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Brett Christophers

@brettchristophers.bsky.social
4.2K followers 391 following 115 posts

Geographer. New book, HOUSE SOCIETY, forthcoming in Feb 2027 (with Allen Lane)

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Editorial Traficantes de Sueños @traficantes-ed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"La crisis de la vivienda es el resultado, crónico y predecible, de un mercado inmobiliario que funciona correctamente". @harveymurenow.bsky.social en @elsaltodiario.com www.elsaltodiario.com/vivienda/ens...
elsaltodiario.com
De los ensanches al auge de Blackstone: por qué la crisis de la vivienda siempre vuelve
La acampada de Sol y el desahucio de Maricarmen retratan a un Gobierno progresista partido por la frontera del bloque rentista. La escasez de vivienda no es un accidente del mercado, sino modelo de ne...
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mickbyrne.bsky.social @mickbyrne.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There's been more research recently on the relationship between housing & issues like energy & health. Today's post looks at link with water poverty/precarity, based on a new report @pbresnihan.bsky.social @orla-hegarty.bsky.social theweekinhousing.substack.com/p/housing-pr...
theweekinhousing.substack.com
Housing precarity shapes water insecurity in Dublin
The Week in Housing: 02/10/26
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Benjamin Braun @benbraun.social · 30/09/2026
Very poor take. The German centre is currently failing a very gentle test, catastrophically. Hard to convey the insanity of the mainstream freakout over the left’s victory in Berlin.
Why Europe's centre will hold
The 1930s are not a good guide to the politics of the 21st century
GIDEON RACHMAN
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Mike Beggs @mikejbeggs.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Our book is finally out today! Looking forward to talking to people about it
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Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Onion and McSweeney’s on the same day…
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London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 24/09/2026
‘North Koreans are the only people in the world who never stopped being on a Cold War footing. Far more than their pampered adversaries in the West, more than their Chinese and Russian confrères, they are used to a war economy and the sacrifices it demands.’ www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Richard Lloyd Parry · Keeping up with the Kims
For the Kims, nuclear weapons have never been an end in themselves; they are an insurance policy against attack by their...
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London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 25/09/2026
‘Wealth matters, too, not just the on-display wealth of the institutions themselves, but the wealth that underwrote the “elegance” of donnish life. The relative decline in academic salaries has eroded such status and style.’ Susan Pedersen on elite universities. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Susan Pedersen · Keep off the grass: Oxbridge Attitudes
Academic life is full of churn. The world changes; younger scholars are seized by new questions and, as they hare down...
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Housing, Theory and Society @housingtheory.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
💫 New article! Anna Pagani and Livia Fritz examine the question of power in social housing in England, including the material and social outcomes of different power perceptions. Read it here:
tandfonline.com
Perceptions of Power in English Social Housing: A Systems Thinking Approach to Housing Politics
The erosion of affordable and secure housing in England prompts questions about power and its role in the “housing crisis”. While crucial for understanding housing politics, theory-grounded, actor-...
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Hettie O’Brien @hettieobrien.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My latest Guardian long read is about the people trying to get their ideas into Britain’s new government and whether Burnham is really prepared to be that radical. Grateful to the many people who spoke to me for this - read it online or in Saturday’s paper: www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
theguardian.com
Labour’s last chance? The people shaping Andy Burnham’s grand plans for Britain
The long read: The new prime minister has declared he wants to end 40 years of neoliberalism. But is he really prepared to be that radical?
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Taylor Shelton @jtsphd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
There is an extensive and growing body of academic & journalistic literature that shows large corporate landlords have a worse record on affordability, maintenance, evictions and depressing homeownership. A sampling of those sources is available here: www.endthecorporatetakeover.com/the-problem
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
We can't shy away from the fact that we are facing what could be the end of our civilisation. On our latest episode of The BREAK–DOWN, we're joined by Joel Wainwright, Professor at Ohio State and author of Geopiracy and Decolonizing Development youtu.be/VO8mBZC5SQ0
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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
It's time. Time to write about this style of writing. Which I've done here. substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
What is LinkedIn?
The rise of mindful slop
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Andrew Leyshon @andrewleyshon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
An immediate example of the unbiquity of fintech emerged as I was pointing @paullangley.bsky.social in the direction of his hotel. We were approached by two Big Issue sellers who responded to our stock apology of 'Sorry, no change' with, 'But we have a card reader'. They did: an app on a mobile.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
For years I've been told that aviation emissions are negligible, so don't worry your little head about them. But I've kept pointing out that there are - and will be - no good technical solutions, and they'll keep growing. Now we know just how big the problem is. www.carbonbrief.org/ccc-heathrow...
carbonbrief.org
CCC: Heathrow expansion could push flights to ‘80% of UK emissions by 2050’ - Carbon Brief
Aviation is on track to be responsible for 80% of the UK’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
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Chirag Lala @cthelala.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
NEW CPE report on building an interregional macrogrid! @advaitarun.bsky.social & I argue that the U.S. lacks the mechanisms to turn national and regional planning into a pipeline of interregional transmission projects. Federal leadership is critical to close this gap.
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Striking datapoint from Sweden's election: the far-right SD lost vote share in 285 of the country's 290 municipalities
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Patrick Radden Keefe @praddenkeefe.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Very sad to learn of the death of Frances Stoner Saunders, whose extraordinary book Who Paid the Piper was a big touchstone for my podcast Wind of Change. They're reissuing the book this year. Seek it out. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Frances Stonor Saunders obituary
Author and documentary-maker best known for her 1999 book about CIA-funded cultural espionage Who Paid the Piper?
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
There is no grand strategy for planetary decarbonization, no long game to lead the collective struggle. What China has instead is something that may ultimately matter more: a sprawl of largely uncoordinated actors each pursuing its own passions and interests.
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Paul Langley @paullangley.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This week, I have the privilege of delivering the opening keynote to this amazing programme @finandsoc.bsky.social Conference 2026. What a way to mark the UK and European publication of our book, FinTech Capital @andrewleyshon.bsky.social @fintechcapital.bsky.social @princetonupress.bsky.social
wleyshon.bsky.social
Bluesky
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Your kids bringing you down a peg or two if it looks like you've gotten too big for your boots is excellent evidence you've brought them up right
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Hettie O’Brien @hettieobrien.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Today’s newsletter is about a subject I’ve been obsessing over for some time. It’s an environment story, a finance story, and a story about how people feel about politics in general www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Wednesday briefing: ​What’s behind the global backlash against datacentres?
In today’s newsletter: Communities from Scotland to India are pushing back against datacentres, warning they threaten energy supplies and the climate
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
If you're interested in a review copy, please contact Louis Cluzan, LCluzan@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk
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Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Insider's perspective on the asset stripping of Thames Water: www.the-londoner.co.uk/why-thames-w... Very much looking forward to hearing more about govt. plans to tackle this sorry industry.
the-londoner.co.uk
How Thames Water fell apart, according to its own engineer
‘It was all about selling things off. Sell, sell, sell’
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Rob Delaney @robdelaney.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I’m reading Cannery Row. Jesus Christ is it amazing. So great to live in a world where I can be almost 50, have been an avid reader my whole life & have barely scratched the surface of the surface of spectacular books out there.
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Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Thanks for the kind words. I hear from others that many senior colleagues regard my position as “extreme” - though, curiously, seldom if ever directly to my face. Thankfully, I tend to get a much more constructive hearing from colleagues less invested in the establishment.
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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
After 12 years as a member of staff, on top of 4 as a PhD student, today was my last day at Goldsmiths. I posted a bit more about this on LinkedIn (though have not yet added an 'open to work' badge) www.linkedin.com/posts/will-d...
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
America is in-fucking-sane
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Briony Neilson @brionyneilson.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Allen Lane, co-founder of Penguin Books, extracts a book from the brand new "Penguincubator" – a vending machine with a range of Penguin titles available for sixpence, placed outside Collet's bookshop on London's Charing Cross Road in July 1937 🗃️
b&w page with a photo of a man in a suit extracting a book from a vending machine
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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Out next Spring with @princetonupress.bsky.social !
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Phenomenal World @phenomenalworld.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
“Between 2011 and 2013, China used more concrete than the US did in the entire twentieth century. Demand peaked during these years, as waves of urbanization and industrialization crested, and then entered a secular decline. This left chronic cement overcapacity.” phenomenalworld.org/analysis/cem...
phenomenalworld.org
Jack Copley | Cement's Stubborn Emissions
Fierce competition and overcapacity crises are impeding efforts to decarbonize cement production
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Amazing how powerful and meaningful a single little word can be. 1st sentence of this piece: "US corporate profits have hit a record high while workers’ slice of the pie has sunk to historic lows" Imagine the sub-editor quietly substituted "because" for "while" 😱
ft.com
US corporate profits surge to record as worker payouts wilt
Pre-tax earnings hit highest level since after the second world war as employee remuneration slides
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"But, but, they have REALLY high EV penetration..!"
ft.com
‘Drill, baby, drill’ rings out in Norway
Scandinavian country looks to double down on oil and gas despite EU green rhetoric
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Penguin has a page up for my new book, coming Feb 2027, HOUSE SOCIETY The epigraph is from Kenneth T. Jackson's famous "Crabgrass Frontier": "... no society can be fully understood apart from the residences of its members" The book is an exploration and affirmation of that thesis!
penguin.co.uk
House Society
The world is in the midst of a deep and worsening housing crisis. It has caused rents to soar in Britain, millions to protest in Spain, and a government to collapse in Sweden. Under a global ideology ...
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Elizabeth Kolbert @elizkolbert.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
"The United States has doubled down on its opposition to plastic production limits in global treaty talks, pushing to create a broad loophole to disregard the treaty on national security grounds." National security grounds??
wapo.st
Leaked memo shows how U.S. aims to weaken global limits on plastic pollution
A memo reviewed by The Washington Post, circulated by U.S. diplomats, comes as negotiations over a plastics treaty reach a critical point.
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Brilliant piece on the long-running fiasco/scandal/horror of UK water privatisation by the best in the business, Gill Plimmer
ft.com
The fight to save England’s rivers
Public confidence in the privatised water suppliers has collapsed. How did they get away with poisoning our water for decades?
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Penguin has a page up for my new book, coming Feb 2027, HOUSE SOCIETY The epigraph is from Kenneth T. Jackson's famous "Crabgrass Frontier": "... no society can be fully understood apart from the residences of its members" The book is an exploration and affirmation of that thesis!
penguin.co.uk
House Society
The world is in the midst of a deep and worsening housing crisis. It has caused rents to soar in Britain, millions to protest in Spain, and a government to collapse in Sweden. Under a global ideology ...
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Benjamin Braun @benbraun.social · 21/08/2026
You’re not going to find a thread this knowledgeable and clear about the Treasury buy back scheme anywhere else. This site is an echo chamber for … information.
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Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
As @aarnegranlund.eurosky.social notes, regardless of the evidence and escalating impacts, the high carbon norms of the affluent in society go largely unquestioned.‘Sufficiency’ remains an essentially taboo issue in the mainstream climate debate.
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Housing, Theory and Society @housingtheory.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
See some of our latest book reviews! Anne-Cécile Mermet has read Housing under Platform Capitalism. The Contentious Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in European Cities by Thomas Aguilera, Francesca Artioli, and Claire Colomb www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Housing under Platform Capitalism. The Contentious Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in European Cities
Published in Housing, Theory and Society (Ahead of Print, 2026)
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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Had a wonderful conversation with Paul Krugman about taxation and democracy in America: paulkrugman.substack.com/p/vanessa-wi...
paulkrugman.substack.com
Vanessa Williamson on Taxes and Democracy
What tax history teaches us about this dire moment
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
In Fintech Capital, @paullangley.bsky.social & @andrewleyshon.bsky.social argue that FinTech is a distinct form of intermediary & rentier capital that is radically reorganizing the routine social relations of money & finance. Out now! Read a free preview: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Fintech Capital: The Digital Transformation of Everyday Money and Finance by Paul Langley and Andrew Leyshon. A thorough examination of the worldwide digital transformation of people’s everyday monetary and financial relations driven by the emergence of FinTech.
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The Syllabus @the-syllabus.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
As coal declines and renewables expand, financial firms are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the US electricity transition. This book traces the shift from regulated monopolies to market pricing. By @conorharrison.bsky.social on @uminnpress.bsky.social buff.ly/DwzUp5k
upress.umn.edu
https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517919009/brokers-of-power/
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Peter Brannen @peterbrannen.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
paperback for The Story of CO2 is the Story of Everything is officially out. It got good reviews and I'm pretty sure it's not like any other climate book you've read. Below is my best attempt to summarize the broad themes of the book. If any of this interests you pls buy so I can continue doing this
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
And 2°C is already pie in the sky
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Stefan Ouma @econgeo.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Coming soon... With @landstuff.bsky.social @andremagnan.bsky.social @benbraun.eurosky.social @emilyreisman.bsky.social @desireefields.bsky.social @sarahrotz.bsky.social @jsizek.bsky.social @gtups.bsky.social and many others #ipesky @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social
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The BREAK—DOWN @the-breakdown.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
We need to keep talking about climate change - here's why. Adrienne Buller, editor of The BREAK—DOWN, on Novara Live @novaramedia www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZe7...
youtube.com
England’s Drought DEMANDS A Response
Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Great to see Novara interviewing Kevin. No-one else in climate debate comes close in terms of combining no-bullshit insight with walking the walk personally (not gallivanting around the world spewing emissions for peer esteem).
m.youtube.com
Ex Oil-Engineer Turned Climate Whistleblower: We Face COLLAPSE | Aaron Bastani Meets Kevin Anderson
YouTube video by Novara Media
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Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Great to see Novara interviewing Kevin. No-one else in climate debate comes close in terms of combining no-bullshit insight with walking the walk personally (not gallivanting around the world spewing emissions for peer esteem).
m.youtube.com
Ex Oil-Engineer Turned Climate Whistleblower: We Face COLLAPSE | Aaron Bastani Meets Kevin Anderson
YouTube video by Novara Media
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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Did I dream it or did an esteemed Professor recently get revealed as having lobbied to have a publicly-funded research institute defunded, because it dared to evidence-check some of that person’s research claims?
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Verso Books @versobooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Timothy Mitchell, acclaimed author of Carbon Democracy, visited our offices to talk about his latest book, The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzKi...
youtube.com
Timothy Mitchell presents The Alibi of Capital
YouTube video by Verso Books
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