sustainable Civilization Analysis
5. What Collected Behavior Creates Sustainability and Unwinding the Human Predicament (text only)
6. Change the Course — invitation to internet group
7. Economics in 60 Secs
8. Losing Our Energy Slaves
9. Underestimating Overpopulation
10. Rapid Population Decline or Bust
11. Overpopulation Means Civilization Collapse, scarcity/conflict death spiral [links go to 9, don’t have corrected links]
12. How the World Works
13. A Non Injury Producing Civilization — Cacor Oct. 5, 2022, 60 minutes,
14. What Collected Behavior Creates Sustainability

Text and links:

1. Jack’s 600 Word Summary, with links to more videos/content.
2. The Plan for Unwinding the Human Predicament
3. What does a sustainable civilization look like.
4. Design for a Viable Civilization (outline view.
5. Vermont conference workshop June 10th 2013.