Climate change is affecting everyday lives. Record-breaking temperatures, melting ice and more frequent coastal flooding are just some of the intensifying risks communities face as the globe continues to warm. Dr. Steve Koonin, a former U.S. Secretary of Science, and Dr. Michael Greenstone, Director of the Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, describe the impacts of climate change.
Hydraulic fracturing made gas abundant, which made it cheap. This allowed gas to replace coal in our power sector. Though gas has lower carbon emissions, it’s still not carbon free. Dr. Naomi Boness, Managing Director of the Natural Gas Initiative at Stanford University and Rachel Fakhry, Analyst for the Climate & Clean Air programs at the National Resources Defense Council.
In many countries, solar and wind are now the cheapest new generation to install, though they provide just 4% of global electricity today. Scaling up 25X would be an extraordinary challenge, but they make power without carbon. Could wind and solar one day power the world, or not? Robert Bryce, a best-selling author, and Leia Guccione, Managing Director of Carbon Free Electricity at RMI.
Renewables make power without carbon, but can they scale up? Solar and wind enjoy favorable public opinion now, but some say that once consumers realize the materials, mining and land use required for such an expansion, public opinion may turn. Leia Guccione and Robert Bryce continue the conversation about whether or not solar and wind could one day power the world.
Countries are excited about hydrogen as a way to reduce their CO2 emissions, but costs need to come down and continued technological and manufacturing developments will be required for hydrogen to compete. Dr. Julio Friedmann, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Dr. Steve Hamburg, the Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, discuss.
Transitioning the developed world toward lower carbon energies, and the developing world toward having enough energy, are grand and sometimes conflicting challenges. Both will cost trillions of dollars. Where will this money come from? Deborah Byers, Partner and Americas Industry Leader at EY, and Ken Medlock, the Senior Director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, discuss.
The world is changing - and so is the world of energy. Many experts think coal, oil and natural gas will remain our largest global energy sources. Meanwhile, solar and wind become more affordable, encouraging their growth worldwide. Sec. Ernie Moniz, the 13th United States Secretary of Energy, and Dr. Dan Yergin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, discuss the new geopolitics of energy, discuss.
Nuclear proponents say we can’t meet climate goals without expanding the fleet and pursuing new nuclear technologies, while opponents say cost and time are the main issues. Will nuclear power play a role in decarbonizing the electricity sector? Dr. Arjun Makhijani, the President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Michael Shellenberger, a best-selling author, discuss.
If we are to meet decarbonization targets, each nuclear plant could take over a decade to permit and construct, while alternatives could be deployed in a few years. The conversation continues between Dr. Arjun Makhijani and Michael Shellenberger about whether or not expanding nuclear power will play a significant role in decarbonizing the electricity sector, in the US and globally.
Energy sustainability can be grouped into three areas: Environmental: can an energy resource operate in equilibrium with the environment? Sociopolitical: do its benefits enrich broad society? Economic: can it operate profitably to support itself. Dr. Bridget Scanlon, Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Sean O’Donnell, Partner at Quantum Energy, discuss.
Carbon-based fuels provide more than 80% of global energy. To reduce emissions will take time and money. What are the benefits of a carbon tax? Or would it be more effective to encourage carbon-reducing technologies? Dr. Billy Pizer, the Vice President of Research and Policy Engagement at Resources for the Future, and Sasha Mackler, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center discuss.
The oil and gas industry provides 10 million US jobs and billions to the economy. But investors are fleeing due to CO2 concerns and declining returns. Could a system built on low carbon energies replace the benefits of oil and gas? Dr. David Victor, a Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at UC San Diego, and Matt Gallagher, former CEO of Parsley Energy, discuss.
Liquifying natural gas and shipping it around the world in tankers could make it available to all at a global market price. While this could boost industry and help developing nations choose gas as an alternative to coal, some say LNG import terminals are too expensive and its trade may increase emissions. Octávio Simões, CEO of Tellurian, and Jake Schmidt, Senior Climate Director at NRDC, discuss.
The electric grid, and all its attached generators and transformers, has been called the largest machine in the world. In part 1, we’ll discuss how it powers our lives and the modern world, and as our electricity demands grow, how it could better meet them in the future. ERCOT CEO, Brad Jones, and Southern California Edison CEO, Steven Powell, discuss.
The electric grid powers our cities and industry, workplaces, homes and increasingly, our cars. For that, we’ll need more electricity, and we’d like it to be lower carbon. Can we build national electric systems that are more extensive, more reliable and affordable, with less impact on the environment? Southern California Edison CEO, Steven Powell, and ERCOT CEO, Brad Jones, weigh in.
Recent IPCC reports show less warming than predicted a decade ago. Emission growth is slowing, but has not yet plateaued, and while climate scientists say we’re not on track to meet Paris climate goals, the news is better than we often hear. Roger Pielke, Environmental Studies Professor at UC Boulder, and Daniel Cohan, Environmental Engineering Professor at Rice, discuss.
CO2 emissions from energy get most of the attention, but there’s a more immediate concern: particulate air pollution. Burning coal, wood, diesel and animal dung causes millions of premature deaths each year. We’ll look at air pollution and ideas to reduce it, with Angel Hsu from the University of North Carolina, and Amod Pokhrel, UC Berkeley health sciences researcher.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning could improve energy efficiency and allow for better prediction of electricity resources. Are the algorithms and computing power sufficient to realize these promises? Pamela Isom, Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office for the US Department of Energy, and Anima Anandkumar, Director of Machine Learning Research at NVIDIA, discuss.
All energy facilities must be sited somewhere. All energy requires extracting something from Earth– fuel must be drilled for and materials must be mined. Transmission lines and pipelines cover many miles. What are the impacts of energy on land, and how could we reduce them? Mark Mills, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and Gurcan Gulen, Principal at G2 Energy Insights, discuss.
Battery technology has already made incredible leaps, making electric vehicles commercially viable and attractive to consumers. Could it also revolutionize the electric grid itself? Shirley Meng, Chief Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and Lynden Archer, Dean of Engineering at Cornell University discuss.
What are the potential new materials to make batteries more affordable, safer and less environmentally impactful? What could this mean for the future? Lynden Archer, Dean of Engineering at Cornell University, and Shirley Meng, Chief Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and Professor of Molecular Engineering in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, discuss.
Countries, states and companies have pledged to get their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. What technologies, policies and investments would this require? Is it likely to be achieved? If not, is there a more achievable target? Dr. Melissa Lott, Sen Dir of Research, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University SIPA., and Terry Keeley, Managing Director at BlackRock, discuss.
Energy and water are tightly linked. We use extraordinary amounts of energy for municipal water systems and irrigation. And we use huge volumes of water in energy too. How could we use less energy and water to make more of both? Afreen Siddiqi, research scientist at MIT, and Newsha Ajami, the Chief Development Officer for Research at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab discuss.
80% of the world lives in developing nations, but uses just 20% of global energy. To provide them access to a modern life, we’d need to double energy production globally. Can we do it affordably, while reducing energy’s environmental impact? Ashvin Dayal from The Rockefeller Foundation, and Robert Stoner, Deputy Director at the MIT Energy Initiative, discuss.
The US is the only country with permanent storage for low & intermediate-level nuclear waste. But we're one of the few countries with nuclear power plants that don’t have a plan for high-level waste. Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy at DOE, and Dr. Allison Macfarlane, Former Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, discuss potential solutions.
One solution to reducing carbon emissions is to capture and store them underground. But there are challenges in capturing, transporting and storing the CO2, and determining who will pay for it. Dr. Sallie Greenberg, formerly with the Illinois State Geological Survey, and Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct, discuss current projects and how CCS could contribute in the future.
China is the world’s largest energy producer and consumer, the largest exporter of solar, the current leader in nuclear, and emits ⅓ of global CO2. This makes China’s energy and climate policies of vital concern to all nations. Dr. David Sandalow, Founder & Director of Columbia's US-China program, and Dr. Wei Peng, Assistant Professor, Princeton University.
While China continues to build coal plants, they intend to reduce their use, to manage local air pollution and meet peak CO2 and net zero goals, while prioritizing their energy security. Can it be done? Dr. Wei Peng, Assistant Professor, Princeton University, and Dr. David Sandalow, Founder & Director of Columbia's US-China program, conclude their thoughts.
Two advanced energy students share their thoughts on the future of nuclear, carbon capture and storage, solar and wind, batteries, energy reliability, climate change and their hopes for the future. Shadya Taleb, a graduate research assistant in carbon capture and storage at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Grace Stanke, a nuclear engineering student and Miss America 2023, discuss.
Geothermal energy can be found everywhere below the surface, at varying temperatures, depending on how deep and where you are. We can use it to warm homes and buildings, generate electricity, and hopefully to produce high heat for industrial processes. Lauren Boyd, Acting Director of Geothermal Technologies at the DOE, and Carlos Araque, Co-founder and CEO of Quaise Energy, discuss.
Electric cars are fast and efficient and produce no local emissions. But they're also expensive, with issues around the metals for their batteries. Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank and Professor of Economics, University of California, and Dr. Beia Spiller, Director of the Transportation Program, Resources for the Future, discuss these issues.
Subsidies for electric cars have helped make them popular, but have gone mostly to the wealthy. These and mandates may have unintended consequences. We need more affordable EVs, even if they have lower range, say Dr. Beia Spiller, Director of the Transportation Program at Resources for the Future, and Dr. David Rapson, Economic Policy Advisor for the Fed and Professor of Economics, UC Davis.
Millions of solar panels are nearing end of life. Today they’re going to landfills or interim storage because recycling is expensive and immature. We need to build a recycling system. Dr. Serasu Duran, Assistant Professor, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, and Dr. Garvin Heath, Distinguished Member of the Research Staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, discuss.
Critical minerals and rare earth elements, essential for new energy technologies, are largely controlled by China. Global supply and demand and potential new mines in the US are pressing issues. Dr. Nedal Nassar, Chief of the Materials Intelligence Research at the US Geological Survey, and Dr. Adam Simon, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan, discuss.
Europe is in an energy crisis, which has encouraged a ‘war mentality’ about energy and climate, and fast-tracked new energy projects. What will this mean for the continent and its international allies? Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, and Dr. Carlos Batlle, Visiting Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, discuss this complex topic.
Europe’s energy crisis has fostered cooperation between member states and the EU governing body and strengthened the push for more wind and solar -- though some call for technologically neutral decarbonization. Dr. Carlos Batlle, Visiting Scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative, and Jonathan Elkind, Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, conclude.
Fission, the splitting of atoms, makes the heat that drives our nuclear reactors. Fusion, the fusing together of atoms, powers the stars, including our sun -- which means that fusion already powers Earth, just not in a way that we can control. If we could harness fusion, it would transform our world, producing limitless energy, safely and without emissions -- the holy grail of energy.
Everything in our modern lives has energy inputs and emissions outputs -- and that’s certainly the case for our food. It’s not just all the energy that powers the equipment required to grow, transport and process our food. And the energy inputs for fertilizer required by global agriculture. But also the emissions from land, and livestock, and particularly from food loss and food waste.
Cement and steel have created the modern world: they make our buildings, roads, machines and products. These two industries emit nearly as much CO2 as our entire electricity system -- but they’re difficult to decarbonize. We’ll talk about challenges and potential solutions to do so, including changing their production processes, replacing the coal they now require, and more efficient use.
In Part 1 of this discussion, we heard ideas to decarbonize cement and steel. We’ll conclude with a look at fertilizer, which has made modern agriculture possible, and petrochemicals and plastic, which go into nearly every product. Solutions could include switching from oil and natural gas to hydrogen and bioproducts, but the technologies are still in development, and currently expensive.
There are many paradoxes in climate and energy: people want energy for their homes and cars… but don’t want new power lines or pipelines that could provide it. Nuclear is a zero-carbon energy source… yet many climate advocates oppose it. Some states impose EV mandates… but prohibit mining for battery metals. We’ll look to resolve these with two experts in economics, energy and climate policy.
Six hundred million people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have modern energy -- so African nations are working to develop their energy resources. For many, the energy they do have comes from hydro. But Africa also has huge volumes of natural gas. Some funders, concerned about emissions, don’t want them to develop it. Others consider it essential to lift Africa’s people out of poverty.
Sea level has been rising since the end of the last Ice Age, when continental ice sheets began to melt. In island nations and low-lying coastal areas sea level rise is contributing, among other things, to high tide flooding, and saltwater encroaching into farmland and freshwater aquifers. We’ll talk about what the future could bring, and ideas of how communities could adapt to sea level rise.
The US energy system, particularly our electric grids and pipelines, is constantly at risk -- from extreme events, like hurricanes, winter storms, heat waves and wildfires. And increasingly from cyber attacks, from hostile foreign powers and criminal elements. Enough that the energy industry and the US government are investing billions of dollars and working together to counter these threats.
Everything in the modern world relies on the electric grid. To keep the grid reliable, system operators order electricity from dispatchable generation, like coal, gas, hydro and nuclear, to balance intermittent generation, like wind and solar. Together, these must meet our enormous electricity demand, which varies by the second. It’s a hugely complicated task, and it's facing real challenges.
For our ongoing ‘youth voice’ series, we created an energy and climate survey and asked two current and recently graduated university students to help administer it to hundreds of peers across the country, from diverse political backgrounds. The results provide a broad look at the energy and climate opinions, and knowledge, of young Americans -- and will test yours too.
India is the third largest energy consumer and carbon emitter in the world, with the fastest growing energy demand. Today coal makes three-quarters of their electricity, with the other 25% solar and other non-carbon sources. If they follow China’s path and develop further on coal, it may be impossible for the world to meet its climate targets -- making India’s energy choices of vital importance.
In part 1, we focused on India’s electricity, and the potential to expand it using coal and/or solar. We continue with the growth of 2- and 3-wheel electric vehicles in India, the potential to manufacture their batteries domestically, the growth of air conditioning to combat heat waves, decarbonization targets, green building and the importance of efficiency.