1979-1989: The Decade We Almost Saved the Planet
Energy Gang
Wood Mackenzie
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 30 August 2018
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we're using an entire episode to discuss an ambitious piece of reporting on climate change. Earlier this month, the New York Times Magazine devoted an entire issue to a specific period of time in modern history: 1979 and 1989.
It was a time when we first reckoned with the impact of climate change — a period of great awakening in science, politics and industry to the threat of greenhouse gases.
As we’re painfully aware, that awakening didn’t turn into action. The 31,000-word piece weaves together a narrative to help explain why — when everyone seemed to be on the same page about the threat — we failed.
We talk with Author Nathaniel Rich about the reason he wrote the piece, detail some of the most important moments during the decade, and address criticisms.
The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings among any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.
Recommended reading:
- New York Times: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
- Atlantic: The Problem With The New York Times’ Big Story on Climate Change
- Guardian: 30 Years on, World Is Failing 'Miserably’ to Address Climate Change
Subscribe to The Energy Gang podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Nathaniel, so you spent two years deeply reporting on this story, over a hundred sources, you took |
| 0:07.2 | over an entire issue of the New York Times magazine, and then Apple buys the rights for a television series. |
| 0:13.2 | Did you expect that? |
| 0:14.6 | No. |
| 0:16.5 | I didn't expect anything in particular, |
| 0:18.8 | but the story has received an enormous reaction. so that's that's been very gratifying and |
| 0:25.9 | exciting. |
| 0:26.9 | Catherine are you going to be watching on Apple? Of course Apple owns my soul so I will |
| 0:32.3 | be watching everything on Apple. |
| 0:36.0 | Coming up, we talk with Nathaniel Rich, author of Losing Earth, a piece of climate history that |
| 0:41.1 | took over the New York Times magazine earlier this month. |
| 0:44.0 | First though, a thanks to Mission Solar for bringing you this show. |
| 0:47.0 | We're talking about an important time in modern history this week, 1979 to 1989, |
| 0:52.0 | and that turns out to be a time when the modern solar industry was born in America |
| 0:56.6 | Mission Solar is keeping that history alive |
| 0:59.5 | Mission Solar makes high quality high-power solar modules right in Texas, giving you the best |
| 1:04.9 | performing products with the durability that only Texans can ensure. |
| 1:08.8 | Find out more about Mission's line of solar modules at Mission Solar.com. |
| 1:16.6 | From Green Tech Media, this is the Energy Gang, |
| 1:19.0 | a weekly digest on energy, clean tech and the environment. |
| 1:22.0 | I'm Stephen Lacey. Welcome. |
| 1:23.4 | This week we are devoting an entire episode to an ambitious piece of reporting on climate change. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wood Mackenzie, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Wood Mackenzie and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.