Episode 22

Theranos, Medical Devices, and Indigenous Knowledge on Climate Change ft. Kyle Powys Whyte

January 11, 2022

TRANSCRIPT

In this episode, Shobita and Jack discuss the recent conviction of the now-notorious Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of Theranos, and what it means for tech hype. They talk about the UK government's recent decision to review the racial bias embedded in medical devices, and consider whether this will move equity objectives forward. And they speak with Kyle Powys Whyte, George Willis Pack Professor of Environment and Sustainability, and Affiliate Professor of Native American Studies and Philosophy, at the University of Michigan, about how indigenous knowledge can inform the science and policy discussions related to climate change.

Study Questions:

1. What does climate science look like for indigenous peoples?

2. What lessons might indigenous approaches to climate science hold for Western science?

3. How do indigenous peoples think about the relationship between science and society?

4. What are the benefits and drawbacks to the framing of climate change as an urgent problem?

5. How have histories of colonialism shaped climate change, both in the United States and elsewhere?

6. Is a just energy transition possible? What would it take to make the energy transition truly just?

Related links:

• "An Interview with Kyle Whyte." Sense & Sustainability. September 1, 2021.

• Kyle Powys Whyte. "White Allies, Let's Be Honest About Decolonization." Yes! Magazine. April 3, 2018.

• Kyle Powys Whyte. "Five reasons why the North Dakota pipeline fight will continue in 2017." The Conversation. January 5, 2017.

• Kyle Powys Whyte. "Why the Native American pipeline resistance in North Dakota in about climate justice." The Conversation. September 16, 2016.

• Kyle Powys Whyte. "Michigan's woeful track record for environmental justice." Detroit Free Press. February 4, 2016.