In this episode of WTF Now?, Rick Wheatley sits down with Erin Sikorsky - Director of the Center for Climate and Security and author of Climate Change on the Battlefield: to explore how a hotter, more volatile climate is reshaping security, geopolitics, and business risk.From flooded bases to melting runways and strained military deployments, Erin explains why climate change is no longer a future risk but a present operating condition. She demonstrates how extreme weather is already straining armed forces, reshaping national security planning, and presenting new opportunities for adversaries — from extremist groups on the ground to state-backed disinformation campaigns online.Looking beyond the military lens, Rick and Erin connect these trends to the boardroom: what happens when companies still make decisions based on yesterday’s climate, and how organisations that act smartly on climate turn risk into decision advantage and resilience. They also look at the wider geopolitical picture — the retreat from science and evidence in parts of the West, and how Europe and China are positioning themselves in the race for a cleaner, more secure energy system.If you're part of an organisation trying to make sense of a world where risk is compounding faster than our institutions can adapt, this conversation is worth your time.🛎️ Subscribe for more episodes of WTF Now?🔗 Follow us around the web:🌐 Website: http://www.systems7.co💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY▶️ YouTube: https://shorturl.at/KTCwj🍏 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/deldU#ClimateSecurity #NationalSecurity #ClimateRisk #Resilience #Geopolitics #Leadership #RiskManagement #Strategy #WTFNowPodcast

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In this episode, Rick Wheatley sits down with Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb, former Commander of the UK’s Field Army and the SAS, to open Season Two of WTF Now? — and to ask a pressing question: What the hell happened to the West?

From the Cold War to Iraq and Afghanistan, Graeme has spent decades leading through volatility — and now advises global business and political leaders on how to navigate today’s contested, uncertain world.

Together, Rick and Graeme explore:

⚡️ How the West lost its balance and sense of responsibility

⚡️ Why Europe must wake up to the realities of modern conflict

⚡️ What “war” looks like today — from cyber to information

⚡️ And how leaders can build character, culture, and clarity in chaos

A candid, unfiltered conversation about leadership, history, and what it will take to lead through persistent uncertainty.

🛎️ Subscribe for more episodes of WTF Now?

🔗 Follow us around the web:

🌐 Website: http://www.systems7.co

💼 LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/Eu0wY

▶️ YouTube: https://shorturl.at/KTCwj

🎧 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/HsVlW

🍏 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/deldU

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In this episode, Rick and Tariq Fancy, former Chief Investment Officer, Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, unpack why the sustainability movement may have been a dangerous distraction, giving governments cover to avoid real rule changes. We also dive into the deeper political questions—like why the Democrats keep losing—and what business leaders and Europe must do now to avoid getting “dragged into the pit” the US is in. A bold, unfiltered conversation to close out season one. Subscribe for more after the summer.

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Chapters:

00:00 Time to get real about power, democracy and business

02:49 Chapter 1: If you want to close the loopholes, you gotta call in the refs

25:17 Chapter 2: Right and left, top and bottom

47:26 Chapter 3: WTF Now?

Norway electrified faster and earlier than almost anyone, leading the world in renewable power generation, EV uptake and clean heating. Few countries have gone further in proving that a fully electrified society is possible. But instead of building industries to export technology at scale, Norway has largely kept its electricity advantage within its borders, while continuing to export hydrocarbons to the world. In this live episode, Rick Wheatley and Stephen Bull unpack Norway’s split identity, what others are doing to turn electrification into influence, and whether Norway can still lead.

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Chapters:

00:00 Episode 4 live at the Conduit: Norway's split identity - electrostate or petrostate?

01:53 Chapter 1: Norway's split identitty - electrostate or petrostate?

24:25 Chapter 2: A squandered opportunity?

32:33 Chapter 3: How China is converting electrification into jobs, exports and global influence

38:36 Chapter 4: How might Norway seize the moment?

43:26 Live Q&A with in-person and online audience

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As the internet grows more polarised and manipulated, we’re joined by Jon von Tetzchner—co-founder of Opera and CEO of Vivaldi—to reflect on its evolution and where it all went wrong. With rising social and geopolitical tensions, can businesses still rely on a global web and unchecked profiling? A founder driven by purpose over profit, Jon was there from the beginning and shares rare insights on how the internet went from hope to hazard, and what’s now at stake for society and business alike.

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Chapters:

00:00 WTF Now by S7: Episode 3 - How the internet went wrong

02:16 Chapter 1: An origin story – the internet as a force for good for as many people as possible

11:00 Chapter 2: The inflection point – how advertising morphed into social programming

22:37 Chapter 3: What went wrong? (And what about AI?)

31:54 Chapter 4: WTF Now?

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Somewhere along the way, we lost the room. For years, action on climate, inclusion and inequality shaped our politics, jobs and identities. Progress felt inevitable - until it didn’t. Now, many feel anxious, angry, and left out of the future they thought they were building.

This episode’s guest, Yves Daccord, has worked in war zones and boardrooms alike, giving him a rare, human lens on our shifting world. Tune in for his take on what’s happening—and what it will take to build a future that feels safer, saner, and more shared.

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Chapters:

00:00 - WTF Now by S7 – Episode 2: The professionalisation of anger and the people we forgot

03:17 - Chapter 1: The great parenthesis

17:16 - Chapter 2: The professionalisation of anger amid a loss of belonging

29:49 - Chapter 3: A shot of adrenaline to Europe

35:31 - Chapter 4: The next populist movement – young and pissed off

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In this first episode, we sit down with leading energy expert Jan Rosenow to explore—across three chapters—some surprising truths about the energy transition. We start with what we’ve dubbed the inconvenient truth about the energy system, uncovering shocking facts about its inefficiencies. Then, we dive into the hotly debated issue of whether renewable energy is driving up electricity prices, a topic currently making waves in the UK. Finally, we discuss China’s role in the renewable space and explore what Europe must do to avoid falling behind. Happy listening!

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Chapters:

00:00 - Podcast intro: WTF Now? by S7

01:53 - Episode 1 intro: Three things that are still true about the energy transition with Dr. Jan Rosenow

05:02 - Chapter 1: The inconvenient truth of the energy system

20:19 - Chapter 2: Does renewable energy really lead to higher electricity prices?

31:18 - Chapter 3: China and renewables – what's the deal?

The world is crazy confusing at the moment. Long-held assumptions about the fabric of our societies, economies and industries are unravelling. Many business leaders are questioning the course their organisations have been on over the past decades – whether we are talking participation in the energy transition, reliance on cross-border supply chains, ambitious emission targets or their role in society writ large.

And amidst the noise of politicisation, critical information is getting lost.

Our podcast is designed for Nordic and European leaders trying to make sense of the tumult. The format is simple: we'll bring in a thoughtful, interesting expert (whom you probably won´t find in mainstream media) to help us cut through the noise on a hot topic. The plan is to start with four areas of exploration: the energy transition, sustainability and climate, geopolitics, people and society.

If you're a leader asking '#WtfNow?’, this podcast is for you.

Systems7 – S7 for short – is an Oslo-based advisory firm that exists to help the businesses that matter to the future outperform the ones that don’t.

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