Podcasts about Montreal Protocol

In 1985, scientists in Antarctica discovered a hole in the ozone layer that posed a catastrophic threat to life on earth if we didn't do something about it. Then, something amazing happened: humanity rallied together to solve the problem.Just two years later, representatives from all 198 UN member nations came together in Montreal, CA to sign an agreement to phase out the chemicals causing the ozone hole. Thousands of diplomats, scientists, and heads of industry worked hand in hand to make a deal to save our planet. Today, the Montreal protocol represents the greatest achievement in multilateral coordination on a global crisis.So how did Montreal happen? And what lessons can we learn from this chapter as we navigate the global crisis of uncontrollable AI? This episode sets out to answer those questions with Susan Solomon. Susan was one of the scientists who assessed the ozone hole in the mid 80s and she watched as the Montreal protocol came together. In 2007, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in combating climate change.Susan's 2024 book “Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again,” explores the playbook for global coordination that has worked for previous planetary crises.Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on X: @HumaneTech_. You can find a full transcript, key takeaways, and much more on our Substack. RECOMMENDED MEDIA“Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again” by Susan SolomonThe full text of the Montreal ProtocolThe full text of the Kigali Amendment RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODESWeaponizing Uncertainty: How Tech is Recycling Big Tobacco's PlaybookForever Chemicals, Forever Consequences: What PFAS Teaches Us About AIAI Is Moving Fast. We Need Laws that Will Too.Big Food, Big Tech and Big AI with Michael MossCorrections:Tristan incorrectly stated the number of signatory countries to the protocol as 190. It was actually 198.Tristan incorrectly stated the host country of the international dialogues on AI safety as Beijing. They were actually in Shanghai.

On this episode of the Newscast we take a look at Natalie Kyriacou's widely praised new book, Nature's Last Dance: Tales of Wonder in an Age of Extinction, whose high-profile fans, like Paris climate agreement architect Christiana Figueres, call it a “lyrical call to awaken our love for the wild before the music stops.” Kyriacou, the founder of the environmental organization My Green World, shares her aim of the book, her thoughts on real solutions to our ecological problems, what she wishes more people understood about nature, and why they need to fall in love with it. “If there's one simple thing that we can do, it is to just step outside and feel that wonder and look up and appreciate it … if we are going to protect nature, to protect something, you need to fall in love with it.” Always honest and often humorous, this deeply researched volume clearly outlines the economic, political and cultural drivers of our most significant ecological problems, and what the reader can do to effect meaningful change. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, and you can also listen to all episodes here on the Mongabay website. Image Credit: Natalie Kyriacou. Photo by Chloe Paul. -- Timecodes (00:00) Making nature mainstream (04:28) Challenging bias about nature (12:38) Stories of recovery (16:23) How we all depend on nature (21:55) Porches and peacocks (27:03) Your actions are a vote (35:18) Inspiration from Costa Rica (38:55) Lessons from the Montreal Protocol (45:08) To protect it, you have to love it

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,Global population growth is slowing, and it's not showing any signs of recovery. To the environmentalists of the 1970s, this may have seemed like a movement in the right direction. The drawbacks to population decline, however, are severe and numerous, and they're not all obvious.Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk with economist and demographer Dean Spears about the depopulation trend that is transcending cultural barriers and ushering in a new global reality. We discuss the costs to the economy and human progress, and the inherent value of more people.Spears is an associate professor of economics at Princeton University where he studies demography and development. He is also the founding executive director of r.i.c.e., a nonprofit research organization seeking to uplift children in rural northern India. He is a co-author with Michael Geruso of After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People.In This Episode* Where we're headed (1:32)* Pumping the breaks (5:41)* A pro-parenting culture (12:40)* A place for AI (19:13)* Preaching to the pro-natalist choir (23:40)* Quantity and quality of life (28:48)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. Where we're headed (1:32). . . two thirds of people now live in a country where the birth rate is below the two children per two adults level that would stabilize the population.Pethokoukis: Who are you and your co-author trying to persuade and what are you trying to persuade them of? Are you trying to persuade them that global depopulation is a real thing, that it's a problem? Are you trying to persuade them to have more kids? Are you trying to persuade them to support a certain set of pro-child or pro-natalist policies?Spears: We are trying to persuade quite a lot of people of two important things: One is that global depopulation is the most likely future — and what global depopulation means is that every decade, every generation, the world's population will shrink. That's the path that we're on. We're on that path because birth rates are low and falling almost everywhere. It's one thing we're trying to persuade people of, that fact, and we're trying to persuade people to engage with a question of whether global depopulation is a future to welcome or whether we should want something else to happen. Should we let depopulation happen by default or could it be better to stabilize the global population at some appropriate level instead?We fundamentally think that this is a question that a much broader section of society, of policy discourse, of academia should be talking about. We shouldn't just be leaving this discussion to the population scientists, demographic experts, not only to the people who already are worried about, or talking about low birth rates, but this is important enough and unprecedented enough that everybody should be engaging in this question. Whatever your ongoing values or commitments, there's a place for you in this conversation.Is it your impression that the general public is aware of this phenomenon? Or are they still stuck in the '70s thinking that population is running amok and we'll have 30 billion people on this planet like was the scenario in the famous film, Soylent Green? I feel like the people I know are sort of aware that this is happening. I don't know what your experience is.I think it's changing fast. I think more and more people are aware that birth rates are falling. I don't think that people are broadly aware — because when you hear it in the news, you might hear that birth rates in the United States have fallen low or birth rates in South Korea have fallen low. I think what not everybody knows is that two thirds of people now live in a country where the birth rate is below the two children per two adults level that would stabilize the population.I think people don't know that the world's birth rate has fallen from an average around five in 1950 to about 2.3 today, and that it's still falling and that people just haven't engaged with the thought that there's no special reason to expect it to stop and hold it to. But the same processes that have been bringing birth rates down will continue to bring them down, and people don't know that there's no real automatic stabilizer to expect it to come back up. Of the 26 countries that have had the lifetime birth rate fall below 1.9, none of them have had it go back up to two.That's a lot of facts that are not as widely known as they should be, but then the implication of it, that if the world's birth rate goes below two and stays there, we're going to have depopulation generation after generation. I think for a lot of people, they're still in the mindset that depopulation is almost conceptually impossible, that either we're going to have population growth or something else like zero population growth like people might've talked about in the '70s. But the idea that a growth rate of zero is just a number and then that it's not going to stop there, it's going to go negative, I think that's something that a lot of people just haven't thought about.Pumping the breaks (5:41)We wrote this book because we hope that there will be an alternative to depopulation society will choose, but there's no reason to expect or believe that it's going happen automatically.You said there's no automatic stabilizers — at first take, that sounds like we're going to zero. Is there a point where the global population does hit a stability point?No, that's just the thing.So we're going to zero?Well, “there's no automatic stabilizer” isn't the same thing as “we're definitely going to zero.” It could be that society comes together and decides to support parenting, invest more in the next generation, invest more in parents and families, and do more to help people choose to be parents. We wrote this book because we hope that there will be an alternative to depopulation society will choose, but there's no reason to expect or believe that it's going happen automatically. In no country where the birth rate has gone to two has it just magically stopped and held there forever.I think a biologist might say that the desire to reproduce, that's an evolved drive, and even if right now we're choosing to have smaller families, that biological urge doesn't vanish. We've had population, fertility rates, rise and fall throughout history — don't you think that there is some sort of natural stabilizer?We've had fluctuations throughout history, but those fluctuations have been around a pretty long and pretty widely-shared downward trend. Americans might be mostly only now hearing about falling birth rates because the US was sort of anomalous amongst richer countries and having a relatively flat period from the 1970s to around 2010 or so, whereas birth rates were falling in other countries, they weren't falling in the US in the same way, but they were falling in the US before then, they're falling in the US since then, and when you plot it over the long history with other countries, it's clear that, for the world as a whole, as long as we've had records, not just for decades, but for centuries, we've seen birth rates be falling. It's not just a new thing, it's a very long-term trend.It's a very widely-shared trend because humans are unlike other animals in the important way that we make decisions. We have culture, we have rationality, we have irrationality, we have all of these. The reason the population grew is because we've learned how to keep ourselves and our children alive. We learned how to implement sanitation, implement antibiotics, implement vaccines, and so more of the children who were born survived even as the birth rate was falling all along. Other animals don't do that. Other animals don't invent sanitation systems and antibiotics and so I think that we can't just reason immediately from other animal populations to what's going to happen to humans.I think one can make a plausible case that, even if you think that this is a problem — and again, it's a global problem, or a global phenomenon, advanced countries, less-advanced countries — that it is a phenomenon of such sweep that if you're going to say we need to stabilize or slow down, that it would take a set of policies of equal sweep to counter it. Do those actually exist?No. Nobody has a turnkey solution. There's nothing shovel-ready here. In fact, it's too early to be talking about policy solutions or “here's my piece of legislation, here's what the government should do” because we're just not there yet, both in terms of the democratic process of people understanding the situation and there even being a consensus that stabilization, at some level, would be better than depopulation, nor are we there yet on having any sort of answer that we can honestly recommend as being tested and known to be something that will reliably stabilize the population.I think the place to start is by having conversations like this one where we get people to engage with the evidence, and engage with the question, and just sort of move beyond a reflexive welcoming of depopulation by default and start thinking about, well, what are the costs of people and what are the benefits of people? Would we be better off in a future that isn't depopulating over the long run?The only concrete step I can think of us taking right now is adapting the social safety net to a new demographic reality. Beyond that, it seems like there might have to be a cultural shift of some kind, like a large-scale religious revival. Or maybe we all become so rich that we have more time on our hands and decide to have more kids. But do you think at some point someone will have a concrete solution to bring global fertility back up to 2.1 or 2.2?Look at it like this: The UN projects that the peak will be about six decades from now in 2084. Of course, I don't have a crystal ball, I don't know that it's going to be 2084, but let's take that six-decades timeline seriously because we're not talking about something that's going to happen next year or even next decade.But six decades ago, people were aware that — or at least leading scientists and even some policymakers were aware that climate change was a challenge. The original computations by Arrhenius of the radiative forcing were long before that. You have the Johnson speech to Congress, you have Nixon and the EPA. People were talking about climate change as a challenge six decades ago, but if somebody had gotten on their equivalent of a podcast and said, “What we need to do is immediately get rid of the internal combustion engine,” they would've been rightly laughed out of the room because that would've been the wrong policy solution at that time. That would've been jumping to the wrong solution. Instead, what we needed to do was what we've done, which is the science, the research, the social change that we're now at a place where emissions per person in the US have been falling for 20 years and we have technologies — wind, and solar, and batteries — that didn't exist before because there have been decades of working on it.So similarly, over the next six decades, let's build the research, build the science, build the social movement, discover things we don't know, more social science, more awareness, and future people will know more than you and I do about what might be constructive responses to this challenge, but only if we start talking about it now. It's not a crisis to panic about and do the first thing that comes to mind. This is a call to be more thoughtful about the future.A pro-parenting culture (12:40)The world's becoming more similar in this important way that the difference across countries and difference across societies is getting smaller as birth rates converge downward.But to be clear, you would like people to have more kids.I would like for us to get on a path where more people who want to be parents have the sort of support, and environment, and communities they need to be able to choose that. I would like people to be thinking about all of this when they make their family decisions. I'd like the rest of us to be thinking about this when we pitch in and do more to help us. I don't think that anybody's necessarily making the wrong decision for themselves if they look around and think that parenting is not for them or having more children is not for them, but I think we might all be making a mistake if we're not doing more to support parents or to recognize the stake we have in the next generation.But all those sorts of individual decisions that seem right for an individual or for a couple, combined, might turn into a societal decision.Absolutely. I'm an economics professor. We call this “externalities,” where there are social benefits of something that are different from the private costs and benefits. If I decide that I want to drive and I contribute to traffic congestion, then that's an externality. At least in principle, we understand what to do about that: You share the cost, you share the benefits, you help the people internalize the social decision.It's tied up in the fact that we have a society where some people we think of as doing care work and some people we think of as doing important work. So we've loaded all of these costs of making the next generation on people during the years of their parenting and especially on women and mothers. It's understandable that, from a strictly economic point of view, somebody looks at that and thinks, “The private costs are greater than the private benefits. I'm not going to do that.” It's not my position to tell somebody that they're wrong about that. What you do in a situation like that is share and lighten that burden. If there's a social reason to solve traffic congestion, then you solve it with public policy over the long run. If the social benefits of there being a flourishing next generation are greater than people are finding in their own decision making, then we need to find the ways to invest in families, invest in parenting, lift and share those burdens so that people feel like they can choose to be parents.I would think there's a cultural component here. I am reminded of a book by Jonathan Last about this very issue in which he talks about Old Town Alexandria here in Virginia, how, if you go to Old Town, you can find lots of stores selling stuff for dogs, but if you want to buy a baby carriage, you can't find anything.Of course, that's an equilibrium outcome, but go on.If we see a young couple pushing a stroller down the street and inside they have a Chihuahua — as society, or you personally, would you see that and “Think that's wrong. That seems like a young couple living in a nice area, probably have plenty of dough, they can afford daycare, and yet they're still not going to have a kid and they're pushing a dog around a stroller?” Should we view that as something's gone wrong with our society?My own research is about India. My book's co-authored with Mike Geruso. He studies the United States more. I'm more of an expert on India.Paul Ehrlich, of course, begins his book, The Population Bomb, in India.Yes, I know. He starts with this feeling of being too crowded with too many people. I say in the book that I almost wonder if I know the exact spot where he has that experience. I think it's where one of my favorite shops are for buying scales and measuring tape for measuring the health of children in Uttar Pradesh. But I digress about Paul Ehrlich.India now, where Paul Ehrlich was worried about overpopulation, is now a society with an average birth rate below two kids per two adults. Even Uttar Pradesh, the big, disadvantaged, poor state where I do my work in research, the average young woman there says that they want an average of 1.9 children. This is a place where society and culture is pretty different from the United States. In the US, we're very accustomed to this story of work and family conflict, and career conflicts, especially for women, and that's probably very important in a lot of people's lives. But that's not what's going on in India where female labor force participation is pretty low. Or you hear questions about whether this is about the decline of religiosity, but India is a place where religion is still very important to a lot of people's lives. Marriage is almost universal. Marriage happens early. People start their childbearing careers in their early twenties, and you still see people having an average below two kids. They start childbearing young and they end childbearing young.Similarly, in Latin America, where religiosity, at least as reported in surveys, remains pretty high, but Latin America is at an average of 1.8, and it's not because people are delaying fertility until they're too old to get pregnant. You see a lot of people having permanent contraception surgery, tubal obligations.And so this cultural story where people aren't getting married, they're starting too late, they're putting careers first, it doesn't match the worldwide diversity. These diverse societies we're seeing are all converging towards low birth rates. The world's becoming more similar in this important way that the difference across countries and difference across societies is getting smaller as birth rates converge downward. So I don't think we can easily point towards any one cultural for this long-term and widely shared trend.A place for AI (19:13)If AI in the future is a compliment to what humans produce . . . if AI is making us more productive, then it's all the bigger loss to have fewer people.At least from an economic perspective, I think you can make the case: fewer people, less strain on resources, you're worried about workers, AI-powered robots are going to be doing a lot of work, and if you're worried about fewer scientists, the scientists we do have are going to have AI-powered research assistants.Which makes the scientists more important. Many technologies over history have been compliments to what humans do, not substitutes. If AI in the future is a compliment to what humans produce — scientific research or just the learning by doing that people do whenever they're engaging in an enterprise or trying to create something — if AI is making us more productive, then it's all the bigger loss to have fewer people.To me, the best of both worlds would be to have even more scientists plus AI. But isn't the fear of too few people causing a labor shortage sort of offset by AI and robotics? Maybe we'll have plenty of technology and capital to supply the workers we do have. If that's not the worry, maybe the worry is that the human experience is simply worse when there are fewer children around.You used the term “plenty of,” and I think that sort of assumes that there's a “good enough,” and I want to push back on that because I think what matters is to continue to make progress towards higher living standards, towards poverty alleviation, towards longer, better, healthier, safer, richer lives. What matters is whether we're making as much progress as we could towards an abundant, rich, safe, healthy future. I think we shouldn't let ourselves sloppily accept a concept of “good enough.” If we're not making the sort of progress that we could towards better lives, then that's a loss, and that matters for people all around the world.We're better off for living in a world with other people. Other people are win-win: Their lives are good for them and their lives are good for you. Part of that, as you say, is people on the supply side of the economy, people having the ideas and the realizations that then can get shared over and over again. The fact that ideas are this non-depletable resource that don't get used up but might never be discovered if there aren't people to discover them. That's one reason people are important on the supply side of the economy, but other people are also good for you on the demand side of the economy.This is very surprising because people think that other people are eating your slice of the pie, and if there are more other people, there's less for me. But you have to ask yourself, why does the pie exist in the first place? Why is it worth some baker's while to bake a pie that I could get a slice of? And that's because there were enough people wanting slices of pie to make it worth paying the fixed costs of having a bakery and baking a whole pie.In other words, you're made better off when other people want and need the same things that you want and need because that makes it more likely for it to exist. If you have some sort of specialized medical need and need specialized care, you're going to be more likely to find it in a city where there are more other people than in a less-populated rural place, and you're going to be more likely to find it in a course of history where there have been more other people who have had the same medical need that you do so that it's been worthwhile for some sort of cure to exist. The goodness of other people for you isn't just when they're creating things, it's also when they're just needing the same things that you do.And, of course, if you think that getting to live a good life is a good thing, that there's something valuable about being around to have good experiences, that a world of more people having good experiences has more goodness in it than a world of fewer people having good experiences in it. That's one thing that counts, and it's one important consideration for why a stabilized future might be better than a depopulating future. Now, I don't expect everyone to immediately agree with that, but I do think that the likelihood of depopulation should prompt us to ask that question.Preaching to the pro-natalist choir (23:40)If you are already persuaded listening to this, then go strike up a conversation with somebody.Now, listening to what you just said, which I thought was fantastic, you're a great explainer, that is wonderful stuff — but I couldn't help but think, as you explained that, that you end up spending a lot of time with people who, because they read the New York Times, they may understand that the '70s population fears aren't going to happen, that we're not going to have a population of 30 billion that we're going to hit, I don't know, 10 billion in the 2060s and then go down. And they think, “Well, that's great.”You have to spend a lot of time explaining to them about the potential downsides and why people are good, when like half the population in this country already gets it: “You say ‘depopulation,' you had us at the word, ‘depopulation.'” You have all these people who are on the right who already think that — a lot of people I know, they're there.Is your book an effective tool to build on that foundation who already think it's an issue, are open to policy ideas, does your book build on that or offer anything to those people?I think that, even if this is something that people have thought about before, a lot of how people have thought about it is in terms of pension plans, the government's budget, the age structure, the nearer-term balance of workers to retirees.There's plenty of people on the right who maybe they're aware of those things, but also think that it really is kind of a The Children of Men argument. They just think a world with more children is better. A world where the playgrounds are alive is better — and yes, that also may help us with social security, but there's a lot of people for whom you don't have to even make that economic argument. That seems to me that that would be a powerful team of evangelists — and I mean it in a nonreligious way — evangelists for your idea that population is declining and there are going to be some serious side effects.If you are already persuaded listening to this, then go strike up a conversation with somebody. That's what we want to have happen. I think minds are going to be changed in small batches on this one. So if you're somebody who already thinks this way, then I encourage you to go out there and start a conversation. I think not everybody, even people who think about population for a living — for example, one of the things that we engage with in the book is the philosophy of population ethics, or population in social welfare as economists might talk about it.There have been big debates there over should we care about average wellbeing? Should we care about total wellbeing? Part of what we're trying to say in the book is, one, we think that some of those debates have been misplaced or are asking what we don't think are the right questions, but also to draw people to what we can learn from thinking of where questions like this agree. Because this whole question of should we make the future better in total or make the better on average is sort of presuming this Ehrlich-style mindset that if the future is more populous, then it must be worse for each. But once you see that a future that's more populous is also more prosperous, it'd be better in total and better on average, then a lot of these debates might still have academic interest, but both ways of thinking about what would be a better future agree.So there are these pockets of people out there who have thought about this before, and part of what we're trying to do is bring them together in a unified conversation where we're talking about the climate modeling, we're talking about the economics, we're talking about the philosophy, we're talking about the importance of gender equity and reproductive freedom, and showing that you can think and care about all of these things and still think that a stabilized future might be better than depopulation.In the think tank world, the dream is to have an idea and then some presidential candidate adopts the idea and pushes it forward. There's a decent chance that the 2028 Republican nominee is already really worried about this issue, maybe someone like JD Vance. Wouldn't that be helpful for you?I've never spoken with JD Vance, but from my point of view, I would also be excited for India's population to stabilize and not depopulate. I don't see this as an “America First” issue because it isn't an America First issue. It's a worldwide, broadly-shared phenomenon. I think that no one country is going to be able to solve this all on its own because, if nothing else, people move, people immigrate, societies influence one another. I think it's really a broadly-shared issue.Quantity and quality of life (28:48)What I do feel confident about is that some stabilized size would be better than depopulation generation after generation, after generation, after generation, without any sort of leveling out, and I think that's the plan that we're on by default.Can you imagine an earth of 10 to 12 billion people at a sustained level being a great place to live, where everybody is doing far better than they are today, the poorest countries are doing better — can you imagine that scenario? Can you also imagine a scenario where we have a world of three to four billion, which is a way nicer place to live for everybody than it is today? Can both those scenarios happen?I don't see any reason to think that either of those couldn't be an equilibrium, depending on all the various policy choices and all the various . . .This is a very broad question.Exactly. I think it's way beyond the social science, economics, climate science we have right now to say “three billion is the optimal size, 10 billion is the optimal size, eight billion is the optimal size.” What I do feel confident about is that some stabilized size would be better than depopulation generation after generation, after generation, after generation, without any sort of leveling out, and I think that's the plan that we're on by default. That doesn't mean it's what's going to happen, I hope it's not what happens, and that's sort of the point of the conversation here to get more people to consider that.But let's say we were able to stabilize the population at 11 billion. That would be fine.It could be depending on what the people do.But I'm talking about a world of 11 billion, and I'm talking about a world where the average person in India is as wealthy as, let's say this is in the year 2080, 2090, and at minimum, the average person in India is as wealthy as the average American is today. So that's a big huge jump in wealth and, of course, environmentalism.And we make responsible environmental choices, whether that's wind, or solar, or nuclear, or whatever, I'm not going to be prescriptive on that, but I don't see any reason why not. My hope is that future people will know more about that question than I do. Ehrlich would've said that our present world of eight billion would be impossible, that we would've starved long before this, that England would've ceased to exist, I think is a prediction in his book somewhere.And there's more food per person on every continent. Even in the couple decades that I've been going to India, children are taller than they used to be, on average. You can measure it, and maybe I'm fooling myself, but I feel like I can see it. Even as the world's been growing more populous, people have been getting better off, poverty has been going down, the absolute number of people in extreme poverty has been going down, even as the world's been getting more populous. As I say, emissions per person have been going down in a lot of places.I don't see any in principle, reason, if people make the right decisions, that we couldn't have a sustainable, healthy, and good, large sustained population. I've got two kids and they didn't add to the hole in the ozone layer, which I would've heard about in school as a big problem in the '80s. They didn't add to acid rain. Why not? Because the hole in the ozone layer was confronted with the Montreal Protocol. The acid rain was confronted with the Clean Air Act. They don't drive around in cars with leaded gasoline because in the '70s, the gasoline was unleaded. Adding more people doesn't have to make things worse. It depends on what happens. Again, I hope future people will know more about this than I do, but I don't see any, in principle reason why we couldn't stabilize at a size larger than today and have it be a healthy, and sustainable, and flourishing society.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro Reads▶ Economics* Generative AI's Impact on Student Achievement and Implications for Worker Productivity - SSRN* The Real China Model: Beijing's Enduring Formula for Wealth and Power - FA* What Matters More to the Stock Market? The Fed or Nvidia? - NYT* AI Isn't Really Stealing Jobs Yet. 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Will the Chips Fall His Way? - Wired* Trump Says Intel Has Agreed to Give the US 10% Equity Stake - Bberg▶ Policy/Politics* Poll shows California policy influencers want harsher social media laws than voters - Politico* How Trump Will Decide Which Chips Act Companies Must Give Up Equity - WSJ* This Democrat Thinks Voters Seeking Order Will Make or Break Elections - WSJ* California Republicans trust tech companies as much as Trump on AI - Politico* The Japanese city betting on immigrants to breathe life into its economy - FT▶ AI/Digital* AI Is Designing Bizarre New Physics Experiments That Actually Work - Wired* Generative AI in Higher Education: Evidence from an Elite College - SSRN* AI Unveils a Major Discovery in Ancient Microbes That Could Hold the Key to Next Generation Antibiotics - The Debrief* A.I. May Be Just Kind of Ordinary - NYT Opinion* Is the AI bubble about to pop? 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Studying Human-AI Symbiosis with Game Theory - Arxiv* Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Siri - Bberg* The AI Doomers Are Getting Doomier - The Atlantic* State of AI in Business 2025 - MIT NANDA* Silicon Valley Is Drifting Out of Touch With the Rest of America - NYT Opinion* What Workers Really Want from Artificial Intelligence - Stanford HAI▶ Biotech/Health* A 1990 Measles Outbreak Shows How the Disease Can Roar Back - NYT* Corporate egg freezing won't break the glass ceiling - FT* How to Vaccinate the World - Asterisk* COVID Revisionism Has Gone Too Far - MSN* Securing America's Pharmaceutical Innovation Edge - JAMA Forum▶ Clean Energy/Climate* Trump's Global War on Decarbonization - PS* Aalo Atomics secures funding to build its first reactor - WNN* Trump's nuclear policy favors startups, widening industry rifts - E&E* How Electricity Got So Expensive - Heatmap* Nuclear fusion gets a boost from a controversial debunked experiment - NS* Google Wants You to Know the Environmental Cost of Quizzing Its AI - WSJ* Trump Blamed Rising Electricity Prices on Renewables. It's Not True. - Heatmap* Trump's Cuts May Spell the End for America's Only Antarctic Research Ship - NYT* How Bill McKibben Lost the Plot - The New Atlantis* Does it make sense for America to keep subsidising a sinking city? - Economist▶ Robotics/Drones/AVs* I'm a cyclist. Will the arrival of robotaxis make my journeys safer? - NS* Si chiplet–controlled 3D modular microrobots with smart communication in natural aqueous environments - Science▶ Space/Transportation* On the ground in Ukraine's largest Starlink repair shop - MIT* Trump can't stop America from building cheap EVs - Vox* SpaceX has built the machine to build the machine. But what about the machine? - Ars* 'Invasion' Season 3 showrunner Simon Kinberg on creating ''War of the Worlds' meets 'Babel'' (exclusive) - Space▶ Up Wing/Down Wing* The era of the public apology is ending - Axios* Warren Brodey, 101, Dies; a Visionary at the Dawn of the Information Age - NYT* Reality is evil - Aeon* The Case for Crazy Philanthropy - Palladium▶ Substacks/Newsletters* Claude Code is growing crazy fast, and it's not just for writing code - AI Supremacy* No, ‘the Economists' Didn't Botch Trump's Tariffs - The Dispatch* How Does the US Use Water? - Construction Physics* A Climate-Related Financial Risk Boondoggle - The Ecomodernist* What's up with the States? - Hyperdimensional▶ Social Media* On why AI won't take all the jobs - @Dan_Jeffries1* On four nuclear reactors to be built in Amarillo, TX - @NuclearHazelnut* On AI welfare and consciousness - @sebkrier Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

This is the final installment of our 5 Non-Negotiables of the Left series where we detail three short-term goals to take back the country and two long-term fights that must be waged for the sake of our democracy and the planet. This fifth entry speaks to the now back-burnered but ever-present threat to life on this planet: Climate change. This is the most difficult case we’ll make to you. We expect pushback and disappointment at first but if we do our job, we’ll shift you to acknowledgement and resolve. This fifth Non-Negotiable isn’t for us. It’s for someone you might know, but more than likely it’s for someone you’ll never meet. We present the establishment of The Climate Trust: Social Security for the Planet. Chapters Intro: 00:00:57 Chapter One: Diet, Exercise and Nuclear Power. 00:01:25 Chapter Two: The Social Cost of Carbon. 00:06:21 Chapter Three: Settling into Reality. 00:10:37 Chapter Four: We’ve Known It All Along. 00:17:55 Non-Negotiable #5: The Climate Trust. 00:26:36 Post Show Musings: 00:30:30 Outro: 01:23:22 Resources IPCC: Summary for Policymakers — Special Report on Climate Change and Land Institute for Policy Integrity: Gauging Economic Consensus on Climate Change The Center for Climate & Security: Chronology of Military and Intelligence Concerns About Climate Change World Economic Forum: This is How Climate Change Could Impact The Global Economy Swiss Re: World economy set to lose up to 18% GDP from climate change if no action taken, reveals Swiss Re Institute's stress-test analysis The New York Times: 40 Million People Rely on the Colorado River. It’s Drying Up Fast. The Black Vault: Global Climate Change Implications for the U.S. Navy Thomas Malthus: On the Principle of Population United Nations: Food Systems Summit United Nations: Secretary-General’s Chair Summary and Statement of Action on the UN Food Systems Summit US EPA: Global Greenhouse Gas Overview Penn State: Plant-Based Diet Rodale Institute: Farming Systems Trial Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index The EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health Energy Education: Discovery of the greenhouse effect APS: August 1856: Eunice Foote Concludes That Carbon Dioxide Could Warm the Atmosphere, Three Years Before John Tyndall Did DQYDJ: Income Percentile Calculator for the United States Eunice Foote: Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays CNA: National Security and the Threat of Climate Change GovInfo: National Security Implications of Global Climate Change to 2030 U.S. Department of Defense: Department of Defense 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap Global Monitoring Laboratory: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) UNIDO: HCFC Phase-Out PBS NewsHour: Antarctic ozone hole believed to be shrinking Book Love James Howard Kunstler: The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Cent Cass R. Sunstein: Climate Justice: What Rich Nations Owe the World—and the Future Tad Delay: Future of Denial: The Ideologies of Climate Change Nicoletta Batini: The Economics of Sustainable Food: Smart Policies for Health and the Planet Mark Bittman: Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book Michael T. Klare: All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change Lester R. Brown: Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization John Tyndall: Heat Considered as a Mode of Motion William Stanley Jevons: The Coal Question UNFTR Resources Building the Climate Industrial Complex. The Montreal Protocol. Phone A Friend: Tad Delay. A (Mostly) Vegan World. UNFTR Non-Negotiables. -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the U.S. swings a budgetary axe at the federal government, one of the biggest casualties is climate science. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) faces a brutal 20% workforce reduction—jeopardizing critical research just when we need it most. So, what's really at stake? And is Donald Trump Making America Dumb Again?This week on Cleaning Up, host Bryony Worthington takes us deep inside the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where scientists are on the front lines of tracking our planet's most urgent environmental challenges.Meet Ralph Keeling, the scientist carrying forward his father's legendary legacy—the Keeling Curve, the definitive record of our atmosphere's rising carbon dioxide levels. His decades of meticulous measurements lay bare the stark truth about climate change and why these long-term observations are more vital now than ever.And that's not all. We also sit down with Professor Ray Weiss, the atmospheric detective who played a key role in saving the ozone layer. His work helped drive the Montreal Protocol—one of humanity's greatest environmental victories.With climate science under attack, what lessons can we learn from past successes? And what happens if we stop listening to the data?Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Division Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links:Scripps Institution of Oceanography: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/The Keeling Curve: https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/The Keeling Curve Foundation: https://www.keelingcurve.org/AGAGE (The Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment): https://www-air.larc.nasa.gov/missions/agage/History of the Montreal Protocal: https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol 

Modern HVAC Systems' Reliance on Refrigerant In 2020, nearly 90% of homes used air conditioning systems in the United States. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are used by both homeowners and businesses alike, with their usage only expected to rise as climate change increases global temperatures. Refrigerant, a chemical compound that is capable of transitioning from liquid to gas and back again, has been an important part of indoor cooling systems since modern AC systems were invented in 1902. Its ability to cool as it vaporizes and heat up as it condenses facilitates heating and cooling. As part of both air conditioner and heat pump systems, refrigerant either helps transfer heat and humidity out of one's home for conditioning or draws heat from outdoor air and brings it inside for heating. Refrigeration technology has historically relied upon gases like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) to promote cooling in appliances, due to their effectiveness at transferring heat within a refrigeration system. While effective, these gases are hazardous for the environment. HFCs have a global warming potential (GWP) that can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Gaseous CFCs have a high ozone depletion potential (ODP), meaning there is less protection from the sun's rays and greater exposure to UVB radiation, negatively impacting human and ecological health. Instead of relying upon harmful CFCs and HFCs in refrigeration technology, UC Berkeley researchers are on the cusp of developing a new alternative known as “ionocaloric” refrigeration, which utilizes salt water to provide cooling. How does Ionocaloric Cooling work?Created in 1987, the Montreal Protocol regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 human made chemicals classified as ozone depleting substances (ODS). The Montreal Protocol mandated the eventual phase-out of CFCs and HCFCs, instead turning to HFCs as a replacement. Although HFCs do not deplete ozone, they were later found to have a significant GWP, prompting a recent amendment to reduce HFC usage by 80% in the next thirty years. As HFCs are phased out, ionocaloric cooling has been proposed as an alternative for refrigerant. Ionocaloric cooling relies on the principle that liquids release energy, or heat, when solidified, and solids absorb energy when liquified. In an ionocaloric refrigerant system, a mixture of a liquid and salt is frozen and melted. When a current is added, ions flow and change the material from solid to liquid, which allows them to absorb heat from their surroundings. Similarly, when ions are removed, the material crystallizes into a solid, releasing heat. The mixture is easier to manage as it is never in a gas state and is unable to enter the atmosphere. Additionally, certain solvents like ethylene carbonate, which have been used to test the technology, can be carbon-negative due to their ability to be produced from CO2 supplied by carbon capture. This means that ionocaloric cooling can prevent current emissions with high GWP and ODP, while also removing emitted gases from the atmosphere. Promise of Ionocaloric CoolingIonocaloric cooling has the potential to modify current HVAC systems, which rely upon high GWP gases that act as refrigerants. By using solid and liquid components as opposed to HFCs to function, ionocaloric refrigeration prohibits these harmful gases from ever entering the atmosphere. In addition to its cooling purposes, this technology can also be used for heating. Ionocaloric technology has the potential to compete with or even exceed the efficiency of gaseous refrigerant. Currently, ionocaloric cooling technology is still being developed. If proven successful, this innovative technology could transform the current landscape of HVAC systems. Hurdles to OvercomeAs of now, ionocaloric cooling is not fully developed. Although the material cost for the salt water is cheap, it is unclear the cost of every component needed on a larger scale. The research currently being conducted for ionocaloric cooling experimentation is heavily subsidized. As it is still under R&D, this technology's viability on a larger-market scale will be continually determined. To facilitate a transition away from gas refrigerants, ionocaloric cooling will likely need government incentives, such as consumer rebates, to make the technology competitive with conventional units.Dr. Lilley's Insights into Ionocaloric CoolingIn addition to being environmentally harmful, gas refrigerants have proven to be costly and difficult to dispose of. Dr. Lilley believes that ionocaloric cooling can thus be an advantageous solution in a variety of ways. The end of life management (or disposal) of output components from ionocaloric cooling will be much easier as it relies upon liquid inputs. Additionally, Lilley notes that there is no way to completely seal refrigerants from the atmosphere, so a liquid refrigerant eliminates that problem altogether. As the technology becomes more advanced, Dr. Lilley believes that initial cost concerns will fade with state subsidies and market adoption.About our guestDr. Drew Lilley is the CEO and co-founder of Caliion Technologies. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering, where his research is focused on alternatives to current refrigerants. His main research focus is on the R&D process of solid-to-liquid ionocaloric cooling. ResourcesAC Direct, Ionocaloric Cooling is Revolutionizing Heating and Cooling TechnologiesBerkeley Engineering, Keep it CoolBerkeley Lab, Berkeley Lab Scientists Develop a Cool New Method of RefrigerationDr. Drew Lilley, Calion TechnologiesIndustrial Refrigeration Pros, The Evolution of RefrigerantsThe American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New Refrigeration Method Relies on Ionocaloric CoolingFurther ReadingCarrier, AC Refrigerant BasicsClimate & Clean Air Coalition, HFCsEIA, Nearly 90% of U.S. households used air conditioning in 2020EPA, Basic Ozone Layer ScienceUNEP, Montreal Protocol Timeline and HistoryUNEP, About the Montreal ProtocolFor a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/out-with-classic-refrigerants-and-in-with-ionocaloric-refrigeration-with-dr-drew-lilley/.

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.

Climate-damaging F-gases are synthetic substances widely used in refrigeration, air-conditioning and elsewhere. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are the most common and are so harmful that they are to be phased down under the Montreal Protocol and phased out altogether in the EU. However, the chemical industry is pushing to replace them with a new generation of lucrative products which, although easier on global warming, also come with their own environmental and health concerns … In this episode, EIA Climate Campaigner Adam Aucock, the author of our new briefing Refrigerant Myth Busting, debunks at some of the misinformation spread by Big Chemical to support its own harmful products and sow distrust over the viability of alternative natural refrigerants.

This Day in Legal History: Sweden Bans AerosolsOn January 29, 1978, Sweden made history by becoming the first nation to ban aerosol sprays, citing concerns over their harmful impact on the ozone layer. The decision was driven by mounting scientific evidence that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), commonly used as propellants in aerosol cans, contributed to ozone depletion. At the time, international awareness of environmental issues was growing, but regulatory action remained limited. Sweden's bold move set a precedent, signaling to the world that legislative measures were necessary to curb environmental harm.  The ban came in response to research published in the early 1970s, particularly studies by chemists Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland, who identified CFCs as a major threat to the ozone layer. Their findings spurred global discussions about air pollution and climate change, but most governments hesitated to act. Sweden, however, took a proactive stance, prioritizing environmental protection over industry objections. The law prohibited the sale and use of aerosol sprays containing ozone-depleting substances, forcing manufacturers to seek alternative technologies.  Sweden's action influenced other nations, including the United States and Canada, which imposed partial restrictions on CFCs in the late 1970s. Over time, growing international pressure led to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a landmark treaty aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances worldwide. Today, the ozone layer is gradually recovering, thanks in part to Sweden's early leadership. The ban underscored the power of legal intervention in addressing global environmental crises and demonstrated how science-driven policy can lead to meaningful change.Donald Trump's aggressive efforts to reshape the federal government have thrown agencies into turmoil, with sweeping policy shifts and a push to consolidate control. The administration is offering buyouts to federal employees resistant to returning to in-person work while signaling broader workforce cuts. At the same time, a sudden freeze on federal grants and loans caused widespread confusion, prompting a federal judge to issue a temporary stay. Though the White House insisted individual benefits would not be affected, state and local governments scrambled to assess the potential fallout.  The spending freeze is part of a broader strategy to challenge congressional control over federal funding, with Trump's allies arguing for expanded executive power. His administration has also targeted federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles, inspectors general, and Justice Department officials involved in previous investigations against him. Meanwhile, Trump has revived trade disputes, pardoned January 6 rioters, attempted to end birthright citizenship, and cut foreign aid.  Democrats, struggling to keep up, have called emergency meetings and press conferences, but Trump's rapid moves have overwhelmed political opposition. Some Republicans, too, have expressed concern, particularly over the scope of the funding freeze. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 limits a president's ability to block congressional spending, but Trump's team argues that temporary pauses are legally permissible.  The administration is also targeting federal personnel, with officials compiling lists of employees deemed expendable. Amid these efforts, some initiatives have already faced legal setbacks, such as the birthright citizenship order. Trump has also yet to significantly address key issues like inflation and the war in Ukraine, leaving uncertainty over the administration's broader policy direction.Trump Buyouts, Spending Freezes Wreak Havoc Across GovernmentFormer U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is set to be sentenced on Wednesday following his 2024 conviction on bribery and corruption charges. Found guilty on all 16 felony counts, including acting as a foreign agent, Menendez was accused of accepting bribes—such as gold bars, cash, and a luxury car—in exchange for political favors benefiting Egypt and New Jersey businessmen. Federal prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence, arguing that Menendez abused his position to influence military aid, assist Qatar, and interfere in prosecutions.  Menendez, who served nearly two decades in the Senate, maintains his innocence and has vowed to appeal. His defense team is seeking a significantly reduced sentence of around 2 years, citing his age, public service record, and financial ruin. The scandal forced him to resign from the Senate, marking a dramatic downfall for the former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.  Two businessmen convicted alongside Menendez, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, will be sentenced later this week, while his wife, Nadine Menendez, faces her own corruption trial in March. The case highlights ongoing concerns about political corruption and foreign influence in U.S. government affairs.Bob Menendez to be sentenced in gold bar bribery case that ended US Senate career | ReutersHouse Democrats Jamie Raskin and Gerald Connolly are demanding answers from the Trump administration regarding the abrupt firings and reassignments of career Justice Department prosecutors. In a letter to Acting Attorney General James McHenry, they expressed concern that the removals, which began immediately after Trump's inauguration, undermine a merit-based system and may violate federal law. The lawmakers are requesting a full list of affected employees and an explanation for the actions.  Among those dismissed were more than a dozen prosecutors involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into Trump's handling of classified records and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Additionally, over 20 senior officials, including the top public integrity prosecutor and the department's senior ethics official, were reassigned to a newly formed “sanctuary city” working group. The Public Integrity Section Chief, Corey Amundson, resigned in response.  Meanwhile, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Washington has launched an internal review of the felony obstruction charge used in January 6 prosecutions. Raskin and Connolly are also seeking clarity on whether the White House has examined career employees' political views or social media activity. The Justice Department has yet to comment on these developments, which have intensified concerns about political interference within federal law enforcement.U.S. House Democrats sound the alarm on firings and reassignments of career DOJ lawyers | ReutersStates are increasingly considering digital advertising taxes to generate revenue, but without coordination, they risk creating a compliance nightmare for businesses. Rhode Island is the latest state to propose such a tax, following Maryland's model, which has already faced significant legal and administrative challenges. Other states, including Connecticut, Indiana, and Arkansas, have explored similar measures, with Massachusetts, New York, and Texas also showing interest.  Rhode Island's plan, set to take effect in 2026, would impose a 10% tax on digital ad revenue from companies earning over $1 billion globally. This targets major players like Alphabet and Meta, but Maryland's lower threshold of $100 million suggests future expansions could include smaller businesses. Advocates argue that taxing digital ads could help offset social costs linked to social media companies, further driving state interest in such measures.  However, an inconsistent state-by-state approach could entrench an oligopoly, favoring large corporations that can handle complex tax requirements while squeezing out smaller competitors. A uniform, collaborative approach—modeled on the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement—could help states maintain sovereignty while ensuring consistency. Standardized definitions, revenue thresholds, and sourcing rules would simplify compliance and reduce litigation risks.  Maryland's legal battles highlight the dangers of an uncoordinated approach, making it crucial for states to learn from its experience. While a federal solution could provide uniformity, states are unlikely to cede control over taxation, making a state-driven compact the more viable option. By working together, states can create a sustainable, efficient digital ad tax framework that avoids the pitfalls of a fragmented system.States Need a Uniform Solution to Accelerate Digital Ad Taxes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Send us a textEver wondered how a family business can transform into a powerhouse in the HVAC and refrigeration industry? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Lou Hobaica, a seasoned expert with over 40 years of experience. From humble beginnings in his father's business to leading it alongside his brother since 1989, Lou's journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. He shares how they tackled the challenge of finding culturally aligned employees by creating a robust in-house apprenticeship program that turns novices into skilled professionals. Discover how this initiative not only filled the skills gap but also provided avenues for those who might not fit into conventional academic pathways.In a city like Phoenix, where competition is fierce with 42,000 licensed rivals just in the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC sectors, Lou reveals the secret sauce to staying ahead: customer relationships. He recounts the cultural shift within his company, highlighting the transition from merely technical expertise to a customer-centric approach. This episode underscores the importance of likability and trust in today's market, explaining why they choose to hire individuals who can be molded into this mindset over seasoned professionals resistant to change. Lou's strategy reshaped their business culture, proving that human connection is paramount in maintaining a competitive edge.As Lou walks us through the trials of the 2008 economic downturn, he offers personal insights into navigating financial crises through smart decision-making and unwavering faith. Discover how his strategic pivot from low-margin projects to high-value services, coupled with fortuitous opportunities, enabled the business to not only survive but thrive. Learn from Lou's experience on maximizing profitability by integrating product sales with labor, thus crafting a more sustainable financial model. His story is an inspiring roadmap for turning adversity into opportunity, showing how faith and strategic planning can lead to significant growth and stability. Support the show https://www.audible.com/pd/9-Simple-Steps-to-Sell-More-ht-Audiobook/B0D4SJYD4Q?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=library_overflowhttps://www.amazon.com/Simple-Steps-Sell-More-Stereotypes-ebook/dp/B0BRNSFYG6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OSB7HX6FQMHS&keywords=corey+berrier&qid=1674232549&sprefix=%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1https://bit.ly/4bFz4yc https://www.housecallpro.com/successullifehttps://www.facebook.com/corey.berrier https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreysalescoach/

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Podcast, host Gary McCreadie is joined by Kevin Gill, Director of Technical Projects & Business Development – Refrigeration of The Master Group for part one of their discussion on the evolving landscape of refrigerants in the North American market. With the A2L refrigerant transition looming on the horizon, Kevin offers a deep dive into the key aspects of these regulatory changes, their impact on the HVAC industry, and how contractors can adapt. The episode touches on the environmental and regulatory pressures driving these changes, such as the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment, and how these international agreements are shaping refrigerant choices and equipment standards. Kevin Gill brings a wealth of experience to the conversation, with expertise in refrigerants, HVAC systems, and global climate policies. As a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability, Kevin discusses both the technical and practical aspects of transitioning to lower-GWP refrigerants, helping technicians understand what's at stake and how to future-proof their practices. Expect to Learn: Refrigerant Evolution: A brief history of refrigerants, from the use of R12 and R22 to the present-day shift toward A2L and low-GWP refrigerants. Global Warming Potential (GWP): Understanding how GWP plays a key role in refrigerant regulation and the future of HVAC systems. Transition to A2L: What the move to A2L refrigerants means for the industry and the tools required for safe handling. Impact of Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment: How these global agreements have shaped current refrigerant legislation and phase-out schedules. Practical Tips: How HVAC professionals can adapt to the transition, with insights into new tools, system modifications, and legislation deadlines. Episode Highlights: [00:33] - Guest Introduction [01:50] - Podcast Introduction [03:41] - The Evolution of Refrigerants [05:25] - Environmental Impact and Legislation [08:55] - Challenges of Transitioning from R22 [17:04] - Understanding Enforcement Dates [25:46] - Focus on Canadian Legislation [29:31] - Missing Clarity in Refrigeration Legislation This episode is kindly sponsored by: Cool Air Products Master Cintas Supply House Connect with The Master Group: The Master Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/themastergroup/ The Master Group Website: www.master.ca Follow the Host: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/ Website: www.hvacknowitall.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/hvacknowitall/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/

Almost 40 years on from the first reports of the Antarctic ozone hole, and 35 years since the Montreal Protocol to ban CFCs came into effect, what's going on with the ozone hole? How does it form? How do we measure it? And having solved the CFC problem, why are we still monitoring ozone so closely? Claire Concannon heads to NIWA's Atmospheric Research Station in Lauder, Central Otago, to find out.

Almost 40 years on from the first reports of the Antarctic ozone hole, and 35 years since the Montreal Protocol to ban CFCs came into effect, what's going on with the ozone hole? How does it form? How do we measure it? And having solved the CFC problem, why are we still monitoring ozone so closely? Claire Concannon heads to NIWA's Lauder Atmospheric Research Station in Central Otago to find out. 

We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message.In this episode of "Discover Daily" by Perplexity, we begin with news that  former Apple design chief Jony Ive has joined forces with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to create an innovative AI hardware device, aiming to revolutionize how we interact with technology. This collaboration, backed by substantial funding, could reshape the tech landscape and challenge current smartphone paradigms.We then turn our attention to the Antarctic ozone hole, which reached one of its largest sizes on record in 2023. Despite overall ozone layer recovery since the Montreal Protocol, recent years have seen unexpectedly large ozone holes. Scientists are investigating potential causes, including the effects of the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption, highlighting the complex interplay between ozone depletion, climate change, and atmospheric dynamics.Our deep dive focuses on a mysterious radio signal that traveled through space for 8 billion years before reaching Earth. This fast radio burst, known as FRB 20220610A, is one of the most distant and energetic ever detected. It offers a unique glimpse into the early universe and could help solve the puzzle of "missing matter" in the cosmos. As astronomers anticipate detecting thousands more FRBs in the coming years, these enigmatic signals may revolutionize our understanding of the universe's structure and evolution.From Perplexity's Discover Feed: https://www.perplexity.ai/page/jony-ive-s-openai-hardware-pro-r3yLECGkTKqHwjpr7oY7Twhttps://www.perplexity.ai/page/south-pole-s-ozone-hole-sEdNtglfSPu6.zGxj2stswhttps://www.perplexity.ai/page/8-billion-year-old-signal-rece-iAlx5udZTfO5Gdv6nqTi2QPerplexity is the fastest and most powerful way to search the web. Perplexity crawls the web and curates the most relevant and up-to-date sources (from academic papers to Reddit threads) to create the perfect response to any question or topic you're interested in. Take the world's knowledge with you anywhere. Available on iOS and Android Join our growing Discord community for the latest updates and exclusive content. Follow us on: Instagram Threads X (Twitter) YouTube Linkedin

This week I continue my conversations with some of the outstanding Schwarzman Scholars who presented at the Capstone Showcase in late June. In this episode, I speak with Nainika Sudheendra about the problem of space debris and what can be done to reduce the creation of more of it or even begin removal of debris before it makes the launching of new satellites more costly or even impossible.2:34 Nainika's background and interest in the Schwarzman program5:33 Why Nainika focused on space debris 7:23 Nainika's prior knowledge about the Chinese space program and what she learned through the Schwarzman program10:30 How space debris is measured, the Kessler syndrome, and the hazards that space debris poses 14:33 The obstacles Nainika encountered in her research 16:35 How political leaders in China and the U.S. are thinking about the space debris problem20:02 How debris mitigation might [ought to?] be incentivized, who is working on the problem now, and the role of private insurers 24:03 The Wolf Amendment and Chinese private sector space companies 27:22 Technologies for mitigating and remediating debris 31:00 Lessons from another tragedy of the commons (the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer), and how the EU could take a leading role 34:59 The importance of data standardization and opportunities to negotiate fair use and safety precautions38:17 How redundancy prevents public perception — the difficulty in going from “outage” to “outrage” 40:27 What Nainika has been doing since finishing at Schwarzman Recommendations:Nainika: From Streets to Stalls: The History and Evolution of Hawking and Hawker Centres in Singapore by Ryan Kueh (another Schwarzman alum) Kaiser: Journalist Andrew Jones on Twitter; the South Indian restaurant Viks Chaat in Berkeley, California See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates interview series. I'm your host, Paul Vogelzang, and today we have a truly inspiring episode that promises to leave you feeling hopeful and empowered. Our guest is the remarkable Dr. Susan Solomon, a pioneering atmospheric chemist whose groundbreaking work in the 1980s was crucial in solving the ozone layer crisis. Dr. Susan Solomon will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates coming up so please check out our show notes today for more details!In her new book, “Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again,” Smithsonian Associate Dr. Solomon draws from her extensive experience to argue that, while we face daunting environmental challenges, they are not insurmountable. Today with us, Dr. Solomon will share stories of environmental victories from diverse heroes, ranging from scientists to everyday citizens, demonstrating that collective action can lead to monumental change.Smithsonian Associate Dr. Susan Solomon will share insights from her expedition to Antarctica, where her discoveries led to the Montreal Protocol—a landmark agreement that successfully curbed ozone-depleting substances. She will also discuss the parallels between past environmental successes and the ongoing fight against climate change, highlighting the power of public awareness, political will, and innovative technology.Throughout our conversation, we'll explore how individuals, especially those in the 50+ age group, can play a pivotal role in advocating for and supporting environmental causes. Dr. Solomon's message is clear: healing our planet is a collective effort, and every action counts.So, sit back and get ready to be inspired by one of the leading voices in environmental science. This episode is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and determination, and it's a call to action for all of us to join the fight for a healthier, more sustainable world.Let's welcome Dr. Susan Solomon to The Not Old Better Show Smithsonian Associates Interview Series on radio and podcast.My thanks to Smithsonian Associate Susan Solomon for her generous time.  You can find out more about about Dr. Solomon, including her upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation titled: Solvable How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again in our show notes today.  My thanks to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show.  My thanks to Executive Producer Sam Heninger for his audio direction and my thanks to you, our wonderful audience here on radio and podcast.  Be well, be safe and let's Talk About Better™ The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates interview series on radio and podcast.  Thanks, everybody and we'll see you next week.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon. In May 2020, in response to Covid-19, the US Federal Government initiated Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development and distribution of vaccines, cutting what would otherwise be a ten-year timeline to within 1 year. In 1989, the Montreal Protocol was established to phase out the production of substances responsible for ozone depletion. What's common among these programs? Arindam Goswamy and Shreya Ramakrishnan discuss the compelling nature of ambitious programs to solve big social challenges, what sets mission-oriented policy projects apart, and takeaways for long-term policy change. Read this NBER paper on Operation Warp Speed. Explore this article on mission-oriented innovation policies: challenges and opportunities. All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru. Find out more on our research and other work here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://takshashila.org.in/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our public policy courses here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in⁠

Embark on a celestial journey with today's episode of Astronomy Daily - The Podcast, where your host, Anna, brings you the latest cosmic updates. We'll explore the first major lunar standstill in 18 years, unveiling a breathtaking celestial moment you won't want to miss. Next, we'll dive into the rich, metallic landscapes of Mars, painting a vivid picture of the red planet's geological marvels. We'll also tackle the unsettling reality of space junk and its impact on Earth's ozone layer, a concern growing with the expansion of satellite mega constellations. Shifting our gaze to Saturn's moon Titan, we'll uncover how wave activity might be shaping its mysterious coastlines. Finally, we'll explore how cosmic winds driven by supermassive black holes can alter the very fabric of galaxies. And to round it all off, we'll get an update on the latest developments at SpaceX's Starbase. So let's dive right in.This year marks a truly remarkable celestial event, the first major lunar standstill since 2006. This fascinating phenomenon will see the moon rising and setting at its most extreme points on the horizon. For sky watchers, this is a rare treat, occurring only once every 18.6 years. During a major lunar standstill, the tilts of both the Earth and the moon are at their maximum, causing the moon to rise and set at its highest and lowest points in its orbital cycle. To fully appreciate the grandeur of this event, consider the ancient sites of Stonehenge, Kalanish, and Newgrange. These prehistoric monuments are thought to be aligned with the points of moonrise and moonset during such standstills, indicating the historical significance and awe that this event has invoked in humanity for millennia. The next standstill, at its most extreme, will be around the equinoxes in September 2024 and March 2025. For those eager to witness this spectacle, the best times include moonrise at sunset and moonset at sunrise, especially during a full moon. No need for elaborate equipment, just a clear view of the horizon will suffice to observe the moon's dramatic paths. So mark your calendars and be sure to look up. The lunar sky is about to put on a show you won't want to miss.The European Space Agency has recently unveiled a breathtaking image of Mars' Marth Vallis region, highlighting the planet's complex and metallic beauty. This newly captured scene showcases landscapes rich in iron, magnesium, and aluminum, creating a vibrant and rust-colored spectacle that tells a story billions of years in the making. Marth Vallis is particularly significant because it bears evidence of ancient water flow. The region's deeply eroded valleys and mineral-rich layers suggest that liquid water once roamed these Martian plains, potentially creating habitable conditions. This discovery continues to intrigue scientists as understanding the history of water on Mars is crucial for piecing together the planet's potential for supporting life. With ongoing studies and future missions focused on similar areas, we inch closer to unlocking the mysteries of the red planet's wet past and its capacity to host life.A new study has quantified the alarming extent of pollution caused by defunct Internet satellites. Thousands of satellites have been deployed into mega constellations to meet the growing global demand for Internet services. However, when these satellites reach the end of their operational life and re-enter Earth's atmosphere, they disintegrate and release aluminum oxide particles that erode the ozone layer. This phenomenon poses a significant threat to the years of progress made in ozone recovery. The 1987 Montreal Protocol successfully curbed the emission of ozone-depleting substances like CFCs, leading to a shrinking ozone hole over Antarctica, with full recovery expected within the next few decades. But now the unexpected increase in aluminum oxide pollution could derail this positive trend. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, shows that aluminum oxide particles initiate chemical reactions between ozone and chlorine, leading to sustained ozone depletion. Alarmingly, the number of aluminum oxide particles in the atmosphere has surged eightfold from 2016 to 2022. This spike is set to continue as companies like SpaceX and Amazon plan to launch thousands more satellites. The ongoing and upcoming mega constellations are estimated to significantly elevate aluminum levels in the mesosphere, thereby posing a long-term threat to the stratospheric ozone layer, which shields us from harmful UV radiation. The researchers emphasize the need for immediate attention to this growing issue, advocating for sustainable practices to limit satellite-driven ozone depletion. The results underline the importance of balancing technological advancement with environmental stewardship to ensure our atmosphere remains protective for generations to come.Titan, Saturn's largest moon, features active lakes and seas filled with liquid methane and ethane. These otherworldly bodies of liquid are not only visually compelling but also tell a story of relentless geological activity. Recent simulations by MIT researchers have shed light on how waves might be eroding Titan's coastlines, radically altering our understanding of this mysterious moon. By modeling terrestrial erosion processes and applying them to Titan's unique environment, the researchers determined that wave activity is likely responsible for shaping the moon's shores. This means that shorelines on Titan resemble those formed by waves here on Earth, suggesting a dynamic interplay between the liquid bodies and the wind-driven waves. These discoveries offer invaluable insights into Titan's climate, helping scientists better understand its geological history and atmospheric conditions. If winds are strong enough to drive these waves, they could reveal secrets about Titan's weather patterns and even its potential to support some form of prebiotic chemistry.A groundbreaking study reveals that supermassive black holes are generating powerful cosmic winds, capable of accelerating gas to astonishing speeds of over 10,000 miles/second. These black hole-induced winds don't just ripple through their galaxies, they fundamentally reshape them by either fueling or stifling star formation. These powerful winds can have a dramatic effect on the galaxy's evolution. Imagine a quasar, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a disk of matter being pulled in by the black hole's gravitational force. The friction created as this matter spirals inward heats the disk, emitting intense radiation that can propel gas at unimaginable speeds. This process isn't merely a cosmic spectacle; it serves a critical function in the galactic environment. Depending on the circumstances, these winds can compress gas, leading to the birth of new stars or expel the gas, preventing star formation altogether. Researchers now have a clearer understanding of how these fascinating mechanisms work, thanks to long-term observational data that captured these accelerating gases in action. This transformational insight adds another piece to the puzzle of how black holes interact with and shape their host galaxies, emphasizing the profound impact these cosmic phenomena have on the universe.SpaceX is busy at Starbase preparing for its fifth flight by upgrading its infrastructure, including new office buildings and the construction of a second tower. Recently, Ship 26 conducted its first multi-engine static fire test at the site, marking a significant milestone. These enhancements, which also involve a new test stand, improved tank farms, and the development of Megabay Two, are designed to expedite vehicle testing and future launches. With a new parking garage and updated launch mount systems in place, SpaceX aims to ensure quicker turnarounds and increased safety for its employees and operations. These ongoing upgrades showcase SpaceX's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and innovation.For an astronomical experience, visit our website at astronomydaily.io for the latest news, sign up for our free newsletter, and check out exclusive sponsor deals. Connect with us on YouTube, TikTok, X, and Facebook via @AstroDailyPod for engaging discussions with fellow space aficionados. This is Anna, reminding you to keep your gaze fixed on the heavens. Until our next stellar episode, let the cosmos ignite your curiosity and wonder. Clear skies and cosmic discoveries to all!Support:This podcast is better with your support:https://www.bitesz.com/show/astronomy-daily-the-podcast/support/www.bitesz.comSponsors:www.bitesz.com/nordpasshttps://www.bitesz.com/show/astronomy-daily-the-podcast/sponsors/

Remember chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)? These gases were once widely used as refrigerants in products like refrigerators and air conditioners, and to propel substances like hairspray out of aerosol cans. Recently, CFCs have resurfaced in the news due to a new study examining space debris. CFCs are notorious for damaging the ozone layer, a crucial shield that protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which regulates the use of these gases, the ozone hole above Antarctica is expected to heal within 50 years. However, new research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters introduces a fresh challenge. This study reveals that old satellites, when re-entering Earth's atmosphere and disintegrating, release aluminium oxide nanoparticles. These nanoparticles react with residual atmospheric chlorine from CFCs, further depleting the ozone layer. Alarmingly, aluminum oxides, which are not consumed in this reaction, continue to destroy ozone molecules for decades as they descend through the stratosphere. Currently, there are about 8,100 objects in low Earth orbit, 6,000 of which are Starlink satellites providing global internet access. Starlink plans to launch an additional 42,000 satellites, 12,000 of which have already been approved, and other companies, including Amazon, are also planning to deploy thousands of their own satellites. These low Earth orbit internet satellites have a lifespan of approximately five years, after which they are left as space junk, eventually burning up in our atmosphere. The study found that between 2016 and 2022, the presence of these nanoparticles increased eightfold—a trend that will continue as more satellites are launched. Researchers calculated that one satellite will produce about 30 kilograms of aluminium oxide nanoparticles during its atmospheric re-entry, and these particles can take up to 30 years to reach stratospheric altitudes, where 90% of Earth's ozone resides. They estimated that once all planned satellite constellations are operational, around 912 metric tons of aluminium will be released annually, resulting in approximately 360 metric tons of aluminium oxides entering the atmosphere each year. This represents a 646% increase over natural levels, posing a significant threat to the future of our ozone layer, which is essential for protecting life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode originally aired on June 27, 2022: In this week's episode, Sonak Patel and Hannah Cunningham discuss the Montreal Protocol and the environmental crisis that was the discovery of the depletion of the ozone layer. Did the Montreal Protocol work? Did we save the ozone layer? And, if we did, can we also band together to address the environmental crisis of the 21st century: climate change?Program log.★ Support this podcast ★ ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Ralph and Luc spotlight an environmental success story: the Montreal Protocol's role in healing the ozone layer. We draw comparisons to the pitfalls of the IPCC's COP process and try to derive a diplomatic blueprint for climate policy. We look into the science of how ozone and chlorine works in the stratosphere, the history of the activist scientists (Sherwood Roland and Mario Molina) who first sounded the alarm about CFC's destruction of the ozone layer, and the work of technocrats in devising their replacement. We also examine the geopolitical dynamics that were foundational to this planetary victory. You can also watch this episode on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlz8O0_fkh4  Sources: • We sample clips from the 2019 PBS documentary Ozone Hole: How We Saved the Planet, written and directed by Jamie Lochhead — notably interviews with Mario Molina, Joan Roland (widow of Sherwood), Lee Thomas (administrator at the EPA), Crispin Tickell (adviser to Margaret Thatcher) and Bob Watson (NASA). https://www.pbs.org/show/ozone-hole-how-we-saved-planet/  • We also sample clips from this 2021 interview with Susan Solomon (the atmospheric chemist who demonstrated CFC's impact on ozone) and Stephen Andersen (leader of the Montreal Protocol and co-chair of its Technology and Economic Assessment Panel), by the Future of Life Institute, in which they share their roles in the closing of zone hole.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hwh-uDo-6A • We cite elements from the 1998 book Ozone Diplomacy: New Directions in Safeguarding the Planet, by Richard Elliot Benedick. • We cite the 2002 book Ozone Connections: Expert Networks in Global Environmental Governance, by Penelope Canan and Nancy Reichman. • We cite the 2019 book The Ozone Layer: From Discovery to Recovery, by Guy P. Brasseur. • We cite the 2021 Nature article The Montreal Protocol protects the terrestrial carbon sink, by Paul J. Young, Anna B. Harper, Chris Huntingford, Nigel D. Paul, Olaf Morgenstern, Paul A. Newman, Luke D. Oman, Sasha Madronich & Rolando R. Garcia.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03737-3 • We refer to insights from the 2021 book Cut Super Climate Pollutants Now!: The Ozone Treaty's Urgent Lessons for Speeding Up Climate Action, by Alan Miller, Durwood Zaelke and Stephen Andersen. • We also cite from the 2023 book 35th Anniversary of Protecting the Ozone Layer, by Marco Gonzalez and Stephen Andersen.  Read more at: https://ozone.unep.org/ozone-timeline and https://csl.noaa.gov/assessments/ozone/2022/downloads/twentyquestions.pdf

Today, we delve into an increasingly critical aspect of technology and electronics manufacturing - the pursuit of environmentally responsible electronics manufacturing. Our industry has witnessed many environmental revolutions.  The elimination of popular cleaning solvents brought on by the Montreal Protocol in 1989, soon followed by strict VOC regulations pertaining to cleaning chemicals. The switch from lead-based solders to lead-free alloys, led by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, known as RoHS, implemented within the EU in 2003 and adopted nearly worldwide, regulations regarding the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) resulting in many countries mandating regulations and programs for the safe recycling and disposal of electronic products, and more. These regulations and others have inspired some companies to seek eco-friendly alternatives to traditional printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication.  The combination of numerous environmental regulations has resulted in many companies' implementation of sustainability programs. As our world becomes more connected, the demand for electronic devices continues to rise, and with it, the importance of mitigating the environmental impact of their production. On this episode of The Reliability Matters Podcast, Mike Konrad speaks with Mark S. Edwards. Mark wrote an article entitled “Environmentally Responsible Alternatives to Traditional PCB Fabrication.”  He works as a strategic account manager within MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, on the global Business Development team for Circuitry Solutions. Mark has been involved in electronics manufacturing since the late 1980s and brings a passion for process automation, circuit assembly, solders/fluxes, adhesives, coatings and PCB fabrication – all with a focus on repeatability and reliability.  Edwards holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering technology from Oklahoma State University and began his career at a defense electronics company in Dallas, Texas, that was later acquired by Raytheon.  He has uncovered trends and synthesized customer needs for electronic hardware in the telecommunications, defense, automotive, industrial controls segments in the Americas, and now globally, in his newest role.   Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Pursuit of Environmentally Responsible Electronics Manufacturing 00:02:23 - Uncovering Trends in Electronic Hardware 00:04:56 - Circuit Board Fabrication and Environmental Responsibility 00:07:25 - The Changing Priorities of the Manufacturing Industry 00:09:40 - Green Alternatives to Traditional Circuit Boards 00:11:59 - Sustainable Alternatives to PCB Fabrication 00:14:21 - Fabrication Performance and Reliability 00:16:43 - Green PCB Fabrication Challenges and Obstacles 00:18:58 - The Challenges of Adopting Greener Solutions 00:21:22 - Environmental Sustainability in the Supply Chain 00:23:43 - Environmental Impact of PCB Fabrication Methods 00:28:20 - The Disappointment of EV 85 Fuel 00:31:07 - The Cost Implication of Going Green 00:33:31 - Recycling and the Circular Economy 00:35:55 - Recycling Circuit Boards and Extracting Precious Metals 00:38:15 - Simplifying the PCB Fabrication Process 00:40:40 - The Importance of Standards and Regulations in the Electronics Industry 00:42:54 - Demand for Environmental Responsibility in PCB Fabrication 00:45:10 - The Importance of Sustainability in the Supply Chain 00:47:20 - The Importance of Sustainability in Circuit Assembly 00:49:49 - Environmental Impact of Board Fabrication 00:52:02 - The Green Movement in Business    

PLUS: How the Montreal Protocol helped avert an environmental crisis; families of Israeli hostages march for urgent action from their government; the scientist who created a mouse ICU to study the link between respiratory infections and dementia in older adults; reviewing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth; the Oscar-nominated documentary The Last Repair Shop affirms the life-changing power of music; and our weekly news quiz, Riffed from the Headlines.

Just a couple years after Thomas Midgley, Jr. invented leaded gas in the 20s, he followed up that achievement by inventing chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, which were sold by Du Pont under the brand name of Freon. The crown jewel of his work was the creation of Dichlorodifluoromethane, or CFC-12. This substance allowed for more people to experience the wonders of electric food refrigeration as well as indoor air conditioning. For over 40 years everyone assumed the Freon was perfectly safe, and in fact safer than other chemicals used in refrigeration. It wasn't until the 1970s, years after Midgley had died, that the horrible truth was discovered: CFCs were eating away at the Earth's ozone layer. The ozone layer is a region in the stratosphere that absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the Sun's medium-frequency ultraviolet light, which otherwise would potentially damage life. The deterioration of this protective layer threatened all life on earth with increased risk of cancer and other ecological problems. People realized the extent of the damage in 1985 when it was discovered that there was a massive hole in the Ozone layer above the Antarctic. This emergency situation led in 1987 to the creation of an international treaty called The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. Because of this agreement, which was signed by all of the members of the United Nations and has an extremely high compliance rate, climate projections indicate that the ozone layer will return to 1980 levels between 2040 and 2066. One possible apocalypse averted because of global cooperation. This is the story of one guy who just wanted to make money for himself and the companies he worked for (specifically Frigidaire, General Motors, and DuPont), and how his second big invention eventually forced the entire world to pull off a massive effort to avoid global ecological disaster. Christie, Maureen. The ozone layer: A philosophy of science perspective. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Cagin, Seth, and Philip Dray. "Between earth and sky: how CFCs changed our world and endangered the ozone layer." 1993. McGrayne, Sharon Bertsch. “Prometheans in the Lab: Chemistry and the Making of the Modern World.” Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, 2001. Wilson, Eric Dean. After cooling: On freon, global warming, and the terrible cost of comfort. Simon and Schuster, 2021. Cox, Stan. Losing our cool: Uncomfortable truths about our air-conditioned world (and finding new ways to get through the summer). The New Press, 2010. Molina, Mario J., and F. Sherwood Rowland. "Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: chlorine atom-catalysed destruction of ozone." Nature 249, no. 5460 (1974): 810-812. Oreskes, Naomi, and Erik M. Conway. Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011.

Sasha, Steve and Lisa delve into a positive look towards 2024. Plus Catherine Wurth tells us about a competition for Social Entrepreneurs. And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour. And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour. As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. 1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024. 2. Salary and Pension Increases The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents. 3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days. 4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year. 5. Sporting and Cultural Highlights Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris. And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27. 6. Super Election Year 2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others. Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June. In the USA - will Trump be back? Russia - the opposition seems eliminated. India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite European elections: a test for the right-wing populists Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls Will Mexico have its first female president? Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won't be democratic. A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win? To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990. 7. EU expansion? EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent. 8. Positive Global Trends There are some uplifting global trends including: Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now. World GDP per capita continues to rise: it's now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997. World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000. 9. Medical Successes Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years. New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain's electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme. Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke. HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996. There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years. 10. A few final positives University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education. New emojis were released, including Sasha's favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head. Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024. Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years. We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7. And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success. ESG in Action Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative. Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact. Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive. MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility. Catherine explains: "Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc” To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado. Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch. The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN's Agenda 2030. Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business. Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large. The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series. Connect with the Guests: Catherine Wurth: LinkedIn My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas Mia Kinsch: Website Patrizia Luchetta: LinkedIn, Charlotte in Red Sobhan Naderi: As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. 1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024. 2. Salary and Pension Increases The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents. 3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days. 4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year. 5. Super Election Year Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June. 6. Sporting and Cultural Highlights Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris. And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27. 7. Super Election Year 2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others. In the USA - will Trump be back? Russia - the opposition seems eliminated. India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite European elections: a test for the right-wing populists Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls Will Mexico have its first female president? Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won't be democratic. A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win? To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990. 8. EU expansion? EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent. 9. Positive Global Trends There are some uplifting global trends including: Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now. World GDP per capita continues to rise: it's now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997. World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000. 10. Medical Successes Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years. New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain's electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme. Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke. HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996. There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years. 10. A few final positives University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education. New emojis were released, including Sasha's favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head. Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024. Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years. We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7. And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success. ESG in Action Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative. Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact. Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive. MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility. Catherine explains: "Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc” To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado. Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch. The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN's Agenda 2030. Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business. Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large. The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series. Connect with the Guests: Catherine Wurth: LinkedIn My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas Mia Kinsch: Website Patrizia Luchetta: LinkedIn, Charlotte in Red Sobhan Naderi: As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. 1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024. 2. Salary and Pension Increases The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents. 3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days. 4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year. 5. Super Election Year Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June. 6. Sporting and Cultural Highlights Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris. And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27. 7. Super Election Year 2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others. In the USA - will Trump be back? Russia - the opposition seems eliminated. India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite European elections: a test for the right-wing populists Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls Will Mexico have its first female president? Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won't be democratic. A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win? To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990. 8. EU expansion? EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent. 9. Positive Global Trends There are some uplifting global trends including: Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now. World GDP per capita continues to rise: it's now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997. World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000. 10. Medical Successes Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years. New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain's electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme. Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke. HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996. There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years. 10. A few final positives University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education. New emojis were released, including Sasha's favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head. Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024. Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years. We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7. And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success. ESG in Action Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative. Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact. Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive. MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication https://www.bgl.lu/en/csr/civic-responsibility/my-com-for-impact.html My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility. Catherine explains: "Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc” To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado. Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch. The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals. Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN's Agenda 2030. Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business. Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large. The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series. Connect with the Guests: Catherine Wurth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-wurth-91a84049/ My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas https://www.bgl.lu/en/csr/civic-responsibility/my-com-for-impact.html Patrizia Luchetta: https://www.charlotteinred.com/ Mia Kinsch: https://www.miakinsch.com/ Sobhan Naderi: https://naderiproduction.com/about-naderi-productions/

Season 3 continues and the team remains focused on scaling up. The question today: has it been done before? The task ahead is huge and can sometimes feel insurmountable. In order to deliver what scientists say is needed, the carbon removal industry must go from the young seedling emerging market we know today to a great complex ecosystem - and time is against us. Has this level of growth ever been seen before? In today's episode, Tom and Emily go hunting for reassuring precedents and inspirational analogies. Every global industry that we now take for granted was once a young seedling too. How do those industries compare to CDR? What can we learn from their development? And will looking at their histories help us feel more prepared for the future? In this episode, we listen back to brief clips from Sophie Purdom, co-founder of CTVC, and Dr Steve Smith, executive director of CO2RE. We first heard from them in season 1 episode 1 and season 2 episode 2 respectively. To learn more about The Carbon Removal Show, including further reading and all our sources, head to thecarbonremovalshow.com. And thanks to Cofruition for consulting on and producing the show. Resources and further reading Analogies and ecoraps for more carbon removal - https://medium.com/nori-carbon-removal/analogies-and-ecoraps-for-more-carbon-removal-3f4e8d92d1b4 Explaining the Exponential Growth of Renewable Energy - https://www.wri.org/insights/growth-renewable-energy-sector-explained  Developments in wind power - https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pn-0602/  The Hole: How Ronnie and Maggie Saved the World - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2JzOlRff08&t=1s Back from the brink: how the world rapidly sealed a deal to save the ozone layer - https://rapidtransition.org/stories/back-from-the-brink-how-the-world-rapidly-sealed-a-deal-to-save-the-ozone-layer/  Learning from Success: Lessons in Science and Diplomacy from the Montreal Protocol - https://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2020/learning-success-lessons-in-science-and-diplomacy-montreal-protocol  Should carbon removal be treated as waste management? Lessons from the cultural history of waste - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsfs.2020.0010#d1e755  Is the UK's waste infrastructure ready for a circular economy - https://rrfw.org.uk/2018/01/08/is-the-uks-waste-infrastructure-ready-for-a-circular-economy/  Shifting the Direct Air Capture Paradigm - https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/solving-direct-air-carbon-capture-challenge How have COVID-19 vaccines been developed so fast - https://www.immunology.org/public-information/vaccine-resources/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-infographics/speed-of-development  A Guide to Global COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts - https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/guide-global-covid-19-vaccine-efforts How COVID‐19 vaccine supply chains emerged in the midst of a pandemic - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8447169/ How did we develop a COVID-19 vaccine so quickly? - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-did-we-develop-a-covid-19-vaccine-so-quickly  Smart phones: https://blog.textedly.com/smartphone-history-when-were-smartphones-invented https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2011/07/11/overview-of-smartphone-adoption/ https://www.pcmag.com/archive/smartphone-adoption-rate-fastest-in-tech-history-301990 https://www.govtech.com/products/how-smartphones-revolutionized-society-in-less-than-a-decade.html https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/how-many-people-have-smartphones https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world Streaming continues to overtake TV - https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2023/05/16/streaming-continues-to-overtake-tv/ The rise of social media - https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media

There was a time when we listened to scientists. Believe it or not, it actually happened in the 1980s. Under Ronald Reagan. (Don't get me wrong, he's still a quasi-villain in this story.) When set against the backdrop of Cop28 being run by an oil and gas executive, that time we banned a whole bunch of products and chemicals in the 80s will make you wistful. When scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer, the world came together to pass the Montreal Protocol and then something even more miraculous occurred: it worked. In 2017 scientists noticed that the hole had started to repair itself and was shrinking. Here's the story of how it all came together. Resources The Guardian: Cop28 president says there is ‘no science' behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels European Central Bank: A new age of energy inflation: climateflation, fossilflation and greenflation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Time: Reagan Administration Officials at First Dismissed the Ozone Hole. Here's What Changed UNIDO: HCFC Phase Out Los Angeles Times: Op-Ed: Reagan made a massive environmental mistake. Trump is repeating it, only worse NOAA: 4 facts you might not know about ozone and the Montreal Protocol Goldman Sachs Publishing: Lithium: The short trade must go on -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change can feel like an overwhelming problem, so it's important to shine a light on environmental success stories. One such tale? How the world came together to save the ozone! Join Joy and co-host Asa as they whisk listeners from the birth of ozone-depleting chemicals, to the scientific discovery that these chemicals were destroying our atmosphere, to the stunning act of international cooperation that lead to the Montreal Protocol, the world's most successful environmental agreement to this day. Plus, a First Things First to light up your day!This episode was sponsored by:Disney+ (ondisneyplus.disney.com/movie/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-christmas-cabin-fever) Diary of Wimply Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, streaming only on Disney+ December 8th. Rated PG, parental guidance suggested.IXL (IXL.COM/FIELDTRIP) To get a 20% off an IXL membership.Disney (movies.disney.com/wish) Only in theaters November 22, tickets available now. Rated PG, parental guidance suggested

This week, Bryony speaks with Jason Anderson, Senior Program Director at ClimateWorks, who oversees the Governance & Diplomacy and Super Pollutant programs. His work spans efforts ranging from implementing the Paris Agreement to cleaning up dirty shipping and preventing methane leakage. Jason has over 25 years of experience in climate and clean energy, beginning in the solar energy conversion office at the U.S. Department of Energy, which led him to promote photovoltaics for rural electrification in Central America. Jason then worked in a range of climate organizations in Brussels for 15 years, ranging from Climate Action Network Europe to the Institute for European Environmental Policy to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). Jason was a lead author of the IPCC special reports on ozone and climate interactions, and on carbon capture and storage; in 2007 Jason was acknowledged for his contribution to the IPCC's Nobel Peace Prize. Jason holds a Masters in Public Policy degree and a Masters in Science in energy and resources from the University of California Berkeley, and a degree in biological anthropology from Harvard University.   Links  Climateworks Governance & Diplomacy Program which Jason oversees: https://www.climateworks.org/programs/governance-diplomacy/ COP 28 Website: https://www.cop28.com/en/ Read a summary of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol Read the US EPA's summary of 2016 Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol: https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/recent-international-developments-under-montreal-protocol Explore the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's work on short-lived climate pollutants: https://www.ccacoalition.org/content/short-lived-climate-pollutants Read about the Environmental Defense Fund's new MethaneSAT: https://business.edf.org/insights/methane-satellites-usher-in-new-era-of-emissions-visibility-and-transparency/ Explore the Global Methane Pledge: https://www.globalmethanepledge.org/  Related Episodes Episode 143: Johannah Christensen – Is Shipping the Easiest “Hard-to-Abate” Sector? - https://www.cleaningup.live/is-shipping-the-easiest-hard-to-abate-sector-ep143-johannah-christensen/  

This is part 3 of three, where we focus on ASHRAE 34 Flammability Testing and A2L Classification. In this podcast, HVACR expert Don Gillis delves into the R410A transition, emphasizing key milestones and exploring the physical properties of potential replacements like R32 and R454B. You can watch the full video version of this podcast on our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HVAC-TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Engineers HVAC Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/engineers-hvac-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mormino⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Insight Partners (Commercial HVAC Products in NC, SC, GA): Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.insightusa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hobbs & Assocaited, Inc. (Commercial HVAC Products in VA, TN, MD, AL): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hobbsassociates.com⁠⁠ This live podcast focuses squarely on the ASHRAE 34 A2L classification and its implications across HVAC equipment, mechanical spaces, transportation, storage, and building codes. But what exactly are A2L refrigerants? Named after their ASHRAE safety classification, A2L refrigerants exhibit mild flammability, low toxicity, and a low global warming potential (GWP). This category encompasses hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and HFO blends. A2L refrigerants mirror the operational characteristics of legacy refrigerants while presenting a safer profile compared to ammonia and hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. As the world grapples with climate change, A2L refrigerants have emerged as a substitution for older, high-impact refrigerants such as HFCs and HCFCs in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration setups. A2Ls are pivotal in aiding businesses to meet global objectives outlined in agreements like the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment, as well as regional regulations such as the U.S. AIM Act, Canada's ODSHAR, and the targets of the EU Green Deal.

This is part 2 of three, where we focus on the physical properties of R-454B vs. R-410A. In this podcast, HVACR expert Don Gillis delves into the R410A transition, emphasizing key milestones and exploring the physical properties of potential replacements like R32 and R454B. You can watch the full video version of this podcast on our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HVAC-TV⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Engineers HVAC Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/engineers-hvac-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mormino⁠⁠⁠⁠ Insight Partners (Commercial HVAC Products in NC, SC, GA): Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.insightusa.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hobbs & Assocaited, Inc. (Commercial HVAC Products in VA, TN, MD, AL): ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hobbsassociates.com⁠ This live podcast focuses squarely on the ASHRAE 34 A2L classification and its implications across HVAC equipment, mechanical spaces, transportation, storage, and building codes. But what exactly are A2L refrigerants? Named after their ASHRAE safety classification, A2L refrigerants exhibit mild flammability, low toxicity, and a low global warming potential (GWP). This category encompasses hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and HFO blends. A2L refrigerants mirror the operational characteristics of legacy refrigerants while presenting a safer profile compared to ammonia and hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. As the world grapples with climate change, A2L refrigerants have emerged as a substitution for older, high-impact refrigerants such as HFCs and HCFCs in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration setups. A2Ls are pivotal in aiding businesses to meet global objectives outlined in agreements like the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment, as well as regional regulations such as the U.S. AIM Act, Canada's ODSHAR, and the targets of the EU Green Deal.

Those of us in the electronic assembly space are no doubt aware of standards. In the simplest terms, standards tell us how to build products correctly. They differentiate correct from incorrect. They tell us what type of materials to use, how a solder joint is determined to be acceptable. Standards tell us how to test various parts of our assembly.How are the standards derived? Who determines what the standards are? How often are they updated?To answer these and other questions, I invited Leo Lambert onto the show.Leo is the author of several publications, including “Soldering for Electronic Assemblies”, published by Marcel Dekker in 1987. He has published and presented numerous papers relative to the subject of Soldering and Cleaning at various Technical Seminars and Exhibitions worldwide. Leo Developed, published, and conducted seminars entitled Deadline to Lead Free Seminars and Thriving in a RoHS/WEEE Environment.Leo received the IPC President's Award in 1989 for work conducted on solderable coatings for printed wiring boards.He is an IPC Hall of Fame recipient, Charter Member on UNEP (United Nation Environmental Program) Technical Solvent Options Committee, where he overseed the worldwide activities in reducing CFC's from use as cleaning material in Electronic Manufacturing resulting in the publication of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty banning certain CFC-based materials.Leo is a Member of ICOLP (Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection). Leo is a recognized expert in standards and, he's my guest today on this episode of the Reliability Matters Podcast.Leo's Contact Information:Leo Lambertleo@eptac.comhttps://www.eptac.com

Rock star Environmental Attorney, Durwood Zaelke, discusses how to save our planet!  Durwood is a self described "grizzled veteran" who has helped protect the environment from the Love Canal litigation 50 years ago to his work in strengthening the Montreal Protocol. Durwood describes how that treaty can be broadened and strengthened to limit methane emissions which are 80x more harmful than CO2. Durwood is going to COP28 to confront the Sultans of oil to get them to reduce methane emissions.

Matt Matern speaks with Durwood Zaelke, founder of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. Durwood's career spans major environmental cases and founding the Center for International Environmental Law. He focuses on using the Montreal Protocol to combat climate change.

This is part 1 of three, where we focus on Phase Down Deadlines, Refrigerant History, and What's an HFO. In this podcast, HVACR expert Don Gillis delves into the R410A transition, emphasizing key milestones and exploring the physical properties of potential replacements like R32 and R454B. You can watch the full video version of this podcast on our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HVAC-TV⁠⁠⁠ The Engineers HVAC Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/engineers-hvac-podcast⁠⁠⁠ Connect with me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mormino⁠⁠⁠ Insight Partners (Commercial HVAC Products in NC, SC, GA): Website: ⁠⁠www.insightusa.com⁠⁠⁠ Hobbs & Assocaited, Inc. (Commercial HVAC Products in VA, TN, MD, AL): ⁠⁠⁠www.hobbsassociates.com This live podcast focuses squarely on the ASHRAE 34 A2L classification and its implications across HVAC equipment, mechanical spaces, transportation, storage, and building codes. But what exactly are A2L refrigerants? Named after their ASHRAE safety classification, A2L refrigerants exhibit mild flammability, low toxicity, and a low global warming potential (GWP). This category encompasses hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and HFO blends. A2L refrigerants mirror the operational characteristics of legacy refrigerants while presenting a safer profile compared to ammonia and hydrocarbon-based refrigerants. As the world grapples with climate change, A2L refrigerants have emerged as a substitution for older, high-impact refrigerants such as HFCs and HCFCs in air conditioning and commercial refrigeration setups. A2Ls are pivotal in aiding businesses to meet global objectives outlined in agreements like the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment, as well as regional regulations such as the U.S. AIM Act, Canada's ODSHAR, and the targets of the EU Green Deal.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA) section is one of the categories within the LEED rating system. This episode Russell goes through the following sections: Fundamental & Enhanced Commissioning This involves a thorough commissioning process to ensure that building systems are installed, tested, and operated efficiently. It helps identify and address issues that could impact energy performance. Minimum Energy Performance To reduce the environmental and economic harms of excessive energy and achieve minimum level of energy efficiency Building Level Energy Metering & Advanced Energy Metering To support energy management and identify oppotunies for energy savings Fundamental & Advanced Refrigerant Management To reduce stratospheric ozone depletion and meet compliance to Montreal Protocol while minimizing direct contribution to climate change. Optimise Energy Performance To achieve levels of energy performance to reduce environmental and economic harms with excessive energy use. Demand Response Increase participation in demand response technologies and programs Renewable Energy Production Promoting the use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or geothermal to power the building and offset carbon emissions. Green Power and Carbon Offsets: Encouraging the purchase of green power, which is electricity generated from renewable sources, and the use of carbon offsets to mitigate the environmental impact of the building's energy use. ✅ Website: https://www.architectrussell.com

The Supreme Court Hangs the Clean Water Act Out to Dry. That story and more on H2O Radio's weekly news report about water. Headlines: Even conservative justice Brett Kavanaugh thinks the Sackett case that sacks wetlands protections went too far. The recent Colorado River “deal” is short on details and may not be enough to save the iconic river. The Montreal Protocol had an amazing—and unexpected—side effect. How seagulls decide what foods to steal from our picnics.

Today you'll learn about how rockets are preventing the ozone layer from healing properly, how researchers are figuring out the smells of the ancient world, and how mother orca whales take care of their sons to ensure the survival of their species.Rockets Ruin Ozone “A rapidly growing rocket industry could undo decades of work to save the ozone layer – unless we act now” by Laura Revell, Michele Bannister, and Tyler Brownhttps://theconversation.com/a-rapidly-growing-rocket-industry-could-undo-decades-of-work-to-save-the-ozone-layer-unless-we-act-now-198982“Rocket industry could undo decades of work to save the ozone layer” by University of Canterburyhttps://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2023/rocket-industry-could-undo-decades-of-work-to-save-the-ozone-layer.html“Ozone layer recovery is on track, due to success of Montreal Protocol” by United Nationshttps://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132277“Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2022” by World Meteorological Organizationhttps://ozone.unep.org/system/files/documents/Scientific-Assessment-of-Ozone-Depletion-2022-Executive-Summary.pdfNeanderthal Smells “Study figured out what ancient humans might have been able to smell” by Pranjal Meharhttps://www.techexplorist.com/study-figured-ancient-humans-able-smell/56561/“Ancient Humans Had Same Sense of Smell, But Different Sensitivities” by Karl Leif Bateshttps://today.duke.edu/2023/01/ancient-humans-had-same-sense-smell-different-sensitivitiesGenetic and functional odorant receptor variation in the Homo lineage” by Claire A. de March et al.https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)02181-2Orca Moms “Orca moms baby their adult sons. That favoritism pays off — eventually” by Susan Miliushttps://www.sciencenews.org/article/orca-mom-sons-favoritism-killer-whale“Costly lifetime maternal investment in killer whales” by Michael N. Weiss et al.https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01994-7“Killer whales follow postmenopausal leaders” by Susan Miliushttps://www.sciencenews.org/article/killer-whales-follow-postmenopausal-leadersFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/rockets-ruin-ozone-neanderthal-smells-orca-moms

In episode 14, we wonder about the ozone layer and the ozone holeWhy is ozone important? How is ozone created? In which layer of the atmosphere do we find ozone? What is causing a hole in the ozone layer? What are chlorofluorocarbons?Visit our website: https://wonderfulworldkidspodcast.buzzsprout.com/Write to us: wonderfulworld.kids@gmail.com Sound effects obtained from: https://www.zapsplat.com

Hi everybody! First of all, a giant thank you to everyone who made 300,000 listens possible! As we surpass a monumental number we wanted to bring in a feel-good episode as well! This week we will be talking about the ozone layer and how it is reported to be back on track to recovery per a United Nations (UN) report. What exactly happened to make a hole in the ozone layer? What happened in order to stop it and lead to recovery? Also, why do the Hot Girls stan the Montreal Protocol and what even is it? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week's Hot Girl Briefing and we will see you on an all-new episode next week!

Welcome to Pelecanus Deep Dives, where we take a headline from a recent Pelecanus NEWS episode and take a deep dive, just like a pelican, into the article and try and explain some of the more technical, nuanced, or maybe complex ideas of the story to help us all better understand our world. In this episode, our host Harrison Parker, a CalTech doctoral Candidate in atmospheric sciences, explains a the January 15th, 2023 Pelecanus News episode about how the ozone layer is healing. Host for this episode is Harrison Parker, Producers are Harrison and Austin Parker. Music was provided by A Picture Book Studios Linked sources for images: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ozone-layer-slowly-healing-hole-mend-2066-96313492 https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/mario-molina https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/antarctic-ozone-hole-slightly-smaller-in-2022 https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/atmosphere/ozone-layer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/susan-solomon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Ozone_Mapping_Spectrometer#/media/File:Toms-2004-09-06-FULLDAY_GLOB.PNG https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/toms#launch-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Ozone_Mapping_Spectrometer

“You can electrify your way out of natural gas usage and move to renewable energy to get yourself out of scope two emissions but refrigerants are going to be the main solution for electrifying both water and space heating, which means a significant increase in refrigerant usage."—Tristam CoffinMy HighlightsTristam's background (2:09)Keys to sustainability in the grocery vertical (5:57)Important smart building tech in this vertical and status of deployment (8:23)About Effecterra (13:41)Why are refrigerants important? (19:39)The Montreal Protocol? (22:01)US AIM Act (27:31)Companies including refrigerants in their inventory today (29:35)What are low-GWP refrigerants? (34:34)Challenges with incumbent HVAC OEMs (42:56)High-level solutions for existing and new buildings (49:34)The state of technology for using analytics to find leaks (56:04)Industry training and upskilling (1:02:48)Carveouts (1:06:55)You can find Tristam on LinkedIn.Watch on YouTube or read on the web.Get full access to Nexus.

It's been a big year for U.S. climate policy. Three major pieces of legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have all become law, ushering in the largest commitment of federal money toward the climate crisis to date. In a bipartisan vote, the Senate also finally ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will help phase out some of the most potent greenhouse gasses. Gina McCarthy has helped shepherd these achievements in her former role as White House Climate Advisor, and joins us to discuss her time leading climate action under President Biden.  We also feature a special interview about the Biden administration's climate priorities between Vice President Kamala Harris and the hosts of the podcast A Matter of Degrees, Katharine Wilkinson and Leah Stokes. Guests:  Kamala Harris, Vice President, United States Gina McCarthy, former U.S. White House National Climate Advisor, former U.S. EPA Administrator Guest Hosts: Katharine Wilkinson, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The All We Can Save Project  Leah Stokes, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Associate Professor of Environmental Politics, UC Santa Barbara For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a big year for U.S. climate policy. Three major pieces of legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have all become law, ushering in the largest commitment of federal money toward the climate crisis to date. In a bipartisan vote, the Senate also finally ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will help phase out some of the most potent greenhouse gasses. Gina McCarthy has helped shepherd these achievements in her former role as White House Climate Advisor, and joins us to discuss her time leading climate action under President Biden.  We also feature a special interview about the Biden administration's climate priorities between Vice President Kamala Harris and the hosts of the podcast A Matter of Degrees, Katharine Wilkinson and Leah Stokes. Guests:  Kamala Harris, Vice President, United States Gina McCarthy, former U.S. White House National Climate Advisor, former U.S. EPA Administrator Guest Hosts: Katharine Wilkinson, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The All We Can Save Project  Leah Stokes, Co-host, A Matter of Degrees, Associate Professor of Environmental Politics, UC Santa Barbara For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The midterm elections are less than a month away. Inflation, the economy, abortion access and election integrity are among voters' top priorities this cycle, but how will they influence decisions on the ballot and, ultimately, the balance of power? And how will that outcome shape the future of climate and energy policy in the U.S.?Political Climate hosts Julia Pyper, Shane Skelton and Brandon Hurlbut are back on the podcast to discuss what's at stake in the 2022 midterms, the latest polling results and wild cards that could drive voter turnout. Will the Inflation Reduction Act give Dems a lift?Plus, they discuss the failure of Senator Joe Manchin's bill to reform permitting for energy infrastructure, and what that failure means for the buildout of both clean energy and fossil fuel pipelines. And the hosts talk about another big piece of climate news that received little coverage: the Senate's ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in a rare bipartisan vote. Listen and subscribe to Political Climate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or pretty much wherever you get podcasts! Follow us on Twitter at @Poli_Climate.Recommended reading:Vox: The unlikely allies who sank Joe Manchin's energy dealPolitical Climate: 'Need for Speed': Why Solving Climate Change Is About More Than CO2U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Menendez Makes Final Push for Senate Approval of Kigali Amendment to Montreal ProtocolReal Clear Politics: Latest polls***Support for Political Climate comes from Climate Positive, a podcast from Hannon Armstrong, the first U.S. public company solely dedicated to investing in climate solutions. The Climate Positive podcast features candid conversations with the leaders, innovators and changemakers driving our climate-positive future. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Stacy joined Shopify in January 2020 where she is the Head of Sustainability and oversees and leads the company's sustainability initiatives. She also serves on the advisory board of the Carbon Management Research Initiative (CaMRI) at Columbia University. Prior to joining Shopify, Stacy was Head of the Ozone Layer Protection Program at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Stacy has worked on several chemicals management regulatory initiatives and represented Canada as a member of delegations for the Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol. Stacy Joins Sustainable Nation to Discuss: How Shopify began and continues to evaluate quality carbon offsets for investment Shopify acting as a customer and a demand signal for high quality investments; especially for startups  How is shopify engaging customers in the fight against climate change Shopify's carbon removal playbook Advice and recommendations for sustainability professionals Stacy's Final Five Questions Responses: What is one piece of advice you would give other sustainability professionals that might help them in their careers? I started this off by talking about how I came to the job that I'm at and I'm not a typical sustainability professional. What I have done is prioritized impact over everything else. That's clear in how we're trying to set up our sustainability fund and the companies that we choose, but it's also in how I've made my career choices. I've always wanted to make sure I'm in the best position at the right time to use my specific skill sets to have the most positive impact possible. I think everyone knows in the pit of their stomach when they're not playing for the right team. I think it's really important to act on that and to be strong in the skills that you do have, and to find ways to apply those to a career in sustainability or climate. There's a lot of people who are transitioning from accounting or marketing or communications and want to use their skills in sustainability or in climate. I think that it's really important to find your spot and use those skills for good. I think that's the most impactful way to drive change. What are you most excited about right now in the world of sustainability? This isn't something to be excited about, but I'll get to why I'm bringing it up. This past year we've seen a lot more of the negative effects of climate change, and they're not just being felt by populations around the equator or populations that live on the coastline. We're starting to see mainland Europe experiencing very intense heat waves, we're seeing these things become more and more commonplace in a larger swath of the planet. I'm not excited about that, but what that brings me to is the fact that a larger component of the world's population is now experiencing the negative effects of climate change that other countries and other populations have been experiencing for decades. I'm hopeful that this is going to bring this topic to the forefront and we're no longer going to be seeing the effects of climate change as somebody else's problem and we don't need to change our day to day existence or how we're operating our businesses. I think we're seeing early signs of people taking notice, because we're getting a lot of momentum in terms of funding commitments from government and the private sector to really start addressing climate change in a meaningful way. I'm hopeful that these unfortunate events are going to catalyze an acceleration in action. What is one book you'd recommend sustainability professionals read? I thought a little bit about this one because you've had a lot of guests and I don't want to pick the same book. I really loved The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson. He's an American biologist known for speaking a lot about how behavior in the natural world combined with natural selection can alter biology through evolution. The book describes the the breadth and depth of the planet's biodiversity, but then also talks about the effects that we're seeing on biodiversity worldwide and how this is going to be detrimental to the planet. It also offers some solutions. What I get most from this book is that our natural systems are very complex and the interconnectedness of an ecosystem is super complex. That complex system to me is almost analogous to how complex the system is that we need to drive change in to solve climate change. When we're thinking about biodiversity, the effects of one small action can have an immense impact on an ecosystem, but it's only because of its second, third and fourth order effects. It's not that one action that causes the problem. It's everything that happens after it. I think about that when I think about how to solve climate change, because it's not one action that's going to solve climate change. It's the knock-on effects of that single effort that drives more change and gets momentum. Then that complex system starts to shift and adapt. I like to hold both together. That's a great book I'd recommend it if you're wanting to think about systems and also learn more about biodiversity. What are some of your favorite resources or tools that really help you in your work? I love reading research papers and reviews specifically related to carbon removal technology; I'm a bit of a tech nerd when it comes to things like that, being an engineer. I get a lot of my information from the AirMiners community and that's a little play on words about mining the atmosphere for carbon dioxide. They have a great community that they've set up where everybody working on carbon removal can come together and they put on all sorts of excellent webinar programming and there's publications and things like that. One of the things that works really well for me that's really basic is a list serve mailing list, almost like a Google group. It's run by professor Greg Roe who is one of the leading experts worldwide in ocean alkalinity enhancement. Again it's that connectivity that's provided. Everybody shares new journal articles or new findings from different research projects, so it's a great way to stay up to date. Where can our listeners go to learn more about you and the work being done at Shopify. We mentioned this earlier, but I'd recommend hitting up Shopify's website www.shopify.com/climate. You'll see what we offer in terms of services for our merchants and how we're building sustainable commerce. You'll also be able to click through and see our playbook and read up on the 22 companies in our fund. If you want to get the play by play and stay up to date, I'd recommend following myself on Twitter and you can get up to date news and announcements there as well.

In 1985 British scientist Jonathan Shanklin and colleagues published a study that shocked the world. The study revealed a hole in the Earth's atmosphere right over Antarctica. It had been caused over time by chemicals known as CFCs, used in things like fridges, air conditioning units and aerosol cans. These were destroying the layer of ozone in the stratosphere which protects us from most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation - without it, cases of skin cancer would soar. Less than two years after the discovery, world leaders signed an agreement called the Montreal Protocol, committing to phase out CFCs. It has been described as the most successful international treaty of all time - every UN country has signed up, and ozone is expected to return to its previous levels around the middle of the century. So what can we learn from how we tackled the ozone hole in how we address climate change? First broadcast - 29 Nov 2021 Presenters Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble are joined by: Jonathan Shanklin, Meterologist at the British Antarctic Survey, Dr Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth Science at the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, Tina Birmpili, former executive secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, Dr Anita Ganesan, associate professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Producer: Sophie Eastaugh Researcher: Natasha Fernandes

We had the good fortune of visiting with Dr. David Victor today for an engaging discussion on climate, policy, and in particular, problem-solving structures that feature "experimentalist governance." Dr. Victor is a Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at UC San Diego and Co-Director of the UC San Diego Deep Decarbonization Initiative. He has published over 200 articles and books on climate change and the "transition from a high emissions energy world to a low emissions energy world." Today is the release date of his latest book which he Co-Authored with Charles Sabel, "Fixing the Climate: Strategies for an Uncertain World." We thoroughly enjoyed the discussion, Dr. Victor's pragmaticism, as well as his upbeat demeanor. Fixing the Climate explains why effective climate policy requires government and business collaboration and an emphasis on experimentalism. The book features examples of successful environmental policy, with a particularly deep and illuminating dive into the Montreal Protocol, the world's successful answer to attacking the CFC/ozone problems. In our conversation, we look at the balance and symbiosis between vision and leadership at the Federal level and problem solving in local communities, the key factors Dr. Victor thinks will determine natural gas's future, how to improve education, the need for more focus on climate impact, as well as a range of other issues. As you will hear, Dr. Victor is spending more and more time with energy and other industries, learning and helping from the inside out how incumbent players can meaningfully and profitably contribute to the way forward. To kick off the show,  Mike Bradley highlighted his two key focus items for the week including his expectations for the OPEC+ meeting this Wednesday as well as for more energy earnings.  Colin Fenton commented on recovering markets, and some recent potentially positive policy moves, but cautioned there are considerable challenges in front of us, just one example of which is the agitated swirl around Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. 

Today's guest is Stacy Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify.Stacy joined Shopify in January 2020. She also serves on the advisory board of the Carbon Management Research Initiative (CaMRI) at Columbia University. Prior to joining Shopify, Stacy was Head of the Ozone Layer Protection Program at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Previously, Stacy worked on several chemicals management regulatory initiatives and represented Canada as a member of delegations for the Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol.Stacy began her career as a practicing engineer designing environmental protection measures and pollution prevention controls for a variety of industry sectors. She has worked for the city of Ottawa, Morrison Hershfield and Golder Associates. Stacy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and Master of Public Administration from Carleton University.I was looking forward to this episode because everyone knows Shopify as a powerhouse e-commerce company, but far fewer no that Shopify has been helping jumpstart important carbon removal project funding via their Sustainability Fund. In this episode, we cover Stacy's journey to doing the work she does, Shopify's journey to become an unlikely climate hero, and how those two ended up meeting in the middle. We also cover what Shopify looks for in the carbon removal projects they back, and some examples of projects they have funded so far.Enjoy the show!You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 (me), @mcjpod (podcast), or @mcjcollective (company) and via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded March 23, 2022To learn more about Shopify, visit: https://www.shopify.com/To learn more about this episode, visit: https://mcjcollective.com/my-climate-journey-podcast/stacy-kauk

We have talked at length on previous episodes about the flaws in compliance markets. And the team at Nori obviously believes in voluntary carbon markets, as we're building one ourselves. But there's a wide range of quality among voluntary markets, and the space is 1,000 times smaller than the compliance programs in progress around the world. So, have cap-and-trade markets contributed to a meaningful reduction in emissions in spite of their flaws? And are compliance markets the only way to address carbon emissions at scale? Michael Azlen is the Founder and CEO of Cabon Cap Management LLP and Co-Portfolio Manager of the World Carbon Fund. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Michael joins Ross and guest cohost Aldyen Donnelly to explain how he got interested in carbon as an asset class and share his take on the benefits of compliance markets. Aldyen offers insight on the two compliance market models, describing the problems associated with programs modeled after the SO2 Allowance Market—and why she prefers the framework of the Montreal Protocol. Listen in to understand how Michael thinks about regulating voluntary carbon markets and why he is optimistic about the global growth in compliance markets despite their imperfections. Connect with Nori Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Twitter Check out our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom Resources Carbon Cap Management Climate-Crypto, COP26, and Carbon Accounting Rules on Reversing Climate Change S3EP1 Michael's Paper on Carbon as an Emerging Asset Class World Carbon Fund The US Acid Rain SO2 Allowance Market The Montreal Protocol EU Emissions Trading System Fit for 55 Kyoto Protocol Clean Air Interstate Rule Cross-State Air Pollution Rule The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative California's Cap-and-Trade Program California Scoping Plan Documents UK Emissions Trading Scheme --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/support