Podcasts about Global South

Major economies around the world are grappling with electricity grids under stress from equipment bottlenecks and workforce shortages. What can be done to solve it? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi talks with Manoj Sinha, CEO of Husk Power Systems, about distributed energy resources and their potential to bring electricity to where it is needed most — from energy-poor regions in the Global South, to energy-hungry data centres in rich countries. Husk Power Systems Electricity Is Now Holding Back Growth Across the Global Economy Renewables Are Cheap. Why Aren’t People Seeing Their Bills Fall? Q&A: Got a question for Akshat and the Bloomberg Green team that you'd like to hear answered on Zero? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Marilen Martin Somer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Laura Millan and Sharon Chen. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the future of clean energy isn't decided in Washington, Brussels, or Beijing, but in Lagos, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa? Are we underestimating how fast the Global South is leapfrogging fossil fuels? And what happens when clean energy becomes the cheapest, fastest path to development, not a climate sacrifice?In this episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined for a third time by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN Energy. Together, they explore how Africa and the wider Global South are quietly reshaping the global energy transition, from rapid growth in solar, storage, mini-grids, and EVs to bold policy moves that many developed economies haven't dared to make.They dive into why energy access is about dignity, health, and gender equality; why finance, not technology, is the real bottleneck; and how local capital, data, and innovation could determine whether “Most of World” powers its future with clean energy or fossil fuels.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more:Sustainable Energy For All: https://www.seforall.orgDamilola's past appearances on Cleaning Up:https://youtu.be/TbN1Y1C0idohttps://youtu.be/VcpNOmm1pMwBan Ki-moon on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/B14_MeRhfBwThe Sierra Leone Documentary: https://youtu.be/z-5QjSfy2SMClemens Calice on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/urmP7zN6n04Alain Ebobissé on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/ISTvp0BQz3E

In Episode 339, Kestrel welcomes Beth Jensen, the Chief Impact Officer at Textile Exchange, to the show. Leading the organization's efforts to achieve beneficial climate and nature impacts, Beth oversees key functions at Textile Exchange including impact data and Life Cycle Assessment studies; impact tools and reporting mechanisms; reports and research; fundraising; and public affairs/policy. "A big part of vulnerability is really admitting that you don't have all the answers. So in sustainability, in fashion, apparel, and textile space, this is just the way we have to operate. If you said you had all the answers, you wouldn't be taken seriously in this space … What you present as data might change the next time you present it because you have new and better information. You just have to be able to work in the gray and really take the best available information and make informed decisions based on that information." -Beth THEME — DATA & FASHION: METHODS & ACCESS Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to remind us all that FASHION IS POLITICAL.   Whenever a big politically-charged moment arises in the U.S., there is this narrative I see creeping around that expects fashion (brands, designers, creators, etc) to stay silent on quote unquote political issues – that fashion should stay in its so-called lane, detached from the world around it.  Here's the thing – FASHION IS POLITICAL. It always has been and it always will be. It doesn't exist in its own little vacuum. If you care about the fashion industry, and its impact on people and the planet, it's imminent to pay attention and engage in so-called politics, because it's entirely interconnected. Just to mention a few of these significant overlaps – The origins of the fashion industry in the United States – cotton grown by Black enslaved folks who were forced to immigrate – is political.  The way clothing supply chains operate – predominantly spread across the Global South where our clothes are made by mostly women of color, who are often paid less than a living wage – is political. How certain materials permeate the fashion industry – fossil fuel-derived fibers AKA plastic. While other natural fibers were historically made illegal to grow AKA hemp – is political. The largest garment manufacturing city in the U.S. is Los Angeles, employing over 46,000 garment workers, most of whom are immigrant women from Mexico and Central America. L.A. is the wage theft capital of the U.S., with the average hourly wage being $5.85 (Labor Violations In The LA Garment Industry, Garment Worker Center, 2020) The institutionalized violent origins of ICE as well as the continued horrific acts they have made toward immigrants and nonimmigrants, fellow members of our communities – is political. As Faherty called it in their recent IG post – systemic inhumanity affects us all – our families, friends, colleagues, neighbors and communities, and that is political. If you try to separate fashion from politics, clothing from humans, it's impossible. Clothing is made by people who are integral members of our communities and valued creatives along the supply chain. We must advocate for our fellow community members and the safety of our neighbors. This is the second episode is a 2-part series dedicated to DATA IN FASHION. While many of you may already have an understanding of these elements, I think they are important to reframe and contextualize the following conversation.  The fashion industry and the so-called sustainable fashion space has a concerning history with data. The so-called stat – fashion is the 2nd largest polluter globally, second only to oil – unfortunately spread like wildfire before it was found to be unsubstantiated – in 2017, journalist Alden Wicker brought this to light in an article on Racked, and the NY Times did a deep dive into it the following year, calling it the "biggest fake news in fashion". It's clear that the fashion industry has a massive impact on the earth and its inhabitants – it's an industry that not only thrives with models of overproduction and waste, it also prioritizes synthetic fossil fuel-derived materials like polyester. But, considering how long this inaccurate claim was utilized by the sustainability and fashion realm (to note, I still see it used today and often have to send articles to folks to remind them that it was never substantiated) – I guess, it becomes challenging for fashion to be taken seriously in the greater climate conversation.  Being that fashion is one of the most underregulated industries – I know this is shifting with more policy coming into play, but it's slow. This has further reduced the amount of data collected from brands, because it hasn't been required.  As you can tell, data, fashion and sustainability have a complex history. This week's guest understands this reality, and is pushing to shift the narrative through her work with Textile Exchange. But it's a tricky task, when for her, a lack of data shouldn't prevent us from taking action.  "Without having data to underpin statements about something working toward reducing impact or creating beneficial impact, there's really nothing for those statements to stand on. Now the challenge there is making sure that we're striking the right balance of not letting perfect data get in the way of doing the work that we need to do to improve practices and create beneficial outcomes for the industry." -Beth Materials Market Report 2025 (Press Release) Paper on Ensuring Integrity in the Use of Life Cycle Assessment Data (Press Release) Industry Reports Library Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Library Follow Textile Exchange on Instagram

Learn how NOMA supports nomadic families, navigates travel ethics in the Global South and builds lasting communities. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In part two of this conversation, Daniel Thompson dives deep into what comes after the digital nomad phase—unpacking NOMA Collective's evolution from pop-up nomad trips to a long-term vision centered on multi-local communities, ethical travel, and genuine local impact. Daniel explains how NOMA designs community-first experiences around the world, how they think about inclusion, safety, and values, and why slowing down, listening, and building relationships matters—especially in the Global South. He also shares his framework for the future of location-independent living, including family-first models, offering a thoughtful look at how travel, community, and belonging might evolve in the years ahead. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

World leaders are flocking to Beijing. In the first weeks of 2026, Canada's Mark Carney, the UK's Sir Keir Starmer and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung have all made high-profile visits - an unmistakable signal of global power recalibrating.China's dominance in clean energy manufacturing is already well established: from solar panels and batteries to wind turbines. The question now is whether this transition remains merely made in China, or whether it is increasingly being shaped and led from Beijing.Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson consider what this shift may mean for the future of climate leadership - and for the institutions, alliances and norms that have shaped global climate cooperation for decades. They're joined by scholar of China's political economy and climate governance Yixian Sun, who has recently advised the UK government on their engagement with China. He unpacks the country's own vision of leadership, its evolving role in the Global South, and the risks and opportunities of an increasingly multipolar climate order.As the world recalibrates around China's growing role, how does Beijing see itself? And what are other governments actually seeking as they turn towards it? We spoke to the man advising the UK government ahead of Keir Starmer's arrival in Beijing.

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Craig Stronberg, Senior Director on PwC's Intelligence Team. Craig leads analysts focused on macroeconomic and geopolitical intelligence; he previously served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Doug and Craig discuss why business and tax leaders should focus on the geopolitical landscape to understand its impact on cross-border business, including tax. Stability is the new bar for many businesses in 2026, requiring greater agility to deal with change. Craig discusses how many businesses are in a 'wait‑and‑see' mode versus decisive movers across industries. He also describes areas of focus, such as the US policy stance for the Americas, Greenland, and tariffs; the Global South's rising coordination; and governance strains across the G20. While AI data falsification is a significant concern, Craig suggests practical actions for boards such as enabling direct access to the business' risk team.

For many people reading this, the crises we discuss on this podcast – from ecological instability to financial collapse – often feel like a distant problem in the future. But for the youth of today, managing the impact of these situations will define most of their lives, and many have already dedicated their careers to mitigating the worst outcomes. What do the leading young voices envision for the future, and what are they doing today to make that a reality?  In this episode, Nate is joined by indigenous environmental justice activist and Planetary Guardian, Xiye Bastida, to discuss how her indigenous heritage and leadership in the youth climate movement have helped guide her to continue her work toward a more ecologically attuned world. Together, they discuss the importance of intergenerational collaboration rooted in love, rather than simply rage or blind hope. Importantly, Xiye emphasizes what could become possible if we change our definition of what success looks like, live closer to the Earth, and start to view our planet as a sacred teacher, rather than a well of resources from which to extract.  What are the hopes and fears of younger generations during these increasingly tumultuous times? How might indigenous wisdom inform our aspirations and strategy as we attempt to navigate the increasingly challenging world ahead? And how could a closer connection to the land help us cultivate a more sustained inner fire in order to continue moving in the direction of better futures – even if we don't yet know the exact destination? (Conversation recorded on December 3rd, 2025)    About Xiye Bastida: Xiye Bastida is a 23-year-old activist and member of the Planetary Guardians, an independent collective elevating the science to make the Planetary Boundaries a measurement framework for the world and spark a global movement by inviting everyone to become guardians of our shared home. Xiye is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Re-Earth Initiative, a global youth-led organization that has raised and allocated millions of dollars to help fund effective, small-scale projects across frontline communities in the Global South. Additionally, she has become a leading voice in the climate movement, organizing climate strikes, speaking on global stages like the United Nations, and redefining storytelling through her upcoming film, The Way of the Whale. Additionally, Xiye has been recognized as a TIME 100 Next honoree, recipient of the UN Spirit Award, a Forbes Changemaker, and is currently a 776 Fellow, continuing to scale youth-led climate leadership globally. Most recently, she was named on Forbes' 30 under 30 Social Impact List.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners  

The Trump administration's attacks on migrants in the United States has attempted to instill fear in American citizens, immigrants, and governments worldwide. Migrants have been dehumanized in the past (this is not new), but there is an increased awareness of immigrant policies and injustices due to the administration's hateful rhetoric, including insults targeting different migrant populations. To wrap up Season 2, Tania and Adriana touch on this topic that is close to their hearts. While it's a heavy topic, the episode ends with positive news and solutions (as always)!Resources for ImmigrantsKnow Your RightsLearn MoreTania's Article: Life at the U.S.-Mexico Border Under Trump Administration - Migrant Women PressTwo women on Tik Tok track ICE Charlottesville, NC community stands up to ICELos Angeles protests against ICEOrganizations to SupportBorder KindnessBorder AngelsMN Immigrant Rights Action Committee DefinitionsEnvironmental justice: a social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit.Climate justice: a type of environmental justice that focuses on the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalized populations.Global North and Global South: terms used to categorize countries by socio-economic development, with the Global North comprising wealthy nations and the Global South including less affluent countries, reflecting global inequalities in wealth, power, and resources.Asylum: an asylum seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection but has not yet been legally recognized as a refugeeRefugee: someone who has fled due to risk of persecution or serious human rights violations and has been granted international protection.ICE: International Customs Enforcement Border Patrol (also known as Border Patrol) is a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS) responsible for border security and interior enforcement, including inspections, apprehensions, and removal processes.If you liked this episode, please rate and review the podcast on your favorite streaming platform. We appreciate your feedback.

In this episode, we feature Michael Parenti, who passed away this week at the age of 92. A prominent political scientist and cultural critic, he delivers a powerful lecture at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1986. Parenti discusses the intricacies of US interventionism, the dynamics of capitalism, and the historical exploitation of the developing world. He challenges conventional narratives about poverty in the Global South, asserting that these nations are not poor but rather over-exploited. Join us as we unpack his insightful analysis of imperialism, capitalism, and the ongoing struggles for social justice that our oligarchs and their political class have not seemed to learn the lessons from 40 years ago, as the stature of the U.S. erodes daily on the world stage, supporting endless war in Ukraine and Palestine, disastrous trade policies, and ongoing hegemonic and regime change operations in multiple countries. Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Born to a working class Italian American family in New York City, he earned his doctorate at Yale and taught political science despite being blacklisted for his political views. We re-air this Yellow lecture - referring to the poor 1980s video quality – because after the U.S war machine goes after Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, who's next, this desire for hegemonic control from this failing empire will not stop until we all step up and make it stop. And this Imperial Boomerang, what Chalmers Johnson called Blowback, it's hitting us in Minnesota, on the streets here in Los Angeles all the way to Maine. The violent methods to control and subdue smaller weaker countries, disappearing intellectuals, activists, political leaders Like I saw in Guatemala in the 90s; where activists are unalived without any fear of accountability. Minneapolis. We did it to Vietnam, we did it in Iraq, now we're doing it in…where next? For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Sources: Michael Parenti speaks at the University of Colorado, Boulder: "US interventionism, the 3rd world, and the USSR" April 15, 1986 Yellow Lecture: https://youtu.be/W10QEs-TkhU?si=ZP_D5JNOWpJ_xvuC Michael Parenti Library: https://www.youtube.com/@themichaelparentilibrary/videos Michael Parenti [https://www.michael-parenti.org/] is a U.S. political scientist, academic historian and cultural critic who writes on scholarly and popular subjects. He is the award-winning author of twenty-four books, including The Face of Imperialism (2011) and Democracy for the Few originally written in 1974 with a 9th edition published in 2010: He has taught at universities and has also run for political office. Parenti is well known for his Marxist writings and lectures, and is an intellectual of the U.S. Left. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes for an Artbound project on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 259 Photo credit: Michael Parenti

American Front, James Porrazzo, Abraxas Foundation/circle, Adam Parfrey, Michael J. Moynihan, New Resistance, Third Column (Porrazzo's band), Porrazzo's Springfield arrest, Porrazzo's drug arrest, GHB, ketamine, was Porrazzo dealing?, Joshua Caleb Sutter, the timing of Sutter and Porrazzo's arrests, Lyndon McLeod, McLeod's Denver killing spree, McLeod's trip to Utah, Thomas Schoenberger, Cicada 3301, alternate reality games (ARGs), QAnon, Wolves of Vinland, Jack Donovan, Porrazzo's links to McLeod, Lily Moss, extremist researchers, Process Church of the Final Judgment, Order of Nine Angles (O9A), New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), Porrazzo's alleged links to CJNG, Daria Dugina, Dugin, Uriel's background and links to Porrazzo, informants/agent provocateurs, nationalism in the Global South, Fourth Position, the Eurasian movement, Dugin's links in Brazil, New Resistance in Brazil and France, what Dugin really thought of PorrazzoThis episode is a companion piece to "The Secret History of the American Front"Also related to "The Secret History of Nazi Satanism"ResourcesThe documentary Porrazzo appears inThe Vice McLeod ArticleMoss' Porrazzo InterviewMoss' CJNG ArticleMoss' Dugina ArticleMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voices from Online Educa Berlin 2025.  Recorded at Online Educa Berlin 2025, this episode brings together five perspectives on keeping the human at the centre of learning in the age of AI. From global learning trends and AI maturity, to human-centred education, the Global South, emerging talent, and the long view of digital learning, these conversations capture the diversity, tensions, and possibilities shaping education and workplace learning worldwide.     Guests Donald H. Taylor Margaret Korosec Ibraheem Adedayo Adediran Buena Jill Galleposo Paul Bacsich     Timestamps   00:02:19 – Intro: OEB 2025 00:02:52 – Donald H. Taylor: humanity, AI, and the learning peloton 00:26:48 – Margaret Korosec: human-centred AI and higher education 00:49:56 – Ibraheem Adedayo Adediran: AI, counselling, and the Global South 01:13:53 – Buena Jill Galleposo: 30 Under 30 and the future of learning 01:30:26 – Paul Bacsich: distance learning, perspective, and continuity 01:54:32 – End     Connect LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com  

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week will likely be remembered as one of the most significant orations of the early 21st century. Carney channeled the fear and frustration of many global leaders when he defiantly declared that the U.S.-led international order is over. The "rupture" that Carney referenced in his address has profound consequences for China as it moves to reshape a part of this new international order to better align with its interests. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior research scholar at Columbia University, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss why this is such a pivotal time for China as it moves to become a peer power of the United States, at least economically, without triggering the so-called "Thuycides Trap" that dictates this kind of rivalry often leads to war. Show Notes: Foreign Affairs: China's Long Economic War — How Beijing Builds Leverage for Indefinite Competition by Zongyuan Zoe Liu

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week will likely be remembered as one of the most significant orations of the early 21st century. Carney channeled the fear and frustration of many global leaders when he defiantly declared that the U.S.-led international order is over. The "rupture" that Carney referenced in his address has profound consequences for China as it moves to reshape a part of this new international order to better align with its interests. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior research scholar at Columbia University, joins Eric & Cobus to discuss why this is such a pivotal time for China as it moves to become a peer power of the United States, at least economically, without triggering the so-called "Thuycides Trap" that dictates this kind of rivalry often leads to war. Show Notes: Foreign Affairs: China's Long Economic War — How Beijing Builds Leverage for Indefinite Competition by Zongyuan Zoe Liu

Chinese President Xi Jinping has spoken on the phone with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and urged both sides to safeguard the central role of the United Nations, as well as international fairness and justice.

Suzanne Bowles is a philanthropy strategist, collaboration designer, and post-capitalist systems architect devoted to helping funders and movements meet this moment of profound transition with integrity, courage, and relational depth. She is the founder and Chief Strategist of Cattail Strategy, a consultancy that supports philanthropic organizations, funding collaboratives, and cultural stewards to scale equitable systems change rooted in relationship, reciprocity, and regeneration. Suzanne is also the co-founder of Indigenous Commons. Over more than two decades, Suzanne has played a central role in the transition of over $100 million to grassroots, Indigenous-led, and systems change initiatives across the globe. Her work spans economic democracy, climate justice, regenerative economies, and just transitions, supporting a wide range of partners—from values-aligned foundations and philanthropists to frontline movements and multi-sector collaborations. She is a founding contributor to influential initiatives including Indigenous Commons, FEST (Financing Ecosystems for Transformation), Catalyst Now, Common Good Finance, CoFundEco, and the Alliance for Economic Democracy. Suzanne’s practice is grounded in the belief that lasting systems change begins within—through shifts in relationship, identity, and worldview. She co-creates new frameworks with her clients that integrate strategic rigor with inner and ancestral development. A trusted ally to many Global South, Indigenous, and BIPOC movements, Suzanne is known for her long-term commitment, ethical clarity, and ability to bridge worlds—linking philanthropic capital with the wisdom, leadership, and lived experience of those most impacted by extractive systems. Through her KinMaker Return journeys and programs, she invites philanthropists to engage giving as a spiritual, relational, and ancestral one—repairing Western cultures of separation while aligning resources with planetary and future-generation needs. Suzanne walks this path as both practitioner and learner, guided by conscious generosity and a deep practice of inter-being. In times of collapse and possibility, her work creates space to grieve what is ending, listen deeply to one another, and co-create the conditions for life-affirming systems to emerge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe now to listen to the entire 30-minute episode. Since U.S. forces snatched Nicolàs Maduro and hauled him to New York, Americans have been asking questions about Venezuela, especially after the Trump administration announced its plans to run the country's moribund oil industry. Are U.S. oil firms clamoring to exploit Venezuela's enormous petroleum reserves? Does the global market need more oil? In this episode, historian Giuliano Garavini of Roma Tre University explains it all. He's an expert on the Global South, energy, and natural resources. Non-subscribers may preview 5 minutes of this episode. Subscribe: historyasithappens.supercast.com  

In the midst of the one-year anniversary of LA's devastating, off-season wildfires, we're reminded that to live in a time of drastic climate change is to prepare for the improbable. From bigger tornadoes and more severe floods to prolonged droughts and deadly heatwaves, no region is immune to the increasing intensity of natural disasters driven by climate change. The rest of the world is coming face-to-face with the brutal reality that people in the Global South have faced for years — when it comes to climate disasters, it's not a matter of if they'll hit you, but when. But there are things we can do at home and in our communities to adapt before, during, and after disasters. On this episode, we hear from community members around the world about the climate disasters they've experienced and how their communities are adapting. We're speaking with meteorologist Chase Chain about how discussing the weather means discussing climate change. And, we're talking about how to make ourselves and our communities less vulnerable to the effects of climate disasters.

In this episode, I sit down with Mahendra Shunmoogam, a South African policy thinker working at the intersection of industry, trade, and climate diplomacy.Mahendra's path spans HIV/AIDS activism, science and economic policy, government diplomacy, corporate affairs, and global climate governance. From working with Zackie Achmat at the Treatment Action Campaign to coordinating negotiations for the G77 at the UNFCCC, his career offers a rare perspective on how values travel across institutions.We talk about growing up in Cape Town as an Indian South African, the debates that shaped his worldview, and how questions of belonging later surfaced inside global negotiations. Mahendra reflects on the tension between the moral clarity of activism and the compromises required in multilateral diplomacy.We also explore how evidence enters policy, how companies really think about serving society, and what just international negotiations might look like for countries in the Global South.Recorded on 5 December 2025.Connect with Mahendra on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/mahendra-shunmoogam-b794a51.Instagram: @at.the.coalfaceAnd don't forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!Support the show

Rising workplace use of artificial intelligence is outpacing organizational governance, according to data from Microsoft and Gallup. Microsoft reports global AI adoption reached 16.3% in 2025, while Gallup finds nearly half of U.S. workers use AI tools at work at least annually. Despite that usage, only a minority of employees report clear employer guidance on AI ownership and purpose, creating accountability gaps that frequently surface during incidents or audits.Additional data underscores uneven adoption and oversight. Microsoft's AI Economy Institute notes adoption rates in the Global North are nearly double those in the Global South, correlating with earlier infrastructure and policy investment. Within organizations, most AI usage remains occasional rather than daily and is concentrated in knowledge roles, suggesting informal, user-driven deployment rather than standardized programs—conditions that complicate governance for MSP-supported environments.Microsoft's product moves further elevate the governance issue. The company is testing policies allowing IT administrators to uninstall Copilot on managed devices while simultaneously enforcing Windows and Office end-of-life timelines through 2026 and embedding purchasing directly into Copilot workflows. These changes expand administrative control but also place AI more firmly inside operational and economic decision paths that MSPs help manage.Platform announcements from Acronis, Hexnode, and Google extend automation from assistance to execution, while public comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Linux creator Linus Torvalds highlight differing views on AI speed versus discipline. For MSPs and IT service providers, the practical takeaway centers on accountability: as AI systems take actions rather than make suggestions, governance, policy definition, and oversight become explicit services rather than implied responsibilities. Four things to know today 00:00 AI Use Expands at Work, but Employees Say Transparency and Ownership Are Missing04:37 Microsoft Lets IT Uninstall Copilot as Windows and Office End-of-Life Deadlines Near07:38 Acronis Launches Archival Storage as Hexnode and Google Advance Platform-Centric Automation11:07 Jensen Huang Warns Against AI Regulation as Linus Torvalds Limits AI's Role in Critical Code This is the Business of Tech.     Supported by:  https://scalepad.com/dave/

From the HIV wards of New York City in the 1980s to leadership roles in Uganda during the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy through PEPFAR, Dr. Yukari Manabe has seen major transformations in infectious disease diagnostics, treatment and care. In this episode, she talks about her journey in medicine and global health and why her work in building local capacity in the Global South may be her most important legacy of all. She is the Associate Director of Global Health Research and Innovation at Johns Hopkins University.

In this episode, we will learn from Lizzie Andare, MScOT, OTR/L (she/her). Lizzie is an occupational therapist and researcher from Kenya whose work explores the intersection of decolonial practice, disability, and forced displacement in the Global South and is passionate about social and occupational justice in underrepresented communities. Her work spans refugee camps in Kenya, grassroots rehabilitation in Palestine, and neurodivergent learners in the Maldives. Grounded in an occupational and intersectional lens, she centers lived experience, co-production, and occupational justice—particularly in underrepresented and under-resourced contexts. Lizzie's practice moves fluidly between direct therapy, community engagement, policy advocacy, and research, with a commitment to disrupting systemic inequities and amplifying marginalized voices. She is the voice behind @OTintheMargins, where she shares fieldnotes and reflections from the edges of occupational therapy practice.Contact & Resources:You can promote my work by engaging with the content I share. Comment, share, and bring these conversations into your own networks. And if you want to collaborate, learn more, or connect directly, you can always reach me at elizabethandare254@gmail.com.https://wfot.org/our-work/professional-support/resource-listings/occupational-therapy-and-humanitarian-response https://www.arbetsterapeuterna.se/foerbundet/occupational-therapy-in-sweden/the-swedish-association-of-occupational-therapists/inga-britt-lindstroem-grant-award/https://www.arbetsterapeuterna.se/foerbundet/occupational-therapy-in-sweden/the-swedish-association-of-occupational-therapists/inga-britt-lindstroem-grant-award/Healing work: Intersections for decolonialityAntiracist occupational therapy: Unsettling the status quoOccupational Therapy Disruptors: What Global OT practice can teach us about innovation, culture and communityMSc Thesis_Andare Lizzie_Instagram: Connect with me- OTintheMarginsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-andare-41b675149/As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you, or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsotTHANK YOU for LISTENING, FOLLOWING, DOWNLOADING, RATING, REVIEWING & SHARING “The Uncommon OT Series” Podcast with all your OTP friends and colleagues!Full Episodes and Q & A only available at:https://www.wholistic-transitions.com/the-uncommon-ot-seriesSign Up NOW for the Transitions OT Email List to Receive the FREEUpdated List of Uncommon OT Practice Settingshttps://www.wholistic-transitions.com/transitionsotTo Add Your Profile to The Uncommon OT Directory:https://www.wholistic-transitions.com/requestFor Non-Traditional OT Practice Mentorship w/ Patricia:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeC3vI5OnK3mLrCXACEex-5ReO8uUVPo1EUXIi8FKO-FCfoEg/viewformHappy Listening Friends! Big OT Love!All views are mine and guests own.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China stands ready to work with Lesotho to promote unity and self-reliance in the Global South toward shared modernization, and to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

A president is kidnapped, the government remains, and we're told it isn't regime change. We pull back the curtain on what our guest calls “regime changeover,” a strategy that uses spectacle and lawfare to force leverage without admitting occupation. From sanctions that harden national unity to a reworked indictment against Nicolás Maduro that quietly retreats from early cartel claims, we dissect how narratives are built, sold, and then reshaped when facts don't fit the script. We get specific about why Venezuela resists the usual playbook. The Bolivarian civil-military structure blunts elite-driven coups, and a hybrid economy makes redistribution politics both urgent and volatile. When sanctions stall, pressure shifts to the shadows: covert action, destabilization, and the threat of a managed civil war. But force carries a heavy price. Without the will to occupy, Washington risks isolating itself across Latin America and the Global South while strengthening alternative alliances. That's where heavy crude and strategic minerals enter the story—these aren't just commodities; they're logistical lifelines for militaries and power systems in a world edging toward multipolar confrontation. The regional map matters. Cutting fuel flows to Cuba raises the stakes, inviting Russian or Iranian lifelines and reviving Cold War optics—tankers instead of missiles. Meanwhile, the financial track turns sanctions into profit centers, enabling distressed-asset deals and court-enabled seizures that move wealth under the veneer of legality. At home, executive overreach and headline diplomacy make lasting agreements harder, not easier. Durable deals rely on predictability and trust; tweets and tariffs deliver neither. We close with a clear takeaway: if the policy toolkit is limited to pressure and spectacle, the outcome is shrinking leverage, hardened resistance, and a region looking elsewhere for partners. If this perspective challenges how you've seen Venezuela, Cuba, and U.S. foreign policy, share the episode, leave a review, and subscribe so you never miss future deep dives. Your feedback shapes what we dig into next.

Generative AI is spreading fast, but not evenly. In this special edition of Tools and Weapons, I sit down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Director of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, to unpack the latest AI Diffusion Report and what it reveals about who benefits most from this new technology.We explore why diffusion, not just invention, determines long-term impact, examine the widening gap between the Global North and Global South, and spotlight the countries setting the pace, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and South Korea. We also discuss the rise of models like China's DeepSeek and what shifting adoption patterns mean for the future of AI worldwide.

In this episode of Climate Rising, Erik Berglöf, Chief Economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), shares how this relatively young multilateral development bank is helping emerging economies finance climate and nature-based solutions. Erik discusses AIIB's approach to climate policy—including infrastructure decarbonization, green finance, and biodiversity credits—and offers a behind-the-scenes look at its work with Brazil, including its $1B climate policy loan and support for the landmark Tropical Forest Forever Facility. Erik explains the importance of integrating nature and climate in development finance, the need for finance ministries to lead coordination, and how countries like Brazil are using platforms like Eco Invest to blend public and private capital for nature and resilience projects. This episode is part of our Global South series, which also includes episodes with JSW Steel, Tata Power from India and re.green, a carbon offsetting platform from Brazil. Visit climaterising.org for more.

Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process? Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In this episode, we discuss her 2025 book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, in which she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium. Taking readers from the breathtaking salt flats of Chile's Atacama Desert to Nevada's glorious Silver Peak Range to the rolling hills of the Barroso Region of Portugal, the book reveals the social and environmental costs of “critical minerals.” She takes stock of new policy paradigms in the Global South, where governments seek to leverage mineral assets to jumpstart green development. Zooming out from lithium, we also discuss the evolving geopolitics and geoeconomics of energy transition, critical minerals, and green technology supply chains. — Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. Her research focuses on resource extraction, climate change, the energy transition, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left. She explored these themes in her book, Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020), peer-reviewed articles in Cultural Studies, World Politics, and Global Environmental Politics, and her coauthored book, A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019). Her essays have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and more. Thea's latest book, which we discuss on this episode, is Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025). Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025) The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North in Global Environmental Politics 2022 Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020) A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Jun 18, 2025   In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Margaret Kimberley—senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and a leader in Black Alliance for Peace—joins Breht to dissect the spectacle of American decline and, as usual, Kimberley offers a razor-sharp analysis of late-stage capitalism's collapse into cruelty, chaos, and confusion. Together, they explore the Democratic Party's complicity in ushering in this moment, U.S. weapons transfers to Ukraine in support of their proxy war against Russia, and the genocidal assault on Gaza as a revealing - if disturbing - lens into the true nature of the American empire. Kimberley also shares firsthand insights from delegations to Nicaragua, Venezuela, and China, illuminating how the Global South is resisting U.S. domination and reshaping global power. For those feeling the weight of worsening economic conditions, rising fascism, and political demobilization, Kimberley offers hard-won wisdom about organizing in the belly of the beast. We close with discussion about where real hope can still be found. Check out Black Agenda Report Black Agenda Radio -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio HERE Outro Beat Prod. by flip da hood

Regenerative practices lead to higher quality and much higher prices in year one and, over time, to lower costs, which makes the regenerative business case in certain cash crops that are exported (spices, tea, coffee, etc.) so strong that it almost spreads on its own. Nothing is easy, but this is really hopeful. In this conversation with Thekla Teunis and Gijs Boers, founders of Grounded, Grounded Ingredients and Grounded Investment Company, we discuss why quality is intimately linked to regenerative practices.We talk about why we don't need transition finance in many cases, but we do need philanthropic capital to figure out what regenerative looks like in specific circumstances. When that research and development (in other sectors we would call that R&D ) is done, it can be rolled out profitably and relatively easily with more commercially focused, return- driven capital.We talk about why it's easier to act regeneratively in many places in the Global South (easier, not easy). And we talk about the why of super hands-on investing. Knock knock- there are regenerative barbarians at the gate. What if we do private equity right and use it as a tool for good?More about this episode.==========================In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. Hosted by Koen van Seijen.==========================

Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process? Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In this episode, we discuss her 2025 book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, in which she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium. Taking readers from the breathtaking salt flats of Chile's Atacama Desert to Nevada's glorious Silver Peak Range to the rolling hills of the Barroso Region of Portugal, the book reveals the social and environmental costs of “critical minerals.” She takes stock of new policy paradigms in the Global South, where governments seek to leverage mineral assets to jumpstart green development. Zooming out from lithium, we also discuss the evolving geopolitics and geoeconomics of energy transition, critical minerals, and green technology supply chains. — Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. Her research focuses on resource extraction, climate change, the energy transition, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left. She explored these themes in her book, Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020), peer-reviewed articles in Cultural Studies, World Politics, and Global Environmental Politics, and her coauthored book, A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019). Her essays have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and more. Thea's latest book, which we discuss on this episode, is Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025). Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025) The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North in Global Environmental Politics 2022 Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020) A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process? Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In this episode, we discuss her 2025 book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, in which she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium. Taking readers from the breathtaking salt flats of Chile's Atacama Desert to Nevada's glorious Silver Peak Range to the rolling hills of the Barroso Region of Portugal, the book reveals the social and environmental costs of “critical minerals.” She takes stock of new policy paradigms in the Global South, where governments seek to leverage mineral assets to jumpstart green development. Zooming out from lithium, we also discuss the evolving geopolitics and geoeconomics of energy transition, critical minerals, and green technology supply chains. — Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. Her research focuses on resource extraction, climate change, the energy transition, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left. She explored these themes in her book, Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020), peer-reviewed articles in Cultural Studies, World Politics, and Global Environmental Politics, and her coauthored book, A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019). Her essays have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and more. Thea's latest book, which we discuss on this episode, is Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025). Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025) The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North in Global Environmental Politics 2022 Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020) A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies

Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process? Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In this episode, we discuss her 2025 book Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, in which she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium. Taking readers from the breathtaking salt flats of Chile's Atacama Desert to Nevada's glorious Silver Peak Range to the rolling hills of the Barroso Region of Portugal, the book reveals the social and environmental costs of “critical minerals.” She takes stock of new policy paradigms in the Global South, where governments seek to leverage mineral assets to jumpstart green development. Zooming out from lithium, we also discuss the evolving geopolitics and geoeconomics of energy transition, critical minerals, and green technology supply chains. — Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. Her research focuses on resource extraction, climate change, the energy transition, the global lithium sector, green technologies, social movements, and the Latin American left. She explored these themes in her book, Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020), peer-reviewed articles in Cultural Studies, World Politics, and Global Environmental Politics, and her coauthored book, A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019). Her essays have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and more. Thea's latest book, which we discuss on this episode, is Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025). Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism (W.W. Norton 2025) The Security–Sustainability Nexus: Lithium Onshoring in the Global North in Global Environmental Politics 2022 Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020) A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal (Verso Books, 2019) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

The US government bombed Venezuela, and Donald Trump abducted President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country to be tried in a show trial on politically motivated charges. Ben Norton explains the real reasons behind the USA's imperialist war on Venezuela. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnD0p5F7MNs Topics 0:00 USA kidnaps Venezuela's President Maduro 1:07 Trump bombs Venezuela 2:01 Reasons for US war on Venezuela 5:00 Marco Rubio's crusade in Latin America 7:02 Political balance in Latin America 8:04 Venezuela's oil 9:43 (CLIP) Trump vows to take oil & ships 10:14 (CLIP) Trump wants oil & land 10:58 Coup leader María Corina Machado 11:24 (CLIP) Machado offers $1.7 trillion in assets 13:02 (CLIP) Corporations will "make a lot of money" 13:56 Critical minerals & rare earths 15:37 Colonial Monroe Doctrine 16:20 US National Security Strategy 17:26 'Trump Corollary' is imperialism 18:26 US colonialism in Latin America 19:57 USA seeks control over Latin America 20:31 Trump targets Brazil 21:07 Sanctions on Colombia's Gustavo Petro 22:10 Trump threatens to attack Mexico 22:46 US meddling in Latin America 23:25 Argentina's Javier Milei 24:14 Electoral coup in Honduras 25:00 Trump frees drug trafficker 25:36 USA supports drug traffickers 27:10 "Cartel of the Suns" doesn't exist 27:40 Lies about drugs & Venezuela 28:13 (CLIP) Biden official debunks drug lies 29:23 WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction 30:38 USA plans show trial against Maduro 31:31 China & Latin America 33:09 Trump targets China in Venezuela 34:29 China partnership with Venezuela 36:36 Why Latin America prefers China 37:05 Venezuela-China relations 37:47 Russia partnership with Venezuela 38:20 Iran partnership with Venezuela 38:42 Global South unity 39:04 Palestine 39:16 Africa (Burkina Faso) 39:47 Latin American regional unity 41:19 US imperialism vs humanity 42:04 Outro

Episode Summary:In this special emergency episode of Explaining History, Nick reacts to the breaking news of US military action in Venezuela. Reports indicate Apache gunships over Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by American forces.We explore the profound historical implications of this event. While Maduro may be a "gangster," his removal by a foreign power shatters centuries of diplomatic norms dating back to the Treaty of Westphalia. Nick argues that 2026 marks the definitive end of the "Pax Americana" and the rules-based international order established in 1945.From the echoes of the Monroe Doctrine to the collapse of American soft power, we discuss how the Trump administration's "gangster state" tactics are reshaping the world into naked power blocs. Is this a strategic masterstroke to secure oil resources, or a reckless gamble that will accelerate America's isolation?Key Topics:The Attack on Caracas: Assessing the reports of US intervention and the kidnapping of a head of state.The End of International Law: Why pre-emptive regime change destroys the post-WWII consensus.Trump's "Gangster State": The shift from soft power to raw, transactional force.Geopolitical Fallout: How Russia, China, and the Global South will react to this flagrant breach of sovereignty.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

De-dollarization is growing around the world. Central banks are buying tons of gold, which overtook US Treasury securities in reserves in 2025. Even private investors are diversifying out of dollar assets, as risk rises. Ben Norton explains how Washington's sanctions, Trump's tariffs, and the weaponization of US-dominated international financial institutions have backfired. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVjy1Hlh5zc Topics 0:00 Dedollarization increases 1:36 US sanctions backfire 2:20 Donald Trump threatens BRICS 2:49 Central bank holdings of US Treasuries 3:59 China de-dollarizes 5:29 US trade war on China failed 7:10 Foreign holdings of US bonds 8:09 Government vs private investment 9:53 Central banks buy lots of gold 10:51 No return to gold standard 13:30 Gold as neutral reserve asset 14:28 Gold overtakes US Treasury holdings 15:07 Gold price skyrockets 16:18 Nixon Shock to Trump Shock 17:08 This is not just about Trump 19:04 2008 financial crisis: turning point 20:48 Western seizure of Russia's assets 22:26 Ukraine war fuels gold purchases 23:21 Central bank undeclared gold buying 26:04 Uruguay dedollarizes 27:48 Argentina's Javier Milei 28:40 Sovereignty vs imperialism 29:09 Investors de-risk out of US assets 33:37 Decline of US dollar dominance 34:14 Global South de-dollarizes trade 35:35 New BRICS payment systems 36:25 Internationalization of renminbi 37:15 Financial multipolarity 38:48 Outro

Episode Summary:In the first episode of 2026, Nick embarks on a year-long exploration of Eric Hobsbawm's monumental work, The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991.We begin by examining Hobsbawm's premise: that the 20th century was defined by a binary struggle between ideologies that mutually excluded one another—capitalism vs. communism, democracy vs. fascism. But as Nick argues, this Western-centric view often simplifies the complex realities of national liberation struggles in China, Vietnam, and the Global South.The episode also delves into one of the most pressing issues for modern historians: "historical amnesia." Why, despite living in an age of information saturation, do we feel increasingly disconnected from the past? Drawing on Tony Judt and Hobsbawm, we explore how the breakdown of intergenerational storytelling and the allure of the "endless now" have created a society adrift in a permanent present.Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students launching later this month!Key Topics:The Short 20th Century: Hobsbawm's definition of the era from 1914 to 1991.Historical Amnesia: Why the destruction of social memory is the eerie hallmark of the late 20th century.The Problem of Judgment: Why understanding the context of atrocities like the Holocaust does not mean forgiving them.The Binary Trap: Moving beyond the simple "Good vs. Evil" narrative of the Cold War.Books Mentioned:The Age of Extremes by Eric HobsbawmPostwar by Tony JudtExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE ANTHROPOCENE AND THE INEVITABILITY OF CLIMATE MIGRATION Colleague Gaia Vince. John Batchelor and Gaia Vince discuss her book, Nomad Century, which argues that climate migration is already underway and inevitable. Vince illustrates this reality through Abel Cruz, a Peruvian farmer forced to migrate to a slum in Lima after drought destroyed his livelihood. She describes the forces driving this movement as the "four horsemen of the Anthropocene": fire, heat, flood, and drought. As the tropics become increasingly dangerous, Vince explains that populations from the Global South will necessarily move toward the Global North, where land is more abundant and nations are wealthier and better able to adapt. NUMBER 1 1857 IRISH ARRIVING BOSTON

Since 2023, a series of global AI summits has brought together world leaders to advance international dialogue and cooperation on artificial intelligence. Building on this momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the India AI Impact Summit, which will take place in New Delhi in February 2026. As the first summit in the series to be hosted in a Global South country, the AI Impact Summit aims to amplify Global South perspectives and advance concrete action to address both the opportunities and risks of AI. On December 8, 2025, the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center will host S. Krishnan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), for a livestreamed fireside chat with Wadhwani AI Center Senior Adviser Gregory C. Allen. Secretary Krishnan, who leads India's national AI strategy, will outline India's policy priorities and share insights into the goals and global aspirations shaping the upcoming AI Impact Summit. He will also offer a comprehensive look at the central role MeitY plays in driving innovation across India's AI ecosystem. Secretary Krishnan brings more than 35 years of experience in public service, having joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1989. Prior to his current role, he served as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department in the Government of Tamil Nadu. He has also served as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Executive Director for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan at the International Monetary Fund, and has represented India in the G20 Expert Groups on International Financial Architecture and Global Financial Safety Nets. Secretary Krishnan holds a bachelor's degree from St. Stephen's College in Delhi.

Pour terminer l'année, l'équipe de Sur le Fil vous propose de passer en revue les dossiers chauds de l'année 2026 à l'échelle internationale, des relations entre les Etats-Unis et l'Europe, en passant par la guerre en Ukraine, la relation entre Pékin et Washington, les grandes tendances sur le continent africain et en Amérique latine et la situation à Gaza.Un épisode préparé avec Karim Talbi, rédacteur en chef de l'AFP pour l'Europe, Laura Bonilla, rédactrice en chef de l'AFP en Amérique latine, et Patrick Markey, redacteur en chef Afrique de l'AFP.Intervenants : Michael Cox, professeur émérite en relations internationales à la London School of Economics. Auteur de US Foreign Policy, dont la nouvelle édition va paraître en mars 2026.Alice Ekman, directrice de la recherche de l'Institut des études de sécurité de l'Union européenne (EUISS) et spécialiste de la Chine. Autrice notamment de Dernier Vol pour Pékin (Flammarion, 2024)Agnès Levallois, présidente de l'Institut de recherche et d'études Méditerranée Moyen-Orient (IreMMO), spécialiste du monde arabe contemporain. Realisation : Michaëla Cancela-KiefferDoublages : Emmanuelle Baillon, Denis Barnett Sébastien Casteran, Marie Dhumieres, Maxime MametExtraits sonores : AFPTV Extrait afrobeat : "Water", par TylaMusique : Nicolas VairPour aller plus loinCinq choses à attendre en 2026 (AFP)The G20 Agenda Is Shifting from the Global South to America FirstLe durcissement américain vis-à-vis de l'Europe va continuer, prévient Paris | European Newsroom (AFP)Paix en Ukraine : la dernière version du plan américain en 20 points (24 décembre 2025)Document officiel énonçant la stratégie de sécurité américaine (Novembre 2025)Breaking down Trump's 2025 National Security Strategy | Analyse par l'institut BrookingsGuerre commerciale : Donald Trump et Xi Jinping prêts pour un fragile accord de trêve ? | IfriPour la Chine, l'UE est un enjeu secondaire | Cairn.info (Décembre 2025)La Chine dans le monde. Entretien avec Alice Ekman (Diploweb, juillet 2024)China's turn towards the 'Global South': Europe is not Beijing's priority | European Union Institute for Security Studies(17 juillet 2025)Africa outlook 2026 - Economist Intelligence UnitConseil de sécurité: les derniers développements en Afrique de l'Ouest et au Sahel illustrent la fragilité et la résilience de la sous-région | ONU Couverture des réunions & communiqués de presseMegaprojet gazier de TotalEnergies au Mozambique : le communiqué de l'entrepriseA Gaza, des Palestiniens sous les bombes du côté israélien de la "ligne jaune" (AFP, 22 décembre 2025)Operation Southern Spear: The U.S. Military Campaign Targeting Venezuela | Council on Foreign RelationsAmérique latine : un nouveau cycle électoral incertain - Fondation Jean-JaurèsLa Semaine sur le fil est le podcast hebdomadaire de l'AFP. Vous avez des commentaires ? Ecrivez-nous à podcast@afp.com. Si vous aimez, abonnez-vous, parlez de nous autour de vous et laissez-nous plein d'étoiles sur votre plateforme de podcasts préférée pour mieux faire connaître notre programme. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

In this special year-end edition of The China-Global South Podcast, Eric, Cobus, and Géraud look back on the top stories of 2025 and look ahead to the key trend to watch in 2026. 

Send us a textClimate change is a global problem—but climate capital doesn't flow globally.In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy sits down with Lassor Feasley, co-founder and CEO of Renewables.org, to unpack why some of the highest-impact climate solutions on Earth remain dramatically underfunded.Renewables.org applies a Kiva-style crowdfunding model to distributed solar projects across the Global South. Individuals can invest as little as $25 into no-interest loans that fund solar installations—and are repaid monthly over five years, allowing capital to be recycled again and again.Lassor explains why:A dollar invested in Global South solar can deliver up to 5x the carbon impact of a comparable U.S. projectTraditional climate fintech and ESG models break down in frontier marketsRepayment isn't just financial—it's proof of impactDesign, not just technology, determines whether climate solutions scaleThis conversation goes beyond solar panels to explore systems, incentives, trust, and the future of climate finance—and why everyday individuals may be better positioned than institutions to fund the energy transition where it matters most.If climate change is a race against time, this episode asks a harder question: are we deploying capital where it actually counts?

Marcelo Medeiros, co-founder and CEO of re.green, joins Climate Rising to discuss how his company is restoring millions of hectares of degraded land in Brazil's Atlantic Forest and Amazon biomes by producing high-quality nature-based carbon removal credits. Marcelo explains how re.green combines data science, forest restoration, and long-term land ownership to deliver durable carbon sequestration—and why they chose a for-profit model to scale impact. He discusses price transparency, quality verification, and how re.green is preparing for a future where compliance carbon markets may accept removal-based offsets from nature-based solutions. Marcelo also shares how winning the Earthshot Prize brought global visibility, how AI is improving ecosystem planning, and how the company works with clients like Microsoft and Telefónica under long-term offtake agreements. This episode is a part of our Global South series. Explore more episodes at climaterising.org.

The increasingly acrimonious U.S.-China relationship is the defining trend of this era, upending global politics, economics, and security, especially across the Global South. Countries that have worked hard from having to pick sides in this new competition, may longer have that luxury as this rivalry intensifies. Jane Perlez, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a former longtime China correspondent for The New York Times, has been covering this story since the 1980s. Now, together with acclaimed Harvard University China scholar Rana Mitter, she's launched season 3 of her award-winning podcast Face Off: The U.S. vs. China, where they explore the key trends reshaping ties between these two powers. Jane joins Eric from Sydney to discuss the forces driving this rivalry: leadership personality, domestic pressure, technological competition, and the tightening link between geopolitics and economic strategy.

Conflicts over water are human-caused events with socio-political and economic causes. From Brazil's Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB) to environmental activists in Pittsburgh, people are coming together to fight for control of their water. In Global Solidarities against water grabbing: Without water, we have nothing, Caitlin Schroerer examines how movements are communicating and organizing against water privatization and other forms of water grabbing, and explores how movements engage with and learn from each other. Water is at the heart of this book, but Global solidarities against water grabbing is as much about collective struggle and popular organization as it is about water. Based on extensive fieldwork with two movements fighting against water privatization, the book uses anticolonial and feminist research methods to show how global communications and organizing are occurring around water and how Global North movements are engaging with and learning from the Global South and vice versa. Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Sociology at William Penn University, where he specializes in the cultural and interpretive study of space, behavior, and identity. His scholarship examines how designed environments shape social interaction, connectedness, and moral life across diverse settings. He is the author of The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla (Lexington Books, 2023) and Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River (Lexington Books, 2022). His current research projects include ethnographic studies of escape rooms as emotion-structured environments, the use of urban aesthetics in rural downtown districts, and the lived experience of belongingness among college and university students. To learn more about his work, visit his personal website, Google Scholar profile, or connect with him on Bluesky (@professorjohnst.bsky.social) or Twitter/X (@ProfessorJohnst). He can also be reached directly by email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Conflicts over water are human-caused events with socio-political and economic causes. From Brazil's Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB) to environmental activists in Pittsburgh, people are coming together to fight for control of their water. In Global Solidarities against water grabbing: Without water, we have nothing, Caitlin Schroerer examines how movements are communicating and organizing against water privatization and other forms of water grabbing, and explores how movements engage with and learn from each other. Water is at the heart of this book, but Global solidarities against water grabbing is as much about collective struggle and popular organization as it is about water. Based on extensive fieldwork with two movements fighting against water privatization, the book uses anticolonial and feminist research methods to show how global communications and organizing are occurring around water and how Global North movements are engaging with and learning from the Global South and vice versa. Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Sociology at William Penn University, where he specializes in the cultural and interpretive study of space, behavior, and identity. His scholarship examines how designed environments shape social interaction, connectedness, and moral life across diverse settings. He is the author of The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla (Lexington Books, 2023) and Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River (Lexington Books, 2022). His current research projects include ethnographic studies of escape rooms as emotion-structured environments, the use of urban aesthetics in rural downtown districts, and the lived experience of belongingness among college and university students. To learn more about his work, visit his personal website, Google Scholar profile, or connect with him on Bluesky (@professorjohnst.bsky.social) or Twitter/X (@ProfessorJohnst). He can also be reached directly by email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Conflicts over water are human-caused events with socio-political and economic causes. From Brazil's Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB) to environmental activists in Pittsburgh, people are coming together to fight for control of their water. In Global Solidarities against water grabbing: Without water, we have nothing, Caitlin Schroerer examines how movements are communicating and organizing against water privatization and other forms of water grabbing, and explores how movements engage with and learn from each other. Water is at the heart of this book, but Global solidarities against water grabbing is as much about collective struggle and popular organization as it is about water. Based on extensive fieldwork with two movements fighting against water privatization, the book uses anticolonial and feminist research methods to show how global communications and organizing are occurring around water and how Global North movements are engaging with and learning from the Global South and vice versa. Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Sociology at William Penn University, where he specializes in the cultural and interpretive study of space, behavior, and identity. His scholarship examines how designed environments shape social interaction, connectedness, and moral life across diverse settings. He is the author of The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla (Lexington Books, 2023) and Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River (Lexington Books, 2022). His current research projects include ethnographic studies of escape rooms as emotion-structured environments, the use of urban aesthetics in rural downtown districts, and the lived experience of belongingness among college and university students. To learn more about his work, visit his personal website, Google Scholar profile, or connect with him on Bluesky (@professorjohnst.bsky.social) or Twitter/X (@ProfessorJohnst). He can also be reached directly by email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

How is the Global South transforming the world? Analyst, Zoon Ahmed Khan joins us. We ask her about how the international system is experiencing a paradigm shift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Migration: Assimilation Crisis and the Collapse of Western Civilization — Gaius & Germanicus — Gaius and Germanicus analyze the destabilizing strain generated by mass migration flows from the economically depressed Global South to the wealthy industrialized North, documenting escalating violence in Australia, social unrest throughout Europe, and institutional strain within the United States. Gaius highlights the new American "Emperor Trump's" political mandate to enforce border security and immigration restrictions, contrasting this with the "woke elite's" previous advocacy for polyglot multicultural societies without national identity boundaries or assimilationist expectations. Germanicus argues that successful historical migration requires genuine desire for cultural assimilation into host societies, citing the Roman-era Franks and Visigoths who adopted Roman culture, language, and institutional frameworks, thereby integrating into Roman civilization. Germanicus contrasts these assimilationist populations with groups like the Vandals and contemporary observant Sunni Muslim communities, who systematically resist cultural integration and instead establish cohesive, ethnically and religiously homogeneous societies paralleling their original homelands. Germanicus warns that Europe is reaching a "boiling point" due to systemic resistance to assimilation, surging crime rates, and political backlash against uncontrolled immigration, comparing this civilizational instability to the circumstances precipitating the destruction of the Western Roman Empire by non-assimilating tribal invasions that progressively fragmented Roman institutional coherence and territorial control. 1775 BOUDICA RALLIES

Ghost returns with a focused geopolitical briefing on Africa's accelerating realignment, centering on the rise of the Sahel Alliance and the rapid erosion of Western influence across the continent. He breaks down recent developments involving Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and neighboring states, explaining how military cooperation, resource control, and shared security interests are reshaping regional power structures. Ghost walks through France's continued retreat, the collapse of EU leverage, and the strategic vacuum left behind as African nations reject IMF-style dependency in favor of sovereignty-driven alliances. The episode also covers shifting dynamics around rare earth minerals, energy corridors, and security agreements, tying Africa's internal changes to the broader multipolar world taking shape alongside Russia, China, and the Global South. With maps, historical context, and clear-eyed analysis, Ghost explains why Africa has become a central front in the global struggle for power, and why the West is rapidly losing its grip.  

For the first time in climate negotiations, leaders are asking the question that actually matters: not just how do we solve the climate crisis — but why aren't we? Join Nobel laureate Al Gore for an in-depth conversation with Wanjira Mathai and Karenna Gore, leaders of the Global Ethical Stocktake: an urgent, values-first reset that seeks to center justice, phase out fossil fuels and elevate Indigenous and Global South leadership. Discover the initiative that's making fossil fuel lobbyists squirm and climate veterans hopeful — before the world moves on to COP31.Please note, this conversation was recorded live on November 14, 2025, at the TED Countdown House at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, in Belém, Brazil. There are a variety of names mentioned during the conversation of global leaders involved in the convening that took place at COP30, they are as follows (listed in order of mention):Laurence Stebiana, Special Envoy to Europe for COP30Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of the Environment and Climate ChangeKumi Naidoo, South African human rights activist and former director of GreenpeaceSelwin Hart, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just TransitionAntónio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General Gus Speth, American environmental lawyer"Mutirão COP30," the Tupi-Guarani term meaning "a collective effort or community mobilization" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate alarmists don't just get the science wrong but also demonize the engine of wealth that has brought billions out of grinding poverty; and this "climate colonialism" is "morally unconscionable," a Christian leader says. "What I believe we're seeing in the demand from wealthy Western nations that we fight climate change by reducing our use of fossil fuels is that they are demanding that the poorest nations of the world forego the use of the most abundant, affordable, reliable energy sources that can lift them out of poverty and keep them out of poverty," E. Calvin Beisner, president of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, told The Daily Signal. Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Subscribe to our other shows: Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words:  https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9753340027 The Tony Kinnett Cast: https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939 The Signal Sitdown: https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376   Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741     Follow The Daily Signal:    X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1    Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices