Macrodose

Latest Episodes:

The Break Down: Economic Legacies of Empire w/ Kojo Koram Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

In the media, the importance of the legacies of empire and colonialism are often dismissed, with the public conversation often centring on the "culture war" elements of this history, from debates about statues to institutions like the National Trust becoming "woke". The implication of much of this discourse is that empire and colonialism are features of the past, and should be left there.In reality, it is far from that simple. Our guest for Episode 18 is legal scholar Kojo Koram, whose first book, Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire, unpacks how the legacies of empire continue to structure every part of our unequal global economy, from international tribunals that protect corporate interests to the systems that leave countries trapped in cycles of debt. Rather than a thing of the past, Kojo expertly breaks down just how present empire really is, and critically, how it has shaped both the roots and impacts of climate and ecological crisis.

[Excerpt] On Grief and Struggle w/ Sarah Jaffe, Camille Barbagallo and Asad Rehman Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

James is on personal leave this week, so we’re bringing you a special recording from October 2024: the book launch of From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire by Sarah Jaffe. Find the full episode at patreon.com/Macrodose.

Grief is everywhere in today’s world, yet even in our movement spaces, it’s often a topic left unspoken. As we navigate an era of intersecting crises, how can we carve out space for our essential human needs—rest, care, and time to mourn—while organising to meet the urgent challenges of our time?

Sarah is an acclaimed labour journalist based in New Orleans, USA, is the best-selling author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion To Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone and Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt.

This event is guest-hosted by Dalia Gebrial, Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice at King’s College London, and features Camille Barbagallo and Asad Rehman - interviewees in Sarah’s book, offering their powerful perspectives on grief and organising.

Buy the book: From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire

James will be back behind the microphone very soon, but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this important and inspiring conversation.

The Break Down: Capitalism Without Growth? w/ Hans Stegeman Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

Politics is increasingly polarised, but if there’s one thing politicians of all major parties can agree on, it’s growth — that their political rivals failed to deliver growth, that we need more of it, and that getting it will solve all of our problems, from inequality and poverty to crumbling public services and stalling investment.

But not everyone agrees. For a growing movement of post-growth and degrowth economists, economic growth is neither neutral nor desirable. Instead, many increasingly call for the abandonment of our growth-dependent economic model on the basis that unfettered growth is driving our climate and ecosystems to the brink.

Our guest today, Hans Stegeman, is an unusual figure in this community — a banker who wants finance, and the wider economy, to move beyond growth for the sake of the planet. Hans is Chief Economist at Triodos Bank, as well as a leading writer and thinker on post-growth economics. In today’s episode, Hans and Adrienne discuss degrowth, the myth of green finance, and why breaking the rules of mainstream economics is the first step to a sustainable future.

Wildfires, Smoke, and Inequality Jan 15, 2025

Show notes

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: the wildfires in California and their potentially catastrophic economic fallout (1:20), a New York Times piece on the politics of climate change and whether it’s time for a new “green populism” (11:54), and the financial mess Keir Starmer’s government is already finding itself in (17:00).

Biden Left us Behind with a "Prius Economy": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/opinion/electric-vehicles-tax-credits.html

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

India's Climate Crossroads Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway unpacks: India’s economic slowdown and how climate change is transforming traditional models of development (0:48), Trump’s bid to buy Greenland and the geopolitical race for Arctic resources (8:00), and the surprising economics of olive oil, with prices finally expected to fall this year (13:08).

Subscribe to support the show at patreon.com/Macrodose. Your pledge is a donation supporting free public education; perks are thank-you gifts for your support.

Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

[BONUS] On Climate Realism w/ Ajay Singh Chaudhary Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

Macrodose is on a winter break this week, but we’re excited to share a special recording from back in May 2024: the book launch of The Exhausted of the Earth by Ajay Singh Chaudhary.

This compelling conversation, hosted by Dalia Gebrial, Lecturer in Geography and Social Justice at King’s College London, dives into the urgent political and scientific realities of the climate crisis. Ajay explores the bitter struggle between those clinging to the power, wealth, and security of the status quo and the rest of us—exhausted, in every sense, by “business-as-usual.”

Together, they unpack the radical politics and collective power needed to navigate our burning world, moving beyond survival toward something far better.

📚 The Exhausted of the Earth is available now: Buy the book here.

We’ll be back from our winter break very soon with regular Macrodose programming. Thank you for joining us, and stay tuned!

2024 - A Year in Review w/ Adrienne Buller Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

This week, Macrodose teams up with our partner show The Break Down for a special crossover episode. James Meadway and Adrienne Buller look back on the whirlwind that was 2024 – a year defined by political upheaval, economic instability, and escalating climate crises.

They revisit the standout stories of the year, from surging infectious diseases and climate-driven inflation to the unraveling of the post-war global order.

Looking ahead to 2025, they explore the big macroeconomic trends we need to be tracking and ask: how do we make sense of these challenges, and what does a hopeful, sustainable path forward look like?

A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this show possible over the past twelve months. From all of us at Macrodose and The Break Down, we wish you a joyful and restful winter break.

For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.

Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

Trump, China, and the New Cold War Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

On this week's MACRODOSE: James Meadway explores the new Cold War as Trump gears up to escalate US-China trade tensions (1:47) and examines the broader geopolitical and environmental shifts challenging the postwar order (12:04).

AI-Generated Production Networks Paper: https://aipnet.io/paper/

For exclusive content, including The Fix—Macrodose's monthly newsletter—and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose.

Got a question or comment? Reach out to us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk.

To learn more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, head to planetbproductions.co.uk.

The Break Down: After Overshoot w/ Andreas Malm Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

In 2024, we’re set to break a major climate threshold for the first time: this will be the first calendar year in which global average temperatures breach the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Importantly, while one year at this temperature doesn’t mean all is lost, it does fire a profound warning shot over our faltering progress on mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis.

While every fraction of a degree matters when it comes to the climate, the consensus is clear that above 1.5C the severity of impacts and risk of tipping points like mass coral reef die off or the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet become substantially higher. You might therefore expect this to be front page news. Yet compared with its gravity, it has barely made headlines. If, like us, you’re wondering why — as it turns out, this was always part of the plan.

In this episode, Adrienne and Andreas Malm break down the concept of “overshoot”, how it’s tied up with the power of fossil fuels, and the future of climate politics, from ecofascism to geoengineering.

Andreas Malm is an associate professor at Lund University, an activist and the author of several books, most recently Overshoot: How The World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown, co-written with Wim Carton.

Can We Climate-Proof Our Food? Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

On this week's MACRODOSE, James Meadway discusses the battle to develop climate-resilient potatoes (0:50), a new proposal on revamping Britain’s council farms (7:33) and a brief note on Trump’s new appointments, what can we expect from MAGA 2.0? (11:23).

Abundance Report: https://www.in-abundance.org/latest/new-report-food-systems-in-common

For more content, including The Fix - Macrodose's monthly newsletter - and to support the show, visit: https://www.patreon.com/macrodose

Got a question or comment? Reach us at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk

For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to planetbproductions.co.uk

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