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UC Berkeley Graduate Council Lectures (Video)University of California Television Author: UCTV
The University of California, Berkeley presents the Graduate Lectures. Seven lectureships comprise the Graduate Lectures, each with a distinct endowment history. These unique programs have brought distinguished visitors to Berkeley since 1909 to speak on a wide range of topics, from philosophy to the sciences. Language: en-us Genres: Education Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Moral Economy of Resource Extraction and the Future of Industrialization
Tuesday, 10 June, 2025
The "energy transition" is actually a shift from relying on fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas) to using metals to generate energy. However, extracting metals has always been a significant environmental and political issue, especially for cities. This problem has been around for centuries, even ancient Roman writers wrote about it. In this program, Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, talks about the historic use of fossil fuels and its economic, social and environmental impacts to the transition today to extracting metals for energy, dominated by China. Thompson points out that extracting resources will always have environmental and social costs. To mitigate these risks, she says we need to find ways to reduce international competition and ecological damage. This requires acknowledging that the idea of endless progress, which was fueled by fossil fuels, has its limits. And she says we must prioritize sustainability and responsible resource management to create a better future. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 40428]
