Macrodose

Legal scholar Kojo Koram, author of "Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire," dives deep into the enduring economic impacts of colonialism. He argues that discussions about empire shouldn't be relegated to the past, highlighting its role in shaping global inequality and climate crises. Koram reveals how historical ties between corporations and empire continue to perpetuate exploitation, emphasizing the need to confront the legacies of debt that affect poorer nations today. An insightful examination of how past injustices echo into modern economies!

Join acclaimed labor journalist Sarah Jaffe, known for her powerful writings on grief and activism, alongside Camille Barbagallo and Asad Rehman. They dive into the unspoken connection between grief and social movements, advocating for a more empathetic approach to activism. The discussion highlights how personal loss shapes political engagement and builds community resilience, especially in the face of systemic neglect and racial violence. Discover the urgent need to address collective mourning in our fight for justice.

Hans Stegeman, Chief Economist at Triodos Bank, shares his insights as a thought leader in post-growth economics. He challenges the conventional wisdom that perpetual economic growth is the answer to crumbling public services and inequality. The conversation dives into the degrowth movement, advocating for a sustainable economy that respects ecological limits. Hans discusses the myth of green finance and the urgent need for a financial system overhaul, promoting social equity and innovative approaches to international finance for sustainable development.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the wildfires in California and their potentially catastrophic economic fallout (1:20), a New York Times piece on the politics of climate change and whether it’s time for a new “green populism” (11:54), and the financial mess Keir Starmer’s government is already finding itself in (17:00). Biden Left us Behind with a "Prius Economy": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/opinion/electric-vehicles-tax-credits.html For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: India’s economic slowdown and how climate change is transforming traditional models of development (0:48), Trump’s bid to buy Greenland and the geopolitical race for Arctic resources (8:00), and the surprising economics of olive oil, with prices finally expected to fall this year (13:08). For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Macrodose is on a winter break this week, but we’re excited to share a special recording from back in May 2024: the book launch of The Exhausted of the Earth by Ajay Singh Chaudhary. This compelling conversation, hosted by Dalia Gebrial, Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice at King’s College London, dives into the urgent political and scientific realities of the climate crisis. Ajay explores the bitter struggle between those clinging to the power, wealth, and security of the status quo and the rest of us—exhausted, in every sense, by “business-as-usual.” Together, they unpack the radical politics and collective power needed to navigate our burning world, moving beyond survival toward something far better. 📚 The Exhausted of the Earth is available now: Buy the book here. We’ll be back from our winter break very soon with regular Macrodose programming. Thank you for joining us, and stay tuned!

This week, Macrodose teams up with our partner show The Break Down for a special crossover episode. James Meadway and Adrienne Buller look back on the whirlwind that was 2024 – a year defined by political upheaval, economic instability, and escalating climate crises. They revisit the standout stories of the year, from surging infectious diseases and climate-driven inflation to the unraveling of the post-war global order. Looking ahead to 2025, they explore the big macroeconomic trends we need to be tracking and ask: how do we make sense of these challenges, and what does a hopeful, sustainable path forward look like? A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this show possible over the past twelve months. From all of us at Macrodose and The Break Down, we wish you a joyful and restful winter break. For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

On this week's MACRODOSE: James Meadway explores the new Cold War as Trump gears up to escalate US-China trade tensions (1:47) and examines the broader geopolitical and environmental shifts challenging the postwar order (12:04). AI-Generated Production Networks Paper: https://aipnet.io/paper/ For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose. Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk. To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

In 2024, we’re set to break a major climate threshold for the first time: this will be the first calendar year in which global average temperatures breach the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Importantly, while one year at this temperature doesn’t mean all is lost, it does fire a profound warning shot over our faltering progress on mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis. While every fraction of a degree matters when it comes to the climate, the consensus is clear that above 1.5C the severity of impacts and risk of tipping points like mass coral reef die off or the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet become substantially higher. You might therefore expect this to be front page news. Yet compared with its gravity, it has barely made headlines. If, like us, you’re wondering why — as it turns out, this was always part of the plan. In this episode, Adrienne and Andreas Malm break down the concept of “overshoot”, how it’s tied up with the power of fossil fuels, and the future of climate politics, from ecofascism to geoengineering. Andreas Malm is an associate professor at Lund University, an activist and the author of several books, most recently Overshoot: How The World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown, co-written with Wim Carton.

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway discusses the battle to develop climate-resilient potatoes (0:50), a new proposal on revamping Britain’s council farms (7:33) and a brief note on Trump’s new appointments, what can we expect from MAGA 2.0? (11:23). Abundance Report: https://www.in-abundance.org/latest/new-report-food-systems-in-common For more content, including The Fix - Macrodose's monthly newsletter - and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose Got a question or comment? Reach us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to planetbproductions.co.uk