Climate Quickie: How Shanxi can break free from its coal addiction

Climate Curious

Xiaojun “Tom” Wang grew up in the Chinese province of Shanxi, the world’s largest coal producer. Tom joins Climate Curious to share the devastating impacts of coal mining; air pollution, landslides, acid rain, soil degradation, whilst asking, what really is China’s strategy when it comes to climate? And as the world’s largest producer of renewable technologies, how can Shanxi, and China, break free from its coal addiction? Recorded live at TED Countdown Summit 2023.

Climate Quickie: How Uruguay shifted its energy sources to 98% renewable

Climate Curious

Climate success story alert! Fifteen years ago, Uruguay was experiencing an energy crisis; today, the nation produces 98 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. That’s thanks to the work of just energy transition leader, Ramón Méndez Galain and his team, a former particle physicist who charted the country’s transition to renewables as head of the country’s National Energy Agency. Ramón joins us to share how he did it, and how you can, too. This episode was recorded at TED Countdown Summit 2023.

Climate Quickie: What is Indigenous forest guardianship?

Climate Curious

Indigenous communities protect, nourish and heal ancestral forests: 470 million Indigenous Peoples care for and manage 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity, in fact. So why are their rights under attack from companies, miners and illegal loggers? Nonette Royo, a human rights lawyer and executive director at the Tenure Facility, an organisation providing financial and technical assistance to Indigenous Peoples to support their efforts to secure their land rights, joins Climate Curious by TEDxLondon to explain why.

Climate Quickie: How mini-grids are making energy accessible in Sub-Saharan Africa

Climate Curious

Mini-grids, or localised renewable energy systems, are increasing energy accessibility for people across Africa, says Tombo Banda, clean energy access innovator. And with 500 million people still lacking access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, relying instead on highly polluting materials like diesel and firewood, this climate solution will create better lives for millions of people, quickly! Tombo Banda joins TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious to break down how many countries are successfully leapfrogging to green energy solutions.

I can be your hero, baby – how we smash the climate activist hero stereotype

Climate Curious

We need to humanise our climate heroes, says Mauricio Porras, co-founder of HERO | herocircle.app. And we do that by paying them a fair wage. Mauricio joins Climate Curious co-hosts Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst to chat through why young activists are expected to shoulder so much responsibility, how we are stronger if we work together as a global community, and how the Herocircle.app enables you to support climate activists securing our future for the price of one fancy London coffee (about £6). Heroes, assemble!

Climate Quickie: Oppenheimer – What’s the deal with nuclear energy?

Climate Curious

With Oppenheimer in the cinemas right now – nuclear s top of mind. But does nuclear energy deserve the bad reputation it seems to have gained? To clear up the confusion we’re joined by this week’s Quickie expert, Mark Dyson, a Managing Director with the Carbon-Free Electricity Program at RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute). Tune in to understand how nuclear stacks up against oil, gas, coal, wind, and solar power as an energy source, and whether it’s part of an affordable, carbon-free energy future.

Climate Quickie: How you can pay climate activists a fair wage, in one click

Climate Curious

Coffee or a liveable future? You decide! Climate activists are doing one of the world’s most crucial, and dangerous jobs. So how come they don’t get paid for it? In this week’s Climate Curious, we’re talking to Mauricio Porras, co-founder of HERO | herocircle.app, which is the subscription platform providing a stable monthly income to activists on the frontlines of climate policy campaigning with the support of citizens worldwide. For the price of a grande pumpkin spice frappuccino (which we estimate to be about £6), every month, you can support climate activists around the globe who are working to secure our future.

Climate Quickie: Pride in the Wild – What is queer ecology?

Climate Curious

This Pride, we’re talking queer ecology – gender shifting fish, intersex birds, and how trees can impregnate themselves – by revisiting our conversation in 2021 with iconic environmental and intersectional drag queen, Pattie Gonia. If you enjoyed this quickie, why not listen to Pattie’s full episode on Climate Curious – Why Mother Nature is a Drag Queen: https://tedxlondon.com/podcast/climate-curious-why-mother-nature-is-a-drag-queen/