Energy and Social Science Reading Group Kicks Off a New Academic Year!
The international Energy and Social Science Reading Group is returning this autumn. Originally founded by a group of anthropologists, it is now open to people from all disciplines, both within and beyond academia. Discussions are held in English, and the reading group is organised by Varun Bhat from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and Riste Lehari from Tallinn University.
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iCal calendarWe meet online approximately every six weeks to discuss books and other texts exploring energy and the social, political, and environmental dimensions of the energy transition. The reading group offers an opportunity to share your reading experience, hear different perspectives, and reflect together on the questions raised by the texts.
At the first meeting of the academic year, on 18 September, we will discuss Thea Riofrancos’s book "Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism" (2025). The book examines lithium and copper mining, the growing demand for minerals driven by the green transition, and local resistance to green extractivism.
📅 18 September at 4:00 p.m. Estonian time
💻 Online via Zoom
🗣️ The working language of the reading group is English
Recommended reading: “Prologue”; “Mining Water in a Desert”; “Lithium for Chile”; and “Resisting Green Extractivism”.
Everyone is welcome! Reading all the recommended chapters is not a requirement for participation. However, we encourage you to familiarise yourself with at least part of the text if possible, as this will make it easier to join the discussion and contribute to a richer exchange of perspectives.
At the end of the meeting, we will vote together on the next book or text, giving participants a say in what the group reads next.
To receive the Zoom link, please contact Riste Lehari (School of Humanities) at riste.lehari@tlu.ee.