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Meredith DeBoom

@meredeboom.bsky.social

Former policy wonk, current professor @josefkorbelschool.bsky.social Researching energy transition (uranium, green hydrogen/ammonia, phosphate), climate justice, resource geopolitics, global China, African politics

6 Posts648 Follower455 Folgt
Eric Lipton NYT@ericlipton.nytimes.com · 2w ago

NUCLEAR CASH President Trump, his family and his circle of advisers have monetized crypto, the predictions markets, the data center boom & rare-earths mining. Now they are seeing there's money to be made in a new vector: The nuclear industry. The NYT takes a look www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/u...

Trump Is Pushing Nuclear Energy, Including Saudi Deal. His Family and Supporters Could Benefit. (Gift Article)

In some cases, no direct line can be drawn from the president’s domestic nuclear agenda to his family or close allies. But they have overlapping business ties that could position them for gains.

nytimes.com

Dave Andress@davidandress.bsky.social · last wk.

Most of us - literally, most of us - are only alive because of 150 years of the modern regulation of consumer safety…

Will Borger@edgarallanbro.bsky.social · last wk.

I worked at Disney a while ago. Do you know why theme parks are so safe? Because OOSHA reps can walk the track on any ride at any time and any safety violation they see is a $10,000 fine. Each. Theme parks are not safe because the company cares. They're safe because it's cheaper to comply.

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · last wk.

When Elon Musk says "zero" children died in Africa from his DOGE cuts, he really means zero children died who are *worthy of any concern.* It's vile coded signaling to his global fascist audience. From me and @polphilpod.bsky.social, a deep dive into Musk's fascism: newrepublic.com/article/2135...

The Real Reason Elon Musk Keeps Insisting DOGE Cuts Killed “Zero” Kids

In his explosive interview with The Economist, the SpaceX billionaire inadvertently revealed something darker about his true vision for the future—and about his affinities with global fascism.

newrepublic.com

Tom Pepinsky@tompepinsky.com · last wk.

My thoughts on the crisis of confidence in higher education, and the foolish belief that embracing technology is the solution to that crisis. tompepinsky.com/2026/07/27/t...

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Tom Pepinsky@tompepinsky.com · last wk.

Americans have more confidence in higher education than in big tech companies, and the gap is growing rather than shrinking. The higher ed-doomsday pundits need to get on board with the real vibe shift in public trust that is happening right now.

Adam Bonica@adambonica.bsky.social · 2mo ago

For years I've tracked billionaire excess. Each year I show students a chart that blows their minds. This year I had to redraw it for a trillionaire: Elon Musk, $1.32T. Depressing that we're here. Silver lining: couldn't have happened to a less deserving person, proof that wealth ≠ merit.

Elon Musk's $1.32 Trillion, to Scale

The first trillionaire's fortune, one pixel per $1,000 — scroll past every dollar, and see what a fraction of it could do instead.

stanford.edu

Jessica DiCarlo@jessicadicarlo.bsky.social · last yr.

🧵1/What is Global China? @meredeboom.bsky.social & I argue it’s not one thing, but a plural, evolving imaginary. We trace 6 paths—Other, Integration, Bridge, Status, Threat, Alternative—showing how China’s global role is imagined, claimed & contested as meanings collide & open possibilities.

Six paths of Global China: A genealogy of a contested geographical imaginary - Jessica DiCarlo, Meredith DeBoom, 2025

‘Global China’ has emerged as a shorthand for China's relationship to the global, but its axiomatic uses disguise considerable complexity. This article tro...

journals.sagepub.com

Meredith DeBoom@meredeboom.bsky.social · last yr.

'Global China' is suddenly everywhere, from think tank reports to political speeches to academic texts. But what political work does the term 'Global China' itself do? @jessicadicarlo.bsky.social and I identify six 'paths' of Global China: Other, Integration, Status, Bridge, Threat, & Alternative.

Dialogues in Human Geography@dialogueshg.bsky.social · last yr.

New Online 1st Article “Six paths of Global China: A genealogy of a contested geographical imaginary” by Jessica DiCarlo and Meredith DeBoom doi.org/10.1177/2043...

Namibian Policy Feed@namibiapolicyfeed.bsky.social · last yr.

Despite near-full dams after recent rains, Windhoek remains under Category D drought since mid-2023. The city’s persistent water crisis highlights infrastructure and planning gaps, with severe implications for public health, equality, and sustainable urban living.

Windhoek’s Water Crisis Persists Despite Dams Filling Up - The Villager Newspaper

By: Loise Shiimi Despite recent heavy rainfall and dam levels nearing full capacity, Windhoek remains gripped by a water crisis that has persisted since mid-2023. The city continues to operate under Category D water scarcity, classified as a period of severe drought, according to the… You must be logged in to continue reading. All articles are 100% FREE for logged in readers. log in

thevillager.com.na

Africa Is a Country@africasacountry.bsky.social · last yr.

Long seen as a neutral player in global affairs, Zambia’s foreign policy is shifting under new pressures—from Western donors, Chinese investment, and its own strategic ambitions. africasacountry.com/2025/04/zamb...

Zambia’s quiet diplomacy

Long seen as a neutral player in global affairs, Zambia’s foreign policy is shifting under new pressures—from Western donors, Chinese investment, and its own strategic ambitions.

africasacountry.com

Southern African Policy Feed@sadcpolicyfeed.bsky.social · last yr.

Namibia | DeBoom analyses how Namibia strategically hedges its green hydrogen ambitions with ongoing oil and gas exploration. The state frames both as compatible paths to low-carbon resilience, raising critical questions for a just and sustainable energy future in Southern Africa.

Hedging energy transition: Green hydrogen, oil, and low-carbon resilience as state strategy in Namibia

Publication date: May 2025 Source: Geoforum, Volume 161 Author(s): Meredith J. DeBoom

sciencedirect.com

Daniel Denvir@danieldenvir.bsky.social · last yr.

New Dig: Second episode in two-part series with @iliasalami.bsky.social and @70sbachchan.bsky.social on global geopolitical and geoeconomic conjuncture. Why economic weapon failed against Russia and China, struggle to control energy transition, and so much more! www.thedigradio.com/podcast/new-...

New World Order w/ Ilias Alami and Tim Sahay

Featuring more analysis from Ilias Alami and Tim Sahay on the shape of global geopolitics and geoeconomics. We discuss: the fault lines of the green energy transition; the US and China battle for domi...

thedigradio.com

The Continent@thecontinent.org · last yr.

Inequality in action; inaction on inequality: Africans overwhelmingly see their governments as failing to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. See Afrobarometer’s survey in this week’s issue of The Continent (pg 21)

Headline: Inequality in action; inaction on inequality Inequality of income and wealth is extremely high across most of Africa. World Bank estimates of Gini coefficients, a measure of income inequality, suggest that eight of the world’s 10 most unequal countries (for which data exist) are in Southern Africa. Extreme inequality isn’t good for social cohesion, democracy, or economic growth. Yet Africans overwhelmingly see their governments as failing to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. On average across 39 countries, only 16% give their government passing marks on addressing inequality, while 82% say it’s doing “fairly badly” or “very badly.” Among 17 issues on which respondents evaluated government performance, only inflation control gets a worse rating. Tanzania (35%) is the only country where more than a third of respondents are satisfied with efforts to reduce inequality. Fewer than one in 10 agree in 12 countries, with Gabon (3%) and Eswatini (5%) at the tail end. As we might expect, the poorest are most disappointed in their governments: Only 12% give a thumbs-up, compared to 22% of the wealthy. #VoicesAfrica #Inequality #EconomicGrowth #Africa
Africans Rise UK@africansriseuk.bsky.social · last yr.

Almost half a year’s worth of rain fell in 24hrs on Botswana, a semi-arid country. At least 15 people died & widespread flooding has caused extensive damage to homes, businesses & roads. This is the devastating reality of the worsening #ClimateCrisis, this is why we urgently need to #EndFossilFuels

The Continent@thecontinent.org · last yr.

Botswana’s government has spent many years, and many millions of dollars, preparing for natural disasters – just not this kind of natural disaster. The state’s attention, informed by decades of meteorological data, was focused instead on responding to drought. Not flooding.

The Continent@thecontinent.org · last yr.

Poverty is on the rise across the African continent. The pain, however, is not evenly distributed. On average, lived poverty is at its worst level in a quarter-century of Afrobarometer surveys.

As we reported last week, growing numbers of Africans are struggling to meet their basic needs for food, clean water, medical care, cooking fuel, and a cash income. On average, lived poverty is at its worst level in a quarter-century of Afrobarometer surveys. But average rates mask great variation. Fewer than two in 10 Seychellois (13%), Mauritians (16%), and Moroccans (18%) experienced a food shortage at least once in the past year, compared to over four-fifths of Angolans (81%), Mauritanians (82%), Nigerians (84%), Nigeriens (86%), and Brazzaville-Congolese (87%). In the past decade, severe deprivation (frequent or constant shortages of basic necessities) has fallen in Liberia, Burkina Faso, Togo, Morocco and Gabon, but risen sharply in Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Countries differ in the intensity of their people's lived poverty. In both South Africa and Ghana, about eight in 10 people experienced at least some shortage. But severe lived poverty was twice as common in South Africa (20% vs. 9%), while Ghanaians were more likely to report low lived poverty (50% vs 33%). #LivedPoverty #Afrobarometer #Africa #SouthAfrica #Ghana #Liberia #Nigeria #Mali #Namibia
Tobita Chow@tobitac.bsky.social · last yr.

"Chinese authorities in recent months have made it more difficult for some engineers and equipment to leave the country, proposed new export controls to retain key battery technologies, and moved to restrict technologies for processing critical minerals" www.ft.com/content/d48e...

China tightens grip on tech, minerals and engineers as trade war spirals

Groups such as Apple contractor Foxconn hit by efforts to stop knowhow and equipment leaving country

ft.com

States Newsroom@statesnewsroom.com · 2y ago

Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday. via @kansasreflector.com www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ogal...

Ogallala Aquifer drops by more than a foot in parts of western Kansas

Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday.

newsfromthestates.com

Meredith DeBoom@meredeboom.bsky.social · 2y ago

A much-needed bright spot today: grad students, this is an awesome opportunity to work with @cplusc.bsky.social & @pmbigger.bsky.social on climate work that matters this summer--without risking your ability to make rent. The fellowship is 20 hours/week, $50/hour, 100% remote, flexible scheduling.

Climate and Community Institute@cplusc.bsky.social · 2y ago

We are hiring Junior Research Fellows for the summer of 2025! We are looking for outstanding graduate students to join us for the summer to make meaningful contributions to our transformative research and policy work across geographies and economic sectors. Applications due March 3.