Le Café du Savoir: Thesis Focus - Finlay Perry

Radio Germaine

Dear listeners,

Welcome back to Thesis Focus, for a very *special episode* this week ! Indeed, Finlay is finally on the other side of the table to discuss his own research which looks into how young, educated workers in the fossil fuel industry think of climate change, and how their professional activity interacts with it.

In this fascinating episode, Finlay first reminds us of the significance of fossil fuels for our global systems and for the UK more specifically. Then, we discussed what brings these young professionals to choose the oil and gas industry as career pathway, as well as the cognitive dissonance that may (or may not) create. Finlay explains the various framing techniques they use to reduce cognitive dissonance. Finally, we dive into the great controversies of the energy transition: the role which oil and gas companies should play, and how to move away - as a society - from a fossil fuel dependency.

Here is Finlay’s LinkedIn, if you would like to connect with him.

And here are the resources he recommends on the topic:

• Living in Denial by Norgaard
• Modern Institutions, Phenomenal Dissociations, and Destructiveness Toward Humans and the Environment by Worthy
• Actor System Dynamics Theory and Its Application to the analysis of modern capitalism by Burns
• Baumgartner and DeVille for systems theory

As always, stay curious and see you soon for more episodes!