158 episodes

Explaining the key scientific ideas, technologies, and policies relevant to the global climate crisis. Visit climatenow.com for more information, video series, and events.

Climate Now James Lawler

    • Science

Explaining the key scientific ideas, technologies, and policies relevant to the global climate crisis. Visit climatenow.com for more information, video series, and events.

    Are cleaner hydrocarbons possible?

    Are cleaner hydrocarbons possible?

    Just over 70% of humanity’s energy consumption comes from hydrocarbons like coal, oil, and natural gas. The world is dependent on hydrocarbons, not just for energy but also for plastics, contact lenses, and computers, and so many other things. Using hydrocarbons like fossil fuels for energy has also led to huge amounts of climate change-causing emissions. So, knowing how important hydrocarbons are to modern society, how can we also ensure that they do not become our downfall?

    This week, we sat down with Casey Handmer of Terraform Industries, a startup combining solar power with direct air capture of CO2 to produce synthetic hydrocarbons. How does this work, and will it help? Tune in as Casey explains the importance of hydrocarbons, the potential impacts of switching to synthetic, and how Terraform’s technology is trying to make synthetic, renewable natural gas affordable.
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    • 28 min
    Climate News Weekly: Coal and wind rise in 2023, we have more than two years, advances in home insulation

    Climate News Weekly: Coal and wind rise in 2023, we have more than two years, advances in home insulation

    This week, Julio Friedmann and Darren Hau join James Lawler to talk about the latest climate news. The news of the week covers Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol's latest comments on Europe's energy plans, a new innovation in home insulation with Aeroseal that could help reduce energy use (born from a U.S. National Lab), RMI's new home energy tool, the increase of coal capacity, but also of wind in 2023, JP Morgan's reality check on fossil fuel phase-out, and Scotland's realization that its 2030 climate goals were 'out of reach.'

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    • 22 min
    Climate News Weekly: SEJ, green banks, solar sheep, and more

    Climate News Weekly: SEJ, green banks, solar sheep, and more

    This week on Climate News Weekly, James Lawler is joined by Dina Cappiello. They discuss the latest on green banks, the recent turmoil at the SBTI, the power of solar sheep, and more.
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    • 11 min
    Climate News Weekly: Richard Benedick, geoengineering test, and more

    Climate News Weekly: Richard Benedick, geoengineering test, and more

    This week on Climate News Weekly, James Lawler sits down with Julio Friedmann and Darren Hau. They discuss the passing of climate leader Richard Benedict, a new geoengineering experiment, new California rules for energy distribution and use, and the emergence of a new biomass startup.
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    Visit our website for all of our content and sources for each episode.

    • 15 min
    Climate News Weekly: Coal plants closing, AI for climate, decarbonizing industry, and more

    Climate News Weekly: Coal plants closing, AI for climate, decarbonizing industry, and more

    This week on Climate News Weekly, James Lawler and Julio Friedmann discuss coal-fired power plant closures in New England, how the DOE is spending billions to spur innovation in technologies to decarbonize top-emitting industries, the role that AI can play in a variety of climate change fighting efforts, and more.


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    Visit our website for all of our content and sources for each episode.

    • 15 min
    How climate changes where people live

    How climate changes where people live

    In the U.S. alone, 162 million people will experience a worse quality of life due to the changing climate within the next 30 years. Rising sea levels stand to displace 13 million Americans in the long run while wildfires and other risks are likely to displace millions more. With 3.2 million American climate migrants to-date, it’s time to start thinking about what our country’s future might look like.
    Even these statistics may be vast underestimates because nailing down someone’s exact reason for moving is harder than it may seem. So, how do we determine what factors influence people’s decisions to move? Why is climate migration about more than beating the heat? What history brought us here and where are we headed? This week’s episode with investigative journalist and author Abrahm Lustgarten will answer these questions and more. 
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    Contact us at contact@climatenow.com

    Visit our website for all of our content and sources for each episode.

    • 32 min

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