Tech Zero

Tech Zero episodes:

• 05.12.2024

  Blocking out the Sun

  It might sound like science fiction, but a mix of scientists and venture capitalists are working on plans to block the sun to slow global warming. This podcast is sponsored by Rio Tinto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 04.28.2024

  Turbocharging trees

  Come foraging on the forest floor as we go looking for the secret ingredient that will make trees grow faster and stronger and more able to suck down carbon. This podcast is sponsored by Rio Tinto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 04.14.2024

  The incredible plan to refreeze the Arctic

  Melting of Arctic sea ice shapes as a critical tipping point in the battle against climate change. That’s why a new start-up is fighting back by making ice. This podcast is sponsored by Rio Tinto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 03.31.2024

  Sustainable skyscrapers: How Atlassian's HQ is changing the game

  A new breed of builders are tackling the carbon footprint of high-rise buildings from every angle. Guests include: Joe Karten (Built), Victor Rosenberg (ClearVue Technologies) and Tony Dragicevich (Capral Aluminium) This podcast is sponsored by Rio Tinto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 03.17.2024

  Formula 1 and the future of fuel

  Pat Symonds wrote the rules that will compel Formula 1 cars to run on carbon-neutral fuel from 2026. Big oil companies are now racing to find solutions. This podcast is sponsored by Rio Tinto. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.13.2022

  Green hydrogen hero steps out of the shadows

  An Australian scientist reckons he can break green hydrogen's addiction to renewable energy and the world's biggest hydrogen bull has got onboard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.06.2022

  The coal empire strikes back

  Meet the scientists working to secure a place for coal in a net zero world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.30.2022

  Electric aviation takes flight

  Electric motors and biofuels are competing for primacy as the aviation sector tries to decarbonise. We talk to those on the front line of both camps. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.23.2022

  The plan to fix craft beer's dirty little secret

  Brick Lane's head brewer Jon Seltin reckons climate change is already changing the taste of beer, and amid a craft brewing boom he’s determined not to add to the problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.16.2022

  How BHP and the shipping industry rediscovered the power of wind

  Centuries after colonial powers sailed the seven seas on nothing but wind, big corporates like BHP are pushing a wind renaissance through the shipping industry. For more on the episode, visit the Tech Zero site on afr.com. AFR subscribers can also...

  
• 10.09.2022

  Sundrive: Is copper rooftop solar's secret weapon?

  When Vince Allen decided to quit his PhD into a disruptive type of solar cell, it might have been the best business decision he ever made. Now his solar startup, Sundrive boasts rich-listers like Mike Cannon-Brookes onto its share register. For...

  
• 10.02.2022

  Why Elon Musk is funding this Australian carbon capture project

  Meet the team at University of Sydney’s chemistry school, whose revolutionary powder sucks carbon straight out of the air. For more on the episode, visit the Tech Zero site on afr.com. AFR subscribers can also sign up for the weekly Carbon...

  
• 09.25.2022

  How to make the sun shine after dark

  Multinational energy companies are pumping money into Raygen, John Lasich’s company, which uses thousands of mirrors, satellite grade solar panels and big dams full of water to make the Mildura sunshine available after dark. Read more: The 47-year obsession behind Australia’s super...

  
• 09.18.2022

  Coming soon: Tech Zero season 2

  From Monday September 26, the Tech Zero podcast is back with eight new episodes profiling the big green ideas that could get us to net zero, and the people who are risking everything to make them work. This season's program includes...

  
• 07.13.2022

  The 'mad scientist' who could turn Australia's iron ore 'green'

  Meet the 73-year-old Australian scientist who's developed a special kiln that he reckons will solve Australia's iron ore emissions problems and deliver green iron. For more on the episode, visit the Tech Zero site on afr.com. AFR subscribers can also sign...

  
• 07.06.2022

  Mercedes-Benz' battery recycling star

  A tsunami of lithium ion batteries will need to be recycled in the decades ahead to ensure the world has enough critical minerals for the energy transition. And big electric vehicle manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz are turning to an Australian to...

  
• 06.29.2022

  Porridge power: turning 'breakfast' into electricity

  The world's first power station that runs on waste oat husks will get you thinking about the untapped potential in your household food scraps. Background reading: Porridge power is the latest innovation to burnish South Australia’s reputation for being at the cutting edge of...

  
• 06.22.2022

  Sinking big: BHP's carbon blessing

  Background reading: When Samantha Langley realised that the tailings dam at BHP’s Nickel West mine could be a carbon sink, she could not have imagined it potentially offsetting all the company’s mining operations. The Clean Energy Regulator is considering making mine wastes...

  
• 06.15.2022

  Cheap solar's moment in the sun

  Meet the Dutch entrepreneur behind the cut price solar revolution that's caught the attention of an Australian mining titan. Background reading The machines were about to be sold as scrap metal when Rombout Swanborn stepped in to save a factory that might hold...

  
• 06.08.2022

  The science of the lambs

  Joanne Howarth wants to fleece the polystyrene packaging industry. The Sydney entrepreneur is on a mission to replace those annoyingly-everywhere beads and other squeaky packing material made from oil or methane with something more environment-friendly: wool. Natural health company Blackmores is...

  
• 05.26.2022

  Coming soon - Tech Zero

  How will we get to net zero? Australian Financial Review's reporter Peter Ker meets the entrepreneurs leading the charge into the new industrial revolution. Empires will crumble. Fortunes will be made. Episode one drops 6am AEST Thursday June 9. See...