What Is Holding Up the Transition to Green Energy? (with Dustin Tingley, Jeff Colgan, and Aleksandra Conevska)

Green technology has come a long way, to the extent that it can, in theory, be scaled up to solve the world’s energy problems. If this is true, then why does the US lag so far behind in transitioning away from fossil fuels? This episode addresses the politics of climate change by looking at the sources of public distrust. To frame the discussion, three scholars investigate the nature of major economic transformations, the youth movement, and what we can learn from other countries.Traveling into the heart of US fossil fuel communities, Dustin Tingley reports on the work of his team to uncover the sentiments of the citizens who will be most affected when fossil fuel plants are closed. The common theme is a lack of belief that the government will offer a social safety net when workers lose their jobs and when towns lose their revenue. Jeff Colgan takes us through some major energy transitions of the past and explains why green energy is different. He also points to strategies citizens in other countries have leveraged to move their governments forward. Drawing on original research, Aleksandra Conevska explores differences between youth and adult political behavior regarding climate action, and separately on the unintended consequences of green party politics. Ending on a hopeful note, the group explains there are definitely new green jobs on the horizon, especially in the trades, and it’s time to give vocational education more attention.Host:Erin Goodman, Director, Weatherhead Scholars Program.Guests:Dustin Tingley, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. Professor of Government, Department of Government, Harvard University. Jeff Colgan, Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Watson Institute for Public and International Affairs, Brown University.Aleksandra Conevska, Graduate Affiliate, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Climate Change. PhD Candidate, Department of Government, Harvard University. Producer/Director:Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.Related Links:Climate Solutions Lab at Brown UniversitySailing the Water's Edge: The Domestic Politics of American Foreign Policy (Princeton University Press, 2016)“Embedded Liberalism from the Ground Up: Credibility and Climate Transitions” by Dustin Tingley et al. (Working Paper).“International Cooperation and Natural Disasters: Evidence from Trade Agreements” by Aleksandra Conevska (International Studies Quarterly, 2021).“Weathering Electricity Demand? Seasonal Variation in Electricity Consumption among Off-Grid Households in Rural India” by Aleksandra Conevska et al. (Energy Research & Social Science, 2020).Uncertain Futures: How to Break the Climate Impasse by Dustin Tingley (forthcoming).Partial Hegemony: Oil Politics and International Order by Jeff D. Colgan (Oxford University Press, 2021).Follow the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs:WCFIA WebsiteEpicenter WebsiteTwitterFacebookSimplecastSoundcloudVimeo
Episode Credits:Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead CenterProduced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead CenterFollow the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs:Weatherhead Center WebsiteEpicenter WebsiteTwitterFacebookSimplecastYouTubeVimeo