Climate Basics Podcast

  Ep 6 - Research notes: Japan and the Challenge to Reach Net Zero Topics covered: Japan – energy insecurity – imports most of their energy, so they are super-motivated to switch to RE but they have a shrinking, aging population, which poses domestic political problems.  apparently off-shore wind is a challenge due to shoreline dropoffs/terrain. Wave/Tidal/Oceanic thermal energy conversion potential Scaled back nukes after fukushima, like germany Has a high gdp and high energy use, opportunities for many forms of renewables Also seeing demographic problems mirrored in many developed nations Also, like germany, seeing less growth than normal, even contraction These places are prime opportunities for degrowth They have fully developed industrial cores, good universities and ample local food production - if only there was a way to help fight urbanization Credits and subsidies for rural living could reinvigorate families and local economies - less overall gdp but more independent ...

  Ep 5 - Texas, California compared to Germany, Portugal, Spain, Scotland and other nations Purpose of Ep 5: (1) change mind / educate US viewers re: renewables are really significant in the two largest US states; and (2) give viewers a comparison / context to other countries Intro, Let’s talk about leaders in green energy. How we compare: Population, GDP, energy production, and how much of that is green/renewable. By those means, California and Texas are so large that they compare to many countries. That’s why we’ll be comparing the global green energy transition Players as several different Nations and also California and Texas  you really have to consider all of these because if you go for example just by what percentage of renewable energy that country takes its electricity from small nations like Paraguay or Nepal who would win even though altogether their impact is negligible compared to the biggest players.  it would also be inaccurate to go simply by who has the ...