S1E95 - Fighting Corruption, Waste and Politics to Address Climate Change. Ethan Elkind Explains
Ethan Elkind, a leading climate scientist, led us initially into an understanding of why climate goals were not being met and how that affects overall messaging. From there he spoke of the importance of battery technology, solar and wind renewable energies, and transition to minerals such as lithium, cobalt and graphite. He emphasized the need for care in the mining sector where he sees a window for change and the building of better grids. We then spoke of "lifestyle" changes, the need for more housing and a culture too centered on cars. Ethan spoke about desalination and water and the issue of equity vis-à-vis the carbon imprint of developing countries. Ethan emphasized the importance of addressing climate problems systemically via low carbon biofuels and policy actions. He spoke of AI as being bad for climate but expressed optimism about hydrogen and the progress made in renewables. He addressed the killing nature of heat and stated that air conditioning will become a human right and he suggested other ways around heat but noted the inevitability of fewer habitable places and mass migration. He spoke of L.A. as a leader of mass transit and highlighted the need for a different tax policy and the fact that mangroves matter and corruption in the battery supply chain remains an ongoing problem. Food waste was added as a big issue because of methane. Ethan said, "We can buy a couple of decades if we decrease methane emissions but there is a lot to do." We talked about the Native American non-profit he started and his work with tribes to improve governance. We concluded with discussing environmental work having triage to it and asking what Ethan would advise students. Ethan answered with "Do what you feel most passionate about and match it up to the most urgent needs."
Biography
Ethan Elkind is the Director of the Climate Program at CLEE and leads the Climate Change and Business Research Initiative on behalf of the UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools of Law. He taught at the UCLA law school’s Frank Wells Environmental Law Clinic and served as an environmental law research fellow. He has a background in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), climate change law, environmental justice, and other environmental law topics. In 2005, he co-founded The Nakwatsvewat Institute, Inc., a Native American nonprofit organization that provides alternative dispute resolution services and support for tribal governance, justice and educational institutions. His book on the history of the modern Los Angeles Metro Rail system was published by University of California Press in January 2014. Ethan is also a regular host of the weekly call-in radio show “State of the Bay(opens in a new tab)” on the San Francisco NPR affiliate KALW 91.7 FM(opens in a new tab), airing Monday nights at 6pm PT.
www.kalw.org/show/climate-break
www.kalw.org/people/ethan-elkind
Conversation recorded on August 23, 2024.