Best Dr. Melissa Lott Podcasts (2024)

1
Part 5: The Battery Recycling Dilemma 33:23

1M ago33:23

33:23

This is the final episode of a five-part series exploring the lithium-ion battery supply chain. If you haven’t listened to the first four episodes, we recommend you start there. So far over this season we've traced the global lithium-ion battery supply chain from mining to processing to manufacturing. And we've put it all into a geopolitical and ec…

1
Part 4: The Great Battery Manufacturing Race 45:53

2M ago45:53

45:53

This is the fourth episode of a five-part series exploring the lithium-ion battery supply chain. If you haven’t listened to the first three episodes, we recommend you start there. China has been the world's biggest battery manufacturer for over a decade. Chinese companies got in the game early, building an industry from scratch in the 2000s. By 202…

1
Part 3: The High Stakes for Battery Ingredients 40:11

2M ago40:11

40:11

This is the third episode of a five-part series exploring the lithium-ion battery supply chain. If you haven’t listened to the first two episodes, we recommend you start there. Batteries can replace gasoline in our cars, or diesel in our generators, with electricity. But batteries and petroleum-based fuels share something in common: they both rely …

1
Part 2: The Mining Conundrum For Critical Minerals 38:12

2M ago38:12

38:12

This is the second episode of a five-part series exploring the lithium-ion battery supply chain. If you haven’t listened to the first episode, we recommend you start there. To produce enough batteries to reach global net-zero goals, the International Energy Agency says we'll need to increase production of critical minerals by six fold by 2040. It's…

1
Part 1: Are Batteries the New Oil? 44:29

2M ago44:29

44:29

We need to electrify much of the global economy in order to hit net-zero emissions by 2050. That means installing a lot of batteries in our cars, buildings, and across the grid to balance vast amounts of wind and solar. The supply chain behind all those batteries could be worth nearly half a trillion dollars by 2030. Whoever controls that supply ch…

1
A preview of season 4: Batteries are taking over the world 2:54

3M ago2:54

2:54

Batteries are finding their way into everything – from cars to heavy equipment to the electric grid. But scaling up production to meet the demands of a net-zero economy is complicated and contentious. In this 5-episode season, we’re digging into the ways batteries are made and asking: what gets mined, traded, and consumed on the road to decarboniza…

1
Degrees: The fastest electric vehicle fleet makeover in the West 32:16

6M ago32:16

32:16

This week, we’re running an episode of Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers, from our friends at Environmental Defense Fund: “The fastest electric vehicle fleet makeover in the west”. Degrees is an action hub for green job seekers to find career guidance and connect to a community of mentors, especially now that green jobs are among the f…

1
Part 5: A Crisis Reshapes the Energy Transition 46:30

10M ago46:30

46:30

This is the fifth episode of a five-part series exploring the European energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If you haven’t listened to the first four episodes, we recommend you start there. In March of 2022, European officials unveiled a plan to push their energy transition much further, much faster – and rid their dependence …

1
Part 4: Heat Pumps for Peace 23:35

10M ago23:35

23:35

This is the fourth episode of a five-part series exploring the European energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If you haven’t listened to the first three episodes, we recommend you start there. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Germans and Poles installed heat pumps and residential solar panels to reduce their dependen…

1
Part 3: Poland’s Coal Legacy and Nuclear Future 24:35

10M ago24:35

24:35

This is the third episode of a five-part series exploring the European energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If you haven’t listened to the first two episodes, we recommend you start there. Even with a plan to phase down fossil fuel use, Poland still gets 70% of its electricity from coal. Can a country so dependent on coal make…

1
Part 2: Inside Germany’s Race for Renewables 34:25

10M ago34:25

34:25

This is the second episode of a five-part series exploring the European energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If you haven’t listened to the first episode, we recommend you start there. Germany has grown its wind and solar sectors dramatically over the past 20 years. And yet, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy …

1
Part 1: An Energy Crisis in the Making 33:44

10M ago33:44

33:44

Putin’s assault on Ukraine triggered an energy crisis that sent Europe’s economies into a tailspin and put the European energy transition to the test. But how did the European Union, a leader in climate action, become so dependent on Russian oil and gas to begin with? This season, we look at the energy systems of Germany and Poland. Both have very …

1
A preview of season 3: Europe’s energy crisis 4:10

11M ago4:10

4:10

Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked supply shortages, fears of blackouts, and a scramble to find new sources of energy. In this season of The Big Switch we’re trying to answer the trillion-dollar question: Will the energy crisis speed up or slow down Europe’s clean energy transition? And what will it mean for the rest of the world? Over the next f…

1
In Kenya It’s Geothermal for the Win 25:44

1+ y ago25:44

25:44

Geothermal energy doesn’t get near the attention that wind and solar do. But to decarbonize our energy systems, we need a team of net zero technologies. And despite geothermal’s low profile, it’s an always-on, zero carbon technology that can complement intermittent renewables like wind and solar. So could geothermal become a bigger player on the ne…

1
California’s Climate Czar on Banning Gas Cars 26:33

1+ y ago26:33

26:33

There’s been a pretty major shake-up in the world of transit decarbonization. This summer, the California Air Resources Board – a state organization that regulates air quality – approved a rule mandating that by 2035, all new cars sold in California will be zero-emissions. This rule will transform California's car market; and deliver some huge clim…

1
From Landfill to Solar Farm in a Black Houston Neighborhood 28:04

1+ y ago28:04

28:04

In this episode, a former oil-and-gas man named Efrem Jernigan catches the solar bug. Inspired by the potential for lower energy bills and green jobs, he looks into bringing solar to the neighborhood he grew up in, a historically black part of Houston called Sunnyside. But for many Sunnyside residents, the technology is out of reach: Many are rente…

1
Taking Co(a)l out of Colorado 23:23

1+ y ago23:23

23:23

On this show we talk a lot about the “big switch” to zero-carbon energy sources. But there’s another kind of switch that needs to happen, too. You might have heard the term “just transition” before – the idea that as we make the switch to new energy sources, we also have to help transition the workers and communities that produce that energy to new…

1
EV charging stations have an equity problem 25:52

1+ y ago25:52

25:52

Frogs. Bees. Finicky software. There are a lot of things that can cause an electric vehicle charging station to break. We need to replace fossil-fuel powered vehicles with EVs as soon as possible—but if the stations don’t work, it will slow the adoption of EVs. In Los Angeles, two Black women have started training a small army of technicians to fix…

1
Clean heat for all 23:06

1+ y ago23:06

23:06

We’re switching things up a bit for the next few weeks. Instead of continuing our sector-by-sector decarbonization tour, we’re taking you to the front lines of the energy transition – to communities where the big switch to a zero carbon future is already underway. We’re starting with New York City, where there’s a project underway that’s tackling d…

1
Cookin' with Electrons 22:15

2y ago22:15

22:15

Building codes: they might sound boring, but they’re actually the front lines in a nationwide battle to decarbonize our buildings. And they do a lot more than keeping your home from falling down over your head. They regulate everything from energy efficiency, to the kind of fuel your stove runs on, to whether your building has an electric vehicle c…

1
1-800-DECARBONIZE-MY-BUILDING 25:32

2y ago25:32

25:32

There are 5.5 million commercial buildings in the U.S. Why are only 700 of them net-zero? We have the technology to slash carbon emissions from commercial buildings, which account for 16% of all U.S. emissions. And retrofitting commercial buildings saves money and energy for building owners. So what gives? In this episode, Melissa talks to Dr. Paul…

1
Who Gets AC in a Heatwave? 21:36

2y ago21:36

21:36

It’s officially summer in North America, and that means one thing – it’s getting hot. Every year, heat waves are the deadliest extreme weather event, and they’re only getting more severe. Often, the people who fall victim to heatwaves are those who are left without access to air conditioning. Dr. Diana Hernández has a name for this phenomenon: ener…

1
Retrofitting Homes for Net Zero 20:39

2y ago20:39

20:39

In this episode, we’re touring a home with a buildings doctor. Ian Hamilton is a professor of energy, environment and health at University College London. Together, Melissa and Ian show us the parts of our homes we need to upgrade to zero out carbon emissions—and to keep us safe in a more dangerous, changing climate. They talk about insulation, hea…

1
A road map to net zero buildings 21:17

2y ago21:17

21:17

This week on the show, we meet someone on a mission: to decarbonize America’s buildings. Decarbonizing buildings is is actually a huge piece of decarbonizing our economy: carbon pollution from heating, cooling, and powering our buildings accounts for 30 percent of U.S. carbon emissions – that includes our homes, schools, hospitals and office buildi…

1
The Hydrogen Rainbow 20:05

2y ago20:05

20:05

Ninety-five. That’s the number of times we've mentioned hydrogen on The Big Switch over the past 18 episodes. This week, we’re taking a step back to ask what IS hydrogen? And how can it help decarbonize the economy? It turns out, there’s a whole rainbow of hydrogen fuel – gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, even pink hydrogen. But the kind of hydrogen th…

1
Crossover Episode: Watt It Takes 49:43

2y ago49:43

49:43

Hydrogen could be essential for the zero-carbon economy, especially for cleaning up concrete, steel, and chemicals. It’s also a promising fuel source for transportation and electricity that's attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in global investment. But there’s a problem. Every year, the world produces millions of tons of hydrogen through a d…

1
The Race to Green Steel 24:14

2y ago24:14

24:14

Steel goes into pretty much everything around us – from buildings and bridges to the furniture in our homes. And decarbonizing the steel industry is essential because we need steel to decarbonize the world. Think about it. Solar panels, electric vehicles, even our power grid; steel goes into everything we need to fight climate change. But there’s a…

1
Justice in Cancer Alley: Petrochemicals Part 2 18:59

2y ago18:59

18:59

St. James Parish, Louisiana sits in the middle of an 85-mile corridor along the Mississippi river that’s home to more than 150 petrochemical plants. This concentration of petrochemical facilities has taken a toll on the health of nearby communities – a toll that falls disproportionately on Black communities. Cancer risk in some parts of this corrid…

1
Decarbonizing a Pervasive Industry: Petrochemicals Part 1 19:23

2y ago19:23

19:23

Petrochemicals. You might not have heard of them, but you certainly use them every day. These chemicals, made from oil, are in almost everything – plastics, medicines, clothes, toothpaste, even the insulation in your home. So how can we decarbonize an industry that makes such a pervasive product? This week, we spoke with climate solutions expert De…

1
Crossover Episode: Threats to Nuclear and Energy Security 55:05

2y ago55:05

55:05

Things have shifted dramatically since we aired our last episode. There’s now a crisis in Ukraine and sanctions on Russian oil and gas. This is all on top of record demand for petroleum products and electricity as the world emerges from lockdowns. So this week, we’re bring you an episode about energy security from the other podcast that we have her…

1
For the Love of Concrete 19:53

2y ago19:53

19:53

This week: A love story about concrete. Melissa and Rebecca Dell, an industrial decarbonization expert, break down our relationship with concrete, and why it’s so dysfunctional. The problem? Making concrete – especially its key ingredient, cement – is toxic to the climate. Only two countries in the world – the US and China – produce more greenhouse…

1
Death of a Toaster 22:04

2y ago22:04

22:04

What does a toaster oven have to do with carbon emissions? This week, Melissa and producer Alexandria Herr dissect one to find out. Turns out carbon emissions are embedded in everything around us – from the clothes we wear to our kitchen appliances. Melissa also talks to energy expert Chris Bataille about what it will take to decarbonize the heavy …

1
Crossover Episode: Energy Demand Makes a Comeback 17:54

2+ y ago17:54

17:54

We have something different today: A crossover between The Big Switch and The Carbon Copy. If you like this episode, go over to The Carbon Copy and hit subscribe. When Covid disrupted the economy and shifted energy use, it sharply brought down economy-wide carbon emissions. Many wondered: would the pandemic-related changes to our energy system help…

1
Clearing the Air: Transforming Aviation 35:46

2+ y ago35:46

35:46

Aviation is a notoriously difficult sector to decarbonize. So as Melissa plans a family trip, she wrestles with her options. Which flights emit the least carbon? How well do offsets work? Should we even be flying at all? Melissa and colleague Kirsten Smith task producer Daniel Woldorff with calling up airlines to look for answers. Engineer Alejandr…

1
The Carbon behind Cargo: Big Ships 32:03

2+ y ago32:03

32:03

When one of the biggest ships in the world got stuck in the Suez Canal, it threw a giant wrench into international supply chains. It exacerbated shortages of everything from semiconductors to snuggies. Journalist Maria Gallucci explains how this overlooked sector plays an essential part in supplying – and decarbonizing – the global economy. Lawyer …

1
Heavy-duty Trucks 32:16

2+ y ago32:16

32:16

Heavy trucks emit an outsize share of greenhouse gasses and toxic pollutants. But we rely on them for nearly everything we buy. What will it take to decarbonize them? We hear from staff at the Community Center for Action & Environmental Justice. They’re demanding clean air in “America’s shopping cart,” a polluted region dominated by warehouses and …

1
Trains, Buses and Cable Cars 35:25

2+ y ago35:25

35:25

Electric autonomous vehicles shuttle us to high-tech mass transit hubs. Our fare system is contactless. We’ve already paid via a customized, equitable subscription model. All the trains and buses are on time. And we don’t have to wait in traffic. This is a world in which we can hop in a car to get somewhere, but we don’t have to. In this episode, t…

1
Decarbonizing Cars 29:13

2+ y ago29:13

29:13

In the next five episodes, we'll take a deep dive into decarbonizing the entire transportation sector -- everything from bulldozers and planes to ships and trains. In this episode we start with cars. How do we switch the world's over 1 billion fossil-fuel-powered cars to zero-carbon alternatives, and fast? Dr. Melissa Lott explores the most promisi…

1
Roadmap to the Net-Zero Economy 35:56

2+ y ago35:56

35:56

In the first five episodes of this show, we talked about cleaning up our electricity system—the power grid. In upcoming episodes, we're going to explain how to make that Big Switch in every other sector of the economy—everything from cars and heavy trucking to industrial heat and buildings. It's a lot to cover, and so we need a roadmap. In this epi…

1
The Big Switch is Coming Back 1:21

2+ y ago1:21

1:21

We have a whole year of episodes coming up. In the first five episodes of The Big Switch, we talked about cleaning up our electricity system--the power grid. Next, host Dr. Melissa Lott will talk with experts about how to transform every other sector of the economy, including transportation, industry and buildings. To slow climate change, we need t…

1
Why the Rules Matter 37:37

3y ago37:37

37:37

In episode 2, we explored how to build a championship zero-carbon “team” on the grid. We could have the best players in the world — rooftop solar, batteries, net metering, demand response, high-voltage transmission, and so many others — but if the rules prevent these technologies from playing ball, then we won’t be able to decarbonize fast enough. …

1
The High-Wire Act of the Distributed Grid 30:21

3y ago30:21

30:21

Matching electricity supply and demand is a high-wire balancing act. As we add more solar, wind and batteries, and shut down thermal generation, it shifts the balance. New kinds of distributed resources can help to balance things out -- but they also make grid management more complex. In our fourth episode of season 1, Dr. Melissa Lott explores the…

1
Connecting the Zero-Carbon Grid 34:50

3y ago34:50

34:50

If the grid system is the backbone of a low-carbon economy, then transmission lines are the nervous system. We need a dramatic build-out of the transmission system to connect renewable energy to the places that need it, while managing a wider range of local resources. How do we build it quickly, cheaply, and in a respectful way? In our third episod…

1
Building a Zero-Carbon Sports Team 29:50

3y ago29:50

29:50

Building a low-carbon grid is like building a sports team with star players and supporting players. Or, more accurately, it’s like re-building a sports team, where you have to go from underdogs to world champs. First, you have to retire the under-performers like coal. Then, you have to grow your star players — namely wind and solar. Finally, you ha…

1
The Zero-Carbon Backbone 37:05

3y ago37:05

37:05

The electric grid is the vast machine that powers everything around us. It’s also the part of the energy system where we're seeing the most dramatic changes as we address climate change. So what are the stakes, solutions and tradeoffs as we move to a net-zero energy system? In our first episode of season 1, Dr. Melissa Lott explores the intricacies…

1
Introducing: The Big Switch 3:35

3y ago3:35

3:35

Welcome to our first season of "The Big Switch." It's a five-part series that explores how the power grid works, how it's changing, and how those changes can benefit society. Your host is Dr. Melissa Lott of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. To slow climate change, we need to transform our buildings, our homes, cars, and the eco…

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