{"podcast":{"title":"Macro N Cheese","slug":"macro-n-cheese-703488","podcast_index_feed_id":703488,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/macroncheese/","website_url":"https://realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b7b2cda0-c8a3-426e-a72b-0ea3b2aecba5/13f729d0-e63e-11ea-b295-23a26c6e62ba.png","author":"Steven D Grumbine","episode_count":300,"summary":"A podcast that critically examines the working-class struggle through the lens of MMT or Modern Monetary Theory. Host Steve Grumbine, founder of Real Progressives, provides incisive political commentary and showcases grassroots activism. Join us for a robust, unfiltered exploration of economic issues that impact the working class, as we challenge the status quo and prioritize collective well-being over profit. This is comfort food for the mind, fueling our fight for justice and equity!","last_synced_at":"2026-09-19T18:20:36.990376+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/macro-n-cheese-703488"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 394 - The Leviathan that Eats the World: AI's Hidden Hunger for Energy, Water & the Planet with Erald Kolasi","slug":"ep-394-the-leviathan-that-eats-the-world-ai-s-hidden-hunger-for-energy-water-the-planet-with-erald-kolasi","published_at":"2026-08-29T11:30:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/macro-n-cheese-703488/ep-394-the-leviathan-that-eats-the-world-ai-s-hidden-hunger-for-energy-water-the-planet-with-erald-kolasi","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/macro-n-cheese-703488","url":"https://macroncheese.captivate.fm/episode/ep-394-erald-kolasi","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/fc78c9ec-a7b3-472a-84ea-27c418357904.mp3","summary":"Erald Kolasi returns to the podcast to remind us that AI doesn’t simply exist weightlessly in the ephemeral cloud. Drawing on his research into its global energy and emissions impact, Erald traces AI’s vast material infrastructure, from mining, semiconductors, water, energy, and logistics to data centers and power generation. His life-cycle analysis reveals a monster-sized ecological footprint, in contrast to conventional estimates that focus narrowly on electricity consumed at data centers. But this goes deeper than technology. Steve and Erald examine AI through the dynamics of capital accumulation, monopoly power, financial speculation, imperialism, and the intimate relationship between corporations and the capitalist state. Its explosive growth reflects decisions about who controls society’s resources and what they are used for. The conversation closes by imagining a radically different trajectory: publicly controlled technology directed toward reducing necessary labor and meeting human needs rather than enriching private capital and accelerating ecological destruction. What kind of political economic system would this require? AI is the subject, but capitalism is the story. Erald Kolasi is a writer and researcher focusing on the nexus between energy, technology, economics, complex systems, and ecological dynamics. His book, The Physics of Capitalism, came out from Monthly Review Press in February 2025. He received his PhD in Physics from George Mason University in 2016. You can find out more about Erald and his work at his website, eraldkolasi.com . Subscribe to his Substack: https://substack.com/@technodynamics","meta_description":"Erald Kolasi returns to the podcast to remind us that AI doesn’t simply exist weightlessly in the ephemeral cloud. Drawing on his research into its global…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3611,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/macro-n-cheese-703488/episodes/ep-394-the-leviathan-that-eats-the-world-ai-s-hidden-hunger-for-energy-water-the-planet-with-erald-kolasi/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/macro-n-cheese-703488/ep-394-the-leviathan-that-eats-the-world-ai-s-hidden-hunger-for-energy-water-the-planet-with-erald-kolasi.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}