Science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson imagines the future for a living. And the future is very much upon us. Robinson’s seminal 2020 novel Ministry for the Future opens in the year 2025. Robinson tells Akshat Rathi about how our real-life climate politics stack up against what he imagined for this era. They also discuss the dangers of science-fiction thinking in politics and why, for all his admiration of science and technology, Robinson remains so enamored with the unglamorous workings of a body like the United Nations.

This episode was originally broadcast in January 2025.

Explore further:


Past episode with Kim Stanley Robinson about climate utopias and optopias


Past episode with outgoing White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi about what the next four years will hold


Past episode with Colombia’s environment minister Susana Muhamad about the country’s commitment to fossil fuel nonproliferation 

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

Science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson imagines the future for a living. And the future is very much upon us. Robinson&rsquo;s seminal 2020 novel&nbsp;Ministry for the Future opens in the year 2025. Robinson tells Akshat Rathi about how our real-life climate politics stack up against what he imagined for this era. They also discuss the dangers of science-fiction thinking in politics and why, for all his admiration of science and technology, Robinson remains so enamored with the unglamorous workings of a body like the United Nations.
This episode was originally broadcast in January 2025.
Explore further:
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<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Past episode with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-03/how-sci-fi-author-kim-stanley-robinson-imagines-a-low-carbon-future?srnd=green-zero-emissions-podcast">Kim Stanley Robinson about climate utopias and optopias</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Past episode with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-20/cop29-white-house-climate-czar-ali-zaidi-on-us-green-policy-under-trump?srnd=green-zero-emissions-podcast">outgoing White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi about what the next four years will hold</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Past episode with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-03/inside-colombia-s-ambitious-plan-for-quitting-fossil-fuels?srnd=green-zero-emissions-podcast">Colombia&rsquo;s environment minister Susana Muhamad about the country&rsquo;s commitment to fossil fuel nonproliferation</a>&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Sharon Chen, Siobhan Wagner, Ethan Steinberg, and Jessica Beck. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

Zero: The Climate Race

Zero

Best of: Kim Stanley Robinson imagines utopia in 2025

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/78f6a776-a6e6-4c84-8eec-b333010c2543/transcript

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