Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford Kyoto: The Battle that Defined Climate Politics - with Joe Robertson
101 snips
Nov 21, 2025 
Joe Robertson, a playwright known for the gripping play Kyoto, shares insights into the high-stakes world of climate politics. He delves into the disruptive tactics of lobbyist Don Perlman, who embodied the challenges of the 1997 climate negotiations. Robertson explains how strategies of doubt and misinformation were weaponized, paralleling tactics from the tobacco industry. He also highlights the importance of small island nations as moral leaders and examines the legacy of Kyoto, questioning its effectiveness in shaping future climate policy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Finding Don Perlman In The Footnotes
- Joe Robertson discovered Don Perlman through footnotes and interviews and found little online about him.
- Perlman emerged as a brilliant strategist who moved from government to representing oil interests in the 1990s.
Doubt Is A Powerful Tactic
- Perlman and allies weaponized uncertainty rather than offering alternative science.
- A persistent question mark was enough to seed doubt in a complex field like climate science.
Islands Became The Moral Compass
- Small island states formed a unified bloc and became the moral compass of negotiations.
- Their immediate existential threat forced other nations to reckon with urgency and equity.
