Nathaniel Bullard, an independent climate researcher from Singapore and former Bloomberg expert, dives into the transformative power of solar and battery technologies in addressing climate change. He discusses how these innovations are reshaping energy generation and outpacing predictions. Despite the challenges presented by political dynamics and infrastructure, Bullard highlights a bright future for renewable energy, particularly in places like Texas. Listeners will discover how investment in clean energy is creating a pathway towards a more sustainable world.
59:02
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Solar's Disruptive Growth
Solar energy's distributed nature contrasts with traditional centralized power generation.
Its manufacturing-based approach allows for rapid growth, exceeding nuclear and LNG.
insights INSIGHT
Solar's Exponential Growth
Global solar installations increased 1000x in two decades, exceeding projections.
Forecasters failed to account for the exponential growth potential of manufactured technologies.
insights INSIGHT
Global Solar Usage
Solar energy powers electricity grids worldwide and is increasingly used off-grid.
China leads in solar deployment, but other markets, like Europe, are also experiencing significant growth.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Read Write Own,' Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open, decentralized internet can be saved through blockchain technology. He describes the internet's evolution through three eras: the 'read' era, where early networks democratized information; the 'read-write' era, where corporate networks democratized publishing; and the current 'read-write-own' era, or web3, where blockchain networks grant power and economic benefits to user communities. Dixon provides a clear and compelling vision for a better internet, distinguishing blockchain's potential from cryptocurrency speculation and offering a playbook for navigating and building the future of the internet.
You could make the argument that last year was the worst year in human history for climate change. The Earth experienced its hottest day on record over and over and over again. Air surface temperature anomalies set a record in September. Ocean heat set a record too. The number of wildfires in Canada? Another record high.
But you don’t have to squint too hard to see the good news. U.S. and European carbon emissions have actually declined this century. The rate of global deforestation is going down. And investment in clean energy technology—particularly solar and batteries—is smashing records and changing the world.
Those glimmers of hope come from an epic annual report from Nat Bullard, an independent, Singapore-based climate researcher who spent several years at Bloomberg. In today’s episode, Nat and I discuss the twin pillars of the global clean energy revolution (solar and storage), how these two technologies have consistently beat expert predictions, how they’re reshaping energy generation around the world, and what stands in the way of a clean energy future based around sunshine and batteries.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Plain English with Derek Thompson 
