Decouple

Dr. Chris Keefer
  • 4.9 (135)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Decouple

There are technologies that decouple human well-being from its ecological impacts. There are politics that enable these technologies. Join me as I interview world experts to uncover hope in this time of planetary crisis.

  1. Oil: A Masterclass

    23 HR. AGO

    Oil: A Masterclass

    Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group, joins us for a Masterclass on the slippery subject of oil. We zoom from ancient plankton to modern empires to see how a mysterious black liquid birthed from prehistoric seas now powers our civilization, touching on the complex chemistry, geology and history of oil.

    1h 35m
  2. A Civil Nuclear Debate

    12/24/2024

    A Civil Nuclear Debate

    Two thought leaders in the nuclear energy conversation, James Krellenstein and Ted Nordhaus, join Decouple for a “debate” over the question of reactor size: should advanced, small nuclear technologies lead the way for nuclear energy, or should conventional large reactors? What could have been a heated debate over nuclear energy's future ended up a nuanced discussion about the industry’s challenges—and how to overcome them. James Krellenstein is the co-founder and CEO of Alva Energy. Ted Nordhaus is the co-founder and executive director of The Breakthrough Institute.

    1h 20m
  3. Reactors on Wheels

    12/17/2024

    Reactors on Wheels

    Jeff Waksman, program manager for Project Pele, joins Dr. Chris Keefer to discuss the impetus for the military microreactor project, the logistics and energy challenges at the heart of modern warfare, and the technical considerations of microreactor development. Few voices are more qualified to speak on the state-of-the-art in tiny nuclear reactors. Tune in. Support Decouple: https://www.decouple.media

    1h 11m
  4. A Heterodox Economics Lesson

    12/10/2024

    A Heterodox Economics Lesson

    Steve Keen, economist and author, joins me to explain how modern economics has catastrophically misunderstood the role of energy in our world and underestimated the risks of climate change through oversimple models. In this in-person conversation, we discuss the evolution of economic thinking since feudalism, the shortcomings of prevailing economic models, modern monetary theory, the role of state capitalism in funding large infrastructure projects, and much else. Tune in! -- Support Decouple: https://www.decouple.media/

    1h 44m
  5. The End of an IRA?

    12/03/2024

    The End of an IRA?

    Phil Chaffee, Editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly and Bureau Chief of Energy Intelligence’s New York offices, joins me to discuss the implications of a second Trump administration on U.S. nuclear energy. Will the tantalizing nuclear power purchase agreements signed by hyperscalers evaporate as carbon pricing becomes less likely? Will free-market ideology manage to sustain the government support needed to deploy nuclear power at scale? We speculate about these questions and more. Note: This interview was recorded on 20 November 2024.

    51 min
  6. The Forgotten Climate Debate

    11/26/2024

    The Forgotten Climate Debate

    Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, a French historian of science & technology, shares how European societies grappled with climate change centuries before modern science proved the scale and breadth of its impact, revealing a forgotten saga where colonial ambitions and volcanic winters shaped our earliest understanding of Earth's shifting climate. Grounding our discussion is his Fressoz’s 2024 book Chaos in the Heavens: The Forgotten History of Climate Change, co-authored with Fabien Locher.

    1h 25m
  7. Defense in Depths

    11/19/2024

    Defense in Depths

    Aidan Morrison, director of energy research at Australia’s Centre for Independent Studies, takes us to the depths of Australia’s security predicament as a country near Maritime Southeast Asia dependent on liquid hydrocarbon imports. We discuss military strategy, the use of nuclear and diesel-electric submarines, and the continent’s precarious dependence on maritime trade and military alliances.

    1h 27m
  8. Microreactors, Macro Problems

    11/12/2024

    Microreactors, Macro Problems

    Nick Touran, a nuclear engineer and manager at TerraPower, unearths the sobering realities of micro nuclear reactors. Through a detailed discussion of physics, engineering, economics, and history, Touran explains why microreactors face fundamental challenges that factory production alone cannot solve.

    1h 23m
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About

There are technologies that decouple human well-being from its ecological impacts. There are politics that enable these technologies. Join me as I interview world experts to uncover hope in this time of planetary crisis.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Chris Keefer
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    266
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Chris Keefer
  • Show Website
    Decouple

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