logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
7m 57s

The unsung heroes putting climate soluti...

TED
About this episode
The improper handling of waste is the third largest source of methane emissions in the world, says Aline Sousa, but waste pickers like her help reduce this environmental impact. She dives into the monumental effort of the often-overlooked people making sure recyclables, compostables and trash end up in the right places — and calls for better recognition of these key players on the frontline of fighting climate change.

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

Up next
Today
A story of moral imagination and bold entrepreneurship | Sitoyo Lopokoiyit and Jacqueline Novogratz
In a conversation about visionary leadership, M-PESA CEO Sitoyo Lopokoiyit speaks with impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz about how he grew a nascent mobile payment service into Africa’s largest fintech platform — which now handles nearly 60 percent of Kenya's GD ... Show More
19m 36s
Yesterday
"Marigolds," a poem about wonder | Safiya Sinclair
Poet Safiya Sinclair performs "Marigolds: A Letter to Wonder," an original poem she created for TED that explores memory, beauty and the fragility of life. After the poem, she talks with TED's Helen Walters about her writing process — and what it feels like when the creative muse ... Show More
9m 2s
Jul 8
The miraculous device that saved my farm — and changed my life | Josephine Waweru
Exhausted from carrying water up a hill to keep her small farm in Kenya thriving, Josephine Waweru received an unexpected call that offered a nearly unbelievable solution. She shares how one simple device allowed her crops (and her dreams) to flourish — and offers a glimmer of ho ... Show More
10m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Peut-on encore parler de transition écologique ?
Les politiques environnementales sont mises à mal partout dans le monde. En premier lieu aux États-Unis où le président Donald Trump multiplie les décisions en faveur des énergies fossiles. En Europe, le Pacte vert est de plus en plus détricoté. Le climat constitue-t-il encore un ... Show More
29m 30s
Oct 2024
How to turn the tables on food waste | Dana Gunders
We waste a staggering one trillion dollars worth of food each year, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis. Food waste expert Dana Gunders shares innovative solutions to reduce waste — from solar-powered cold rooms to apps that sell discount ... Show More
12m 56s
Nov 2024
Assignment: Plastic recycling’s dirty secrets
An estimated five million tonnes of plastic waste is exported each year, with the majority coming from 10 high-income countries. Malaysia has become a global hub for plastic waste imports and recycling. But how clean and safe is the recycling trade and how much plastic can actual ... Show More
26m 23s
Sep 2024
How we slashed our lab’s carbon footprint
Analytical chemist Jane Kilcoyne was working in her biotoxin monitoring lab one day in 2018 when she noticed a bin overflowing with plastic waste. The observation prompted her to join forces with like-minded colleagues and develop a package of measures aimed at reducing their lab ... Show More
24m 9s
May 2024
Living with climate change
Poorer countries are likely to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures and more unsettled weather leading to greater stresses on natural resources and often inadequate infrastructure. But whilst there’s a lot of focus on global attempts to limit ... Show More
23m 15s
May 27
The climate benefits of circularity: What we're missing
The circular economy is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis—but you wouldn’t know it from the carbon accounts.In this episode, we’re joined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s João Murilo Silva Merico, who explains how current accounting frameworks ... Show More
21m 16s
Jul 2022
Climat : peut-on sauver la planète avec des petits gestes ?
A quel point les gestes individuels contribuent-ils à limiter notre empreinte carbone ? Faut-il arrêter de prendre l'avion, cesser de manger de la viande, changer sa chaudière à gaz ? Ou bien est-ce que c'est d'abord à l'Etat, aux grandes entreprises de faire des efforts ? La que ... Show More
45m 59s
Mar 2020
Writing Climate Policy: Jerry Taylor
Carbon Tax The climate crisis is a global collective problem that requires a collective global solution. Robust and bipartisan public policy must be at the center of any effort. Taylor argues that we can harness capitalism to mitigate global warming, and proposes a combination of ... Show More
30m 35s
Mar 2025
Turkey said it would become a ‘zero waste’ nation. Instead, it became a dumping ground for Europe’s rubbish
When China stopped receiving the world’s waste, Turkey became Europe’s recycling hotspot. The problem is, most plastics can’t be recycled. And what remains are toxic heaps of trash By Alexander Clapp. Read by Philip Arditti. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian. ... Show More
31 m
May 2023
Is Carbon Capture Essential to Fighting Climate Change?
When it comes to carbon dioxide, last year was a record year. The world emitted more of the climate-warming gas in 2022 than in any year since scientists began recording levels in 1900. The culprit, says the International Energy Agency, is society’s voracious appetite for fossil ... Show More
53m 15s