The task of cutting emissions is becoming more urgent by the day. Are democracies up to the challenge? Do we have time to let the usual course of consensus-building and debate play out, or should governments around the world prioritize climate action at any cost? In this week’s episode of Zero, Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi puts these questions to Daniel J. Fiorino, director of the Center for Environmental Policy at American University and author of Can Democracy Handle Climate Change?

Read a transcript of this episode, here.

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll.Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green

The task of cutting emissions is becoming more urgent by the day. Are democracies up to the challenge? Do we have time to let the usual course of consensus-building and debate play out, or should governments around the world prioritize climate action at any cost? In this week’s episode of Zero, Bloomberg Green’s Akshat Rathi puts these questions to Daniel J. Fiorino, director of the Center for Environmental Policy at American University and author of Can Democracy Handle Climate Change?
Read a transcript of this episode, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-08/transcript-zero-episode-19-are-democracies-up-to-the-climate-challenge">here</a>.
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd and our senior producer is Christine Driscoll.Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

Zero: The Climate Race

Zero

Are democracies up to the climate challenge? with Daniel Fiorino

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3713ba15-084a-4832-872e-af9d012f8a19/transcript

Depending on who you ask, AI is either going to save the world or end it. The technology’s capacity for data-crunching and problem-saving can help predict weather events, making it easier to optimize power grids, prepare for natural disasters and maximize crop output. But artificial intelligence is also energy intensive – and easy to apply to ethically questionable ends. For all of these reasons, Priya Donti, professor of electrical engineering and AI at MIT, decided to found Climate Change AI, a group dedicated to applying AI to tackle climate problems.  

Donti tells Akshat Rathi about some of the projects the group is funding around the world, and what the democratization of AI would look like in practice.  

Explore further:
Past episode about Microsoft’s rising AI emissions, and President Brad Smith’s claim that the AI will do more good than harm
Past episode with African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina about climate innovation projects across the African continent
Past episode with climate scientist and  champion for developing countries Saleemul Huq

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Anna Mazarakis and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

Depending on who you ask, AI is either going to save the world or end it. The technology’s capacity for data-crunching and problem-saving can help predict weather events, making it easier to optimize power grids, prepare for natural disasters and maximize crop output. But artificial intelligence is also energy intensive – and easy to apply to ethically questionable ends. For all of these reasons, Priya Donti, professor of electrical engineering and AI at MIT, decided to found Climate Change AI, a group dedicated to applying AI to tackle climate problems.  
Donti tells Akshat Rathi about some of the projects the group is funding around the world, and what the democratization of AI would look like in practice.  
Explore further:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/82af9664-9d94-4f4d-a6cc-b1780108cc5d">about Microsoft’s rising AI emissions, and President Brad Smith’s claim that the AI will do more good than harm</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with African Development Bank president Akinwumi Adesina about <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/11fc17f4-3291-4743-a205-b1630100468f">climate innovation projects across the African continent</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/53861565-1b3c-475d-ab5f-b0ae00da8272">climate scientist and  champion for developing countries Saleemul Huq</a></li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Anna Mazarakis and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Searching for climate solutions amid the AI hype

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/238120ba-1978-411d-97c2-b17f00f2e255/transcript

Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming  at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact. 

Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations.

Explore further:
Past episode  with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on how to triple renewable energy by 2030
Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert about the possibility of carbon capture
Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan on making zero emissions steel

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming  at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact. 
Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations.
Explore further:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode  with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/3429d271-a42e-42fc-9f3b-b0cb017e0b7a">how to triple renewable energy by 2030</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/bc43b942-661c-4ef3-b7bd-b0b3012bf6ca">about the possibility of carbon capture</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/c7f4f445-f688-4dc6-837d-afe900e542b6">on making zero emissions steel</a></li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Microsoft wanted to be carbon negative. Then it went big on AI

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/82af9664-9d94-4f4d-a6cc-b1780108cc5d/transcript

After 14 years as a member of Parliament for the UK’s Conservative Party, Chris Skidmore quit the government in January — an act of protest over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to allow new oil and gas licenses. Skidmore says the party has lost its way when it comes to climate issues, costing the UK lives, jobs and opportunities for economic growth. In this episode, Skidmore also discusses the Net Zero Review he published while in office, and talks through climate solutions emerging outside of Westminster. 

Explore further:
Past episode with Chris Stark of the UK’s Climate Change Committee about whether the era of climate consensus is over 
Past episode with Bryony Worthington, one of the authors of the UK’s Climate Change Act 
Past episode with three US governors– Republican and Democrat– about how they  navigate partisan politics and the need for climate action. 

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

After 14 years as a member of Parliament for the UK’s Conservative Party, Chris Skidmore quit the government in January — an act of protest over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to allow new oil and gas licenses. Skidmore says the party has lost its way when it comes to climate issues, costing the UK lives, jobs and opportunities for economic growth. In this episode, Skidmore also discusses the Net Zero Review he published while in office, and talks through climate solutions emerging outside of Westminster. 
Explore further:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/zero/the-climate-watchdog-holding-the-uk-government-to">Chris Stark of the UK’s Climate Change Committee</a> about whether the era of climate consensus is over </li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/zero/how-to-crisis-proof-climate-action-with-bryony-wor"> Bryony Worthington, one of the authors of the UK’s Climate Change Act </a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/zero/three-us-governors-three-very-different-approaches">three US governors– Republican and Democrat– about how they  navigate partisan politics and the need for climate action. </a></li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Why the UK’s Conservatives have given up on climate

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/575c8756-7918-4020-99c3-b17100e87097/transcript

Are democracies up to the climate challenge? with Daniel Fiorino

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