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As secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Costa Rican diplomat Christiana Figueres led the global adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. But she was not always so hopeful, and recalls a turning point as she consciously shifted her attitude from despair to stubborn optimism. Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come sits down with Figueres to reve...
In times of financial crisis, we turn to national treasuries and central banks for solutions. The true power of these institutions, however, lies in their ability to prevent crises, not only economic, but also social and environmental. This panel will explore how financial leaders are leveraging the power of the national purse to address climate change and food security, l...
With crop production increasingly threatened by unpredictable weather and a world population expected to grow 30 percent by midcentury, how are we going to feed everyone? The race to reinvent the global food system is on, and solutions you’ve probably never heard of are already in play. One company is tackling problems around industrial agriculture by growing cell-based me...
Author Paul Hawken shares the remarkable story of how a diverse group of researchers from around the world came together to identify, research, and model the most substantive 100 existing solutions to bring us to drawdown — that moment when greenhouse gas levels peak and begin to drop on a year-to-year basis. He shows the path forward that can roll back global warming with...
If we imagine the future we want, instead of the future we fear, can we inspire action? It’s the year 2100. After a push in the early part of the century by students, grassroots advocates, and policymakers, nations came together and ended greenhouse gas pollution once and for all. While we couldn’t stop all of the negative impacts of climate change, the worst were avoide...
Worldwide, 10 cities have named Chief Heat Officers to address the growing threat of extreme heat. Marta Segura is leading the way in Los Angeles by connecting equity, health, and climate data to save lives and build more resilient communities. Learn how the city is making progress in the face of rising temperatures.
Coastal cities are utilizing innovative solutions to adapt to extreme weather and rising sea levels, becoming more resilient in the face of climate change. From innovative design and community engagement to policy development and cross-sector partnerships, panelists will share what they’ve learned and highlight opportunities for collaboration across cities.
As the planet warms, wildfires will proliferate in forests, grasslands, and even urban areas — threatening flora, fauna, and finances around the globe. The good news is that we aren’t helpless, even in the face of all-consuming conflagrations. Leading fire scientists share the best strategies we have for managing — and ultimately taming — the flames.
Unpredictable weather is threatening crop production and a swelling population is increasing the demand for food.
Civilization was a byproduct of humanity’s need to feed ourselves, but we still haven’t figured it out. World population continues to grow even as developing economies demand more resource-intensive food. And though we face the prospect of long-term crop-antagonistic weather, we still throw away a tremendous amount of food. Take a look at the challenges of today — and the...
The threads that connect humans to their natural environments have frayed, and some have completely severed. In an attempt to mend those we still can, designers are forging meaningful connections with nature to make reparations. Their collaborative processes — working with nature and in teams across multiple disciplines — are optimistic, but urgent. In this session, learn...
Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy. Ahead of Aspen Ideas: Climate next week, we caught up with Dr. Hayhoe to discuss tips for talking about climate change with anyone, how her faith informs her climate activism, why environmental guilt-tripping never works, and how to develop real, muscular hope.
Water is perhaps the world’s most precious and health-sustaining resource, and surely one most at risk. Microbes, lead, and other contaminants threaten access to clean and safe drinking water. Record-breaking droughts and catastrophic floods put burdensome pressure on agriculture and imperil crops. In the face of these challenges, leaders are stepping up to reimagine water...
Last year the State of Washington, one of the most progressive in the country, voted against a carbon tax. Why? Do we face major resistance as climate policies land on ballots across the country, even though awareness and concern for the issue is at a historical high? Can we avoid hurting middle-class Americans and focus instead on corporations? What is working in other co...
Christiana Figueres says she's stubbornly optimistic about addressing climate change.
What does it mean for large companies to be classified as “100 percent renewable?" What kinds of challenges does industry faces when it comes to going green? As we look down the road at our nation’s changing energy scenarios, complete with new sources of natural gas and increasing demand for renewables, a number of companies are making the kinds of energy consuming shifts...
As the world’s nations face the realities of climate change negotiation in Egypt this week at CoP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, we take a closer look at what it means to care for wild places. For some indigenous groups, just the concept of “wild” land is foreign, but many of these groups do recognize when land is out of balance. The extreme floods and fi...
China is the world’s biggest energy consumer and carbon emitter. It needs more energy, and it wants it cleaner. So it’s pursuing the biggest push for low-carbon energy the world has ever seen. But China’s green drive is messy and uncertain – full of geopolitical fighting, technological uncertainty, and investor risk. What’s happening? Who’s profiting? And will it do much f...
How is constitutional law being harnessed to address climate change? Ahead of Aspen Ideas: Climate, we caught up with Andrea Rodgers, Senior Attorney at Our Children's Trust, whose environmental law practice is fighting on behalf of young people and future generations.