Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Germany's longest river is drying up, with water levels reaching as low as eight inches (21 cm) in some spots—the lowest reading since Germany started keeping records almost 150 years ago. Adam and Cameron discuss the economic impact, including shipping disruptions and supply chain problems.
0:00 Record-low water levels
5:57 Internationalization on the Rhine
11:11 Impact on the German economy
16:55 From romantic inspiration to tourism
23:05 Hidden history at the bottom of the river
Foreign Policy economics columnist Adam Tooze, a history professor and a popular author, is encyclopedic about basically everything: from the COVID shutdown, to climate change, to pasta sauce. On FP’s hit podcast, Tooze and FP deputy editor Cameron Abadi look at two data points each week that explain the world: one drawn from the week’s headlines and the other from just about anywhere else Tooze takes us.
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Listen to more episodes of Ones and Tooze:
foreignpolicy.com/podcasts/ones-and-tooze podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ones-and-tooze/id1584397047 open.spotify.com/show/44pekawcpIJ7KgwcFIgZDr
Follow Ones and Tooze:
X - https://x.com/OnesandToozePod
Follow Adam - https://x.com/adam_tooze
Follow Cam - https://x.com/CameronAbadi
Subscribe to all of Foreign Policy’s podcasts at foreignpolicy.com/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts
Visit foreignpolicy.com to read the latest global news and analysis from FP.
Follow Foreign Policy:
X - twitter.com/ForeignPolicy
Instagram - instagram.com/foreignpolicymag
Facebook - facebook.com/foreign.policy.magazine
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/foreign-policy-magazine
TikTok - tiktok.com/@foreignpolicymagazine
Germany's longest river is drying up, with water levels reaching as low as eight inches (21 cm) in some spots—the lowest reading since Germany started keeping records almost 150 years ago. Adam and Cameron discuss the economic impact, including shipping disruptions and supply chain problems.
0:00 Record-low water levels
5:57 Internationalization on the Rhine
11:11 Impact on the German economy
16:55 From romantic inspiration to tourism
23:05 Hidden history at the bottom of the river
Foreign Policy economics columnist Adam Tooze, a history professor and a popular author, is encyclopedic about basically everything: from the COVID shutdown, to climate change, to pasta sauce. On FP’s hit podcast, Tooze and FP deputy editor Cameron Abadi look at two data points each week that explain the world: one drawn from the week’s headlines and the other from just about anywhere else Tooze takes us.
----------
Listen to more episodes of Ones and Tooze:
foreignpolicy.com/podcasts/ones-and-tooze podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ones-and-tooze/id1584397047 open.spotify.com/show/44pekawcpIJ7KgwcFIgZDr
Follow Ones and Tooze:
X - https://x.com/OnesandToozePod
Follow Adam - https://x.com/adam_tooze
Follow Cam - https://x.com/CameronAbadi
Subscribe to all of Foreign Policy’s podcasts at foreignpolicy.com/podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts
Visit foreignpolicy.com to read the latest global news and analysis from FP.
Follow Foreign Policy:
X - twitter.com/ForeignPolicy
Instagram - instagram.com/foreignpolicymag
Facebook - facebook.com/foreign.policy.magazine
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/foreign-policy-magazine
TikTok - tiktok.com/@foreignpolicymagazine
