In this revealing interview, journalist Vincent Bevins discussed his newly released book If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution, based on his research of a wide range of social movements between 2010 and 2020. Beginning with an analysis of the "Yellow Vest" protests in France, the discussion focusses on the challenges, nuances, and lessons of building broad social movements—with particular lessons for the climate movement. Vincent highlights the transformative power of social media but also its limitations in fostering genuine, long-lasting change. He underscores the drawbacks of decentralized movements and ambiguous goals identifying potential pitfalls. Drawing from his on-the-ground experiences in Brazil, Vincent emphasizes the significance of recognizing the worldwide repercussions of local endeavors. He also stresses the need for activists to work with governments and state institutions rather than rejecting them, emphasizing that radical change does not necessarily always mean being anti-government.
Vincent Bevins is an award-winning journalist and correspondent. He covered Southeast Asia for the Washington Post, reporting from across the entire region and also served as the Brazil correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, also covering nearby parts of South America. He has written for are the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, the New York Review of Books, the New Republic, and more. His previous book is the Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade And The Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World.
Episode 191: Sir Ronald Cohen, "the father of social investment," discusses how to reshape capitalism to drive real change.
Episode 190: Dr. Xander Dunlap discusses how current environmental policies and "green" technologies are perpetuating ecological destruction.
Episode 189: Interview with Irish rewilding pioneer Eoghan Daltun in the Beara peninsula of Co. Cork, Ireland.
Episode 188: Interview with Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche...offering a distinctive Buddhist outlook on current environmental crises.
Episode 187: Interview with indigenous Australian academic and human and earth rights activist, Dr. Anne Poelina.
Episode 186: Interview with Steve Trent, founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation
Episode 185: Interview with leading French anthropologist Professor Philippe Descola on man's relationship with nature.
Episode 184: Interview with Dr. Matthew J. Bell, EY Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader
Episode 183 Interview with Professor Katharina Pistor on How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality. First aired on December 13th, 2021.
Episode 181: Environmental degradation, capitalism, and imperialism with Jason W Moore
Episode 180 Net Zero: Beyond the hype. Professor Angel Hsu on the reality of Net Zero Pledges
Episode 179: Jeremy Lent talks about finding our place in the universe by integrating science and traditional wisdom
Episode 178: Discussion with Paula DiPerna of the pros and cons of a market based approach to our environmental problems.
Episode 177 Author Ned Beauman talks about his satirical extinction novel, Venemous Lumpsucker. First aired in September 2022.
Episode 176: Interview with Mike Davis, CEO of pioneering campaigning NGO, on their work unmasking global corruption, safeguarding the environment, and advocating for human rights
Episode 175: Dr. Samantha Montano: Understanding Emergency Management in the Climate Change Era
Episode 174: Interview with Professor Daniel Aldrich on resilience and the importance of social capital in post-disaster recovery, first aired October 2021
Episode 173: Interview with Scottish author Martin MacInnes on contemporary literature and the climate crisis
Episode 172: Professor Neta Crawford discusses the emissions of the Pentagon -- the world’s largest single greenhouse gas emitter.
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