How To Academy Podcast Data Scientist Hannah Ritchie – How to Solve Climate Change in 50 Questions and Answers
Jan 20, 2026
Data scientist Hannah Ritchie, from the University of Oxford, brings clarity to the often murky topic of climate change. She tackles pressing questions like 'Is it too late?' and highlights the rapid advancements in technologies like electric vehicles and solar energy. With effective data, she emphasizes the hopefulness of our situation and the necessity for collaboration across sectors. Ritchie also warns against misinterpretations of climate data, stressing the importance of context. Lastly, she provides strategies for individuals to make impactful changes while encouraging a focus on the bigger picture.
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Numbers Need Context
- Data without context misleads because numbers sound authoritative but can be meaningless alone.
- Hannah Ritchie urges framing figures against relevant baselines so people grasp scale and change.
The Pace Of Change Outruns Data
- Climate-related technologies change very quickly, so data older than a few years can be outdated.
- Rapid cost and material improvements (e.g., solar, batteries) lower transition impacts and mining needs.
Focus On Global Momentum, Not One Politician
- Expect national politics (e.g., US rollbacks) to slow domestic progress but not stop global momentum.
- Use the change as an opportunity: other countries can scale clean-tech leadership in response.
