The World as You’ll Know It: The Great Rebuild

Aventine Research Institute
The World as You’ll Know It: The Great Rebuild

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you are part of one of the most ambitious projects we as humans have ever attempted: Rebuilding the world, pretty much from the ground up, in order to switch from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. It’s a major undertaking, one that will require staggering financial investment and the success of technologies many people have never heard of. In this season of The World as You'll Know It, science journalist Arielle Duhaime-Ross goes deep inside the world of cutting-edge climate technologies and asks: How is this all going to work? The answers — from some of the world’s most innovative and audacious thinkers, builders and investors — reveal the promise, obstacles and tradeoffs of a new clean-energy landscape that will shape the way we live.

  1. Can We Pull Carbon Out of the Air?

    AUG 13

    Can We Pull Carbon Out of the Air?

    The Paris Climate Agreement says we need to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050. That means for every new carbon molecule we put in the air, we have to take one out. Even the most optimistic forecasts still anticipate burning fossil fuels well past that date. So how do we balance the carbon books? Enter direct air capture, or DAC — a mechanical process that sucks carbon out of the atmosphere — which many believe will be crucial to controlling climate change. Right now the technology is extremely expensive, energy intensive, and has never been deployed at the scale necessary to make a difference. Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross speaks with the Dr. Klaus Lackner, known as the “godfather of carbon removal”; Dr. Susan Hovorka, a professor of geology who has been burying carbon underground for decades; and Dr. Emily Grubert, associate professor of sustainable energy policy at Notre Dame. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    26 min
  2. Has the Moment for Hydrogen Finally Arrived?

    AUG 6

    Has the Moment for Hydrogen Finally Arrived?

    Hydrogen has long been the great hope of the environmental movement. Hydrogen-powered cars; airplanes; even home heating. A single molecule could power it all. Much of that has gone nowhere. But now, hydrogen is being touted as the answer to carbon-free steel. Can we trust in our hydrogen future this time? To explore that question, host Arielle Duhaime-Ross talks to Rachael Fahkry, policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Jason Mortimer, from the company Electric Hydrogen. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    22 min
  3. Keeping Cool Without Warming the Planet

    JUL 30

    Keeping Cool Without Warming the Planet

    Heat kills more people in the United States than any other weather event, and scientists expect the earth to continue to get hotter. Unfortunately, one of the most effective tools we have to combat heat — air-conditioning — also contributes to global warming. The hotter we get, the more AC we’ll need: It’s a conundrum. So how do we keep cool without making the planet hotter at the same time? Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross speaks to Dr. David Hondula, the Director of Heat Response and Mitigation for the city of Phoenix, Arizona; Rachel Kyte, a former U.N. Special Representative, and professor in climate policy and sustainability; and Dr. Daniel Betts, an engineer and founder of the air-conditioning company Blue Frontier. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    26 min
  4. Is the U.S. Ready for a New Nuclear Age?

    JUL 23

    Is the U.S. Ready for a New Nuclear Age?

    The United States was once on track to be a world leader in nuclear power, building more than 100 plants in the 1970s and 1980s. But cost and safety concerns led to decades of decommissioning old plants and canceling plans to build new ones. Now, with clean energy production a top priority, there are signs of a revival. Reactors at the first new nuclear plant to be built in almost 30 years went online last year, and the Biden administration wants to triple the country’s nuclear capacity. Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross discusses the hurdles facing nuclear power, as well as a new vision for smaller, more adaptable reactors with Dr. Kathryn Huff, former assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy; historian and Pulitzer-Prize winning author Richard Rhodes; and the undergraduates – that’s right, undergraduates – who run their own nuclear reactor. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    32 min
  5. The Great American Road Trip, Reimagined

    JUL 16

    The Great American Road Trip, Reimagined

    Americans drive more, drive further, and pay less for fuel than people in other developed countries. Partly for this reason, our vehicles are more than just a means of transportation — they’re extensions of who we are. So persuading Americans to swap out gas-dependent cars for EVs is a different — and in many ways more difficult — challenge. What’s it going to take to get more Americans into electric vehicles?  Host Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores the obstacles and possible solutions to EV adoption with guests David Ferris, a reporter covering transportation and energy for E&E News and Politico; Joseph Barletta, the founder and CEO of Smart Charge America, a company that installs EV chargers; and Dr. Linda Nazar, an expert in battery chemistry and professor of chemistry at the University of Waterloo. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min
  6. Climate Change and the Surprising Success of Solar Power

    JUL 9

    Climate Change and the Surprising Success of Solar Power

    In the past 50 years, solar energy has surpassed all expectations. Even early solar experts couldn’t predict how affordable and widespread it would become. The story behind its success involves Einstein, US presidents, obscure legislation and a global relay race.  Now the question is – What can the rise of solar power teach us about the future of other climate technologies? Join this season’s host, Arielle Duhaime-Ross, in conversations with Greg Nemet, author of “How Solar Became Cheap,” and Nathanael Greene, from the National Resources Defense Council, to discuss today’s solar landscape, its future potential, and the challenges we face in getting there. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    27 min
  7. Introducing: The Great Rebuild

    SEASON 5 TRAILER

    Introducing: The Great Rebuild

    We’re currently involved in one of the most ambitious projects we, as humans, have ever attempted: Rebuilding the world, pretty much from the ground up, in order to switch from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. In this season of The World as You'll Know It, science journalist Arielle Duhaime-Ross goes deep inside the world of cutting-edge climate technologies and asks: How is this going to work? The answers — from some of the world’s most innovative and audacious thinkers, builders and investors — reveal the promise, obstacles and tradeoffs of a new clean-energy landscape that will shape the way we live. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    2 min
  8. The Race to Control AI

    08/29/2023

    The Race to Control AI

    In our final episode, Host Gary Marcus shares his hopes for and fears about an AI-driven future. On the one hand, AI could accelerate solutions to some of society’s most difficult problems; on the other, it could deepen existing problems and create new existential risks to humanity. Getting it right, Marcus emphasizes, depends on establishing both national and international standards for the industry as soon as possible. He is joined by Dr. Alondra Nelson, who led the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in 2021, and Brian Christian an AI researcher and the author of The Alignment Problem; Machine Learning and Human Values. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min
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Whether you’re aware of it or not, you are part of one of the most ambitious projects we as humans have ever attempted: Rebuilding the world, pretty much from the ground up, in order to switch from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. It’s a major undertaking, one that will require staggering financial investment and the success of technologies many people have never heard of. In this season of The World as You'll Know It, science journalist Arielle Duhaime-Ross goes deep inside the world of cutting-edge climate technologies and asks: How is this all going to work? The answers — from some of the world’s most innovative and audacious thinkers, builders and investors — reveal the promise, obstacles and tradeoffs of a new clean-energy landscape that will shape the way we live.

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