A podcast about energy, illusions, and the hard limits of the transition. Verena Kreilinger and Christian Zeller discuss why decarbonization faces hard limits under capitalism, why fossil fuel-based pathways remain surprisingly resilient, and how “green” hydrogen or “green” steel are more about local economic policy than saving the world.

At a public evening event titled “Climate Tip-Over? Contested Transformation, Greenlash, and (Post-)Apocalypse (German),” Stefanie Hürtgen (Human Geography), Franziska Müller (University of Vienna), and Flurina Schneider (ISOE) discussed issues related to social and ecological tipping points and what they mean for research and academia, as well as for social movements.

As part of an Asea-Uninet-funded project, Wolfgang Aschauer traveled to Thailand with his research team and, in February, conducted extensive qualitative research on the dynamics of spiritual tourism on Koh Phangan—including its impact on the island—in collaboration with Mahidol University.