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Energy Switch
King Coal
Season 7
Episode 10
Coal is still the dominant source of electricity worldwide. That’s because it’s available domestically in many countries, and is cheap and easy to mine, transport and burn. But those benefits come with serious downsides: local air pollution and global CO2 emissions. We discuss with Dr. Rahul Tongia from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, and Dr. Mark Thurber from Stanford University.
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Our expert guests agree climate change is a problem, but disagree on its urgency.
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We need more powerlines; we discuss challenges to building them, and potential solutions.
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Plastic has many benefits, but recycling it has many challenges, including energy and emissions.
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Electric vehicles, air conditioning, decarbonization targets and efficiency in India.
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We’ll look first at India’s electrification goals, and the tension between coal and solar.
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We test the energy and climate knowledge of American students -- and you.
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Ideas, on both the supply and demand sides, to make our electric grid more reliable.
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Protecting energy systems from weather, wildfires, cyber- and criminal attacks.
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We look at the causes and effects of sea level rise, and potential solutions to adapt.
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Puzzling conflicts in energy and climate, and ideas to square perception with reality.
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Ideas to decarbonize fertilizer, petrochemicals and plastics, by switching feedstocks.