Why you haven’t seen these wind turbines around (yet)
8:33 | While we’ve grown accustomed to seeing solar panels on rooftops, what about wind turbines? Are they destined to be overshadowed by their bigger counterparts?
In-pipe energy: The hydro power nobody is talking about
9:06 | Around 4% of global electricity is used for providing tap water. That number is only going to increase and its carbon emissions rival that of aviation. But a surprisingly simple idea can make our water supply more sustainable: In-pipe energy.
This is what’s REALLY holding back wind and solar
11:57 | Building solar farms and wind parks is one thing. Plugging them into the grid is another. How does our power system need to change to cope with more renewables?
Are climate doomers right?
16:21 | A growing number of people believe that humanity is doomed because of climate change, while some are even full-blown preparing for a world post-collapse. Like Ben Green, who calls himself a “happy doomer”.
Who will pay for climate damages – and HOW?
12:37 | The people and industries of the world’s richest countries have done the most to heat the planet. Meanwhile, the poorest can’t afford to pay for the consequences of other people’s pollution.
Why Germany is destroying villages for coal
12:26 | Right in the heart of Germany, villages are being destroyed for coal – even though the country has vowed to turn its back on the fuel as soon as possible. But the villagers and activists are fighting back.
Can we trick the ocean into swallowing more CO2?
8:58 | Marine environments are effective at capturing carbon and storing it for thousands of years. But what if we could engineer them to capture even more? Can they take on this burden?
Why electric cars are finally taking over
10:41 | We’ve known how to build electric cars since long before Tesla came around. And yet, for more than 100 years, we’ve largely relied on the internal combustion engine to get us from A to B. But that’s changing – faster than we might expect.
Can we stop ice sheets from melting?
13:41 | Melting ice sheets are the biggest danger to sea level rise. But researchers are investigating whether there could be a way to stop the flow of ice. Could these far-out ideas be worth it?
How salt and sand could replace lithium batteries
9:53 | The lithium-ion battery has powered us for decades. But for a renewable future, we need a new solution—and fast. So what are our options?
How the rich wreck the climate (and how to stop them)
11:53 | Private jets. Mega-yachts. Helicopters. Mansions. The luxury lifestyles of the ultra-rich are pumping our air full of pollutants. So how do we clean them up – and why is progress so slow?
Why we need to ditch natural gas (asap)
11:55 | Natural gas is abundant, versatile – and much cleaner than coal. It lets us keep the lights on AND reduce emissions. That’s great, right? Well, yes. If it wasn’t for one small detail: it’s still a fossil fuel.
Is nuclear fusion the key to fighting climate change?
12:47 | All over the planet, billions of euros are being poured into developing nuclear fusion technology. And recent “breakthroughs” in plasma physics experiments have stunned the scientific community. Are we on the brink of an era of limitless clean energy supply?
Biomass: How clean is energy from waste and plants really?
10:59 | Clean energy from re-growing resources and waste. Biomass sounds like a perfect alternative power source. Globally, at least 5% of energy come from biomass. But what does it mean if we use organic matter for fuel or electricity?
Why we should be putting solar panels on our fields and lakes
14:50 | On our way to an emissions-neutral future the use of solar energy is crucial. The problem: the space for photovoltaic systems is getting tight. We need land for food, for housing, to preserve biodiversity. So where to go with the solar cells?
Why wave power isn’t everywhere (yet)
11:16 | The oceans, that cover most of the planet, are full of energy. So much, in fact, that if we could harness that of all the waves, we’d fulfill global demand three times over. There’s just one small problem.
Why our buildings suck, and how to change them
10:40 | Constructing buildings is awful for the environment. With 60% of the world population set to live in cities by 2030, how can we make buildings…not suck?
The truth about carbon neutral fuels
9:38 | The car industry is trying to save the combustion engine. Their best bet: synthetic fuels.
The invisible gas no one is talking about
14:00 | There are no silver bullets in the fight against climate change — but there are some blindingly obvious solutions that wouldn’t hurt anybody.
Why it’s hard to care about climate change
12:44 | Bringing up climate change is one tried and true way to ruin a dinner party — and leave people feeling helpless and apathetic. But it doesn’t have to be that way, if we change how we communicate.
The truth about hydrogen
12:07 | Some say it’s the fuel of the future that will soon power large parts of our economies. Others say it’s just a hoax propagated by the oil and gas industry.
How to fix the world’s concrete problem
8:38 | Concrete is simple, cheap, strong and lasts long. But the wonder material that’s all around us is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions — and it’s not easy to change that.
Why carbon offsets are worse than you think
15:10 | Carbon offsets sound so promising: If you emit some CO2, you can just pay someone else to reduce that amount somewhere else, and you’re good! But is it too good to be true?
Tidal energy could be huge – why isn’t it?
11:57 | It’s estimated that we could (practically) capture enough tidal energy to power all homes in the United States TWICE over – but we can only manage a tiny fraction of that right now.
The true cost of shipping basically everything
10:37 | Shipping produces about 3% of global emissions, just behind aviation and more than all US coal plants. But while these sectors get regularly denounced, shipping has escaped scrutiny.
How green is solar energy really?
9:02 | More and more solar panels are popping up all over the world – and it’s easy to see why: They provide clean energy at falling prices. But there are also some not-so-green sides to this technology.
How Bangladesh beat Europe at fighting floods
10:17 | How does Bangladesh keep its citizens safe even as the planet heats up? And what can rich countries learn from it?
Made of pollution: How CO2 is recycled to make your things
7:33 | Some companies are trying to make a carbon difference by manufacturing products made out of pollution. But is it really helping?
Permaculture: Producing food without destroying the planet
12:19 | Agriculture accounts for 17 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions. But what if there were a way to produce it without harming the planet?
Is offshore wind the energy of the future?
14:16 | With wind almost always blowing on sea, there is no lack of power. But the technology is struggling with a bunch of other hurdles.
Will deep-sea mining save us from climate change?
9:16 | Billions of unassuming rocks on the seafloor could help humanity save itself from the ravages of climate change.
Why Big Oil loves to talk about your carbon footprint
12:46 | Everybody keeps telling us to cut our carbon footprints. So how guilty should I feel about my personal emissions? And what’s Big Oil got to do with it?
Why fossil fuel companies should be lawyering up
9:55 | Climate activists around the world are taking corporations and governments to court in climate litigation cases – and they’re winning.
Do we need nuclear power to stop climate change?
13:44 | A nuclear apocalypse is low risk but a climate catastrophe is already underway. Environmentalists are increasingly arguing to keep nuclear power plants open – but should we?
Agroforestry: A solution to farming’s biggest problems?
10:26 | Agriculture takes a huge toll on the earth’s environment by producing massive CO2 emissions and taking up a lot of land. But there is a way to make it more sustainable: Agroforestry.
Why the world needs more algae, not less
8:24 | Plastic, fertilizer, fuel, even cow farts — algae can make all this more sustainable, and even capture carbon. Here’s why we’re on the brink of an algae revolution.
Solar Geoengineering: Should we artificially cool the planet?
12:51 | Could it become the last option to stop global warming or is it an insane intervention? Here are three mind blowing ideas how this might work.
This is just how unfair climate change is
10:10 | We’re all living through the climate crisis. But we’re not all in it together. So what exactly does climate change have to do with social injustice? And how can we fix it?
Refrigerants: The climate killer hiding in your kitchen
9:23 | Did you know greenhouse gases thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide are lurking in your home?
How coal made us rich — and why it needs to go
8:21 | Coal powered a revolution in human prosperity that the world had never seen before. But it came at a price. Now Asia is the biggest consumer of coal — how can it quit its new addiction?
How your Zoom call could help save the climate
10:42 | The coronavirus pandemic showed us that meetings can (very) often be video calls. And by commuting and traveling less, we don’t just save time, but also emissions.
Can carbon capture ACTUALLY work?
9:11 | Do we have the technology – and the intention – to make carbon capture and sequestration a viable option?
How solar energy got so cheap, and why it’s not everywhere (yet)
7:53 | A lot speaks for solar energy. It’s clean, renewable – and now even cheaper than energy from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. But it only makes up a tiny bit of global electricity production.
What’s the most climate-friendly milk?
9:20 | Eating green is overwhelming. It feels like ANYTHING you buy will hurt the planet. But when it comes to milk, some choices are better than others.
Geothermal energy is renewable and powerful. Why is most of it untapped?
9:51 | The potential of geothermal energy seems enormous. If estimates are correct, then the heat under our feet amounts to 50,000 times more power than all the oil and gas resources in the world.
Why Germany isn’t as green as you think
7:03 | Germany is super green and amazing at fighting climate change – at least that’s how the stereotype goes. But if you look deeper into it, you soon discover some pretty dirty secrets.
Is overpopulation really a problem for the planet?
7:59 | Developing countries have long been blamed for destroying the environment with their large families. Overpopulation has been identified as the enemy. But how accurate is this claim exactly?
Hydrogen Planes: Can we fly without emissions soon?
8:48 | A plane ticket is the single most emission heavy thing we can buy. But aviation companies say that we could change that soon. Is that really realistic?