At UC Berkeley, electricity and steam are generated by burning natural gas – but a renewable energy future is right around the corner. This week, we spoke to Sally McGarrahan, Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Services, about how the university is advancing towards a carbon free campus through clean energy innovation.
Carbon dioxide is both a potent greenhouse gas and a necessary input into the natural process of photosynthesis in plants. This week, we spoke with UC Berkeley researcher Dr. Peidong Yang, whose artificial leaves replicate photosynthesis to generate products currently dependent on fossil fuels.
Dr. Omar Yaghi has recently led research in developing “Covalent organic framework number 999,” or COF 999, a yellow, powder-like material that has the potential to change make great steps forward in limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Just half a pound of the powder can absorb as much carbon dioxide in a year as a full grown tree. This week, we spoke with Dr. Yaghi about COF 999 and what it can do.
The dangers of extreme heat in an evolving climate is evident across many parts of the world, and the cities are the first to bear the most severe consequences. Rising temperatures and the inherent rigidity of concrete building structures trap heat waves within urban areas, directly threatening the health of residents and especially vulnerable populations like outdoor workers. Urban planners are seeking new solutions to help dissipate heat. We spoke with Jeff Goodell, the author of The Heat Will Kill You First, about building climate resilience in urban landscapes by creating shared Safe Hubs with air conditioning and establishing green spaces.
In addition to the environmental impacts of rising temperatures, climate change is detrimentally affecting public health. Heat indexing is a technique used to calculate and gauge the impacts of heat on the human body based on a multitude of weather conditions. We spoke to Professor David Romps from UC Berkeley to learn more about heat indexing and its significance in maintaining public health and safety in extreme heat.
The expansion of renewable energy is heightening the need for improved transmission capacity of our electrical grid. Unfortunately, rapid grid expansion to meet this demand faces funding and cost allocation obstacles. Large-scale reconductoring of advanced conductor systems has been proposed as an alternative. We spoke to Umed Paliwal, a researcher from UC Berkeley, to learn more about the process and benefits of reconductoring.
How can local governments can help advance clean energy technology? Investor-owned utilities dominate the electricity market in the United States, but community choice aggregators let municipalities control their own energy strategy.
Both food waste and hunger are big problems, but connecting extra food to the people who need it most is often a challenge. In today’s episode, Climate Break talks to Replate, a platform making it easier for businesses to donate their food rather than throwing it out.
As climate change impacts the economy, businesses are turning towards sustainable investments to strengthen their climate-resilience. We spoke with Rev. Kirsten Spalding of Ceres Investor Network to learn more about the significance of mobilizing investors toward building a sustainable economy.
In an effort to combat the increasing use of non-recyclable plastics, Martin Bourque and the Ecology Center in Berkeley advocate for laws and programs that reduce plastic consumption. Their strategies, including a bag reduction initiative and a disposable foodware ordinance, have been adopted at state levels and by other cities.