Anthropocene Geopolitics: Living in a Globalized World

Sponsored by University of Ottawa Press

Recorded on 12/20/2021
Posted in The Authority File

Episode 235

We live in a globalized world. The clothes we buy, the food we eat, and the beliefs we hold have consequences on the other side of the planet. In fact, these activities—and many more—impact our climate on a global scale. And paradoxically, not only does our consumption cause problems, but so do our solutions, whether by halting the use of fossil fuels or designing massive geoengineering projects. As Simon Dalby, author of Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability, notes, “Increasingly we are living in an artificial world…the decisions we make about which technologies to deploy, how and where, have got all sorts of potential dangers…That’s no longer something we can ignore and it’s part of living in the Anthropocene.”

In this third episode, Simon discusses globalization, geoengineering, and geopolitics. He explains the potential risks of geoengineering solutions like nuclear power and offers context around security and climate change. He touches on the US military’s connection to the climate crisis, and the duality of America as a global climate protector and one of the worst offenders. Last, Simon discusses how the unequal effects of climate change will continue to impact geopolitics as the oceans rise and people are forced to migrate.

About the guest:

Simon Dalby
Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies
Wilfrid Laurier University

Simon Dalby is a professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, where he teaches in the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin and at the University of Victoria, and holds a doctoral degree from Simon Fraser University. Before joining Wilfrid Laurier University, he was a professor of geography, environmental studies, and political economy at Carleton University.

Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:

• Book Origins and Multidisciplinary Approaches
• Our Current Geological Age
• Climate Change Effects and Future Policies

Check out our previous series with the University of Ottawa Press:
– Looking at Canadian Community Development
– What We Can Learn from a COVID-19 Spring

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