Ben Yeoh Chats Benjamin Yeoh

Alyssa Gilbert, the director of the Center for Climate Change Innovation at the Grantham Institute, talks about the current gaps in climate technology investments. She discusses her research into areas that are currently underfunded, including transport and energy. She also covers the importance of energy efficiency, especially in relation to the built environment. Alyssa emphasizes the necessity of various models in the fight against climate change, including private sector initiatives, philanthropy, and governmental grants - and highlights the need for a diverse range of solutions. She also speaks about the innovation within the London climate tech ecosystem and shares her perspective on various topics including carbon offsets, behavior change, and geoengineering.

Transcript/Video here: https://www.thendobetter.com/investing/2024/3/1/alyssa-gilbert-climate-tech-innovation-policy-technology-podcast




00:15 Discussion on Climate Technology Investment


01:15 Exploring Areas of Underinvestment in Climate Change


01:54 Climate Change Adaptation and Innovation


02:23 The Role of Heavy Industry in Climate Change


03:15 Climate Change Policies and Energy Efficiency


05:10 Challenges in Implementing Energy Efficiency


08:09 Debate on Degrowth vs Techno-optimism


11:34 Role of Venture Capital and Philanthropy in Climate Change


16:11 London's Climate Tech Ecosystem


21:58 Pitching Climate Change Ideas


24:17 Role of Big Companies in Climate Change Innovation


25:49 The Importance of Corporate Involvement in Innovation


26:26 A Glimpse into a Day in the Life of a Climate Innovator


29:13 Overrated or Underrated: A Discussion on Climate Solutions


40:48 Exciting Projects on the Horizon


44:02 Advice for Those Interested in Climate Action

Garrett Graff, a writer and historian who specializes in 'near history', discusses his book, 'UFO', about the US government's search for alien life. He touches upon how we often misunderstand UFO sightings, suggesting they could be due to a mix of physical anomalies and governmental or adversary secret flight technologies. Graff also shares his belief in the possibility of alien civilizations, arguing probabilities suggest the existence of life outside Earth. He then relates UFO conspiracies to a societal mistrust in government and institutions, tying it back to events like the Watergate scandal. Graff finally introduces his forthcoming oral history book on D-Day, emphasizing how his work emphasizes explaining and organizing complex events in an understandable and comprehensive way.

"When people ask 'do UFOs?'...That's not actually the question that they mean. The question that they really mean is, 'are we alone?' Because the truth of the matter is of course UFOs exist. All a UFO is an unidentified flying object, and there are things out there that we don't know what they are. Whether those are extraterrestrial is a very different question and potentially unrelated to the question of, are there extraterrestrials."

Transcript and video available here: https://www.thendobetter.com/arts/2024/2/14/garrett-graff-aliens-mysteries-of-ufos-watergate-911-government-trust-podcast

Contents:


00:31 Exploring the Mysteries of UFOs


03:05 The Probability of Alien Life


06:21 The Government's Role in UFO Research


19:03 The Impact of Conspiracy Theories


29:40 The Connection Between UFOs and Politics


33:28 The Importance of Trust in Government


47:21 The Writing Process and Future Projects

In this in-depth conversation, data scientist and researcher Hannah Ritchie delves into key insights from her new book 'Not The End of The World', which challenges the pervasive idea that human society is doomed due to environmental degradation. She explores various environmental problems, including climate change and plastic pollution, and emphasizes the potential for progress in tackling these critical issues. Hannah also discusses the essential role of technology and outlines the importance of lifting people out of poverty as a measure against climate change. Her argument centers around the balance of environmental change and human impact in achieving a sustainable planet. Furthermore, she provides advice on dealing with climate anxiety, career progression, and essential work ethics. Link to transcript, video and more here: www.thendobetter.com/arts/2024/1/26/hannah-ritchie-sustainability-progress-not-the-end-of-the-world-podcast



Approach: Hannah's work is primarily driven by data, focusing on the interplay between sustainability, climate change, and patterns of global development. Her new book, "Not the End of the World," addresses one of the most significant challenges of our time - environmental sustainability. 

In the book, Hannah dispels a range of myths associated with environmental issues. She counters the prevailing narrative which claims we are doomed and there's nothing left to do about our environmental crisis. Instead, she believes we can change the narrative and become the first generation to build a sustainable planet.

Tackling Climate Change:   

Hannah's optimism for combating climate change stems from the significant strides made in technology, especially renewable energy technologies. These technologies are no longer mere futuristic imaginings. They are realistic, economical, and deployable on a large scale. 

However, she acknowledges the difficulty of the task at hand. The world is on track for 2 and a half to 3 degrees of warming which puts us in challenging terrain. We need rapid technological change coupled with significant societal transformation to alter our trajectory. 

Addressing Biodiversity Loss: 

Biodiversity loss, according to Hannah, is among the most challenging problems explored in her book. The manifestation of this crisis is nuanced as it involves intricate geo-political and economic dynamics. While technology can help, solving the biodiversity crisis will require simultaneous action on many fronts, from controlling deforestation to addressing climate change and overfishing. 

Hana Loftus is a co-founder of HAT Projects. HAT are award winning architects, planners and enablers for the built environment. Projects include: London’s Science Museum Smith Centre, transformation of Trinity Works (a disused church), Ely Museum, Jerwood gallery and Jaywick Sands’ Sunspot. As well as practising planning and design, she writes on the subject and plays a great fiddle and violin.

Transcript and Video here: https://www.thendobetter.com/arts/2024/1/10/hana-loftus-architecture-regeneration-planning-resilience-design-podcast

The discussion is around the challenges and opportunities in architecture and urban planning. The topics range from finding systemic housing solutions for poverty-stricken communities in Alabama, exploring the importance of practical real-world experiences for architecture students, 

"I think as a young architect, firstly learning how a building is actually put together; nailing bits of wood together, wiring a house, plumbing a house, pouring foundations, all of that practical stuff is critical... And anybody can do that. Anybody can get tools and learn how to build something."

and discussing the Sunspot project that addresses affordable business units in Jaywick Sands, a poor area of east England. Hana talks about the lifespan and adaptability of buildings. She highlights the critical aspect of maintaining quality in construction and the risks in cost-cutting, referencing the Grenfell tragedy.

We discuss the political challenges of the Green Belt policy, proposing a 'finger model' for development, and the importance of exploring rural domains. Hana emphasises acquiring practical experience and making a concrete impact in the world.

Transcript and summary bullet points below.


Building Houses and Rural Studio Experience


Understanding the Realities of Rural Alabama


The Impact of Building with Your Own Hands


Working with the Community: The Story of Miss Phillips


The Importance of the Front Porch in Southern Homes


Reflections on Building Experience


Transition from Alabama to East of England: Jaywick Sands


Understanding the History and Challenges of Jaywick Sands


The Regeneration Strategy for Jaywick Sands


The Complexities of Place-Based Regeneration


The Role of Consultation in Community Development


The Sunspot Project: A Case Study in Localised Economic Stimulation


Reflections on the Success of the Sunspot Project


The Balance Between Planning and Unplanning in Community Development. The role of beauty.


Nationwide Economic and Climate Perspective


Local Agency and Development Opposition, Challenges in the Planning System


Inequality and Climate Resilience 


Design Codes and Pattern Books: A Debate


The Aesthetics of Development and Cultural Relevance


The Lifespan of Buildings: 


The Future of Building Design and Sustainability


The Role of Transport in Sustainable Planning


The Impact of Construction Industry Structure


Rethinking Greenbelt Policy for Sustainable Development


Current and Future Projects: A Glimpse


Life Advice: Making a Mark in the World

Lucy Easthope is a professor, lecturer and leading authority on emergency planning and recovering from disaster. Lucy has advised on major disasters over the last decades including the 2004 tsunami, 9/11, the Salisbury poisonings, Grenfell, and the Covid pandemic and most recently the war in Ukraine. She challenges others to think differently about what comes next after tragic events, and how to plan for future ones.

Her book When the Dust Settles is both memoir of her life in disaster recovery and a personal journey through life, love and loss.

I ask Lucy about what she is hopeful about looking to the future. 

"I think one of the things is this ability to be able to back, back and forth between really terrible thoughts and risks which we have to do in emergency planning, and then just take incredible joy from a moment in the day... My work is one of the greatest privileges of it; is just seeing people being great a lot. So that gives me a lot of hope."

We talk about how many disasters I’ve been a by-stander to (Thailand tsunami, 9/11, Grenfell, 7/7, mortar bomb attack) and how disaster is recurring. 



We chat about Lucy’s activism from young and growing up around Liverpool. 

Lucy has been very involved around personal items, and the belongings of people in disasters.

I ask  about why it's such an important part of Lucy’s work. We chat about the interdisciplinary nature of here work.

We talk about the Welsh notion of hiraeth /ˈhɪərʌɪθ/. This longing for a place to which there is no return.

I ask about Lucy’s writing process and how she writes. We talk about themes in her life and writing such as working class roots and feminism. We discuss the importance of humour and why Lucy is pranked a lot.

We touch on Lucy’s personal losses of miscarriage.

I ask about what is misunderstood about disaster management and what organisations and people can do. How to think about balancing risk and opportunity. We talk about the problems of systemic and structural challenges.

We end on Lucy’s current projects and her life advice.

“Don't go to work on a row. I was reflecting with a friend recently and she said, "A lot of people say that they live life as if it's precious and you might not be here tomorrow, or the people you love might not be here tomorrow. But you Lucy, really do." And what does that look like? Everybody I love knows that I love them. Every time I say goodbye to my children, every time I go to work, it's always on the premise of how fragile this is. I think if we remember that, it sets us up to perhaps be kinder to each other. I also think that one of the most important things to me is to go back to those basics about particularly as we go into yet another difficult winter or difficult times, is think about just that couple of things that can make a difference. I think people are very anxious about trying to save the whole world. You don't need to save the whole world, just make somebody a cup of tea. Just make that tiny little kind of chaos theory difference, and that's enough.



Transcript and video: https://www.thendobetter.com/arts/2023/12/10/lucy-easthope-disaster-recovery-risk-hope-planning-memoir-when-the-dust-settles-podcast

Nina Gené is CEO of Jasmine Social Investments. Nina leads Jasmine’s investment strategy and diligence process, guiding the team to identify and support the next generation of great social entrepreneurs. Jasmine funds high-performing social ventures and outstanding social entrepreneurs who are solving a basic need of the very poor.

Ben and Nina discuss what venture philanthropy means and the Jasmine strategy on philanthropy.

We delve  into the investment process that Jasmine uses. How Nina identifies opportunities, the type of qualities Nina looks for in a social entrepreneur and an organisation.

We discuss success investment examples, how we might think of impact investing and how it may differ from grants. We talk about the advantages of being neutral to structure, ie, being able to fund using grants, debt or equity. Whatever suits. 

We chat about the influence of venture investing and how entrepreneurs think. How Jasmine shares information and due diligence and what help they give investee companies.

We talk about measuring impact, and the challenges of scaling up.

We mentioned the pros and cons of working in New Zealand, whether Spanish food is under rated and finish on advice Nina has.

Nina on the importance of the ability to scale:

“I'd say that scale is one of the most important criteria that we have because we want to make bets on people that will end up figuring it out and have a survey that will save lives. When this happens, we obviously want this to go to millions and millions of people; so that's kind of the hope and dream of it. The way we define scale we define it as an intervention that can reach up to 1 million people. It doesn't necessarily need to be multi-country. We work with an organization called Luala that are influencing the way that health is provided to a million people in one district in Kenya. That's very important and we support those groups during the R&D phase.

But what we do expect then is to scale the work only when they have that strong evidence on hand, but also the right economics of that impact. We support them through that journey and fund them as long as they show us success every year. That's why having a set of metrics and scorecards and milestones-- We're not sticklers for, "Oh, you said you were going to do ten and you've only done nine. You're out the door." We understand that there are ups and downs and we're very long term funders.”



Transcript is here.

⁠Video with captions is available here.⁠