This podcast was recorded on 16th March 2016 at University of Edinburgh,for the Ragged University project by request. With thanks to Elaine and Tarlochan at Wordpower Books, and thanks to Stuart for being welcoming with technical support. Elaine from Wordpower Books, Scotland’s Independent and Radical Bookshop introduces the event they have produced in conjunction with the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh.

The main lecture is George Monbiot who is launching his latest book – How Did We Get Into This Mess. The Twitter hashtag which was set up was #thismess.

Fiona Mackay, head of the School of Social and Political Science at University of Edinburgh introduces the social critic, writer and columnist; the economic and environment commentator activist George Monbiot. This introduction is written from her spoken one.

“George Monbiot started his history as a broadcaster making natural history and environment programs later working as an investigative journalist. According to Wikipedia, he is persona non grata in at least 7 countries. He has been involved in many of the grassroots campaigns over the years including direct action in economic and environmental and social justice. Around politics and climate change.

He is a veritable thorn in the side of the establishment. George Mondiot is one of the most vocal and most eloquent of critics of current orthodoxies of neoliberal global order, the global financial crisis, and the state of the environment. He is the author of numerous books, including ‘The Age of Consent’ in 2003, ‘Manifesto of A New World Order’, and his more recent Award Winning book ‘Feral; Searching For Enchantment On The Frontiers of Rewilding’.
His latest book ‘How Did We Get Into This Mess?’ assesses the state we are now in. The devastation of the natural world; the crisis of inequality; the corporate takeover of nature; our seeming obsessions with growth, and profit at all costs, and what he argues is a decline of political debate about causes, consequences and potential strategies for change.

Urgent, direct, provokative, pursuasive, combative, annoying, empassioned, are just some of the adjectives applied to George Monbiot and his work. Writing about himself he describes his life like a slightly unhinged adventure: “I have no idea where it will take me so far it has been gripping”

I put it to you that tonight ladies and gentlemen, will prove nothing less than gripping also, so without further to do, let me welcome George Monbiot….