Great simplification pulsing lines

Ep 98  |  Helen Thompson:

Helen Thompson: “The Complex History of Energy and Geopolitics”

Check out this podcast

TGS98 Helen Thompson The Great Simplification

Show Summary

On this episode, political economist Helen Thompson and Nate discuss how energy and geopolitics have interconnected over the past century, building to the entangled political relationships we see around us today. The dynamics of power on a global scale are complex – stemming from access to energy, financial control, military strength, credibility/trust, and much more – yet we can understand these a bit better by learning the history that shaped them. How have geologic provinces of energy dense carbon created inherent hot spots on the geopolitical playing field? How has the global monetary system and debt evolved to strengthen the power of a select few countries and how difficult is it to break from this system? Do our leaders have the capability/knowledge to connect energy and geopolitical policy in order to guide us through a future of declining energy availability?

About Helen Thompson

Helen Thompson is Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge since 1994. Her current research concentrates on the political economy of energy and the long history of the democratic, economic, and geopolitical disruptions of the twenty-first century. She is a regular panelist on Talking Politics and a columnist for the New Statesman. She is a co-presenter of UnHerd’s podcast, These Times and recently published Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century.

In French, we have a motto that says that a simple drawing is often better than a long explanation. Jean-Marc Jancovici Carbone 4 President

That’s very understandable because with left atmosphere thinking, one of the problems is that you see everything as a series of problems that must have solutions. Iain McGilchrist Neuroscientist and Philosopher

We can’t have hundreds and hundreds of real relationships that are healthy because that requires time and effort and full attention and awareness of being in real relationship and conversation with the other human. Nate Hagens Director of ISEOF

This is the crux of the whole problem. Individual parts of nature are more valuable than the biocomplexity of nature. Thomas Crowther Founder Restor

Show Notes & Links to Learn More

00:00 – Helen Thompson Works + Info, Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century

05:11 – BREXIT

06:07 – Representative Democracy

07:53 – 1970s political economy

09:05 – Oil and The Western Economic Crisis

09:50 – Suez Crisis

11:29 – British role in the Suez Canal 1956

12:55 – Eisenhower, Anthony Eden

13:33 – Strait of Tiran 

13:55 – 1967 Egypt closing the Strait of Tiran for 8 years

16:38 – Iranian Revolution

17:07 – Azerbaijan number one exporter of oil to Israel, coming through Turkey

17:26 – Israel selling arms to Azerbaijan

18:15 – Abraham Accords

19:17 – Abraham Accords extended to Saudi Arabia

19:44 – Israel exporting gas, Jordan and Egypt

20:45 – Diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, brokered by the Chinese

21:43 – Shia and Sunni Muslim sects

22:36 – Bush Administration negotiations in Iraq and Saudi Arabia post-Saddam era

24:10 – Palestine, Israel/Hamas Conflict

24:38 – ½-⅔ of the World’s oil is within 800 miles of Israel

25:55 – Trump maximum economic pressure in Iran

26:17 – Saudi defense system fail during Iranian attack

26:39 – Trump ordering assassination of Suleimani

27:34 – Strait of Hormuz

27:57 – American military presence in the Mediterranean 

29:08 – Archduke Ferdinand

30:12 – Israel gas field production shut down, cutting off supply to Egypt

30:47 – Bush and the war in Iraq

33:39 – Shale Oil temporary and partial fix for US energy independence

34:27 – US Iranian sanctions, nuclear treaty deal

38:14 – Biden visit to Saudi Arabia in 2022, Saudi lack of cooperation on oil production

38:51 – UAE, Saudi Arabia, and BRICS+ account for 50% of oil exports available for purchase (analysis by ISEOF)

40:08 – OPEC+

40:28 – China constraints on foreign oil and gas dependency

41:05 – Russian/Saudi relations

41:31 – 2020, Mohammed bin Salman flooding oil market, Trump admin response

45:25 – Long Term Oil Futures

45:59 – George Floyd

48:12 – Strategic Petroleum Reserve, 180 million barrels of oil released in response to Russia

49:42 – ISIS, Iraqi citizen attacks on oil companies

52:34 – Germany/England use of coal since the 13th century

53:13 – Opium Wars

53:50 – Alsace-Lorraine

54:34 – Very minimal oil deposits in Europe

55:20 – World War I deciding access to oil in Imperialist Europe

56:16 – Deutsche Bank, held 25% of shares in Turkish Petroleum Company, had to hand them over to France Post-World War

1:03:23 – West Africa summer 2023, France getting uranium deposits

1:05:11 – Europe return to coal

1:07:08 – Petrodollar, dollar denominated debt

1:08:11 – Nixon ending gold standard

1:09:37 – Volcker Shock

1:13:13 – International Banking System, main support for dollar strength today

1:15:10 – Art Berman, TGS Episodes

1:15:15 – Putin Energy Phd

1:16:07 – Pipelines running through Ukraine

1:17:28 – Crimea Crisis

1:17:38 – Yanukovych

1:17:54 – Sevastopol

1:18:18 – Donbas, Ukrainian shale gas

1:18:45 – Poland Shale

1:20:15 – Biden removed sanctions on Nord Stream 2

1:25:27 – Johnson Administration

1:26:00 – Post-soviet Ukraine instability

1:27:05 – Dutch, Italian, and French long-term LNG contracts with Qatar

1:27:25 – Qatar relationship with Hamas

1:18:56 – German gas intensive production shut down Winter 2022

1:29:45 – Qatar and Iran relations

1:30:19 – UK past peak in energy production

1:32:59 – UK new naval base in Bahrain, relations with the UAE

1:46:48 – Lord of the Rings

1:55:18 – Origins of the gold standard

Download transcript
Back to episodes
Rod SchoonoverThe National Security Risks We’re Not Prepared ForWith Rod SchoonoverThe Great SimplificationEp 183 | Rod Schoonover

National security concerns have been the invisible hand guiding governance throughout recorded history. In the 20th century, it was defined by a country versus country dynamic: whichever nation was the strongest and most strategic was also the safest. But today, our biggest national security threats don’t come from opposing nations – they are “actorless threats” that emerge from the breakdown of the complex systems we all depend on – from the stability of our planetary systems to our intricately complex and fragile global supply chains. In this unprecedented landscape, what is required of us in order to keep our citizens safe?

Watch nowJun 18, 2025
Movie Re-ReleaseThe Systems Science Behind Our Global CrisesWith Nate HagensThe Great SimplificationEp 182 | Nate Hagens

Three years ago, my team and I created a 30-minute movie that provides a comprehensive systems analysis of the human predicament—spanning energy, economics, ecology, and behavioral psychology. This beautifully animated film aims to help viewers understand the interconnected crises defining our era.

Watch nowJun 13, 2025
Globalization End GameHelena Norberg-Hodge HeadshotGlobalization End GameWith Helena Norberg-HodgeThe Great SimplificationEp 181 | Helena Norberg-Hodge

Over the last few decades, humanity has globalized everything – from food production and supply chains to communication and information systems – making countries, businesses, and individuals more connected and reliant on each other than ever before. Yet, with this increased interconnectedness comes more complexity and fragility. What have we lost through the globalization process, and how might we fortify our communities by investing in local economies?

Watch nowJun 11, 2025

Subscribe to our Substack

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future (ISEOF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, founded in 2008, that conducts research and educates the public about energy issues and their impact on society.

Support our work
Get in touch
x