Derailment Risk, Doom Loops, and the End of Pretending

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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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