I thought this was going to be a conversation about solar energy, decarbonization, ClimateTech, grid infrastructure—I wasn't quite prepared for an in-depth analysis of Pete Hegseth's psychology. Hopefully that gives you a quick sense of what you're in for in this episode!

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BIO: David Roberts runs the Volts newsletter & podcast and lives in Seattle.

Don’t let that brief bio fool you: David Roberts is a man of many talents and interests. Volts is a leading outlet for all things decarbonization—from science and tech to politics to policy. If climate change matters to you, Volts is one of the key places you can go to get a sense of what’s happening, the stakes, and who’s trying to meaningfully create change. Do yourself a favor and go subscribe right now.

Understandably, I was excited to bring David on to talk about electrification—and going in I thought we were going to have a wonky conversation about grid infrastructure, batteries, and all that fun stuff. And we do get into that to a good extent—but what really stands out to me about this interview is David’s impassioned approach to progressive politics. I knew this about him going in; the questions I asked to that effect weren’t afterthoughts—but I was pleasantly surprised at the places this conversation took us, going deep on pressing topics in sociopolitics, from some armchair psychology of leaders in the MAGA movement to the role that radical centrism plays in determining the American political spectrum. David’s longtime tenure as a podcaster shines through—his delivery is on a par with the best comedians, and as you’ll see, there are moments where I cannot make myself stop laughing.

So strap in for this wide-ranging and rollicking conversation with David Roberts.

Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures.

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Kenneth Roberts

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