The Breakthrough Institute was founded on the idea that traditional environmentalists were wrong about how to protect the planet.
Back in 2004, the co-founders called for ending the "politics of limits" pushed by environmental groups. Rather, they saw economic growth, technological innovation, and human ingenuity as the most important tools for environmental progress -- not necessarily regulatory limits. That angered large swaths of the environmental community.
Over the last decade, the Breakthrough Institute has thrust itself into the tribal warfare that grips the energy and climate movement. Energy innovation versus deployment? Renewables versus nuclear? GMOs versus organic food? The organization brings strong views in those areas.
In this episode, we’re going to talk with Alex Trembath, the communications director at Breakthrough, about where the think tank stands on renewables, nuclear, climate policy, and energy intensity. We'll also spend some time on tribalism itself -- and how to get beyond it.
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Recommended reading:
- The Death of Environmentalism (2004)
- An Ecomodernist Manifesto
- Nature Unbound: Deocoupling for Conservation
- GTM: What the Struggling Nuclear Industry Can Learn From Boeing, SpaceX and Big Pharma
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