Macrodose

In a new show from Macrodose:The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley break down the week’s biggest economic stories and what they mean for all of us.

In this excerpt, they discuss the Bank of England’s interest rate cut and its forecast of 3.5% inflation- are we seeing the return of stagflation? (0:40)

In the full episode, James and Grace examine why Britain’s gas prices are soaring, and tackle a listener question: where do they stand on the hotly debated notion of techno-feudalism?

The extended version of this show is available to Macrodose Patreon members. Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the Bank of England’s gloomy forecast for the UK economy (1:08), new warnings about just how water-hungry Britain’s data centres will be (6:23), and how the rising price of eggs is the fresh political headache for US president Donald Trump (13:57).

Red Shadow - 'Stagflation'

Jo Michell - 'Rate cuts won’t save us: why Rachel Reeves must do more to fix the economy'

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at ⁠[email protected]⁠.

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to ⁠planetbproductions.co.uk⁠.

In the first episode of The Curve, James Meadway and Grace Blakeley dive deeper into the economic stories hitting the headlines and what they mean for all of us. First up is US President Donald Trump announcing a slew of tariffs that have provoked reaction globally.

The extended version of this show is available to Macrodose Patreon members. Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: how China’s new DeepSeek AI model is sparking chaos in Silicon Valley (0:38), a look back at the first 10 days of Trump 2.0 and the early economic trends emerging (6:53), and a listener question: what the hell is Trump coin, and why is it now worth millions of dollars? (13:18).

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.Got a question or comment?

Reach out to us at [email protected].

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

In the media, the importance of the legacies of empire and colonialism are often dismissed, with the public conversation often centring on the "culture war" elements of this history, from debates about statues to institutions like the National Trust becoming "woke". The implication of much of this discourse is that empire and colonialism are features of the past, and should be left there.In reality, it is far from that simple. Our guest for Episode 18 is legal scholar Kojo Koram, whose first book, Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire, unpacks how the legacies of empire continue to structure every part of our unequal global economy, from international tribunals that protect corporate interests to the systems that leave countries trapped in cycles of debt. Rather than a thing of the past, Kojo expertly breaks down just how present empire really is, and critically, how it has shaped both the roots and impacts of climate and ecological crisis.

James is on personal leave this week, so we’re bringing you a special recording from October 2024: the book launch of From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire by Sarah Jaffe. Find the full episode at patreon.com/Macrodose.

Grief is everywhere in today’s world, yet even in our movement spaces, it’s often a topic left unspoken. As we navigate an era of intersecting crises, how can we carve out space for our essential human needs—rest, care, and time to mourn—while organising to meet the urgent challenges of our time?

Sarah is an acclaimed labour journalist based in New Orleans, USA, is the best-selling author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion To Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone and Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt.

This event is guest-hosted by Dalia Gebrial, Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice at King’s College London, and features Camille Barbagallo and Asad Rehman - interviewees in Sarah’s book, offering their powerful perspectives on grief and organising.

Buy the book: From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire

James will be back behind the microphone very soon, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this important and inspiring conversation.

Politics is increasingly polarised, but if there’s one thing politicians of all major parties can agree on, it’s growth — that their political rivals failed to deliver growth, that we need more of it, and that getting it will solve all of our problems, from inequality and poverty to crumbling public services and stalling investment.

But not everyone agrees. For a growing movement of post-growth and degrowth economists, economic growth is neither neutral nor desirable. Instead, many increasingly call for the abandonment of our growth-dependent economic model on the basis that unfettered growth is driving our climate and ecosystems to the brink.

Our guest today, Hans Stegeman, is an unusual figure in this community — a banker who wants finance, and the wider economy, to move beyond growth for the sake of the planet. Hans is Chief Economist at Triodos Bank, as well as a leading writer and thinker on post-growth economics. In today’s episode, Hans and Adrienne discuss degrowth, the myth of green finance, and why breaking the rules of mainstream economics is the first step to a sustainable future.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the wildfires in California and their potentially catastrophic economic fallout (1:20), a New York Times piece on the politics of climate change and whether it’s time for a new “green populism” (11:54), and the financial mess Keir Starmer’s government is already finding itself in (17:00).

Biden Left us Behind with a "Prius Economy": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/opinion/electric-vehicles-tax-credits.html

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at [email protected].

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: India’s economic slowdown and how climate change is transforming traditional models of development (0:48), Trump’s bid to buy Greenland and the geopolitical race for Arctic resources (8:00), and the surprising economics of olive oil, with prices finally expected to fall this year (13:08).

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.

Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at [email protected].

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Macrodose is on a winter break this week, but we’re excited to share a special recording from back in May 2024: the book launch of The Exhausted of the Earth by Ajay Singh Chaudhary.

This compelling conversation, hosted by Dalia Gebrial, Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice at King’s College London, dives into the urgent political and scientific realities of the climate crisis. Ajay explores the bitter struggle between those clinging to the power, wealth, and security of the status quo and the rest of us—exhausted, in every sense, by “business-as-usual.”

Together, they unpack the radical politics and collective power needed to navigate our burning world, moving beyond survival toward something far better.

📚 The Exhausted of the Earth is available now: Buy the book here.

We’ll be back from our winter break very soon with regular Macrodose programming. Thank you for joining us, and stay tuned!