Climate Now
Viewing 24 of 140 Podcast Episodes
Climate Now: Jan 17, 2022
The trucking industry needs to go green. Are electric trucks the answer?
In 2019, medium- and heavy-duty trucks accounted for about a quarter of U.S. transportation emissions while representing less than 4% of vehicles on the road, according to the U.S. EPA. It is clear the trucking industry must decarbonize in order for the transp
Climate Now: Jan 10, 2022
Why all ride-sharing should go electric. And autonomous, with Dave Rubin
Ride-sharing services currently result in 69% more emissions, on average, than the trips they displace, according to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. But, if the ride-sharing vehicles were electric, it’s a whole different story. Repla
Climate Now: Dec 23, 2021
The sustainability conundrum of electric vehicles: Making and recycling EV batteries, with Andy Stevenson
Climate Now is kicking off our Decarbonizing Transportation series by addressing a question that looms over the electric vehicle market: how can we sustainably manufacture and recycle EV batteries? To learn about electric vehicle battery trends and challenges,
Climate Now: Dec 20, 2021
Green banks: How they unlock funding for climate solutions, with Bryan Garcia
The Connecticut Green Bank, the first green bank in the US, has unlocked over $2 billion in capital toward clean energy projects and other climate solutions since it was established by the state legislature in 2011. So, what is the green bank model? How does i
Climate Now: Dec 16, 2021
Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Geoengineering with Wil Burns
Earth’s oceans play a key role in slowing climate change, absorbing nearly a third of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. And they could, potentially, absorb more. In this episode, Climate Now explores developing methods to enhance ocean-based carbon dioxide r
Climate Now: Dec 13, 2021
Unpacking COP 26: Are we on track to solve the climate crisis, with Megan Darby
In November 2021, representatives from around the world gathered to update their climate commitments at the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference received sub
Climate Now: Dec 9, 2021
Scaling wind energy: What it will take to reach global net-zero, with Simon Watson
Wind energy is one of the cheapest sources of energy today, but it accounts for only ~6% of global electricity generation. To limit global warming to 2 degrees C or less, wind energy will need to scale up to about 5 times its current size. So, how can this b
Climate Now: Nov 29, 2021
Adaptation in North America: What’s happening and what needs to happen, with Beth Gibbons
Much of the focus surrounding climate action is on mitigation: how do we reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and avoid catastrophic climate change in the coming decades? But the reality is the climate is already changing – and
Climate Now: Nov 22, 2021
How to Ensure Climate Impact Investing Actually Has an Impact with Amit Bouri
“The [investment market] we have in place now is not working for people, it’s not working for the planet, and it’s actually not working for most investors.” This is according to Amit Bouri, Co-founder and CEO of the Global Impact Invest
Climate Now: Nov 16, 2021
Water Strategy and Climate-Induced Drought: How to mitigate and prepare with Will Sarni
A growing population, groundwater depletion, poor water infrastructure, overuse and water waste threaten our global freshwater supply. Throw climate change into the mix, and the water crisis is exacerbated, as precipitation becomes more variable and temperat
Climate Now: Nov 2, 2021
Improving Climate Models with Machine Learning
Most climate models in use today are based upon large-scale, well-understood physical relationships that drive global temperature and precipitation trends. But the effects of complicated interactions that occur on smaller scales, which may still be significant
Climate Now: Oct 25, 2021
Trash to treasure: One man’s journey to make CO2 waste a useful product
What does it take to turn an idea that could help fight climate change into a self-sustaining business? We often hear the glamorous stories of startups that have made it, but little about the struggles, the learning, and the luck required to get there. Pol Kno
Climate Now: Oct 18, 2021
Pricing carbon around the globe: Why it’s so difficult
How do we finance the cost of mitigating climate change, while discouraging continued use of fossil fuels? The largest public statement of economists in history argues for a carbon tax – which would charge a fee for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted. B
Climate Now: Oct 12, 2021
Do you get what you pay for? Monetizing Forests via Carbon Credits
A rapidly expanding list of companies have announced plans to go “carbon neutral” or “net zero”. Often, these plans include at least some offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing credits from forest carbon offset programs. B
Climate Now: Sep 24, 2021
Climate impacts profits: How businesses should report climate risk with Emily Wasley
For businesses, a changing climate is not just about worsening weather patterns. Businesses must be prepared for what is likely to be an era of rapidly accelerating change to many dimensions of their operations, including changes in shareholder expectations, s
Climate Now: Sep 17, 2021
Measuring CO2 from space: the science of NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory missions
In the first episode of our two-part series, we learned how NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory made it to space despite overwhelming odds from David Crisp, the mission’s principal investigator. Today, we released the sequel, where we explore the sc
Climate Now: Sep 14, 2021
Measuring CO2 from space: a journey of perseverance, heartbreak, and scientific breakthrough with David Crisp
On the 24th of February, 2009, David Crisp was in the control center at Vandenberg Air Force base counting down the seconds for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory to launch. It was a project he had led for a decade – and it was the first NASA mission that w
Climate Now: Sep 10, 2021
Saving two birds with one stone: tackling biodiversity and climate together with Pete Smith
Many climate change mitigation proposals are land-use intensive. Are these proposals feasible without negatively impacting biodiversity? Can we develop solutions for both the climate and biodiversity crises? There has been an historic lack of collaboration bet
Climate Now: Sep 7, 2021
Calculating Climate Financial Risks with Tory Grieves
The climate crisis has myriad effects on American businesses, from where properties are located and their likelihood of encountering extreme weather, to where materials are sourced and potential supply-chain complications. These effects inevitably carry with t
Climate Now: Sep 3, 2021
Building stars on Earth: the potential of nuclear fusion
Is there such a thing as “perfect” energy? With nuclear fusion, the answer is maybe. Fusion energy would be safe to human health, environmentally clean, and essentially limitless. But, developing a sustainable fusion reaction still faces significan
Climate Now: Aug 27, 2021
Nuclear Energy: What are the real risks? with David Keith
Despite being a reliable, zero-emissions alternative to energy derived from fossil fuels, nuclear energy remains mired in controversy. Opponents often cite four reasons not to include nuclear in the portfolio of alternative energy sources that will replace fos
Climate Now: Aug 20, 2021
Investing in the Energy Transition with Salim Samaha
Transitioning to a sustainable energy economy will require significant input of investment capital. But how do investors decide which companies and technologies to back as society moves toward a carbon neutral future? Salim Samaha heads energy project investme
Climate Now: Aug 16, 2021
Optimizing Reforestation to Mitigate Climate Change with Susan Cook-Patton
Trees are an incredible resource for mitigating climate change, with myriad environmental benefits – not least their ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it for hundreds to thousands of years. Reforestation – the process o
Climate Now: Aug 13, 2021
Will China reach net-zero emissions by 2060?
China currently produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the next three biggest emitters – the United States, European Union, and India – combined, making a commitment from China to decarbonize its economy essential to reaching global carbon neu