Did you know the UK just closed its last coal plant? Hooray! But after taking a moment to celebrate, Ryan and Anjali reflect on what to do about natural gas – a fossil fuel that the UK isn’t replacing fast enough to meet its climate goals. Fortunately, there are some really smart people coming up with bold solutions. They dive into Amol Fadke's groundbreaking idea to repurpose existing plants – a kind of "Airbnb for the grid" approach that could double transmission capacity, save billions, and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

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This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innovative approach that turned Texas into a renewable energy powerhouse. It’s a story about what could get done before partisan politics got in the way of good climate policy, and it shows that economic incentives for consumers, government, and companies can play a huge role in supercharging clean energy.

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This is an episode of a podcast we think you'll love, Climate One. A third of Americans say that they've skipped food, medicine, or something else to be able to afford their energy bills. Much of the increase in the cost of electricity is driven by rising demand from artificial intelligence and data centers, industrial on shoring and hotter temperatures.

How does your electricity bill get calculated, and who’s in charge of setting those rates? Does public power serve consumers better than investor-owned utilities? And will rising electricity prices dampen the transition to cleaner sources of energy?

Guests:

Shelley Welton, Professor of Law and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania

Severin Borenstein, Professor, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

Kevin Miller, Reporter, Maine Public Radio

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Coming September 22nd, 2025: Speed & Scale

TED has a new podcast.

Here’s a new climate story: the biggest solutions to our climate crisis exist all around us, but they’re hiding in plain sight. Join hosts Ryan Panchadsaram and Anjali Grover as they identify the greatest climate wins unfolding across the world. They’ll chat with the people tackling the issues quickly, efficiently, and at a scale that actually makes a difference. From the explosion of wind energy in Texas (yes, Texas!) to ending coal in England, you’ll hear fresh perspectives, solution-oriented thinking and inspiring stories that will leave you knowing we CAN solve humanity’s toughest challenge.

Subscribe wherever you are listening to this.

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This is an episode from our friends at the Climate Rising podcast.

This episode in our hard-to-abate series features aviation expert Robin Riedel, a Partner at McKinsey & Company who co-leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility. Robin describes five approaches to decarbonize aviation: upgrading aircraft, improving operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel, other novel fuels and aircraft configurations, and carbon credits. We also learn about some McKinsey engagements on aviation decarbonization, and conclude with Robin’s career advice.

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative 

Guest:  Robin Riedel, Partner and co-head of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

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Exactly when and where did life on Earth begin? Scientists have long thought that it emerged three billion years ago in the ocean — until astrobiologist Tara Djokic and her team made an unexpected discovery in the western Australian desert. Learn how an ancient rock found near a hot volcanic pool is shifting our understanding of the origin-of-life puzzle.

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Everyone has the right to a clean environment — but major disparities exist when it comes to who faces the consequences of pollution. Environmental justice leader Peggy Shepard points to the disproportionate impact that hazardous environmental conditions have on Black, brown and Indigenous communities and challenges us to build a truly equitable future that turns "sacrifice zones" — where community health is sacrificed for the sake of development — into "green zones" that redress the legacy of pollution and harmful policies.

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Your closet is likely full of all kinds of materials — leather, cotton, nylon and polyester, to name a few — that contribute to fashion's sustainability crisis. Biomaterials investigator Dan Widmaier explains how we could look to nature for sustainable replacements for these much-used materials and introduces a leather alternative made from mushrooms that looks great and doesn't harm the environment. "We can make fashion sustainable, and we're going to do it with science," Widmaier says.

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What if you could eat chicken nuggets without harming a chicken? It's possible through "cellular agriculture," says Isha Datar. In a talk about cutting-edge science, she explains how this new means of food production makes it possible to eat meat without the negative consequences of industrial farming — and how it could fundamentally change our food systems for the better. "It's our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a second chance at agriculture," she says.

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From the return of nomadic living to a climate-disrupted world, author and global strategist Parag Khanna has some predictions for humanity. Get a fascinating glimpse at the future as he tackles an urgent question: Where on Earth will eight billion humans live in the uncertain times ahead?

(This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.)

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