Climate Break

California is the first state to ban the sale of new gas furnaces and water heaters, which will begin in 2030. In efforts to fight climate change, all homes will be required to use zero-emission electric appliance alternatives. The Sierra Club and American Lung Association have supported this move to reduce the building sector’s carbon footprint and improve public health. The building sector accounts for 5% of California's nitrogen-oxide pollution, a key component in producing smog. The California Air and Resource Board (CARB) reports that nearly 90% of these nitrogen-oxide emissions come from space and water heaters. A report from SPUR, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, found “as appliances in California homes and buildings generate four times as much lung-damaging nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution as the state's gas power plants, and roughly two-thirds as much NOx as all of the state’s passenger cars.” This ban was passed to meet EPA regulations limiting atmospheric ozone and fighting air pollution, and it also follows Biden’s Climate Plan calling for the switch from residential gas to electric appliances. Natural Gas Inside the HomeSwitching to electric appliances can also have indoor air pollution benefits. Gas cook stoves emit natural gas and indoor air pollutants that can be harmful to those with asthma and chronic pulmonary disease as these stoves are typically unvented. The most common pollutants from gas cook stoves are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde, and the EPA warns that nitrogen dioxide emissions can be toxic even in low concentrations. While electric appliance alternatives like electric cook stoves and heat pumps emit no onsite air pollution. Costs and BurdensThe costs of upgrading electrical services also raises many equity concerns for vulnerable communities, as low-income customers and renters are predicted to face the largest costs. Environmental retrofits to upgrade water heaters and furnaces can lead to increased electricity costs, as natural gas is a cheaper but dirtier source of energy. There is also a long road ahead, as according to the Energy Information Administration in 2020, only “26% of U.S. households use electricity as the only source of energy.” Concerns with changing electricity loads and how this will impact homes that rely on solar panels or have other energy-intensive needs such as electrical vehicles must also be considered. Hefty costs are also associated with these retrofits as one study estimated equipment and installation costs for “electric air-source heat pumps cost around $6,800, though there is also a $5,900 adder for heat pumps in cold climates. A gas furnace was estimated to cost less than $4,000.” Despite these costs, a report from CLASP and Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) found that the U.S could “reduce national heating bills by $13.6 billion and cut annual CO2 emissions by 67 MT, the equivalent of removing 14.4 million passenger cars for an entire year, by swapping air conditioners for heat pumps.” There are numerous benefits for the planet and individuals that can afford to upgrade to electric appliances, but the inequitable burdens on low-income populations of this new ban must also be addressed.Steve CliffDr. Steve Cliff is the Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB). Cliff began his appointment in the Summer of 2022 and works with the board to enact programs to reduce air and climate pollution within the state. In his role, Cliff oversees over 1,800 employees and a budget of $2.7 billion. Before serving as Executive Officer Cliff worked as the 16th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was appointed by President Biden in January 2021. At NHTSA Cliff oversaw the nation’s vehicle safety agency, where he helped advance vehicle technologies and established fuel economy regulations. Dr. Cliff also has an extensive history working with CARB as he first joined as an Air Pollution Specialist in 2008, served as Deputy Executive Officer overseeing the board’s climate program, and was appointed by Governor Brown in 2016 as senior advisor to CARB’s Chair. Governor Brown also appointed Dr. Cliff as Assistant Director for Sustainability to the California Department of Transportation, where he served in this role from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Steve Cliff received his bachelor's and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. He also has a postdoc on atmospheric sciences from the University of California, Davis. For over two decades Cliff has worked closely with UC Davis, he worked as a research professor in the Department of Applied Sciences, has supported air quality and climate research programs, and is affiliated with the school’s Air Quality Research. Sources:California Air Resources Board, Dr. Steve Cliff, Executive OfficerWells, California plans to phase out new gas heaters by 2030 (NPR 2022).Brady, We need to talk about you

The Environmental Impacts of Coffee ProductionFor most of us, coffee is a part of our daily lives. 62% of Americans drink coffee every day, with 7 in 10 drinking coffee every week. In 2024, the coffee market amounted to over $86.7 billion in gross revenue, with numbers only predicted to rise. Americans consume over 400 million cups of coffee each day, leading many to wonder of the harms of such rapid consumption. Unfortunately, for coffee-lovers, the reality is that coffee has a poor environmental footprint. The average total harvested area from coffee production is over 11 million hectares – an area larger than Scotland. Coffee production is associated with various environmental consequences such as water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, and decreased biodiversity, to name a few. Traditionally, coffee beans are produced in the shade of trees, but due to heightened demand, many farmers are beginning to relocate production to sun grown coffee, which requires large scale forest removal. Every cup of coffee consumed destroys roughly one square inch of rainforest, making coffee the leading cause of forest destruction. Not only is coffee production extremely land intensive, but just one singular cup requires 140 liters of water to produce.Coffee production not only contributes to environmental changes, but is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. By 2050, predictions reveal a vast decrease in coffee-suitable land, leading to worldwide decreases in yields. The consequences of climate change on coffee production can trigger changes in soil, water, crop, and nutrient management of the land. Interestingly, sustainable coffee systems may provide favorable ecological services, such as maintaining soil fertility, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Thus, it has been proposed that making coffee production more resilient will not only help in adapting to a changing climate, but can reduce the environmental consequences of this industry, even promoting positive environmental benefits. How can coffee production become more sustainable?The two main strains of coffee produced globally are Arabica and Robusta, both of which are extremely vulnerable to climate change due to rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and increased incidence of pests and diseases. Such climate impacts could lead to reduced coffee yields, affecting the quality and availability of coffee for consumers, and putting farmers’ livelihoods at risk. The impact of climate change will be particularly noticeable in the coffee belt, the region around the equator where most coffee production occurs. In this area, even small changes in temperature and rainfall patterns can have adverse effects on coffee production, decreasing yields.Liberica coffee has been proposed as one alternative to conventionally utilized coffee strains, as it withstands climate change-induced heat, long-term drought and disease. Farmers across the world are looking to reintroduce Liberica as the common crop plant used to sustain the global coffee industry and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Excelsa coffee has also been considered due to its high yields and heightened conversion ratio from pulp to clean coffee, with minimal mechanical and labor-intensive activities required. Farmers across the coffee belt have begun to implement such changes themselves as they are first-hand facing the negative effects of climate change.Potential Benefits of Alternative Coffee Strains Coffee varieties such as Liberica are being utilized in countries like Uganda, one of the world’s largest coffee exporters, as a means of adapting to the effects of a changing climate. Hybrid coffee varieties have potential for increasing welfare and enhancing resilience of smallholder farmers against climate change. With an expected doubling in coffee demand by 2050, it is necessary that more sustainable methods are adopted in order to respond to adverse climate consequences. Hybrid varieties thus provide a solution as they can increase productivity by enhancing yields and are less vulnerable to stressful environments. Ongoing Research is NeededThere remains a lack of research on the potential improvements such coffee varieties can have when applied to a larger scale. Furthermore, more research needs to be done to determine the optimal temperature ranges for precise yield levels. In areas with high production yields, more on the ground work is needed in order to support sustainable development of coffee. There is large uncertainty in climate projection data, socioeconomic factors and interactions which influence coffee plants and potential yield capacity. Furthermore, the initial concerns mentioned in regards to the environmental harms of coffee production still remain. About our guestCatherine Kiwuka works with the Plant Genetic Resources Center of the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda, researching climate resilient coffee varieties in Africa to wi

Lithium Ion BatteriesLithium ion batteries are a popular type of rechargeable battery, used in a variety of devices from laptops and cell phones to hybrid and electric vehicles. Lithium ion batteries have grown in use due to their light weight, high energy density, and ability to recharge. While these batteries are used to store electricity and, therefore, as an element of alternative to fossil fuels, the process to mine and obtain lithium has harmful effects on the environment. Lithium is a soft, light metal found in rocks and subsurface fluids called brines. The mining of battery materials and manufacturing the batteries can generate significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. The disposal of these batteries is also a concern, as the battery cells can release toxins such as heavy metals into soil and groundwater if not properly disposed of. In these cases, lithium ion batteries have also been found to cause fires, which is especially dangerous if misplaced in a landfill. There is a growing effort to recycle these batteries due to the environmental issues and demand for batteries, but that faces obstacles as well. A New AlternativeDue to the concerns around the safety, cost and supply of materials for lithium-ion batteries, the industry is in search of more sustainable elements to use for batteries, such as manganese. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are developing lithium-ion cathode technology that has sustainable increased use of manganese. When a battery charges, lithium ions flow from the cathode to the anode, a process that reverses when the battery is discharged. Researchers have already created a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode material that is rich in lithium that has the potential to have increased storage capacity over conventional materials. The Argonne National Laboratory is working on a version of NMC technology that boosts the lithium and manganese content to improve the batteries energy density and safety while decreasing costs. A battery with a manganese-rich cathode is less expensive and safer than one with high nickel concentrations, but not without caveats. Increasing the manganese and lithium content can decrease the cathode's stability, impacting its performance overtime.Future of BatteriesThe U.S. Department of Energy has made it a priority to find more sustainable materials for electric vehicle batteries. Other strategies include decreasing the amount of cobalt by using higher percentages of nickel, but this also poses challenges. Nickel is more abundant than cobalt but less than a fifth of the current supply is suitable for battery use. In reality, there is less nickel than expected and increased use could cause a spike in prices. At the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a consortium of scientists is developing the commercialization of a new family of battery cathode materials called DRX, or disordered rock salt. DRX could provide batteries with higher energy densities than conventional lithium-ion batteries that contained metals in short supply, like nickel and cobalt. The consortium is focused on making DRX cathodes out of more affordable and abundant metals, like manganese and titanium. About our GuestDr. Jason Croy is a Materials Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory whose work focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of high-energy lithium-ion electrode materials. Prior to his work at the Argonne National Laboratory, Croy was a musician and toured with his rock band for nearly ten years before attending college. He taught himself physics before enrolling in college, then going on to earn his Ph.D. in Physics from University of Central Florida. Croy is an internationally recognized expert on lithium- and manganese-rich cathode materials and has published numerous articles on the atomic-scale mechanisms governing the performance of lithium-ion electrodes.For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/improving-lithium-ion-batteries-the-magnesium-solution/

What Does Extreme Heat Do?Since the pre-industrialized era, the global temperature has increased by about one degree Celsius. Although one degree may not seem significant, the consequences are increases in the intensity of heatwaves and drier conditions. In addition, in dense urban settings buildings trap and absorb this heat and cause even a higher area of heat relative to surrounding areas. The heat island effect is also exacerbated by the lack of greenery. With current fossil fuel emissions, increased heating of 1.5 degrees Celsius or more is predicted to happen globally within this decade. Among the most promising solutions to combat extreme heat in cities is the effort to promote natural systems – trees, creeks, and parks in cities and creating resilience hubs where people can stay cool and safe from dangerous temperatures. Because heat impacts individuals in multiple ways, the response to extreme heat must also be multifaceted. Responses to Extreme HeatThere are many possible responses to extreme heat. On an individual level, for example, when human body temperature rises to the point of heat stroke, individuals are subject to serious illness or in some cases, death. Heat poses a particular threat when the body is physically unable to cool down. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2000 and 2016, 125 million more people were exposed to heat waves than in the period before 2000. Actions individuals can take to reduce heat exposure include avoiding going outside at peak temperatures, reducing the heat inside of homes, and if reducing heat at home is not an option, going where air conditioning is available. For some vulnerable populations like farmworkers, staying inside where there is air conditioning is not an option. In some states, like California, a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit initiates the California's Heat Illness Prevention Standard, which is enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Standard requires that training, water, shade, and rest be provided to outdoor workers. Currently, there is no federal protection or policy for workers who may experience extreme heat. While a proposed rulemaking is in the works, it may take years before a final regulation is completed.How to Establish Resilience and Safe HubsIn the meantime, there are key actions that anyone can take, including something as simple as making extreme heat a topic of discussion as part of increasing awareness. By spreading awareness and recognizing the consequences of extreme heat, politicians and policymakers will be much more likely to pay attention to the issue and to community necessities. Global and local temperatures are continuing to rise, and, as a result, it is important to have community access to locations with air conditioning systems, heat pumps, and safety hubs particularly in communities whose residents do not have home air conditioners. Hubs may include libraries, churches, schools, and nonprofits which can be essential for providing both a cool place to shelter and a source of information and assistance.Shifting to more green spaces is also an important solution to mitigate the impacts of increased heat. In New York, the Highline is a great example of transforming an old historic freight rail line into a park filled with rich greenery. The incorporation of nature into a previously urban dense space provides the city with more trees and access to green space. Addressing extreme heat in cities requires new approaches and creative thinking for a suite of implementation strategies to provide cooling to the public and creation of green space. Who is Our GuestJeff Goodell is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet, which focuses on responses to extreme heat. Goodell is also a journalist who has been covering climate change for more than two decades at Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications. He has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MFA from Columbia University in New York. Further ReadingLindsey and Dahlman, Climate Change: Global Temperatures (Climate.org, 2024)Dickie, Climate Report and Predictions (Reuters, 2023)California's Heat Illness Prevention Standard (Cal OSHA)Krueger, Heat Policy for Outdoor Workers (The Network for Public Health Law, 2023)Heat and Health (WHO, 2018)Heat Island Effect (The United States EPA)Climate Resilience Hubs (Communities Responding to Extreme Weather)Sustainable Practices | The Highline (The Highline) For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/alleviating-urban-heat-traps-with-jeff-goodell/

Editorial NoteThe interview for this episode was recorded in June 2021. The basic point of the episode remains relevant, but the mentioned campaign is no longer active. ClimateVoice’s current campaign is Escape the Chamber, which calls on companies to leave the US Chamber of Commerce and to speak up and lead on climate policy at local, state, and federal levels. What is Corporate Lobbying for Climate Action?While lobbying—and corporate lobbying in particular—can often have negative connotations, it can be an effective tool to promote legislation to fight climate change. ClimateVoice takes a unique approach to corporate lobbying by incorporating the entire workforce into the process as opposed to just the executive team. ClimateVoice aims to get companies to lobby for policies that provide solutions to climate change. To that end, it reaches out to, engages with, and educates a company’s workforce on climate change issues and solutions. ClimateVoice’s founder, Bill Weihl, notes that a 2021 report showed that “Big Tech has diverted about four percent of their lobbying activity at the U.S federal level to climate-related policies. Big Oil has devoted about 38% of theirs.” ClimateVoice works to bridge this gap between Big Tech and Big Oil. ClimateVoice isn’t the only organization working towards encouraging corporations to lobby for climate change solutions. In 2006, a group of NGOs formed the U.S Climate Action Partnership to advocate for pro-climate policies. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, despite the efforts of the Climate Action Partnership, the “Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade Climate Bill failed in the U.S. Senate in 2009, and climate policy entered the wilderness for years.” In recent years, however, environmental organizations such as ClimateVoice have advocated for renewed corporate lobbying to help solve climate change. In 2019, as a result of these efforts, several environmental organizations including The Nature Conservatory, World Wildlife Federation, and Environmental Defense Fund took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for businesses to work towards policies that are consistent with climate science. Challenges Corporate lobbying for climate action faces some challenges. First, it is difficult to mobilize workers and management, and get them to agree on an environmental policy to lobby for. In addition, lobbying itself is not always successful. The process can be long and tedious without producing noticeable results for some time. Lastly, powerful and dedicated corporate interests lobby the government to stop climate action. Nonetheless, the presence of corporate voices lobbying for climate science-informed policy remains a viable way to implement climate change solutions at the legislative level.Who is Bill Weihl?Bill Weihl is the executive director of ClimateVoice. He started his career as an associate professor of computer science at MIT. In 2006, he transitioned to a career in climate action and led Google’s clean energy work. He then spent six years at Facebook as Director of Sustainability. Now at ClimateVoice, he works to use corporate influence to drive climate legislation. Further ReadingCorporate Action on Climate Change Has to Include Lobbying, Harvard Business ReviewHow Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy, The AtlanticA Closer Look At How Corporations Influence Congress, NPRThe challenging politics of climate change, BrookingsClimate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics, Resources for the FutureGlossary: Policy cycle | Monitoring Guide, Right to EducationAbout Us, ClimateVoice For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/corporate-lobbying-as-an-ally/

If you’ve ever been near a farm with livestock, you might agree that farm odors can be carried far from the farm itself. Farms often face criticism from nearby residents over the offensive odor of manure. While manure is an unavoidable part of raising livestock, there is one technological innovation that can remove the smell from manure. Anaerobic digesters are a simple concept—instead of leaving manure rotting outside, the digester encloses the manure as bacteria decompose it, keeping the odor in. But could the same technology also deal with food waste and cut carbon emissions? How do Anaerobic Digesters work?Anaerobic Digesters leverage the biology of decomposition to turn organic waste including manure and food scraps into useful products. The digestion process starts with pumping the waste into the digester, an enclosed tank containing microorganisms in the absence of air, hence the term anaerobic. In this digestor, a diverse community of different bacterial types ferment and feed off the waste in tandem with each other. First, bacterial hydrolysis breaks down large complex molecules like cellulose and carbohydrates into simpler forms that other bacteria can use. Acidogenic bacteria produce carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and volatile fatty acids that are converted into acetic acid by acetogenic bacteria. Finally methanogenic bacteria take in these products to release methane and carbon dioxide. At the end of the process, the disgestor is left with biogas including methane and carbon dioxide, leftover solids called solid digestate, and leftover liquids called liquid digestate. Owners of digesters can aid these bacterial processes by adding water, heat, and supplemental nutrients, minerals, and pH buffers to keep the right conditions for fermentation. A farmer wanting to install anaerobic digesters will need to choose between many different forms of digesters that can suit different farm types. A major consideration is the solid content of the input waste, also called feedstock, which affects how difficult it is to mix and to heat, both of which keep fermentation going. If the feedstock is more solid and difficult to mix, then it must be either diluted with water which requires more heat, or used with a digester that can handle more solid material, usually with less mixing. While the decision to install a digestor is a complex one, farmers can enjoy numerous benefits from having one on the farm.Why Choose a Digester?An anaerobic digester can be a source of money from the sale of its valuable products. In addition to trapping odor, digesters also hold biogas, and the deodorized end products, called digestate, all of which can be sold. Solid digestate can be repurposed as bedding for livestock or nutrient-rich soil material. Liquid digestate can be used around the farm as a fertilizer for crops. Biogas is a versatile alternative fuel that can be purified and used for cooking and heating, condensed and used for vehicle fuel, or burned and used as electricity. These products can bring in extra profit for farmers, and even before the digestion takes place, grocery stores and other companies that produce food waste will pay farmers to digest their waste. In addition to the economic incentives to digesters, they are also a climate solution. When food and manure decompose outside or in landfills, they release large quantities of methane into the air. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, and though it stays in the atmosphere for a shorter amount of time than carbon dioxide, it traps so much heat that it is 80 times as potent as CO2 over a 20 year period. If methane is captured and burned instead, it turns into CO2, a much less potent greenhouse gas. In this way, burning methane trapped from digesters still releases greenhouse gasses, but these glasses lead to much less warming compared to letting the methane escape into the atmosphere. In addition, burning biogas for energy production gives us a naturally occurring and renewable source of energy, which can help make up for energy demands from switching away from fossil fuels. Biogas can be a promising waste management, energy and climate change solution. Digester DrawbacksThough digesters can provide many benefits to farmers and serve as a valuable climate solution, there are great controversies over promoting them. Dairy farms are often located near environmental justice (EJ) communities, which are disproportionately impacted by pollution and often home to people of color and low income. These communities face the brunt of impacts from dairy farms, including respiratory issues, poor water quality, and air pollution from burning biogas. Funding dairy farms for producing biogas from manure could extend the lifetimes of dairy farms, prolonging these negative impacts. Industrial agriculture has been criticized for its high environmental impact, and because large industrial farms have the capital to install digesters, opponents argue that funding biogas

Renewables and E-mobilityE-mobility, the use of electric powertrain technologies in-vehicle transformation, allows for the use of electricity to enable the electric propulsion of various forms of transportation. Powertrain technologies refer to full electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be less carbon-intensive than conventional diesel counterparts. Such technologies provide countries an opportunity to reduce their total emissions while still meeting transportation demands. As e-mobility efforts rise, many countries are beginning to ramp up the use of renewables in the power grid as they electrify transportation. While this is particularly challenging in rural settings, there are possible solutions. Electrifying KenyaKenya provides an important example. For the past two decades, Kenya’s power sector has been growing exponentially. In 2022, over 75% of households reported increased access to the power grid—an estimated 52% increase since 2013. Although urbanized areas of Kenya have full access to the grid, most rural regions of the country are unelectrified. In order to achieve rapid electrification, the government of Kenya (GOK) has been investing in cheap renewable energy sources such as geothermal, wind, solar and (more controversially), natural gas. The Electricity Mobility Task Force in Kenya is the main organization working to increase the usage of e-mobility through legislation, regulations, and impact assessments to decrease reliance on pollution from fossil fuels. Currently, the extension of the national grid mainly includes off-grid solutions through mini-grids and solar home systems. As of now this is the most cost-effective solution, but further research is needed to better understand the supply and demand of electricity usage in Kenya. The work in Kenya provides pathways for many of the rural regions of the world. Impacts of E-mobilityBroadly, e-mobility has the potential for countries to reduce emissions from fossil fuels and meet clean energy standards. In 2021, the transportation sector accounted for 28% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. As transportation is one of the largest contributors to global emissions, research to decarbonize this sector has mainly focused on the transition to various forms of electric transportation. Achieving decarbonization through the growth of EVs comes with various advantages including the growth of renewable energy jobs, improved reliance of electricity (particularly during extreme weather conditions), and increased energy efficiency and emissions reductions. As EVs do not rely on internal combustion engines, forms of electric transportation do not produce harmful tailpipe emissions, and, as a result, decreases air pollution. The savings in fuel and maintenance costs over the lifetime of an EV can offset the higher initial purchase price. Difficulties in Clean ElectrificationThe provision of electricity is extremely challenging in remote settings in Kenya and well beyond. Large upfront investments are necessary in order to design interconnected electric grids to facilitate transportation between major urban centers. Oftentimes investors may shy away from such propositions, as rural areas are often met with low demand and consumption densities. Further, if we electrify too quickly without ramping up clean energy, we may run the risk of unintentionally increasing emissions. Increased demand for electricity may burn more fossil fuels in the short term. Thus, it is crucial that proper assistance for the grid is maintained to accommodate load growth and proper charging infrastructure. In order to keep pace with EV adoption, utilities need to be prepared to take on this new type of load. About our guestDaniel Ngumy, leader of the Electric Mobility Task Force for the Kenyan government, is a lawyer specializing in regional and international tax law. He believes that further ramping up of e-mobility efforts in Kenya can assist in achieving clean energy standards. He holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of London and is a certified public accountant in Kenya. He has co-authored the Kenya Chapter for Chambers & Partners: Global Practice Guide (Corporate Tax) and Legal 500: Tax Country Comparative Guide. Ngumy is currently working on strategies to achieve electrification outside of major urban hubs. ResourcesDefinition of e-mobilityElectrification 101: Getting the Grid Ready for an EV RevolutionKenya - Energy Electrical Power SystemsThe Role of Renewable Energy Mini-Grids in Kenya's Power SectorFor a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/e-mobilization-and-renewable-energy-in-kenya-with-daniel-ngumy/

Zero-Emission TransportElectric vehicles and other transportation-based climate solutions have made a big splash in recent years, and for good reason – transportation accounts for about a fourth of global carbon dioxide emissions. In the U.S, it’s the economic sector with the single largest contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. With such a large global impact, sustainable transportation has become an issue of international importance, and no-emission methods of transport, like walking and biking, can be part of the solution. Safer StreetsReferred to as active mobility, these human-powered modes of transport are gaining popularity. However, safety is a major concern, as according to the USDOT, 20% of traffic deaths were pedestrians and bikers in 2020. Sharing roads with vehicles can be dangerous, and roads designed around cars may not have the necessary pathways or sidewalks. This dissuades people from engaging in active mobility. Improving the safety of biking or walking in urban areas by redesigning streets can be key to promoting these no-emission transport solutions.Major challenges to improving road safety for non-vehicular road users include the high speeds that vehicles travel and the often highly congested roadways. Vehicles most often strike bikers and pedestrians at intersections or corners, or while passing on the street. Slowing vehicles down and creating space and separation for bikers and pedestrians to safely move can make sharing the road less deadly. That’s where organizations that advocate for street safety, like Despacio, come in. Despacio (which means “slow” in Spanish) believes that active mobility requires a mindset shift - orienting street design to the needs of people rather than cars. So what does a street that is safe for non-vehicle users look like? Designated bike-only lanes and wider sidewalks create space for bikers and pedestrians to safely coexist with cars. Corners and intersections can be improved by signal phasing, when designated signals tell bikers to go, and with corner refuge islands, physical separations that prevent cars from making narrow right-turns into bikers. Another major solution is narrowing streets. Although it may seem counterintuitive, the wide streets common in the US don’t give drivers more room to make mistakes, and rather cause drivers to drive at high speeds. Narrowing streets by as little as a foot can massively reduce crashes and deaths. Best of all, this situation goes hand in hand with creating bike lanes and sidewalks. More than Just Climate-FriendlySafety is not the only advantage of these redesigns. In addition to reducing emissions from cars, getting more cars off the road also reduces congestion. Biking or walking is not only associated with positive physical health benefits from exercise, it also comes with mental health benefits of being outside. Cities designed to center active mobility can also be more accessible, have greater aesthetic value, and lead to more basic needs located within walking distance of residences. While street redesigns are more achievable for some cities than for others and require investment and infrastructure, the wide range of benefits can make it an attractive option. An unexpected benefit of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is that it also promotes gender equality in climate adaptation. According to Lina Lopez, technical director of Despacio, which works to promote safer streets in Latin America, women use public transit more than men. As a result, they are more likely to be impacted by climate-change-related disruptions to transit infrastructure. Walking and cycling can be accessible solutions that people can turn to when climate impacts do happen, as well as a potential way to reduce the severity of climate change on a broader scale. So are there any potential downsides? Unsurprisingly, there is opposition from car drivers that don't want their driving to be slowed. However, according to the DOT, converting four lane roads into three lane roads with a turning lane in the center can free up the space for bikeways and sidewalks while actually reducing congestion from turning vehicles. Also, as more users switch to active mobility, the number of cars on the road decreases. Secondly, business owners have raised the concern that street redesigns will discourage people from the area, impacting their businesses. But narrowing roads to increase active mobility also hasn’t discouraged use of those roads, and it can greatly increase livability and aesthetic appeal, leading to economic growth and new development. Ultimately, the tradeoff between slightly slower car travel and greater safety and emission mitigation may be a decision we face as we work towards adapting our cities for climate change.Who is Our Guest?Lina Lopez is the Technical Director at Despacio, a research center that promotes quality of life and seeks to build slow, humane, and sustainable cities. She is the co-creator of Medellin’s Bike co-share s

What is a cool surface?Cool surfaces are roofs, walls, or pavements that are generally light-colored and highly reflective. When sunlight hits a white surface, its rays bounce off the surface rather than being absorbed, and are reflected back into space. Darker surfaces tend to absorb sunlight, trapping heat. Cool surfaces release this heat back into the atmosphere and space. What are the benefits of switching to a cool surface?Something as simple as painting the roof white has the potential to create major benefits for our planet and its people: Climate changeCool surfaces reflect heat in a warming planet. Every 1000 square feet of dark roof replaced with a cool roof cancels out the warming effect of 10 tons of greenhouse gasses. In addition, reducing the need for electricity to cool buildings reduces fossil fuel emissions. Heat wavesClimate change increases the number and strength of global heat waves. Cool surfaces can help mitigate this heat, especially in low-income urban communities disproportionately affected by heat waves due to living in dark city infrastructure. One study found that just a 10% reflectivity increase could reduce heat wave deaths by 6%. Energy savingsCool surfaces reduce the need for electricity to cool down a building. One analysis concludes that if all commercial buildings in US cities switched to cool surfaces, the US could save nearly $1 billion per year. Energy cost savings could especially help low-income families. Strengthens electric gridLess energy use for cooling means less strain on the grid. This means less blackouts on very hot days, and more energy left to charge electric vehicles and other appliances running on renewable energy. Air qualityCooler air contributes to less smog pollution in cities. This makes cities even more resilient against heat waves and their health impacts.Potential cons of cool surfacesSun reflecting off of cool surfaces could cause uncomfortable glare and brightness.Because they are white, cool surfaces can have a dirtier appearance, requiring greater upkeep.Some research indicates that reflected sunlight from cool pavements could increase heat levels for pedestrians.Despite these issues, cool surfaces have a large set of potential benefits overall. About our GuestDr. Ronnen Levinson is leader of the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The Heat Island Group develops cooling strategies for roofs, pavements, and cars to cool buildings, cities, and the planet. This work involves developing cool roof, wall, and pavement materials, improving methods for the measurement of solar reflectance, and quantifying the energy and environmental benefits of cool surfaces. Levinson advises policymakers, code officials, utilities, and building rating programs about cool surfaces. He earned a B.S. in engineering physics from Cornell University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley. Further ReadingCool Roofs and Cool Pavements Toolkit from the Global Cool Cities AllianceShickman: US Perspectives on Cool SurfacesHot Enough For You? Cooling The Worsening Urban Heat IslandOn-the-ground guidance for L.A.’s far-reaching climate strategy | UCLA For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/cool-surfaces-reflecting-heat-and-reducing-emissions-with-ronnen-levinson/

Staying Educated About Climate ChangeAs climate change intensifies, the heightened frequency of natural disaster weather-related events is quickly becoming the new reality. Whether it be prolonged wildfire seasons in Northern California or destructive hurricanes off the Florida coast, citizens across the country are beginning to bear the burden of a changing climate. For those of us yet to experience the full force of such events, our primary means of gathering information on natural disasters is through the media. Without the media’s coverage of extreme climatic events, it is difficult for people not directly impacted to be fully aware of the dangers of a changing climate. While climate change impacts more people every year, severe impacts still feel like an abstract, distant concern that may never affect them personally. In order to reframe this perception, climate storytelling, which includes steps for action and recovery, is becoming foundational towards building empathy in the wake of the climate crisis.What is Climate Journalism?Climate journalism, the process of collecting and distributing accurate information on extreme weather events and climate change-related impacts, has been an essential element for informing the public about the effects of a changing climate. Following Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, climate journalism increased by 1,000 percent in the media from the year 2000. This increase in viewership is most likely attributed to the rise of ethical concerns relating to the climate crisis as more people began to suffer the effects of natural disasters. The majority of Americans, approximately 54%, now identify climate change as a major threat to the country’s well-being. Media Matters found that news and morning shows such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox spent a total of around 23 hours discussing climate change in their annual 2022 reporting. Unfortunately, climate coverage still only accounts for around 1% of corporate broadcasting, even though the climate crisis is rapidly worsening.Keeping the Public Aware and PreparedClimate journalism not only raises awareness for the public, but can provide steps for change in combating one of the most pressing issues of our time. People need accurate information in order to make informed decisions. Strong, reliable reporting can provide citizens and policymakers the information needed to prepare for and adapt to the potential impacts climate change brings. Climate journalism can offer hope to the public, providing people with the voice and power to make a difference. By including climate change in the media, people can begin to see the incoming reality of this crisis, inspiring citizens to take action.The Struggles of Climate CoverageUnfortunately, there remain many obstacles that hold back media organizations from prioritizing climate coverage. Climate-related disasters can be hard to access, difficult to watch, and politically polarizing. Media outlets may struggle to gain large viewership, deterring them from covering climate events. Further, the various approaches to climate journalism can create discrepancies in the type of media coverage disseminated. For example, should climate topics be covered locally or nationally? What solutions should climate journalism focus on? Such a broad scope may distract from the realities currently being faced. Unfortunately, media coverage of environmental issues still only occupies a very small proportion of total media. There remains a need for increased resources, strategies, and investment in climate and environmental journalism. Further, many major news outlets publish misleading promotional content for fossil fuel corporations, greatly impacting the opinions of viewers on such controversial issues. There are, of course, many examples of excellent climate change coverage. Our modest effort at Climate Break, as a small example, focusing on climate solutions and the wide variety of actions and initiatives being developed around the world, is designed to provide quick insights into climate solutions. Who is Jonathan Vigliotti?Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News correspondent, is just one example of the many climate journalists directly involved in the movement to inform the public on the effects of climate change. Vigliotti’s work as an environmental journalist has taken him to over forty countries and territories across six continents. Author of Before It’s Gone: Stories from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America, provides personal insights into the everyday lives of Americans affected by climate change, presenting a compelling argument for the urgency of taking action now. Vigliotti believes that climate journalism has the power to spark change through the use of accurate, inspiring, and thought-provoking reporting. Further ReadingShäfer & Painter, Climate journalism in a changing media ecosystem: Assessing the production of climate change-related news around the world (WIREs Climate

Steel ProductionGlobally, 1.9 billion metric tons of crude steel were produced in 2022. Over the past 15 years, the global demand for steel production has nearly doubled, as this versatile product can be found in nearly all modern infrastructure such as buildings, ships, vehicles, machines, and appliances. Conventionally, steel is made from iron ore (the world’s third most produced commodity by volume), which is a compound derived from iron, oxygen, and other minerals. Through a blast or electric furnace, in which electricity is used to create high-temperature environments to melt the reactants, the final product of steel is generated following a molting refining process. Unfortunately, steel production is extremely energy-intensive and accelerates air pollution through the release of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. On average, 1.83 tons of CO2 is emitted for every ton of steel that is produced. Steel production accounts for nearly 7-11% of total global greenhouse gas emissions emitted annually. Steel production not only has harmful environmental impacts, but can negatively impact human health leading to respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, and cancer. What is Green Steel?To mitigate the harmful environmental and health effects of conventional steel production, many researchers are working on green steel as an alternative. Green steel is a form of steel production that is powered by hydrogen or renewable energy, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and minimize waste. Green steel can be accomplished through various methods, whether by reducing carbon-based agents, moving from blast to electric furnaces, or decreasing reliance on fossil-fuel based inputs. In traditional steel production, CO2 emissions generally arise from the use of coal and coke to remove oxygen from iron ore. Green steel utilizes hydrogen rather than coal or coke. When burned, hydrogen emits only water, so this phase of manufacturing is free of carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, water is the only byproduct which can then be used to produce more hydrogen, forming a closed loop system. Throughout production, green steel utilizes either wind, solar or hydro to power the furnaces instead of fossil power. Scrap materials of used steel can also be utilized, reducing the need for extracting additional primary materials. The Future of Green SteelGreen steel production is on the forefront of innovative design in equipping regions like the Rust Belt with strategies to significantly revitalize their current operations. Last March the Biden-Harris Administration announced a $6 billion funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate decarbonization projects in energy-intensive industries like steel production. Such investments aim to spearhead the transition to renewable energy sources, focus on investment in new carbon technologies, enable markets to build cleaner products, and benefit local communities. Additionally, a transition to hydrogen-based electric manufacturing could increase jobs in the steel and energy industries by 43 percent. Overall, green steel can conserve resources, promote economic growth, and assist in decarbonization. Scaling Up the Technology is Proving TroublesomeSteel has posed to be one of the most challenging industries to decarbonize. On a large scale, clean hydrogen production will require billions of dollars in investment to achieve a full transition. Currently, the cost of production of green steel is higher than conventional steel due to the high investment and electricity costs required. Labor, finance, and advanced technology will be essential in scaling up green steel production.About the Guest Adam Rauwerdink is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Boston Metal, a Massachusetts based start-up working towards decarbonizing steelmaking and advancing efficient, sustainable metal production. Boston Metal utilizes Molten Oxide Electrolysis, a technology platform powered by electricity. In order to effectively scale up green steel production.ResourcesBoston Metal website​​Decarbonising the steel industry with new fossil-free production methods (AFRY AB, 2024)Environmental impact of steel production (TheWorldCounts, 2024)Mozaffari et al., Effects of occupational exposures on respiratory health in steel factory workers (Frontiers in Public Health, 2023)Myers, Steel built the Rust Belt. Green steel could help rebuild it. (Grist, 2023)Steel: Definition, Composition, Types, Properties, and Applications (Xometry, 2023)Rossi, The Race to Produce Green Steel (Undark, 2022)For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/advancing-sustainable-steel-production-with-adam-rauwerdink/

The Need to Accurately Quantify EmissionsAs we begin to come to terms with the reality of the fossil fuel industry’s role in climate change, many policymakers are looking towards market-based mechanisms to curb the level of emissions released by harmful polluters. Market-based mechanisms include taxing pollution directly (through a carbon tax) or implementing a cap and trade system. Under the Clean Air Act and other laws, power plants must report air emissions from their operations. Unfortunately, not all emissions are reported or fully monitored, including emissions of greenhouse gases, leaving regulators with incomplete information. Without accurate reports on emissions, policymakers cannot create effective policy. Some companies may use offsets to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from their operations. However, many offsets have proven to be ineffective, resulting in market inefficiencies and hindering our ability to effectively enact climate policy. To gain a more accurate picture of climate emissions, climate scientists and others are beginning to create innovative strategies to determine factories' GHG emissions without relying on the polluter themselves through the use of satellite data. A Bird’s Eye View SolutionSatellite imagery provides a potentially publicly accessible way to view emissions data, increase emissions transparency, and put pressure on polluters to change their behavior. Organizations like WattTime, a non-profit artificial intelligence firm, have begun to train AI to use satellite imagery data and emissions numbers from historical data in order to track global air pollution across different sources. After images have been taken, WattTime applies various algorithms to detect the levels of emissions based on visible smoke, heat, and NO2. WattTime started out of Automated Emissions Reduction (AER) software, which uses machine learning to figure out the least-carbon intensive time to use electricity and automatically switches appliances to use electricity during those times of day. This new method of obtaining emissions data has many potential applications towards fighting climate change.Why It’s Worth ConsideringTracking real-time emissions based on satellite imagery has a variety of benefits in achieving tangible pollution reduction. Climate policy and action are dependent upon accurate reports of emissions levels. Data from satellite imagery provides independent data making it more difficult to underreport emissions. More accurate and independent emissions data will incentivize greater focus and action on mitigation and will make enforcement of emissions limits easier. Beyond the potential advantages for climate policy, public access to data is essential in informing consumers on the impacts of their individual choices. Providing people with a better sense of the environmental impacts of the goods they consume can change consumer choices. Greater transparency around emissions can thus help make climate policy more effective. Satellite imagery data can also be used to identify areas that may be well located to support renewable energy development and to monitor the impacts of those developments. Additionally, data taken from satellite imagery can help identify sources of raw materials that have lower and higher environmental impact, potentially assisting in achieving supply chain decarbonization. The RealityAlthough remote sensing has great advantages, there are still important challenges to note. In terms of the mechanics of satellite imagery, accuracy can be hindered due to limited temporal and spatial resolution, high levels of cloudiness, and increased vegetation that may block images. The number and configuration of satellites also impacts the data. Further, it remains to be seen whether governments will try and block the use of satellite data in their jurisdictions. About Our GuestGavin McCormick is the co-founder of WattTime and executive director of Climate TRACE. As both an entrepreneur and academic, he is currently working towards developing efficient, low-cost ways to assist in the transition to renewable energy. McCormick is hopeful that the use of satellite imagery data can mark a positive turning point in the fight against the climate crisis.Further ReadingMa, Al Gore-Backed Group Has a Tool To Decarbonize Supply Chains (Bloomberg, 2023)Climate Trace (WattTime, 2024)Voosen, Al Gore's climate watchdog spots rogue emissions (Science, 2023)McCormick, Tracking the whole world's carbon emissions -- with satellites and AI (TED Conferences, 2021)Roberts, We’ll soon know the exact air pollution from every power plant in the world. That’s huge. (Vox, 2019)Barber, 5 Good Ideas From COP27—and How Likely They Are to Happen (Wired, 2022) For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/tracking-emissions-with-remote-sensing-with-gavin-mccormick/

What is plastic? Plastic is a material derived primarily from carbon-based sources like natural gas, oil, and even plants. It is created by treating these organic materials with heat and catalysts to form various polymers. Producing plastic is energy-intensive, often relying on the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, both for power and as a primary source.As a product of fossil fuels, plastic itself is unsustainable because of its fundamental connection to nonrenewable energy. Since its introduction in the early 1900s, plastic has become omnipresent due to its cost-effectiveness and versatility. However, the environmental toll of our extensive plastic consumption — impacting oceans, wildlife, and contributing to climate change — is undeniable.Unlike natural organisms, plastic decomposes at a very slow rate due to its polymer structure. Though some recently identified microorganisms, like the Rhodococcus ruber strain studied by PhD student Maaike Goudriaan, show promise in digesting plastic faster, the research remains preliminary.Types of Plastic Most plastics we use, like bags and bottles, originate from oil and natural gas. Their widespread use has led to significant environmental contamination. On the other hand, there are bio-based plastics derived from sources like food waste, starch, or plants. Not all of these are biodegradable, and even these can harm the environment when they break down into tiny fragments consumed by wildlife.Addressing the Plastic IssueWhile completely eliminating plastic use seems unlikely, there are dedicated efforts to reduce its consumption. Grassroots organizations, like the Berkeley Ecology Center led by Martin Bourque, emphasize local community engagement and education. They advocate for sustainable practices such as using reusable bags, ditching plastic utensils, and employing minimal plastic in packaging. Initiatives like Berkeley's Single Use Disposable Ordinance have been instrumental in cutting down disposable food ware waste, like the clamshell packaging found in the produce section of grocery stores. Prioritizing bio-based plastics and managing our plastic consumption are essential steps towards a sustainable future.Who is Martin Bourque?Martin Bourque is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Ecology Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing community well-being and the environment. The Center's initiatives range from incentivizing farmer's markets to championing community-based policies. Outside of the Ecology Center, Bourque has also served on numerous state and national boards to help build the organic farming movement.Bourque earned his Bachelor of Arts in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior from UC San Diego and his Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Environmental Policy from UC Berkeley. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/tackling-the-plastic-crisis-with-martin-bourque/

Extreme Heat: More Dangerous Than We Think?Extreme heat, one of the adverse consequences of climate change, exacerbates drought, damages agriculture, and profoundly impacts human health. Heat is the top weather-related killer in the United States, contributing to deaths that arise from heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. As temperatures are projected to increase, so will the risk of heat-related deaths. Urban heat islands, cities with large numbers of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, are ‘islands’ of hot temperatures due to the reduced natural landscape, heat-generating human-made activities, and large-scale urban configuration. More than 40 million people live in urban heat islands in the United States, with this number only increasing as people continue to move from rural to urban areas. Around 56% of the world’s total population lives in cities. Those living in large cities are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat, with research showing an increased mortality risk of 45% compared to rural areas. The risk of heat-related exhaustion and death is a major public health concern that is exacerbated by the climate crisis. The National Weather Service is in the process of creating a new interface known as HeatRisk, which uses a five-point scale to monitor the heat-related risk for vulnerable populations based on local weather data and health indicators. By mapping heat risk, climate scientists hope that individuals will now have a better understanding of the safety concerns associated with being outside during times of extreme heat. Understanding Heat Index DynamicsBefore stepping outside, most individuals check the daily weather prediction to get a sense of the average temperature. In order to measure the perceived temperature, climate scientists use a heat index, a calculation that combines air temperature and relative humidity to create a human-perceived equivalent temperature. Accurate prediction of the heat index is imperative as every passing year marks the warmest on record, with dangerous extreme heat predicted to become commonplace across arid regions of the world. Therefore, tracking such calculations is necessary in assessing future climate risk. Areas especially vulnerable to extreme heat heavily rely on an accurate prediction of temperature to determine if it is safe to go outside.However, there are over 300 heat indexes used worldwide to calculate the threat from heat, defeating the potential universality of this metric. Each heat index weighs factors differently, making it difficult to differentiate between various metrics. Dozens of factors are used to estimate the daily temperature based on predictions of vapor pressure, height, clothing, or sunshine levels. In addition, most heat indexes report the temperature assuming that you are a young, healthy adult and are resting in the shade, not in the sun. If outdoors, the heat index could be 15 degrees higher. If you are older, you may not be as resilient during intense temperatures.As a result, many climate scientists are calling for heat indexes that reveal the apparent risk of being outdoors on any given day. The elderly, children and infants, and those suffering from chronic diseases are more vulnerable to high temperatures than healthy, young adults, which needs to be accounted for when surveying temperature risk. Advanced Heat Assessment Tools: HeatRisk and WBGTThe National Weather Service’s HeatRisk index is different from previous models as it identifies unusual heat times and places, also taking into account unusually warm nights. As such, it provides a more universal measure accounting for the degree to which people in the area are acclimated to various heat temperatures. The HeatRisk index can thus be used to gauge levels of danger associated with temperature, potentially altering an individual’s behavioral patterns. For those working in outdoor fields, the WetBulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure can be particularly useful as a way to measure heat stress as it takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud coverage. Different from the heat index, the WBGT includes both temperature and humidity and is calculated for areas in the shade. If not exercising or working outdoors, people can revert to the HeatRisk scale to calculate the potential hazards of being outside for longer periods. Heat Indexes are Harder to Calculate Than They AppearBecause scientists have to account for a variety of factors like geography, physics, and physiology, establishing a truly universal heat index is unlikely. For regions like Colorado, creating the criteria for a heat advisory has proven shockingly difficult. Heat indexes typically rely on temperature and humidity, however, the Colorado landscape is so dry that an advisory is very rarely triggered, even during heat waves. In such scenarios, the HeatRisk index provides a better gauge for outdoor safety. Most people underestimate the dangers

Renewable Energy is The FutureCalifornia is no stranger to power outages. In 2019, for example, over 25,000 blackout events were recorded across the state, leaving homeowners and businesses without electricity. In recent years, most blackouts are the result of wildfire, wildfire risk (leading to utility shutdowns), and extreme heat (leading to high electricity usage). When the electricity grid is stressed, California relies primarily on gas-powered peaker plants and diesel generators to keep electricity running. However, the use of peaker plants and diesel generators as the primary backup source is not only costly, but can accelerate the climate crisis through the release of greenhouse gases. Instead of solely relying on fossil fuel-powered plants, the state is beginning to transition to the use of clean energy sources like wind and solar in addition to incorporating the use of more batteries and other energy storage to make the renewable energy transition a reality. One part of the solution is the use of electric vehicle batteries as a power source for homes and businesses. How Does Bidirectional Charging Work?Bidirectional charging, which allows the energy stored in a car battery to be sent to various recipients, is key to this transition as it can power one’s home, business, appliance, or alternate vehicle. Also known as vehicle-to-home or two-way charging, this innovation additionally serves as an energy backup during power outages.Senate Bill 233, authored by state Senator Nancy Skinner, would require that all new manufactured electric vehicles sold in California have bidirectional charging abilities by 2035. Currently, electric and hybrid vehicles account for one in four new car sales in California. By implementing bidirectional charging now, the majority of electric vehicles purchased would thus be able to serve as a backup power source during extreme weather events in the near future.Energy Wherever, WheneverBidirectional charging has many potential benefits. First, smart charging technology allows a car battery to be charged during off-peak hours, providing a potential financial advantage for users. If owners charge their EVs during off hours, and discharge back to the grid during peak hours, they can earn the difference between the two rates. With vehicle-to-grid technology, homeowners can sell energy back to the utility company for redistribution which can be used to power homes, buildings or other EVs.Second, bidirectional charging serves as a backup power source during outages, with a typical car battery storing enough power for a home for roughly two days. As the number of extreme weather events like wildfires and hurricanes increase in frequency, dual charging through EVs can become a dependable source of power. Further, bidirectional technology can serve as a portable power source, providing energy while on the road. What are the main challenges?As bidirectional EV charging technology is still coming to fruition, it is not yet widely available, although the lowest cost EV on the market, the Nissan Leaf, has been bidirectional for a decade. Tesla has said that its vehicles would be bidirectional by model year 2025, General Motors has promised its EVs would be bidirectional by model year 2026. As noted in the Kia/Hyundai advertisement which ran during the 2024 Super Bowl, “vehicle-to-load” is available now and can be used to power a refrigerator or other load during a power outage. Fully utilizing the benefits of integrated “vehicle-to-home” as has been advertised by Ford requires additional costs to upgrade home wiring and may cost more than low-income consumers can afford so high investment requirements may discourage the use of such technology amongst lower income groups. Who is Ellie Cohen?Ellie Cohen, CEO of the Climate Center, is a leader in transformative solutions to climate change and environmental degradation. Cohen is currently working with local governments, labor unions, and climate justice advocates to push lawmakers to enact policies such as SB 233 to spearhead the transition to renewable energy powered vehicles.Further ReadingLA Times Editorial Board, EVs have big batteries. They should come equipped to power homes and the grid in emergencies (Aug. 13, 2023)The Climate CenterSierra Club, New analysis of California’s 2022 heat wave confirms gas plants failed to deliver promised power while toxic emissions soared in environmental justice communities (2023).Lipman, Electric Vehicle Blackouts (SF Chronicle opinion, Sept. 5, 2023).For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/bidirectional-charging-vehicles-as-a-portable-battery-with-ellie-cohen/

Increasing Sustainable Modes of TransportationIn 2022, global emissions from transportation reached nearly 8 gigatons of carbon. To achieve the Net Zero Scenario, transportation emissions need to drop by nearly 25% by 2030. Within the Global South, auto-centric planning, transport authorities’ structures, and alternatives to cars and buses are some of the challenges in sustainable transportation. Transforming transportation is Mayor Manuel de Araújo’s vision for his city, Quelimane, Mozambique. To reduce transportation-related emissions, he advocates for a network of bike lanes throughout the city. Threatened by climate change disasters such as flooding, Quelamine is developing a climate resilient and sustainable public transportation system. Cycling in the City Cities with growing populations such as Quelimane are using alternative forms of public transportation to get more cars off the road. To increase the usage of bikes, the city plans to connect market and residential areas with bike lanes, totaling a distance of 2.3 kilometers. Planting trees along roads to provide shade, installing brick barriers to protect bikes from fast moving traffic, and making overall enhancements to roads aims to ease the transition to cycling. Biker-friendly programs have encouraged the cycling culture in other cities as well. In Addis Ababa, cycling advocates began the campaign Streets for the People: on the last Sunday of every month, certain roads are open only to bikes. These roads see hundreds of bicyclists, families, and other participants, creating a sense of community. Advantages to Cycling Biking can help reduce cities’ carbon footprints, improve air quality, and increase accessibility to essential facilities such as school and healthcare in crowded cities. Compared to cars, bikes produce significantly less carbon emissions. As much as 67% of transportation-related carbon emissions can be saved if a person chooses a bike over a car for one day. Moreover, existing buses and cars are rapidly deteriorating due to age, emitting excessive pollution; by moving away from older technology, cities with bikers can improve their air quality. Installing bike infrastructure combats accessibility issues in urban sprawl. In Quelimane, bike lanes help citizens navigate uneven terrain of the cities’ narrow roads, roads which cars usually can’t access. The city wants to expand the network of bike lanes to crucial areas such as the airport, the city center, and the sea port. Thanks to the influx of cyclists, bike shops have popped up along frequented routes. Cyclists are provided cost effective and timely repairs if needed. Difficulties with Biking Solutions However, many cities’ existing infrastructures are car-centric, deterring wide-spread bicycle usage. In Quelimane, a lack of biking infrastructure poses a threat to bikers’ safety. Without physical barriers between cars and bikes, road injuries are common. Additionally, intense sun and a lack of shade makes biking an uncomfortable experience. Once bikes complete their journey, there aren’t safe storage options to prevent bicycle theft. A Campaign for SustainabilityThanks to Mayor de Araújo’s ten-year campaign, Quelimane has become a city known for its biking culture. By using bikes himself, he has destigmatized negative associations with cycling. Now called ‘sons of the Mayor’, locals using bikes have been united by cycling. Quelimane is a member of the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, a global collaboration that works towards a zero carbon transportation system by 2050. Funding from this organization has supported de Araújo’s projects in making more bike lanes in his city. About Manuel de AraújoManuel de Araújo is the mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique. By involving people’s voices in policymaking, he hopes for his bike lane network to be part of a larger, low-carbon mobility system. Communicating through radio, social media, and other accessible platforms, de Araujo shares his passion for sustainable transportation with his constituents. Not only does de Araújo make change today, he plans for a future with a robust, sustainable transportation program. Further Reading Why Choose to CycleUniversity of Coimbra & Institute of Transportation Research, Transportation Authorities and InnovationInternational Energy Agency, Energy System - TransportUN Environment Programme, African cities embrace walking and cycling as climate crisis deepensWorld Resources Institute, From Mobility Access to All For a full transcript of this episode, visit https://climatebreak.org/pedaling-towards-a-sustainable-future-with-manuel-de-araujo/

Electric Heat: A Hot Topic in ChicagoIn cold winter months, many people have to rely on fossil gas to heat their homes and power cookstoves. Yet all-electric appliances, including heat pumps to heat homes, are quickly becoming a cheaper alternative over the long term, though they often entail higher upfront costs compared to gas appliances.In Chicago, the switch from natural gas to electricity is moving forward, but it is also revealing unintended challenges for low-income residents that are applicable to the broader energy transition. In the historic city core, many older buildings lack weatherproofing and insulation against extreme winter cold. Climate and health impacts, and the high price of burning fossil fuels for heat, provide ample reasons to switch from fossil gas to electricity. But as high-income people are doing so, they leave some of the most vulnerable people behind. As a result, Chicago is now pioneering an effort to support lower-income residents making the transition to all-electric heating. What are the Climate and Health Impacts of Gas HeatingGas heating is powered by natural gas, which is mainly composed of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. From a climate perspective, methane’s ability to trap heat in the atmosphere is 84 times greater over a 20-year period than carbon dioxide, making it the second most important contributor to climate change. And, because it lasts for 10 to 15 years in the atmosphere, while CO2 lasts 100 years or more, reducing methane emissions will rid the atmosphere of a potent greenhouse gas much more quickly. One-third of human-caused methane emissions come from the energy sector, and a large portion of methane use comes from waste such as leaks and venting. From a health perspective, a byproduct of natural gas called nitrogen dioxide is known to reduce lung function, and cooking with natural gas stoves has been linked to childhood asthma. Natural gas’s climate impacts and more immediate respiratory impacts may pose a health risk in homes that can be reduced by a switch over to electric heating. Why are People Flipping the Switch?As the price of natural gas rises, electricity may become a cheaper option for many Americans. The current structure of utility companies contributes to the high costs that ratepayers are facing. One concept found in utilities is the rate base, which refers to the amount of money and resources a utility company uses to produce and deliver electricity, water, or gas services. Regulators decide whether or not the investments that companies make are considered “prudent” and these expenses are added up to form the rate base, upon which the utilities are allowed to earn a rate so they can profit. This structure means that the costs of large capital investments are paid for by an increase in a rider on ratepayers’ bills, passing the cost burden onto customers.For electricity here in California, the threat of wildfires caused by powerlines and the high cost of building transmission means that ratepayers face high electricity rates, especially compared to gas. Meanwhile in Chicago, one main reason many residents are switching to electric heating is because of recent price hikes from the major gas utilities supplier. According to Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director at the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Illinois, a retrofitting effort by the gas utility in Chicago means that customers may be facing unusually high bill riders over fifty dollars, a fixed cost applied even before any gas is used. There is a strong economic incentive in Chicago driving people who can afford to switch over their appliances to electric.But what about those who cannot afford to move away from gas heating? According to Moskowitz, primarily low-income Black and brown communities face some of the biggest impacts of soaring natural gas prices. In addition, the rate base system which allows costs to be passed onto consumers can further exacerbate the problem. As people with the means to switch away from gas do so, this lowers the number of gas customers across which the utility company can divide its costs. This means that the people who can least afford it will bear a greater portion of the costs, a problem sometimes known as the utility debt spiral. But new legislation and funding are attempting to build a path out. Making Heat Accessible & AffordableIn an effort to set Illinois on the path to carbon-free and renewable energy, a law that contains interesting pathways for utility justice was passed in 2021. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CJA) sets ambitious clean energy goals, but does so in a way that prioritizes equity. The bill provides finance for lower-income residents and provides support for energy efficiency and renewable energy workforce development. According to Moskowitz, one particularly climate-justice-focused program is the equitable energy upgrade program, a form of utility bill financing. The law requires major Illinois utilities to file multi-year rate p

What’s interesting about urban rivers?Urban rivers play many important roles in our cities. They maintain the health of coastal and estuarine ecosystems and they are part of larger catchment ecosystems that are nested within wider, interconnected systems. Urban rivers are also essential to the quality of our drinking water, playing central roles in cultural and traditional preservation. Urban rivers offer an ecological record of what was in place before excessive human impacts as they maintained and protected the local area. They act as reservoirs for biodiversity, enhance local economies, limit and control flooding, and serve as one of nature’s primary nutrient transportation systems. However, urban development often impacts urban waterways and can be quite detrimental to the health of urban rivers and their ability to support surrounding ecosystems.Why do urban rivers need to be restored?Human impacts, such as pollution, dams, and diversions have accelerated the deterioration of urban river ecology, and have led to the decline of larger coastal and estuarine ecosystems. Specific issues include the alteration of the physical structure of the river (channelization, artificial banks, dredging), water quality degradation (increase run-off, sewer discharge), removal of riparian vegetation, and the presence of invasive species. Increased intensity and frequency of storms induced by climate change can cause flood risks for communities, increase polluted stormwater runoff and contaminate the river habitat, and destabilize our watersheds. While rivers embody climate threats, they are also the source of powerful solutions. A healthy urban river can be a community’s first line of defense against climate change impacts, offering cost-effective flood protection, safeguarding clean water supplies, and reducing urban heat through the evaporation and transfer of sensible heat.One effort to restore these natural sites involves floating gardens on pallets, which can increase ecosystem resilience and benefit biodiversity of the river bank. Not only will restoration of urban rivers nourish wildlife habitat, but it has the potential to restore life and economic prosperity for nearby human communities.What is “urban river restoration” and what are its benefits?Urban river restoration often involves the re-establishment of natural floodplains, helping to absorb and slow the flow of excess water during heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of urban flooding. By restoring the natural capacity of rivers to manage water flow, cities become more resilient to extreme weather events, such as storms and heavy precipitation, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Further, healthy river ecosystems act as effective carbon sinks by sequestering carbon through the growth of vegetation along riverbanks and riverbeds, as well as the trapping of organic matter in sediments. Restoring natural river systems can introduce cooling effects, moderating temperatures in urban areas. Trees and vegetation along riverbanks provide shade, and the presence of water bodies helps regulate local temperatures, mitigating the urban heat island effect exacerbated by climate change. Moreover, biodiversity increases as healthy river ecosystems provide breeding grounds for fish, support a variety of plant and animal life, and create corridors for wildlife movement. Biodiversity is essential for ecosystem resilience, ensuring that urban areas can adapt to changing environmental conditions. River restoration also increases water quality. Urbanization often leads to increased runoff of pollutants into rivers, negatively impacting water quality. Restoration projects involve the implementation of green infrastructure, such as wetlands and vegetated buffers, which act as natural filters. These measures help trap and filter pollutants, improving water quality and creating a healthier environment for aquatic life. Lastly, urban river restoration contributes to the reconnection of urban populations with nature. Revitalizing urban river spaces can help address historic environmental racism that eliminated green spaces from minority communities. Creating recreational spaces along restored urban rivers not only increases access to green spaces for residents but also fosters a sense of stewardship and community engagement in environmental conservation efforts.How do floating gardens work?Nick Wesley and the Urban Rivers of Chicago attempt this restoration of urban rivers through their floating gardens. Floating gardens prioritize wildlife when creating public green spaces. The Wild Mile, the floating eco-park in the Chicago River, is an accessible boardwalk with floating artificial habitats. The habitats mimic the local natural wetland ecosystem, one that could have been found in that area before the city was developed and they are pontoon-based which allows them to sit on the water and float. The flotation platforms are made of environment

Solar Power on FarmsMany farmers, ranchers, and landowners are beginning to consider using their farmland not just for agricultural purposes, but for solar power as well. This combination of agriculture and solar is known as agrivoltaics, which offers an innovative approach to land management particularly in arid regions of the world. Solar panels on farms are often paired with regenerative agricultural practices as a way to increase the capacity of solar output, carbon sequestration, and quantity of agricultural yields. Agrivoltaics, an emerging form of land management, holds promise for the future in the movement toward making agriculture more sustainable. How does Agrivoltaics work?Most farmers are reliant on fossil fuels as their primary energy source, which not only impacts the environment, but engenders significant overhead costs. Solar energy on farms is one way to decrease farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels and build long-term agricultural sustainability. Photovoltaic solar units can be built above pollinating plants and crops, allowing for increased shade, thereby providing energy for the farm and shielding the plants from intense heat from the sun.Dynamic agrivoltaics utilizes raised solar panels built above growing plants. Beneath the solar panels, farmers can grow deep-rooted pollinating plants such as native grass and flowers. Dynamic agrivoltaics can also assist farmers in controlling the level of sunlight crops receive. Further, solar panels can provide resistance during extreme weather conditions, which are becoming more frequent. Although research is still ongoing, agrivoltaics has been proven to be a mechanism farmers can utilize in the face of climate change.Agrivoltaics: A tool for future sustainability?Agrivoltaics can help maintain crop yields, protect biodiversity, and increase solar output. With solar panels, the environment can stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. As a result, evaporation of irrigation water in the summer is reduced, and the cooler temperatures allow for soil to trap water more efficiently, thereby reducing costs for expensive irrigation systems. By reducing metabolic stressors (extreme heat, for example), plants are able to photosynthesize longer and grow larger. Plants like kale, shard, and bok choy have been proven to grow two to five times larger underneath solar panels. With increased growth capacity, carbon sequestration can increase and yields can go up, benefiting both the environment and farmer. In regions where the temperature rises above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, solar panels can begin to underperform due to overheating. However, when plants are underneath the panels, the evaporation from crops can create localized cooling, reducing heat stress on the panels and boosting energy output. In addition, agrivoltaics can also benefit the livestock industry. As climate change is increasing temperatures, animals are often suffering from heat exhaustion in the summer months, which decreases their appetite and can lead to heat stroke and reduced performance. By providing shade through solar panels, livestock will continue to eat even during warm temperatures. This can be particularly beneficial for range managers that utilize free range and rotational grazing.Weather variability can impact farmers’ profits. The revenue generated from leasing land and electricity sales can provide another source of income for farmers. Therefore, solar panels can be utilized to ensure long-term economic security.Potential Disadvantages of AgrivoltaicsAlthough agrivoltaics offers numerous environmental benefits, no climate-related solution comes without drawbacks. A large concern of solar panel installation is the outcome of their eventual disposal. With no proper strategies put into place for how to dispose of old solar panels, they will most likely be left to sit in landfills, releasing toxins into the environment and harming human health. Waste produced by solar panels may make electricity from solar panels four times more expensive than previously thought. Some environmental advocates are apprehensive about agrivoltaics as a potential solution to sustainable agriculture, fearing that solar panel installation will degrade land during assembly. The installation of solar panels has been associated with reducing ecosystem diversity and habitats for native species. Additionally, installing raised solar panels can result in higher costs due to the extra steel being utilized. Agrivoltaics is most practical in arid, dry regions, which limits its applicability to the Western US, Australia, highlands in South America, and other hot, dry climates. Lack of awareness and knowledge on the potential advantages of agrivoltaics has also limited its potential to become a common practice used in the transition to sustainable farming practices.About our guestByron Kominek, owner and manager of Jack’s Solar Garden in Colorado, uses the co-location of solar panels and regenerative agricultur

Decreasing society’s reliance on single-use plasticsThe use of plastic has major environmental, social, and health consequences. Across the globe, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, with over half of the plastic produced worldwide being thrown away after one use. Upon disposal, plastics are often left in landfills where they can break down into smaller microplastic particles, thereby acting as carriers of environmental toxins that threaten human health. More than 10 million tons of plastic waste has been dumped into the oceans alone. Currently, humans produce over 350 million metric tons of waste every year. This is projected to triple by 2060 to a shocking one billion metric tons if there are no policy changes to the current levels of plastic consumption. Plastic pollution is not only a human health issue, but a humanitarian crisis that poses major threats to all facets of society. The vast majority of plastic products utilized today are produced from crude oil and natural gas. By way of a refining process, crude oil is then transformed into a variety of petroleum-based products, like plastic cups. Petroleum-based plastic cups are recycled at a rate of only 5% per year and can take centuries to degrade, thereby exacerbating the large quantities of waste already on Earth. Petroleum-based plastics are largely associated with a slew of harmful environmental effects, such as the release of greenhouse gas emissions, continual persistence in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and harmful pollution. Further, petrochemicals are also threatening human health, as recent research reveals that such exposure may be tied to the increasing prevalence of cancer, asthma, autism, allergies, and birth defects. Recently, environmentalists have been calling for decreasing humans' reliance on plastic-based products altogether, instead turning to compostable or reusable products. Many advocate for the use of stainless steel cups, glass, wood, bamboo, pottery, or other ceramics as opposed to conventional plastic materials. Bioplastics, a type of plastic made from natural resources like vegetable oils and starches, are a promising alternative as they are functionally similar to traditional plastic products but are more environmentally friendly. Better for All, a plant-based compostable cup start-up, is seeking to transform society’s current dependence on environmentally degrading single-use plastic by spearheading the switch to bioplastic products.How are Better for All cups different?Better for All cups are particularly unique as they are created from P-Hydroxy-Benzota Hydroxylase or PHBH, which is a type of biopolymer from the PHA family that is produced from living fermented microorganisms. Therefore, not only are the cups biodegradable, but they are produced from naturally living organisms and can degrade in any type of living matter. These compostable cups have no additives and are certified non-toxic, free of phthalates, bisphenols, PFAs, and dioxins which are commonly found in traditional plastic cutlery.The PHBH used by Better for All is created through a fermentation process that strains soil microorganisms, heats them at high temperatures, and allows them to metabolize into larger building blocks, forming the final product that is currently available for purchase. According to Better for All, this allows their cups to be compostable in both home compost bins and large-scale landfill environments. Compostable cups: a groundbreaking solution? Compostable cups provide hope for the future. Although consumer behavior may not change, the products utilized by consumers can become more sustainable. Companies like Better for All hope to combat the continual reliance on plastic products by creating a compostable cup that not only mimics the appearance of traditional plastic cups, but can be used in exactly the same way. The only difference is that compostable cups, like those offered by Better for All, are to be thrown into green compost bins, rather than blue recycling bins.One of the greatest advantages of bioplastics is their composting ability. Unlike plastic products, which may take centuries to degrade (or not degrade at all), bioplastic products can degrade in less than six months. As such, bioplastics can greatly reduce the size of growing landfills, which accelerate climate change. Researchers also point out that with potentially limited quantities of oil into the future, plastic prices may begin to fluctuate, altering the market for plastic cutlery. Controversy surrounding bioplasticAlthough bioplastics are promising, there are some concerns and controversy. First, during the composting process, biodegradable plastics can release methane gas, a harmful greenhouse gas byproduct. Additionally, bioplastics are produced from the cultivation of organic materials, like corn and maize, which can then divert land from food production to plastic production. It is estimated that by 2027 three million hectares

What is nuclear fusion?Nuclear fusion produces energy by fusing atoms together. Atomic cores (nuclei) merge together to form a heavier—though unstable—nucleus, releasing mass to regain stability. This mass release corresponds to an energy release, given Einstein’s equation E=mc2, which says in part that mass and energy can be converted into each other. The sun, along with all other stars, uses nuclear fusion to generate energy, which is released as heat and light. The 2022 Fusion Breakthrough In late 2022, scientists led by Dr. Annie Kritcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) briefly replicated the power of the sun. Replicating the sun’s power requires replicating the extreme heat and density conditions within the sun’s core. Atomic cores are positively charged, meaning they repel each other. To overcome this barrier, scientists need to apply massive amounts of heat and keep atomic cores extremely close together. For the first time, scientists produced more energy from fusion than the amount of energy it took to maintain these conditions. Fusion is a greenhouse-gas-free source of potentially unlimited electricity, powered by hydrogen we can take from water, and creating no long-lived radioactive waste. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, fusion generates four times more energy per kilogram than the fission used for powering nuclear plants, and nearly 4 million times more energy than burning fossil fuels for energy. What’s Next?Commercial nuclear fusion is still a long way off. While the physics aspect of fusion is “solved,” fusion remains a complicated engineering problem. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has the most powerful laser in the world to blast heat at atoms, but it is the size of three football stadiums, very old, slow, inefficient, and clunky. There are still unanswered questions, such as how to affordably capture fusion energy, and how to keep a fusion reaction going for a long period of time. And although the laser shots at the NIF were weaker than its fusion output, the amount of energy drawn from the grid to create those lasers is 120 times more than the fusion output generated at LLNL. About Dr. Annie KritcherDr. Annie Kritcher is a nuclear engineer and physicist at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Weapons and Complex Integration's Design Physics Division. She led the recent nuclear fusion breakthrough at LLNL. In 2022, Kritcher was elected fellow of the American Physical Society. She earned her PhD at UC Berkeley. Further ReadingA shot for the ages: Fusion ignition breakthrough hailed as ‘one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century’ | Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryUK Power Grid Could Have First Commercial Fusion Reactor By 2030sWorld's largest nuclear fusion reactor promises clean energy, but the challenges are huge - ABC NewsAnnie Kritcher leads revolutionary nuclear fusion experimentIAEA, What is nuclear fusion?NOVA Now Universe Revealed Podcast, Can We Recreate the Power of Stars Down on Earth? (YouTube or NOVA Podcast website) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/the-clean-energy-potential-of-nuclear-fusion-with-annie-kritcher/

Climate Education for YouthClimate education has the potential to drive the public towards climate science literacy, an individual’s understanding of their influence on climate and climate’s influence on them and society. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a climate-literate person: understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system,knows how to assess scientifically credible information about climate,communicates about climate and climate change in a meaningful way, andis able to make informed and responsible decisions with regard to actions that may affect climate.Climate change education is more than just science education; it is an interdisciplinary topic that involves understanding the relationship between climate change, history, economics, social studies, and more. A robust and interdisciplinary climate education provides an understanding of the large-scale social transformation necessary to increase climate resiliency and implement effective solutions.Empowering Future Solution Makers Climate education can provide younger generations with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that are necessary to make more environmentally informed decisions. By equipping students with a thorough understanding of climate science and illuminating the scientific process utilized by climate scientists, students become armed to critically assess climate discourse and solutions. Moreover, climate education fosters a sense of agency: youth may grow up to vote for climate positive policies, pursue careers that strive towards climate solutions, have a more eco-conscious lifestyle, or facilitate constructive conversations with family members and friends. Implementing effective climate solutions relies on an informed public, and climate education provides youth with a starting point to act as agents of positive change amidst our planetary emergency. Additionally, climate education can provide youth with the tools necessary to alleviate and cope with climate anxiety. A 2021 Lancet Study asked 10,000 young people between the ages of 16–25 in ten countries what they felt about climate change, and found that more than 50% of young people reported experiencing sadness, anxiety, anger, powerlessness, helplessness, and guilt. Effective climate education will not only help youth understand the causes and impacts of climate change, but it will also provide young people with insight on how they can contribute to solutions and exercise their own agency to make meaningful changes. Further, climate education can provide coping strategies by fostering hope and highlighting the collective efforts being made to address climate change. Barriers to Effective Climate Education According to an article from Science, data from 1500 public middle- and high-school science teachers from all 50 US states found that the median teacher devotes only one to two hours to climate change instruction. Climate confusion among U.S. teachers further contributes to this educational gap within American education, and limited training and scientific consensus among teachers leads to mixed messages. For example, the research published in Science found that of the teachers who teach climate change, “31% report sending explicitly contradictory messages, emphasizing both the scientific consensus that recent global warming is due to human activity and that many scientists believe recent increases in temperature are due to natural causes.” Progress in climate science and scientific consensus have outpaced teachers’ training. Additionally, teachers may face political threats and external pressures from parents or administration to avoid climate instruction. Teachers’ lack of knowledge on climate science and exclusion of climate instruction is further compounded by variations in learning standards and requirements. Climate education within the US faces challenges due to the absence of consensus on the inclusion of climate change in educational curricula and the absence of national science standards on the subject. In 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were developed and recommended that human-made climate change be taught in all science classes beginning in fifth grade. However, these standards remain voluntary, and 44 states have used the NGSS or created standards based on them. Since 2007, The Campaign for Environmental Literacy has continued to organize stakeholders and push for passage of the Climate Change Education Act, leading to the subsequent efforts to reintroduce and pass the bill four times since then. Despite these efforts, federal grants to fund climate change education projects have been miniscule and initiatives inCongress to support climate change education have been unsuccessful. New Jersey became a pioneer in climate education in 2020, becoming the first state to mandate the teaching of climate change beginning in kindergarten. Notably, New Jersey has taken an interdisciplinary approach to

Carbon SequestrationCarbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide to slow the pace of climate change. There are two major types of carbon sequestration: geologic and biologic. Geological carbon sequestration injects carbon dioxide captured from an industrial or energy-related source into underground geologic formations. Biological carbon sequestration refers to the storage of atmospheric carbon in vegetation, soils, woody products, and aquatic environments. While carbon dioxide (CO2) is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes, some artificial sequestration techniques exploit the natural processes to slow the atmospheric accumulation of CO2.Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate ChangeThe exchange of carbon between soils and the atmosphere is a significant part of the world’s carbon cycle. Carbon, as it relates to the organic matter of soils, is a major component of soil and catchment health. However, human activities including agriculture have caused massive losses of soil organic carbon, leading to soil deterioration. California´s Healthy Soil Initiative is one program in the state working to promote the development of healthy soils in efforts to increase the state´s carbon sequestration, prevent soil deterioration and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.Soil carbon sequestration is a process in which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere, primarily mediated by plants through photosynthesis, with carbon stored in the form of soil organic matter. Many scientists agree that regenerative agricultural practices can reduce atmospheric CO2 while also boosting soil productivity and health and increasing resilience to floods and drought.UC Berkeley researchers found that low-tech agricultural management practices such as planting cover crops, optimizing grazing, and sowing legumes on rangelands, if instituted globally, could capture enough carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil to reduce global temperatures 0.26 degrees Celsius – nearly half a degree Fahrenheit – by 2100. However, critics say that because biological sequestration isn't permanent and can be hard to measure, it's only part of the climate solution and not a substitute for reducing emissions. Whendee SilverDr. Whendee Silver is the Rudy Grah Chair and Professor of Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at U.C. Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in Ecosystem Ecology from Yale University. Her work seeks to determine the biogeochemical effects of climate change and human impacts on the environment, and the potential for mitigating these effects. The Silver Lab is currently working on drought and hurricane impacts on tropical forests, climate change mitigation potential of grasslands, and greenhouse gas dynamics of peatlands and wetlands. Professor Silver is the lead scientist of the Marin Carbon Project, which is studying the potential for land-based climate change mitigation, particularly by composting high-emission organic waste for soil amendments to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. Continued ReadingThe potential of agricultural land management to contribute to lower global surface temperaturesTechnical options for sustainable land and water managementSoils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycleThe solution to climate change is just below our feetSoil as Carbon Storehouse: New Weapon in Climate Fight? Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change and Food SecurityOrganizationsSilver Lab, UC BerkeleyCarbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio State UniversityFood and Agricultural Organization, the United NationsRelated EpisodesCollaborating with farmers on climate-friendly practices, with Alameda County Resource Conservation District For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/sequestering-carbon-using-compost-and-grasslands-with-whendee-silver/

Climate change is increasing flood risk worldwide. Climate change is intensifying flood risk around the world, with potentially devastating consequences for communities and infrastructure. As the planet gets hotter, the atmosphere's capacity to hold water vapor increases, leading to more frequent and intense precipitation events in certain regions. Extreme rainfall events can overwhelm stormwater and other drainage systems and result in dangerous flash flooding. A 2021 study published by the American Meteorological Society found that for every 1°C rise in global temperature, the intensity of extreme rainfall events increases by 7 percent. Sea level rise, driven by melting glaciers, is also causing coastal flooding and erosion in many parts of the world. Sea levels could rise by an average of 10 - 12 inches in the U.S. in the next 30 years (2020 – 2050)—as much as the rise measured over the last 100 years (1920 - 2020). By the end of the century, sea levels could be as much as 3.6 feet higher than they are today, putting nearly 200 million people at risk. These changes are already having real-world consequences. In 2021, severe flooding in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and other European countries killed over 200 people and destroyed entire towns. In the United States, severe coastal flooding from Superstorm Sandy was partially caused by unusually high storm surges attributed to sea level rise. While these challenges may be daunting, there are concrete actions we can take now to increase our resilience, such as greater investment in flood control infrastructure and natural interventions to mitigate flood risk. These and other solutions are discussed in more detail below. A recent study indicates that climate change is increasing the risk of a “megaflood” in California.California has experienced great floods every century or so for many millennia, according to historical and climate records. The last great flood in California was in 1862, which inundated a 300-mile-long stretch of the Central Valley, including highly populated areas such as Sacramento. The “Great Flood of 1862” is widely considered the benchmark for a “plausible worst-case scenario” flood in contemporary California. Recent research suggests that climate change has already increased the risk of extreme floods in California, and that it is likely to significantly increase the risk of even more extreme floods in the future. A 2022 study by UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain and fellow researcher Xingying Huang found that despite the recent prevalence of severe drought, California faces a broadly underappreciated risk of severe floods. The study indicates that climate change has already doubled the risk of a present-day megastorm, relative to a century ago, and more than tripled the risk of a trillion-dollar megaflood like the Great Flood of 1862. It further found that larger future increases are likely due to continued warming. These ominous findings have direct implications for flood and emergency management, and climate adaptation activities.Governments should implement strategies to mitigate and adapt to the growing risk of floods.According to Dr. Swain, addressing flood risk is a societal challenge that requires action at the local, state, and federal government levels. He recommends action to assess flood risk, strengthen flood control infrastructure, implement natural interventions to mitigate flood risk, and explore innovative approaches to flood management: Assess flood risk: FEMA’s flood maps, which are now known to be woefully inadequate, should be improved and updated.Strengthen flood control infrastructure: Weaknesses in levees, dams, and urban flood conduits should be identified and rectified through research and funding.Implement natural interventions to mitigate flood risk: Long-term flood risk mitigation may involve natural interventions such as floodplain restoration or moving levees away from the river, giving rivers more room to expand without flooding highly populated cities or critical infrastructure.Explore innovative approaches to flood management: Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) and Flood Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) are innovative approaches that could drive advances in flood management. FIRO involves using high-quality weather forecasts to dynamically operate reservoirs and water releases, while Flood-MAR involves leveraging flood flows to store water in natural aquifers underground (which can have the added benefit of returning water to depleted aquifers).Who is Daniel Swain?Daniel Swain, Ph.D., is a climate scientist who holds joint appointments at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and as the California Climate Fellow at The Nature Conservancy. His research focuses on the dynamics and impacts of the Earth's changing climate system, with a particular emphasis on regiona

What is the GeoGrid?The Geo Grid is a network of heating pumps that harnesses the geothermal energy stored under the Earth’s surface to heat and cool buildings. It operates through a network of pipes that go deep into the ground and connect houses to each other. These pipes are filled with water, which brings the constant underground temperature up to the Earth’s surface, and into the buildings. The pipes that connect the buildings to each other are then used to exchange energy between buildings, so one building's need for cooling can be balanced by another’s need for heating, ensuring that no energy is wasted. A heat pump located inside each building determines whether the heating or cooling is needed. This interconnected system has already been initiated at college campuses across the country. These networks can be expanded by connecting more systems along city streets, allowing the GeoGrid to spread across neighborhoods, cities, and states. This would help replace natural gas with geothermal energy as a primary heating method, and greatly reduce carbon emissions. Installing geothermal energy for a single household can be expensive and inaccessible for many. In order to keep costs low and expand the accessibility of GeoGrids, HEET has worked with utility companies to install geothermal technology for entire neighborhoods for the same cost of providing gas utilities. This is not only cost-efficient, but energy efficient. Positioning heat pump technology as utility infrastructure will reduce the financial burden of switching to renewable energy for consumers while preserving jobs in utility companies.About HEETHEET, or the Home Energy Efficiency Team, is an organization working to find innovative ways to cut carbon emissions. HEET has worked on several initiatives beyond the GeoGrid Micro Districts in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions. HEET started out as a group of volunteers working together to make their homes more efficient through heat trapping doors, insulated windows, and efficient light bulbs. HEET has also supported solar panel installation challenges, resulting in discounted installation prices and greater adoption of the technology in the area. HEET has also worked to cut methane-polluting natural gas leaks. Natural gas is the most common resource used to heat buildings, and leaks can occur in heating systems. HEET has gained data on these leaks from utility companies, and publishes annual maps showing their location and severity to draw public attention to the issue and spark action to stop them. To improve the way utility companies and governments deal with leaks, HEET also worked to pass a Massachusetts law requiring the most environmentally-impactful leaks to be addressed first. After developing a method to measure environmental impact through the Large Volume Leak Study, HEET worked with community members and the largest utility companies in Massachusetts to plan a path forward to stop the most methane-producing leaks first. Who are Audrey Schulman and Zeyneb Magavi?Audrey Schulman is the co-executive director of HEET, which she co-founded in 2008. She spearheaded the public mapping of utility-reported gas leaks as well as the Large Volume Leaks Study, and has worked to implement the GeoGrid Micro Districts, several of which have been installed in New York and Massachusetts. She is also the author of six novels, which have won several awards including the Philip K. Dick Award 2019, and have been translated into twelve languages. Zeyneb Magavi is the co-executive director of HEET. Zeyneb designed the Geo Micro District to make buildings energy efficient in a scalable way. Six Geo Grid installations have been funded, mainly by gas utility companies, and she has started an independent research group to optimize the transition from gas to Geo Micro Districts. She studied physics at Brown University and global health and sustainability at Harvard, where she is now guest faculty at the School of Public Health. Zeyneb previously worked in the public health field, bringing technological solutions to public health problems in the developing world. She has also been part of two start-up launches.HEET: Networked GeothermalWashington Post: What is a heat pump, and should I get one?Department of Energy: Heat Pump SystemsCLEE Policy Report: Hot, Cold, and Clean: Policy Solutions to Promote Equitable and Affordable Adoption of Heat Pump Retrofits in Existing BuildingsFor a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-groundwater-to-heat-and-cool-buildings-with-heet/

How does transitioning to renewable energy challenge the electric grid?As of 2022, renewable and non-greenhouse gas emitting sources accounted for 52% of California's in-state electricity generation with the remaining 48% fueled by natural gas. Legislation passed in 2018 mandates that the state must reach at least 60% renewable energy by 2030 which California is quickly on its way to meet. The 60% goal adds ambition to the emissions reduction goals set by SB 32, the 2016 update to prior landmark climate legislation that required California to reduce its emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Transitioning to reliance on renewable energy sources introduces new challenges to the electrical grid, which was designed primarily around gas-fired power plants that can operate 24 hours a day. The majority of California's renewable energy comes from solar and wind. Such renewable energy generation varies depending on the time of day and season, among other factors. Compared to gas-fired power plants, solar and wind energy isn’t as predictable or transferable from one location to another.With limited energy storage capacity, the US electrical grid lacks the infrastructure necessary to store large amounts of energy, so the variability of wind and solar energy makes it more challenging to balance energy supply and demand in real-time, which is an essential function of the energy system. As a result, the energy system design must evolve to meet the challenges of solar and wind variability, particularly during periods of peak demand, in order to ensure grid stability and sufficient energy support. At the same time, California’s energy grid has seen a large growth in demand due to the electrification of the transportation and residential sectors. Electric vehicle (EV) sales are 60 times higher than they were a decade ago and continue to rise, increasing by 85% from 2020 to 2021 alone. In 2023, EV sales in California account for 25% of EVs sold in the US. California has also enacted higher building energy efficiency standards to help accelerate the decarbonization movement. As of 2023, all new buildings must have at least one heat pump for heating or water heating, or they will face higher energy efficiency requirements. This growth in the prevalence of electric appliances and vehicles has increased the demands on the electric grid. This can be a particular problem if EV owners charge their cars or run their appliances at the same time that other electricity demand is at its peak. A California’s Public Utilities Commission report published in 2023 found the state needs to invest at least $50 billion by 2035 in order to accommodate high adoptions of distributed energy resources associated with transportation and building electrification. Energy Storage as a SolutionImproving solar battery storage is vital in accelerating a transition to clean energy as these batteries store solar energy during the day and deliver it back to the grid at night when power is more expensive and carbon-intensive to produce. As of October 2023, California has increased its energy battery storage capacity by 757% to 6,600 megawatts. The state still needs to continue increasing its capacity to 52,000 megawatts to meet clean electricity demands by 2045. These batteries are also especially vital as climate change is increasing the intensity of heatwaves and wildfire seasons leading to increased Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). During hazardous conditions, electricity companies turn off power circuits to reduce the risk of power lines falling and igniting a wildfire. Solar batteries are one tool to help alleviate the loss of power and can deliver electricity to areas prone to PSPS blackouts. However, large-scale batteries are not a perfect solution as they have considerable environmental costs and require many rare minerals in their production, which have significant associated sustainability and mining costs. Other energy storage technologies from green hydrogen to reservoir storage of hydropower can also help the state meet its energy demands.About the Guest: Dr. Carla PetermanAs PG&E’s Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Carla Peterman directs the corporation’s sustainability and regulatory efforts. Previously, Dr. Peterman served as an energy official within the California government, including as CPUC commissioner, where she oversaw their $768 million EV charging infrastructure investment in 2018. Dr. Peterman received a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group in 2017, writing her dissertation on state policy for solar energy. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/balancing-the-grid-californias-shift-to-renewable-energy-sources/

What are Art and Music Activism?Art activism refers to the use of artistic expression and creative endeavors to advocate for and educate others on social, political, environmental, or cultural issues. This form of activism employs the creative power of art as a medium to move us emotionally, raise awareness of certain issues, and provoke thought. At its core, art activism brings audiences through an emotionally resonant experience that empowers audiences to change the way they think and behave to enhance an audience’s sense of urgency and leave them feeling inspired to engage in civic activism. This innovative strategy of activism encompasses a wide range of artistic forms, including visual arts, performance art, literature, music, and more.Music activism specifically refers to the use of music and musical performances to advocate for change. Throughout history, music has played a significant role in numerous social and political movements, including the civil rights movement, anti-war protests, and environmental activism. Music’s impact on society and individuals is far-reaching. Musicians leverage the emotional and communicative power of music to raise consciousness and encourage listeners to become involved with social and political causes. Melodies and lyrics are able to capture listeners’ imagination, inspire people, and guide their actions. In addition to inspiring action, music activism can foster solidarity and a sense of community that is essential in the face of tackling societal issues. Genres like Blues, Folk, Hip Hop, and Reggae, among others, have been particularly associated with music activism, given their historical connection to expressing dissent and addressing societal issues. Undoubtedly, music activism serves as a form of cultural expression that has the ability to transcend boundaries and connect people with shared aspirations for change. Raising Societal Consciousness Through Hip HopEnvironmental activism in music has become very prominent in the contemporary music scene, with artists directly urging audiences to take action against climate injustices. Their lyrics illuminate environmental concerns bringing attention to pollution, deforestation, climate change, and call attention to the disproportionate impacts of these issues on marginalized communities. We can recall Joni Mitchell’s environmentalist anthem that critiques urban development and environmental destruction, “Big Yellow Taxi.” While White musicians such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon are often credited for their music activism, Black artists, while often given less credit, have played a crucial role in environmentalism and for much longer. Charley Patton’s “Dry Well Blues,” a 1930s song about the impact of droughts on communities in Georgia, incorporates Blues to highlight environmental racism. In the 1990s, grassroots and poetic rappers continued to enhance the public’s environmental consciousness. For example, Mos Def’s 1999 song, “New World Water,” brought light to New York’s lack of access to clean water. Artists incorporate Hip Hop culture to advocate for environmental justice and for all marginalized communities. Through thought-provoking and socially conscious lyrics, Hip Hop artists have utilized their platforms to engage in advocacy work and mobilize listeners. While Hip Hop has been co-opted and criticized for promoting hyper-violence, sexism, criminality, toxic masculinity, and materialism, it is also home to social and environmental consciousness. Artists from inner-city neighborhoods originally created Hip Hop as an outlet for oppressed groups to address socio-economic injustices and validate their experiences. Overtime, socially conscious Hip Hop continued to evolve as a powerful tool to uplift communities of color and demand social justice. Music activism through the genre of Hip Hop exemplifies how art can move us powerfully towards civic activism. The Power of Youth in Music Activism Youth engagement is at the heart of environmental action, and music is a key part of that engagement. As discussed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), youth continue to exhibit immense strength, leadership, and resilience that is necessary for environmental action. Through environmentally conscious Hip Hop and other forms of music activism, youth are able to leverage their creativity, knowledge, and innovative power. Youth can channel their creative energy to crafting educational messages that inspire environmental action. Creating environmentally conscious music not only showcases the unique talents and perspectives of youth, but also offers hands-on experiences for youth to foster a more proactive mindset on a societal scale. In this process, young people engage in research and gain a profound awareness of environmental issues at hand. Youth strengthen their skills to analyze environmental challenges and effectively communicate them through musical narratives in an accessible and compelling ma

What is the IMF?The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides aid to developing countries to promote global economic and monetary growth. IMF investments and loans can significantly impact the ability of developing countries to improve climate resilience. Most directly, reforms to the IMF can allow developing countries to invest more in climate resilience and disincentivize fossil fuel production. How does the IMF affect the climate crisis?According to critics, the IMF’s Climate Change Strategy inadvertently worsens the climate crisis and amplifies financial risk. Specifically:1. Prohibitively high IMF borrowing rates for developing countries block vital investments in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and recovery and trap Global South nations in a cycle of escalating climate risks and mounting debts.2. IMF loan conditions and policy advice that make fossil fuel production more profitable enable the expansion of oil, gas, and coal, prolonging dangerous global heating. What can be done to reform the IMF?In a report issued this month, the UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & Environment (CLEE) suggested the following reforms:Form a Climate Advisory Group consisting of diverse external experts to recommend updates to the IMF’s Climate Change Strategy and adopt legal requirements for timely IMF action.Reform longstanding IMF practices that exacerbate risk by (1) improving climate-related risk assessment, (2) expanding climate finance and alleviating debt distress in developing countries, and (3) curtailing fossil fuel profitability.The CLEE report also envisions a significant role for the US, as the largest shareholder in the IMF with significant influence, including championing ambitious IMF reform on the global stage, leading by example, addressing climate change domestically and allocating new resources to support climate resilience in developing countries, highlighting the financial threat posed by the IMF status quo and actively participating in international dialogue, research, and analysis related to climate-related financial risk.The IMF controls almost $1 trillion in assets and could be a linchpin for climate action in support of worldwide economic stability. About our GuestKelly Varian is a policy analyst working at UC Berkeley Law. She has a Master of Public Affairs degree from UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy and a decade of experience in the social sector. In her current role as a Climate Policy Analyst at UC Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, she leads research to design equitable policies to mitigate climate-related financial risk.ResourcesCLEE, Monetary Fund Reform for Climate Resilience (2023)Bridgetown Initiative For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/international-monetary-fund-reform-with-kelly-varian/

Why Community?It’s easy to feel despair about climate change and environmental destruction. But despair can make it hard to forge connections and take action. According to emotion researchers, hope means believing that you have the power to improve problems, rather than ignoring them. One possible source of hope? Community building events, where diverse groups of activists can find common ground.What is Bioneers?Climate Break spoke with Teo Grossman, Senior Director of Programs and Research for the longstanding environmental conference Bioneers, about how community building events like the Bioneers conference foster hope and catalyze action. Now in its 34th year, Bioneers is an interdisciplinary environmental organization whose annual conference brings together environmental advocates and innovators from a wide variety of disciplines to share stories and brainstorm solutions. Grossman joined Bioneers in 2014 but first spoke there while still a college student in the early 2000s. He says his time at Bioneers has convinced him that community events and storytelling are powerful tools for change. Bioneers’s HistoryThroughout its history, Bioneers has been home to new ways of thinking about environmental activism.The annual conference helped spawn major climate organizations like 350.org and inspired some of Michael Pollan’s early work on the food system. Grossman also highlights its role in advancing the Rights of Nature legal movement. Rights of Nature seeks to recognize nature itself – like bodies of water and endangered species – as having legal rights. In 2008, Bolivia became the first country to include explicit rights for nature in their constitution. Other countries have since followed suit. Bioneers TodayBioneers has expanded since its inception, and now includes year round media and educational programming in addition to its annual conference. Grossman says they’re especially proud of their Native-led Indigeneity Program, which includes youth leadership scholarships and forums. This year's conference includes speakers from throughout the world of climate and environmental justice, including political scientist Leah Stokes, clean-tech entrepreneur Danny Kennedy, and One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman. Also on the agenda? Conversations about the role fiction writing and narrative can play in restoring hope to the environmental movement, hosted by science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson and essayist Rebecca Solnit. Bioneers is holding its annual conference April 6-8 in Berkeley. You can learn more about the conference on their website.Other Resources for Finding CommunityIn addition to Bioneers, there are plenty of other ways to find hope and connect with the environmental movement. Interested in making decarbonization your job? Resources like Climatebase and Work on Climate offer centralized job listings and career support. You can also seek workshops and seminars to hear new perspectives on environmental issues. International organizations like Resources for the Future host lectures and workshops to highlight ongoing research, while in the Bay Area, local groups like the SF Federal Reserve and the Commonwealth Club’s Climate One host lectures both in person and online. Looking for ways to take direct action? Databases like the CA Climate Action Portal map climate action by local government. Research the climate action – or inaction – your local government is doing to find ways to get involved. You may be able to attend public meetings for your energy providers, where you can meet other constituents and advocate for just and renewable energy. For example, San Francisco CCA Clean Power SF holds regular meetings over zoom that are welcome to the public. To go even bigger, attend public meetings by statewide regulatory agencies like the CPUC, which oversees the rates and investments of California utilities like PG&E. About the GuestTeo Grossman is Senior Director of Programs and Research for Bioneers, where he helps lead both conference development and Bioneers’s year-round media production. He studied environmental science and management as a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow at UC Santa Barbara and first began working with Bioneers as a Program Manager in the early 2000s. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/community-as-antidote-to-climate-despair-with-teo-grossman/

The Vital Role of WetlandsWetlands are critical ecosystems that play a fundamental role in maintaining the stability and well-being of both local and global environments. Coastal salt marshes, flooded and drained by tides, and often composed of deep mud and peat, provide a wide range of ecosystem services that contribute to biodiversity, water quality, carbon storage, and climate regulation. Biodiversity and Habitat ConnectivitySalt marshes are incredibly diverse habitats and serve as breeding grounds, nurseries, and foraging areas for a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial species. This biodiversity helps maintain ecosystem resilience and adaptability in the face of environmental changes. Wetlands also provide essential habitat connectivity by serving as corridors for the movement of species between different ecosystems and supporting genetic diversity and species’ adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Natural Water RegulationSalt marshes act as natural water regulators, storing excess water during periods of heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of floods in downstream areas. During dry periods, wetlands slowly release stored water, helping to maintain steady streamflow and prevent water shortages. Wetlands are natural filters that improve water quality by trapping sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from runoff and wastewater. Further, coastal wetlands act as natural buffers against sea-level rise and storm surges. They stabilize shorelines, protect coastal communities from erosion, and reduce the impacts of extreme weather events.Greenhouse Gas SequestrationSalt marshes are among the most efficient ecosystems in terms of carbon sequestration. The plants in salt marshes, including grasses and other vegetation, absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into organic matter. This organic matter is then stored in the soil, where it can remain for long periods, effectively acting as a carbon sink. In fact, tidal marshes can sequester carbon at a rate 10 times higher than tropical rainforests. Salt marshes also play a role in regulating methane emissions. Some wetlands, known as "methane sinks," actively consume methane from the atmosphere through specialized microbial processes, effectively reducing its impact as a greenhouse gas. Methane gas has significant atmospheric heating qualities, and in turn excess emissions have negative environmental impacts. The carbon storage and methane regulation services provided by salt marshes have a direct impact on the global climate. “ Because methane is “both a powerful greenhouse gas and short-lived compared to carbon dioxide, achieving significant reductions would have a rapid and significant effect on atmospheric warming potential” the EPA states. By storing carbon and reducing methane emissions, wetlands help to mitigate the greenhouse effect.The Nitrogen Cycle and Coastal WatersSalt marshes are a key component in the nitrogen cycle as well. These ecosystems filter and process excess nutrients that can enter coastal waters. Excess nitrogen runoff from agricultural activities and urban areas can lead to harmful algal blooms and dead zones in coastal waters. Salt marshes act as natural filters, trapping and transforming nutrients, which helps maintain water quality and support marine ecosystems. Conserving and restoring these ecosystems is crucial for both mitigating the impacts of climate change and maintaining the overall health of coastal and marine environments.Human BenefitsSalt marshes and tidal wetlands provide critical services to humans as well, including protection of infrastructure from coastal hazards, and habitat protection for economically important species. A large majority of U.S. wetlands today have been lost or degraded due to human activities, primarily related to development of coastal wetlands. NASA scientists conducted an analysis of salt marsh ecosystems changes and degradation from 2000 to 2019, and they found the loss of these ecosystems resulted in an “estimated net global emissions of 16.3 Teragrams of carbon dioxide across the study period, an annual equivalent of emissions from approximately 3.5 million motor vehicles.” Feedback and interactions among natural and anthropogenic drivers have altered the stability and persistence of coastal wetlands, and continue to accelerate carbon emissions and atmospheric warming.Restoration Efforts and ChallengesDr. Kroeger and his team’s latest salt marsh restoration project occurred at Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), which encompasses a diverse range of ecosystems, including coastal dunes, salt marshes, woodlands, and freshwater ponds. Salt marsh restoration efforts within CCNS focus on restoring tidal flow to marshes that have been affected by human alterations. This involves removing or modifying structures that impede natural water movement, allowing marshes to recover and thrive. The CCNS ecosystem restoration project also used numerous tools such as prescribed fire and construction of new cul

What are “Resilience Hotspots”?Technology and high-tech solutions are not the only responses to climate change. Nature can also be a powerful form of climate resilience. Resilience hotspots are small pockets of nature that, when restored and maintained, act as barriers to climate impacts. For instance, wetlands can insulate shores from storm surges and trees can provide shade in urban heat islands. In this way, climate adaptation can go hand-in-hand with integrating nature into our cities. The Science of Nature-Based SolutionsWhile many natural areas can have climate benefits, wetlands and urban green spaces are particularly significant ecosystems in terms of climate adaptation. How do these natural protections from climate change work in the first place? Wetlands are areas where the soil is saturated with water either seasonally or year-round. They often provide crucial protection from the heavy rainfall and storms, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. Acting as a sort of sponge, wetlands have the ability to absorb and temporarily store the excess water from these events. When a storm hits, wetlands are a “speed bump” to floodwaters, slowing and holding back storm surge and flooding that otherwise causes damage to nearby cities and towns. According to NOAA, such protection by wetlands saves US coastal communities a whopping $23 billion a year. In many areas of the US, wetlands have been degraded by nearby urbanization or drained for development, leaving these areas more vulnerable to storm surge and flooding. As a result, restoring wetlands has become a priority as a strategy to increase climate resilience in these areas.Urban green spaces protect against a different climate impact: extreme heat. Because urban surfaces tend to be densely covered in heat-absorbing materials like asphalt or concrete, cities absorb a greater proportion of heat from the sun’s rays. This, combined with greater concentrations of greenhouse gasses in cities, leads to a situation where cities can be up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than nearby green spaces, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. With the temperature increases associated with climate change, the heat island effect poses great risks for heat-related illness and death. Urban green spaces break up the dense cover of manmade material with parks, green roofs, and shade-providing trees, creating natural areas that reflect sunlight, take up greenhouse gas emissions and provide aesthetic and mental health benefits. How to Build Resilience HotspotsSo how can we implement these nature-based climate solutions into our cities? The resilience hotspots approach uses a patchwork of crucial sites integrated into towns and communities. By focusing on places with great potential to mitigate climate damage, this approach promotes the benefits of nature-based solutions while working with the existing urban infrastructure. In the San Francisco Bay Area of California, for example, existing wetlands have the potential to store water and reduce storm surge during storm events if they are enhanced, thereby protecting a great number of low-lying urban places. Greenbelt Alliance has identified eighteen key areas across the Bay Area that have great natural potential to mitigate climate damages and are located in or near communities that will bear greater impacts from climate change. Working with community partners, they plan and implement restoration projects that enhance the ecosystem and increase resilience. Equity also plays an important role in designing resilience hotspots. A process that involves community organizations in the restoration of their environment integrates local expertise and insights and can promote equitable outcomes. By combining science and equity, restoration, equity and resilience can operate collectively. Resilience hotspots can be a natural tool for mitigating climate damages and for advancing climate justice.About our Guest Sadie Wilson is the Director of Planning and Research at Greenbelt Alliance, where she manages resilience hotspots work and advocates for climate smart planning and policy. During her Masters in City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, she contributed to research at many Bay-Area focused institutions including the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, The Center for Cities and Schools, and The Terner Center. Further ReadingGreenbelt Alliance, About the Resilience HotspotsNOAA, Coastal Wetland BenefitsCBS News, Quick Explainer on Urban Heat IslandsEPA, How Inequity affects Heat IslandsQuaranta, Dorati & Pistocchi, Economic Benefits of Urban Greening (Scientific Reports, 2021)Greenbelt Alliance, Read some of Sadie’s work For a full transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/resilience-hotspots-natures-role-in-urban-climate-adaptation/

What is “Green Ammonia”?Ammonia is a vital chemical that sustains half of all food production around the world (through the creation of agricultural fertilizer), but the process we use to make it results in significant greenhouse gas emissions. Ammonia, which is made up of nitrogen and hydrogen, requires extreme heat and pressure and large amounts of energy (usually from fossil fuels) in order to synthesize. “Green ammonia” production reduces this reliance on emission-intensive energy by using cleaner hydrogen inputs and processes that require less energy. Green ammonia, while easier on the planet, is a much harder task to accomplish than mainstream methods. In the Haber-Bosch process, the standard industrial procedure used today, high pressure steam is shot at methane or coal, breaking up the components to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This process requires fossil fuels as an input and releases greenhouse gasses during production, making it a significant contributor to climate change. Once the hydrogen is produced, the Haber-Bosch process synthesizes the hydrogen and nitrogen and separates out ammonia using high temperatures and extreme pressure swings, conditions that require large energy input. The Haber-Bosch process is so energy intensive that this chemical reaction alone accounts for about 1% of global annual CO2 emissions!The Chemical with the Biggest FootprintGreen Ammonia aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in multiple stages of this procedure through different approaches. Areas of research include creating reactors that convert sunlight and air into hydrogen, binding together the hydrogen and nitrogen under less pressure than nearly 200 atmospheres, and using less pressure to separate the finished ammonia from other residual gasses at the end of the procedure. The Ammonia Separation ChallengeWhile the Haber-Bosh process uses a large pressure change to liquefy ammonia gas, this method, and many current separation techniques, are carbon intensive and not fully compatible with cleaner hydrogen sources. Creating technology that can more efficiently capture ammonia at lower temperatures and pressures would reduce the energy costs of producing ammonia significantly. An added bonus? Downscaled reactors require lower temperatures and pressures, potentially enabling small-scale ammonia production on farms themselves.About Benjamin SnyderBenjamin Snyder is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois, where he conducts research combining inorganic, physical, and materials chemistry. He led green ammonia research as an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley, focusing on alternative methods to separate ammonia. For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/green-ammonia-pioneering-a-sustainable-future-in-food-production/

What is CRISPR?DNA contains the fundamental information about an organism, and is used as an instruction manual to guide organism structure and function. Until CRISPR (short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology was developed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, editing DNA sequences was very difficult. Here’s the short version of the CRISPR process. First, a CRISPR enzyme is guided by an RNA strand to a DNA strand researchers want to edit. The RNA strand guides the enzyme to a specific point, and the enzyme cuts the DNA molecule. This CRISPR process can be used to eliminate DNA strands, as well as to replace DNA strands using other “repair” enzymes. It is a direct way for human beings to alter the planet’s biological blueprint, and, accordingly, its impact can be a strong force for change, positive or negative. How can CRISPR be used to fight climate change?CRISPR can be used to edit the genetic sequences of plants so that they capture more carbon during photosynthesis, and store it in the ground long-term. Since around a third of the Earth’s land is cropland, CRISPR-modified agriculture could potentially sequester billions of tons of carbon each year. Professor Kris Niyogi at UC Berkeley studies how CRISPR can be used to increase the efficiency of sunlight utilization in plants during photosynthesis. Photosynthesis captures carbon dioxide, and requires sunlight to do so. By not letting any sunlight go to waste, the plant can capture more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. CRISPR can also be used to create plants with deeper roots, enabling carbon to be stored deeper in the ground. UC Berkeley Professor Peggy Lamaux studies sorghum plants, searching for the genes responsible for sorghum’s deep roots. Related genes in rice and wheat could be altered to have deeper roots, like the sorghum plant. And UC Berkeley Professor Jill Banfield studies how plant-microbe interactions can be altered by CRISPR to store more carbon in soil. Soil microbes secrete sticky biopolymers, which can take soil humic substances and lock them with minerals to create long-lasting associations (potentially up to 100 years) that hold carbon. The Banfield lab aims to CRISPR-modify plants so that they chemically “talk” to microbes, emitting chemicals that encourage the microbes to create more “sticky” carbon, rather than carbon that would be emitted into the atmosphere. Who is Kris Niyogi?Kris Niyogi is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, a professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Niyogi Lab studies photosynthetic energy conversion and its regulation in algae and plants. The lab's long-term research goals are to understand how photosynthesis operates, how it is regulated, and how it might be improved to help meet the world's needs for food and fuel. Dr. Niyogi earned his biology PhD from MIT. Further ReadingIn 10 years, CRISPR transformed medicine. Can it now help us deal with climate change? | University of CaliforniaThis scientist thinks she has the key to curb climate change: super plantsSupercharging Plants and Soils to Remove Carbon from the AtmosphereCRISPR-Cas Can Help Reduce Climate ChangeCan we hack DNA in plants to help fight climate change? For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-crispr-to-fight-climate-change-with-professor-kris-niyogi/

What is Geothermal Energy?Geothermal energy is heat generated in the earth. It is a renewable source of energy, and it is extracted from the inner earth for energy use. Typically, geothermal energy is harnessed through holes that are drilled allowing hot water or steam to be extracted. These resources then drive a turbine to generate electricity and energy. Harnessed in this way, geothermal energy has significantly fewer environmental impacts than fossil fuels. The Pros and Cons of Geothermal EnergyGeothermal energy can provide base load power—available 24/7—which is generally not the case for wind and solar. Wind and solar are intermittent resources, requiring energy storage to be able to match energy demand during times when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining. Second, deriving energy from geothermal sources can be done highly efficiently, with less energy than from other sources. Dependability and cost make geothermal energy an appealing option under the right conditions. However, like other forms of energy, geothermal energy also comes with drawbacks. Geothermal resources may be finite, as they can cool over time. Additionally, there is a high upfront investment cost for geothermal energy. Considering both the positives and negatives of geothermal energy is crucial for understanding future feasibility of this energy source. What’s Next for Geothermal Development?The US is currently the leader in geothermal energy, and policies and development of the resource may be expanding. Colorado has launched “The Heat Beneath Our Feet” initiative, which supports the development of geothermal energy generation. Additionally, the US Department of the Interior has voiced its support in favor of geothermal energy, for it believes that the expansion of geothermal energy carries many benefits. The United States also produces the most geothermal energy, with California producing the second most geothermal energy after Nevada. As a result of new research and technology, we may only be tapping the surface (so to speak) of available geothermal energy. By some estimates, the United States is using less than 1% of the available geothermal energy. With developing technology, there is hope that this untapped energy can be accessed more broadly and in a cost effective manner.About our guestPat Dobson is a staff scientist leading the geothermal assistance program at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He has many years of research experience, and focuses on volcanic rock and the effects of water-rock interaction. This has been the focus of much of his research and publications, and he is currently working on field and coupled process modeling studies of The Geysers with Lawrence Labs and Sanford Underground Research Facility.Further ReadingsNational Geographic, Encyclopedia entry: Geothermal Energy (2022)GreenMatch (UK), Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy – The Source of Renewable Heat (2023)National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Full Steam Ahead: Unearthing the Power of GeothermalU.S. Department of Interior, Geothermal Energy Development, Statement of Tim Spisak (2019)Western Governors’ Association, The Heat Beneath Our FeetCenter for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan, Geothermal Fact Sheet (2022) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/geothermal-power-tapping-earths-heat-for-a-carbon-free-future/

Zero-Emissions Public Transportation: Demand and SupplyGlobally, transportation accounts for approximately one quarter of all CO2 emissions and grew by 3% in 2022. “Buses and other heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for a disproportionate share of the carbon and air pollution emissions from the transportation sector.” As a result, many governments are focusing policies and financial assistance on transitioning heavy-duty vehicles from diesel to zero-emissions vehicles. In the United States, the Federal Transit Administration received $7.5 billion through 2026 for battery-electric buses from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. As public awareness of climate change and the risks associated with climate pollution grow, demand for zero emissions public transportation options is also rising. “Nearly 5,500 new full-size zero-emission transit buses were on the road, on order or funded in the U.S. in 2022, a 66% increase over the previous year.”This public demand requires bus operators to purchase zero-emissions buses and to build or acquire the needed infrastructure for those buses. For larger metropolitan areas, this can pose a significant financial obstacle. For example, the transit authority in Washington, DC, will “buy about 100 electric buses and refurbish a depot to charge and maintain them,” at a cost of $104 million. Thus, the public demand for zero emissions public transportation options translates to local government need for federal grants to respond to that demand. While in the US, much of this money will be coming from the federal government, Scotland’s transportation agency is taking a different approach.Scotland’s Bus Decarbonisation TaskforceTransport Scotland–the national transport agency for Scotland–has ambitious emissions reductions targets for vehicles of all categories, including heavy-duty vehicles, and hopes to achieve those targets through programs like the Mission Zero for Transport initiative, “a mission-led approach” that includes a pledge to “ensure that people and places benefit fairly from the shift to sustainable, zero emission mobility.” Scotland’s Low Carbon Economy Directorate facilitates the development of solutions that leverage the expertise and experiences of participating communities. The Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce is a good example of this. The taskforce developed rounds of bidding for financial and technical assistance from the government, as well as peer-to-peer learning and support opportunities. Initially, small- and medium-sized operators, while frequently interested in transitioning to zero-emissions vehicles, did not have the staffing capacity to develop the bid applications or to seek needed infrastructure improvements, leading to fewer small- and medium-sized operators being able to take advantage of the taskforce’s programs. As a result, the taskforce changed aspects of the second round of bidding to benefit small and medium-sized operators. Benefits of a holistic approach to governanceIn convening and collaborating so closely with the transportation sector, Transport Scotland learned more about the internal dynamics of the industry and how market share facilitates or hampers a transition to zero-emission vehicles. The taskforce also incentivized bidders to collaborate with other sectors, such as bus depots operators that might open their spaces to other operators such as EV charging, potentially accelerating the spread of zero emissions adoption to sectors beyond buses. Finally, the hope is that by developing the skills, abilities, and awareness that will strengthen the market for zero-emission public transportation, eventually the type of support offered by the government will no longer be needed.Time and moneyThere are, of course, drawbacks to such an approach. Financing can be difficult for the private sector. While studies show that total operating costs of running zero emissions buses will be equal to or less than diesel engines, investment in new buses and infrastructure requires significant capital at the start. The transport sector often runs on very small margins, making such capital outlays a precarious option. Additionally, the collaborative and iterative approach takes time, which was particularly true during the covid-19 pandemic. Transform Scotland, a national alliance for sustainable transport, released a report in September 2022 indicating that the Scottish government would not reach their ambitious target of removing the majority of diesel buses from public transport by the end of 2023. In fact, Transform Scotland noted that only about 16% of the fleet would be decarbonized by that time. In a BBC article, the author of the Transform Scotland report, Marie Ferdelman, noted that the group “observed no or only slow progress on the majority of sustainable transport commitments” and that “[t]he climate emergency and the cost of living crisis require urgent action … on delivering sustainable transport commitments.”Technology, contextualizedHavi

Carbon-Free TrucksThe European Green Deal, passed in 2020, sets policy initiatives approved by the European Commission to boost efficient use of resources to green, clean, circular economy and stop climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Reducing emissions from the transportation sector is an important part of the EU’s 2050 zero-emission goal, as the transportation sector accounts for 25% of emissions in the EU.New carbon emission reduction targets approved by the European Commission set an emissions reduction goal of 90%, compared to 2019 levels, for new trucks by 2040. The reduction pathway includes a series of five year incremental targets, starting with a 4% reduction by 2030. This will require the majority of heavy-duty vehicles to switch to electric power, while allowing some to continue using combustion power. Currently, there are 6.2 million trucks in the EU and 99% of them are powered by fossil fuels, with an average lifespan of 14 years. The commission also estimates 70% of newly sold trucks by 2030 will be diesel powered.Challenges and Push Backs to the New TargetsThese new targets face numerous challenges and considerable pushback from the fossil fuel and traditional trucking industries. Because some European regions will be hard to electrify, some parts of Europe may be excluded from the regulation. Other concerns include range insecurity for long-distance trucking, the lack of sufficient EV charging infrastructure, high electricity prices and tariffs, electricity grid congestion which limits installation of charging points, and uneven distribution of charging stations (half of all public EV charging points in the EU are located in the Netherlands and Germany). To combat this problem the EU adopted the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation requiring electric charging infrastructure with a minimum output of 350 kW every 60 km along the TEN-T core network, and charging points every 100 km on the larger TEN-T comprehensive network starting in 2025, and aiming for complete network coverage by 2030. This regulation also requires charging points to be installed in urban areas for delivery vehicles and in safe and secure parking areas for overnight recharging. While truck manufacturers have argued that the transition is happening too quickly, the European Commission considered but did not adopt a 100% emissions reduction target. Environmentalists also raised concerns with the regulations as new carbon emitting trucks built in 2040, will still be on the road in 2050 inhibiting the ability for the EU to reach net zero targets for 2050. One manufacturing company leading the way, is the Swedish truck manufacturer AB Volvo which began producing a series of electric trucks in 2022, and aims for half of its global truck deliveries to be electric by 2030.About Our GuestSofie Defour is the freight director at Transport and Environment, an international secretariat and European advisory agency based in Brussels with a vision for a zero-emission mobility system. Defour leads the road freight team and acts as the clean trucks director. Defour also worked as policy coordinator for climate, energy and environment at the Flemish socialist party and holds a master degree in international politics. Defour sits on the board of the Flemish just transition NGO (Reset.Vlaanderen), as well as on the Sounding Board of the Belgian network for companies with Science Based Targets (Belgian Alliance for Climate Action). ResourcesEuropean Commission, A European Green New DealReuters, Sweden's AB Volvo starts series production of heavy electric trucks (2022) Reuters, EU proposes 90% CO2 emissions cut by 2040 for trucks (2023) Chemistry Views, EU Emission Reduction for New Trucks and City Buses: Zero Emissions Target for New City Buses by 2030 And 90 % Emissions Reduction for New Trucks by 2040 (2023) KPMG, Charging ahead: Addressing EV charging infrastructure challenges in EuropeTransport and Environment, E-truck charging infrastructure For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/carbon-free-trucks-on-the-road-to-zero-emissions/

Lithium BatteriesWhile the use of lithium to power electric vehicle batteries has been around for close to a decade, and while car manufacturers and scientists have been on the hunt for a more efficient battery, today most manufacturers rely on lithium batteries as their primary go-to for power. This leads to a higher demand for lithium mining. Traditional alkaline batteries cannot be repeatedly recharged, while lithium batteries can be reused and recharged efficiently. Another traditional battery—lead-acid—while cheaper to manufacture than lithium batteries has a comparatively lower energy density, which results in a shorter battery life. History of Lithium MiningWhen lithium was first discovered, it was retrieved through open-pit mining, a more energy- and resource-intensive method of extraction. In the late 1990s, companies began to extract lithium from brines drawn up from deep underground. The salt-filled groundwater brine is filled with lithium byproducts, and once the water evaporates, lithium salts can be extracted. The brine is screened and filtered, and the drying process itself can take upwards of a year. Large pools of brine are left to sit and evaporate after being pumped up from underground. In particular, the Salton Sea, located in Southern California, has been found to contain large amounts of lithium that can be extracted from the salts. If developers and scientists can secure a more efficient way of unearthing the lithium from that source, the Salton Sea could prove to be a major site for lithium production for the US. Currently, companies are focusing their efforts on developing new technology and chemical procedures to extract lithium from the deposits in a more sustainable manner. Pros and Cons of Lithium MiningWhile lithium itself provides a more sustainable, cleaner energy source, the process of acquiring lithium through mining has severe environmental impacts. Lithium mining is very disruptive to ecosystems, requiring large land areas for extraction and evaporation. This often leads to impacts on habit and even food production depending on the location of the mine. Lithium mining can also impact the natural composition of the soil in which sites are located. The extraction process is also one that is extremely water-intensive; water is crucial in dissolving the brine and flushing out the lithium. Once extracted and integrated into batteries, lithium has proved to be reliable, efficient, and essential for powering several different renewable energy sources, namely solar and wind, as well as electric vehicles. About the guestPatrick F. Dobson is the head staff scientist of the Geothermal Systems Program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is heavily involved in research surrounding geological and geochemical processes, more specifically his work focuses on the volcanic rocks and the reaction shared between water-rock relations. Dobson’s current work at the lab focuses on exploring methods to extract lithium from deposits deep in the Salton Sea. He and his team are devoted to understanding more about the rock composition at the Salton Sea and how establishing geothermal systems in the area could affect lithium production. Dobson has an extensive background in laboratory research and scholarly publications, much of which has largely focused on using geochemistry to record changes in rocks located at geothermal sites. His learnings have significantly contributed to a better understanding of geothermal systems as well as helped in deciding optimal sites for geothermal drilling. Resources & Further ReadingUtilizing supercritical geothermal systems: a review of past ventures and ongoing research activitiesSalton Sea lithium deposits could help EV transition, support economically devastated areaGeochemistryThe Lithium Gold Rush: Inside the Race to Power Electric VehiclesFor a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/lithium-mining-in-salton-sea-geothermal-system/

Editorial NoteThe interview for this episode was recorded in June 2021. The basic point of the episode remains relevant, but the mentioned campaign is no longer active. ClimateVoice’s current campaign is Escape the Chamber, which calls on companies to leave the US Chamber of Commerce and to speak up and lead on climate policy at local, state, and federal levels. What is Corporate Lobbying for Climate Action?While lobbying—and corporate lobbying in particular—can often have negative connotations, it can be an effective tool to promote legislation to fight climate change. ClimateVoice takes a unique approach to corporate lobbying by incorporating the entire workforce into the process as opposed to just the executive team. ClimateVoice aims to get companies to lobby for policies that provide solutions to climate change. To that end, it reaches out to, engages with, and educates a company’s workforce on climate change issues and solutions. ClimateVoice’s founder, Bill Weihl, notes that a 2021 report showed that “Big Tech has diverted about four percent of their lobbying activity at the U.S federal level to climate-related policies. Big Oil has devoted about 38% of theirs.” ClimateVoice works to bridge this gap between Big Tech and Big Oil. ClimateVoice isn’t the only organization working towards encouraging corporations to lobby for climate change solutions. In 2006, a group of NGOs formed the U.S Climate Action Partnership to advocate for pro-climate policies. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, despite the efforts of the Climate Action Partnership, the “Waxman-Markey Cap-and-Trade Climate Bill failed in the U.S. Senate in 2009, and climate policy entered the wilderness for years.” In recent years, however, environmental organizations such as ClimateVoice have advocated for renewed corporate lobbying to help solve climate change. In 2019, as a result of these efforts, several environmental organizations including The Nature Conservatory, World Wildlife Federation, and Environmental Defense Fund took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for businesses to work towards policies that are consistent with climate science. Challenges Corporate lobbying for climate action faces some challenges. First, it is difficult to mobilize workers and management, and get them to agree on an environmental policy to lobby for. In addition, lobbying itself is not always successful. The process can be long and tedious without producing noticeable results for some time. Lastly, powerful and dedicated corporate interests lobby the government to stop climate action. Nonetheless, the presence of corporate voices lobbying for climate science-informed policy remains a viable way to implement climate change solutions at the legislative level.Who is Bill Weihl?Bill Weihl is the executive director of ClimateVoice. He started his career as an associate professor of computer science at MIT. In 2006, he transitioned to a career in climate action and led Google’s clean energy work. He then spent six years at Facebook as Director of Sustainability. Now at ClimateVoice, he works to use corporate influence to drive climate legislation. Further ReadingCorporate Action on Climate Change Has to Include Lobbying, Harvard Business ReviewHow Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy, The AtlanticA Closer Look At How Corporations Influence Congress, NPRThe challenging politics of climate change, BrookingsClimate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics, Resources for the FutureGlossary: Policy cycle | Monitoring Guide, Right to EducationAbout Us, ClimateVoice For a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/corporate-lobbying-as-an-ally/

What is the “30 by 30” Movement?The 30 by 30 movement is a global initiative aimed at conserving 30 percent of the Earth’s land by the year 2030. In October 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed executive order N-82-20, which committed California to this movement. The state aims to protect 30 percent of its lands and coastal areas by 2030. With an investment of $11 billion, California is among the first jurisdictions to implement a comprehensive 30 by 30 strategy. As of 2020, California had already protected 24 percent of its lands and 16 percent of its coastal waters.To reach the 30 percent target, an additional six million acres of land will need to be conserved. The 30 by 30 Initiative in CaliforniaOne of the primary objectives of 30 by 30 in California is protecting biodiversity. The initiative focuses on preserving ecosystems, supporting biodiversity services, and mitigating climate change impacts.Natural lands serve as significant carbon sinks, helping remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Locally driven conservation is also a critical part of the state’s conservation vision as it hopes to increase access to nature for everyone. The initiative strives to promote more resilient ecosystems, including healthier forests and wetlands, which can help to combat climate change. Efforts also include river conservation, floodplain management, and protecting coastal wetlands from rising sea levels. The State is collaborating with federal agencies, tribes, and local communities to achieve these goals. Within state government, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is part of the California Natural Resources Agency, is working to identify areas with high concentrations of biodiversity and rare species. Another key pillar of the 30 by 30 initiative in California is advancing tribal partnerships. The State is working to co-manage land with tribal partners, return land to tribes when possible, and increase tribal access to culturally significant lands and waters.As part of this effort, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife consulted with seventy tribes on conservation matters. Information gleaned during those meetings helped the Department identify priority lands for conservation. In July 2023, the Natural Resources Agency received a $101 million dollar grant to support tribal conservation initiatives and funding for the reacquisition of the indigenous communities’ ancestral lands. Jennifer Norris, Deputy Secretary for Biodiversity and Habitat at the Natural Resources Agency, said that “tribes want the opportunity to get back to their lands, to manage the lands that are part of their history and their legacy.” The Natural Resource Department aims to provide tribes with the technical support to achieve these goals.California’s 30 by 30 initiative also relies on citizen-driven conservation efforts. Citizens can help achieve the initiative’s goals by planting native plants in their gardens to increase biodiversity, reducing pesticide use, and supporting biodiversity-enhancing efforts. California’s Natural Resources Agency is spearheading California’s 30 by 30 initiative and conservation goals. The agency consists of twenty-six distinct departments, conservancies, and commissions; its work affects state parks, wilderness areas, working cattle ranches, and sustainably managed forests, among other areas.30 by 30 Initiative ChallengesA primary challenge of the 30 by 30 initiative is the potential conflict between conservation efforts and other land uses. Striking a balance between conserving land and allowing for economic activities can be difficult, especially if conservation efforts lead to land use restrictions. A significant portion of California’s land is privately owned, and private landowners and ranching communities have voiced concern about the initiative. Convincing private landowners to participate in conservation efforts can be challenging due to concerns about property rights, economic impacts, and limitations on land use. While the 30 by 30 initiative aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change, it also needs to consider the changing climate itself. Climate change can lead to shifts in ecosystems, which might impact the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Adaptive management strategies will be necessary to ensure that conserved lands remain resilient in the face of changing climate conditions.Who is Jennifer Norris? Jennifer Norris is the Deputy Secretary for Biodiversity and Habitat at the California Natural Resources Agency. Jennifer and her team developed the strategic vision for the 30 by 30 initiative in California. She also leads the “Green Cutting Tape” project, which supports large-scale habitat creation. Jennifer has held numerous positions in federal and state government including most recently as supervisor of the Sacramento office of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. She has extensive experience in conservation policy, endangered species protection, and ec

What are the problems with current beer production methods?Beer is primarily composed of water—making up about 90 percent of its content. Annually, over 100 billion gallons of beer are produced and shipped, meaning nearly 90 billion gallons of water are being transported in the form of beer. This is significant because approximately 20 percent of a beer’s carbon footprint is attributed to transportation. In response, Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT) has proposed a new type of beer that can reduce transportation costs, material use, and overall emissions. A Sustainable SolutionSBT’s approach allows beer to travel through the supply chain as a concentrated liquid, reducing its water content to one-sixth that of conventional beer. In practical terms, one 13-pound bag of concentrated beer can yield the equivalent of 48 pints of fully hydrated beer. The condensed form of the beer significantly decreases the weight and physical size of the beer as it moves through the supply chain, which in turn reduces between 450 and 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions for every 48 pints produced. Additionally, the only packaging that is not recyclable is the bag of beer itself. All of the boxes used in transportation are recyclable, which significantly reduces the waste from beer production and transportation. Current partnerships allow SBT to ship this concentrated beer formula to various vendors, who then rehydrate the beer before selling it to consumers. SBT is actively working to expand these partnerships to further reduce emissions in the beer industry. Effect on ConsumersThis new beer will have minimal effect on the end consumer and will mainly influence partners and suppliers. SBT’s beer requires rehydration at its final destination; SBT is developing specialized technology to facilitate this. This beer allows consumers to keep enjoying their drinks while knowing they are contributing to a sustainable solution. About Gary Tickle Gary Tickle serves as the CEO of Sustainable Beverage Technologies.Alongside his partner, the original founder, he leads a team of innovators focused on crafting sustainable solutions for the beer industry while maintaining the beer flavor and feel. For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/raising-the-bar-brewing-a-greener-future-with-concentrated-beer-with-gary-tickle/

Educating Girls is a Climate SolutionToday, an estimated 80 percent of people displaced by climate disasters are women and girls, and women living below the poverty line are as much as 14 times more likely to die in a climate disaster. An already more at-risk population, women and girls are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly if they live in economically disadvantaged communities. Low-income countries tend to be “young” countries with a large under-15 population. Climate change is a youth-centered problem – it will have a greater impact on children and future generations. Girls in these countries often have lower access to education compared to their male counterparts. But education, and especially education about climate change and climate policy, can contribute to climate resilience for girls. Involving girls in climate education, action, and leadership gives girls a “seat at the table” in climate policy discussions, and resilience against climate disaster can keep more girls (and all children) in school. Girls in low-income countries are the least responsible for climate change yet often bear the brunt of its effects. By equipping girls with tools to combat the climate crisis, and centering women’s rights in climate discussions, countries can reduce the negative impacts of climate change for girls and the rest of society. Who is Christina Kwauk?Christina Kwauk is an education consultant and policy analyst who specializes in the intersections between gender, education, and climate change. She is currently the Research Director at Unbounded Associates, a woman-owned small business that works with a broad network of non-governmental organizations, multilateral agencies, governments, and researchers to improve the global education space. Christina is also the founder and director of her own practice, Kwauk & Associates. Previously a fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, she researched and developed expertise in girls’ education and climate change in developing countries, publishing numerous articles and reports on the subject. Christina holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota, an M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a B.S. in Psychology from The University of the South. Learn MoreEducation is key to addressing climate change | United NationsGirls’ education in climate strategies | UNGEIGender transformative education | UNGEIPlan International USA For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://climatebreak.org/educating-girls-to-address-gendered-impacts-of-climate-change/

Background on LuxembourgLuxembourg is a tiny country in Western Europe wedged between Belgium, France, and Germany. It has one of the highest vehicle densities in the EU, with nine out of ten people relying on personal vehicles. The country is currently facing rapid population growth, stressing its mobility infrastructure and complicating efforts to meet emission goals in line with the European Green New Deal. Luxembourg’s green mobility goals include increasing the number of EVs on the road, expanding public transit, and decarbonizing air travel. Electric Vehicle SubsidiesLuxembourg is taking a more European-style top-down approach to its electric vehicle problem. The government is first creating a market for electric vehicles through subsidizing EV purchases and financing charging networks. Free market action follows government subsidies, accelerating the development of more affordable and desirable EVs. The United States recently moved in this direction with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, though the federal government still lags far behind most European governments on climate action. Public TransitKey to Luxembourg’s approach to green mobility is reducing the large number of cars on its roads. Since 2020, public transit has been completely free in Luxembourg. This has had mixed results; the Covid-19 pandemic discouraged public transport riding. Luxembourg has also developed an app/GPS service integrating different transit options onto one platform and allowing for easy comparison of different mobility options. AviationLuxembourg invests in green aviation, holding shares in Norsk e-Fuel– a Norwegian industry consortium focused on the production of what is known as SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel). Eventually, Luxembourg envisions planes running purely on green hydrogen, but this is a dream that will likely take years to come true. For now, “synthetic aviation fuel”, which uses captured carbon along with green hydrogen, is a low-carbon solution. Luxembourg is working with its Norwegian partners to build a green-hydrogen factory, necessary for any kind of SAF. Who is Minister François Bausch?Minister Bausch is the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg and Minister of Mobility and Public Works. He is the leader of the Green Party in Luxembourg. Prior to his political career, Minister Bausch was an officer with Luxembourg National Railways, and has seen the rapid expansion of railway transport throughout his tenure in government. Learn More About Luxembourg and Green MobilityEuropean Parliament Briefing – Climate Action in LuxembourgThe Luxembourg Government (Press Release) – Luxembourg In Transition–Towards a zero-carbon, resilient and sustainable territorySustainability Journal – Characterizing the Theory of Energy Transition in LuxembourgIEA – Luxembourg climate resilience policy indicator For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/learning-from-luxembourgs-approach-to-evs-with-minister-of-mobility-francois-bausch/

Youth-Led Climate LitigationWorldwide, litigants are turning to the courts as a forum for fighting climate change, filing lawsuits against governments in an attempt to force climate action. Plaintiffs in these lawsuits are often children and young adults, who represent those most affected by government climate inaction. A notable early example of youth-led litigation related to climate change was in the Philippines in the 1990s, where forty-three students sued the Philippine government to protect their village’s forest. Though the case was initially dismissed in lower courts on the ground that the students were children and did not have legal standing to sue, the students ultimately won their case and deforestation was halted. In the United States in 2015, twenty-one young people, the organization Earth Guardians, and climate scientist James Hansen (collectively, “plaintiffs”), represented by lawyers from the organization Our Children’s Trust, sued the U.S. government in a case called Juliana v. United States of America. The plaintiffs alleged that the U.S. government, in not taking sufficient action to fight climate change, knowingly violated their Fifth Amendment due process rights to life, liberty and property, and knowingly violated its commitment to protect public lands. In 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case on the ground that the legislative and executive branches have the power to address climate change, not the judicial system. Still, despite the ruling, Juliana v. United States catalyzed a climate litigation movement across the country and world, and a documentary film about the case increased its impact. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling did not end the case, which was sent back to the district court for further proceedings. In June 2023, the district court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend their complaint. Plaintiffs are hoping to survive additional motions to dismiss so that the case can proceed to trial. Our Children’s Trust has sued state governments on behalf of young people in all fifty states. Although most of those cases have been dismissed, the first of these cases to go to trial was Held v. Montana in June 2023. Additionally, in September 2023, Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation is set to go to trial. These trials are the first in the United States involving youth-led constitutional climate cases, with the plaintiffs both using language from Montana’s and Hawaii’s constitutions to make their case. Is Climate Change a Question for the Courts?This is an ongoing debate. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Juliana v. United States case in 2020, with the majority opinion concluding that climate change is an issue for Congress and the Executive Branch to handle, rather than the judicial system. But Hawaii’s First Circuit Judge Jeffrey Crabtree argued, in response to lawyers for the Hawaii Department of Transportation who made a similar argument, that Navahine F. v. Hawaii Department of Transportation should be allowed to go to trial. Judge Crabtree wrote that “the courts unequivocally have an important and long-recognized role in interpreting and defending constitutional guarantees.” A separate and difficult legal question concerns the nature and extent of the public trust doctrine and what duty might apply to the government. The courts will need to wrestle with that set of issues if the cases reach the trial stage. Who is Julia Olson?Julia Olson is Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel of Our Children’s Trust, the organization representing the youth plaintiffs in the climate change litigation discussed in this article. She earned her law degree (JD) from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco (then known as UC Hastings) in 1997 and began her legal career representing grassroots conservation groups working to protect the environment, organic agriculture, and human health. Since becoming a mother, Julia has focused her advocacy on youth climate action and founded Our Children’s Trust to further this mission. Further ReadingWatch Youth v Gov | NetflixMeet the Youth Plaintiffs, Our Children’s TrustJuliana v. United States, Harvard Law Review (2021)It’s Kids vs. the World in a Landmark Climate Complaint, Gizmodo (2019)Trump admin again asks Supreme Court to stop youth climate lawsuit, The Hill (2018) For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/climate-change-litigation-on-behalf-of-young-people-with-julia-olson/

What is plastic? Plastic is a material derived primarily from carbon-based sources like natural gas, oil, and even plants. It is created by treating these organic materials with heat and catalysts to form various polymers. Producing plastic is energy-intensive, often relying on the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, both for power and as a primary source.As a product of fossil fuels, plastic itself is unsustainable because of its fundamental connection to nonrenewable energy. Since its introduction in the early 1900s, plastic has become omnipresent due to its cost-effectiveness and versatility. However, the environmental toll of our extensive plastic consumption — impacting oceans, wildlife, and contributing to climate change — is undeniable.Unlike natural organisms, plastic decomposes at a very slow rate due to its polymer structure. Though some recently identified microorganisms, like the Rhodococcus ruber strain studied by PhD student Maaike Goudriaan, show promise in digesting plastic faster, the research remains preliminary.Types of Plastic Most plastics we use, like bags and bottles, originate from oil and natural gas. Their widespread use has led to significant environmental contamination. On the other hand, there are bio-based plastics derived from sources like food waste, starch, or plants. Not all of these are biodegradable, and even these can harm the environment when they break down into tiny fragments consumed by wildlife.Addressing the Plastic IssueWhile completely eliminating plastic use seems unlikely, there are dedicated efforts to reduce its consumption. Grassroots organizations, like the Berkeley Ecology Center led by Martin Bourque, emphasize local community engagement and education. They advocate for sustainable practices such as using reusable bags, ditching plastic utensils, and employing minimal plastic in packaging. Initiatives like Berkeley's Single Use Disposable Ordinance have been instrumental in cutting down disposable food ware waste, like the clamshell packaging found in the produce section of grocery stores. Prioritizing bio-based plastics and managing our plastic consumption are essential steps towards a sustainable future.Who is Martin Bourque?Martin Bourque is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Ecology Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing community well-being and the environment. The Center's initiatives range from incentivizing farmer's markets to championing community-based policies. Outside of the Ecology Center, Bourque has also served on numerous state and national boards to help build the organic farming movement.Bourque earned his Bachelor of Arts in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior from UC San Diego and his Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and Environmental Policy from UC Berkeley. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/tackling-the-plastic-crisis-with-martin-bourque/

The Carbon Cost of AviationTransportation is a leading contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with air travel playing a significant role. In the United States, the transportation sector accounted for 29 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. Commercial airplanes and large business jets contributed ten percent of U.S. transportation emissions, and three percent of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. EPA. Despite reduced travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel demand has rebounded and is expected to continue growing. Hydrogen’s Potential to Power AviationHydrogen offers three times more energy per kilogram than jet fuel and emits no toxic fumes when combusted. Its higher energy density and capacity for consistent electrical power make it a promising potential energy source for aircraft. Compared to aircraft powered by fossil fuels, there are many potential advantages to aircraft powered by hydrogen: zero emissions, increased efficiency, greater power, a longer operational lifespan, and benign byproducts (water and heat). For heavy transport in particular, hydrogen may be a promising option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions where the lower energy density (and accompanying lower range), high initial costs, and slow recharging performance of batteries are disadvantages.While promising, hydrogen fuel cells are a relatively new technology. Current tests by companies like ZeroAvia suggest that commercial viability of hydrogen powered aircraft is years away. Because hydrogen fuel is difficult to transport, major infrastructure changes, including on-site hydrogen production at airports, are needed to make this technology practical and scalable; significant funding is needed to bolster research to support this transition. Moreover, the production of hydrogen fuel can itself be a carbon intensive process because it takes energy to produce hydrogen fuel. When that energy comes from fossil fuels, the hydrogen production process can result in significant carbon emissions. But when that energy comes from renewable sources, the process can be emission free.About Val MiftakhovVal Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, started the company in 2018 with the goal of making the future of aviation more sustainable. Prior to ZeroAvia, Miftakhov founded eMotorWerks, an electric vehicle infrastructure company, where one of his many projects was creating high-tech EV charging models. He earned his PhD in physics at Princeton University.Further ReadingZeroAvia and Absolut Hydrogen Partner to Develop Liquid Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure for Aircraft Operations, ZeroAviaThe Growth in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commercial Aviation, Environmental and Energy Study InstituteWorking to Build a Net-Zero Sustainable Aviation System by 2050, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Aviation and global climate change in the 21st century, Atmos Environ Airplane Pollution, Transport & Environment Clean Energy 101: The Colors of Hydrogen, RMI For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/hydrogen-fuels-potential-to-decarbonize-aviation/

What’s the state of air quality in Ghana?Over the last century, environmental pollution and air quality have been worsening in Africa. An estimated 28,000 deaths in Ghana and 780,000 deaths across the continent each year are associated with poor air quality. The World Health Organization found air pollution in 2020 to be the second highest risk factor for premature death in Ghana. Vehicle emissions, industrial waste, slash-and-burn farming methods, industrial pollution, and biomass burning are the leading contributors to air pollution in the region. The role of air quality monitoring in public awarenessLimited air quality monitoring has also exacerbated the problem, as much of air pollution research in Africa is based on modeled data and estimates rather than data collected on-site. One reason for this is the high initial, maintenance, and operating costs of reference-grade air quality monitors. Poor communication of air quality levels also intensifies this situation by leading to a lack of public understanding of the existence, extent, and damages of air pollution. Limited expertise, lack of political will, and economic resistance to change polluting behaviors have also contributed to the current situation. Why low-cost environmental sensors?One solution to improve air quality monitoring in the region is the emergence and utility of low-cost environmental sensing tools. Today over 30 Purpleair PA-II sensors are deployed throughout Africa, and data from these sensors can be accessed through PurpleAir map or OpenAQ platform. PurpleAir specializes in low-cost air quality monitoring sensors that connect to Wifi to map and share the data on an app. Clean Air One Atmosphere has also helped increase public awareness of air quality by making this data available through the Yakokoe app. However, limited expertise in testing and deploying sensors, analyzing data, and interpreting the results still remains a challenge. A lack of robust infrastructure, reliable internet access, and staff to manage the data are also obstacles. Inequality within access to the data is also a problem, as many of the monitoring stations are located near the capital and urban areas. Benefits of increasing public awareness of poor air qualityIncreased awareness of the importance of air quality monitoring in Ghana has improved in recent years. In 2021, a collaboration between the World Bank’s Pollution Management and Environmental Health Program, the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana, and the United States installed three new state-of-the-art air quality monitoring systems. These systems were installed at the University of Ghana in Legon, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Basic School in Adabraka, and on grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Accra. They measure particulate matter, black carbon, and weather data. Monitoring concentrations of black carbon is vital as it is a short-lived climate pollutant. Although the atmospheric lifetime of black carbon is only four to twelve days, its warming impact on the atmosphere is 460-1,500 times stronger than carbon dioxide.The U.S. Embassy also publishes data from its station online to increase public accessibility. The goal of this project was also to utilize the data to formulate strategies, policies, and decisions to reduce air pollution. However, air pollution still remains a high concern as the national government does not have nationwide air quality policies or targets. Ghana does have some sector-specific policies and clean air initiatives in Accra, but air pollution remains a growing problem as the country is facing rapid urbanization. Increased air quality monitoring in the country will hopefully increase awareness of air pollution and create policy changes and pollution reductions that will not only benefit Ghanaians, but help the global fight against climate change.About our guestDr. Collins Gameli Hodoli is an environmental scientist, researcher, and activist with a Ph.D. in Environmental and Agri-Food from Cranfield University, UK. The goal of his work is to “engage, educate and empower African citizens on the health-damaging impacts of air pollution.” Holodi is also the founder and director of Clean Air One Atmosphere (CAOA). Over the past three years, CAOA has leveraged international collaboration and the utility of open-source air quality (AQ) data to create awareness of air pollution and associated health risks, meaningfully communicating near-real-time air quality levels and corresponding health effects via locally built first-ever mobile application Yakokoe across Africa. CAOA is the first organization in Africa working to provide such data to better inform public health surveillance, support air pollution health effect studies, and educate civilians. Further readingGreen Living Chats podcast, Tackling air pollution in Ghana (Africa) – what you should know (Hodoli)Addressing the air pollution challenge in Africa – a cocktail approach (Hodoli, 2021)Desert Dust, Industrialization, and Agric

What are Paleo Valleys? Paleo Valleys were created at the end of the last ice age by melting glaciers that carved into the sediments deposited in the Central Valley. When the glaciers receded, high-velocity meltwater carried sediments and grain material into the valley. These sediments are extremely porous, and the permeability means they can absorb 60 times more water than surrounding clay. Because of this, they provide a pathway that can draw surface water hundreds of meters down to aquifers, which also hold water in soil. Using Paleo ValleysPaleo valleys can greatly benefit aquifer recharge. Because of the high permeability, paleo valleys can hold large quantities of water and provide a direct route for water to the aquifers. As the result of drought and pumping from aquifers, California groundwater is significantly depleted. Paleo valleys can help replenish the groundwater. In addition, paleo valleys can store excess water during storms, which can then help replenish groundwater. Thus, identifying and enhancing paleo valleys could increase our capacity to hold and store water below ground in California. Challenges in Locating ValleysIn the Sierra Nevada Mountains, each of the major rivers draining watersheds are likely to have associated paleo valleys. However, locating these paleo valleys has proved challenging for scientists and researchers. Finding the valleys requires substantial soil testing, and it has taken scientists longer than anticipated to uncover just a few of the paleo valleys suspected to exist. That is where airborne electromagnetic imaging (AEM) comes in. This technology uses electromagnetic pulses and responses (usually from airplane overflights) to distinguish the soil types in these regions. This method has been used to visualize and more easily identify paleo valleys in the Sierras and the Central Valley. Rosemary Knight and her team have been using this technique to map out optimal locations where the subsurface provides a good storage capacity. These results have helped Knight create a three-dimensional map showing the makeup of the land, essential to identifying paleo valleys. About Our GuestDr. Rosemary Knight is a geophysics professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Her research focuses on developing geophysical methods for imaging. She specifically uses electromagnetic methods to explore how the movement of water in the subsurface is distributed, and what processes cause this. She has conducted many studies and published multiple papers on modeling these land characteristics, and her developments have revolutionized the ability to identify subsurfaces. Further ReadingAirborne geophysical method images fast paths for managed recharge of California's groundwater (Knight et al. 2022).How CA's ancient hidden waterways could be key to recharging state's depleted groundwaterCapturing the Flood in California’s Ancient Underground WaterwaysWhat is Airborne Electromagnetics?For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-paleo-valleys-to-recharge-aquifers-with-dr-rosemary-knight/

What are motorcycle taxis? Motorcycle taxis are indispensable in East Africa and other developing countries. In large cities experiencing unplanned growth, agile moto-taxis can navigate congestion while transporting millions of people. In Rwanda, more than half of all vehicles on the road at any moment are motorcycle taxis. But gasoline-powered motorcycles are not cheap: fuel is expensive, maintenance can be expensive, and the motorcycles can cause serious air pollution and emit greenhouse gasses. What is Ampersand? Ampersand makes affordable electric vehicles and charging systems for the five million motorcycle taxi drivers in East Africa, who are known locally as ‘motars’. Headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, Ampersand grew from a tiny garage project into Africa's leading electric vehicle company, with a team of more than two hundred people based in Kenya and Germany. Since launching in May 2019 with twenty electric motorcycles (known as “e-motos”), the company has put hundreds of e-motos on roads across East Africa. With gas-powered motorcycles, many drivers spend over $11 daily on fuel and vehicle costs, but make as little as $1.60 each day. Going electric can double a driver’s income by reducing fuel costs and drive Africa towards a zero-carbon future. Ampersand advertises its motorcycles as vehicles that have excellent driving performance, need minimal customer behavior change, emit 75 percent less carbon than gas-powered motorcycles, have zero tailpipe emissions, and save drivers over $500 USD a year—significant savings for a family of three in Rwanda. How does Ampersand work?The Ampersand system works as follows:A motorcycle driver purchases or leases an Ampersand e-moto.When the battery is low, the driver comes to an Ampersand swap station.Ampersand switches depleted battery for a new battery, while driver pays for the energy used by the depleted battery.The driver continues their drive, swapping for another new battery when needed.Through this model, drivers do not incur the risk of buying a lithium battery pack or waiting for batteries to recharge, losing time and customers in the process. Each battery is high-range and so requires stopping at Ampersand stations less often than drivers would need to do if refueling with gasoline. Ampersand e-motos cost less than gas-powered motorcycles to lease or buy, and half as much to power. Using electricity from a fossil-fuel-powered grid, the e-motos produce 75 percent fewer lifecycle greenhouse emissions than gas-powered motorbikes. Using electricity generated from renewable energy sources, they produce 98 percent fewer lifecycle greenhouse emissions than gas-powered motorcycles. Ampersand batteries are assembled locally in Rwanda.Who is Alp Tilev?Alp Tilev is the Chief Technical Officer at Ampersand Motorcycles. He first came to Rwanda to join Great Lakes Energy, where he worked on remote monitoring for solar energy systems of health centers in off-grid areas. He worked for many years as a computer scientist at Microsoft, helping to make Microsoft relevant for hackers and startups in the New York City community. Tilev started his career in natural language processing and machine learning for Fast Search, a Norwegian software startup. Alp holds a BA computer science from the University of Aarhus and Istanbul Bilgi University.Further ReadingRwanda’s Electric Motorbike Revolution Speeds Ahead, World Economic ForumRwandan Electric Motorcycle Startup Ampersand Secures $9m Debt Facility, Disrupt AfricaEast Africa’s Transition to Electric Vehicles, Local SourceThe Love-Hate Relationship Between East Africa and Boda Boda Two-Wheeled Taxis, BloombergRwanda Goes Electric with Locally Made Motorbikes, BBC News For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/electrifying-motorcycle-taxis-in-africa-to-reduce-emissions-and-save-drivers-money/

What is a Prescribed Burn?Prescribed burns “reduc[e] excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, encouraging the new growth of native vegetation, and maintaining the many plant and animal species whose habitats depend on periodic fire,” according to Smokey Bear. Prescribed burns are conducted by intentionally igniting a fire on a day with very little to no wind in the forecast, in an area with abundant dry brush that was not recently burned. Fire is a natural part of California’s ecosystems. Prescribed burning mimics natural processes by reducing kindling and other fuel on forest floors, which in turn reduces the likelihood that massive and deadly wildfires will occur.The History of Prescribed BurnsFor thousands of years, Native tribes around the world have practiced cultural burning, otherwise known as prescribed burning. Cultural burning is “the intentional lighting of smaller, controlled fires to provide a desired cultural service, such as promoting the health of vegetation and animals that provide food, clothing, ceremonial items and more,” according to journalist Dave Roos.Roos notes that Spanish colonizers not only brought disease and violence to America, but a prohibition on cultural burning practices: “one of the first official proclamations by a Spanish bureaucrat in California in 1793 was to outlaw ‘Indian burning,’ which was viewed as a threat to the Spanish cattle herds and pastures.” According to The Guardian, the US government passed the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians in 1850, which outlawed practices of cultural, prescribed, or intentional burning before California was even a state. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wildfires increased in size and intensity. Roos writes that “Millions of acres were destroyed by a series of deadly wildfires, many caused by sparks thrown from the new transcontinental railroad.”Fire suppression can lead to a buildup of ‘fuel’ in forest landscapes, including fallen trees and drought-ridden undergrowth that help wildfires start and spread. Frequently controlled burning reduces this accumulated fuel and in turn reduces the intensity and severity of wildfires. The Controversy around Prescribed BurnsThe practice of prescribed burning is not without controversy. According to Bryant Baker, Conservation Director for ForestWatch, controlled burns could inadvertently exacerbate the problem they are trying to solve by killing native plants and causing the proliferation of invasive, early-drying grasses with low ignition points. Baker argues that this cycle could actually increase fire risk: “The spread of invasive grasses is increasing the frequency of fires. They pose a greater fire risk because they dry out earlier in the year … and have a very low ignition point.”Current Regulations around Prescribed BurningSince 2014, Native American tribes are required to obtain a permit signed by the local, state, or federal government before doing a prescribed or cultural burn. In addition to the permit, tribes must have a safety plan in place prior to the burn. These restrictions, while cumbersome, reduce the risk of prescribed burns resulting in uncontrolled fires. Nonetheless, the partnership of firefighters and Native American tribes in the practice of prescribed and cultural burns is becoming more common, bridging over two hundred years of restrictions that curbed a vital practice of stewardship, and which ultimately created the dangerous wildfire conditions we face today. Prescribed burns are also a vital wildfire prevention tool utilized by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The agency uses planned and controlled application of fire as an efficient and cost-effective land management tool to reduce vegetation and wildfire risk. Approximately 125,000 acres of wildlands are treated with prescribed burns annually in California, and this number is expected to rise as the risk of wildfires continues to grow and more access is given to Native Tribes to utilize this tool as well. Bill Tripp and the Karuk TribeBill Tripp is the Director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy for the Karuk Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources. The Karuk Tribe is a sovereign aboriginal people whose territory spans over a million acres in California and southern Oregon. The Karuk’s Natural Resource Department was established in 1989 and operates over 85 projects in 9 integrated program areas ranging from fisheries and water quality to wildfire management and generational learning. The mission of the department is to “protect, enhance and restore the natural resources and ecological processes upon which the Karuk people depend.” Within the department they have established a wildfire management program that trains members to meet national and state standards for fire response, which is the same system required for prescribed fires. Tripp is also a tribal government representative for the Biden Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission, as

What are solar windows? Solar windows, also known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), are windows that generate electricity from sunlight. They are typically made with thin, transparent layers of photovoltaic material that can capture and convert solar energy into electricity while still allowing light to pass through, so as to avoid sacrificing visibility. Solar windows are an emerging alternative to traditional solar panels in buildings and homes that can be seamlessly integrated into the design of the building and do not take up additional space. Conventional solar panels use silicon semiconductors, which absorb energy from both visible and invisible wavelengths of light. However, solar windows need to allow visible light to pass through, so they use organic semiconductors instead. Organic semiconductors contain a large amount of carbon in their molecules and have narrow spectral absorption bands, meaning they only absorb wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. This allows visible light to pass through the window while still generating electricity from sunlight. Solar windows are an emerging technology; scientists are actively researching and developing new types of solar windows, such as transparent coatings, customizable smart windows, and switchable windows. Solar windows have the potential to make a significant contribution to renewable energy generation and the transition to a low-carbon economy. By harnessing the power of sunlight, they can generate electricity for homes, buildings, and other structures, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. These windows may be particularly useful in buildings with large window areas or limited roof space for traditional solar panels, providing an alternative, or additional, way to generate electricity from renewable sources. Who is Professor Stephen Forrest? Stephen Forrest, an engineering professor at the University of Michigan, is the co-author of two recent studies related to solar windows. The first study examines the costs associated with building and installing solar windows, while the second study focuses on a process for manufacturing large and efficient solar windows. As an expert in the field, Professor Forrest has valuable insights into the potential and challenges of solar windows as a renewable energy source. Sources: https://www.nrel.gov/tech-deployment/buildings-research/solar-windows.htmlhttps://news.engin.umich.edu/2022/07/toward-manufacturing-semitransparent-solar-cells-the-size-of-windows/https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/organic-semiconductorhttps://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2017/nrel-develops-switchable-solar-window.htmlhttps://www.anl.gov/article/customizable-smart-window-technology-could-improve-energy-efficiency-of-buildingshttps://www.science.org/content/article/skyscrapers-could-soon-generate-their-own-power-thanks-see-through-solar-cellshttps://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(22)00289-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2542435122002896%3Fshowall%3Dtruehttps://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/se/d0se00910e/unauthhttps://www.science.org/content/article/ultrathin-organic-solar-cells-could-turn-buildings-power-generators For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/could-windows-be-a-source-of-solar-energy-with-professor-stephen-forrest/