Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations

Full show notes/bonus content at wickedproblems.earth Join host Richard Delevan on Wicked Problems as he engages in a compelling conversation with Indian journalist Rishika Pardikar. They discussed Rishika's extensive work covering environmental and land rights issues in India, including her stories from the coalfields of Central India and the impacts of major development projects on tribal lands. Rishika shares insights into India's complex climate and energy landscape, the challenges of effective climate reporting, and the cultural intricacies of her homeland. And what Western climate narratives keep getting wrong about India - and what they might learn by listening to voices like Rishika's.00:58 Meet Rashika Kar: Environmental Journalist01:47 Rishika's Journey into Environmental Reporting02:21 Land Rights and Tribal Communities03:24 Mega Projects on Tribal Lands05:06 Challenges in Reporting from India11:56 India's Coal Belt and Energy Transition16:59 The Future of Energy in India22:51 The Efficiency of Indian Appliances24:00 The Politics of Climate Science24:36 Challenges in India's Forecasting Capabilities27:54 The Intersection of Religion and Science28:53 Controversial Studies and Their Implications32:01 The Role of Journalism in Climate Action36:36 India's Climate Action Plans40:10 Future Reporting and Closing Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly a decade, a court in Hamm, Germany has been considering a case brought by a Peruvian farmer, Saul Luciano Lliuya, against the giant German utility RWE. The legal claim was novel: Lliuya said because RWE had caused a percentage of climate change because of its share of past fossil emissions, and that climate change threatened his farm by potentially collapsing a glacial lake, RWE should have to pay a pro rata percentage of the adaptation costs of protecting the farm against potential flood.Judges flew to Peru, took testimony from dozens of experts, heard the defence by RWE. And as their press release noted, the claim in its particulars was dismissed:Climate case against RWE: Hamm Higher Regional Court rejects Peruvian plaintiff's appeal as unfoundedThe court held there was “no imminent danger” to Saul's farm.But that's not the whole story. As an Ancient Greek king supposedly once said: “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.” Because in its 25th May ruling the court also held - for the first time, anywhere - that fossil fuel emitters can be held accountable financially for damages, anywhere.Three days later, as if to make a point, the Swiss village of Blatten 500 miles south of Hamm in Germany was destroyed by a glacial collapse. One person was reported missing - but most of the area's 300 residents had been moved out of danger in time.So is the RWE case a blow to climate litigation or is it a Pyrrhic victory that could set in motion a whole range of new claims that could run to the tens of trillions of dollars, in the kind of law case even Americans can understand: “You broke my fence, you pay to fix the fence.” Or in this case: “You broke my climate.”Dana Drugmand covers climate cases around the world and we talked about the precedent this might set - and we also discuss some of her coverage of plenty of other US climate cases that continue to roll on despite the best efforts of the Trump Administration and oil & gas companies to stop them.Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In this Conversation00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:31 Overview of Climate Litigation01:51 The German Court Ruling: Saul Luciano Lliuya vs. RWE02:39 Significance of the RWE Case06:37 Implications for Global Climate Litigation10:15 US Climate Lawsuits: Boulder, Colorado vs. Exxon and Suncor14:37 Federal Preemption and State Law Claims15:43 Hawaii's Climate Deception Case17:23 Trump Administration's Legal Counterattacks22:14 Youth Climate Lawsuit: Lighthouse Review vs. Trump23:47 Montana's Constitutional Right to a Healthy Environment25:19 Challenges in Federal Court27:14 The Role of Climate Litigation in the US30:17 California's Clean Air Act Battle31:56 Conclusion and Future OutlookIt's a good listen - and if you're a subscriber you can find links to get these episodes ad-free at wickedproblems.earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full ep notes at wickedproblems.earthI have a confession to make. Even with a self-image as a world-weary cynic, I'm as vulnerable to manipulation as anyone else, especially for stories I grew up with.The Limits to Growth came out the year I was born. I grew up in the US in the 80s. So we heard a lot of things like this:So even though I'm late to it, I was delighted to have come across the work of Katy Shields, who presents (and co-produced with Vegard Beyer) a beautifully executed 3-episode audio documentary series about Limits to Growth, which makes its principal author Danella Meadows the main character.Hearing Katy's telling of the story of this extraordinary woman who tried to warn us against the future we now inhabit, often in her own words - thanks to an unpublished book outline by Danella to which Katy got exclusive access - made me a bit embarrassed to have previously accepted the bracketing of Limits to Growth in the same category of far more problematic stuff like Malthus, Ehrlich's The Population Bomb or (the MAGA-right fave) Jean Raspail's dystopian novel The Camp of the Saints. Many such works seem not so troubled by population growth per se as much as the hue of the babies being produced.While I'm not completely convinced by the arguments Meadows made and Katy Shields/Vegard Beyer excavated and made fresh, Katy does have an excellent series of essays where she takes forward the thinking of Meadows et al as a way to investigate how economics was hijacked by the opponents of Limits to Growth.In this Conversation00:00 Introduction: Questioning Growth00:32 Meet the Guest: Katy Shields02:21 Discovering 'Limits to Growth'04:38 The Impact of Systems Dynamics07:30 Critiques and Misunderstandings09:37 Danella Meadows' Influence11:23 Uncovering Unpublished Diaries14:43 Life on Foundation Farm18:51 Economic Theories and Climate Inaction19:12 The Abundance vs. Scarcity Debate20:08 Historical Influence on Modern Economics21:41 The Chicago School's Dominance23:26 Challenges in Modern Economic Education28:54 Donella Meadows' Legacy31:15 Visioning a Sustainable Future34:34 Future Directions and Final ThoughtsAt the top of the episode we clip a 1994 speech by Danella Meadows that is an extraordinary few minutes that seem to foreshadow the ‘abundance discourse' currently all the rage on the centre-left.Which is not actually to shame those who, I believe in good faith, believe that ‘perpetual growth' is the only potential solution to the challenges of the mid-21st century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come to wickedproblems.earth to get the full-fat version! Exit music for this episode is “Oil Money” by Graham Barham. Because, well, it's a bit obvious this time, no?If insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result, global climate institutions like the annual COP meetings are definitionally loopier than Elon Musk deep down a K-hole.We spend our time arguing about how to count emissions in order to avoid the real conversation, which is a struggle between three asset classes: fossil fuel assets, ‘vulnerable' assets (like Small Island Developing States), and ‘green' assets. Pretending that struggle is not existential is the essence of climate diplomacy for the past 35 years.University of Toronto political scientist Professor Jessica Green thinks we're well past the point we can afford to continue pretending. Reading her forthcoming book, Existential Politics - Why Global Climate Institutions are Failing and How to Fix Them, was like waking from a dream. You should pre-order it now.She cuts through the nonsense to focus on the real dilemma. The only way through an “energy transition” is for fossil fuel companies, enormously powerful economic and political actors, to have $trillions in ‘stranded assets' and balance sheets that go up in smoke.Turkeys don't vote for Christmas (an idiomatic expression I'm pleased to be the first to share with Prof. Green). Yet the entire structure of global climate diplomacy is built on the fallacy that, somehow, oil majors and NOCs would ignore their self-interest and agree to die.As you'll hear in our conversation, Prof. Green doesn't pull punches and doesn't suffer fools. There's an impatience in her writing and her presentation that has a lot of James Dyke “fuck this noise can we please stop kidding ourselves” energy. At some points I wanted to reach for the hemlock, but thankfully she is as witty as she is sharp.I ask her how her ideas intersect or cut against other critiques of the mainstream climate conversation like Andreas Malm and Wim Carton in Overshoot, Rupert Read's take on transformative adaptation and Tadzio Mueller's anticipation of collapse.I think you'll enjoy the chat. Let us know what you think:In this Conversation01:48 Existential Politics Explained04:18 The Flaws in Carbon Markets05:47 Distributional Politics and Climate Policy08:36 The Role of Corporations in Climate Governance10:49 The Paris Agreement and Its Shortcomings19:26 The Misconception of Solving Climate Change Like the Ozone Problem20:54 Environmental Effects and Substitutes22:04 Challenges in Environmental Governance22:57 Market Dynamics and Trade Issues25:03 Fossil Capital vs. Green Capital28:31 The Role of Litigation and Policy37:11 Grand Bargains and Political Realities38:21 Carbon Capture and Storage Debate40:26 Buy this Book! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get the full show notes and bonus material at wickedproblems.earth! How do things get names? Who decides? What happens if they're contested? Does it matter?A brand, a label, a name, the words applied to people, places, or things change how an audience feels, and influences outcomes.“Call me Ishmael”, “deadnaming”, or try using the wrong place-name depending on what bank of the River Foyle in Northern Ireland you find yourself, and see how that goes. On the other hand, if your company so dominates your category that your brand becomes a verb, like Hoover. But in the internet age the process happens much faster — see Google, Uber, Tinder.As for people and companies, a tricker object is a whole category. Successfully dominating a category - even if you have to invent one - is, according to Silicon Valley investors like Peter “Competition is for Losers” Thiel, the only type of strategy worth pursuing. And often that will involve getting the name of the category right - some magical combination of things already in the zeitgeist, something that chimes with the audience/customer/media without them consciously knowing why.The idea of whether businesses are in a category called “cleantech” or “climate tech” or “defence tech” or “fintech” does matter, I'd argue.So I asked Art Lapinsch, a startup founder with a successful exit turned climate communications guru and energy lawyer. Now writing a lot of smart stuff on the subject in his new consultancy Delphi Zero, I wanted to return to the “is ‘climate tech' dead?” debate.But Lapinsch's bio itself would be enough to want to hear him - going from fleeing civil war in the former Yugoslavia to adtech startup founder to turning to climate solutions ventures and how they should tell their stories. You're going to enjoy getting to know him. I certainly did. And he was a good sport when dog-related imminent disaster required putting him on hold for a minute. Don't worry. There's good interval music for the occasion.In this Conversation00:00 Introduction to Climate Tech Narratives01:17 Meet Art Lapinsch: Background and Mission02:36 Personal Impact of Global Events03:03 Delving into Energy Security04:28 The Evolution of Climate Tech08:32 Communication Strategies in Business17:49 The Role of Neologisms in Industry21:38 Ethics and Communication22:05 Defining Neologisms and Ethical Communication22:41 The Venn of Profit, Legality, and Ethics23:50 Ethical Communication Techniques25:36 Political Communication and Climate Founders27:15 Common Mistakes in Branding and Communication30:11 Navigating Venture Capital Challenges35:32 Personal Reflections on Risk and Resilience40:46 Final Thoughts and Future Projects Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full show notes, bonus content, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth!“More clean energy. More affordable energy. That dual mandate is the real challenge.” In this episode, Richard Delevan talks to Cat Clifford, senior reporter at Cipher News, about what happens when data center demand collides with outdated policy, broken infrastructure, and an AI arms race nobody can afford to lose.We go deep into Cat's reporting on:AI's Ballooning Electricity Appetite– Why AI is driving the biggest spike in electricity demand in a generation– The paradox of AI as a climate solution—if it's powered cleanly– The unknowables: how big, how fast, and how chaotic?The Nuclear-Tech Bromance– Why big tech is cozying up to small modular reactors (SMRs)– Who's bankrolling the nuclear revival—and who might get burned– The role of always-on baseload in the age of AI factoriesGeothermal's Promised Land– Advanced geothermal's bipartisan political appeal– Why it's ideal for U.S. energy dominance—but underfunded– Will Congress rewrite the tax credit rules in time to matter?Texas, Tariffs, and Transmission– What just happened in the Texas Legislature—and why it matters beyond Texas– How tariffs whiplashed investor confidence in solar and AI supply chains– Why permitting reform—and grid expansion—are stuckPolitics, 2026, and the Price of Power– What voters will care about: the cost of energy– Who pays to keep the lights on in the AI age?– What the fight over IRA tax credits tells us about the Senate's climate futureQuote of the Episode:“If the U.S. is serious about the AI race, solar and storage are the only near-term way to meet demand. Everyone's going to have to compromise.”Further Reading:Cat Clifford at CipherCat Clifford on LinkedInCat Clifford on BlueSky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earth.In this episode we talk about climate tech in the age of AI, state failure, and the occasional aircraft powered by poop. In this episode, Canadian climate futurist and returning champion Michael Barnard joins us for a globe-spanning conversation about why he's still cautiously optimistic — and why, if you're only paying attention to the U.S. or Europe, you're probably looking the wrong way.In Conversation· Pakistan's rooftop solar revolution: how a glut of Chinese panels and uncoordinated net metering turned into 22 GW of grassroots decarbonization in a single year.· Ports, poop, and power: what district heating, sewage sludge, and whiz-powered planes tell us about what works — and what's quietly already scaling.· China's decarbonization surprise: Michael walks us through why China's emissions have actually started to fall, why Western media missed it, and why most U.S. industrial policy is a “radically stupid” own-goal.· The end of American credibility: on failed trade narratives, disappearing clean energy investment, and the strategic competence of the so-called Global South.· Three technologies to watch: Geothermal heat-as-a-service, waste-based sustainable aviation fuels, and electrified ports as power utilities of the future.Timeline02:28 Optimism in the Face of Climate Challenges05:08 Pakistan's Energy Transformation14:16 Leapfrogging in the Global South21:23 China's Role in Global Emissions Reduction27:08 The Rise of the Electro State28:33 China's Dominance in Critical Minerals29:37 Globalism and Neoliberalism: A Mixed Bag30:42 The Market Economy's Failures32:13 Technology Diffusion and Industrial Policy34:48 The United States' Broken Industrial Policy43:04 Geothermal Energy Innovations46:04 Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Waste49:35 The Future of Electrified PortsFurther Reading* CarbonBrief on China's emissions drop* Jenny Chase (BNEF) on Pakistan's rooftop solar boom* Barnard on ports and maritime decarbonisation* Sustainable Aviation Fuels from Human Waste* The Dawn of Everything by Graeber & Wengrow* Trifecta Ireland – new NGO for clean, secure, affordable energy* Kingsmill Bond (Ember) on the rise of the Electrostate v Petrostate Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get bonus content at wickedproblems.earth! Mic Wright is the madman media survivor behind one of this show's second-favourite newsletter, Conquest of the Useless . So when we heard he has a new book out in a couple of weeks we were delighted he could give us a few minutes to talk meeja matters in the age of AI and climate consequences.Breaking: How the Media Works, When it Doesn't and Why that Matters - despite my inability to stop obsessing about whether it is missing an Oxford comma in the title - is the magnum opus of Britain's best observer of all things media since Christopher Hitchens went from Trot to Neocon.Two years before the Brexit referendum, a year long inquiry by a UK parliamentary select committee concluded that BBC news teams consistently engaged in false balance when reporting on climate change stories. So for a senior news journalist to suggest that they weren't familiar with the concept felt like a very stark confession.Head back even further to the misty, almost unimaginable, past of 2006, and you find Rob Corddry on the Daily Show, parodying journalists who bent over backwards to establish balance where there is none:“How does one report the facts? When the facts themselves are biased from the names of our fallen soldiers to the gradual withdrawal of our allies to the growing insurgency, it's become all too clear that the facts in Iraq have an anti-Bush agenda.”Meatless speech was rightly praised for highlighting the influence of Conservative Party appointees on the BBC, but it also contained a series of confessions about missing the elephant in the room. Even as the stench of dung must have been stifling.In Conversation00:35 Introducing Mic Wright01:31 Technical Challenges and Interview Preview03:13 Mic Wright's Dramatic Reading04:16 Discussion on False Balance in Journalism13:07 The Rise of Churnalism15:14 Media Ownership and Influence19:39 Tech Enthusiasm and AI in Journalism32:14 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsGet the Books at the Wicked Problems Bookshop.org ShopWe like writers. Buy books from authors we talk to or talk about via Bookshop.org - helps the author, helps local booksellers near you, and we get a couple of pennies in the begging bowl:Wicked Problems Bookshop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus content - wickedproblems.earth As we talked about with folk from Carbon Technology Research Foundation and Robert Höglund last week, Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is going through some things. The Trump administration is slashing funding for Direct Air Capture (DAC) hubs, poster child CDR firm Climeworks is laying off 20% of staff and stands accused of overpromising an underdelivering on removals.But in a week when a Swiss village was wiped off the map by a collapsing glacier, and the World Meteorological Organisation predicted we're likely facing years of staying at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels - the existential threshold for small island states they demanded be included in the Paris Agreement - the need to find ways to take greenhouse gases out of the air (while electrifying and decarbonising) has not gone away.Cara Maesano has one of the most comprehensive views of the state of CDR technologies as the head of CDR research at RMI. Recent reports she helped craft point out pragmatic opportunities for joined-up thinking by integrating carbon removals in industry and agriculture - and even using captured carbon in building materials.In Conversation01:30 Challenges in the Direct Air Capture Sector07:54 Exploring Different Carbon Removal Technologies12:06 Industrial Carbon Removal Opportunities23:40 Industry Partnerships for Carbon Removal24:03 Economic Benefits of Carbon Removal25:41 Momentum in Climate Action27:50 Innovative Building Materials for Carbon Storage32:44 Engaging Stakeholders in Carbon Removal33:28 Highlighting Successful Carbon Removal Projects35:13 Challenges and Opportunities in Policy and Regulation37:25 The Ongoing Climate Conversation38:52 Connecting Climate Solutions Across Sectors42:20 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsFurther ReadingRMI: Seizing the Industrial Carbon Removal OpportunityRMI: Harnessing Carbon Removal Opportunities in Biomass Residue Building ProductsThe CO280 project Cara mentioned at a pulp and paper mill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get bonus content at wickedproblems.earth! Why is it, every time the lights go out, anywhere in the world, there are ten influencers with pre-written posts about how it's the fault of wind and solar on the grid? Whether it's Spain in 2025 or Texas in 2021 or the UK in 2019 or South Australia in 2016 - before the lights are even back on, never mind an investigation, there is a lightning-fast squad of people who pop up on social media, in TV interviews, in newspaper columns, who claim with absolutely certainty that it was renewables. It was too much wind. Or too little wind. Or not enough sun. Or too much sun. Or all of the above - often in the same interview. It doesn't need to make logical sense. It just needs to tickle your cortisol and dopamine receptors. Even if it affects the public debate - does it prevent steel going into the ground to build out more solar and wind in these places? And if it hasn't to date, is that what's about to happen in Texas?Legendary climate and energy analyst Ketan Joshi returns to the show to hash out the whys and wherefores of it all. And what we might do about taking some of that pollution out of our information environment.Plus an unscheduled special guest appearance from our dogs.01:22 The 2016 Australian Blackout 02:17 Media's Role in Renewable Energy Perception 04:37 Technical Details of the Blackout 07:02 Public Reaction and Misunderstandings 11:24 Comparing Global Blackouts 13:27 The Role of Disinformation 18:16 Future of Renewable Energy and Grid Management 37:02 Meet the Dogs 37:59 Discussing Pre-Bunking 40:05 Wind Turbine Health Fears 45:03 Texas Renewable Energy Growth 52:23 Bluesky's Future Read Ketan's Stuff His analysis in RenewEconomy. WindfallQuote by Akshat Rathi in Bloomberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earthJoin host Richard Delevan on this episode of Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations as he explores the future of carbon removal technology during Carbon Removals Week. Featuring Philippa Amina and Luke Williams from the Carbon Technology Research Foundation (CTRF), the discussion delves into the challenges and opportunities in the field of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Topics include the role of diversified approaches, including nature-based solutions and marine carbon sequestration, the importance of transparency and trust, and the funding conundrum in current climate research. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on scalable solutions for a sustainable future.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:46 Guest Introductions and Background02:21 Discussion on Carbon Removals03:58 Challenges and Perspectives in Carbon Removal07:37 CTRF's Approach and Projects16:13 Funding and Future of Carbon Removal Research29:13 Conclusion and Contact Information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get all the show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earth.“It'll be between a scalpel and a sledgehammer,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, describing how Republicans might gut clean energy in the Inflation Reduction Act. After last night's vote, it looks more like a wrecking ball.In this episode, we talk to Maeve Allsup of Latitude Media about the damage now unfolding in Washington. From the brain drain at the Department of Energy to chaos around clean energy tax credits, Maeve has been tracking the story from inside the industry.We also dig into the turmoil in carbon removal. Climeworks, the biggest name in the sector, is laying off staff and scaling back its US expansion. Critics are calling it the “Theranos” of climate. Is it? We speak with Robert Höglund of CDR.fyi and Milkywire, who says this is just the next phase of the hype cycle—and points to a Carbon Gap paper that helps separate signal from noise.Cuts to clean energy. Turmoil in tech. A moment of clarity—or collapse?And a farewell to Norm.01:26 Tribute to George Wendt 02:14 Elon Musk at the Qatar Economic Forum 04:53 Interview with Robert Höglund on Carbon Removals 05:31 Challenges in the Carbon Removal Industry 13:19 The Gartner Hype Cycle and Carbon Removal 17:08 Policy and Market Dynamics 21:49 Global Perspectives on Carbon Removal 28:59 Interview with Maeve Alsup on Washington Developments 30:49 Clean Tech Investments and Uncertainties 36:00 Geographical Distribution of IRA Investments 37:02 Surprising Early Drafts and Nuclear Concerns 38:19 Geothermal and Tax Credit Challenges 40:23 Uncertainty in Clean Energy Projects 45:01 Department of Energy and Staff Resignations 52:43 Loan Programs Office Under Scrutiny Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full show notes, bonus content, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth Exploring Climate Geoengineering: An Urgent Discussion with Kelly WanserIn this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan sits down with Kelly Wanser, CEO of SilverLining, to delve into the critical topic of solar radiation modification (SRM) and geoengineering aka "climate interventions". Amidst a backdrop of growing climate risk and global warming, the conversation emphasizes the importance of robust scientific data and the various efforts to advance research in the atmospheric sciences. They discuss the evolving landscape of climate interventions, recent policy developments, and the vital role of both public and private sectors. The dialogue also touches on historical context, international cooperation, and the potential implications of stratospheric changes on our planet's future climate stability.00:00 Introduction: The Need for More Data00:41 Welcome to Wicked Problems00:44 Recent Developments in Climate Interventions02:21 The Importance of Measuring Atmospheric Changes03:17 Historical Context: The Value of Knowing04:16 Current Challenges in Atmospheric Research06:15 Interview with Kelly Wanser08:05 The State of Atmospheric Research Infrastructure10:29 The Role of Policy and International Cooperation14:40 The Future of Climate Research and Security23:30 Balancing Public and Private Sector Roles28:37 The Bull Case for Global Involvement30:46 The Bear Case: Risks and Concerns34:40 The Role of Open Science and Collaboration40:13 Private Sector Involvement in Climate Research46:06 Complexities of Atmospheric Interventions52:08 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extended show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earth.In this episode of 'Wicked Problems,' host Richard Delevan discusses the shift from climate optimism to defeatism with Jeremy Wallace, a China and climate policy expert at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The discussion covers various factors influencing this shift, including the influence of political figures like Donald Trump and Tony Blair, and initiatives such as the Council on Foreign Relations' Climate Realism Initiative. Wallace critiques the initiative's approach, examining its reliance on lifeboat ethics and the fallacies it presents. The episode also touches on the historical context of climate debates, the role of China in clean technology, and the political complexities surrounding climate action. Additionally, the episode features a new intro track from the awesome up and coming UK band Suncharmer.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:24 The Shift from Optimism to Defeatism02:22 Council on Foreign Relations' Climate Realism Initiative03:31 Interview with Jeremy Wallace22:13 The Lifeboat Ethics Debate26:35 Debating Consumption and Population Growth27:07 The Vision of Clean Abundance28:04 Scarcity vs. Sustainable Abundance29:41 Climate Realism and Technological Beliefs31:07 Challenges and Politics of Climate Action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We Start at the EndToday's outro track is the COVID-era reboot of a classic Peter Gabriel track, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Angelique Kidjo, and many more. The reason will become clear.In this episode of Wicked Problems, we sat down with Charles Perry, director of Sustainable Future for All, at the Conduit Club in London.A veteran in the climate and sustainability space, Charles has changed his views from evolution to revolution - a climate revolution akin to the Industrial Revolution. He reflects on his experiences spearheading renewable initiatives at BP, working with Al Gore, and advocating for justice-integrated environmental concerns.What set him on the path? A realisation once he left apartheid South Africa for university that the things he was taught were not necessarily how the world really was. That moment took him to anti-apartheid activism in South Africa and its democratic transition to climate advocacy and the need for a different paradigm on energy.Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.His direction of travel has been clear for a while - in that climate isn't (just) a tech issue, but one as inextricably tied up with justice as the move was from slavery to fossil fuels.That kind of talk has gotten Charles into some bother before. Like his 2012 BBC interview with Jon Sopel that we clip in the ep.The conversation also explores Perry's views on the moral imperatives of climate action, the obstacles posed by current political and economic systems, and the roles of influential leaders like Nelson Mandela and Al Gore in shaping his philosophy on sustainability.00:00 The Need for a New Revolution00:43 Introduction to Charles Perry01:02 Challenges in Climate Tech and Sustainability01:15 Charles Perry's Journey and Career01:52 Reflections on Working with BP and Al Gore10:58 The Intersection of Justice and Environmental Concerns18:47 The Unstoppable Sustainability Movement21:46 The Future of Energy and Sustainability25:19 Final Thoughts and Inspirations29:54 Conclusion and Call to ActionAll the OutrosThanks for listening. To support us and go ad-free check out wickedproblems.earth or just send us a brown envelope of unmarked bills. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conversations on Climate Solutions: Industry Adaptations and Global Impact at the Climate Impact SummitIn this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan brings discussions from the Climate Impact Flagship Summit in London. The episode features key guests like Carrie Lovelace and Chris Hayes from Visions 2030, who discuss their ambitious project aimed at fostering eco-consciousness through immersive experiences. Also included are insights from Belinda Perryman of Convert Well, who talks about transitioning oil and gas expertise to carbon sequestration and hydrogen production. Several other industry experts weigh in on the state of climate tech innovation, challenges in commercialization, and policy implications.01:51 Visions 2030 and Experiential Projects04:54 Carrie Lovelace's Artistic Journey10:54 Eco-Consciousness and Climate Solutions17:06 Future Plans for Visions 203023:00 Climate Impact Flagship Summit Highlights29:14 Scaling CT part 233:19 System Change and the Green Industrial Revolution40:40 Insights from the Oil and Gas Industry with Belinda Perriman of ConvertWell40:45 Belinda Perriman's Journey in Oil and Gas44:18 Carbon Capture and Storage Projects50:42 The Convert Well Initiative55:12 Industry Reception and Future Prospects Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember. It's darkest before…things go totally pitch black.Get all the show notes at wickedproblems.earth.Whether originating with the late Senator John McCain, Paul Newman, Mao, or John McCain quoting Mao, we love that line. Embrace the dark. When you stop being afraid of the dark, your eyes get pretty good. You might even spot some undead types who are back from the grave and up to no good. And I think there might be some types up to no good, here in Britain. It's one thing for Nigel Farage to suddenly look odds-on to form the next government here leading Reform UK's right-populist anti-climate party, should this week's UK local election results be predictive to the next general election.The real question is whether the incumbent UK government will stay the course or join the “vibe shift” of deciding there's short-term political profit in sacrificing long-term climate survival. Thankfully, for this third episode of the early May holiday weekend, necessary for the insane news cycle, for these conversations we were joined by Holly Brazier-Tope, deputy director of politics at UK think tank Green Alliance; UK-based climate journalist and 6th-dan-blackbelt Bluesky shitposter Dave Vetter; and Adam Bell, director of policy at Stonehaven, a UK consultancy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you want the good news or bad news first? Good news: here in the UK it's a sunny Friday on the cusp of a bank holiday weekend. Bad news: Shiz cray. Could go either way: this is one of 3 holiday weekend episodes. Definitely good news: Lydia Collas of UK think tank Green Alliance and Rupert Read of Climate Majority Project have incisive analysis of what we're seeing over here. And we discuss Green Alliance's analysis of how climate effects are already hitting British household finances, in the wake of the UK Climate Change Committee's scathing report on climate adaptation. ThanksIn case you hadn't noticed, people not shaving the truth as they see it in order to maintain or get funding is a problem. We're 18 months+ into this mission, and we've never needed your help more. If you think what we're doing isn't complete crap, and if you can, we'd very much appreciate your support at any level you can afford. To help us keep this going.wickedproblems.earthAll the Exit MusicUntil The Man comes for us we will continue to pair our outstanding theme music licensed from outstanding UK band Suncharmer with an outro that is a form of commentary for each episode. Enjoy. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=60189214bf5b485fWe will be back soon with some UK election recap and the ‘vibe shift' that seems to have gone transatlantic, featuring friends Adam Bell, Dave Vetter, and Holly Brazier-Tope from Green Alliance, to talk through the Tony Blair Institute vibe shift, the election of climate deniers into government for the most climate-at-risk areas in the UK, and more. Just to add to the merriment of the nation this bank holiday weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earthExit MusicToday's exit track is Fiesta by The Pogues - with Tunbridge Wells' least-known and best-loved frontman, Shane MacGowan.We're finishing a long-read and when we say long we mean LONG. But it's our attempt to get behind the day-to-day reporting of the various machinations of what's happening in the US and try to understand it by examining the things that have shaped the worldview of the two most influential people on the planet right now. No, we don't mean The Mad King in the Oval Office. We mean Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. And why it's time to stop being surprised about what happens next.IntroPart IBut we take a break from the American shitshow to focus on something actually important, with our friend Tom Raftery - a transplanted Corkonian living near Seville since 2008. He and his family just lived through the most significant European blackout in decades. And because Tom is a veteran energy and climate analyst, and host of Climate Confident, he can offer a more-than-bystander account of what he was seeing, why he thinks it happened, and what might be done about it in future.Climate Impact Flagship SummitAnd if you're in the UK next week, and you can stretch to it, you should check out the Climate Impact summit on 7 May at the Royal Institution in London. As always, great lineup of speakers and attendees from the worlds of climate solution tech, investment, policy, and more, plus the craic is ninety. A few tickets are still available but they are going fast. If you are going give us a shout so we can meet up when you're there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get complete show notes and our newsletter, as well as ad-free listening, at wickedproblems.earth. Outro of the DayAll will become clear.How F*cked Are We?NGL. It's not great, Bob.That said, if you have even a smidge of privilege at the moment, spending a bit of your time paying attention not just to the moment-to-moment spectacle but what it means - so as to inform how you spend your future time and resource - feels kinda important.Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Dana R Fisher, one of the best American chroniclers of our times, returns to the show to talk through what she's seeing on the street, in the Academy, and in the grant-making boardrooms, that will affect climate science, and resulting climate solutions, for decades to come.Buy the Books (Seriously, Cmon)We've partnered with bookshop.org to showcase books written by past (and, hopefully) future guests on the show. Buying their work via bookshop.org supports the author, independent UK booksellers, and a little bit to help this show keep going.The image above needs to be updated to include other books, but check it out and do support your local non-fash writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full show notes and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth.It didn't take a genius to figure out that passing 1.5C would result in previously-taboo ideas like scaling carbon removals and solar geoengineering would rapidly get traction in the mainstream discourse. I know it doesn't take a genius because I wrote that >18 months ago.And as my bank manager and inlaws will (eagerly) tell you – “wait you're quitting corporate... and… just as the political winds turn against it you're going to…double down on a ‘media thing' on climate and climate solutions?” – I am not a genius.One of the nice things about making yourself an outsider is you're both blithely unaware of the tribal shibboleths you might be violating and just try to follow arguments where they lead.Anyway, here we are in April 2025 and geoengineering – Solar Radiation Modification, SRM, of whatever flavour, is building up to a moment. We've been seeing the signs for a while and you can check out our previous SRM episodes with SilverLining:and The Degrees Initiative:…the Bristol-based NGO acting to make sure that any research on solar geoengineering foregrounds actual science from actual scientists working in the actual countries that have the most to lose from both climate change and from solar geoengineering if it goes wrong.But now we may be headed to a crescendo:Item: Guardian, 7th April, Britain's OG climate hawk David King.Headline: We passed the 1.5C climate threshold. We must now explore extreme options.Item: Bloomberg, 3rd of April with reporting from Will Matthis:Headline: UK Launches £10 Million Study on Blocking the Sun to Reverse Global WarmingItem: the EU's scientific advisors have been pushing for a moratorium on SRM. Tomorrow researchers from a consortium called SRM360 are hosting a panel discussion. Including researchers Peter Irvine from the University of Chicago and Josh Horton of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. So here's my interview with them in case you want to check it out and maybe attend the discussion tomorrow. April 9th, 4:00 pm GMT / 10:00 am ETRegister NowOne thing for comms pros: having thought about it, the debate about whether the best analogy is Ozempic or Chemo for geoengineering is timelier than ever. This was a pretty persuasive case that telling people “we need to do this and it's going to hurt - a lot” might be a wakeup call. But that's going to become a live debate.There's a lot going on, to be sure. And we hope we're getting the balance right here at wicked problems – we sure would love your feedback to let you know how we can serve you better. And we definitely would love it if you helped spread the word by leaving a rating and review on the pod platform of your choice, or Youtube, and if you'd like the full ad-free experience plus the newsletter and exclusive content come on over to wickedproblems.earth. Most of our stuff is free but we really need your help to keep this going. My inlaws and bank manager thank you in advance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can get all of our full show notes, newsletter, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth.Do you need some Zen? I need a bit of that or something, just to get my head right. So we spoke with LaUra Schmidt, one-half of the dynamic duo of climate psychology along with her Good Grief Network co-founder and wife Aimee Lewis Reau, who wrote How to Live in a Chaotic Climate that was published a little over a year ago. And blimey we need more of their coping strategies than we ever thought we would when the book first came out.We get into climate grief, trauma, and resilience with Schmidt. We argue the challenges of individual versus collective climate action, the science and spiritual dimensions of environmental advocacy, and the importance of community in building resilience.Schmidt shares insights from her experiences growing up in rural Michigan, studying Buddhism, biology, and environmental science, and her efforts to help people cope with the emotional toll of climate change through the Good Grief Network's 10-step program.We also touch on the significance of finding meaning, joy, and humor amidst the chaos, while preparing for an uncertain future.02:12 Conversation with Laura Schmidt04:53 Laura's Background and Motivations16:09 The Good Grief Network24:56 The Long Dark: Seeds of Creativity25:37 Ancient Wisdom and Cultural Narratives29:29 Stories of Resilience and Human Agency31:05 The Role of Community in Modern Times38:13 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get all the shownotes, ad-free listening, and help us keep going! At wickedproblems.earth.Join Richard Delevan in this episode of Wicked Problems as he explores the recent Trump tariffs, their impact on global trade, and their parallels with mafia control tactics. He discusses historical examples of mafia extortion in Sicily with Linda Vetrano from the grassroots anti-mafia movement Addiopizzo. Learn about the economic and social consequences of extortion and how communities can resist and build solidarity against such coercive powers. Richard also previews upcoming interviews and topics related to climate stress and solar radiation management.00:00 The Story of an Entrepreneur's Defiance00:33 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:41 Trump Tariffs and Market Reactions02:37 Understanding the Economic Impact07:29 Historical Context and Personal Anecdotes10:20 The Mafia's Influence and Extortion Tactics11:34 The Birth of the Anti-Mafia Movement15:44 The Power of Solidarity and Community30:08 The Success and Expansion of the Movement37:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full notes, ad-free listening, and our newsletter at wickedproblems.earth.It feels like things are coming to a head.Here in the UK, the tensions between wanting growth and not wanting anything to change are hotting up. Adam Bell from Stonehaven UK joined me to talk the implications of Heathrow's “unusual” substation fire for UK grid investments, Kemi Badenoch's Net Zero too-clever-by-half turn, and the Abundance debate in which I slightly traduce Dave Vetter (sorry Dave).In the US, the dark news cycles are starting to be reflected into some dark thoughts. Proper dark. And we link to Dana R Fisher's latest disturbing findings in Scientific American about rapidly shifting attitudes towards violence among people who a couple of years ago would be more likely to be toting a pink pussy hat than a firearm.But as always, there are winners and losers. Prashant Rao from Semafor talks us through what he's seeing in whether the Trump administration has so demonized renewables that there are now bargains to be had in oversold renewables assets.And Prashant has a request. He's running the London marathon on 27 April to support the Rory Peck Trust, a UK charity which provides support to freelance journalists and their families to improve their welfare and safety, and fights for their right to report freely. Which, frankly, if you don't agree that's a good cause you're probably in the wrong parish. Give the Rory Peck Trust a bit of love and support Prashant's marathon.Follow Adam Bell on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Sign up for Semafor's Net Zero newsletter where Prashant makes a not infrequent appearance. Follow him on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Read Dana R. Fisher's findings in Scientific American.Read Dave Vetter's takedown of Ezra Klein's “Abundance.”More soon in the newsletter on those last two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get it all and get it ad-free at wickedproblems.earthThe electricity grid is more fragile and more vulnerable than it needs to be for what we're asking the basically 120-yr-old tech to do in 2025. Last week's outage after an explosion at the substation nearest Heathrow, London's busiest airport, was a reminder of that.Before founding grid tech rising star ENODA, Paul Domjan advised the US defence dept, NATO and plenty of others on energy security. Paul sheds light on how the incident highlights the grid's vulnerabilities and the necessity for a more resilient and flexible electricity system. The amazing thing, Paul says, is that we've been this lucky for this long.A group very respectful of luck was the IRA, which after nearly killing Margaret Thatcher in Brighton in 1984 quipped: “we only need to be lucky once, you must be lucky always.” And last week's incident, while foul play isn't in evidence, reminded Paul of a 1996 IRA plot to disrupt London's power supply, stopped at the last moment by MI5 in Operation AIRLINES. He cautions against complacency given the evolving threats to energy infrastructure from geopolitical tensions.The conversation underscores the need for systemic changes in utilities' approach, investments in renewable energy, and the adoption of innovative solutions to ensure grid reliability and stability.01:15 Historical Context: IRA Plot03:54 Energy Infrastructure Vulnerabilities06:32 Interview with Paul Damian: Background and Insights07:28 Paul's Career and NATO Involvement10:23 The Fragility of the Power Grid12:13 Technological Solutions for Grid Stability26:39 Policy Recommendations for Energy Security32:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For full shownotes and ad-free listenting, sign up: wickedproblems.earthIn this episode of Wicked Problems, Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, shares insights from his recent visit to a Ukrainian power plant operating under war conditions. Ruby discusses the resilience and ingenuity of Ukrainian engineers maintaining energy infrastructure despite frequent bombings, the importance of Europe's preparedness for similar scenarios, and the necessity for robust energy infrastructure and cybersecurity. The conversation also covers the strategic shifts required in Europe's supply chain and critical infrastructure ownership, emphasising closer cooperation with the authorities and increased vigilance against sabotage and other threats.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:14 Experiences in Ukraine: A Personal Account00:54 Visiting a Power Plant in a War Zone02:49 Daily Realities of War for Power Engineers04:41 Europe's Need to Prepare for War06:10 Challenges in Energy Infrastructure Resilience07:07 Recent Sabotage and Security Concerns08:43 Strategies for Enhancing Resilience13:01 Dependence on Foreign Infrastructure19:41 Supporting Ukraine's Power Sector Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth!In this special edition of 'Wicked Problems,' host Richard Delevan moderates a session at the Climate and Energy Summit 2025 held by Chatham House. The session brings together prominent climate tech startups focusing on adaptation and resilience, AI, carbon capture, and geothermal energy, and more:Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO & founder, ISEECHANGETaco Engelaar, SVP & Managing Director UK & Europe, NearaJohn Hartley, CEO, LevidianGus Grand, Chief Executive Officer, and Lucy Cotton, Principal Geologist, Eden Geothermal Expert panelists Fiona Harvey, Marisa Drew, and Peter Hirsch question the startups on their solutions' feasibility and impact. The startups present innovative ways to mitigate climate risks, enhance grid resilience, and decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors. Audience interactions and polls reveal insights into which technologies and stakeholders are deemed crucial for the next wave of climate action.00:00 Welcome to the Climate Energy Summit 202502:07 Introduction of the Host and Event Overview03:36 Discussion on Climate Tech and Election Impact04:39 Expert Panel Introduction and Climate Tech Debate08:51 Audience Interaction and Polling11:38 First Company Presentation: IC Change18:23 IC Change Q&A Session31:00 Second Company Presentation: Niara38:08 Niara Q&A Session43:13 Competitors and Market Positioning45:23 Insurance Industry and Grid Failures47:22 Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors48:30 Levidian's Loop System Explained49:48 Real-World Applications of Graphene54:48 Challenges and Opportunities in Methane Capture01:01:44 Eden Geothermal's Innovations01:03:32 Geothermal Energy in the UK01:07:20 Global Geothermal Advancements01:09:00 Audience Q&A on Geothermal01:16:41 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As other companies working on the energy transition in the US fold, the Finnish energy tech giant Wärtsilä - with big footprint in energy storage and energy management systems - is doubling down. What do they know that others don't? We asked Malin Östman, the company's head of strategy. We had our conversation in person at the legendary Chatham House, during their Climate and Energy Summit 2025. And we share some highlights from the public bits of the event that caught our ear. If you're enjoying these conversations and want to go ad-free, I'd invite you to check out ways you can help us keep offering independent analysis from the smartest folks in climate and energy. Go to wickedproblems.earth and check us out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outro Track of the DayFor reasons that should become clear…https://open.spotify.com/track/5PGYWv9Xp4IraLSDs8h1bY?si=1b23870ffdad4629 Ben Cooke, Earth Editor at The Times and returning champion guest on Wicked Problems, walks us through why his news outlet just devoted a whole series to climate adaptation.Over the past 18 months, a big thesis of this project is that a certain amount of climate risk and climate effects are already happening. Very few people are willing to talk about it publicly, which I think has put all of us at a huge disadvantage.Because talking about adaptation takes you from some pretty abstract notions about mitigating emissions, CO2 levels and average global temperatures and becomes a really local thing. What's gonna happen in my town? What should we done about it? Who's gonna pay for that?Seeing the series of reporting on adaptation in the UK's paper of record, particularly with the scene-setter from Science Editor Ben Spencer and cobylined with Anna Dowell, to me says we've really hit a big moment.Some other pieces in the series that we discuss:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/solar-panels-farmland-food-security-times-earth-wdb6dlhk8https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/reforestation-flood-defence-farmers-times-earth-8wgzqjdg7https://www.thetimes.com/article/f6181881-35b2-4333-97ae-2396ca835727Yeah But What Can I Do?Funnily enough, as we discussed in last episode with Ivo Mensch of the Climate Majority Project's Forum, you might stop doomscrolling and hang out in meatspace with other people who see now for what it is but are not queuing up to throw soup at plexiglass protectors of famous Van Gogh paintings.Talking to your neighbours about how to save each other in a natural catastrophe far more likely because of climate change that is here now is a very different chat from ‘you should go vegan to save some future version of the sky'.Tickets are still on sale for their event 15-16th March at Limehouse Town Hall in London.Spam is BadA few people have said we're pushing you to many things that aren't relevant. Some of you have nixed our emails. That happens with a fast-growing audience but we care what you think. We want to provide you things in which you find value.Shorter eps? No emails about eps bar a once-a-week thing? Different content streams for our themes, because to be fair we cover a lot of waterfront from politics to tech to law to finance to culture to science. We value your time and don't want to waste it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's late. Stupid late. Despite remaining in recovery from 3 broken ribs and a part-collapsed lung that have sidelined me for 10 days, here's a bit of catching up with some hope - some chaps in America who did what they could in this moment: sensing that climate data and analytics (along with other funded science) was about to go under the wheels of the Tump Train, we caught up with some guys organising a flotilla of small boats to carry what they can away from the blitzkrieg onslaught to help prepare to fight another day. It's a climate data Dunkirk.Outro of the DayIf that's the opiates talking I make no apologies. Time to figure our where you fit in to help, as things collapse into a nightmare timeline.We interview Ivo J. Mensch about the Climate Majority Project Forum focused on grassroots climate actions with a particular focus on adaptation, happening in London this weekend.And we speak with Raj Desai and Jeremy Herzog of Fulton Ring, who have successfully rescued important FEMA climate risk data from the MAGA bonfire. Finally, we talk with Jonathan Gilmour, a data scientist at Harvard School of Public Health, who helps lead a nationwide effort to safeguard environmental and public health data in the current emergency.They discuss the importance of data preservation, the role of international backups, and ways the tech community can contribute to this critical mission.Outro TracksHopefully listening will be as cool as compiling it. Listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=e9d16d87d386420aHaving cleared our guns, we'll be back soon with the Times' Ben Cooke on their turn to adaptation, Leo Rayman on Eden Lab on how to properly score the sustainability of business operations, and much more.If you can help us keep this going, we'd very much appreciate it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan delves into the latest developments in the UK's carbon budget and examines the prospects for clean industrial transitions in Europe. With highlights from the UK's Climate Change Committee's seventh carbon budget and insights from Emma Pinchbeck on future household energy savings, the discussion emphasizes the urgent need to reduce electricity prices while expanding clean power technologies. Interviews with climate tech experts, including Liam Hardy from Green Alliance and Charlie Mercer from the Startup Coalition, explore the pressing need for government support in electrifying industries and the potential impacts of decentralized approaches to renewable energy. The episode concludes with reflections on BP's strategic pivot back to oil and gas and the broader geopolitical implications of the energy transition.00:00 Introduction to Clean Electricity and Carbon Capture00:21 Weekly Climate News Recap01:33 UK's Carbon Budget and Future Projections03:34 Challenges and Opportunities in Clean Energy Transition05:45 BP's Shift in Energy Strategy07:06 Interview with Charlie Mercer on Climate Tech09:08 Government Spending and Climate Tech Investments15:41 Liam Hardy Green Alliance17:16 Interview with Liam Hardy on Electrification of Industry29:46 Encouraging Innovation in Smaller Startups30:20 The Cost Disparity Between Electricity and Natural Gas31:11 Understanding the Spark Gap33:19 Challenges in Reducing Electricity Costs37:17 Government Policies and Industrial Support39:32 Creative Solutions for Energy Transition41:24 Debating Hydrogen and Carbon Capture45:43 Final Thoughts and Future Directions48:39 BP Investor Call48:39 BP's Strategic Reset and Future Plans56:19 The Gulf of America Controversy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For full show notes and ad-free listening come to wickedproblems.earth.In this episode, host Richard Delevan discusses the failures and frustrations of traditional climate activism with sustainability strategist Joseph Gelfer. They explore Gelfer's call for 'climate populism'—a revolutionary, rather than reformist, approach to climate change that involves mobilizing public dissatisfaction with the elites. Delavan delves into how populist tactics used by figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage could inform a more aggressive climate strategy. The episode also touches on the far-reaching implications of political and technological trends led by influential figures such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and what that means for the future of climate action.00:00 Introduction and Frustration with Current Approaches00:25 Welcome to Wicked Problems00:51 Net Zero 2050: A Sinister Goal01:17 Energy Policies and Their Consequences01:40 Testimony of Secretary of Energy Chris Wright01:56 The Role of Jordan Peterson and the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship02:40 The Impact of Elon Musk and Data Control03:27 Conversation with Joseph Gelfer: Sustainability Strategies06:43 The Disconnect in Sustainability Efforts07:58 The Need for Revolutionary Change10:21 Understanding Trumpism and Climate Denial17:39 Climate Populism: A New Approach21:27 The Potential of Farage and Future Political Shifts24:44 Defining Success and Truth26:33 The Spectrum of Truth27:30 The Climate Crisis and Ethical Dilemmas29:54 Final Thoughts and Contact Information33:47 The Conservative Movement's Long Game37:41 Silicon Valley's Libertarian Vision43:47 The Crisis of Democracy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This edition is supported by our friends at the Climate Majority Project. If you're in the UK, and have decided it's time to do something more than doomscrolling and more useful than throwing paint…on 15-16 March at Limehouse in London.Get more info and tickets here.Fires in Los Angeles at last count had $35 billion plus of insured losses and probably $300 billion plus of economic losses. Who should pay?Here to help decode that we spoke with Dave Jones - former Insurance Commissioner for California from 2011 through 2018. He's now the director of the Climate Risk Initiative at University of California, Berkeley. He recently wrote an oped in the New York Times arguing that the oil companies should have to pay for the damages of the LA wildfires, to arrest the insurance crisis.Steve Coulter of the Green Alliance here in the UK expands on, slight tension, conundrum, paradox. Steve talks about his recent briefing on this point, particularly focusing on Lloyd's of London.And, um, finally, our good friend, returning champion, Dana Drugmand, journalist, publisher of Climate in the Courts and One Earth Now, who's been helping us understand these issues in the US nearly a year now. She helps us explore the counteroffensive launched against the Empire State's 2024 Climate Superfund law by 22 Republican state attorneys general who filed suit against state of New York to challenge the law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul at the end of last year. Dana compares that to some of the other pushback to the first-of-its-kind bill that was passed and signed into law earlier last year in Vermont.06:35 Interview with Dave Jones: Background and Climate Risk08:22 Insurance Industry's Role in Climate Change10:11 Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Accountable15:03 Subrogation and Legal Actions18:12 Impact on Insurance Markets and Homeowners20:15 Financial Risks and Regulatory Responses38:39 Mitigation Measures and Legislative Actions48:06 Industry Split on Sustainable Practices49:09 Lloyd's of London: A Case Study in Poor Performance50:33 The Growing Uninsurability Crisis53:53 Government Intervention and Systemic Risks56:33 Call to Action for Policymakers59:50 New York's Climate Superfund Law and Legal Challenges01:07:34 The Broader Implications of Climate Litigation01:22:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, to a lot of online reaction, not all of it good, we spoke to Kelly Wanser from Silver Lining, a non profit that advocates for research in this area. Not everyone was happy we talked about the subject. Understandably people are concerned, with good reason. Humanity doesn't have a great track record of avoiding being reckless or selfish and making decisions here in the so called global north that will definitely hurt other people — but we do it anyway.Whether it's like small island states that will go under the waves in our lifetimes because of. These effects and at the International Court of Justice hearing lawyers for big nations basically saying, “oh, well, that's sad Sorry about that. I don't think we can do about it though But here here's some tickets to get some immigration for a couple thousand of you anyway to come to Australia but in exchange, we're gonna need your fishing rights and Mineral rights for the undersea stuff.”Or telling India and China, “sorry. No, you cannot have the standard of living that fossil fuels enabled The West to have.” Weirdly, not everyone is super excited with that kind of trade off.So if we're going to feel obliged to look seriously at SRM - which is not the same as endorsing it - at the very least there should be ground rules: Insisting that the science done by and for researchers in the global south should be given privileged position in conversations about whether to do that research, about how to weigh potential costs and benefits, how to govern any of that stuff, how to even talk about it. Because places like Latin America, or South Africa, or Pakistan tend to have communities least able to cope with any potential negative outcomes. Andy Parker, Founder and CEO of the Degrees Initiative based in Bristol in the UK, has doing exactly that for 16 years - we think it made for an interesting chat.And in May, Degrees Initiative is convening the world's largest conference to date on SRM, in Cape Town, South Africa. It might well reset the global conversation on the science, the economics, and the geopolitics of SRM.If you're enjoying these conversations, do please share it, leave a rating and review on the platform of your choice, and send us feedback here at wickedproblems.earth.00:49 Current Climate Challenges and Innovations01:39 Global Perspectives on Climate Science05:14 The Ethics of Solar Geoengineering10:05 Interview with Andy Parker19:22 The Degrees Initiative and Global South23:45 Potential Risks and Considerations of SRM26:32 Potential Side Effects of Not Using SRM26:57 Security Implications and Uncertainties27:40 Degrees Initiative: Research and Support28:40 Fictional Scenarios and Real Concerns30:03 Termination Shock and Climate Impact37:01 Governance Challenges of SRM40:22 Mainstream Media and SRM Discourse43:15 Popular Culture's Take on SRM45:50 Final Thoughts and Future Directions48:34 Conclusion and Contact Information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get all our episodes and show notes ad-free at wickedproblems.earth.Professor Dana R. Fisher of American University is one of the most astute analysts of two things going through a huge stress test right now in the US - climate science, and democracy.Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The necessity of today's outro track will become obvious, and with apologies for my slandering of Flava Flav:She spoke to us from near Washington, where Elon Musk and his merry band of DOGE incels is being cheered on by Donald Trump as they ignore court orders and systematically gut research on the climate.She joined us at the end of last year, to talk about her book Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action. We planned to talk for maybe 20 minutes today about her recent work researching and documenting the vandalism to American science underway. Then she told us about her new research surveying attendees at the “People's March” who were 75% female, overwhelmingly moderate, middle-aged, mainstream Democratic voters, she found that 33% of people surveyed thought violence was justified to protect American democracy. And that was BEFORE Trump's inauguration and his pardon of those convicted of violently trying to overturn the results of the 2020 US election on Jan 6 2021.So we went over time. For nearly an hour.Come walk with us.Outro TracksChapters05:33 Introduction and Guest Welcome05:52 Discussing the Current State of the Apocalypse06:22 Field Work and Resistance Movements08:37 The People's March and Data Collection10:02 Media Misrepresentation and Crowd Sizes15:00 Political Violence and Survey Findings23:32 Impact on Federal Funding and Research29:06 Government Actions and Future Implications34:06 National Guard and Rising Tensions34:49 Impact on Jobs and Development35:39 USAID and Soft Power37:51 Theories on Government Dismantling38:38 Civil War and Martial Law Concerns39:02 Military's Role and January 6th Reflections48:20 Normalization of Violence51:00 Climate Change and Democracy52:36 Future Uncertainties and Personal ReflectionsThanksAppreciate you listening/watching/reading us. As we also get into it's more important than ever that we get voices like Prof. Fisher's to you to make sense of what's happening. And what might be coming. We hope you'd consider helping us continue the work by becoming a material supporter of Wicked Problems - and maybe even share the love by gifting a subscription to someone who appreciates apocalyptic optimsm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full show notes and our newsletter at wickedproblems.earth - and you can also get these episodes ad-free.Wicked Problems: Energy Transition and Decarbonization InsightsIn this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan delves into key issues and recent developments in the energy transition and decarbonization efforts. . Special guest Freya Pratty from SIFTED.eu (get her climate tech newsletter here) shares insights into the growth and challenges within climate tech companies, including an in-depth look at Octopus Energy's software success, Kraken. The episode also highlights a significant paper from Oxford University examining the potential resilience of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act against repeal, offering a glimmer of hope in the current political climate. Professor Sam Fankhauser of the Smith School joined us. And in some good news, the episode touches on the impressive rise of EV sales in the UK, policy impacts on the electric vehicle market, and the implications of Chinese EV makers entering the market. Ben Nelmes of New Automotive and Ben Kilbey of Bold Voodoo and EVUK came round. Join us for these crucial discussions and deep dive into the future of energy and climate policy.And clips from the Energy Transition Acceleration Forum at the British Library produced by The Carbon Trust - featuring Chris Stark of DESNZ being interviewed by Bloomberg's Akshat Rathi, Quadrature Climate Foundation's Greg de Temmermen, and Arthur Downing of Octopus Energy.00:00 Introduction and Consumer Issues00:34 Welcome to Wicked Problems01:20 Upcoming Interviews and Highlights01:51 Interview with Freya Pratty05:22 Deep Dive into Octopus and Kraken13:41 First of a Kind Factories17:07 Debate on Climate Tech Terminology29:00 Sam Fankhauser Oxford29:00 Interview with Professor Sam Fankhauser39:35 Navigating Congressional Influence on Climate Policy40:22 Vulnerabilities in Renewable Energy Policies41:16 The Role of Media and Reporting in Climate Change41:57 Global Perspectives on Deliverism and Climate Jobs43:28 Emotional vs. Rational Approaches to Climate Advocacy45:16 Global Climate Legislation Trends46:20 Anglo-Saxon Peculiarities in Climate Policy47:51 Future Research and Projects at Oxford Net Zero50:02 EV Sales Ben Squared50:27 Surprising Trends in UK EV Sales01:00:02 The Rise of Chinese EV Manufacturers01:04:35 Challenges and Opportunities in EV Market Policies01:15:54 The Importance of Affordable Electricity in Decarbonization01:18:46 UK's Role in Global Climate Leadership01:20:48 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Late last year we started interviewing folk in the business of solar radiation management (SRM) - aka one flavour of “geoengineering”. It's a taboo subject. It's sci-fi gold. It's also something we're going to be talking about. Particularly after famed climate scientist James Hansen and a platoon of other climate scientists published a new paper declaring not just the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5C to be in the rear-view mirror, but - as Damian Carrington in the Guardian summed it up: “The new analysis said global heating is likely to reach 2C by 2045, unless solar geoengineering is deployed.”The reason for a lot of this acceleration in global heating, say Hansen and colleagues, is (perversely) the result of successful efforts to reduce pollution. Specifically, removing sulfur from maritime fuel. That sulfur has been causing potentially millions of deaths a year due to respiratory diseases. So it's being phased out. Only one problem - the sulfur was having the under-appreciated consequence of reflecting quite a lot of sunlight back into space. How much? More than the entire energy output of humanity in a given year. And now that it's been removed, enough to - according to the paper - drive half the acceleration in global heating over the past 5 years or so.Hansen is hardly fringe for picking this up, though people don't all agree on the significance. Zeke Hausfather, who was not involved in the research, is among climate scientist who has acknowledge this “aerosol forcing” problem. Some data of his turned up in Nat Bullard's superb annual climate deck:Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.On the call releasing their findings, Hansen et al discussed SRM. Which (even more perversely) often involves ideas for putting sulfur dioxide back into the atmosphere. But on purpose. To cool things off. To buy time.So here is part one of a series of conversations about SRM, featuring Kelly Wanser - the head of Silver Lining, one of the leading non-batshit-crazy outfits trying to do research on technologies that might make it possible. We'll put out part two very soon.00:00 Introduction to the Climate Crisis00:28 The Doomsday Clock and Climate Realities01:57 Hansen's Climate Predictions02:55 Aerosol Forcing and Global Warming05:10 Purposeful Global Cooling08:04 Interview with Kelly Wanser11:07 Silver Linings' Mission and Climate Interventions23:19 Challenges and Ethical Questions31:32 Introduction to Luke Eisman and Make Sunsets31:50 Neal Stephenson's Influence and Geoengineering Concept32:45 Luke Eisman's DIY Approach to Geoengineering34:05 Critique of Non-Expert Interventions35:10 Challenges in Atmospheric Science37:51 Responsible Research and Global Perspectives40:10 The Importance of Atmospheric Monitoring47:56 Global South and Climate Risk Research 52:55 The Montreal Protocol and Climate Agreements54:54 Final Thoughts and Recommendations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come to wickedproblems.earth for full show notes.Sophie Hall of ETH Zürich joins Richard Delevan to discuss her research into using game theory to embed more fairness into the algorithms that increasingly control the services we rely upon for our everyday lives.00:00 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:04 The Role of AI in Critical Infrastructure01:01 AI's Impact on Society and Ethics03:19 Trust and AI in Life-or-Death Situations04:57 Personal Anecdotes and AI's Everyday Influence07:23 AI in Energy and Infrastructure08:48 Ethics and Fairness in AI Algorithms11:29 Interview with Sophie Hall: AI and Fairness12:47 Sophie's Research and Its Real-World Applications26:21 Challenges and Future Directions in AI and Policy45:02 Conclusion and Call to Action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get more at wickedproblems.earthSo much is happening that it's hard to drink from the firehose of US executive orders on energy and crazy chaos orangutang screeches on presidential letterhead, UK debates about growth versus climate, and parsing the statements of tech broligarchs to the only people left who can hold them accountable – their investors during earnings calls this week.And that's before we get to Heathrow and a Scottish court ruling that the Rosebank field was unlawfully given permission because it ignored carbon emissions – which I'm sure peaked the interest of lawyers for the 16 Just Stop Oil protestors facing some of the longest sentences ever handed down for non-violent protests.So we've got a mega-episode for you this Friday the last day of January. We've got climate comedian and UCL academic Matt Winning, along with climate journalist and BlueSky maestro Dave Vetter to help make sense of all of that. And we've got Adam Grant Bell of the UK consultancy Stonehaven, who after decades in and out of government has a pretty good sense for these things, setting some odds on what's going to happen this year in getting enough renewables built to achieve the UK government's goals of hitting clean power by 2030. And he thinks the UK government might this year finally move away from a national price for electricity and to a system where cheaper electricity from things like wind and solar will be reflected locally, something Octopus's Greg Jackson and others have been calling for and could radically change decisions about where power gets generated and where you site things like factories that will use it.And because we can't ignore that chaos orangutang with nuclear weapons, US-based Financial Times journos Amanda Chu and me aul mucker Jamie Smyth of Energy Source join us.00:13 Government's Role in the Chaos 00:18 Trump's Impact on Renewable Energy 00:45 Weekly Recap and Upcoming Topics 01:11 Elon Musk02:31 Climate and Energy Policies04:37 Interview with FT Journalists 05:49 Tracking Executive Orders 09:41 Impact on Renewable Energy Projects 10:29 Texas and Clean Energy Growth 12:48 Energy Policy and Executive Authority 13:49 Challenges in Renewable Energy Development 15:58 Geopolitical Factors and Market Dynamics 20:11 Future of Renewable Energy Auctions 36:55 Enhanced Geothermal and Government Policies 37:31 Small Modular Reactors and Long Duration Storage 38:22 Chancellor's Speech and Planning Reforms 39:30 Environmental and Climate Change Debates 40:37 Rosebank Ruling and Oil and Gas Projects 42:48 Interview with Dave Vedder and Matt Winning 44:34 AI Advancements and Energy Implications 53:46 Heathrow Expansion and Sustainable Aviation Fuel 01:04:43 Closing Thoughts and Upcoming EventsAll the TunesIf you're enjoying the tunes, check out the whole outro playlist:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=2f56f6d68d2c4bff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine living in Los Angeles. Imagine that you actually wrote something nearly 10 years ago that pretty much nailed the fire we're seeing this month. Imagine you put 10 years of your life into writing a novel that cut no corners and tried to make real the stakes and the conflicts those disasters would bring up – as a warning to act sooner. Now imagine the worst person in the world taking credit for your work while using the tragedy – that you forsaw – to turn people against the solutions that would do something to stop more of these disasters happening in future.How Stephen Markley, author of 2023 novel The Deluge, is keeping it together despite all the above I will never know, but I'm grateful he could make time to speak with me this week. And do suggest future guests to me on BlueSky or in the comments below.Share00:19 Predicting the Fire Disaster01:05 Reflecting on the Current Week02:12 Living Through the Fire03:43 The Role of Environmental Regulations04:21 Interview with Stephen Markley06:26 Stephen's Experience During the Fires11:23 The Political Landscape and Climate Policy26:43 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan interviews Laurent Segalen, co-host of Redefining Energy, about his North Atlantic Transmission One - Link project. The discussion covers the project's ambitious goal of connecting the energy grids of North America and Europe via a 6 GW undersea cable to increase energy security and resilience, especially in a world increasingly dependent on renewables. Laurent shares his personal journey that led him to this project, including the influence of key historical events and past experiences in energy trading and investment. The conversation touches on the technical, financial, and geopolitical aspects of the project, as well as the challenges and feasibility studies conducted. The episode concludes with insights into the project's potential security implications and future developments.00:00 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:45 International Energy Connections01:57 The Future of Global Energy Trade03:58 Interview with Laurent Seguelin04:51 Laurent's Early Influences11:43 The Birth of Scope 216:46 The North Atlantic Transmission Project24:19 Feasibility and Future Prospects26:43 Starting the Project: Initial Challenges and Collaborations27:54 Wind Data Analysis: Newfoundland and Ireland28:51 Hydro and Wind Energy Developments30:55 Investor Discussions and Independent Reports34:34 Technical and Logistical Considerations40:53 Cost and Feasibility of the Project45:56 Security Concerns and Strategic Importance48:14 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook51:54 Conclusion and Closing Remarks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For full show notes, ad-free listening, and our newsletter, check out wickedproblems.earth.In this episode of Wicked Problems, Richard Delevan talks with Laurie Laybourn of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative and James Dyke from the University of Exeter. They tackle the stark reality that the preemptive climate strategies have largely failed and emphasize the need to leverage state capacities discovered during crises like COVID-19 to address the climate emergency. They explore concepts such as 'derailment risk' and discuss the potential catastrophic outcomes of the climate crisis, highlighting the vital need for dramatic policy changes and the role of academia, policymakers, and the private sector in combating climate change. The conversation also touches on the moral implications of surpassing the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold and the cynical role of fossil fuel interests. Dyke and Laybourn underscore the urgency for immediate, effective climate action and cooperation at a global scale.00:00 Introduction: Extraordinary Times and Climate Challenges00:20 The Climate Crisis: A Battle Unfought00:59 Real World Conversations: Experts Weigh In02:38 Introducing Laurie Laybourne and James Dyke03:40 The Doom Loop: Climate and Economic Risks11:05 Cascading Risks and National Security13:33 State Capacity and Climate Action24:42 Geoengineering: The Last Resort?30:30 Complacency in Risk Assessments31:45 Geoengineering and Emergency Toolkits32:51 The Urgency of Climate Action34:53 Societal Change and Optimism38:22 Financial Markets and Climate Risk44:39 The Role of Private Capital54:30 The Reality of Climate Protests01:01:26 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last few days we've been tracking some of the nominees for Donald Trump's Insane Clown Posse Cabinet. Starting with Chris Wright at Energy (better than expected!) and then Lee Zeldin at EPA (and NGL was fun to watch him get stuffed into a locker by Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, and Sheldon Whitehouse). But after 9 hours of hearings watched for you, here's the final Trump energy boss - Interior Sec nominee and potential head of the National Energy Council, North Dakota governor and billionaire Doug Burgum. Burgum is a fan of “clean coal”, “methane capture”, and “energy dominance” - and while he says he acknowledges climate change doesn't think it matters next to using more coal to build more AI data centres to beat China. But like the LA fires, whether or not you believe in climate change, climate change believes in you. And if Doug Burgum becomes Interior Sec he will be responsible for brokering a deal next year to replace the expiring 100-year-old agreement between the Western US states including 40 million people to divide up the flow of the Colorado River. But in 2026, the Colorado will be in the middle of a 10,000-year-drought and a long-term decline - all due to climate change. Meaning there is a lot less to go around. We would have loved to hear more informed questioning about claims about the track record of carbon capture or rebuttal of nonsense claims that eg 'solar is more expensive than coal'. Even Angus King from Maine, almost certainly the best of the bunch, barely laid a glove on him.Join us at wickedproblems.earth to get these episodes ad-free and to get our newsletter and other content. Starting tomorrow, independent media that will offer insight and analysis without fear or favour will be more important than ever. But together we'll get through this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full coverage and ad-free content at wickedproblems.earthIn this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delevan delves into the intense political landscape following Donald Trump's return to the White House and the subsequent Senate confirmation hearings for key nominees responsible for climate and energy policy. This detailed episode features in-depth discussions on climate and energy, examining the roles of various nominees, including former Congressman Lee Zeldin, in shaping future policies. Key highlights include probing questions from Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ed Markey, who challenge Zeldin on his stance towards climate change and the fossil fuel industry. Additionally, the episode touches on the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, the significant power wielded by the Department of Energy, and the critical issue of water rights in the context of the Colorado River. This episode promises a rich blend of urgent climate discussions, political dynamics, and the stakes for future U.S. energy policies. For listeners seeking a deeper understanding of these pivotal hearings and their potential impact on climate action, this episode is a must-listen.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:05 Trump's Influence on EPA and Fossil Fuel Politics00:57 Senate Confirmation Hearings Overview01:49 Climate and Energy Policy Debates02:29 Chris Wright's Nomination for Energy Secretary03:45 Lee Zeldin's Hearing and Climate Concerns06:22 Sheldon Whitehouse's Opening Remarks13:55 Senator Whitehouse Questions Lee Zeldin19:18 Senator Ed Markey's Climate Change Concerns31:57 Conclusion and Call to Action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get our full coverage at WickedProblems.earth. In this episode of Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations, host Richard Delevan takes a closer look at the political theater surrounding the Senate confirmation hearings of Chris Wright, the Trump administration's 2025 nominee for U.S. Energy Secretary. Wright, a vocal advocate for fossil fuels and CEO of Liberty Energy, has sparked controversy with his industry-first approach to energy policy and public comments dismissing the urgency of climate change.We unpack the political, environmental, and cultural implications of Wright's nomination, asking hard questions about how his potential leadership could shape America's energy future.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeChris Wright's Energy Vision: Wright's track record at Liberty Energy and his public statements on energy policy. How does his vision align—or clash—with the realities of a warming planet?The Confirmation Drama: Key moments from the Senate hearings, including fiery exchanges over Wright's commitment to renewable energy investments and grid modernization.Fossil Fuels vs. Climate Policy: What Wright's nomination signals about the Trump administration's energy priorities in 2025 and the broader implications for global climate efforts.The “Non-Psychopath” Lens: A closer look at the surprisingly candid remarks from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioning whether Wright's policies reflect a balanced, forward-thinking approach—or a dangerous return to fossil fuel dominance.Impacts on Climate Tech: How Wright's potential confirmation could affect the U.S. energy landscape, from renewable energy incentives to innovation funding for climate tech startups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

German political scientist, author and climate activist Tadzio Müller is pretty dark. But even he's having trouble coping with the news. So he's reading dystopian climate fiction, because it's less depressing. Most recently, friend-of-the-show Stephen Markley's The Deluge.Given the week that's in it we of course had to talk about the wildfires but also the rise of Alice Weidel and Tadzio decoding her “Windmills of Shame” comment, which to a non-German just sounds like Trump with better writing but to this German sounds a lot more purposeful and sinister. Tadzio argues it would be a mistake to ignore the fact that there is a coherent political strategy at work behind those kind of daft-sounding comments that fly in the face of supposedly overwhelming support for climate solutions whether they're from AfD, Donald Trump, or Nigel Farage.Tadzio has his own book out - available later this spring in English - the rough translation of the title is Between Peaceful Sabotage and Collapse: How I Learned to Love the Future Again. But don't wait - after you listen or watch this third chat between your friendly neighbourhood neoliberal shill here and this German gay communist being far more articulate in English than the native speaker, subscribe to his “Peaceful Sabotage” newsletter to get a sense. Unlike the grumpier, earnest end of the climate movement, the great thing about Tadzio is that he (despite being as prone to depression as I am) is just so damned funny. But we did our best to keep him honest - despite the fact that when we first spoke a year ago we both made some predictions about 2024. If anything, his dark foreboding low-balled how bad the year would be. In 2025 I think we're probably more in sync. And careful listeners will hear him trail “Collapse Camp” - a successor to “climate camp” - which will be apparently a mini-festival at the end of August where you can share bushcraft and other survival tips for coming climate catastrophes while also doing the things festivals are generally known for. We'll keep you informed. In this episode:00:00 Introduction: Shame and Guilt in Politics 01:02 The Rise of Fascism in Germany 03:12 The Collapse of Societies 08:33 Climate Change and Irrationality 23:20 The Politics of Catastrophe 38:34 A Rainbow Family and Right-Wing Politics 39:12 Facing Fears and Political Solidarity 39:42 FEMA and Fascist Militias 41:39 Redefining Progressive Politics 42:22 Personal Anecdotes and Community Engagement 44:24 The Emotional Labor of Acceptance 47:32 Solidarity and Collective Prepping 49:38 Dystopian Futures and Political Realities 55:00 Enemies and Political Negativity 01:07:56 Looking Forward: Collapse Camp and Future Plans Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Richard Delevan dives into the transformative legal battles shaping the future of climate accountability. From Vermont's trailblazing Climate Superfund law to New York's bold move to hold oil and gas companies financially liable for adaptation costs, we explore the "pincer movement" of legislation and litigation forcing polluters to pay.Joining the conversation is Dana Drugmand, founder of Climate in the Courts, who shares insights into the biggest legal wins of 2024 and what they mean for 2025. From Montana's historic recognition of a constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment to groundbreaking rulings in Europe and the International Court of Justice, this episode unpacks how courts and laws are changing the climate accountability landscape.Key Topics Covered:The growing momentum behind “polluter pays” laws in Vermont and New YorkYouth-led climate cases in Montana, Hawaii, and South KoreaThe role of human rights in climate litigation globallyThe International Court of Justice's potential impact on global climate obligationsHow legal wins can drive innovation in climate technologyLinks and Resources:Learn more about Vermont's Climate Superfund law: Read hereDetails on New York's Climate Superfund law: Read hereExplore Dana Drugmand's Climate in the Courts: Visit hereICJ Climate Hearings Overview: Learn morePolluter Pays Climate Fund Act Insights: Data for ProgressFollow Us:Subscribe to Wicked Problems for more climate tech insights: Spotify | Apple Podcasts Support us and get our newsletter, ad-free episodes, and full show notes: wickedproblems.earthJoin us as we unpack the legal battles at the forefront of climate action and explore how they could reshape our future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Wicked Problems, host Richard Delavan talks with energy expert Alexina Jackson about the digital transformation of the energy grid. They discuss the impact of grid-enhancing technologies, the significance of dynamic line ratings, and the role of storage and AI in optimizing the energy system. Alekshina shares her journey into the energy sector, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, digital solutions, and informed decision-making. They also explore the future challenges and opportunities in the energy landscape, focusing on economic growth, climate change, and technological advancements.00:00 Introduction and Investment Verification00:30 Welcome to Wicked Problems00:31 Meet Alekshina Jackson: Energy Expert01:08 Alekshina's Career Journey02:36 Digital Transformation in Energy07:40 Grid Enhancing Technologies12:13 The Future of Energy Systems15:29 Investment Strategies and Digitalization21:21 Technological Innovations and AI31:09 Final Thoughts and Recommendations38:37 Closing Remarks and Call to Action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a special milestone episode of Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations! In this 100th episode, hosts Richard Delevan and Peter Schwartzstein reflect on a tumultuous yet transformative 2024, joined by a host of friends and contributors from the climate tech and advocacy world. Together, they share personal highlights, challenges, and their hopes for 2025. Here's what to expect:Highlights from the Episode:Reflections on 2024: Peter celebrates the release of his long-awaited book, while Richard ponders the year's most maddening moments, including political turmoil and the slow pace of global climate action.Guest Spotlights:Adam Bell (Stonehaven) celebrates the UK government's ambitious plan to overhaul the power system in just five years while questioning whether they'll muster the resolve to see it through.Sarah Mackintosh (Cleantech for UK) highlights the closure of the UK's last coal-fired power station and the lifting of the ban on onshore wind as key milestones for clean energy.Rupert Read (Climate Majority Project) turns catastrophe into a rallying cry, framing 2024's challenges as a wake-up call for strategic adaptation.Jenny Chase (Bloomberg NEF) marvels at the solar boom in Pakistan and speculates on which country will follow suit in 2025.Dr. Matt Winning (Comedian and Lecturer) lightens the mood with his reflections on climate humor and hopes for action at COP in Brazil.Hannah Scott (Oxfordshire Green Tech) shares progress on the Climate Tech Supercluster, building a world-leading innovation ecosystem.Stephen (Climate Impact) discusses the momentum around fusion energy and the launch of new conferences to foster collaboration in the space.Tadzio Muller (Activist) emphasizes the importance of finding agency amidst systemic crises, offering a pragmatic yet optimistic take on climate justice.Themes Explored:The personal and professional victories that keep the climate tech community hopeful despite daunting obstacles.How politics shapes climate action, with contributors tackling the implications of global and local governance shifts, including a second Trump administration.The path forward for 2025: from fusion energy breakthroughs to decarbonizing transport and reshaping planning systems.Special Moments:Behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the show's creation, including shoutouts to musical collaborators and reflections on guestlist privileges!A humorous exchange about the team's occasional carol karaoke adventures.Key Takeaways:Climate challenges may seem insurmountable, but community, innovation, and collaboration can help shift the needle.As we move into 2025, clarity on problems could lead to greater clarity of purpose in tackling them.Join the Conversation:Tune in to hear from some of the brightest minds in climate tech and policy as we celebrate the power of storytelling, advocacy, and action. Here's to 100 episodes of wickedly good conversations—and to many more ahead! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of 'Wicked Problems: Climate Tech Conversations.' In this episode, host Richard Delevan is joined by Yehuda Borenstein, a serial climate tech venture builder and Chairman & Co-founder of the Direct Air Capture (DAC) startup RepAir. Yehuda discusses his journey and the innovations his team is working on to solve one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change. From DAC technology to integrating carbon capture with renewable energy, we dive into the nuts and bolts of the solutions that could help humanity reach net zero emissions. Yehuda also addresses the challenges and criticisms associated with funding from oil companies and shares his perspective on the broader climate tech landscape. This episode is packed with insights, optimism, and practical advice on tackling climate change. Don't miss Yehuda's firsthand insights into the future of carbon capture and the technologies that are transforming our fight against global warming. Please like, rate, and review on your favourite podcast platform, and consider subscribing to WickedProblems.Earth for an ad-free experience and exclusive content.00:51 Challenges in Carbon Dioxide Removal03:09 Key Technology Areas for Climate Solutions07:06 Interview with Yehuda Borenstein07:24 Yehuda's Journey in Climate Tech28:38 Innovations in CapEx and Material Efficiency29:51 Addressing Common Questions in Climate Tech30:23 Challenges and Solutions for Off-Takers and Customers31:10 Carbon Capture Strategies and Market Dynamics34:08 Innovative Approaches to Carbon Capture39:15 Energy Requirements and Economic Implications43:24 Storage Methodologies and Practical Demonstrations47:41 The Role of Oil Companies in Decarbonization49:58 Reflections on Climate Week and Industry Sentiments55:26 CATALYSTS: Personal Motivations and Inspirations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of 'Wicked Problems,' host Richard Delevan discusses the interconnections between climate change, geopolitical instability, and political turmoil, coined as the 'doom loop.' The episode explores how rising inflation and extreme weather events influence political movements and undermine climate actions. Delavan speaks with Roz Savage, a new MP for the South Cotswolds, about her climate and nature bill, highlighting the need for comprehensive legislation and public engagement. Later, Dr. Maria Antonia Tigre from the Sabin Center and Dana Drugman of One Earth Now discuss the implications of the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on state obligations to mitigate climate change, emphasizing the role of legal frameworks in shaping global climate action.And a subscription at Wickedproblems.earth makes a great holiday gift! 00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks01:03 Climate Change and Economic Instability02:52 Political Implications of Climate Disruption04:20 Rising Costs and Food Prices05:51 Flooding and Insurance Issues10:35 International Climate Litigation12:18 Interview with Roz Savage26:02 Ambitious Private Member's Bill on Climate and Nature26:41 Long-Term Commitment to Climate Advocacy27:39 Introduction to Legal Experts on Climate Obligations28:39 Historic Moment in International Climate Law34:44 The Role of Non-State Actors in Climate Litigation38:16 Implications of ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change45:18 Challenges and Opportunities in Climate Litigation54:57 Final Thoughts and Reflections Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.