Tag Archives: climate change

Infrastructure, Public Policy, and the Anthropocene – Episode 88 – The Oxford Comment

October 31, 2023The Oxford Commentage of anthropocene, anthropocene, climate change, climate crisis, holocene, infrastructure, infrastructure and health, jonathan pickering, ooih, open research, oxford open infrastructure and health, patrick harris, public health, public policy, The Oxford Comment, the politics of the anthropoceneoxfordacademic

On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we discuss the state of human infrastructure in the Anthropocene with a particular focus on how research can best be used to inform public policy. First, we welcomed Patrick Harris, co-editor-in-chief of the new transdisciplinary journal, Oxford Open Infrastructure and Health, to speak about the aims and scopes of OOIH, how OOIH is poised to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene, and the kind of research the editors are seeking. We then interviewed Jonathan Pickering, co-author of The Politics of the Anthropocene, the winner of the 2019 Clay Morgan Award Committee for Best Book in Environmental Political Theory. We spoke with him about how the shift from the Holocene to the Anthropocene has affected our core infrastructure systems and how good governance can help us mitigate the many challenges we’ll face in the future

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Marine Biology – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 64

April 27, 2023The Very Short Introductions Podcastalgae, climate change, coral bleaching, coral reef, fisheries, marine biology, marine life, ocean ecosystems, ocean health, overfishing, philip mladenov, plankton, the very short introductions podcast, vsioxfordacademic

In this episode, Philip Mladenov introduces marine biology, a field whose importance is ever growing as our oceans undergo rapid and profound changes due to human influence.

Learn more about Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/marine-biology-a-very-short-introduction-9780198841715

Philip Mladenov has 40 years of professional experience in marine and environmental research, teaching and exploration and is retired from his position of Professor of Marine Science at the University of Otago. He has worked with government agencies, politicians, and large companies to build awareness and strategic responses to climate change, environmental degradation, and resource over-exploitation.

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Climate Emergency: Lessons from Classic Maya to Contemporary China – Episode 81 – The Oxford Comment

March 28, 2023The Oxford Commentchina's next act, classic maya, clean technology, climate change, climate emergency, contemporary china, kenneth e seligson, scott m moore, sustainability, the maya and climate change, The Oxford Commentoxfordacademic

The consequences of climate change are catastrophic. This real and present threat to our planet may seem insurmountable, but there are—and have been—lessons shared on how to mitigate the damage already wrought, and how to prevent future detriment.

On today’s episode, we explore two unique examples of societal adaptation to climate change: one from our past, and one from our present. First, we welcomed Kenneth E. Seligson, the author of The Maya and Climate Change: Human-Environmental Relationships in the Classic Period Lowlands, who shared insights into his work exploring the environmental resilience of the Classic Maya, the environmental challenges they faced and overcame, and the lessons we can learn from them. We then interviewed Scott M. Moore, the author of China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future, to speak about contemporary China’s meteoric and controversial rise to a global power, its leading role in sustainability and technology, and what this means for institutions around the world.

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The Need for Affordable and Clean Energy – Episode 75 – The Oxford Comment

August 30, 2022The Oxford Commentclimate change, energy policy, environmentalism, fossil fuels, geothermal energy, martin pasqualetti, nonrenewable energy, nuclear energy, oil drilling, paul meier, renewable energy, solar energy, the changing energy mix, The Oxford Comment, the thread of energy, wind energyoxfordacademic

High gas prices. Nuclear reactors closed forever. The growth of the electric car industry. Record-breaking temperatures, and Europe’s Dependence on Russian Natural Gas. There has been no shortage in energy-related news stories this summer, and we know that they are not going to go away any time soon.

On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we spoke with Martin J. Pasqualetti, Professor of Geography at Arizona State University and author of The Thread of Energy, and Paul F. Meier, an independent clean fuels consultant and author of The Changing Energy Mix: A Systematic Comparison of Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy, on the need for affordable and clean energy (which is one of the UN’s sustainable development goals), the history of energy in the United States, and the dire implications of not changing our energy habits.

Learn more about Martin J. Pasqualetti and The Thread of Energy here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-thread-of-energy-9780199394807
Learn more about Paul F. Meier and The Changing Energy Mix here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-changing-energy-mix-9780190098391

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The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producers: Stella Edison and Himalee Rupesinghe
Host: Stella Edison

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

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Ocean Health: Life and Livelihoods – Episode 62 – The Oxford Comment

June 29, 2021The Oxford Commentbiodiversity, climate change, deep sea, fishing industry, lisa levin, ocean acidification, ocean health, overfishing, ray hilborn, seaspiracy, trawlingoxfordacademic

June is National Ocean Month in the United States, and earlier this month, the whole world observed World Oceans Day, a day that has been celebrated since 2008 with a different theme each year. The theme for 2021 was “Life and Livelihoods.”

Covering 71% of the earth’s surface, the ocean is home to a vast array of life—an estimated 2.2 million species—and provides livelihoods for 40 million people in the fishing industry. But many scientists warn that the health of our oceans is in decline, threatening these species and the humans who depend on them.

The threats to our oceans’ health are multifold, and include deep-sea mining, offshore drilling, and ocean acidification. On today’s episode of The Oxford Comment, we are joined by biological oceanographer Lisa Levin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and contributor to Natural Capital and Exploitation of the Deep Ocean, and Ray Hilborn, a professor at the University of Washington and co-author of Ocean Recovery: A Sustainable Future for Global Fisheries? We tapped into their expertise to better understand the threats posed by overfishing, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

Learn more about Natural Capital and Exploitation of the Deep Ocean and Lisa Levin here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/natural-capital-and-exploitation-of-the-deep-ocean-9780198841661
Learn more about Ocean Recovery: A Sustainable Future for Global Fisheries? and Ray Hilborn here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/ocean-recovery-9780198839767

Please check out Episode 62 of The Oxford Comment and subscribe to The Oxford Comment through your favourite podcast app to listen to the latest insights from our expert authors:
– Apple Podcasts: oxford.ly/2RuYMPa
– Google Podcasts: oxford.ly/38UpF5h
– Spotify: oxford.ly/2JLNTTO
– Stitcher: oxford.ly/2R0fVNZ
– Youtube: oxford.ly/2YY4iMT

The Oxford Comment Crew:
Executive Producer: Steven Filippi
Associate Producer: Christina Fleischer
Host: Julia Baker
Science Correspondant: Victoria Sparkman

Music: Filaments by Podington Bear is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

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