The Miraculous Story of Climate Change Innovation (#15)

“Anything we can do to take carbon out of the air now will have a greater impact in the long-run than anything we can do to take carbon out of the atmosphere later.” – Eric Roston

Solar and wind are as cheap as coal. Electric vehicles are increasingly coveted. Millions of teens are marching peacefully in the streets for climate action. Who could have predicted the convergence of these trends arising before the end of this decade?

Eric Roston, Sustainability Editor Bloomberg News, joins me on the podcast to discuss the incredible pace of innovation underway as our civilization rises to the challenge of climate change.

As Eric puts it, “It’s an overwhelming story of positive change in technology, markets, and behavior.” But he tempers that assessment with, “If it weren’t for the fact that none of it is happening fast enough or at the scale we need, it would be the greatest story of change in human history.”

So, what is this story? What is so groundbreaking today, so new and exciting that if it were happening fast enough (and at the scale we need), it would transform our economy, decelerate greenhouse gas emissions, and lead to the future we’re all hoping for?

From the rise of solar and wind and electric cars to the transition away from coal that natural gas enabled, to the protest movements and the Greta Thunberg phenomenon, we unpack it all in this week’s episode.

More About This Week’s Guest, Eric Roston:

Eric Roston is an award-winning journalist and the Sustainability Editor for Bloomberg News. He has been covering climate change for fifteen years, from the perspective of technology, science, government, finance, and business. He is also the author of The Carbon Age: How Life’s Core Element Has Become Civilization’s Greatest Threat. Eric has worked for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solution and served as a Senior Staff Analyst for the 2010-11 National Oil Spill Commission. He has made appearances on TV and radio, including the New York Times, LIFE Magazine, Slate, and Esquire.

This week on The Last Environmentalist Podcast:

• The speed of technological change in infrastructure-heavy sectors
• The miracles in climate-change including solar, wind, fracking, and carbon pricing
• Why everyone is speaking about climate change
• The rise of extreme weather events
• Why deadlines and thresholds do not portray climate change correctly
• The complete transformation of our economy that is needed to tackle climate change
• Why we need more Elon Musk’s and Greta Thunberg’s
• The increasing risks of bad things happening

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 13: Let My Buildings Grow – The Future of Sustainable Architecture (Guest: Eric Corey Freed)
• Episode 4: Climate Change Solutions Are Hiding In Plain Sight (Guest: Jigar Shah)
• Episode 9: The Billion Dollar Company With The Mission To Reverse Global Warming (Guest: Erin Meezan)
• IPCC Special Report

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