This episode is the first of two episodes which dive into the connections between the nuclear and fossil fuel industries. Fossil fuels have been the engine behind the growth of modern capitalism, and have driven economic expansion, colonial and imperial exploitation, and industrialisation. This has come at a profound cost, namely, the potential livability of the planet for current and future generations of humans and other species. Meanwhile, there are few developments that are more reflective of the inherent violence and inhumanity of the global geopolitical order than nuclear weapons. The same states that have fueled the slow burning of the planet also possess the ability to bring an end to the planet as we know it. 

Recent WILPF research has brought together activists, organizers, academics, and members of impacted communities together to discuss the nexus between the nuclear and fossil fuel industries, as well as state repression of activism against them. The report Petrobromance, Nuclear Priesthood, and State Violence analyses, from a feminist and gender-transformative perspective, trends and parallels in how the nuclear and fossil fuel industries operate and entrench their power; their impacts on communities, including gendered impacts; and the ways in which resistance against these industries is suppressed by police, militaries, and private military and security companies (PMSCs).  

Our guests for this episode are three of the experts who were interviewed for this report, who share more about their perspectives and work in Australia, the Mariana Islands, and the Philippines. 

* The term “Petrobromance” was created by Joni Seager.