Cultures of Energy

244 – Energy Transition (feat. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz)

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of cookie week, your co-hosts tackle an age-old question: are brownies cookies are not? Then we process the fact that next month will be the ...

243 - Oil and Intimacy (feat. Chelsea Schields)

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic recount a pleasant business trip to New Orleans including a mild bout of Satanic panic. Then (9:10) we are joined by the delightful...

242 – Living Minerals (feat. Javiera Barandiarán)

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene begin with the war on Chicago and Kelly Hayes's amazing essay, "In Chicago, We Run Toward Danger Together" which everyone should re...

241 - Militant Chemistry (feat. Alice Lovejoy)

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about AI and other chowhounds to kick off this week's podcast. Then (12:46) we welcome the wonderful Alice Lovejoy to talk abo...

240 - Carbon Banking (feat. Ben Luzzatto & Gustav Peebles)

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We begin this episode with a shoutout to our friends at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) and try to settle once and for all the Montreal vs ...

239 - Carbon Capital (feat. Sean Field)

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There be tales of two Sean Fields on this week's podcast. Happily, we are only welcoming (8:56) the smart and accomplished Dr. Field to the podcast to...

238 - Thinking Like a Climate (feat. Hannah Knox)

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about screamo music and the band Phish and how you can't fake the feels on this week's intro to the podcast. Then (13:07) expe...

237 - The Canyon (feat. Robert Savino Oventile)

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene returns to the pod at long last (yay!) and we discuss recent events and how climate science probably caused wildfires and bears to happen. Then...

236 – Ethical Pessimism (feat. Roy Scranton)

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic reports from a delayed birthday trip to Los Angeles and we learn about how Mike Brady (of Brady Brunch fame) nearly perished in a helicopter c...

235 - Forever Chemicals (feat. Rachel Frazin)

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic gives a quick update from the frontlines of home repair. Then (3:30) we welcome Rachel Frazin an energy and environmental reporter from The Hi...

234 - Failed States (feat. Imre Szeman)

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic reports briefly on how your co-hosts returned home to their own personal Hurricane Harvey. Then (4:20) Imre Szeman returns to the podcast to t...

233 - The Abyss (feat. Stacy Alaimo)

05 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic report from Berlin, a land of feisty wasps (which are possibly bees) and haunted lakes. Then (16:38) we are so thrilled to welcome ...

232 - Lithium (feat. Mark Goodale)

21 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic report from the most sus tourist apartment in Barcelona. Then (15:48) we are delighted to welcome Mark Goodale to the pod talk abou...

231 - Drifting (feat. Rafico Ruiz)

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene complete their stint in paradise on this week's podcast. We review some highlights from the final lap including multispecies erotic...

230 - Intermission

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic check in briefly from Italy on this week's podcast, begging your pardon for the lack of a guest and the double-helping of co-host c...

229 - Abundance (feat. Candace Fujikane)

10 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic arrive in Italy just in time for the naming of another Chicagoan as pope and discover the wonders of street to table cuisine. Then ...

228 - Noise (feat. Marina Peterson)

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene tells us about her struggles to get a passing grade in art class in this week's podcast. And then (15:20) we welcome a dear friend, Marina Pete...

227 – The Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes (feat. Radha D'Souza and Jonas Staal)

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene communes with Californian nature (slugs and all) on this edition of the podcast. Then (14:33) we welcome Radha D'Souza and Jonas Staal to the p...

226 - Extraction (feat. Thea Riofrancos)

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic advise universities on how to handle blackmailers and wish a certain daughter a happy birthday on this sweet sixteen episode of the...

225 - Bad Weather (feat. Jerry Zee)

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Even though Cymene and Dominic clearly dislike billionaires they sure seemed enchanted by pirate gold in this episode of the podcast. Then (16:44) we ...

224 - Peak (Whale) Oil

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene bask in their new mics in this week's podcast and talk about a new Glacier Graveyard installation coming soon to the UNESCO HQ in P...

223 - Bringing solar back to earth (feat. Myles Lennon)

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene gives us part one of a two-part story about her imminent return to the world of being tattooed and defends USAID while Dominic rants for a whil...

222 - Soul Train to Communism with Timothy Morton

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cultures of Energy is back and biweekly for 2025! Half interviews with bright and shiny people, half unlicensed therapy (for us anyway), half everythi...

221 - Planetarity Now! (with Jonathan Blake and Nils Gilman)

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene are beaming to you this week from a European Cup-addled Berlin. They share a few reflections on their time in Cape Town and then ru...

220 - Design Earth (with Rania Ghosn)

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic recap last week's Petrocultures Los Angeles conference and discuss the new climate lawsuit filed in France seeking to press crimin...

219 - Climate Storytelling (with CNN's Bill Weir)

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene react to the police violence sweeping across US university campuses. Then (15:11) we are thrilled to welcome CNN's Chief Climate Co...

218 - Solar Futures (with Siddharth Sareen)

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene tries to convince Dominic to join the Freemasons on this episode of the Cultures of Energy podcast. Plus, a shallow dive into Buzkashi, the nat...

217 - A Song of Concrete and Ice (with Cristián Simonetti)

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene accounts for her mysterious conversion from a coffee-drinker to a tea-drinker but [spoiler alert] it turns out she's not a doppelganger after a...

216 - Carbon Colonialism (with Laurie Parsons)

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene arrives at the Covid party on this week's episode and she's got the sultry radio voice to prove it. We share a few words about a magnificent pu...

215 - No More Fossils (with Cara Daggett)

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Cultures of Energy podcast is back with the first of several new episodes for 2024. First, Cymene and Dominic share what they've learned from thei...

214 - Oil Beach (with Christina Dunbar-Hester)

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene start off with a review of the new Apple TV Cli-Fi series Extrapolations especially its killer walruses and then recap a chat with ...

213 - The City Electric (with Michael Degani)

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic natter a bit about holiday misadventures and then (13:49) happily welcome Mike Degani (Cambridge U) to the podcast to talk about hi...

212 – Carbon Technocracy (with Victor Seow)

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic relate tales from their harrowing weekend of having to deal with the absence of Henry Rollins in Black Flag and the presence of an ...

211 - Half Earth Socialism (feat. Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese)

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about hauling ice, champagne socialism and the mystery of Viennetta cakes on this week's intro. Then (16:07) we are joined by ...

210 - Rights of Nature (feat. Daphina Misiedjan)

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene begin this week's episode with a medley of Hawaiian experiences, everything from 25-foot waves to energy utopias to whether watchin...

209 - Degrowth (feat. Timothée Parrique)

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene share first impressions of Honolulu and query why there are chickens everywhere. Then (16:50) we are thrilled to welcome economist ...

208 - Sarah Besky

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about flying chihuahuas and playground chamomile in this week's intro. Then (12:26), we welcome Cornell's Sarah Besky (http://...

207 - Dilip da Cunha

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic begin with a speculative analysis of malfunctional laptops. Then (11:32) we welcome the brilliant landscape architect Dilip da Cunh...

206 - Gail Simmons

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene share a close encounter with a phantom raccoon and offer two ideas for sure-to-succeed new TV shows. Then (12:17) we are thrilled t...

205 - Intersectional Ecologies

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

  Cymene and Dominic talk war, sunglasses and unexpected colors and then (10:27) we pivot to the main event, a discussion of intersectional ecologies...

204 - Elizabeth Povinelli Returns

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A potpourri of hot topix leads off this week's episode: ASMR, Super Twosday, Ukraine, Bitcoin, and the correct pronunciation of Lindsey Lohan's name. ...

203 - David Farrier

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic discuss extraterrestrial lavatology, evil corporate accounting software, skyfarms and chinchillas on this week's intro. Then (14:15...

202 - Shannon Mattern

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about the vine that's taking over their house and then (12:30) we welcome the New School's magnificent Shannon Mattern to the ...

201 - Arturo Escobar

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Aaaaand we're back! Cymene and Dominic start off with their usual nonsense, which culminates in a lively discussion of the missile silo now listed on ...

200 - Laura Nader

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Wow, we made it to 200 episodes and 250k downloads this week. Thank you everyone for listening for the past nearly four years.  It also seems like a ...

199 - Bathsheba Demuth

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Your co-hosts talk clonal trees and dispense important advice about relationships, breakups, and having "the conversation" with your children on this ...

198 - The Mississippi (an Anthropocene River)

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene discuss Swiss silence and whether soup can be a meal on this week's podcast. Then (13:53) we sit down with Christoph Rosol and Tom ...

197 - Climate Book Club Special!

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's special guest episode, Leah Stokes (UC Santa Barbara) and Bina Venkataraman take over the Cultures of Energy podcast to discuss Bina's ...

196 - Energy Democracy

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic wonder whether Brexit or Impeachment will make for better political theater in the months ahead. Then (14:22) we talk to three wond...

195 - Laura Watts Returns

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic tease a family revelation and describe a museum full of caricatures of East Germany (a regime that tbh itself kinda caricatured soc...

194 - Christine Folch

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene take a trip down MTV memory lane to the romantic 1990s on this week's podcast. Then (16:00) we welcome the brilliant Christine Folc...

193 - Sea Level Rise (feat. Orrin Pilkey Jr)

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Your cohosts talk chihuahuas and squirrels on the verge on this week's podcast. Then (14:56) we are delighted to welcome Orrin Pilkey Jr., Professor E...

192 - Elizabeth DeLoughrey

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about Jakarta sinking and Greta rising in this week's intro. Then (14:32) we are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth DeLoughrey (ht...

191 - Amanda Boetzkes

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene compare denialist and evangelical hate mail on this week's podcast and then share a few reflections on Sunday's trip to the top of ...

190 - Democrats on Climate (feat. Leah Stokes)

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk airbnb for flies, slime-mold residencies and close encounters with hypothermia to get things going. Then (11:36), hey, it's pr...

189 - Sheena Wilson

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Addled by cleaning products and dustballs, Cymene and Dominic imagine what a multispecies Ph.D. program might look like on this week's podcast. Then (...

188 - Andrew Revkin

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about the Democratic debates on this week's podcast. Then (13:57) we are humbled and thrilled to have legendary journalist And...

187 - Mark Nuttall

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about Ok glacier's 15 minutes of fame on this week's podcast (e.g. https://slate.com/technology/2019/07/okjokull-iceland-glaci...

186 - Joanna Zylinska

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene talks about her exciting new life as a contractor on this week's podcast. Then (10:14) we welcome the brilliant theorist, artist and curator, J...

185 - Andrew Blum

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Co-host Cymene reminisces this week about being the first intern hired by Wired magazine waaaay back in the day. Then (14:42) we are joined by journa...

184 - Natalie Loveless

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene celebrate the one thing the USA ever did right—Mr. Rogers. And we wonder whether there is such a thing as Canadian BBQ.  Then (1...

183 - Solar Power, Solar Justice (feat. Dustin Mulvaney)

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic cover the stress (and joy!) of center directorships and sandwich-making on this week's podcast. Then (13:53) Dustin Mulvaney (http:...

182 - Heather Davis

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Your cohosts report on the adventures of Cymene's birthday week. We then (10:41) revel in the glory of having the most excellent Heather Davis (https:...

181 - Nigel Clark

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic discuss a strange effort to police sugar packet play on this week's podcast. Then (15:52) we are delighted to welcome Nigel Clark t...

180 - Max Liboiron

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a dazzling display of randomness to open this week's podcast as your co-hosts discuss the Inslee/DNC fracas, writing memoirs in the forest, wheth...

179 - Nicole Starosielski

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's pod, we firstly recall the happy days of After Oil School 2: Solarity. Then (14:31) your co-hosts share their conversation with the ama...

178 - Chris Kelty

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about HBO's Chernobyl and discuss whether humans will eventually try to breed chihuahua-scale alligators. Then (18:45) we welc...

177 - Recentering Energy Justice

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We give Mexican President AMLO a piece of our minds on this week's podcast for doubling down on extractivist petronationalism. Then (15:43) Cymene and...

176 - Jason Cons

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a time- and perspective-bending intro segment possibly designed by friend of the pod Chris Nolan, Cymene and Dominic are joined by Jason Cons (jaso...

175 - Kathryn Yusoff

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about homemade treadmills and the virtues of wasting time on this week's podcast. Then (15:33) we welcome the one and only Kat...

174 - Stuart Gibbs

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

FINALLY an episode of the Cultures of Energy podcast that is for once totally wholesome and family-friendly and appropriate to listen to with your kid...

173 - Dina Gilio-Whitaker

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about sunburns, the petrocultural epic that is the reboot of Dynasty, and whatever ASMR is. Then (19:46) the terrific Dina Gil...

172 - Climate Leviathan (feat. Geoff Mann and Joel Wainwright)

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic discuss last month's catastrophic blackout in Venezuela on this week's podcast. Then (17:39) we're thrilled to have the chance to c...

171 - Jerome Whitington

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic celebrate a podcast milestone and bid adieu to 1990s Democrats and their market-loving, head-kissing ways on this week's show. The...

170 - Ursula Biemann

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about the weltschmerz of turning 10, review this week's flood & fire news and offer handy recycling tips (e.g. don't recycle s...

169 - Tim Ingold

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk corporate irresponsibility—looking at you ITC and Boeing—on this week's podcast. Then (13:44) we welcome the legendary Tim...

168 - Lauren Berlant & Katie Stewart

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene discovers the joy of Bob Ross on this week's edition of the podcast and your co-hosts take a moment to discuss the scandal that is pay to play ...

167 - Lucas Bessire

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene's sushi confessions on this week's podcast lead us to the idea that supporting daydrinking and carb-heavy lunches in the oil industry might be ...

166 - Kyle Powys Whyte

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk about restaurants failed by their bathrooms and "Human Uber" on this week's podcast. We are then (14:20) delighted to welcome ...

165 - Amanda Lynch & Siri Veland

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is coughing an identity? Well, if it's your identity your cohosts have the scoop on a reputed new coughing cure on this week's podcast. We are then (1...

164 - Eduardo Kohn

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's worse than listening to lovebirds on Valentine's Day? Surely it is listening to them wondering whether the rideshare model can be applied to so...

163 - Beyond Debt (feat. Daromir Rudnyckyj)

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene review the Green New Deal and the erotic life of Adam Smith on this week's episode of the podcast. Then (18:52) Daromir Rudnyckyj j...

162 - Kim Fortun

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic discuss frostquakes and fyre festivals on this week's edition of the podcast. Then (15:49) we are joined by a most esteemed guest, ...

161 - Eben Kirksey

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Your co-hosts celebrate MLK day, muse over whether Gattaca invented Tinder, toy with the idea of kale eugenics, and if that weren't enough, Cymene How...

160 - Matthew T. Huber

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic talk democratic do-overs, vegan falcons, Hegel's bagels, and the 1980s arcade game Dig Dug on this week's edition of the podcast. T...

159 - Gísli Pálsson

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic are back and borderline alert for 2019. They recently watched the first half of Netflix's Bird Box and speculate as to whether the ...

158 - Goodbye 2018/Rare Exports

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week it's our end of year special edition of the Cultures of Energy podcast. Dominic and Cymene discusses a couple of energy news stories from 20...

157 - Solarpunk (feat. Rhys Williams)

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic wonder whether there's a holiday film out there that also addresses Anthropocene issues and wonder whether the Grinch was actually ...

156 - Jason De León

13 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene wonder whether there isn't some way to make the academic job market experience slightly less spirit-killing on this week's podcast....

155 - Maria Whiteman

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about gloomy climate news and dogs that can judge the goodness in human souls on this week's podcast. Then (19:16) we catch up...

154 - Evan Berry

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic rediscover the Violent Femmes on this week's podcast and that prompts a discussion of the best albums of all time. We then (18:54) ...

153 - Laura Ogden

22 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk urban turkey encounters on this week's edition of the Cultures of Energy podcast. With multispecies on our minds, we then (8:5...

152 - Adriana Petryna

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

California is burning again. So, in solidarity, Cymene and Dominic try to do an intro segment with N95 masks on and quickly realize this isn't a good ...

151 - Anne Galloway

08 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic get their mojo back as they dip their toes into the blue wave. Then (13:12) we connect with Anne Galloway about her life and work a...

150 - Paige West

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cymene and Dominic recap their Halloween on this week's episode of the podcast and plug the spooky new Cultural Anthropology series, "Time of Monsters...

149 - Tim Neale

25 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic tries to sing Ted Cruz out of office on this week's podcast and retells a story about the senator's dirty shirt. Then (14:59) fellow anthropol...

148 - Caroline A. Jones

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk foot injuries, bears, and a project called "smell my box." We then (15:52) welcome to the podcast the marvelous Caroline Jones...

147 - Paul Warde

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We get to hear about Cymene's mod years and her experience this week with "cat therapy." And then (14:06) Dominic speaks with Cambridge environmental ...

146 - Cara Daggett

04 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dominic and Cymene talk about the country's first robot sex brothel coming to Houston. And then (14:40) we welcome the amazing Cara Daggett to the pod...

145 - Solarity! (feat. Darin Barney & Imre Szeman)

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode starts with some serious reflections on cracked masculinity, misogyny, 1980s culture, and the Supreme Court. But in the spirit of ...