Future of Life Institute Podcast

What is ecosystem-based adaptation, and why should we be implementing it? The thirteenth episode of Not Cool explores how we can conserve, restore, and manage natural ecosystems in ways that also help us adapt to the impacts of climate change. Ariel is joined by Val Kapos, Head of the Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme at UN Environment’s World Conservation Monitoring Center, who explains the benefits of ecosystem-based adaptation along with some of the strategies for executing it. Val also describes how ecosystem-based adaption is being used today, why it’s an effective strategy for developed and developing nations alike, and what could motivate more communities to embrace it. Topics discussed include: -Importance of biodiversity -Ecosystem-based vs. engineered approaches to adaptation -Potential downsides/risks of ecosystem-based adaptation -Linking ecosystem-based adaptation to other societal objectives -Obstacles to implementation -Private sector acceptance of ecosystem-based adaptation -National Determined Contributions -Importance of stakeholder involvement

Stuart Russell is one of AI's true pioneers and has been at the forefront of the field for decades. His expertise and forward thinking have culminated in his newest work, Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control. The book is a cornerstone piece, alongside Superintelligence and Life 3.0, that articulates the civilization-scale problem we face of aligning machine intelligence with human goals and values. Not only is this a further articulation and development of the AI alignment problem, but Stuart also proposes a novel solution which bring us to a better understanding of what it will take to create beneficial machine intelligence.  Topics discussed in this episode include: -Stuart's intentions in writing the book -The history of intellectual thought leading up to the control problem -The problem of control -Why tool AI won't work -Messages for different audiences -Stuart's proposed solution to the control problem You can find the page for this podcast here: https://futureoflife.org/2019/10/08/ai-alignment-podcast-human-compatible-artificial-intelligence-and-the-problem-of-control-with-stuart-russell/ Important timestamps:  0:00 Intro 2:10 Intentions and background on the book 4:30 Human intellectual tradition leading up to the problem of control 7:41 Summary of the structure of the book 8:28 The issue with the current formulation of building intelligent machine systems 10:57 Beginnings of a solution 12:54 Might tool AI be of any help here? 16:30 Core message of the book 20:36 How the book is useful for different audiences 26:30 Inferring the preferences of irrational agents 36:30 Why does this all matter? 39:50 What is really at stake? 45:10 Risks and challenges on the path to beneficial AI 54:55 We should consider laws and regulations around AI 01:03:54 How is this book differentiated from those like it?

We know that climate change has serious implications for human health, including the spread of vector-borne disease and the global increase of malnutrition. What we don’t yet know is how expansive these health issues could become or how these problems will impact social stability. On episode 12 of Not Cool, Ariel is joined by Kris Ebi, professor at the University of Washington and founding director of its Center for Health and the Global Environment. Kris explains how increased CO2 affects crop quality, why malnutrition might alter patterns of human migration, and what we can do to reduce our vulnerability to these impacts. She also discusses changing weather patterns, the expanding geographic range of disease-carrying insects, and more. Topics discussed include: -Human health and social stability -Climate related malnutrition -Knowns and unknowns -Extreme events and changing weather patterns -Vulnerability and exposure -Steps to reduce vulnerability -Vector-borne disease -Endemic vs. epidemic malaria -Effects of increased CO2 on crop quality -Actions individuals can take

While a single extreme weather event can wreak considerable havoc, it's becoming increasingly clear that such events often don't occur in isolation. Not Cool Episode 11 focuses on compound weather events: what they are, why they’re dangerous, and how we've failed to prepare for them. Ariel is joined by Jakob Zscheischler, an Earth system scientist at the University of Bern, who discusses the feedback processes that drive compound events, the impacts they're already having, and the reasons we've underestimated their gravity. He also explains how extreme events can reduce carbon uptake, how human impacts can amplify climate hazards, and why we need more interdisciplinary research. Topics discussed include: -Carbon cycle -Climate-driven changes in vegetation -Land-atmosphere feedbacks -Extreme events -Compound events and why they’re under researched -Risk assessment -Spatially compounding impacts -Importance of working across disciplines -Important policy measures

One of the most obvious markers of climate change has been the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in recent years. In the tenth episode of Not Cool, Ariel takes a closer look at the research linking climate change and extreme events — and, in turn, linking extreme events and socioeconomic patterns. She’s joined by Stephanie Herring, a climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration whose work on extreme event attribution has landed her on Foreign Policy magazine’s list of Top 100 Global Thinkers. Stephanie discusses the changes she’s witnessed in the field of attribution research, the concerning trends that have begun to emerge, the importance of data in the decision-making process, and more. Topics discussed include: -Extreme events & how they’re defined -Attribution research -Risk management -Selection bias in climate research -Insurance analysis -Compound events and impacts -Knowns and unknowns

Most of us working on catastrophic and existential threats focus on trying to prevent them — not on figuring out how to survive the aftermath. But what if, despite everyone’s best efforts, humanity does undergo such a catastrophe? This month’s podcast is all about what we can do in the present to ensure humanity’s survival in a future worst-case scenario. Ariel is joined by Dave Denkenberger and Joshua Pearce, co-authors of the book Feeding Everyone No Matter What, who explain what would constitute a catastrophic event, what it would take to feed the global population, and how their research could help address world hunger today. They also discuss infrastructural preparations, appropriate technology, and why it’s worth investing in these efforts. Topics discussed include: -Causes of global catastrophe -Planning for catastrophic events -Getting governments onboard -Application to current crises -Alternative food sources -Historical precedence for societal collapse -Appropriate technology -Hardwired optimism -Surprising things that could save lives -Climate change and adaptation -Moral hazards -Why it’s in the best interest of the global wealthy to make food more available

In her speech at Monday’s UN Climate Action Summit, Greta Thunberg told a roomful of global leaders, “The world is waking up.” Yet the science, as she noted, has been clear for decades. Why has this awakening taken so long, and what can we do now to help it along? On Episode 9 of Not Cool, Ariel is joined by Andy Revkin, acclaimed environmental journalist and founding director of the new Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Andy discusses the information gaps that have left us vulnerable, the difficult conversations we need to be having, and the strategies we should be using to effectively communicate climate science. He also talks about inertia, resilience, and creating a culture that cares about the future. Topics discussed include: -Inertia in the climate system -The expanding bullseye of vulnerability -Managed retreat -Information gaps -Climate science literacy levels -Renewable energy in conservative states -Infrastructural inertia -Climate science communication strategies -Increasing resilience -Balancing inconvenient realities with productive messaging -Extreme events

On the eighth episode of Not Cool, Ariel tackles the topic of climate policy from the local level to the federal. She's joined by Suzanne Jones: the current mayor of Boulder, Colorado, but also public policy veteran and climate activist. Suzanne explains the climate threats facing communities like Boulder, the measures local governments can take to combat the crisis, and the ways she’d like to see the federal government step up. She also discusses the economic value of going green, the importance of promoting equity in climate solutions, and more. Topics discussed include: -Paris Climate Agreement -Roles for local/state/federal governments -Surprise costs of climate change -Equality/equity in climate solutions -Increasing community engagement -Nonattainment zones -Electrification of transportation sector -Municipalization of electric utility -Challenges, roadblocks, and what she’d like to see accomplished -Affordable, sustainable development -What individuals should be doing -Carbon farming and sustainable agriculture

The impacts of the climate crisis don’t stop at rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. Episode 7 of Not Cool covers the national security implications of the changing climate, from the economic fallout to the uptick in human migration. Ariel is joined by Lindsay Getschel, a national security and climate change researcher who briefed the UN Security Council this year on these threats. Lindsay also discusses how hard-hit communities are adapting, why UN involvement is important, and more. Topics discussed include: -Threat multipliers -Economic impacts of climate change -Impacts of climate change on migration -The importance of UN involvement -Ecosystem-based adaptation -Action individuals can take

What is geoengineering, and could it really help us solve the climate crisis? The sixth episode of Not Cool features Dr. Alan Robock, meteorologist and climate scientist, on types of geoengineering solutions, the benefits and risks of geoengineering, and the likelihood that we may need to implement such technology. He also discusses a range of other solutions, including economic and policy reforms, shifts within the energy sector, and the type of leadership that might make these transformations possible. Topics discussed include: -Types of geoengineering, including carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management -Current geoengineering capabilities -The Year Without a Summer -The termination problem -Feasibility of geoengineering solutions -Social cost of carbon -Fossil fuel industry -Renewable energy solutions and economic accessibility -Biggest risks of stratospheric geoengineering