89. The Ministry for the Future with Kim Stanley Robinson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Friday, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The United States will officially be back in the Paris Climate Agreement!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*cue appropriate volume of fanfare*</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And while in a week where Dallas, Texas is colder than Anchorage, Alaska - our co-host Paul Dickinson takes us on a short list of topics discussing the social cost of carbon</span> <a href= "https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-15/top-economists-warn-u-s-against-underestimating-climate-damage"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">recently updated</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">by Joseph Stiglitz and Lord Nicholas Stern to match the severity of the climate crisis, as well as a listener question regarding the unregulated growth and steadily growing emissions of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But all of this in context, with the US “still in” as it’s being promoted - We anxiously await the United States’</span> <a href= "https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs/nationally-determined-contributions-ndcs"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Nationally Determined Contribution</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">which should be announced anytime between now and late April. Once that number comes through, the race to COP 26 will be at full speed where the very first 5 year check in of global accountability and ambition towards a net-zero 2050 and beyond will happen. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So with the world’s largest economy on track to boost the global coalition of nations dedicated to this collective goal, will we be able to achieve emission reductions fast enough to avoid catastrophe? This week our guest is legendary science fiction writer, Kim Stanley Robinson, whose prolific career includes the international bestselling</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mars trilogy</span></em><