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EQUALS: Reimagining Our Economy
IS GREEN GROWTH A CONVENIENT LIE? – With Jason Hickel, Economic Anthropologist
How fighting inequality and beating climate change means we must end our addiction to economic growth and fast.
We’re asking: How are inequality, climate breakdown and growth linked? Why is green growth an impossibility? If rich nations must stop growing, what does this mean for developing countries?
Nadia and Max have an amazing conversation with Dr. Jason Hickel – economic anthropologist, activist, academic and author of ‘Less is More’ and ‘The Divide’ . Jason is a leading thinker on both inequality and climate, and a passionate advocate of degrowth; the idea that the pursuit of economic growth by rich nations is destroying the planet and needs to stop, and that pursuit of equality is vital to saving our planet.
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If you’re joining us on EQUALS for the first time, tune in to our earlier interviews – from talking with the award-winning journalist Gary Younge on what we can learn from Martin Luther King Jr to fight inequality, to best-selling author Anand Giridharadas on whether we need billionaires, Zambian music artist PilAto on the power of music, thinker Ece Temelkuran on beating fascism, climate activist Hindou Ibrahim on nature, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva on what comes after the pandemic.
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6. A Hopeful Tipping Point: The Legal Win That Could Stop New Fossil Fuels
30:50||Season 8, Ep. 6When an oil site was approved near her home, Sarah Finch didn’t just protest, she took her fight to the UK Supreme Court. And won.In this powerful episode, Sarah joins Nafkote Dabi and Max Lawson to share the story behind her five-year legal battle that changed everything: a ruling that now forces every new fossil fuel project in Britain to confront its true climate impact.It’s a landmark victory that could ripple far beyond the UK and a reminder that determined voices can turn the tide on Big Oil.Listen now and let us know your thoughts.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn.
5. Do We Need Billionaires? Can Private Money Serve the Public Good?
25:27||Season 8, Ep. 5Can finance be part of the solution to inequality?Following philosopher Dr. Ingrid Robeyns’ call to ask “How much wealth is too much?”, we meet someone trying to change the system from within.João Paulo Pacífico says he is ‘hacking’ the system using the tools of finance to fight inequality and support social movements like Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST).He shares why he capped his own wealth, how he helps ordinary Brazilians invest in change, and what it takes to build an economy where finance serves people, not profit.It’s a story about money, morality, and whether the system that created inequality can also help end it.Listen and tell us what you think.João Paulo Pacífico is a Brazilian multi-millionaire, CEO of Grupo Gaia, and founder of Gaia+.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn.
4. The War on Women: Gaza, Genocide, and the Fight for Peace
32:11||Season 8, Ep. 4Around the world, peace talks too often exclude the very people holding communities together.In this powerful episode, Max and Grazielle sit down with Dr. Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, and Dr. Sarah Ihmoud, to unpack what happens when women lead peace and the human cost for the war in Gaza.From Northern Ireland’s Women’s Coalition to Palestinian women’s resistance and survival in Gaza, they reveal why peace agreements are stronger when women are not just “at the table,” but redesigning it entirely.We explore how the war on Gaza has become a war on women’s bodies, why hope itself is an act of resistance, and what real peace would require.Listen now and share your thoughts in comment section.Dr. Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini is the Director of the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security and also the CEO and Founder of International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). Dr. Sarah Ihmoud is a Palestinian feminist anthropologist, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and a founding member of the Palestinian Feminist Collective.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn.
3. How Much Wealth Is Too Much? Ingrid Robeyns on the Case for Limitarianism
30:59||Season 8, Ep. 3Can a society survive when a few own everything? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns joins EQUALS to make the case for limitarianism, the radical yet common sense idea that there should be a limit to how much wealth one person can have.From super rich billions to democracy’s decline, Ingrid explains how excessive wealth erodes freedom, fairness, and even the planet’s survival.🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: How much is too much?If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn. You can also find EQUALS podcast on YouTube. Subscribe and enjoy the show.
2. A Force for Good: Trade Unions Fighting for Dignity and Democracy.
29:52||Season 8, Ep. 2From the trenches of war in Ukraine, to strikes against austerity in the UK, and the struggle for migrant workers’ rights in South Korea, trade unions are demonstrating extraordinary resilience.In this EQUALS episode, three union leaders share how working people are standing strong against war, exploitation, and political repression:Ivanna Khrapko from Federations of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) shares how unions provide solidarity and fighting for social protection under shelling and blackouts.Onay Kasab from Unite the Union in UK explains why Birmingham’s bin workers are striking against fire and rehire and resisting austerity.Mikyung Ryu from Korean Confederation of Trade Unions reveals how unions are organizing migrant workers and standing up to government repression.Their stories show that even under the harshest conditions, war, austerity, and repression, trade unions remain a force for democracy, dignity, and hope.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn.You can also find EQUALS podcast on YouTube. Subscribe and enjoy the show.
1. Workers vs. the Billionaire Coup – Conversation with Luc Triangle
29:55||Season 8, Ep. 1EQUALS is back with a brand-new season! We open our 8th season with Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), to explore the fight against inequality, the erosion of democracy, and what he calls a ‘billionaire coup’ that is reshaping global politics. Luc shares why the fight against inequality is inseparable from the fight for democracy and how these are all linked to trade unions.From youth marches in Belgium to leading over 200 million unionized workers globally, Luc’s story is one of conviction, resilience, and hope. His message is clear: if we organize, if we unite, nothing can stop us.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn. You can also find EQUALS podcast on YouTube. Subscribe and enjoy the show.
13. Money, Power, and Inequality: Season 7 Wrap-Up
19:39||Season 7, Ep. 13In this special wrap-up episode, hosts Grazielle and Max reflect on their favorite and most powerful conversations from the season. From the transformative discussion with Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson on power of equality, to the role of monetary policy in driving inequality with Jordi Schroder, to the everlasting legacy of colonialism with Jason Hickel—this season has been packed with bold ideas and fresh perspectives.We also dive into monopoly power with Nicholas Shaxson, explore AI’s impact on inequality with Simon Johnson, and hear from voices across the globe—from South Africa to Denmark—on what it takes to build a fairer world.Whether you're walking, commuting, or washing dishes, this is your chance to catch up on the most thought-provoking moments of the EQUALS season.
12. From Competition to Concentration: How monopoly power shapes inequality.
27:17||Season 7, Ep. 12In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with investigative journalist and author Nick Shaxson to unpack one of the hidden forces behind rising inequality: monopoly power.From food to healthcare to tech and finance, monopolies are tightening their grip on our economies—and our lives. He shares how corporate fuels billionaire wealth, undermines democracy, and worsens the climate crisis.But it’s not all doom—he also lays out bold solutions and how ordinary people can fight back. This is a must listen if you care about economic justice, corporate accountability, and building a fairer world.
11. CENTRAL BANKS AND INEQUALITY: How inflation, interest rate and other monetary policies impact inequality
26:40||Season 7, Ep. 11How do central bank policies like hiking interest rates affect inequality?Annie and Grazielle sit down with Jordi, an economist at Positive Money, to unravel the complexities of monetary policy. Jordi explains how central banks influence financial conditions to achieve economic targets and the impact of interest rate changes on inequality.The discussion covers how inflation affects different households, how central banks can address climate change, and how efforts to control inflation can inadvertently create conditions that favor recession.If you enjoy the episode, please like, share, comment, and leave us a review. Follow us on X @EQUALShope, Bluesky and on LinkedIn.You can also find EQUALS podcast on YouTube. Subscribe and enjoy the show.