logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
10m 22s

TED Climate: The fastest way to slow cli...

TED
About this episode

"Cutting methane is the single fastest, most effective opportunity to reduce climate change risks in the near term," says atmospheric scientist Ilissa Ocko. That's because, unlike carbon dioxide, methane's warming power doesn't come from a gradual buildup over time but is almost entirely from recent emissions. Ocko identifies three main sources of methane pollution which, if addressed, could dramatically slow down the rate of global warming within years -- not decades. "This is the methane moment," Ocko says.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/speed-and-scale-transcript


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 17
How a Louisiana community came together to take down a petrochemical plant
<p>In the heart of Louisiana, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, more than 150 petrochemical plants spew huge amounts of carbon into our atmosphere—and into the communities they occupy. In this episode, Ryan and Anjali talk to a community organizer whose own sickness inspired h ... Show More
34m 25s
Nov 10
How Copenhagen’s “food schools” are promoting sustainable eating habits
Food production makes up about 12% of our global emissions—that comes not only from the kinds of food we eat (like beef, which is one of the highest-emission foods you can eat), but how we grow and make it. The city of Copenhagen set an ambitious goal to reduce emissions from all ... Show More
27m 11s
Nov 3
How you can fly more sustainably (today!)
The aviation industry is responsible for 3.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. That may seem like a small number globally, but this is a big problem in the developed world—and a stubborn one to solve. In this episode, Ryan and Anjali take a look at how Hawaii—a state whose aviati ... Show More
33m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
The fastest way to slow climate change now | Ilissa Ocko
<p>"Cutting methane is the single fastest, most effective opportunity to reduce climate change risks in the near term," says atmospheric scientist Ilissa Ocko. That's because, unlike carbon dioxide, methane's warming power doesn't come from a gradual buildup over time but is almo ... Show More
10m 21s
Feb 2022
The methane hunters
Methane traps more than 80 times as much heat as CO2 over the short term. So we could make a real difference on climate change this decade if we could stop leaking so much methane into the atmosphere. But before researchers and regulators can figure out how to do that, the methan ... Show More
22m 51s
Oct 2021
Can we still avoid climate catastrophe?
Just a few days before COP26 opens in Glasgow, the World Meteorological Organisation reported record greenhouse gas levels, despite a fall in CO2 due to pandemic restrictions. The UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report also revealed that current country pledges will only ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2020
A Radical Approach to Climate Change
Could altering the Earth’s atmosphere to reflect back some of the sun’s rays be a solution to climate change? It would likely decrease global temperatures, but it might lead to climate wars. Humanity might become “addicted” to it for survival. And ultimately, would this technolog ... Show More
58m 5s