The ideas we have about our government systems have been dramatically shaped by the energy sources that power them. If the physical characteristics of coal and oil have developed the expectations of our 20th century politics, how they also invent 'the economy'? Will it be possible to sabotage a system that has an entirely different energy profile than the one that gave birth to organized labor?
In Extraenvironmentalist #69 we speak with Timothy Mitchell about our political systems and his book Carbon Democracy: Political Power in the Age of Oil. We discuss the ways coal and oil have transformed collective labor demands, revolutionized our money systems and contributed to our global conflicts. Then, Richard Heinberg updates us on the shale oil bubble and the implications of peak oil as we discuss Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future. Richard reflects on the timing of peak oil predictions and what they may indicate for the upcoming decade.
// Books
Carbon Democracy by Timothy Mitchell
Snake Oil by Richard Heinberg
// News and Other Items Discussed
Krugman Goes Splat sent in by Josh
US Median Wage Stagnation
CNN Money: What I Saw at the Doomsday Prepper Convention
USA Today: Could the Fracking Boom Peter Out Sooner than the DOE Expects?
// Extended Clips (in order of appearance)
[Break] - 29m
Robert Newman - A Short History of Oil
Who Killed the Electric Streetcar
[End]
Democracy Now - Scientists: We Have to Consume Less sent in by James
// Music (in Order of Appearance)
Hobo Jack Adkins - Thirty Inch Coal
Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Louis La Roche Remix) via Earmilk
Phantogram - Celebrating Nothing via The Music Ninja
Smokey Joe & The Kid - Put the Blame on Pete via Speakeasy Electroswing
Will Lamb - This Old Rig
Smallpools - Mason Jar (Monsieur Adi Remix) via Dancing Astronaut
Classix - All You're Waiting For via Gorilla vs Bear
// Production Credits
Our correspondent and editor Kevin via Sustainable Guidance Youtube Channel
This show was supported by donations from our generous listeners:
Aaron in Queensland
Martine in Maryland
Kevin in California
Zach in Illinois
Nancy in Colorado
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