Macrodose

The Break—Down returns! This week Adrienne returns for a fascinating conversation with Brazilian sociologist, political economist, author, and activist, Sabrina Fernandes.

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, or Lula, was re-elected as the President of Brazil in 2022, defeating Jair Bolsonaro in a tense election, the Brazilian left and many around the world breathed an almost literal sigh of relief. Under Bolsonaro, Brazil’s ecological and climate record was scorched, with deforestation in the Amazon reaching record highs.

Hopes were high, and for good reason: Lula campaigned on the rights of the working class and Brazil’s Indigenous peoples; under his watch deforestation quickly began to fall; and at COP27 in Egypt he declared in no uncertain terms: "Brazil is back." 

Yet Lula’s record so far is complex, particularly when it comes to the challenges and perceived trade-offs of economic development and the climate, all while managing powerful competing forces in Brazilian politics. 

As COP30 begins in Belém Brazil, Adrienne is joined by Sabrina Fernandes, an economic sociologist and head of research at the Alameda Institute, to discuss her essay “Lula’s Dilemma”, which she wrote for the second print issue of the BREAK—DOWN, on the complexities of Brazilian ecological politics, the power of big agri-business and what we can expect from Brazil’s leadership of this year’s climate conference. 

Further reading: Sabrina Fernandes, ⁠Lula’s Dilemma⁠, The BREAK—DOWN

Subscribe to the BREAK—DOWN for just £15/year.

In a special Budget crossover episode, James Meadway is joined by Carys Afoko, Host of Over the Top and Under the Radar, and Hannah Peaker, deputy chief executive at the New Economics Foundation, and occasional host of their New Economics Podcast.

Together, they give their reaction to Rachel Reeves' budget that could seal her and Keir Starmer's future.

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.

This week on The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Antonia Jennings - chief executive at the centre for London.

Together they discuss Rachel Reeves' upcoming budget blunders (1:36).

In the full version of the show available exclusively to Patreon supporters, James and Antonia also discuss the series of changes to Britain's asylum system announced this week by home secretary Shabana Mahmood (28:24), and how energy companies have recorded record profits in the UK (42.38)

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 episode of Macrodose, James Meadway takes a look at the context surrounding the world's climate negotiations as delegates gather in Brazil for COP30 (1:26), and how the world is looking to adapt to a hotter global climate (8:00).

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.

This week on The Curve, James Meadway is joined by author and journalist Sarah Jaffe who has covered New York politics extensively.

Together, they discuss Zohran Mamdani's momentous victory in New York's mayoral election and what it means for the future of economic populism on the left.

In the full episode James and Sarah also discuss UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalling that she's planning tax rises in the upcoming budget.

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.

James Meadway is away this week but we wanted to leave you with this important conversation from June 2023, directly relevant to the current fears that the AI bubble is about to burst. It's with Richard Jones - professor of materials physics and innovation policy at the University of Manchester, and a fellow at the royal society - and the conversation is about semiconductors - a material roadblocks to AI expansion.

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.

Overshoot affects everything - where do we start?

In this bonus episode, a panel of leading climate thinkers and doers discuss the implications of 1.5C overshoot for law, geopolitics, activism, and more.

Host Laurie Laybourn is joined by Arlo Brady (Freuds), Olivia Lazard (Berggruen Institute), Harj Narulla (Doughty Street Chambers), and Clover Hogan (Force of Nature).

The conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the Freuds Group HQ in London. It has been edited for conciseness.

***

OVERSHOOT is a new four-part audio documentary hosted by climate researcher and policy advisor Laurie Laybourn. OVERSHOOT is produced by Planet B Productions and the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For essays and bonus content, sign up at overshootpod.com or follow @overshootpod on social media.

Writer and presenter: Laurie Laybourn

Researcher: Ben Shread-Hewitt

Production coordination: Daniel Norman

Script consulting: Daniel Trilling

Sound design and mix: Ben Heyderman and James Fox

Original music by Haniell

With special thanks to Freuds for hosting us and Ren Balogun and the team, as well as all those who joined us. Apologies to those whose questions we had to cut from the edit; there just wasn’t enough room! 

Today we are posting a bonus episode recorded by our friends over at Transition Security Project. In this fascinating discussion, former Macrodose guests Laleh Khalili and Thea Riofrancos are joined by Stephen Semler, co-founder of Security Policy Reform Institute, and Ilias Alami, Assistant Professor in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge, to discuss how Western military industrial complexes are threatening the climate transition.

Transition Security Project is a new research centre founded jointly by Common Wealth and the Climate and Community Institute, focused on developing alternative approaches to security and collaborating with trade unions on just transition plans for the military industry.

Find their work here: https://transitionsecurity.org

Chair:

* Laleh Khalili is Director of the Centre for Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter, where she researches empire, extractivism and maritime trade. Her books include Sinews of War and Trade, Extractive Capitalism and Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine. Laleh is a fellow of Transition Security Project.

Speakers:

* Stephen Semler is the co-founder of Security Policy Reform Institute, a think tank that works to align US foreign policy with working-class interests. He is an expert at Forum on the Arms Trade and writes for the Quincy Institute, Security in Context and his newsletter, Polygraph. Stephen is a fellow of Transition Security Project and the author of a forthcoming essay on the class politics of the military industrial complex.

* Thea Riofrancos is Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, where she works on resource extraction, climate crisis and the global energy transition. She is the author of Extraction and Resource Radicals. Thea is Strategic Co-Director of Climate and Community Institute, which cohosts Transition Security Project.

* Ilias Alami is Assistant Professor in the Political Economy of Development at the University of Cambridge, where he writes about state capitalism, geopolitics, and the green transition. He is the author of The Spectre of State Capitalism and Money, Power and Financial Capital in Emerging Markets. Ilias is a fellow of Transition Security Project and the author of a forthcoming essay on AI, imperialism and resource conflicts.

Khem Rogaly, Patrick Bigger and Lorah Steichen from Transition Security Project offer brief responses to each speaker.

https://www.common-wealth.org⁠

This week on The Curve, James Meadway is joined by Nicholas Beuret - author of Or Something Worse:Why We Need to Disrupt the Climate Transition⁠.

Together, they discuss mounting speculation over the upcoming budget and the longevity of Keir Starmer's premiership.

In the extended episode, available to Macrodose members on Patreon, they discuss Nicholas' new book on how the push for net zero has become a new arena for class conflict, and also respond to a listener question on government debt. 

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.

How can we be resilient to what comes next?

One of Spain’s worst disasters was driven by climate change. But it ended up boosting climate deniers. This episode explores how to avoid this, what it really means to prepare for a world above 1.5°C, and why governments are clinging to fantasy preparation plans. And we hear the stories of how we can stay focused on navigating the growing climate storm. 

***

OVERSHOOT is a new four-part audio documentary hosted by climate researcher and policy advisor Laurie Laybourn. OVERSHOOT is produced by Planet B Productions and the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For essays and bonus content, sign up at overshootpod.com or follow @overshootpod on social media.

***

Writer and presenter: Laurie Laybourn

Researcher: Ben Shread-Hewitt

Production coordination: Daniel Norman

Script consulting: Daniel Trilling

Sound design and mix: Ben Heyderman and James Fox

Original music by Haniell

With special thanks to Aaron Thierry, Mirte Boot, James Dyke, Henry Throp, Stephen Backhouse, Sophia Lennon