Queens’-CDS Distinguished Annual Lecture

This Annual Lecture will take place in Fitzpatrick Hall, Queens' College. The Queens’- CDS Distinguished Annual Lecture has been generously sponsored by an alumna of Queens’ and the MPhil in the Economics and Politics of Development (m.1986), and is an generative opportunity to connect students, staff and development studies alumni.

In this lecture, Thea Riofrancos will unpack the challenges of the climate crisis through the lens of lithium, a so-called "critical mineral" essential for its role in decarbonizing one of the world's most polluting sectors: transportation. With Lithium as a focal point, Professor Riofrancos will cover the return of vertical integration, new state-corporate alliances and the environmental and Indigenous movements contesting the rapid expansion of mineral extraction. To conclude, Professor Riofrancos will explore the possibility of a less mining-intensive pathway to zero carbon transportation.

Thea Riofrancos is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, a Strategic Co-Director of the Climate and Community Institute, and a fellow at the Transnational Institute.