Drilled

Karen Hao, award-winning journalist and author of Empire of AI, explores AI as an ideological and imperial project. She discusses how AGI rhetoric masks massive energy and water demands. She compares Big Tech’s tactics to fossil fuel playbooks and critiques secrecy, hyperscaling, and environmental opacity. She also highlights community resistance to data-extraction projects.

Nina Lakhani, investigative journalist and author of Who Killed Berta Cáceres, explains the killing of Berta Cáceres and the tangled web of companies, military and banks connected to it. She traces U.S. links, legal failures, recent attacks on environmental leaders, and how Honduran movements keep resisting despite violent repression.

Fernanda Hopenhaym, UN Working Group member and corporate human rights expert, breaks down legal pitfalls for firms tied to seized Venezuelan oil. She outlines how unilateral U.S. actions create legal gaps. She examines corporate supply-chain links, EU due diligence, crew and community rights, and the high risk of litigation and state accountability.

Oscar Berglund, a researcher at the University of Bristol who studies climate activism and protest repression, joins to trace how backlash to climate action spread globally. He discusses laws, policing tactics, media vilification, anti‑terror and foreign influence tools, and why repression looks similar across countries. The conversation also covers how international attention and corporate influence shape responses.

Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, historian and author focused on energy and consumption, challenges the neat story of a simple green transition. He traces the rise of the transition narrative, shows how energies expand together, and exposes how backstop technologies and industry influence have shaped climate solutions. Short, sharp takes on why solar and wind alone do not equal full decarbonization.

When activists Jessica Reznicek and Ruby Montoya take drastic measures to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, they have no idea that a shadowy private security contractor called TigerSwan has them in its sights.  Special thanks to: Alleen Brown and The Intercept (https://theintercept.com/2018/12/30/tigerswan-infiltrator-dakota-access-pipeline-standing-rock/) You Strike A Match by Julia Shipley (https://grist.org/protest/dakota-access-pipeline-activists-property-destruction/) Democracy Now (https://www.democracynow.org/) Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join John Vaillant, a captivating author and journalist, as he delves into the harrowing realities of fire and climate. He discusses the devastating 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, revealing how extreme conditions fueled its ferocity. Vaillant highlights the environmental destructiveness of tar sands and the influence of Alberta's oil politics. He shares tales of community solidarity during evacuation and the challenges faced by firefighters. Reflecting on the emerging 'Pyrocene' era, he emphasizes the urgent need for a global energy transition.

Eri Melhus, Deputy leader of Natur og Ungdom, sheds light on the controversial electrification of the Melkøya gas processing plant. She discusses how this move is seen by critics as mere greenwashing rather than genuine climate action. The conversation also explores the implications for Sami land, highlighting concerns over lack of consent and the impact on reindeer herding. Melhus emphasizes the need for true climate commitments from politicians while questioning who truly benefits from continued fossil fuel production.

In this captivating discussion, climate justice expert Jennie Stephens from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and regulatory scholar Sharon Yadin from the University of Haifa share their insights on effective activism against climate obstruction. They explore successful tactics like community mobilization and naming-and-shaming while addressing the challenges posed by misinformation and corporate influence in academia. Both guests emphasize the need for legal frameworks that support activism and safeguard protest rights, revealing the urgent nexus between climate action and social justice.

Joana Setzer, an associate professor at the London School of Economics and an expert in climate law and litigation, discusses how legal frameworks can combat climate obstruction. She highlights the growing trend of climate litigation, with over 3,000 cases worldwide, and notable legal strategies employed against corporations. Joana also explores the role of attribution science in court, successful greenwashing challenges, and the impact of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate obligations for states. She warns about legal tactics that obstruct climate action while advocating for stronger protections for activists.