In order to reach global net-zero emissions by 2050, we must remove CO2 from the atmosphere as well as prevent further emissions. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) can be accomplished naturally -- through forests, soil sequestration, or mineralization -- and technologically. In fact, we will need both natural and technological CDR methods to get to net-zero. So what methods exist that remove carbon from the atmosphere? What are their respective costs, how do they compare, and which are already on...

California is a pioneer in researching the impacts of and solutions to climate change. Getting to carbon neutral - or net zero carbon emissions - is key to curbing our increasingly warming planet. Dr. Roger Aines of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory talks with Climate Now's James Lawler about the latest research on ways to capture carbon. Series: "Sustainable California" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 37993]

Conservation is common to all societies which learned to live within ecosystem limits. In breaking the evolutionary and biological straight-jackets constricting other species, we became the ultimate multi-niche free-ranging species. Our rise to global conquest and ecological emancipation from nature through domestication and manufacturing expanded conservation for survival to saving whales, elephants, the Acropolis and Mona Lisa. The universal rules for overcoming a tragedy of the commons...

The impacts of climate change and the urgency to act have not gone unnoticed in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Institute of the Americas (IOA) has released a policy white paper entitled, Nationally Determined Contributions Across the America: A Comparative Hemispheric Analysis in an effort to better assess progress made to date by countries across the Americas in delivering on their climate commitments. The white paper provides a timely snapshot of progress made, while also...

Skyelark Ranch, owned an operated by UC Davis graduate Alexis Robertson and her husband Gillies, uses rotational grazing while raising sheep, which can benefit plant growth, drought resistance, and the climate. The grazing encourages plant growth, which through photosynthesis, captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil, where it can create healthier soils and stay out of our atmosphere. Series: "UC Davis Fillers" [Show ID: 34110]

Can geoengineering save the planet? Injecting particles into the atmosphere to counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to a new analysis by UC Berkeley researchers. Shading the planet keeps things cooler, which helps crops grow better. But plants also need sunlight to grow, so blocking sunlight can affect growth. [Show ID: 33999]

Can geoengineering save the planet? Injecting particles into the atmosphere to counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to a new analysis by UC Berkeley researchers. Shading the planet keeps things cooler, which helps crops grow better. But plants also need sunlight to grow, so blocking sunlight can affect growth. [Show ID: 33999]

As we rethink our energy use, we focus on the highest polluters, and at a global scale. But energy use at a much finer scale seriously threatens the health and safety of hundreds of millions of people who still cook on inefficient wood stoves in developing countries. Berkeley professor Ashok Gadgil and his students launched the Berkeley Darfur Stove project to design and build efficient and inexpensive stoves. They then created a non-profit to manufacture the $20 stoves in Mumbai. The...

Since we don’t yet know how fast and how high sea levels are going to rise, Berkeley urban designer Kristina Hill stresses that our strategies must be ready and be adaptive as conditions change. Rising seas pose multiple dangers. Groundwater rises on top of sea level causing inland flooding. What can we do to prepare? Kristina Hill says a fundamental principle of landscape architecture -- "dig a hole, make a mound” -- offers a time-tested strategy. Series: "Cal Future Forum: Our Changing...

At a time of uncertain water supplies, how can we get the most use of our water? By passing water through a material called a reverse osmosis membrane, adding a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and exposing it to ultraviolet light, engineers in Orange County, California have been turning what used to be considered useless wastewater into drinking water for more than 25 years. David Sedlak’s research team at Berkeley has developed technologies to improve the treatment processes. Series: "Cal...

We are on a straight-line trajectory that connects increased emissions to a much warmer and much stranger climate. Are there pathways for escaping from the up-escalator of climate change? UC Berkeley Professor Bill Collins examines the key culprits, carbon dioxide and “black carbon” from ordinary diesel combustion. Series: "Cal Future Forum: Our Changing World" [Show ID: 33068]

Dan Kammen’s Berkeley research group has revealed the need for a dramatic shift to electricity and away from both fossil and biofuels. Meanwhile, 1.3 billion people – 15 percent of the world population – still lack electricity, and their growing demand for it would raise – not lower – global temperatures. The solution, Kammen says, must be local. He sees great promise in efforts to bring together new technologies with best practices to electrify those who don’t have power and to “green it”...

Drawing on personal experiences of living with the Maasai tribe in east Africa and the Inuit of Greenland – whose cultures and resilience derive from living in constantly changing environments - Jacqueline McGlade explores how mind-sets, economies and ecosystems can become (re)active and more resilient to an increasingly uncertain world. McGlade has pioneered research in the dynamics of ecosystems, citizen science and social and environmental informatics. Series: "Bren School of Environmental...

Kelly Ferguson is the Director of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Energize California Program, an initiative of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. She is a lifelong Green Entrepreneur and Eco Warrior. She works to accelerate clean energy development by supporting energy entrepreneurs and startups and helping them get access to the business and technical resources they need to bring new technology to market. Series: "Innovator Stories: Creating Something from Nothing" [Show ID: 33056]

Nationally prominent chefs, fishermen, academics, and activists call on consumers to choose local species of fish when possible to protect the longterm vitality of harvested seafood and the wellbeing of the oceans. Tommy Gomes, fishmonger, speaks on the marketing and perceptions of seafood. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Show ID: 33150]

In “Behind ‘Farm to Table’: The Labor of Farming,” a panel of farmers, chefs, and farm advocates address the challenges of 21st century farming, including attracting a younger generation to this notoriously difficult field.  With more farms per capita than any other county in the United States, San Diego is poised to lead on connecting urban and rural communities by encouraging consumers to buy locally grown produce and to support farm-friendly public policies that benefit the entire region....

Jennifer Granholm, the former Governor of Michigan and now on faculty at UC Berkeley, makes a rousing case for how electric driverless cars will lead to new industries, cleaner air, more mobility and a higher quality of life as commuters relax while in transit. Governor Granholm was the featured speaker in the Fall 2017 Board Dinner of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.   Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID:...

“Ram” Ramanathan, chief architect of the “Bending the Curve” report, lays out the Top Ten Scalable Solutions to global climate change. V. Ramanathan is a Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanograph, UC San Diego. Series: "UC Carbon and Climate Neutrality Summit: UC Climate Solutions" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 30300]

Calla Rose Ostrander of Kiss the Ground shares insights into habitat conservation. Ostrander promotes the use of managed grazing to bring about flourishing habitats and species. Series: "UCTV Prime" [Show ID: 32984]

By focusing on a current water issue, students in public schools learn the science behind the problem and then exercise the scientific method in determining a unique solution to the problem with their classmates.  The students develop teamwork and communication skills while figuring out innovative ways to problem solve- skills that are beneficial beyond the classroom.  Series: "UCTV Prime" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 32394]

It’s not often that the California State Treasurer makes national news, but that’s exactly what happened when John Chiang suspended ties with Wells Fargo last year over the bank’s creation of some two million fraudulent accounts. With its $75 billion portfolio, Chiang describes how California sets the example for holding partners to high ethical standards and for public investing in policies that lead to better lives for its residents, reductions in income inequality, and effective...