Sustainability and prosperity in the age of ecological scarcity
3 February 2025 - 1 hour 31 minsContributor(s): Professor Edward B Barbier | Drawing on his book, Scarcity and Frontiers, Edward Barbier argues that how economies choose to exploit natural resources is critical to both their sustainability and prosperity. In past eras, a critical driving force behind global economic development has been the response of society to the scarcity of key natural resources. By raising the cost of exploitation and use, scarcity creates incentives to innovate and substitute. However, economies also avoid scarcity by obtaining and developing new "frontiers" of vital resources. How these two responses play out often determines which economies emerge as leaders.
In the present era, rising ecological...
Series Episodes
The ecological continuation of empire in the Arab world
This lecture by Marwa Daoudy, held in honour of the renowned scholar Fred Halliday, will explore the entanglement of colonialism, capitalism, and environmental exploitation that has shaped the modern global order in ways that continue to structure global inequality.
1 hour 32 mins
11 June Finished
Reading wars: the story (so far) of Western literacy and the future of free speech
Who gets access to books? And, to what extent does the act of reading shape our humanity?
1 hour 31 mins
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Ten years on: Brexit and Britain’s political future
In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum that reshaped British politics, society, and the economy in profound and lasting ways. Ten years on, this event brings together leading voices from politics, journalism, and academia to reflect on how Brexit has transformed political identities, party competition, public trust, and Britain’s place in the world.
1 hour 31 mins
8 June Finished
How to win a trade war
In this public event, Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown discuss their new book, How to Win a Trade War.
1 hour 24 mins
4 June Finished
The everywhere millionaire: who is really rich in America and how they got there
The story of wealth in America isn’t just about Wall Street or Silicon Valley—it’s also about the quiet fortunes of Main Street business owners, whose growing economic and political power often escapes the spotlight.
1 hour 23 mins
2 June Finished
The halted march of the European left: lessons from history
In the 1970s, the European left was thriving. Across the continent, numerous groups emerged to defend the working‑class in all its diversity. New waves of organising—led by women, migrants, and young workers—pointed to the vitality of the labour movement. And then... the left’s progress came to a sharp halt. What brought about such decline? What lessons must we take away from this historical turning point?
1 hour 22 mins
1 June Finished
