New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos:

New videos DAILY: https://bigth.ink/youtube Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel C. Esty is the Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the Yale Law School. Known for his innovative policy ideas and commitment to transformative change, Dan served as head of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection from 2011 to 2014 and in several leadership roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1993. He is the editor of A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future (Yale University Press). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT BIG THINK: Smarter Faster™ Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content -- with thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, we help you get smarter, faster. S​ubscribe to learn from top minds like these daily. Get actionable lessons from the world’s greatest thinkers & doers. Our experts are either disrupting or leading their respective fields. ​We aim to help you explore the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century, so you can apply them to the questions and challenges in your own life. Other Frequent contributors include Michio Kaku & Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Michio Kaku Playlist: https://bigth.ink/kaku Bill Nye Playlist: https://bigth.ink/BillNye Neil DeGrasse Tyson Playlist: https://bigth.ink/deGrasseTyson Read more at Bigthink.com for a multitude of articles just as informative and satisfying as our videos. New articles posted daily on a range of intellectual topics. Join Big Think Edge, to gain access to an immense library of content. It features insight from many of the most celebrated and intelligent individuals in the world today. Topics on the platform are focused on: emotional intelligence, digital fluency, health and wellness, critical thinking, creativity, communication, career development, lifelong learning, management, problem solving & self-motivation. BIG THINK EDGE: https://bigth.ink/Edge If you're interested in licensing this or any other Big Think clip for commercial or private use, contact our licensing partner, Executive Interviews: https://bigth.ink/licensing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcript: So genomics, the idea that we can intervene with the genome of not just humans but any species in a way that might harden that species, improve it’s resilience to threats like climate change or make it more amenable to various medical approaches so as to ensure there’s a reduction of harm. And it can also be used in plants, for example, to speed up the growth pace and otherwise to provide ways to help harden the species or improve a species contribution to the response to climate change. So many aspects of society have been transformed by technology breakthroughs in the last couple of decades. And I would argue that the environmental arena broadly and climate change in particular had seen very little of that brought to bear despite an urgent need. And I do think suddenly that’s changing. We now have a number of people that are looking at various aspects of the technology world and saying how might this help us achieve a sustainable future. And that is very much a focus of the Better Planet book with a number of authors putting forward both technologies and frames of thinking that might move us towards a climate change answer. One of the most important aspects of this in my mind is the concept of genomics, of thinking about how we do genetic modification as a strategy for improving sustainability. And the chapter in our Better Planet book that lays this out offers examples both in terms of human exposure to public health threats broadly and to climate change in particular and understanding how we might well be able to address individual exposures that differ from the general public with genomic intervention in the future sparing people pain and suffering they might otherwise face. And perhaps even more interesting there are very significant ways that we might see genomic progress in addressing the plant and animal world. I’m thinking in particular of forests which could be a critical sink for carbon dioxide and I do think there are ways that we can make forests grow faster and perhaps serve more successfully as a sink for those greenhouse gases ensuring a better response to the problem and getting us to think about both mitigation, reducing emissions, but also the ability to set up nature as part of the solution absorbing those carbon emissions.

...

Geothermal energy production releases less carbon emissions than a coal power plant, but it is far from benign. In this video I report from the site of the proposed "Baltazor" geothermal energy

Geothermal energy production releases less carbon emissions than a coal power plant, but it is far from benign. In this video I report from the site of the proposed "Baltazor" geothermal energy project in northeastern Nevada, west of Denio. In my book "Bright Green Lies," myself and my co-authors explain some of the issues. Here's an excerpt: ---- "In Kenya, geothermal energy development is destroying a national park, where more than 90 new geothermal wells were drilled between 2014 and 2017, meaning more roads were punched across the park and more habitat was destroyed or fragmented. Maasai people have been violently evicted en masse. [Geothermal] drilling releases mercury, arsenic, and boron into groundwater. And water for drilling wells—about 8 million gallons per month, a number expected to rise sharply—is taken from a local lake which is part of a wetland of international importance. ... Geothermal drilling in Nevada is threatening a newly discovered toad species, the Dixie Valley toad. Its habitat, which measures only about four square miles, would be obliterated by a proposed geothermal power expansion. Another example: Iceland is volcanically active, and the country has become a center of geothermal-energy-harvesting facility construction. This industrialization is pushed relentlessly by bright greens, corporate green organizations and foundations, mining interests, climate activists, and pretty much everyone else who cares more about industry than life on the planet. This construction has been opposed by local environmentalists, who call it “geothermal ecocide.” The group Saving Iceland writes that “the exploitation of the Reykjanes peninsula’s geothermal areas spells the end of this magnificent nature of the peninsula as we know it. Test drilling and boreholes, endless roads and power lines, power plants and other infrastructure; all this would turn the Reykjanes peninsula—this unique land of natural volcanic wonders ... into a large industrial zone. But these are only the very visible impacts of the planned large-scale exploitation. Other environmental catastrophes are in fact inevitable with large-scale geothermal industry, becoming increasingly visible to the public as the green reputation of geothermal energy slowly decreases.” ... Geothermal facilities are also directly linked to pollution in Iceland. Between 1999 and 2012, levels of sulfur dioxide rose 71 percent in the Reykjavik area due mainly to geothermal plants. This is causing acid rain and respiratory conditions, and worsening heart problems. Elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide from geothermal-energy-harvesting facilities have also been linked to higher death rates. Geothermal waste fluid, which contains “high concentrations of heavy metals and other toxic elements including radon, arsenic, mercury, ammonia, and boron,” has been released into groundwater. Iceland is currently planning or building at least 21 major geothermal-energy-harvesting facilities, some of them in the highlands, the largest wilderness in Europe. The technology for drilling geothermal wells was developed primarily by the oil and gas industry. Geothermal brine injection shares many techniques and problems with fracking. In fact, a relatively new technology called “enhanced geothermal systems” (EGS) borrows fracking technology directly, using the same method of injecting high-pressure slurries to fracture subterranean rock formations. The only difference is that fracking releases gas, while EGS releases superheated water and steam. Like fracking for gas, geothermal fracking poisons groundwater and causes earthquakes. And like fracking for gas, geothermal fracking typically uses a wide range of toxic chemicals. At one site in Oregon, these include naphthalene, safranin, rhodamine, lithium, cesium, rubidium, fluorescein, plastics, and any number of trade-secret compounds. This technology is already used in Nevada, Oregon, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere." ---- #Greenwashing #BrightGreenLies #Geothermal #Ecocide #Waste #Overconsumption More about the Baltazor project: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/humboldt-river-field-office-publish-final-environmental-assessment-baltazor More about the book Bright Green Lies: https://www.maxwilbert.org/books/

...

Jeff Corwin begins in the historic city of Boston to help aid the recovery of peregrine falcons with Defenders of Wildlife staff. To learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode, visit

Jeff Corwin begins in the historic city of Boston to help aid the recovery of peregrine falcons with Defenders of Wildlife staff. To learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode, visit www.defenders.org/wildlifenation Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: For today's adventure, we're heading to my home state of Massachusetts and a place called Deer Island in the middle of Boston Harbor.  This island is the location of a state of the art  massive wastewater treatment plant that cleans over 1200 million gallons of wastewater every day. It's also home for a family of peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on earth, capable of  reaching speeds of more than 200 miles an hour.   Jeff Corwin: I'm with Jacob Malcolm. He's the director of Defenders of Wildlife's Center for Conservation Innovation. So basically, you guys are trying to figure out how you integrate technology with policy and environmental stewardship to make it work. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: Yep. It's one of the most exciting parts about my work, is the fact that we get to work on solutions. It's really overlooked often that we do have lots of opportunities to do more for wildlife. Jeff Corwin: The peregrine falcons that live here are a perfect example of this. In the wild, falcons typically build their nests on high cliffs. So to give this species a helping hand in a dense urban environment, the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife have teamed up with the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority to put a special nesting box at the top of this 130 foot tall filtration tank. For a family of peregrine falcons, this is the perfect penthouse. Jeff Corwin: I mean, that's kind of amazing, right? With a little bit of ingenuity and a little bit of environmental  stewardship, you can find that balance where creatures like the ultimate bird of prey can share a habitat that also belongs to human beings. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: The fact that we're here to band some peregrine falcons at a wastewater treatment facility with Boston right there just goes to prove it. Jeff Corwin: Jacob is a wildlife biologist, but you've never banded a peregrine falcon. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: I have not. Jeff Corwin: You ready? Dr. Jacob Malcolm: I'm ready. Jeff Corwin: All right, let's do it. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: Let's do it. Jeff Corwin:  In one of the most successful conservation stories in the history of our country, peregrine falcons were brought back from the brink of extinction, thanks to decades of hard work by dedicated people and organizations. To keep track of this species' recovery, biologists place small identification bands around the legs of every falcon chick they find. Today, we're helping wildlife biologist, Dave Paulson, and his team from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to band the falcon chicks that live at the top of this tower. Jeff Corwin: But first, we'll need to face some strong winds and some very devoted and determined parents. Dave Paulson: Now, Jeff, be real careful with this. Jeff Corwin: Be real careful. Wow. Jeff Corwin: As soon as we open the door, we see her, a mother peregrine falcon, ready to protect her nest and her offspring at any cost.  As soon as we remove the guardrails and step onto the catwalk... Dave Paulson: She's coming right in for you. Jeff Corwin: She begins to dive bomb our team with incredible speed. Dave Paulson: Coming in hot. She's coming in from below. Come on go right to the box. Jeff Corwin:  This right here is a nesting box for a peregrine falcon. Dave Paulson: She's getting close, getting close, getting close. Jeff Corwin: Above us we have two very, very devoted, I would say slightly aggressive. Dave Paulson: Yep. Jeff Corwin: Peregrine falcons. They're a bonded pair. And this female, she wants us to have nothing to do with her next generation, what for her is the most precious thing in the world. Dave Paulson: I know everyone's focused on her, but if someone wants to keep a peripheral open for or the other one. Dave Paulson: Right up there. Jeff Corwin: We got to be very careful. We're being dive bombed by these parents. And it's a long way down. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: It is. Jeff Corwin: So inside we have... Ah, look at that. We have these. Oh my gosh. Look at this. Look at that. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: It's fantastic. Gigantic eye, sharp beak, great talons. Built for speed and flight. Jeff Corwin: Just take a moment to reflect at what we're doing. We're holding a species that in this part of  the world was extinct for almost 30 years. Today we have 50 pairs successfully surviving and breeding. Dave Paulson: Correct, 50 known pairs here in Massachusetts. And the big thing here is most of these aren't  on natural cliff sites. You're talking buildings, bridges, quarries. They've really take  to the developed landscape really well. We've hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

...

How concentrated solar power could fuel the future Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo Learn skills from the world's top minds at Big Think Edge:

How concentrated solar power could fuel the future Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo Learn skills from the world's top minds at Big Think Edge: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What if we could not only harness the power of the sun, but actually use it to run the entire planet? Concentrated solar power (CSP) has the potential to do just that — using arrays of revolving mirrors called heliostats, light is reflected into a massive receiver. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, the cost to replicate these Sunlight Refineries™ is dropping. Soon solar energy will be cleaner and cheaper than using fossil fuels, which could mean adoption on a global scale. Heliogen, a company founded by Bill Gross and backed by Bill Gates, wants to eliminate all uses of fossil fuels. Using cameras, AI, and machine learning, they are working to make these CSP systems smarter and much more efficient. This episode is from Hard Reset, a Freethink original series about rebuilding the world from scratch and reimagining everything from first principles. Catch more Hard Reset episodes on their channel: https://www.freethink.com/shows/hard-reset ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT: NARRATOR: This might look like a death ray, but it's not. It's actually... One enormous, very accurate magnifying glass. NARRATOR: This magnifying glass has a technical name, a sunlight refinery. To use it, find somewhere really sunny, plop down a bunch of mirrors, bounce the sunlight into a single spot and you can melt just about anything. Okay, so it is kind of death ray-ish. Why do this? Because manufacturing steel or cement requires a lot of heat and making something super hot has historically meant burning dinosaurs. STEVE SCHELL: You look at the massive carbon footprint that is associated with these industrial applications and it can't be ignored. NARRATOR: Twenty percent of global carbon emissions to be precise. And because this technology is so good, it might just change the entire energy industry. And prevent World War III in the process. This is "Hard Reset," a series about rebuilding our world from scratch. Just east of Six Flags and north of LA is a place called Lancaster, which is very flat, very hot and a perfect place to test a takeover of the world's energy supply. [dramatic music] Yeah, that sounded more Bond villain-y than I thought it would. Anyway, these are called heliostats and the reason this solar refinery works so well is that under these mirrors and shot glasses are pretty simple motors that they can control remotely. And this allows the mirrors to change angles throughout the day, depending on where the sun is. How do they know where the sun is? Interns. No, AI, of course. BILL GROSS: You need to take each of thousands of mirrors and point them very, very precisely, accurate to about 1/10 or 1/20 of a degree. NARRATOR: That's Bill Gross, genius visionary and founder of over 150 companies. Also super nice guy. GROSS: Thank you, I really appreciate it. NARRATOR: At the top of the tower, high-resolution cameras monitor the position of the mirrors below. SCHELL: You can actually see the two at the top are the easiest to pick out 'cause they're on booms above the receiver. NARRATOR: So Heliogen gets all those mirrors to reflect sunlight into that big target at the top. SCHELL: So what we've got just above us is the solar receiver. So you can see that's what we saw from ground level. That's where that concentrated sunlight is focused when the field is operating. NARRATOR: The cameras know if the mirrors are bouncing into the sun because those cameras are assessing the quality of the sky's blue. Let's break that down with Steve, who has cool tattoos. SCHELL: This is my robot battle armor and what I have here is a jungle on an alien planet with robots tending the garden. NARRATOR: And is in charge of the technology stuff here. SCHELL: What these cameras see is the reflection of the sky close to the sun. Close to the sun, the sky appears very bright from the scattered sunlight coming through it and the further away from the sun you look, the darker or less bright that patch of sky appears to be. NARRATOR: So the cameras look at the color blue and the AI uses that information to assess the distance from the sun, deduce the orientation of the mirror and therefore, where the beam is going. SCHELL: So every few seconds, we get a measurement of where that beam is going and we can command the heliostat to make small corrections to optimize its tracking. In this industry, that is a complete game changer 'cause now we don't rely on the hardware to be so precise, we have software to make it precise. So it really changes everything about how that plant... To read the full transcript, please go to https://bigthink.com/videos/concentrated-solar-power

...

Former Yale professor Morgan Levine shares 3 ways to change your diet to extend your life. Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ►

Former Yale professor Morgan Levine shares 3 ways to change your diet to extend your life. Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 Up next, The science of super longevity ► https://youtu.be/B_CqKVU19ec Dr. Morgan Levine, author of "True Age," explains how the impact of diet on aging and longevity is determined by three factors: quantity, quality, and timing of food intake. First, caloric restriction, typically a 20% reduction in overall calorie intake, has been linked to increased lifespan in several animal models. However, the positive effects may stem from avoiding overeating rather than restriction per se. Second, a plant-based diet, with less animal products and refined sugars and more fruits, veggies, and whole foods, seems beneficial for aging and longevity. Third, fasting, or limiting eating to specific time windows, might mimic the benefits of caloric restriction by causing 'hormesis', mild stressors that boost resilience to aging-related changes. The optimal diet is likely individual, influenced by factors like genetics and age, and should be monitored through measures of biological age and personal well-being. Future research into aging biomarkers could further our understanding of diet's role in the aging process. 0:00 Does diet affect aging? 0:35 #1 Caloric restriction 1:40 #2 What you eat 2:07 #3 When you eat: fasting 2:38 Hormesis: Building biological resilience 3:16 What is the optimal diet for you? Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/great-question/aging-and-diet ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Morgan Levine: Morgan Levine was previously a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the department of Pathology at Yale University where she ran the Laboratory for Aging in Living Systems. In 2022, she was recruited to join Altos Labs as a Founding Principal Investigator at the San Diego Institute of Science. She currently leads a research group at Altos Labs working at the intersection of bioinformatics, cellular biology, complex systems, and biostatistics with the overall goal of understanding the molecular trajectories aging cells, tissues, and organisms take through time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read more of our stories on aging: Aging gratefully: Will you be happier in old age? ► https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/happiness-old-age/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description Blood test can calculate your true biological age ► https://bigthink.com/health/calculate-your-biological-age/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description The brain undergoes a great “rewiring” after age 40 ► https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/great-brain-rewiring-after-age-40/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think Our mission is to make you smarter, faster. Watch interviews with the world’s biggest thinkers on science, philosophy, business, and more. ► Big Think+ Looking to ignite a learning culture at your company? Prepare your workforce for the future with educational courses from the world’s biggest thinkers. Trusted by Ford, Marriot, Bank of America, and many more. Learn how Big Think+ can empower your people today: https://bigthink.com/plus/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want more Big Think? ► Daily editorial features: https://bigthink.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ► Get the best of Big Think right to your inbox: https://bigthink.com/subscribe/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ► Facebook: https://bigth.ink/facebook/ ► Instagram: https://bigth.ink/Instagram/ ► Twitter: https://bigth.ink/twitter/

...

Princeton Bioethics professor Peter Singer challenges our factory food systems, the underlying psychology that fuels them, and shares a path towards more ethical eating. Subscribe to Big Think on

Princeton Bioethics professor Peter Singer challenges our factory food systems, the underlying psychology that fuels them, and shares a path towards more ethical eating. Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 Up next, Change your diet, extend your life ► https://youtu.be/eZRz7k83W-Y?si=r8W874BX905M91th Peter Singer, professor of Bioethics and author of "Animal Liberation Now," examines the deep-seated issues within our food systems, highlighting the ethical dilemmas surrounding animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and consumer choices. Through a critical lens, Singer unveils the realities of factory farming, from the confinement of egg-laying hens to the rapid growth of broiler chickens, questioning the moral justifications of speciesism and advocating for a shift towards ethical eating. He argues for the importance of considering the capacity for suffering in determining moral status, proposing plant-based diets and cultured meat as viable, sustainable alternatives. Singer’s interview encourages viewers to reflect on the impact of their dietary habits, offering insights into how informed choices can contribute to a more ethical and sustainable future. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more. https://members.bigthink.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business. https://bigthink.com/plus/great-leaders-think-big/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Peter Singer: Peter Singer has been described as the world’s most influential philosopher. Born in Melbourne in 1946, he has been professor of bioethics at Princeton University since 1999. His many books include Animal Liberation - often credited with triggering the modern animal rights movement - Practical Ethics, The Life You Can Save, The Most Good You Can Do, and Ethics in the Real World. In 2023, he published Animal Liberation Now, a fully revised and updated version of the 1975 original. Singer’s writings have also inspired the movement known as effective altruism, and he is the founder of the charity The Life You Can Save. In 2021 he was awarded the $1 million Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, which he donated to nonprofit organizations working for the causes he supports. In 2023 he received the Frontiers of Knowledge Prize for the Humanities, from the Spanish BBVA Foundation.

...

This talk was recorded live at TEDxEuropeanSustainabilityAcademy Crete, online event, 17.10.2020 Theme: Making sense of climate change on Crete;Taking Action |FOOD Kostas enjoys inspiring people and

This talk was recorded live at TEDxEuropeanSustainabilityAcademy Crete, online event, 17.10.2020 Theme: Making sense of climate change on Crete;Taking Action |FOOD Kostas enjoys inspiring people and businesses to perform their optimum 'sustainability potential'. His actions focus on helping people to understand sustainable development and develop action in agriculture, food manufacturing and tourism. Small farmers are his heroes. In this talk Kostas shares very important information about the role of soil in combatting the GHGs that are causing global warming. He gives practical advice about how current agricultural practices must change. Kostas gives a snapshot view of a multi-stakeholder collaborative project on the island of Crete to boost sustainable food production practices. This project found that a majority of travellers prefer to eat sustainable, locally produced, certified food even if it costs them more. www.localfoodexperts.com Since 2013, Kostas has been a founding member and COO of 'Local Food Experts'. LFE is a Social Co-operative Enterprise situated in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. It mainly operates in the fields of: • Primary sector organizing • Foodstuffs companies’ organizing and development • Sustainable Tourism activities’ organizing and development During 2016-2019 he was the Chief Project Manager for the project “Crete: First steps towards a Sustainable Food Destination” Between 2004 – 2013: Gastronomic tourism networks on Crete, Kostas created networks among farmers which highlight the importance of Cretan diet. These networks were open to visits by guests and visitors to the island. Kostas studied Agricultural Development & Plant Production in the Agricultural University of Athens (1983-1990). He continued with a MSc degree in Ecological Agriculture in Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands (1992-1993). 2004 he travelled to USA to be trained in Biointensive Farming by John Jeavons. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

...