When Congress has a question about natural gas, they turn to Michael Ratner. The Congressional Research Service expert joins us today for a deep dive into this unique and widely misunderstood fossil fuel. What role does natural gas play in our energy system and carbon emissions now - and what might its future be?

Energy systems modeler Kimon Keramidas opens our three-part special on energy - the most central element of decarbonization, and one of the most difficult to understand. Kimon gives a thorough introduction to the components of the energy system, the challenges and developments in decarbonization, and the herculean task of modeling the possible futures of the global energy system - including a look at his own work for the European Commission.

What can political theory offer us in thinking about climate change? This episode we talk to OSU Professor Joel Wainwright, a human geographer, whose book Climate Leviathan (co-authored with Geoff Mann) asks: how can we imagine the global politics of a changing climate?

The book applies theories from Hobbes, Gramsci, and Foucault to critique an emerging 'Leviathan' of climate governance. In this episode, Prof. Wainwright explains his conception of a global regulatory sovereign and offers hope for a democratic and just climate future.