Podcasts

Back

The Fragility Paradox: Energy Systems and Technological Vulnerabilities

10
January 2025
Helmut Sorge, Duncan Wood

Our modern world relies on fragile systems—vulnerable to risks like massive solar storms, dependent on rare earth minerals, and deeply interconnected with China’s dominance in global supply chains. As demand for sustainable energy surges, solutions like advanced battery recycling and seabed mining offer hope but also raise ethical and environmental concerns. In this podcast, we explore the delicate balance between innovation, security, and sustainability, and what it takes to build a more resilient future.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    January 13, 2022
    “This opinion was prepared within the framework of the Jean Monnet Atlantic Network 2.0. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”   As part of the lengthy fight against climate change, the European Union (EU) has introduced a Border Carbon A ...
  • Authors
    December 10, 2021
    Addressing the increasing demands for water, energy, and food requires a coherent methodology to ensure that  societies have access to them and that conflict over them is avoided. For example, agriculture and food production  require water and energy; energy production also requires water and, in some instances, agricultural products.  Water distribution and treatment can be very energy intensive. Therefore, the benefits of approaching the Water- Energy-Food (WEF) nexus in an integr ...
  • Authors
    December 10, 2021
     Accelerating the transition toward low or net-zero carbon emissions is necessary to keep global warming at theoretically safe levels. That will likely bring price shocks associated with rising metal prices, energy costs, and carbon taxes – what has been called “greenflation”. Greening the economy will also require public spending and redistributive policies. ...
  • Authors
    December 3, 2021
    Si le recours aux énergies renouvelables ne peut que croître, doit-on symétriquement considérer que le gaz naturel est, à l’instar du pétrole et du charbon, une énergie du passé ? Cette question simple en apparence, appelant une réponse tranchée et nécessairement positive au regard de l’impératif climatique, de la nécessité de décarboner nos économies, mais également des engagements politiques pris dans ce sens par de nombreuses nations. Le bien-fondé environnemental de ce raisonnem ...
  • November 19, 2021
    This Podcast is based on a Policy Brief by Rim Berahab and Uri Dadush. It examines how Morocco progresses on the mitigation component of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targe ...