Abundant energy

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week’s programme is a thought experiment: What would the world be like if energy became superabundant and very cheap? Energy is vital for every aspect of our society, and the energy cost of extraction, processing, manufacture and transport is priced into every product we buy. Today’s energy crisis is having a huge impact, from affecting diplomatic relations between nations to the availability of food. How can our energy systems evolve and what could cheap abundant energy mean for us, our relationship to the natural world, and each other? We discuss these issues and more with; Rachel Kyte CMG, Dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University, who has previously worked for the UN on sustainability issues. Jim Watson, Professor of Energy Policy at UCL. He’s advised government on the low carbon energy transition. And Dr Hannah Richie, Head of Research at Our World in Data, based at Oxford University, who looks at food, agriculture and energy in relation to global development trends. BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with the Open University.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts.
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0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sport stars.
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0:18.5	mouths.
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0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.2	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:35.8	Hello, this is the podcast version of BBC Inside Science First Broadcast on BBC Radio 4
0:42.6	on the 9th of February 2023.
0:45.5	In this week's programme, we're conducting a thought experiment.
0:49.8	What would the world be like if energy became super abundant and very, very cheap?
0:57.4	Energy is involved in every aspect of our societies and the energy cost of extraction,
1:03.9	processing, manufacturing and transport is priced into every product we buy.
1:09.4	So today's energy crisis is having a huge impact from diplomatic relations between countries
1:15.8	to the availability of food.
1:17.9	But cheap, abundant energy could change everything and it could arrive within decades.
1:25.4	So what could it mean for us, our relationship to the natural world and to each other?
1:31.4	Joining me to explore this thought experiment are three experts with a keen interest.
1:37.1	Rachel Kite is the Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and she's previously
	...

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