David Roberts discusses Leah Stokes' new book, The Carbon Wave at a book signing in Seattle. (I personally attended a Carbon Wave signing at Brookline Booksmith a week or two before this was recorded). The book follows Leah Stokes and several key figures who worked tireless outside of the elected offices to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the best pieces of climate legislation to date, which despite republican efforts, is far more intact today than you suspect. It is a inspiring book about how the sausage is made when it comes to us laws. Stokes is a long time climate advocate and Roberts is a long time climate reporter. Together, they have an informative conversation about climate policy and the nonfiction political novel. I am not kidding when I say I left the book signing fully energized at 9:30 Pm and have kept that energy as I work my way through the book in my scantily allocated reading time.

Volts host David Roberts interviews Cole Ashman of Pila Energy about their plug in home battery product. Its smaller size (briefcase sized) makes it a compact option that can fit in most dwellings. At 1.6 kWh, it can get your essentials through the average blackout, and can also assist with time of use energy bills. At $1500 USD, its not a small purchase, but it is easier to afford than a whole ass tesla wall battery. Interview link above, company website here: https://www.pilaenergy.com/

David Roberts interview the man who decarbonized Uruguay on his podcast Volts. They discuss how it happened the first time, and how it could be replicated. He believes that every country could realistically achieve an 80% renewable grid.

Ramón Mendez Galain is the man most responsible for Uruguay being the first country to consistently utilize over 90% renewable energy. He discusses how he ended up in that roll, the choices he made to succeed, and his determination to bring the same success to other nations, all a part of the interview with David Roberts on Volts.

Volts host David Roberts interviews Seth Cutler of IONNA to discuss the company's efforts to make charging stations good to use, placed in optimal locations, and the challenges and priorities involved.

She went on NPR this weekend, and as someone who agrees with all of her policies, absolutely pissed me off. Her interviewer was no a socialist, but he gave her softball questions and she dropped it every time. She answered every question from the seat of knowing she was in the right and neglected to include compassion for the audience members who dont know that she is right and have no clue why she is. "Abolish the senate" has to be the worst way to phrase this goal. It sounds like a mic drop instead of a persuasive message. Its fast, scary, and lacking any of the reasoning. If she said that she wants to "unite the chambers of congress into a single, evenly representative, legislature." Congrats, now it sounds less scary, and the reasoning makes sense. When discussing moving funding from police budgets into the community, she just said "wouldnt you rather have trees and lunches for children than cops everywhere?" Its two totally disconnected thoughts! Talk about how alleviating the burden for parents to feed their children will reduce the stresses that cause domestic violence, where as cops can only ever respond to a domestic violence call after the violence has happened. The whole interview, the host was offering her chances to talk about her positions sensibly, giving her second chances to phrase things more eloquently, and she rejected every time. Megan Romer doesnt belong anywhere near a microphone, or our leadership structure. If you cant speak from a point of compassion for everyone, then you cant be trusted to lead a movement centered around compassion.

Podcast host and long time climate reporter David Roberts interviews the owner of Energea, a company that enables individuals to invest in solar panel installations in Brazil, Columbia, parts of Africa, and the USA. locals pay for electricity to do what they want to do, the profits from that electricity go to investors.

Locals get to access cheap reliable electricity far earlier than otherwise, and investors are able to enjoy incredibly consistent and safe ROI.

Im a new writer, and im working on a solarpunk novel. I also have a short story that i want to try to get published in an anthology. Im aware of a few solarpunk and cli-fi anthologies that have been published, but i have no idea where to find an anthology thats currently being assembled. Does anyone have any leads for me?

Also, let's share some of our favorite stories collections! Im currently reading The Last Catastrophe by Allegra Hyde. Its very fun. I also have Sinkhole and Other Inexplicable Voids by Leyna Krow. on my shelf. Some that ive heard of but know little about are Bright Green Futures by Susan K Quinn, and AfterGlow by Grist.

If there is a readily accessible hydrocarbon to metabolize, life will evolve a way to metabolize it. Bacteria, fungi, and even some insects have already shown scientists they have figured out how to do this with certain types of plastic. Where does this lead?

One great thing this leads to is an eventual future where microplastics are cleaned up by the tiny organisms beneath our notice. Yay the pollution will clean itself up. Unfortunately, that also means that those hydrocarbons will be broken down, turned into CO2 or Methane, added to the atmosphere. Will this be a significant amount? I am unable to answer.

More startlingly, the other conclusion i draw is that all plastic in the world will someday be food for bacteria, mold, and grubs. Look around and note where you see plastic. It holds our food, it is the siding on some houses, it could be your building's insulation, it is the insulation on the wires in your house and outside. It holds your car together to varying degrees. It is the structure of many decks, benches, mobility aides etc.

Someday, these items will all be eaten slowly, or perhaps quickly. When will this begin in force? When will it affect our daily lives and health? Will we be able to prepare?

Don't be a harm increaser SMH

Host David Roberts speaks to Bruce Friedrich about how fake meat, plant based or lab grown, can reduce our land use substantially, reduce emissions substantially, and end or reduce the cruelty of animal agriculture. Notably, Friedrich contends that fake meats could end up on a learning curve to bring down the price of these meat alternatives to be cheaper than the real stuff. Much in the same way that we got better at making solar panels and flat screen TVs to the point where those items are magnitudes cheaper than they were just 10 years ago.

Friedrich, a vegan himself, chooses to lump plant based imitations together with the more controversial (but possibly more marketable) lab grown animal tissues for purposes of conversation, particularly when it comes to the economics.

Note, this is primarily an environmental tech podcast. And while the host, David Roberts, wishes he had it in him to go vegan, he has had to settle for reducitarian as he, like many, is weak. Much of the conversation is through the environmental lense, but the content is still valuable to this community.

Host David Roberts speaks to Bruce Friedrich about how fake meat, plant based or lab grown, can reduce our land use substantially, reduce emissions substantially, and end or reduce the cruelty of animal agriculture. Notably, Friedrich contends that fake meats could end up on a learning curve to bring down the price of these meat alternatives to be cheaper than the real stuff. Much in the same way that we got better at making solar panels and flat screen TVs to the point where those items are magnitudes cheaper than they were just 10 years ago.

Friedrich, a vegan himself, chooses to lump plant based imitations together with the more controversial (but possibly more marketable) lab grown animal tissues for purposes of conversation, particularly when it comes to the economics.

Note, this is primarily an environmental tech podcast. And while the host, David Roberts, wishes he had it in him to go vegan, he has had to settle for reducitarian as he, like many, is weak. Much of the conversation is through the environmental lense, but the content is still valuable to this community.

Australia has high rates of adoption for rooftop solar. The interconnection is easy and permitting happens over night. And best of all, none of the fears associated with wide spread solar have materialized into real world problems.