Today’s episode takes a close look at two energy projects: the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line Project in Iowa and Wisconsin, then the Xe Pian Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in Southern Laos. First, we hear from Nikki Jones, Bruce Paul, and Dave Clutter about their opposition to the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project. For the second segment, geography professor Ian Baird joins Patty in the studio to discuss his research about the environmental impact of hydropower dams in Laos, and the public’s response to Laos becoming “the battery of Southeast Asia.”
Professor Ian Baird is giving a public lecture on Thursday, February 28, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM in 8411 Social Sciences (1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI). His remarks are titled “The Political Ecology of Catastrophic Disasters versus Slow Violence: Thinking about the Impacts of the Xe Pian Xe Nam Noy Hydropower Dam in Southern Laos.” More details available here.