Season 1, Episode 12

Cara Daggett on the Science and Politics of Thermodynamics

On this episode of Free Range, Mike Livermore speaks with Cara Daggett, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech, about her new book The Birth of Energy: Fossil Fuels, Thermodynamics, and the Politics of Work.

Episode is an appropriate teaching tool for but not limited to the following topics & courses: political science, science and politics, environmental politics

Discussion Questions

  • What are some key differences between how work is viewed in thermodynamics versus economics? How might these differences influence policy debates about the environment and jobs?
  • The concept of “waste” comes up several times in the podcast. How is waste defined and viewed in thermodynamics versus how it is commonly used in environmental discourse? What are the implications of these different perspectives on waste?
  • How might the notion of maximizing productivity be problematic from an ecological perspective? Should the environmental movement move away from arguments about creating more “green jobs”?
  • How does the podcast connect scientific concepts like energy and work to cultural values and social meanings? What are some examples of this “slippage” between science and society?
  • What is meant by the idea that thermodynamics “invented” energy as an accounting unit? How did this accounting of energy align with the interests of Victorian industry?
  • How might the metaphor of capturing and harnessing the energy of waterfalls or sunlight in deserts reflect certain cultural assumptions? How else could we view such natural phenomena?
  • In what ways did early thermodynamics develop in tandem with imperialist expansion and colonialism? How might this history influence modern environmental politics?
  • Should notions of justice and fairness have a more central role in environmental arguments than appeals to utility or efficiency? Why or why not?
  • How might a “post-work” perspective help build an environmental movement capable of addressing climate change? What policies align with this perspective?
  • How does the podcast criticize the view of science as entirely objective or neutral? How should the relationship between science and society be understood?
  • What tensions exist between economic notions of labor as disutility and cultural valorization of work and productivity? How are these views connected?
  • How might the podcast challenge certain taken-for-granted assumptions, like the inherent value of economic growth? What other perspectives does it open up?

Additional Readings