Rephonic
Artwork for Cultures of Energy
Climate Change
Energy Transition
Lithium
Colonialism
Capitalism
Intergenerational Climate Crimes
Climate Justice
Extractivism
Renewable Energy
Oil
Intimacy
Indigenous Rights
Law and Politics
Art and Activism
Rights Of Nature
Mining
Caribbean
Sexuality
Electric Vehicles
Anthropocene

Cultures of Energy brings writers, artists and scholars together to talk, think and feel their way into the Anthropocene. We cover serious issues like climate change, species extinction and energy transition. But we also try to confront seemingly huge and insurmountable problems with insight, creativity and laughter. We believe in the possibility of personal and cultural change. And we believe tha... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes266Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Social SciencesArtsScience

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Cultures of Energy

Latest Episodes

Dominic and Cymene can't wait to tell you all about the new Nathan Fielder documentary, You Can See Everything. But don't worry, no spoilers. It's our last podcast before Halloween so we bring the scares by welcoming (17:02) Mél Hogan to the podcast ... more

On this academic application edition of the Cultures of Energy podcast we are thrilled (16:57) to welcome old friend Leah Stokes back to the program to talk about her new book, The Carbon Wave: A Story of Democracy, Parenthood, and the Race to Prote... more

Cymene offers an epic #CymRant against AI-gone-wild on this week's podcast. Then (17:07) we welcome Ting Hui Lau to the podcast to talk about her fascinating and moving new book, Decolonial Endurance, which focuses on how Lisu communities straddling ... more

Dominic and Cymene enjoy a confetti-free trip to Philadelphia on this special Labor Day edition of the podcast. To keep us company (12:24) we welcome Conor Harrison to the program to talk about his new book, Brokers of Power: The Financialization of ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

What's Left of Philosophy
What's Left of PhilosophyLillian Cicerchia, Owen Glyn-Williams, Gil Morejón, and William Paris
Acid Horizon
Acid HorizonAcid Horizon
Politics Theory Other
Politics Theory OtherPolitics Theory Other
The Dig
The DigDaniel Denvir

Recent Guests

Mél Hogan
Scholar of data centers, digital culture, and AI, and host of The Data Fix
Episode: 266- AI is a bad idea (feat. Mél Hogan)
Leah Stokes
Author of The Carbon Wave
MIT Press
Episode: 265 - The Carbon Wave (feat. Leah Stokes)
Ting Hui Lau
Ethnographer and author of Decolonial Endurance
National University of Singapore
Episode: 264 - Decolonial Endurance (feat. Ting Hui Lau)
Conor Harrison
Author of Brokers of Power: The Financialization of the US Electricity System
University of South Carolina
Episode: 263 – Brokers of Power (feat. Conor Harrison)
Helen Kapstein
Author of Petroforms, Oil and the Shaping of Nigerian Aesthetics
West Virginia University Press (author)
Episode: 262 - Petroforms (feat. Helen Kapstein)
Billy Fleming
Multidisciplinary scholar, Temple University
Temple University (Tyler School of Art and Architecture)
Episode: 261 - Building Postcarbon Futures (feat. Billy Fleming)
Mona Damluji
Energy humanities scholar and author of Pipeline Cinema
University of California Press (publisher)
Episode: 260 - Pipeline Cinema (feat. Mona Damluji)
Ryan Cecil Jobson
Professor, author of The Petro-State Masquerade
University of Chicago (via discussion)
Episode: 259 - Petrostates (feat. Ryan Cecil Jobson)
Ann Carlson
Author of Smog and Sunshine; scholar in environmental law and policy
University of California, Los Angeles (Professor of Law)
Episode: 258 - Smog (feat. Ann Carlson)

Hosts

Dominic Boyer
Host of Cultures of Energy
Cymene Howe
Co-host of Cultures of Energy

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 105 ratings
  • One ep in…

    And I’m blown away. The Energy Democracy conversation was so comprehensive and concise at the same time. Awesome guest, who was on point and extremely knowledgeable. Beautiful work - can’t wait to hear the rest of the 254 episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Matty4300
    United States5 months ago
  • Maybe with new hosts

    I’ve listened to a handful of episodes; interesting topics, but the hosts are too unlikable for me to continue with it.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    5eeeeeeee
    United States2 years ago
  • Brings enviro research to life

    One of the best scholarly podcasts out there. Dominic and Cymene bring cutting edge research across the environmental humanities to life through meaty, entertaining, idea-driven conversations with authors, artists, activists, and more.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Midwestern Exile
    United States7 years ago
  • Great podcast on energy

    Wonderful and informed podcast. Great interviews and discussions. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lolabaird
    United States8 years ago
  • The best podcast on air

    The best podcast on air, for all those interested in Environmental humanities, Anthropology, Media and cultural Studies

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gionidelaparis
    France9 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the guest lineup for diverse perspectives across energy, policy, and culture.
Hosts have a strong, engaging dynamic and bring rigorous research to life with vivid examples.
The show blends scholarly depth with accessible storytelling, appealing to both academics and general listeners.
Some listeners find the hosts' chemistry and approach highly compelling and unique among academic podcasts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

266- AI is a bad idea (feat. Mél Hogan)
Q: Tell us from your point of view, what is it about the data centers that have gotten people riled up in ways that they don't seem to get quite as riled about the destruction of the entire ecosystem of our planet in the same way with climate change?
Hogan says local proposals make the impacts tangible: residents worry about water, electricity costs, heat, and climate effects, while also objecting to opaque decision-making and asking what the massive facilities are actually for. Town halls have brought people together across political differences and encouraged local activism.
266- AI is a bad idea (feat. Mél Hogan)
Q: Why is AI a bad idea?
Hogan says commercial generative AI advances surveillance, control, and profit, relies on harmful labor and environmentally costly infrastructure, and is promoted through a political project she describes as fascist. She distinguishes this from specific, more limited uses of machine learning.
265 - The Carbon Wave (feat. Leah Stokes)
Q: So talk to us about footprints and why the carbon wave is like a better metaphor to rally around as we think about climate action.
Leah explains that the carbon footprint concept misframes the problem, overemphasizing individual choices; instead, the carbon wave emphasizes collective action to transform the energy system through electrification and policy measures.
264 - Decolonial Endurance (feat. Ting Hui Lau)
Q: What does Decolonial Endurance mean in practice, and how does it contrast with traditional survivance concepts in Indigenous studies?
Endurance is a political and embodied strategy that refuses erasure while enabling transformation through loss, including the reconfiguration of land relations, energy infrastructures, and kinship networks, thereby creating a relational sovereignty that exceeds simplistic land-return narratives.
264 - Decolonial Endurance (feat. Ting Hui Lau)
Q: Could you take us into this amazing book with its rich ethnography and biography, sketching out the history of the Lisu people and their relationship to the Chinese government?
Ting outlines the Lisu as a transnational Indigenous community in a borderland region, emphasizing long histories of displacement, conversion, and ongoing state practices. She argues for viewing them as Indigenous communities in a longue durée, not merely as ethnic minorities, and situates current development within a colonial framework that shapes everyday life and relations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Cultures of Energy

What is Cultures of Energy about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thought-provoking interview series that foregrounds energy futures through the lenses of humanities, arts, and social sciences. Episodes center on energy democracy, decarbonization, urbanism, and cultural infrastructures, often pairing scholars, artists, and practitioners to explore how policy, design, and storytelling shape just transitions. Noteworthy are its cross-disciplinary guests, international case studies, and a consistent emphasis on community engagement, justice, and imaginative approaches to energy systems. The show is likely to appeal to listeners who enjoy rigorous analysis married to accessible storytelling, with a penchant for seeing energy issues as cultural and political phenomena as much as technical ones.

Where can I find podcast stats for Cultures of Energy?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Cultures of Energy. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Cultures of Energy and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Cultures of Energy get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Cultures of Energy, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Cultures of Energy?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Cultures of Energy, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Cultures of Energy have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Cultures of Energy has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Cultures of Energy?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Cultures of Energy:

1. New Books in Critical Theory
2. What's Left of Philosophy
3. Acid Horizon
4. Politics Theory Other
5. The Dig

How many episodes of Cultures of Energy are there?

Cultures of Energy launched 11 years ago and published 266 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Cultures of Energy?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Cultures of Energy?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Cultures of Energy from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Cultures of Energy?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Cultures of Energy. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Cultures of Energy?

Recent guests on Cultures of Energy include:

1. Mél Hogan
2. Leah Stokes
3. Ting Hui Lau
4. Conor Harrison
5. Helen Kapstein
6. Billy Fleming
7. Mona Damluji
8. Ryan Cecil Jobson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days