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Meredith DeBoom

@meredeboom.bsky.social

610 followers 430 following 4 posts

Energy transition (uranium, green hydrogen/ammonia, phosphate), climate justice, resource geopolitics, global China, African politics. bit.ly/2Ve661l

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Meredith DeBoom @meredeboom.bsky.social · Jun 11

'Global China' is suddenly everywhere, from think tank reports to political speeches to academic texts. But what political work does the term 'Global China' itself do? @jessicadicarlo.bsky.social and I identify six 'paths' of Global China: Other, Integration, Status, Bridge, Threat, & Alternative.

Dialogues in Human Geography @dialogueshg.bsky.social · Jun 2

New Online 1st Article “Six paths of Global China: A genealogy of a contested geographical imaginary” by Jessica DiCarlo and Meredith DeBoom

doi.org/10.1177/2043...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

doi.org

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Reposted by Meredith DeBoom

Kate Mackenzie @katemac.bsky.social · 18d

There's been a tonne of interesting stuff to read on China's green export boom, developmental green industrial policy & even US energy transition politics in the past couple weeks; here is an annotated list from me & @70sbachchan.bsky.social
buttondown.com/polycrisisdi...

Many good things to read

The tipping point on energy in China, maybe the US?

buttondown.com

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Jonathan Harris @jonathanaharris.bsky.social · Aug 12

I did this a couple of years ago and really benefitted from it! Great to get feedback but even better to read exciting new work from other ECRs before it’s published… 🤓🥰

Lindsay Naylor @lbnaylor.bsky.social · Aug 12

Hey @geographers.bsky.social and #geographers please pass this great opportunity on in your networks!

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Lindsay Naylor @lbnaylor.bsky.social · Aug 12

Hey @geographers.bsky.social and #geographers please pass this great opportunity on in your networks!

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Jessica DiCarlo @jessicadicarlo.bsky.social · Jun 16

🧵1/What is Global China? @meredeboom.bsky.social & I argue it’s not one thing, but a plural, evolving imaginary. We trace 6 paths—Other, Integration, Bridge, Status, Threat, Alternative—showing how China’s global role is imagined, claimed & contested as meanings collide & open possibilities.

Six paths of Global China: A genealogy of a contested geographical imaginary - Jessica DiCarlo, Meredith DeBoom, 2025

‘Global China’ has emerged as a shorthand for China's relationship to the global, but its axiomatic uses disguise considerable complexity. This article tro...

journals.sagepub.com

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Meredith DeBoom @meredeboom.bsky.social · Jun 11

Dialogues in Human Geography @dialogueshg.bsky.social · Jun 2

New Online 1st Article “Six paths of Global China: A genealogy of a contested geographical imaginary” by Jessica DiCarlo and Meredith DeBoom

doi.org/10.1177/2043...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

doi.org

1 1 4

Reposted by Meredith DeBoom

Thom Davies @thomdavies.bsky.social · May 16

Great to see this article published in @politicsandspace.bsky.social:

'Displaced decarbonization: Climate necropolitics and the contested spatialities of green hydrogen in Namibia'

By @meredeboom.bsky.social 📝

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Meredith DeBoom @meredeboom.bsky.social · May 16

Thank you for your inspiration and encouragement! Publishing with @politicsandspace.bsky.social was a fantastic experience. ✨

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Namibian Policy Feed @namibiapolicyfeed.bsky.social · Apr 24

Despite near-full dams after recent rains, Windhoek remains under Category D drought since mid-2023. The city’s persistent water crisis highlights infrastructure and planning gaps, with severe implications for public health, equality, and sustainable urban living.

Windhoek’s Water Crisis Persists Despite Dams Filling Up - The Villager Newspaper

By: Loise Shiimi Despite recent heavy rainfall and dam levels nearing full capacity, Windhoek remains gripped by a water crisis that has persisted since mid-2023. The city continues to operate under Category D water scarcity, classified as a period of severe drought, according to the… You must be logged in to continue reading. All articles are 100% FREE for logged in readers. log in

www.thevillager.com.na

Reposted by Meredith DeBoom

Africa Is a Country @africasacountry.bsky.social · Apr 24

Long seen as a neutral player in global affairs, Zambia’s foreign policy is shifting under new pressures—from Western donors, Chinese investment, and its own strategic ambitions. africasacountry.com/2025/04/zamb...

Zambia’s quiet diplomacy

Long seen as a neutral player in global affairs, Zambia’s foreign policy is shifting under new pressures—from Western donors, Chinese investment, and its own strategic ambitions.

africasacountry.com

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Southern African Policy Feed @sadcpolicyfeed.bsky.social · Apr 2

Namibia | DeBoom analyses how Namibia strategically hedges its green hydrogen ambitions with ongoing oil and gas exploration. The state frames both as compatible paths to low-carbon resilience, raising critical questions for a just and sustainable energy future in Southern Africa.

Hedging energy transition: Green hydrogen, oil, and low-carbon resilience as state strategy in Namibia

Publication date: May 2025 Source: Geoforum, Volume 161 Author(s): Meredith J. DeBoom

www.sciencedirect.com

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Daniel Denvir @danieldenvir.bsky.social · Mar 25

New Dig: Second episode in two-part series with @iliasalami.bsky.social and @70sbachchan.bsky.social on global geopolitical and geoeconomic conjuncture. Why economic weapon failed against Russia and China, struggle to control energy transition, and so much more! www.thedigradio.com/podcast/new-...

New World Order w/ Ilias Alami and Tim Sahay

Featuring more analysis from Ilias Alami and Tim Sahay on the shape of global geopolitics and geoeconomics. We discuss: the fault lines of the green energy transition; the US and China battle for domi...

www.thedigradio.com

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Dylan Connor @dyligent.bsky.social · Mar 25

The most important paper on democratic backsliding I've read this year

Noam Gidron @noamgidron.bsky.social · Mar 24

🚨Why do masses support democratic backsliding?🚨
A new @AJPS_Editor paper with Yotam Margalit, @liorsheffer.bsky.social and Itamar Yakir explores this question in the Israeli context. Our findings emphasize the role of leader attachment and affective polarization.
doi.org/10.1111/ajps...

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The Continent @thecontinent.org · Mar 19

Inequality in action; inaction on inequality: Africans overwhelmingly see their governments as failing to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

See Afrobarometer’s survey in this week’s issue of The Continent (pg 21)

Headline: Inequality in action; inaction on inequality

Inequality of income and wealth is extremely high across most of Africa. World Bank estimates of Gini coefficients, a measure of income inequality, suggest that eight of the world’s 10 most unequal countries (for which data exist) are in Southern Africa.

Extreme inequality isn’t good for social cohesion, democracy, or economic growth. Yet Africans overwhelmingly see their governments as failing to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. On average across 39 countries, only 16% give their government passing marks on addressing inequality, while 82% say it’s doing “fairly badly” or “very badly.” Among 17 issues on which respondents evaluated government performance, only inflation control gets a worse rating.

Tanzania (35%) is the only country where more than a third of respondents are satisfied with efforts to reduce inequality. Fewer than one in 10 agree in 12 countries, with Gabon (3%) and Eswatini (5%) at the tail end. As we might expect, the poorest are most disappointed in their governments: Only 12% give a thumbs-up, compared to 22% of the wealthy.

#VoicesAfrica #Inequality #EconomicGrowth #Africa

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Africans Rise UK @africansriseuk.bsky.social · Mar 1

Almost half a year’s worth of rain fell in 24hrs on Botswana, a semi-arid country. At least 15 people died & widespread flooding has caused extensive damage to homes, businesses & roads. This is the devastating reality of the worsening #ClimateCrisis, this is why we urgently need to #EndFossilFuels

The Continent @thecontinent.org · Mar 1

Botswana’s government has spent many years, and many millions of dollars, preparing for natural disasters – just not this kind of natural disaster. The state’s attention, informed by decades of meteorological data, was focused instead on responding to drought. Not flooding.

‘We prepared for a natural disaster – just not this one’

Botswana was overwhelmed by the rapidly changing climate. As the world gets warmer, and its weather less predictable, it will not be the only one.

continent.substack.com

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The Continent @thecontinent.org · Feb 23

Poverty is on the rise across the African continent. The pain, however, is not evenly distributed.

On average, lived poverty is at its worst level in a quarter-century of Afrobarometer surveys.

As we reported last week, growing numbers of Africans are struggling to meet their basic needs for food, clean water, medical care, cooking fuel, and a cash income. On average, lived poverty is at its worst level in a quarter-century of Afrobarometer surveys.

But average rates mask great variation.
Fewer than two in 10 Seychellois (13%), Mauritians (16%), and Moroccans (18%) experienced a food shortage at least once in the past year, compared to over four-fifths of Angolans (81%), Mauritanians (82%), Nigerians (84%), Nigeriens (86%), and Brazzaville-Congolese (87%).

In the past decade, severe deprivation (frequent or constant shortages of basic necessities) has fallen in Liberia, Burkina Faso, Togo, Morocco and Gabon, but risen sharply in Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Countries differ in the intensity of their people's lived poverty. In both South Africa and Ghana, about eight in 10 people experienced at least some shortage. But severe lived poverty was twice as common in South Africa (20% vs. 9%), while Ghanaians were more likely to report low lived poverty (50% vs 33%).

#LivedPoverty #Afrobarometer #Africa #SouthAfrica #Ghana #Liberia #Nigeria #Mali #Namibia

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Tobita Chow @tobitac.bsky.social · Feb 17

"Chinese authorities in recent months have made it more difficult for some engineers and equipment to leave the country, proposed new export controls to retain key battery technologies, and moved to restrict technologies for processing critical minerals" www.ft.com/content/d48e...

China tightens grip on tech, minerals and engineers as trade war spirals

Groups such as Apple contractor Foxconn hit by efforts to stop knowhow and equipment leaving country

www.ft.com

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The Continent @thecontinent.org · Feb 14

All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 190 of The Continent

The world order is disintegrating. Whose interests will the African Union serve now?

Read it here: bit.ly/TC190

The cover of Issue 190 of The Continent is a depiction of Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa by illustrator Yemsrach Yetneberk. It's a city scene featuring the iconic Lion of Judah Statue as graffiti and other landmarks. In the foreground is a billboard reading "Now or never for the African Union".

#AfricanUnion #AU #AddisAbaba #TheContinent

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The Continent @thecontinent.org · Jan 29

We could really use your help. We’re beginning this year with a big push for new subscribers – because the more subscribers we have, the easier it is for us to raise funding to keep doing the kind of journalism we do. Our subscription details are here 👇

Subscribe | The Continent

Subscribing to quality African journalism is easy and free.

thecontinent.org

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States Newsroom @statesnewsroom.com · Jan 28

Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday.

via @kansasreflector.com
www.newsfromthestates.com/article/ogal...

Ogallala Aquifer drops by more than a foot in parts of western Kansas

Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said Tuesday.

www.newsfromthestates.com

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Meredith DeBoom @meredeboom.bsky.social · Jan 28

A much-needed bright spot today: grad students, this is an awesome opportunity to work with @cplusc.bsky.social & @pmbigger.bsky.social on climate work that matters this summer--without risking your ability to make rent. The fellowship is 20 hours/week, $50/hour, 100% remote, flexible scheduling.

Climate and Community Institute @cplusc.bsky.social · Jan 28

We are hiring Junior Research Fellows for the summer of 2025! We are looking for outstanding graduate students to join us for the summer to make meaningful contributions to our transformative research and policy work across geographies and economic sectors. Applications due March 3.

Work With Us - Climate & Community Institute

There are currently no open positions at Climate & Community Institute.

climateandcommunity.org

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Dylan Connor @dyligent.bsky.social · Jan 16

Learn all about our new work on the geography of wealth in Tom's Conversation piece!

Tom Kemeny @tkemeny.bsky.social · Jan 16

Wealth in the U.S. is increasing concentrated in the hands of the few. My work with @dyligent.bsky.social & @joelsuss.bsky.social shows *where* the wealth is, which cities are the most unequal and how trends have evolved. My new piece for @theconversation.com brings you up to speed. bit.ly/40gqvoZ

Soaring wealth inequality has remade the map of American prosperity

The wealthiest areas in the US are almost 7 times richer than the poorest regions, a disparity that has nearly doubled since 1960.

bit.ly

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louicy.bsky.social @louicy.bsky.social · Jan 8

A few months ago, I published my inaugural research article in @politicalgeography.bsky.social titled 'Gatekeeping Beyond the State: The Mombasa Port (...)'. It was a challenging but very rewarding experience, and hopefully, there will be many more articles to come! doi.org/10.1016/j.po...

Redirecting

doi.org

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kidanaraya.bsky.social @kidanaraya.bsky.social · Dec 3

"We need to re-imagine the world order to one in which our concerns are taken seriously."

Powerful writing here on the future of pan-Africanism. #Africa

The Continent @thecontinent.org · Dec 3

It’s easy to be sceptical of pan-Africanism. The notion that Africa isn’t just a geographical space but a metaphysical entity whose population, though genetically the most diverse on earth, shares culture, heritage and a common fate, can seem dubious. But, the idea is bred of necessity not genetics.

We must lead the world or be damned

To get us from the back of the global bus to its steering wheel, pan-Africanism needs to be internationalist too.

continent.substack.com

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Meredith DeBoom @meredeboom.bsky.social · Dec 6

Congratulations!! Really great to see this out in the world--excited to read the final version. Thank you for your work to pull this SI together!

Reposted by Meredith DeBoom

delali adogla-bessa @delalibessa.bsky.social · Nov 22

I'm always eager for a @thecontinent.bsky.social headline to slap a grin on my face.

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