Climate Sense

Burning fossil fuels for energy is the primary source of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, fossil fuels are so central to the global economy that phasing them out will take time. Host Samantha Gross speaks with Deepak Anand from GHGSat and Halfdan Millang from IFC Finance about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in oil and gas production, through eliminating methane emissions and flaring. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Activists and civil society groups are very focused on climate change. They use a number of different tactics, from peaceful marches to more disruptive acts of civil disobedience to further their cause. Host Samantha Gross speaks with Dana R Fisher, director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity at American University about the goals of these actions, whether they change public opinion on climate, and how they compare to past social justice movements. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The transition of our energy system away from fossil fuels will drastically increase the world’s need for certain minerals. This episode describes what some of these critical minerals are, the current state of supply, and how to ensure adequate supply in the future. Host Samantha Gross speaks with Heidi Crebo-Rediker of the Council on Foreign Relations, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz, and Doug Wicks of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, so clearly it must be involved in any effort to minimize climate change. But relations between the United States and China have gotten much more challenging in the last few years. Host Samantha Gross speaks with Heidi Crebo-Rediker from the Council on Foreign Relations and Eyck Freymann of Stanford’s Hoover Institution about China’s views and actions on climate change and whether there is room for cooperation between the two countries. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Finance is needed to turn climate ambition into action, to transform the energy system to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and to make our infrastructure more resilient to climate-related events. The need for finance is especially acute in the developing world. Host Samantha Gross talks with Amar Bhattacharya of Brookings and David Victor of UC San Diego about how to get important climate projects financed. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Rebecca Dell, a Senior Director for Industry at ClimateWorks Foundation, dives deep into the climate impact of our consumption habits. She highlights that the industrial sector contributes to 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from steel, cement, and plastics. Dell discusses innovative pathways to cleaner production, focusing on recycling efficiencies and the transformative potential of hydrogen and electrification. She emphasizes the vital role of government support and policy reforms, particularly through the Inflation Reduction Act, in driving a sustainable industrial future.

The world needs emissions-free electricity that is available when and where we want it, rather than on Mother Nature’s schedule as wind and solar generation are. Nuclear power has the potential to be that source. In this episode, host Samantha Gross talks with former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernie Moniz, who says that fission reactors, the kind in use today, have the potential to become safer and less expensive. And fusion reactors, long the holy grail of carbon-free energy, are quickly moving from science fiction toward reality. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The first episode of season two of Climate Sense, hosted by Samantha Gross, is all about hydrogen. Hydrogen will have an important role in a zero carbon energy system, enabling decarbonization of energy end-uses that cannot easily use electricity. Hydrogen is made today by splitting molecules of either water or natural gas, using significant energy in the process, so it’s important to reserve hydrogen for its highest and best uses. However, future production of geologic hydrogen could be game-changing, giving us a zerocarbon fossil fuel. Show notes and transcript Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

In season two of Climate Sense, host Samantha Gross focuses on how to transition to a clean, zero-carbon energy system—the technical, political and social challenges in getting from here to there. She'll talk to leading experts and government officials on a range of approaches to this zero-carbon goal, including hydrogen, nuclear, and securing critical minerals as well as climate finance, the role China plays in pursuing global emissions reductions, and whether climate activism is moving the needle on climate action. Climate Sense is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

This episode of Climate Sense is a Q&A with host Samantha Gross, including questions sourced from our listeners on a wide range of topics from climate as a national emergency, to electrification, bipartisan action, and adaptation versus mitigation. Concerns about the speed and consequences of climate change are valid and at times quite scary, but that doesn’t mean we should not talk about the energizing and hopeful potential of climate solutions. Transcript and show notes: https://brook.gs/3G6klix Climate Sense podcast is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.