A Livable Future is Possible: Confronting the Threats to Our Survival by Noam Chomsky

📖 A Livable Future is Possible: Confronting the Threats to Our Survival by Noam Chomsky, Interviews by C. J. Polychroniou (2024)
👉 See Book on Amazon | https://amzn.to/4lJ5In9

90 Seconds to Midnight: Chomsky & Pollin on Humanity's Existential Threats

In this episode, we explore the significant existential threats facing humanity, as highlighted by Noam Chomsky and Robert Pollin in their book, 'A Livable Future is Possible: Confronting the Threats to our Survival.' We delve into the two major threats identified by Chomsky—climate crisis and nuclear war—and examine the institutional barriers that hinder effective action. The discussion includes the influence of corporate interests, the economic feasibility of a global clean energy transition, and the impact of neoliberal policies on societal resilience. We also look at global dynamics, including the role of the Amazon rainforest, China's leadership in clean energy, and the geopolitical tensions exemplified by NATO's eastward expansion and the Ukraine War. The episode concludes with a reflection on the moral challenge humanity faces: whether we can align our moral capacity with our technological advancements to secure a livable future.

00:00 Introduction: The Doomsday Clock and Existential Threats
00:57 Chomsky's Twin Threats: Climate Crisis and Nuclear War
02:47 Institutional Barriers and the Vile Maxim
04:52 Economic Feasibility of a Clean Energy Transition
08:08 Global Dynamics: Ecosystems, Power Shifts, and Population
10:38 Nuclear Risk and the Rules-Based International Order
15:12 Internal Vulnerabilities: Neoliberalism and Democracy
19:19 Conclusion: Moral Intelligence and the Future

#climatechange #nuclearwar #futuresstudies #futurology #education