3 Critical Changes Needed To Decarbonize 5X Faster (w/ Simon Sharpe)

How do we dramatically accelerate the pace of climate action and reduce emissions? According to Simon Sharpe's new book, Five Times Faster, it will take a fundamental rethinking of how we practice science, economics, and diplomacy. In this in-depth conversation, we examine his three solutions, what needs to get done to get there, and how achieving certain tipping points in clean technologies will create wide-spanning changes.

Simon Sharpe is Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team and a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. He designed and led flagship international campaigns of the UK’s Presidency of COP26 and worked as the head of private office to a minister of energy and climate change in the UK Government and has served diplomatic postings in both China and India.

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[mikeharrington]

We have just entered a marathon race, but it started 2 hours ago.

[jessieadore]

This was jam packed with gems. Thank you.

[psikeyhackr]

Where are climate scientists talking about CO2 resulting from unnecessary manufacturing due to planned obsolescence?

[raymondtowers]

An interesting Eurocentric discussion, which as usual does not include the real suffering and loss of life - many of them children - for those digging into the Earth to provide 'red cobalt' and lithium so we can drive 'clean' technologies. It reflects the impossibility of creating new solutions within a capitalist paradigm and global geopolitical stagnation; and idea of continual growth in the name of progress.

[cupsCoffee]

Love the climate pod, thank you so much for what you do!

[peterdollins]

How will you drive change toward lessening climate change 5 times faster?

[freeheeler]

A good start would be developing inexpensive home storage batteries. The average North American and European home could meet its energy storage needs with a 30 kWh battery. If we could drop the price of those batteries below $10, 000 US, it would greatly speed the decentralization of energy generation and storage, lessen the need for mega projects, and democratize the economic benefits of green energy. And, folks who are powering their homes with solar and batteries will also power their cars and scooters from their home solar and batteries.

[seand]

Serious question... how is anyone supposed to take the climate change conversation/concern serious when in various ways we have been hearing the same alarming messages for the past 40 plus years and absolutely none have come to fruition.

[christinearmington]

Well said. There’s a risk of “accidents and stupidity” that will increase emissions due to population growth.

[ruppollock]

We have climate change and we can adapt as it changes or we go down this hysterical path of destroying the economy and basically making everyones life miserable in trying to change the temperature of the earth.

[jonathanedwardgibson]

CO2 is literally the Breath Of Life. Plants used to be noted by NASA as getting greener and lusher across planet, due to CO2 increasing slightly {I’m old enough to remember}. Every study submitted by biologists describe plant response to CO2 is worded as ‘exuberant’ and ‘prolific’… so which side of life and living are you really on?
Temperature drives Carbon Dioxide - not other way around: It’s been called a Trace Element for centuries and not Catalyst for a reason - go figure. This is how limestone cliffs are made, marble, or the fizzy in your soda. Tens of thousands of industrial and commercial uses: ready for a nasty poison-skull on your soda-pop? See, how absurd they get when you walk it through?
Sun cycles and volcanoes have much-much more to do with climate: Hunga Tonga blew seawater into mesosphere a year ago and look at all the record smashing snowfall - with crop-reductions of 50% in southern hemisphere this year. That was 10% of planet air/water vapor budget added-in on one afternoon into one of hte critical zones. Record ice buildup in Antarctica. This happens every thousand years average: The earth abides.