Jacqueline McGlade is Professor of Resilience and Sustainable Development at University College London. She is also the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment at Gresham College and Professor at Strathmore University Business School in Kenya. A marine biologist by training, Jacqueline was Chief Scientist and Director of the Science Division of the UN Environment Programme from 2003 to 2013 and before that, served as Executive Director of the European Environment Agency. However, today she is more likely to be found exploring ideas through working with local communities in Kenya than frequenting high-powered meetings at international organisations. Indeed, as you will hear, in a curious twist of fate, Jacqueline became a member of the Maasai tribe in 2016 through marriage to a Maasai chief and has relocated to live near the Maasai Mara Nature Reserve in Kenya. As we explore in our conversation, this life experience gives Jacqueline a unique perspective on the interface between culture, science and politics. Her career has been strongly informed by the complex interplay of data and communication and the ways in which science is filtered through the worldview of the beholder. An early love for languages also played a key role, revealing communication as a portal to mutual understanding across cultural realities. Ultimately, Jacqueline argues for more empathy in science and a willingness among her colleagues to communicate their knowledge in a way which meets people where they are. In honouring our shared humanity in the act of communication, Jacqueline suggests we invite a deeper sense of mutual responsibility and care to naturally arise. Jacqueline tweets @JacquieMcGlade You can learn more about Jacqueline’s work here on her UCL webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/igp/professor-jacqueline-mcglade And watch Jacqueline’s lecture series at Gresham College here: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch/?subject=&subcat=&files=&year=&search=mcglade

Bayo Akomolafe is a prolific essayist, speaker and activist, a professor of psychology, a master wordsmith and executive director of the Emergence Network. An acute observer of our troubled times, Bayo has a gift for capturing the awkward confusion of our present predicament in phrases like “the times are urgent, let us slow down.” In this conversation, Bayo invites us to sit with our awkward confusion as we explore vulnerability as strength, the acceleration of history, race and reparations, the “mind forged manacles” of our times, as well as agency in times in crisis, and much, much more. This was a real mind-bending or, more accurately, question-bending conversation, we hope that you enjoy it as much as we did. Bayo Akomolafe writes at his website: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/ And tweets @BayoAkomolafe: https://twitter.com/BayoAkomolafe Some of the essays that we discussed in this conversation include: • ‘Dear White People’: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/dear-white-people • ‘Let’s Meet at the Crossroads’: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/lets-meet-at-the-crossroads • ‘What Climate Collapse Asks of Us’: http://www.emergencenetwork.org/whatclimatecollapseasksofus/ • ‘The Times are Urgent: Let’s Slow Down’: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/the-times-are-urgent-lets-slow-down • ‘I, Coronavirus. Mother. Monster. Activist’: http://www.emergencenetwork.org/icoronavirus/ The Emergence Network website can be found here: http://www.emergencenetwork.org/ You can find out more about his course in ‘postactivism’: ‘We Will Dance With Mountains’ at this webpage: https://course.bayoakomolafe.net/

Vinay Gupta is a leading figure in the blockchain space, having coordinated the release of the blockchain platform Ethereum in 2015. He is the Founder and CEO of Mattereum, a company which uses the blockchain to eliminate transaction risk from on-chain trade of physical assets. Vinay is also a prolific writer, commentator and futurist, building upon decades of research and strategic expertise across energy policy, defence, disaster relief and infrastructure risk, with stints at the Rocky Mountain Institute, US Department of Defense and an associate fellowship at UCL Institute for Security and Resilience. A proponent of techno-realism, Vinay argues that technology and engineering can contribute to positive social transformation and help deal with resource scarcity. As we explore in this conversation, a radical realism also pervades his politics – with Vinay’s trademark acuity and provocative ‘breaking the frame’ approach on full display! In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss why “collapse” is already here and its relationship to income, wealth and power inequality, the historical antecedents to our predicament and why existing governance structures are no longer fit for purpose, as well as what is blocking a credible programme of action on the climate emergency. In a provocative thought experiment, Vinay challenges us to identify the simplest change that can be made to a broken system to get working change. His answer? A radical electoral reform to ensure that the core body politic has a compelling stake in the future. See what you think. Vinay tweets @leashless His company Mattereum can be found here: https://mattereum.com/ For information on his work in the field of humanitarian design: http://myhopeforthe.world/ His most recent book is The Future of Stuff, published in association with Tortoise Media: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Stuff-Vinay-Gupta-ebook/dp/B08B4F5QK3

Robyn Eckersley is Professor and Head of Political Science in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia where she specialises in environmental governance, politics, political theory and international relations. She was elected as Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 2007 and in 2019, she received a Distinguished Scholar Award from the Environmental Studies Section of the International Studies Association. Robyn has been working at the interface of deep ecology, green political theory and international relations scholarship for over two decades. In her 2004 book ‘The Green State’, she laid out her argument for a ‘critical political ecology’ as a paradigm to navigate the political challenge of ‘greening states’, a theme which has continued to animate her work. Robyn has also been a vocal advocate for climate justice in the UN intergovernmental system, a shrewd analyst of the US’s role as a swing state in the long history of climate negotiations, and – most recently – begun evaluating the climate emergency movement and its implications for the future of the state and democracy. In this conversation, Robyn helps us take stock of where we are five years after the landmark Paris Agreement. We discuss why current targets are unlikely to cut it unless ambitious concrete action is brought forward to 2030. We probe the imperative of tackling pervasive structural injustices which continue to perpetuate harm upon those most vulnerable to climate extremes, as well as the complex moral terrain posed by the issue of historic responsibility. Switching gears, Robyn revisits her earlier work on the transformation of the state in a context of ecological crisis and some of the opportunities, challenges and contradictions which the current moment throw up, not least the spectacle of the military declaring their green credentials on the battlefield. We also reflect on the enduring value of Robert Cox’s seminal distinction between problem-solving and critical theory, and its modification to ‘critical problem-solving’ in light of the pressing, pragmatic challenge of transformative change. Robyn closes by reflecting on what deep ecology means for better understanding our relationship between the human and non-human in environmentalism, as well as – riffing on Sarah Parkin’s popular book – a call to all young people to be ‘positive deviants’ and to insist that everyone “walks the walk” when it comes to the climate emergency. Robyn can be found here: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/1470-robyn-eckersley She tweets @EckersleyRobyn Publications we discussed include: Robyn Eckersley, ‘Greening states and societies: from transitions to great transformations’, Environmental Politics vol. 30(1-2), pp. 245-265. Robyn Eckersley (2017), ‘Geopolitan Democracy in the Anthropocene’, Political Studies vol. 65(4), pp. 983-999. Peter Christoff and Robyn Eckersley. 2013. Globalisation and the Environment. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. Robyn Eckersley. 2004. The Green State: Rethinking Democracy and Sovereignty. Cambridge: MIT Press. Robyn Eckersley. 1992. Environmentalism and Political Theory: Toward an Ecocentric Approach. State University of New York Press.

Dr Zak Stein is a writer, futurist, and transformative educator working to bring a greater sense of justice and sanity to education. He is also a founding member of The Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue. Zak was educated at Hampshire College and received his PhD from Harvard University, where he studied educational neuroscience, human development, and the philosophy of education. While at Harvard, he also co-founded Lectica, a non-profit organization dedicated to redesigning standardized testing infrastructures. His most recent book, Education in a Time Between Worlds, grapples with the dangers posed by a profound learning and capacity deficit in a time of civilization-wide transformation. From climate change to politics, agriculture to economics, Zak argues that the world we have known is rapidly disappearing and it is now an existential imperative that we transform education systems if we are to survive the planetary crises currently underway. Planetary wellbeing ultimately depends upon schools, technology and society being re-envisioned toward empowering the world’s youngest citizens to comprehend and respond appropriately to global challenges of unprecedented size and scope. Zak currently serves as the academic director for the Center for Integral Wisdom, and offers human development and learning science consultations to schools, organizations, and educational technology companies. For more information about The Consilience Project at https://consilienceproject.org/ Zak has published two books: Social Justice and Educational Measurement: http://www.zakstein.org/social-justice-and-educational-measurement-book-release-announcement/ Education in a Time Between Worlds: http://www.zakstein.org/education-in-a-time-between-worlds-book-release/ A range of other publications, including his essay ‘If education is not the answer you are asking the wrong question’, are available here: http://www.zakstein.org/publications/

Sophie Harman is Professor of International Politics at Queen May University of London with interests spanning global health, African Agency, film and visual methods, and gender politics. Sophie has pushed the boundaries of International Relations (IR) scholarship more than most, notably through her use of visual mediums to convey the lived experience of those at the receiving end of global health programmes. In 2019, she was nominated for the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer for her work on the feature film Pili which tells the story of women living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. Sophie has recently published the book Seeing Politics: Film, Visual Method and International Relation and was awarded the Joni Lovenduski Prize for outstanding professional achievement by a mid-career scholar by the Political Science Association (PSA) in 2018. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss why visual politics, as well as emotion, are important frontiers for the future of IR scholarship. Sophie reflects on the trials and tribulations of pursuing a film project in a profession not known for risk-taking. Beyond the razmataz of the BAFTA red carpet, we discuss how the film Pili provides a portal into questions of global health, power relations, colonial legacies, and gender inequity. Sophie highlights the importance of storytelling and giving space to those stories which are almost never heard in the corridors of power. Recalling James C. Scott’s famous work, Weapons of the Weak, we also discuss how people at the receiving end of global governance programmes make sense of politics and reclaim agency in their dealings with often remote international bureaucracies. Sophie also tackles head on the pathologies of reproducing tired gender narratives in a context of accelerating global health securitization and privatization, as well as why getting the basics right would be a good start for an international sector beset by problems of accountability. And we also find time for a few words on Covid-19. Sophie can be found here: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/politics/staff/profiles/harmansophie.html She tweets @DrSophieHarman Projects and publications we discussed include: The film PILI: Pili lives in rural Tanzania, working the fields for less than $2 a day to feed her two children and struggling to manage her HIV-positive status in secret. Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/192767913 Available to view here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pili-Bello-Rashid/dp/B07MJM1LB4 ‘Making of’ film blog here: https://notanotheraidsfilm.com/ Seeing Politics: Film, Visual Method and International Relations (McGill-Queen’s University Press): https://www.mqup.ca/seeing-politics-products-9780773557314.php ‘Threat not solution: gender, global health security and COVID-19’, International Affairs: https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/97/3/601/6180992?login=true

Daniel Schmachtenberger is a social philosopher and founding member of The Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue. The through line of his interests has to do with ways of improving the health and development of individuals and society, with a virtuous relationship between the two as a goal. Towards these ends, he has a particular interest in the topics of catastrophic and existential risk, civilization and institutional decay and collapse as well as progress, collective action problems, social organization theories, and the relevant domains in philosophy and science. Motivated by the belief that advancing collective intelligence and capacity is foundational to the integrity of any civilization, and necessary to address the unique risks we currently face given the intersection of globalization and exponential technology, he has spoken publicly on many of these topics, hoping to popularize and deepen important conversations and engage more people in working towards their solutions. Many of these can be found at http://civilizationemerging.com/media/ In this conversation, we explore why it is now imperative to figure out a whole new world system given the catastrophic risk landscape that we confront. Daniel argues that in the face of exponential curves proliferating across systems – human, technological and geophysical – we need to develop a novel set of solutions for how we coordinate at scale. The task ahead of us is nothing less than to foster a global social, technological and educational zeitgeist, one which can prevent existential risk in a way commensurate to our deepest values for participatory and empowered governance. For more information about The Consilience Project at https://consilienceproject.org/

Dr Patrick Ophuls (who writes under the pen name William Ophuls) is an American political scientist, ecologist, independent scholar and author. He is known for his pioneering role in the modern environmental movement. A prominent voice in the environmental movement since the 1970s, Patrick received his PhD in political science from Yale University in 1973. His 1977 book Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity was awarded the Sprout Prize from the International Studies Association. Subsequent work has sought to bring to public attention some of the ecological, social, and political implications of modern industrial civilization. In his 2011 book, Plato’s Revenge: Politics in the Age of Ecology, Patrick argues that political struggle must now urgently focus on making ecology the master science and Gaia the key metaphor of our age. In this conversation, we discuss why we need to stop thinking of ourselves as somehow above or outside the natural systems that support us. We also explore how humanity’s efforts to embrace the politics of ecology could well prove to be the defining story of this century if we are to avoid indulging the tragedy of homo (in)sapiens. Patrick’s publication include: Immoderate Greatness: Why Civilizations Fail (2012) Plato’s Revenge: Politics in the Age of Ecology (2011) Requiem for modern politics: the tragedy of the enlightenment and the challenge of the new millennium (1997) Ecology and the politics of scarcity (1977) Episode image by Raul Lieberwirth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lanier67/6825685137/

Professor Richard Falk taught at Princeton University Politics department for over 40 years and has published more than 50 books and many articles on global politics and international law. A self-described, “citizen pilgrim”, he decided early on that his career would combine academic work with an ethical obligation to speak out on questions of global and local justice. A prominent voice in the nuclear deproliferation movement, Professor Falk was chair of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s Board of Directors until 2012. And in his most prominent role in recent years, in 2008 Professor Falk was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights by the UN Human Rights Council where he served until 2014. Perhaps less well known, Professor Falk was a key figure in scholarly political debates on world order and systems change through the 1960s and 70s, alongside scholars including Ken Waltz, Hedley Bull, Harold Lasswell and Immanuel Wallerstein. Professor Falk was also one of the first global political scholars to take seriously the ecological, demographic and biosocial aspects of the future of world order, as explored in his 1971 book ‘The Endangered Planet’. We discuss this rich intellectual heritage, what lessons we might excavate from these earlier debates for today, and how the shadow of history looms large over our current challenges, which, while formidable, also present opportunities for revitalising understandings of citizenship in our uniquely globalised civilisation. * We unfortunately experienced some technical problems with the sound in this episode. We hope that you will nevertheless enjoy this conversation. Richard can be found on his website Global Justice in the 21st Century. We discussed the following publications: Public Intellectual: The Life of a Citizen Pilgrim (2021) Twilight of the Nation-State (at a Time of Resurgent Nationalism) (2020) This Endangered Planet: Prospects and Proposals for Human Survival (1971)

Jonathan Rowson is co-founder and Director of Perspectiva. He was previously Director of the Social Brain Centre at the RSA. Jonathan is an applied philosopher with degrees from Oxford, Harvard and Bristol Universities. In a former life he was a chess Grandmaster and British Champion (2004–6) and views the game as a continuing source of insight and inspiration. Towards the end of 2017, Jonathan was awarded an Open Society Foundation (OSF) Fellowship to inquire into the putative crisis in human rights. The essay which resulted – formulated as a letter to the Human Rights Movement – provides a deep and broad reflection into the crisis of human rights as symptomatic of a deeper and broader “meta-crisis:” a crisis in our perception and understanding of the world’s challenges. It was brilliant to welcome Jonathan to our first Podclass with students from our MA in Human Rights programme. The conversation gives a flavour of a provocative and insightful essay which provides valuable coordinates for exploring the status of human rights in these perilous times and their enduring relevance to a world defined by global systemic challenges. Jonathan can be found on twitter at: @Jonathan_Rowson The essay ‘Dear Human Rights Movement’ is available here. Other recent writings include: Tasting the Pickle: Ten flavours of meta-crisis and the appetite for a new civilisation, February 2021. The Moves That Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life (2019). Bloomsbury Publishing. Bildung in the 21st Century – Why sustainable prosperity depends upon reimagining education, June 2019.