Climate Change Solutions

Dec 1, 2024  Should we?  But can we geoengineer?

Antarctica is collapsing! BUT it's a game of two halves. East Antarctica is pretty solid but the West Antarctic ice sheet is perched precariously on islands and held back by huge glaciers the size of small countries. Those glaciers are rapidly giving way, and when they go, we've got a problem! Some scientists reckon we should radically intervene. But are they right?

11-25-2024 The COP 29 president, Mukhtar Babayeu, defended the agreement for wealthy countries to contribute $300 Billion to developing nations to help toward the sift to clean energy and adapt to the most extreme climate impacts of drought, flood and fire.  Manish Bapna the president and CEO mentioned that most independent experts recommend at least $1.3 Trillion  to help these nations that have done nothing to help create the climate crisis, but are being asked to pay the costs for adaptation and remediation to the worst impacts being experienced by the most vulnerable countries. This is  the root of the conflict and creates the extremes of environmental justice. The largest challenge for the COP's is the pace required to make the transition  to  renewable energy. 

Sep 20, 2024  #FreeDocumentary   Next-Gen Solar Energy: Tapping Into the Sun’s Full Power | FD Engineering

Building the Ultimate Wind Farm:    • Building the Ultimate Wind Farm | Meg...  An engineering revolution is underway. Driven by dedicated individuals who are building extraordinary machines that will change our lives.     The sun is the biggest source of energy in the solar system. Innovators are searching for new ways to capture more of the sun’s power, and make it available through the night, everywhere.

9-15-24  Unlocking the Greatest Untapped Energy Resource on the Planet. FD Engineering.       An engineering revolution is underway. Driven by dedicated individuals who are building extraordinary machines that will change our lives.   The power of the ocean’s tides is the last great untapped energy source on Earth. From sub-sea kites to floating platforms, teams of engineers are racing to perfect the technology to harness the vast flows of water. 

9-13-24 About the video: “You can find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved.” Climate change is solvable, argues Hannah Ritchie.  Doomerism about the state of the planet is widespread right now. Many see climate change as an insurmountable problem that we won’t be able to tackle. But the reality tells a different story, says data scientist Hannah Ritchie.  By stepping back to look at the data and at how the world has changed over centuries, you can actually find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved.    By tracing the evolution of human history, we can see that human progress was often very much in conflict with environmental impact. The more that humans progressed, the more the environment degraded. Ritchie argues that now, we're in a unique position where these two things are no longer in conflict, thanks to recent technologies that decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact. 

8-2-24  I place this video on the "climate solutions" page because our best solution now is to fix our politics that permit power to the fossil fuel industry. Please watch this video in earnest! On the latest episode of Bernie: The Podcast, I speak to environmentalist Bill McKibben. Bill is an activist and writer who is one of the leading voices on the impact of climate change as well as a dear friend of mine. He is the founder of the climate campaign groups 350.org and Third Act. He has authored a dozen books about the environment, including his first, The End of Nature (1989. We discuss the record heatwaves sweeping the globe as we speak, the growth of renewable energy and how much time we have to save our planet, and what a second Trump term would mean for climate change. 

Jul 20, 2024  #CNBC

Automakers are rushing to produce cheaper EVs and profitably. While the costs and challenges of improving batteries often hog the spotlight, automakers are also investing billions into new manufacturing methods that can change the way cars are made. One such method is gigacasting or megacasting - using high pressure molds to form molten aluminum into large parts. Electric car maker Tesla is credited with pioneering the method, but several rivals are making investments. CNBC spoke with experts including Volvo Cars' Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Erik Severinson, about the Swedish car maker’s plans in this area.

4-28-24 China's perceived march towards global domination appears to be ruffling some feathers here in the Western world. Their version of the industrial revolution has lifted hundreds of millions out of abject poverty, but it is still held up by some as the greatest modern sin against humanity and our climate. So, how accurate is that allegation 

12-20-23 On this episode, environmental activist and author Bill McKibben joins Nate for a reflection on the last few decades of climate education and movements – and the possibilities and challenges that we’ll face ahead. Among a system that is dependent on growth and embedded in a biosphere full of limits (which we continue to surpass), working towards shifting our societies to be ecologically balanced is potentially the most important mission to which an individual can contribute - yet this is much easier said than done. What have been the largest barriers towards actual effective climate action since emissions have continued in a straight line up since the 20th century? What power structures stand as a barrier to proactive initiatives, and which ones could we utilize to propel movements forward? How can we prepare and organize at the individual, community, and national levels, as we look ahead to climate - and other - challenges we’re likely to face in the coming decades? 

This video originally uploaded on 8-15-21 has been updated. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies. Usage is on the rise worldwide, in part because costs are falling. Global installed wind-generation capacity onshore and offshore has increased by a factor of almost 75 in the past two decades, jumping from 7.5 gigawatts (GW) in 1997 to some 564 GW by 2018, according to IRENA's latest data. Production of wind electricity doubled between 2009 and 2013, and in 2016 wind energy accounted for 16% of the electricity generated by renewables. Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers tremendous potential. 

Mar 27, 2024

      In the quest for clean energy, offshore wind stands out – not just for its towering turbines which are already as tall as the Eiffel tower and set to grow further, but offshore wind also stands out for its surprising economics. Despite being about twice as expensive as its onshore counterpart, offshore wind is riding a wave of rapid global expansion. What drives this surge in investment towards seemingly pricier energy? In this video we’ll navigate the depths of offshore wind. We'll uncover the innovations making these titanic turbines possible, explore why their energy is more prized, and dive into the tumultuous waters of 2023 that nearly capsized the industry. Can offshore wind chart a course towards a more sustainable horizon? Let's set sail to find out.

        If you would like to help develop the Engineering with Rosie channel, you could consider joining the Patreon community, where there is a chat community (and Patreon-only Discord server) about topics covered in the videos and suggestions for future videos and production quality improvements.   / engineeringwithrosie  

Across the globe, billions are being invested in the electrification of the car industry. Governments have put future bans on the sale of internal combustion engines, but recently we’ve seen politicians backtracking a little on the issue. Also, there are still huge infrastructure and cost challenges ahead for EVs. So, are reports about the death of the internal combustion engine a little premature? 

2-5-24 Battery energy storage is already shaking up the automotive industry. But developers are constantly looking for ways to increase energy density, decrease battery pack weight, and add range to their vehicles. It's not just car makers though. The aviation industry is watching progress on battery technology very closely indeed. Now sulphur (or sulfur in the US) has entered the fray to add a new dimension to that progress. 

3-18-24 "Just Have a Think"  Lithium-ion batteries often get a bad rap in the media these days, blamed for high cost, unwanted fires and poor working conditions in the supply chain. But the fact remains that this chemistry provides the power for billions of devices around the world, from the tiniest pacemakers to the largest utility scale stationary energy storage, and the manufacturers are making great strides to improve 

1-24 Google Power: Go to https://www.eightsleep.com/ricky or code 'RICKY' for $200 off!

Google has a goal to be Net Zero, and produce all their own energy themselves, and be completely carbon neutral. And now, they've actually built their own Geothermal Power plant that just became operational! How could this possibly make sense, and is Geothermal really the answer? Especially considering they had to frack the rock, just like oil companies do. Is this is future for all companies that want to be energy independent or another failed experiment by Google? Let's figure this out together! 

Jan 28, 2024

222,543 views • Jan 28, 2024

"Solid State Batteries are nearly here!" How many times have you heard that phrase in the last 5 years or so?? Myriad developers have tried and failed, but some have persevered, and one or two have succeeded AND got investment AND got production under way. So is 2024 finally, FINALLY the year??

12-29-23 Join the Climate Emergency Forum along with special guests Dr. James Hansen and Dan Galpern, as the Global Warming in the Pipeline paper is presented at a COP28 Press conference as part of a specially prepared video message followed by a discussion on the policy implications. Dr. Hansen's video message emphasized the significant increase in Earth's energy imbalance, linking it to reduced aerosol cooling due to regulations on sulfur emissions from ships. He highlighted the implications, predicting a 1.5-degree Celsius warming within the decade and emphasized the need for political action, a rising carbon fee, and global cooperation.  Dan Galpern then expanded on Dr. Hansen's message, calling for a complete phase-out of fossil fuel production and utilization. He stressed the inadequacy of mere emission reductions and the importance of rapidly decarbonizing major nations, emphasizing the need for an orderly phase-out of fossil fuel reliance and increased research into climate interventions. 

12-13-23  The sentence finally agreed upon at the close of COP28:  "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner."  Watch this segment from PBS Newshour where Geoff Bennett interviews Michael Mann. Mann is an American climatologist and geophysicist. He is the director of the Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. 

12-7-23 Al Gore, Climate reality's leader, accurately sums up the first week of COP 28 in the UAE.  Solutions to the climate crisis are staring us in the face. Gore reminds us that we must cut our overall use of fossil fuel, stop subsidizing oil producers with taxpayer money, and remember that our political will to do this is itself a renewable resource.

12-3-23 Just Have a Think performs the service of helping to identify the biggest offenders of "Greenwashing" and how to move your money away from these offenders.

11-30-23  An interview with Steven Chu interview with Endgame #162 (Luminaries)

11-5-23 Climate Emergency institute, "Eating for the Future" ; 

Regina begins by urging introspection on our daily food choices, questioning their implications for the planet. She highlights Charles Darwin's words, emphasizing the significance of compassion for all living creatures. With poignant inquiries about the morality of consuming animal products, she challenges the audience to consider the ethical consequences of their dietary preferences.

Peter emphasizes the urgency of adopting a plant-based lifestyle, citing scientific data on the detrimental environmental effects of meat and dairy consumption. He advocates for a profound shift in dietary habits to curb climate change and preserve life on Earth. Furthermore, he underscores the critical connection between individual dietary choices and the overarching sustainability of the planet.

Paul echoes the call for a transformation in dietary patterns, emphasizing the detrimental impact of industrial farming on biodiversity and the natural environment. He sheds light on the connection between food consumption and global issues such as the obesity epidemic and health care costs.

Regina, in her concluding remarks, urges viewers to question the influence of the agricultural industrial complex, advocating for informed, conscious dietary decisions for the betterment of humanity and the planet. As the conversation unfolds, the forum underscores the urgent need for a profound shift towards sustainable and compassionate dietary practices 

MPT's program "Maryland Farm and Harvest "  originally aired this program on 12-13-2022. This program highlights the actions that have the potential to lead us into a sustainable future. Please take the time to view this and make efforts to model these types of strategies in your own community.  A Baltimore neighborhood is transformed from a food desert to an urban oasis where the bonds of family are in the farm’s DNA. Then, a Montgomery County company has a clever solution to turn food scraps into black gold. Plus, Al Spoler discovers that the loudest apples are the best on this week’s The Local Buy. Farm Photos of Week: the natural world. 

 3-22-23  Summary of the IPCC summary of the summary: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released their synthesis report: the final piece of the Sixth Assessment Report. With the help of @ClimateAdam let’s take a look at what it actually says.     Read the Summary for Policymakers: https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6syr/pdf/IPC...                                        Read the Full Report: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/   Further reading about climate science, the IPCC reports, and what it all means: https://climatescience2030.com/                        A playlist full of IPCC videos:    • IPCC Sixth Assess...   

This film has been supported by the European Climate Foundation.  Responsibility for the information and views set out in this film lies with the author. The European Climate Foundation cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained or expressed therein. 

3-19-2023  Carbon Dioxide Removal is our only chance of keeping the atmosphere of Earth at a habitable temperature in the 21st Century. That's what our scientists tell us anyway. And they say we will need to remove billions of tonnes of the warming gas in the coming decades if we are to succeed in this ambitious goal. So what is Carbon Dioxide Removal? Why is it different to Carbon Capture and Storage, and how on earth will we do it? 

3-3-23  These are the only solutions!  Peace must be achieved and all fossil fuel projects must be ended so clean energy can  become our source of power.  As the global climate change emergency rapidly deteriorates, the escalating war in Ukraine increases fossil fuel use and precludes any chance of nations cooperating to put global emissions into decline. Peace is priority for facing globally disastrous 1.5C and avoiding planet catastrophic 2C, but is not being sought. The Double Doomsday-both ignored, has us hurtling to climate hell. 

11-17-22 “Earth’s resources are limited - but human ingenuity is infinite!” That's the belief at the heart of the techno-optimist view that technology and innovation can provide solutions to the ecological breakdown. But are tech innovations actually delaying the most crucial climate action of all - slashing emissions?  In this episode, Ali Rae speaks with Professor of Energy and Climate Change, Kevin Anderson, environmentalist and co-founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben, writer and energy analyst Ketan Joshi and Åsa Larsson Blind, Vice President of the Saami Council in Finland. 

10-11-22 The Climate Reality Project: Stories to tell about a Global Dialog on a "Just Transition" toward renewable energy

Former US Vice President Al Gore explores what a just transition to clean energy means and how it can work around the world with advocates from Japan, Poland, and the US. Presented as part of Climate Reality's 24 Hours of Reality: Spotlight on Solutions and Hope on October 7 

5-4-2022 "How ancient arctic carbon threatens everyone on the planet" Sue Natali TED    What will happen to the planet if climate change melts what's left of Arctic permafrost? Shedding light on this overlooked threat, Arctic geologist Sue Natali reveals the true danger of heating up the iciest place on the planet: the release of ancient carbon that will dramatically worsen our climate problems. In this urgent talk, she introduces a new initiative, Permafrost Pathways, and their work to measure permafrost carbon emissions, fuse Indigenous solutions with modern technologies and protect the rights of Arctic residents.  This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. Watch all the talks from this year's cohort at https://ted.com/audaciousproject 

4-6-22 3rd IPCC report The final instalment of the IPCC’s sixth assessment report (AR6) came out in April 2022. It follows two previous parts, which covered climate science and climate impacts. This part is the most important bit: what we can do to tackle climate change.

You can check out the two videos I did on the first two reports here: 

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awmx9... Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p9he... 

The TL;DR is that the first part of AR6 showed that climate change is happening here and now, and faster than we thought, highlighting that the climate crisis is, in the words of the UN’s secretary general, “code red for humanity”.  The second part was arguably even more concerning, noting that the impacts of climate change are far-reaching and worse than we ever expected, meaning the “window of opportunity” to take action is “rapidly narrowing”.  

You can find the full IPCC working group 3 climate mitigation report here: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-asse... 

12-15-21 "Third Act" with  Bill McKibben, Author, Educator, Activist, and co-founder of 350.org    One of America's most well-known activists, Bill McKibben joined us to talk about his calling, his spirituality, and his new endeavor ThirdAct.org: gathering "Experienced Americans" to "move Washington and Wall Street in the name of a fairer, more sustainable society and planet. We back up the great work of younger people, and we make good trouble of our own."

Bill's 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. He has gone on to write 17 other books, and is a regular contributor to the New Yorker and many media outlets. He was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (sometimes called the alternative Nobel) and the Gandhi Peace Prize. Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of the world’s 100 most important global thinkers. Bill serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

4-5-22  Read the Summary for Policymakers: https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPC...

Read the full report: https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPC...

Check out Adam's video about why the IPCC reports matter: https://youtu.be/yWYz0u-gG8Q If you're feeling overwhelmed by the content of this report, or just looking for tools to combat climate dread, despair, or eco-anxiety, here are the places I turn for guidance: The Gen Dread newsletter: https://gendread.substack.com/  Mary Annaise Heglar on how to deal with climate despair: https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018...  and https://newrepublic.com/article/15705....  I also made a video a few years ago about eco-anxiety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwJUm...  

11-23-20 "The Fundamentals of Communicating about Climate Change" Ever try to communicate something that’s really important to someone and you just don’t know how to get them to listen -- let alone get them to take action? It’s climate change. It’s real. It’s all around us. It’s not political. And it requires action. Take action in joining our panelists for The Fundamentals of Communicating About Climate Change event in which we delve into topics together such as: framing language that leads to successful connections in communication, how education around climate change exists currently in our lives & communities and how it can be improved upon, and how to spark communication into action in others as well as within ourselves. Tired of unsuccessful communication around climate change? We are too. Let’s learn together about how to talk about it right. 

3-29-22  It is time for the corporations who do not pay their fair share has come. If our democracy is to survive, we must be able to have a government who will  be able to enforce rules that are designed to benefit the best interests of the general public. Corporations must adopt and promote their social responsibility. This is in the best interest of us all.

3-7-22  With oil prices at a 14-year high, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today that the EU has to "get rid of the dependency on Russian gas, oil, and coal." Bill McKibben says responding with renewables is the way to both defeat Putin and alleviate climate change. He tells Hari Sreenivasan that now is the time to transition away from fossil fuels. 

12-05-2021 "Just Have a Think" Fossil fuels are inextricably linked to our everyday lives and it'll be impossible to phase them out in the next three decades. At least that's what the fossil fuel industry would have you believe. But new studies have looked at precisely what we DO need to do to rapidly rid ourselves of the largest historical, and current, cause of the global climate emergency. 

10-22-2021 How we end Climate Imperialism : In this Our Changing Climate climate change video essay, I look at how we end climate imperialism through climate debt. With COP 26 on our doorstep, it's more important than ever to talk about climate debt and climate imperialism. Climate debt is a concept developed to reveal the unequal relationship between Global North (the imperial core) and the Global South (the imperial periphery) caused by centuries of imperialism, colonialism, and climate change. Climate debt demands countries in the imperial core pay reparations for the damage they've done to people, atmosphere and planet. For countless COPs countries in the imperial periphery have pushed for repayment of climate debts, but have been rebuffed over and over. In part, this is why The World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth took place in Cochabamba in 2010. Indeed, the People's Agreement that came out of the Cochabamba People's Conference highlights climate debt as an essential tool in the fight to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis 

9-24-2021  Why the Airship May Be the Future of Sustainable Air Travel. Go to http://brilliant.org/Undecided to sign up for free.  Just one short-haul flight a year produces 10% of our individual carbon emissions. We could go back to trains for our traveling, which produce about half the CO2 of a plane, but you don't always have the time. What if we could get the speed of air travel with the lower emissions of ground-travel? Enter the airship (aka blimp).

Watch "The Future of Solid State Wind Energy - No More Blades" https://youtu.be/nNp21zTeCDc?list=PLn... 

NeoClassical growth economics, and its assumption that the Earth will always absorb waste and pollution on an ever growing scale has led the world to climate crisis and the brink of collapse. Ecological economics offers alternatives that focus on the preservation of natural capital, sustainability and well-being.  This program discusses how ecological economics presents policy solutions that can work to resolve humanity’s urgent environmental and social problems.  

Check out "Re-Think X" The impacts of technology driven disruptions on our future:  November 4, 2021

"Just Have A Think" August 2021: The climate emergency requires climate solutions. And fast!  There are lots of different proposals floating around  - some of which don't even exist yet, and probably never will. So, it's easy to get confused about which direction is best. Now though, a new analysis suggests that 90% of the job could be achieved by just a handful of disruptive technologies that are very real indeed, and are already either disrupting their markets or are poised to do so. We just need to choose to embrace them!  

Fossil fuels are inextricably linked to our everyday lives and it'll be impossible to phase them out in the next three decades. At least that's what the fossil fuel industry would have you believe. But new studies have looked at precisely what we DO need to do to rapidly rid ourselves of the largest historical, and current, cause of the global climate emergency. 

I am placing this YouTube video from the "Bioneers" published on September 23rd 2021 on the Climate Change solutions page of my website, because it features Bill McKibben my personal climate hero who began telling it like it is in 1989 when he published his first book on climate change: "The End of Nature" This is also the first book I have listed on my bibliography page. I feel that telling the truth about climate change is one of the best solutions we have!

Please take 25 minutes of your time and watch the entire video! 

Talking about climate change with friends and family can be intimidating. Here's the secret to making it easier and more effective.  Action for the Climate Emergency   9-24-2021

7-18-2016   Ella Lagé on "What One Person Can Do About Climate Change" at TEDxHamburg (http://www.tedxhamburg.de)

Ella grew up in Germany, Italy, the U.S. and Israel. At 17, she received the Bavarian Environmental Award for significantly lowering the water consumption of her home town.  As part of Fossil Free Berlin, she is campaigning for the city of Berlin to divest its capital reserves from the fossil fuel industry. In 2016, she funded an association and recently launched a platform for members of German pension funds to demand divestment of their pensions.  Divestment fills her with hope to tackle climate change: As a pragmatic environmentalist, as a responsible parent, as a hands-on optimist. Ella carries a communication design degree and a Master of Art. She started out with a four letter yahoo email address and helped shape the advance of digital services in agencies in Hamburg, New York, Berlin – and at betterplace.org. She has tought in several media schools, such as the Springer Akademie and the EMS Babelsberg. Today, she works as a Berlin based expert on service strategy and design. 

What can you do about climate change?  Work together?

2-28-18 Katherine Hayhoe: I’m just one kid, what can I do to help fix global warming?   Global Weirding is produced by KTTZ Texas Tech Public Media and distributed by PBS Digital Studios. New episodes every other Wednesday at 10 am central. Brought to you in part by: Bob and Linda Herscher, Freese and Nichols, Inc, and the Texas Tech Climate Science Center.