74/ The Political Economy of Car Dependence: Understanding Systems of Provision (with Giulio Mattioli & Julia Steinberger)

This is a conversation with Giulio Mattioli and Julia Steinberger about their article ‘the political economy of car dependence: A systems of provision approach‘ published in the ‘Energy Research & Social Science‘ journal. We also discussed the topics below. Get early access + more perks at Patreon.com/firethesetimes Blog: https://thefirethisti.me You can follow on Twitter or Instagram @ firethesetimes too. Topics Discussed: The five key elements of what we’re calling the ‘car-dependent  transport system’: i) the automotive industry; ii) the provision of car  infrastructure; iii) the political economy of urban sprawl; iv) the  provision of public transport; v) cultures of car consumption The problem with focusing too much on consumption and the importance of covering the production side How where we live can influence our politics, and how suburban car-oriented lifestyles are actually subsidized by the state The importance of network planning Looking for decoupling and finding degrowth instead The problem with ‘sustainable’ growth How the car industry shows the necessity of degrowth Why more equitable societies are easier to decarbonize The problem with the argument that personal choices do not matter Dealing with climate anxiety through activism, work, research, learning How come we knew so much and did so little? Working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) What is ecologial economics? Recommended Books Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Decolonising the Mind: the Politics of Language in African Literature by  Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save The World by Jason Hickel Degrowth / Postwachstum zur Einführung by Matthias Schmelzer and Andrea Vetter Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth Music by Tarabeat. Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash