How have humans become powerful enough to disrupt the world's climate, trigger the sixth mass extinction, and cause serious harm to the biosphere? And with all the abilities and technologies we've accrued, why do we so often oppress instead of uplift one another? Join us as we explore the hidden driver behind the converging crises of the 21st century. It all comes down to power - our pursuit of it, overuse of it, and abuse of it. Learn how different forms of power arose, what they mean for us today, and why giving up power just might save us.
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Melody Travers
Something's been bothering me. How is it that humans have become powerful enough to disrupt the world's climate?
Richard Heinberg
And here's another question. We humans have some amazing abilities, but why do we so often use them to oppress instead of uplifting one another?
Rob Dietz
Yeah, all around me, I see people living in tents on the streets here in the wealthiest country in the world, and we know more than ever before about ecology, but we're still wrecking the biosphere.
Melody Travers
Well, you're in the right place. This is the story of power, limits and prospects for human survival. I'm your host Melody Travers, and I'll be your guide as we explore this world-changing idea.
Rob Dietz
I'm Rob Dietz. And I mostly want to know how to avoid a future where my daughter and I are pushing a shopping cart across a barren hellscape.
Richard Heinberg
And I'm Richard Heinberg, the author of Power, and the victim of a lifelong obsession with exploring the human sustainability predicament.
Melody Travers
In this podcast, we explore the hidden driver behind the converging crises we now face, like climate change, economic inequality, and the catastrophic disappearance of wildlife. These crises can all be traced back to power, our pursuit of it, our overuse of it, our abuse of it. It's all based on the research for Richard's new book, Power, which Bloomberg included in its list of the most mind-blowing, urgent titles of 2021. And I get to ask Richard all the questions I wrote in the margins.
Richard Heinberg
That's why I'm here.
Melody Travers
Join us as we explore how different forms of power arose, what they mean for us today, and why giving up power just might save us.