3 TED Talks to Feed Your Thoughts

How about a coffee with a climate change expert? Over the course of the next week, I invite you to three coffee-dates with a president, an entrepreneur, and a scientist. Each specialist will provide you with information and questions to spark your thoughts around climate change and sustainability.

Mary Robinson “Why climate change is a threat to human rights” (~22 min) –

Lock onto daily activities and local concerns, I often forget how my local actions can influence the population of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. If that also happens to you, the former president of Ireland Mary Robinson will remind you why you should call for policies that will mitigate climate changes and promote fairness to all the people in this world. We need a just transition from fossil fuels to make sure that “No one is left behind.”

 

Ray Anderson “The business logic of sustainability” (~16 min)

Although not the greatest speaker, the founder of Interface Ray Anderson presents an ingenious revision to the conceptual model of environmental impact. As a recovering plunderer, he sets the precedent for how petroleum-intensive business can divest from fossil fuels to become sustainable, profitable, and happy companies.

 

David MacKay “A reality check on renewables” (~18 min)

So far we have heard why we should care about climate change, and how we can go about rethinking the fossil fuel model. What then can be done to keep it in the ground? The information theorist and computer scientist David MacKay will walk you through the renewable energy dilemma. More than big changes in our energy sources, his calculations show that the low-carbon revolution will also require low-carbon consumption.

 

These are ideas that I think not only worth spreading, but should be rooted deeply in our society. So hurry, set up the dates at your convenience, and maybe let us know how it went for you. Enjoy!

 

The author: Georgia West is an ecologist who decided to go on weekly lunch-dates with experts from all around the world. She became TED-addicted from that experience.