You've Been Warmed

Degrowth & The European Green New Deal w/ Riccardo Mastini, PhD Candidate In Political Ecology

In today's episode I have the pleasure of talking to Riccardo Mastini - Riccardo is a a PhD candidate in Political Ecology and Ecological Economics at theInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) [http://ictaweb.uab.cat/]at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. The topic sounded extremely interesting, particularly since Riccardo is at the forefront of academic research into degrowth - the idea that we need to transform our society to optimize the well-being of everybody and sustain the natural basis of life. Apart from studying degrowth, Riccardo is a Member of the Green New Deal for Europe and the Wellbeing Economic Alliance. He has also consulted the United Nations Environment Programme, several environmental agencies across the world and a lot of international NGOs. Our podcast was quite detailed and had an academic feel to it. It does require a bit of focus, but the explanations are so nuanced and in-depth that it's a worthy listen. We discussed how his PhD intersects with climate change, we delved deeper into degrowth, we looked at why we cannot continue to grow and decarbonize at the same time (at a meaningful rate anyway) and we explored the intricacies of the Green New Deal with a focus on Europe. Hope you enjoy this episode, let's dive right in! RICCARDO'S RELEVANT LINKS Riccardo’s website: https://rmastini.wixsite.com/degrowth [https://rmastini.wixsite.com/degrowth] Riccardo’s Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/r.mastini [https://www.facebook.com/r.mastini] Riccardo’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/r_mastini [https://twitter.com/r_mastini] EPISODE TIMECODES 3:47 - Riccardo's background, PhD & how it intersects with climate change 10:50 - Defining the concept of degrowth 21:04 - Is degrowth necessary to decarbonize? 32:24 - The European Green New Deal & its challenges 50:09 - Science vs Business vs Politics vs Society RESOURCES MENTIONED Friends of the Earth Europe’s report ‘Sufficiency: Moving beyond the gospel of eco-efficiency’: http://www.foeeurope.org/sufficiency [http://www.foeeurope.org/sufficiency] Post-Growth Conference 2018 at the European Parliament: https://www.postgrowth2018.eu/ [https://www.postgrowth2018.eu/] Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Autonomous University of Barcelona: https://ictaweb.uab.cat/ [https://ictaweb.uab.cat/] Green New Deal for Europe: https://www.gndforeurope.com/campaign [https://www.gndforeurope.com/campaign] Research & Degrowth: https://degrowth.org/ [https://degrowth.org/] Wellbeing Economy Alliance: https://wellbeingeconomy.org/ [https://wellbeingeconomy.org/] Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy: https://steadystate.org/ [https://steadystate.org/] Degrowth.info: https://www.degrowth.info/en/ [https://www.degrowth.info/en/] Is Green Growth Possible?: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bc0e610abd04bd1e067ccc/t/5cbdc638b208fc1c56f785a7/1555940922601/Hickel+and+Kallis+-+Is+Green+Growth+Possible.pdf [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59bc0e610abd04bd1e067ccc/t/5cbdc638b208fc1c56f785a7/1555940922601/Hickel+and+Kallis+-+Is+Green+Growth+Possible.pdf] Decoupling debunked: https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/ [https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/] A Good Life For All Within Planetary Boundaries: https://goodlife.leeds.ac.uk/ [https://goodlife.leeds.ac.uk/] The EU needs a stability and wellbeing pact, not more growth: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/16/the-eu-needs-a-stability-and-wellbeing-pact-not-more-growth [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/16/the-eu-needs-a-stability-and-wellbeing-pact-not-more-growth] World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806 [https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806] IPCC Low Energy Demand scenario: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-018-0172-6 [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-018-0172-6] Tradable Energy Quotas scheme: https://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/teqs/ [https://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/teqs/]

Climate Activism & The Case For A Green New Deal w/ Peter Kalmus, NASA Climate Scientist

Today You've Been Warmed episode features Peter Kalmus - a NASA climate scientist very well-known for his activism, particularly in the way he completely changed his lifestyle to drastically reduce his individual emissions (and those of his family). Peter is very outspoken about the need to act on climate change with urgency and I wanted to get his take on solutions both from his standpoint as a scientist, but also as a human being. It's not a coincidence that his Twitter handle is @ClimateHuman. We approached the topic of 2 degrees warming and what that would mean for our world, particularly the way in which he frames the discussion for himself starting from the unknown unknowns when it comes to tipping points and other consequences of warming. We spoke about individual changes and their importance, how we can remove more CO2 from the atmosphere and why climate change is the "perfect" problem for mankind. Finally we dove into the Green New Deal, why he supports this initiative and why this election cycle is extremely important in shaping our fight to preserve the planet. PETER'S RELEVANT LINKS Peter's Twitter - https://twitter.com/ClimateHuman [https://twitter.com/ClimateHuman] Earth Hero App - https://www.earthhero.org/ [https://www.earthhero.org/] 'Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution' Book - https://peterkalmus.net/books/read-by-chapter-being-the-change/ [https://peterkalmus.net/books/read-by-chapter-being-the-change/] TIMECODES 3:02 - Peter's Background & Working At NASA 9:21 - What 2°C Warming Means For The Planet 13:33 - Individual Action & Climate Change 18:28 - Removing CO2 From The Atmosphere 29:49 - Electric Planes & Electricity Usage 33:40 - The Case For A Green New Deal 46:38 - A Final Message For Listeners LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Jim Hansen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen] Heartland Institute - https://www.heartland.org/ [https://www.heartland.org/] Ben Gerhold - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamingerhold/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamingerhold/]

Successful Climate Communication Based On Science w/ Max Boykoff, Director of CSTPR at CU Boulder

Today's You've Been Warmed episode features Max Boykoff - The Director of the Center For Science & Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado Boulder. Max also researches & teaches science-policy & society at the same University and he is the author of 'Creative (Climate) Communications' - a book that examines what mix of communication strategies can be effective in inspiring people to take action on climate change in an effort to recapture a common ground on the topic within the public arena. Throughout the episode Max impressed me with very thoughtful and well articulated answers that give a balanced view on climate communication while not offering a silver bullet that can solve everything. Instead he advocates for a 'silver buckshot' approach where a number of strategies reach different audiences in different contexts. We spoke at large about the role the media plays and how it covers the effects of climate change - in fact one of the projects Max leads, called the 'Media and Climate Change Observatory' analyses this quantitatively and qualitative, which uniquely positions him to give an informed observation on the topic. We dove into why authenticity and accuracy when it comes to communicating the effects of climate change is extremely important, but why we also have to combine that with inspiring visions & stories that can get people to take action rather than make them feel lonely and hopeless. We also spoke about the role that humor plays in climate communication and how it can erase some of the partisan issues that might arise from approaching the subject. I probably cannot do this episode justice by trying to summarise the points more here, so I invite you to have a listen to our chat! MAX'S RELEVANT LINKS Max's Twitter - https://twitter.com/boykoff [https://twitter.com/boykoff] 'Creative (Climate) Communications' Book - https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/creative-climate-communications-productive-pathways-science-policy-and-society?format=PB&isbn=9781316646823 [https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/environmental-policy-economics-and-law/creative-climate-communications-productive-pathways-science-policy-and-society?format=PB&isbn=9781316646823] TIMECODES (to be changed) 3:50 - His Background & Climate Journey 8:57 - How Is Climate Change Perceived Now? 17:10 - What Is The Balance Between Fear And Solutions 22:52 - Using Storytelling, Humor, Authenticity & More 32:10 - How Well Do Climate Activists Communicate? 38:12 - Science vs Society vs Politics vs Business RELEVANT LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE Katharine Hayhoe - https://twitter.com/KHayhoe [https://twitter.com/KHayhoe] Ed Maibach - https://twitter.com/maibached [https://twitter.com/maibached] Media and Climate Change Observatory - https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/icecaps/research/media_coverage/index.html [https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/icecaps/research/media_coverage/index.html] 'Inside The Greenhouse' at University of Colorado Boulder - https://insidethegreenhouse.org/ [https://insidethegreenhouse.org/]

Greening The Web & Our Digital Infrastructure w/ Chris Adams, Director @ Green Web Foundation, Organizer @ ClimateAction.Tech

This episode of You've Been Warmed features Chris Adams - one of the directors of the Green Web Foundation, an organizer for ClimateAction.Tech and founder of a small consultancy called Greening.Digital As an avid techie, Chris is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to web technology and its implications for climate change. Because everything we use in our digital infrastructure is based on data centers - of which a lot run on energy derived from fossil fuels - it's important to understand how we can replace the source of that energy with renewables. It's obviously an extremely complex topic to talk about, which is why Chris' pragmatic and informed approach was so educational. He took me through the various decisions that any company makes when deciding on hosting (and the inherent trade-offs that come with that), as well as what percentages of online domains currently run on renewable energy (and how that has evolved over the past year). There was an interesting discussion regarding web hosting providers and how the oligopoly formed by Microsoft, Google and Amazon is extremely difficult to tackle. We then dove into a fascinating topic that involved how companies treat their emissions reductions for Scopes 1,2 and 3, how precisely they calculate those emissions and what kind of 'accounting' tricks they might pull to paint a different picture. We contrasted the approach that Stripe has taken vs that of Amazon and we ended up discussing greenwashing and how Corporate Social Responsibility is dealt with in various companies across the world. Finally, Chris delivered a great summary on ClimateAction.Tech - a community I highly encourage all of my listeners to join as it has a lot of value & interesting people to connect with. Let's dive straight in - let me know if you enjoy this one! CHRIS' RELEVANT LINKS Chris' Twitter - https://twitter.com/mrchrisadams [https://twitter.com/mrchrisadams] Green Web Foundation - https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/ [https://www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/] ClimateAction.Tech - https://climateaction.tech/ [https://climateaction.tech/] Greening Digital - https://greening.digital/ [https://greening.digital/] TIMECODES 3:50 - Chris' Background & Involvement In The Climate Space 5:00 - Why Do We Need To Make The Web 'Greener'? 8:00 - How Can Companies Reduce Emissions From Their Digital Operations? 14:53 - The Google, Microsoft & Amazon Web Hosting Oligopoly 22:05 - Stripe vs Amazon + Scope 1,2 & 3 Emissions 32:00 - Greenwashing & CSR Within Companies 36:05 - The ClimateAction.Tech Community & Its Value 42:15 - Science vs Business vs Politics vs Society LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Energy Transition Show - https://xenetwork.org/ets/ [https://xenetwork.org/ets/] Map Camp Conference - https://www.map-camp.com/ [https://www.map-camp.com/] Digital Ocean -https://www.digitalocean.com/ [https://www.digitalocean.com/] Increment Magazine Stripe Article - https://increment.com/energy-environment/stripes-carbon-neutral-journey/ [https://increment.com/energy-environment/stripes-carbon-neutral-journey/] AMEE - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoiding_Mass_Extinctions_Engine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoiding_Mass_Extinctions_Engine] Tomorrow's Electricity Map - https://www.tmrow.com/ [https://www.tmrow.com/] HBR Piece About CSR - https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-truth-about-csr [https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-truth-about-csr] Ungleich - ungleich.ch [https://t.co/kjZDBuKSje?amp=1] Data Center Light - https://datacenterlight.ch/ [https://datacenterlight.ch/] Heated.World - https://heated.world/ [https://heated.world/] Creatives For Climate - https://www.linkedin.com/company/creatives-for-climate/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/creatives-for-climate/] Climate Outreach -https://climateoutreach.org/ [https://climateoutreach.org/] Climate Kic - https://www.climate-kic.org/ [https://www.climate-kic.org/]

Microsoft's Net Zero 2030 Target & Greening Cloud Computing w/ Asim Hussain, Green Cloud Advocacy Lead at Microsoft

Today's You've Been Warmed episode features Asim Hussain - Green Cloud Advocacy Lead at Microsoft. Asim is a developer, trainer, published author and conference speaker with almost 20 years of experience in the tech space with stints at the European Space Agency, Google and now Microsoft. He also teaches tech course on Udemy - an online course marketplace - where he has over 37,000 students. Asim is also an organizer for Climate Action Tech - an online community of people who work in the tech sector and want to change companies from within, particularly when it comes to addressing climate change. You might think initially - 'What does it mean to be a green cloud advocate?' - usually when we think about the cloud & the internet in general, we perceive them as intangible, not as something that would have an immediate impact on the environment. It turns out, however, that cloud computing accounts for about 3% of our total greenhouse gas emissions - which is roughly the same as the entire aviation industry. Asim was very eloquent in explaining how we can reduce these emissions, as well as developing applications that consume less (and are more efficient). We also discussed Microsoft's recent net zero by 2030 announcement along with their Sustainability Calculator and how they identify their Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions throughout their entire supply chain and plan to address them each. Finally, we dove into Climate Action Tech, why people who feel lonely in the fight against climate change should join and how the community supports every member and organizes to create positive changes. ASIM & CLIMATE ACTION TECH LINKS Asim's Website - https://asim.dev/ [https://asim.dev/] Asim's Twitter Profile - https://twitter.com/jawache [https://twitter.com/jawache] Climate Action Tech Website - https://climateaction.tech/ [https://climateaction.tech/] TIMECODES 6:42 - His Background & How It Led To His Green Cloud Advocacy Position 11:30 - What Does It Mean To Be A Green Cloud Developer 16:47 - The Environmental Impact Of Cloud Computing 20:16 - Can You Track This Externality? 22:35 - Microsoft's Net Zero Target & Sustainability Calculator 25:30 - Scope 1,2 And 3 Emissions 32:25 - The Climate Action Tech Community (CAT) 38:50 - Science vs Business vs Politics vs Society RELEVANT LINKS MENTIONED Microsoft's Net Zero by 2030 announcement - https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/ [https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/01/16/microsoft-will-be-carbon-negative-by-2030/] Microsoft's Sustainability Calculator - https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/power-bi/coi-sustainability.sustainability_dashboard [https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/power-bi/coi-sustainability.sustainability_dashboard]