Derailment Risk, Doom Loops, and the End of Pretending
Episode description
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In this episode of Wicked Problems, Richard Delevan talks with Laurie Laybourn of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative and James Dyke from the University of Exeter. They tackle the stark reality that the preemptive climate strategies have largely failed and emphasize the need to leverage state capacities discovered during crises like COVID-19 to address the climate emergency. They explore concepts such as 'derailment risk' and discuss the potential catastrophic outcomes of the climate crisis, highlighting the vital need for dramatic policy changes and the role of academia, policymakers, and the private sector in combating climate change. The conversation also touches on the moral implications of surpassing the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold and the cynical role of fossil fuel interests. Dyke and Laybourn underscore the urgency for immediate, effective climate action and cooperation at a global scale.
00:00 Introduction: Extraordinary Times and Climate Challenges
00:20 The Climate Crisis: A Battle Unfought
00:59 Real World Conversations: Experts Weigh In
02:38 Introducing Laurie Laybourne and James Dyke
03:40 The Doom Loop: Climate and Economic Risks
11:05 Cascading Risks and National Security
13:33 State Capacity and Climate Action
24:42 Geoengineering: The Last Resort?
30:30 Complacency in Risk Assessments
31:45 Geoengineering and Emergency Toolkits
32:51 The Urgency of Climate Action
34:53 Societal Change and Optimism
38:22 Financial Markets and Climate Risk
44:39 The Role of Private Capital
54:30 The Reality of Climate Protests
01:01:26 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook
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