Imagining Climate Futures with Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson, the legendary science-fiction novelist, has a private utopian hope: “to dodge a mass extinction event.” He joins Azeem Azhar to explore his recent novel, The Ministry For the Future, and what it would take for institutions, individuals, and emerging technologies to save millions of lives.

They also discuss:

• When civil disobedience and direct climate action may become a moral necessity.
• Why central banks and a radical shift of economic incentives are vital to drive decarbonization.
• What climate restoration is and why it offers better prospects than climate engineering.

@azeem
@exponentialview
Kim Stanley Robinson

Further resources:

• “Applying the Pandemic Mindset to Climate Change with Cory Doctorow” (Exponential View podcast, 2020)
• “What can climate tech do for us?” (Exponential View newsletter, 2020)
• “The Ministry For the Future” (Hachette, 2020)
• “It’s Not Science Fiction” (The New York Review on The Ministry For the Future, 2020)
• “Top central banks identify nine ways to make their policies greener” (Financial Times, 2021)

HBR Presents is a network of podcasts curated by HBR editors, bringing you the best business ideas from the leading minds in management. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Harvard Business Review or its affiliates.