MIT Press Author: Why Net Zero Fails & The Great Material Crisis | Long Game #10

A profound exploration into the impending global resource crisis, the fragility of global supply chains, and the hidden "material transition" that could ultimately save us.About the Guest: Janet A. GinsburgJanet A. Ginsburg is a strategist, systems thinker, and award-winning journalist who has covered stories for BusinessWeek, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. Throughout her career, she has acted as an "interdisciplinary traveler," crossing silos to cover everything from infectious diseases and renewable energy to design and manufacturing. She is currently writing a book with the MIT Press about the "material transition" and writes a popular Substack detailing her ongoing research.About the Host: Leon GeLeon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform.In this episode, we cover:Why the world's singular focus on "net zero" and "circularity" is not enough, and why we are quietly undergoing a massive, planet-altering "material transition".The extreme fragility of global trade reliant on "skinny straits" like Hormuz and the Panama Canal, and how it impacts the supply of critical materials.Why fresh water and phosphorus are the two ultimate limiting factors for human survival, and how breakthrough technologies like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could soon harvest water directly from the air.Incredible, real-world innovations hiding in plain sight—from running shoes made using rabbit gut microbes to rare-earth-free magnets and 3D-woven clothing.The devastating impact of U.S. political instability on long-term science and innovation funding, and how it is crippling the research pipeline.Why the bar for "sustainability" is far too low, and why we must build a regenerative, imagination-driven "prosperity economy".