Ramez Naam, a climate tech investor and award-winning author, shares insights on today's dual realities of prosperity and peril. He discusses significant advancements in clean energy technologies and the urgent climate challenges that remain. Ramez emphasizes the role of governance in navigating these issues. The conversation also covers innovative solutions like geoengineering and the complex landscape of AI's societal impact, as well as the intertwined fate of democracy and technology amid growing fears and inequalities.
46:01
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Microsoft Work
Ramez Naam's first job at Microsoft involved designing the email client for Windows 95.
This experience showed him how small software improvements can positively impact millions of lives.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Environmental Awakening
A pivotal moment on a littered Mexican beach sparked Ramez Naam's interest in environmental issues.
He then dedicated a year to studying the state of the planet and humanity's role.
insights INSIGHT
Solar Costs and Climate urgency
Solar panel costs have decreased 1250x since 1975, demonstrating technology's power.
In 'The Infinite Resource', Ramez Naam argues that human ingenuity and technological innovation can effectively counteract resource scarcity, leading to a future where resources are effectively infinite. He emphasizes the role of innovation in overcoming environmental challenges and suggests reforms to economic incentives to drive sustainable development.
SIX DEGREES: OUR FUTURE ON A HOTTER PLANET
Mark Lynas
The book breaks down the impacts of climate change degree by degree, from one to six degrees Celsius. It covers various effects such as extreme weather events, melting of Arctic sea ice, drought, famine, and the destruction of ecosystems like coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest. The book also discusses positive feedback mechanisms that could accelerate climate change, such as the release of methane from melting permafrost. Lynas draws on scientific research to paint a detailed and accessible picture of the potential future under different levels of global warming.
A Tale of Two Cities
Julius Julius Seybt
Francisco Manuel GRANADO CASTRO
Marion Leighton
federico alonso
Aedi Abraham
maxi sanchez
jaime arbe
Fred BARNARD
Laura Santamaria
Juan Ramon Torregrosa
monica alonso
Charles Dickens
Alejo García Moreno
Miguel Muñoz
leonardo pablo federico sanchez alonso
J. J. Bernier
Salustiano Masó Simón
Victor G Ambrus
Jose perez
Hablot K. BROWNE
Published in 1859, 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens is a historical novel that contrasts the lives in London and Paris during the late 18th century. The story revolves around characters such as Charles Darnay, Sydney Carton, and Lucie Manette, each dealing with love, sacrifice, and the profound societal changes brought about by the French Revolution. The novel critiques both the conditions leading up to the Revolution and the Revolution itself, highlighting themes of resurrection, sacrifice, and the potential for positive change. Dickens's vivid portrayal of the social disparities and political unrest of the era, along with his iconic opening lines, 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,' make the novel a compelling exploration of human resilience and societal issues[3][4][5].
Our guest in this episode, Ramez Naam, is described on his website as “climate tech investor, clean energy advocate, and award-winning author”. But that hardly starts to convey the range of deep knowledge that Ramez brings to a wide variety of fields. It was his 2013 book, “The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet”, that first alerted David to the breadth of scope of his insight about future possibilities – both good possibilities and bad possibilities. He still vividly remembers its opening words, quoting Charles Dickens from “The Tale of Two Cities”:
Quote: “‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times’ – the opening line of Charles Dickens’s 1859 masterpiece applies equally well to our present era. We live in unprecedented wealth and comfort, with capabilities undreamt of in previous ages. We live in a world facing unprecedented global risks—risks to our continued prosperity, to our survival, and to the health of our planet itself. We might think of our current situation as ‘A Tale of Two Earths’.” End quote.
12 years after the publication of “The Infinite Resource”, it seems that the Earth has become even better, but also even worse. Where does this leave the power of ideas? Or do we need more than ideas, as ominous storm clouds continue to gather on the horizon?
London Futurists 
