Fascinating interview exploring the interwoven geopolitical, economic, and political history of Western democratic societies since the early 20th century, revealing the way in which the battles for energy and for resources has shaped politics, the fault lines ultimately leading to many recent crises. Helen shares her perspective on the evolving relationship between the US and China—the underlying dynamics, emphasising how the Chinese leadership thinks in strategic terms about green energy –unlike the US. Helen also highlights the scale of the challenge of the energy transition which, she argues, is often underestimated, pointing out how energy transitions in the age of fossil fuels has largely been about more energy sources, not directly replacing one energy source with another.
Helen Thompson is Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge and a fellow and Director of Studies at Clare College, Cambridge. Her current research concentrates on the political economy of energy and the long history of the democratic, economic, and geopolitical disruptions of the twenty-first century. She is the author of Oil and the Western Economic Crisis (2017), China and the Mortgaging of America (2010), and Might, Right, Prosperity and Consent: Representative Democracy and the International Economy (2008). Helen is a contributing writer to the New Statesman and has written articles for the London Review of Books, the New York Times, and the Financial Times. Her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st century was published in February.
Episode 132: Interview with Professor Katharine Hayhoe on how to have a conversation on the highly politicised and divisive subject of climate change
Episode 131: Interview with French anthropologist Professor Philippe Descola on our relationship with nature
Episode 130: Interview with Professor Stephen Macekura exploring critiques of economic growth across the twentieth-century
Episode 129: Interview with James Cameron, a Friend of COP26, about the prospects for COP26
Episode 128: The Geopolitics of Climate Change: interview with Gerald Butts, Vice Chairman of the political risk consultancy, Eurasia Group
Episode 127: Innovation Forum Founder Toby Webb on building resilient smallholder supply chains and sustainability trends within the food industry
Episode 126: Nigel Topping, the UK's High-Level Climate Action Champion, on COP26
Episode 125: Interview with Jeremy Lent on finding our place in the universe by integrating science and traditional wisdom
Episode 124: Interview with Professor Daniela Gabor on funding the transition to a low carbon economy
Episode 123: interview with economic anthropologist Dr Jason Hickel about his most recent book Less is more: How Degrowth will save the world
Episode 122: Interview with Professor Wendy Brown, author In the Ruins of Neoliberalism: The Rise of AntiDemocratic politics in the West.
Episode 121: Interview with Kevin Starr, the founder of the Mulago Foundation--which funds high-impact organizations working on alleviating poverty
Episode 120: Interview with Joanna Pocock, author of Surrender, exploring the changing landscape and cultures of the American West
Episode 119: Interview with Dr Jeffrey Kiehl, climate scientist and Jungian analyst
Episode 118: Interview with Professor Rupert Read, former XR spokesperson, author of Parents for a Future
Episode 117: Interview with Dale Jamieson, Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy, New York University on environmental justice.
Episode 116: Interview with Johan Frijns, the director of BankTrack, whose mission is to stop banks from financing harmful business activities.
Episode 115: Interview with John Clark, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University, director of La Terre Institute for Community and Ecology
Episode 114: Professor Tim Lenton discusses Gaia 2.0
Episode 113: Interview with Jagdeesh Rao, Curator - Promise of Commons initiative, and former CEO FES
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