Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations

Holly Brazier-Tope, Deputy Director of Politics at Green Alliance, Dave Vetter, a climate journalist, and Adam Bell, Director of Policy at Stonehaven, dive into the shifting political landscape surrounding climate policy in the UK. They discuss the rise of the Reform Party and its implications for climate initiatives. The conversation touches on the influence of public sentiment on policies, the backlash against net zero strategies, and the struggle for bipartisan support. Additionally, they analyze the impact of elections on climate perceptions and the urgent need for inclusive dialogues.

Do you want the good news or bad news first? Good news: here in the UK it’s a sunny Friday on the cusp of a bank holiday weekend. Bad news: Shiz cray. Could go either way: this is one of 3 holiday weekend episodes. Definitely good news: Lydia Collas of UK think tank Green Alliance and Rupert Read of Climate Majority Project have incisive analysis of what we’re seeing over here. And we discuss Green Alliance’s analysis of how climate effects are already hitting British household finances, in the wake of the UK Climate Change Committee’s scathing report on climate adaptation. ThanksIn case you hadn’t noticed, people not shaving the truth as they see it in order to maintain or get funding is a problem. We’re 18 months+ into this mission, and we’ve never needed your help more. If you think what we’re doing isn’t complete crap, and if you can, we’d very much appreciate your support at any level you can afford. To help us keep this going.wickedproblems.earthAll the Exit MusicUntil The Man comes for us we will continue to pair our outstanding theme music licensed from outstanding UK band Suncharmer with an outro that is a form of commentary for each episode. Enjoy. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AWvHdqqNAUCJcByQEokut?si=60189214bf5b485fWe will be back soon with some UK election recap and the ‘vibe shift’ that seems to have gone transatlantic, featuring friends Adam Bell, Dave Vetter, and Holly Brazier-Tope from Green Alliance, to talk through the Tony Blair Institute vibe shift, the election of climate deniers into government for the most climate-at-risk areas in the UK, and more. Just to add to the merriment of the nation this bank holiday weekend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full show notes and bonus content at wickedproblems.earthExit MusicToday’s exit track is Fiesta by The Pogues - with Tunbridge Wells’ least-known and best-loved frontman, Shane MacGowan.We’re finishing a long-read and when we say long we mean LONG. But it’s our attempt to get behind the day-to-day reporting of the various machinations of what’s happening in the US and try to understand it by examining the things that have shaped the worldview of the two most influential people on the planet right now. No, we don’t mean The Mad King in the Oval Office. We mean Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. And why it’s time to stop being surprised about what happens next.IntroPart IBut we take a break from the American shitshow to focus on something actually important, with our friend Tom Raftery - a transplanted Corkonian living near Seville since 2008. He and his family just lived through the most significant European blackout in decades. And because Tom is a veteran energy and climate analyst, and host of Climate Confident, he can offer a more-than-bystander account of what he was seeing, why he thinks it happened, and what might be done about it in future.Climate Impact Flagship SummitAnd if you’re in the UK next week, and you can stretch to it, you should check out the Climate Impact summit on 7 May at the Royal Institution in London. As always, great lineup of speakers and attendees from the worlds of climate solution tech, investment, policy, and more, plus the craic is ninety. A few tickets are still available but they are going fast. If you are going give us a shout so we can meet up when you’re there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get complete show notes and our newsletter, as well as ad-free listening, at wickedproblems.earth. Outro of the DayAll will become clear.How F*cked Are We?NGL. It’s not great, Bob.That said, if you have even a smidge of privilege at the moment, spending a bit of your time paying attention not just to the moment-to-moment spectacle but what it means - so as to inform how you spend your future time and resource - feels kinda important.Wicked Problems is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Dana R Fisher, one of the best American chroniclers of our times, returns to the show to talk through what she’s seeing on the street, in the Academy, and in the grant-making boardrooms, that will affect climate science, and resulting climate solutions, for decades to come.Buy the Books (Seriously, Cmon)We’ve partnered with bookshop.org to showcase books written by past (and, hopefully) future guests on the show. Buying their work via bookshop.org supports the author, independent UK booksellers, and a little bit to help this show keep going.The image above needs to be updated to include other books, but check it out and do support your local non-fash writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full show notes and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth.It didn’t take a genius to figure out that passing 1.5C would result in previously-taboo ideas like scaling carbon removals and solar geoengineering would rapidly get traction in the mainstream discourse. I know it doesn’t take a genius because I wrote that >18 months ago.And as my bank manager and inlaws will (eagerly) tell you – “wait you’re quitting corporate... and… just as the political winds turn against it you’re going to…double down on a ‘media thing’ on climate and climate solutions?” – I am not a genius.One of the nice things about making yourself an outsider is you’re both blithely unaware of the tribal shibboleths you might be violating and just try to follow arguments where they lead.Anyway, here we are in April 2025 and geoengineering – Solar Radiation Modification, SRM, of whatever flavour, is building up to a moment. We’ve been seeing the signs for a while and you can check out our previous SRM episodes with SilverLining:and The Degrees Initiative:…the Bristol-based NGO acting to make sure that any research on solar geoengineering foregrounds actual science from actual scientists working in the actual countries that have the most to lose from both climate change and from solar geoengineering if it goes wrong.But now we may be headed to a crescendo:Item: Guardian, 7th April, Britain’s OG climate hawk David King.Headline: We passed the 1.5C climate threshold. We must now explore extreme options.Item: Bloomberg, 3rd of April with reporting from Will Matthis:Headline: UK Launches £10 Million Study on Blocking the Sun to Reverse Global WarmingItem: the EU’s scientific advisors have been pushing for a moratorium on SRM. Tomorrow researchers from a consortium called SRM360 are hosting a panel discussion. Including researchers Peter Irvine from the University of Chicago and Josh Horton of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. So here’s my interview with them in case you want to check it out and maybe attend the discussion tomorrow. April 9th, 4:00 pm GMT / 10:00 am ETRegister NowOne thing for comms pros: having thought about it, the debate about whether the best analogy is Ozempic or Chemo for geoengineering is timelier than ever. This was a pretty persuasive case that telling people “we need to do this and it’s going to hurt - a lot” might be a wakeup call. But that’s going to become a live debate.There’s a lot going on, to be sure. And we hope we’re getting the balance right here at wicked problems – we sure would love your feedback to let you know how we can serve you better. And we definitely would love it if you helped spread the word by leaving a rating and review on the pod platform of your choice, or Youtube, and if you’d like the full ad-free experience plus the newsletter and exclusive content come on over to wickedproblems.earth. Most of our stuff is free but we really need your help to keep this going. My inlaws and bank manager thank you in advance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can get all of our full show notes, newsletter, and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earth.Do you need some Zen? I need a bit of that or something, just to get my head right. So we spoke with LaUra Schmidt, one-half of the dynamic duo of climate psychology along with her Good Grief Network co-founder and wife Aimee Lewis Reau, who wrote How to Live in a Chaotic Climate that was published a little over a year ago. And blimey we need more of their coping strategies than we ever thought we would when the book first came out.We get into climate grief, trauma, and resilience with Schmidt. We argue the challenges of individual versus collective climate action, the science and spiritual dimensions of environmental advocacy, and the importance of community in building resilience.Schmidt shares insights from her experiences growing up in rural Michigan, studying Buddhism, biology, and environmental science, and her efforts to help people cope with the emotional toll of climate change through the Good Grief Network's 10-step program.We also touch on the significance of finding meaning, joy, and humor amidst the chaos, while preparing for an uncertain future.02:12 Conversation with Laura Schmidt04:53 Laura's Background and Motivations16:09 The Good Grief Network24:56 The Long Dark: Seeds of Creativity25:37 Ancient Wisdom and Cultural Narratives29:29 Stories of Resilience and Human Agency31:05 The Role of Community in Modern Times38:13 Upcoming Events and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get all the shownotes, ad-free listening, and help us keep going! At wickedproblems.earth.Join Richard Delevan in this episode of Wicked Problems as he explores the recent Trump tariffs, their impact on global trade, and their parallels with mafia control tactics. He discusses historical examples of mafia extortion in Sicily with Linda Vetrano from the grassroots anti-mafia movement Addiopizzo. Learn about the economic and social consequences of extortion and how communities can resist and build solidarity against such coercive powers. Richard also previews upcoming interviews and topics related to climate stress and solar radiation management.00:00 The Story of an Entrepreneur's Defiance00:33 Introduction to Wicked Problems00:41 Trump Tariffs and Market Reactions02:37 Understanding the Economic Impact07:29 Historical Context and Personal Anecdotes10:20 The Mafia's Influence and Extortion Tactics11:34 The Birth of the Anti-Mafia Movement15:44 The Power of Solidarity and Community30:08 The Success and Expansion of the Movement37:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get full notes, ad-free listening, and our newsletter at wickedproblems.earth.It feels like things are coming to a head.Here in the UK, the tensions between wanting growth and not wanting anything to change are hotting up. Adam Bell from Stonehaven UK joined me to talk the implications of Heathrow’s “unusual” substation fire for UK grid investments, Kemi Badenoch’s Net Zero too-clever-by-half turn, and the Abundance debate in which I slightly traduce Dave Vetter (sorry Dave).In the US, the dark news cycles are starting to be reflected into some dark thoughts. Proper dark. And we link to Dana R Fisher’s latest disturbing findings in Scientific American about rapidly shifting attitudes towards violence among people who a couple of years ago would be more likely to be toting a pink pussy hat than a firearm.But as always, there are winners and losers. Prashant Rao from Semafor talks us through what he’s seeing in whether the Trump administration has so demonized renewables that there are now bargains to be had in oversold renewables assets.And Prashant has a request. He’s running the London marathon on 27 April to support the Rory Peck Trust, a UK charity which provides support to freelance journalists and their families to improve their welfare and safety, and fights for their right to report freely. Which, frankly, if you don’t agree that’s a good cause you’re probably in the wrong parish. Give the Rory Peck Trust a bit of love and support Prashant’s marathon.Follow Adam Bell on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Sign up for Semafor’s Net Zero newsletter where Prashant makes a not infrequent appearance. Follow him on LinkedIn and BlueSky.Read Dana R. Fisher’s findings in Scientific American.Read Dave Vetter’s takedown of Ezra Klein’s “Abundance.”More soon in the newsletter on those last two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get it all and get it ad-free at wickedproblems.earthThe electricity grid is more fragile and more vulnerable than it needs to be for what we’re asking the basically 120-yr-old tech to do in 2025. Last week’s outage after an explosion at the substation nearest Heathrow, London’s busiest airport, was a reminder of that.Before founding grid tech rising star ENODA, Paul Domjan advised the US defence dept, NATO and plenty of others on energy security. Paul sheds light on how the incident highlights the grid's vulnerabilities and the necessity for a more resilient and flexible electricity system. The amazing thing, Paul says, is that we’ve been this lucky for this long.A group very respectful of luck was the IRA, which after nearly killing Margaret Thatcher in Brighton in 1984 quipped: “we only need to be lucky once, you must be lucky always.” And last week’s incident, while foul play isn’t in evidence, reminded Paul of a 1996 IRA plot to disrupt London’s power supply, stopped at the last moment by MI5 in Operation AIRLINES. He cautions against complacency given the evolving threats to energy infrastructure from geopolitical tensions.The conversation underscores the need for systemic changes in utilities’ approach, investments in renewable energy, and the adoption of innovative solutions to ensure grid reliability and stability.01:15 Historical Context: IRA Plot03:54 Energy Infrastructure Vulnerabilities06:32 Interview with Paul Damian: Background and Insights07:28 Paul's Career and NATO Involvement10:23 The Fragility of the Power Grid12:13 Technological Solutions for Grid Stability26:39 Policy Recommendations for Energy Security32:28 Conclusion and Future Conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, shares gripping insights from his visit to a Ukrainian power plant thriving under wartime challenges. He highlights the resilience of Ukrainian engineers in maintaining crucial energy infrastructure amid bombings. The conversation spans Europe's preparedness for similar crises, the urgent need for robust energy infrastructure and cybersecurity, and the importance of closer collaboration to combat emerging threats like sabotage. Ruby emphasizes strategic shifts needed within European supply chains for a more self-sufficient future.