Coral reefs have long been regarded as one of the earliest and most significant ecological casualties of global warming. And as ocean temperatures continue to rise, mass bleaching and die-offs have gone from being rare to a somewhat regular occurrence.

Aside from climatic changes, human activities are no doubt damaging reefs beyond repair. Overfishing, pollution and coastal development are at the top of the list of chronic stressors. And meanwhile, reefs are also dredged or sandblasted for their limestone or to improve access and navigational safety in some areas. 

On this episode of Climate Connections, Vriko Yu, CEO of Archireef shares her personal story of witnessing the disappearance of a small patch of coral community in just two months during her research project and how that led to the founding of her climate tech venture that’s working to restore fragile marine ecosystems by using 3D printing technology and some good old-fashioned terracotta. 

Archireef, which was founded in 2020, made the Forbes 100 To Watch List in 2023. Vriko was also recognised as a Top Innovator at the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: Archireef
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Coral reefs have long been regarded as one of the earliest and most significant ecological casualties of global warming. And as ocean temperatures continue to rise, mass bleaching and die-offs have gone from being rare to a somewhat regular occurrence.
Aside from climatic changes, human activities are no doubt damaging reefs beyond repair. Overfishing, pollution and coastal development are at the top of the list of chronic stressors. And meanwhile, reefs are also dredged or sandblasted for their limestone or to improve access and navigational safety in some areas. 
On this episode of Climate Connections, Vriko Yu, CEO of Archireef shares her personal story of witnessing the disappearance of a small patch of coral community in just two months during her research project and how that led to the founding of her climate tech venture that’s working to restore fragile marine ecosystems by using 3D printing technology and some good old-fashioned terracotta. 
Archireef, which was founded in 2020, made the Forbes 100 To Watch List in 2023. Vriko was also recognised as a Top Innovator at the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Audrey Siek Photo credits: Archireef Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

A special segment on Money FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

A special segment on Money FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

Climate Connections

Get a head start to your work day with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek from 6am to 9am. 

Listen to insightful discussions on the stories and issues that matter the most to you and be apprised of the markets and the companies to watch.

Get a head start to your work day with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek from 6am to 9am. 
Listen to insightful discussions on the stories and issues that matter the most to you and be apprised of the markets and the companies to watch.

Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

A special segment on MONEY FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history, and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

A special segment on MONEY FM 89.3's Breakfast Show that brings you on an exclusive audio journey to the ends of the world, covering in-depth environment, natural history, and climate change stories that intertwine with human life on Earth.

Climate Connections: Lifeless Coral Reefs - 3D-printed good old-fashioned terracotta tiles to the rescue

2024 is "virtually certain" to be the hottest on record. In recent months, the world has seen back-to-back hurricanes, catastrophic flooding, devastating typhoons and severe drought.

It is against this backdrop that global leaders gather at the COP29 UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, where a draft text of the new climate finance target was published. The finance agreement - also known as the New Collective Quantified Goal - would apply when the current US$100bn per annum target ends in 2025, and will be crucial for scaling up finance for climate action around the world.

With more than a week of talks ahead, the final outcome is still uncertain. However, the text contains many options still under consideration, as world leaders and negotiators work out a new financial target to support developing countries in their climate actions post-2025.

On this episode of Climate Connections, Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP - an international partnership housed in the World Bank Group, dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems - weighs in on what’s at stake.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: Unsplash/Atul Pandey
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

2024 is "virtually certain" to be the hottest on record. In recent months, the world has seen back-to-back hurricanes, catastrophic flooding, devastating typhoons and severe drought.
It is against this backdrop that global leaders gather at the COP29 UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, where a draft text of the new climate finance target was published. The finance agreement - also known as the New Collective Quantified Goal - would apply when the current US$100bn per annum target ends in 2025, and will be crucial for scaling up finance for climate action around the world.
With more than a week of talks ahead, the final outcome is still uncertain. However, the text contains many options still under consideration, as world leaders and negotiators work out a new financial target to support developing countries in their climate actions post-2025.
On this episode of Climate Connections, Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP - an international partnership housed in the World Bank Group, dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems - weighs in on what’s at stake.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Audrey Siek Photo credits: Unsplash/Atul Pandey Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

Climate Connections: Will the ‘new collective quantified goal’ on climate finance be inclusive enough?

Until now, geologists have been divided as to whether this superdeep, superhot resource can be tapped.

Rock under high temperature and pressures - more than 373 degrees Celsius and 220 bars of pressure - is ductile, or gooey, as opposed to a smashable stone from your backyard. 

So far, data shows that rock that fractures at superhot conditions can be ten times more permeable than rock that fractures at conditions closer to the Earth’s surface, and can also deform more readily. 

Scientists have found that in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, supercritical conditions are as shallow as 4 km, making it one of the rare places in the world where supercritical development is both accessible and technically feasible. So far, only Iceland, Japan, the United States and Kenya have successfully drilled superhot wells. 

On today’s Climate Connections, Sheena Thomas, Interim General Manager Research Strategy and Partnership from GNS Science shares her insights on the economic potential and viability of superhot geothermal in New Zealand, and why proper environmental impact studies and collaborations with local indigenous Maori communities are absolutely critical in ensuring minimal environmental impact. She’s also a speaker at the Singapore International Energy Week this year.

GNS Science is leading a multi-year research programme 'Geothermal: The Next Generation’ - to investigate New Zealand’s ‘supercritical’ (high temperature/superhot) geothermal conditions and evaluating the economic opportunity for supercritical geothermal heat and electricity generation in New Zealand.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: GNS Science
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Until now, geologists have been divided as to whether this superdeep, superhot resource can be tapped.
Rock under high temperature and pressures - more than 373 degrees Celsius and 220 bars of pressure - is ductile, or gooey, as opposed to a smashable stone from your backyard. 
So far, data shows that rock that fractures at superhot conditions can be ten times more permeable than rock that fractures at conditions closer to the Earth’s surface, and can also deform more readily. 
Scientists have found that in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, supercritical conditions are as shallow as 4 km, making it one of the rare places in the world where supercritical development is both accessible and technically feasible. So far, only Iceland, Japan, the United States and Kenya have successfully drilled superhot wells. 
On today’s Climate Connections, Sheena Thomas, Interim General Manager Research Strategy and Partnership from GNS Science shares her insights on the economic potential and viability of superhot geothermal in New Zealand, and why proper environmental impact studies and collaborations with local indigenous Maori communities are absolutely critical in ensuring minimal environmental impact. She’s also a speaker at the Singapore International Energy Week this year.
GNS Science is leading a multi-year research programme 'Geothermal: The Next Generation’ - to investigate New Zealand’s ‘supercritical’ (high temperature/superhot) geothermal conditions and evaluating the economic opportunity for supercritical geothermal heat and electricity generation in New Zealand.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Audrey Siek Photo credits: GNS Science Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

Climate Connections: Unlocking Earth's Superhot Geothermal Energy in the Taupō Volcanic Zone

Algae are microscopic organisms that live in aquatic habitats and they use photosynthesis to produce energy from sunlight, just like plants. So far, there are over 50,000 species of living algae documented currently. And one thing that people sometimes forget is that algae are the base of many food webs and are an integral part of a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

But, algae can also grow out of control if the water around them contains too many nutrients, resulting in harmful algal blooms. And did you know that toxins from these harmful algal blooms could get kicked up into the air as airborne algae? 

With the focus on climate change growing, scientists are continuing to document the effects of climate change on algae, and how airborne algae in turn interact with our environment.

On this episode of Climate Connections, Mickey Rogers, Pauling Fellow and Chemist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who is researching airborne algae and its impact on atmospheric processing, shares her insights. She's currently also developing new methods of aerosol generation and online gas flux monitoring of biological cells including acoustic levitation of small particles.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: Mickey Rogers / Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Algae are microscopic organisms that live in aquatic habitats and they use photosynthesis to produce energy from sunlight, just like plants. So far, there are over 50,000 species of living algae documented currently. And one thing that people sometimes forget is that algae are the base of many food webs and are an integral part of a healthy aquatic ecosystem.
But, algae can also grow out of control if the water around them contains too many nutrients, resulting in harmful algal blooms. And did you know that toxins from these harmful algal blooms could get kicked up into the air as airborne algae? 
With the focus on climate change growing, scientists are continuing to document the effects of climate change on algae, and how airborne algae in turn interact with our environment.
On this episode of Climate Connections, Mickey Rogers, Pauling Fellow and Chemist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who is researching airborne algae and its impact on atmospheric processing, shares her insights. She's currently also developing new methods of aerosol generation and online gas flux monitoring of biological cells including acoustic levitation of small particles.
Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Audrey Siek Photo credits: Mickey Rogers / Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Music credits: pixabay &amp; its talented community of contributors

Climate Connections: Lifeless Coral Reefs - 3D-printed good old-fashioned terracotta tiles to the rescue

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