Ben Clift

The New Politics of Climate Change Masters PAIS at Warwick - a great opportunity, at one of the UK’s top Politics departments, to learn from leading experts in the field in an inclusive, supportive learning environment. cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thu...

Happy to announce that I have successfully defended my PhD thesis! Thank you to @benrosamond1.bsky.social and Mat Watson for engaging so thoughtfully with my thesis; to @benclift.bsky.social and Özlem Atikcan for their guidance throughout the PhD; and to my friends and family for their support.

This is a great masters programme, taught by leading experts in the field. Ours is a supportive, inclusive learning environment and PAIS has very cosmopolitan group of amazing MA students. Come and join us…

With immense gratitude to @chris-clarke.bsky.social and @benclift.bsky.social for bringing to light this edited volume honouring the work and legacy of Timothy J. Sinclair. The contributions demonstrate that Tim’s research shaped understandings of finance and economic knowledge well beyond CRAs.

🚨 NEW ISSUE: Issue 8 is out now, with the latest on #climatefinance, agro-pastoral #adaptation, the gap between #mitigation targets and #climatepolicy, the IMF's #climatepolicy approach, & more 💡 📣 Insights from @benclift.bsky.social @aliceclimate.bsky.social @lukemoffett.bsky.social & more ⬇️

“DONALD IS FINISHED—HE IS NO LONGER “HOT.” FIRST THE HANDS (SO TINY) AND NOW ME—GAVIN C. NEWSOM—HAVE TAKEN AWAY HIS “STEP.” MANY ARE SAYING HE CAN’T EVEN DO THE “BIG STAIRS” ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE—USES THE LITTLE BABY STAIRS NOW. SAD!” heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe?ut...

We are Hiring! We have a 3-year teaching fellow position in IPE. Come and work with an amazing group of IPE scholars and fabulous students in the Department of Politics and International Studies. warwick-careers.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G... deadline is approaching - July 31st. Please spread the word

It’s remarkable how rarely our “public service broadcaster” now asks serious questions about the “small boats crisis” that do not reflect Farageist framing One is: how can refugees fleeing persecution actually get to the UK safely so that we can uphold our commitments under international law?

Extremely wise words and applicable widely! Wishing someone in Number 10 put this above their desks

Great to host this workshop on Epistemic Politics with @benclift.bsky.social at Warwick yesterday

Counterpoint: new Public First research shows every UK resident working adult (on a full time equivalent basis) is £466 a year better off on average as a result of international students. So let’s just publicise that instead of levying them www.publicfirst.co.uk/calculating-...

How I'm thinking about gen-AI in a university context. Thoughts?

I'm on my way to the Senate floor to talk about the assault on my colleague, Senator Alex Padilla. This is a horrifying moment in our nation’s history.

Maybe quit voting for their fucking bills then? Maybe quit confirming their nominees? Maybe shut down the Senate with the many procedural tools available to you? Maybe do something other than send sternly worded letters?

Incredible

We are marching to Senator Thune’s office. There must be accountability for the detainment of a Senator. This is not normal.

As a four-decade veteran of the daily journalism business, let me tell you: Every competent political reporter in this country knows that Trump is trying to establish a dictatorship. The industry's shame is that so few journalists will say so, and the ones who do lose their jobs.

US Senator Alex Padilla was wrestled to ground after raising questions during US Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem's press conference, in a dramatic escalation of tensions in California. www.ft.com/content/93f1...

I’m looking forward to presenting my research (co-authored with Sahil Dutta at City University) on the IMF and Climate Finance at Science Po in Paris this Thursday, 12.30-2 CET. Also on Zoom. thanks to Matthias Thiemann for organising You can register here:- www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etude...

“They are building a techno-authoritarian surveillance state. We can see that happening in real time. This is huge amounts of data on every single person in America that can and will be used in opaque & unaccountable ways—and it is terrifying.” Must watch interview with @carolecadwalla.bsky.social.

They don’t fear questions. 

They fear an end to the gravy train. 

The only way to stop the rip off is to return water to where it belongs: public essentials run for public benefit. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Hear, hear once again, @johnmct.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/politics/lab...

The government is legitimising Reform with anti-migrant rhetoric while alienating long-time Labour voters by shifting to the right. This won't defeat the far right, nor will it improve lives ruined by austerity - it's clearly a lose-lose strategy.

This obsession is with “young men turning to the right” is everything that is wrong with the discussion about the far right. It is not just an inadequate read of what is happening, and a bias towards the male norm, but it also normalizes the far right and obscures support for inclusive politics. 🧵

Our programmes bring together students from around the world to explore global challenges. Be part of a diverse, dynamic, and inclusive academic community. Find out more about Postgraduate study with us at buff.ly/4aZXoLO.

PAIS recently hosted a half-day conference for UG and PG students on Big Questions in Climate Politics. The event, held at the University of Warwick, featured panels on the economy and democracy. PAIS academics took part alongside external speakers working on climate policy.

“Public development of renewable capacity ... isn't a suspension of the profit imperative but its subordination to social need” @brusselermel.bsky.social @chrismwhayes.bsky.social on the UK’s CfD scheme & derisking energy. 🔗 @phenomenalworld.bsky.social www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/nod...

"The green state must rise from the ashes of the derisking state... plan for a future of resilience or resign ourselves to chaos and the perils of climate adaptation under authoritarianism." www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/ind.... @cornelban.bsky.social #decarbonization #planning #ClimateSky

THE NEW STATESMAN: The relentless pursuit of growth fails to deliver, exposing the fragile foundations of our economy and revealing a pressing need for a paradigm shift towards resilience and well-being. - by Tim Jackson

*Gold standard vibe intensifies* www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Trump Doctrine - "chaotic realism" - could "augur not only the end of the Transatlantic Alliance but the emergence of the USA as a national security threat to Europe" (!) writes Ian Kearns. Should seek to protect/rescue the relationship, as far as is possible [post-Trump?]. But it may not be

French Senator Claude Malhuret: "Washington has become Nero’s court, with an incendiary emperor, submissive courtiers and a jester high on ketamine... We were at war with a dictator, we are now at war with a dictator backed by a traitor."

Our programmes bring together students from around the world to explore global challenges. Be part of a diverse, dynamic, and inclusive academic community. Find out more about Postgraduate study with us at https://buff.ly/4aZXoLO.

On Wed., Mar. 5, join us + @bupardeeschool.bsky.social for an expert panel on green industrial policy in the Global South ft'ing Marcos Chiliatto, Rob Davies, Elizabeth Thurbon, Julia Tijaja + Fiona Treganna, moderated by @kevinpgallagher.bsky.social:

3 lessons here: 1/ fossil asset owners will keep these assets as long as gov'ts will let them. 2/ oil and gas net zero pledges are an elaborate distraction -- both for ESG optimists and consumers 3/ liberals take note: the market won't supply decarbonization. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

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My latest article, written with @benclift.bsky.social and @benrosamond1.bsky.social, is out #OA in Economy & Society. We use Brexit discourses as a window into the gendered politics of economic expertise. @sotonpolitics.bsky.social 🧵 doi.org/10.1080/0308...

it feels like we’re in the middle of a shift from accommodation (through corporate ‘social responsibility’ and sustainability initiatives) to more confrontational forms of corporate power Coca-Cola backtracking on plastic pollution; BP and Shell scaling back net zero commitment and now this

what is the actual point of a centre-left government if it obstructs policies to tackle economic and social inequalities

The government’s overall Oh well that’s how it is now attitude when one of the main pillars of your economy crumbles right there for everyone to see is quite difficult to comprehend.

📊 Last week, we released our new central bank speeches database, which almost doubles the coverage of the @BIS_org database. We also released a tool to facilitate research on central bank communication: meet the #CBSpeeches explorer! Four tools for the price of one (=free!)

This is a fantastic piece on the "reactionary decarbonization" that is carbon capture and storage, by the always-brilliant Mike Levien. Must read.