Ideas worth spreading

We actually have a shot at stopping the climate crisis

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Asmeret Asefaw Berhe |

TED Countdown Summit

• July 2023

How is the US going to reach net zero by 2050? That's the question Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, director of the Office of Science for the US Department of Energy, is urgently trying to answer. She shares the thinking behind what her team is calling "Energy Earthshots" — projects designed to accelerate innovation in the fight against climate change, from nature-based solutions in the soil to the creation of brand-new technologies — and calls for innovative, equitable policies backed by science.

How is the US going to reach net zero by 2050? That's the question Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, director of the Office of Science for the US Department of Energy, is urgently trying to answer. She shares the thinking behind what her team is calling "Energy Earthshots" — projects designed to accelerate innovation in the fight against climate change, from nature-based solutions in the soil to the creation of brand-new technologies — and calls for innovative, equitable policies backed by science.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

The American Climate Corps will teach a new generation of Americans the skills necessary to access jobs around conserving land and water, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies and tackling climate change. Sign up on their website to learn more.

Goal 13 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Learn more on their website.

About the speaker

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

Director, Office of Science at the US Department of Energy

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As director of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe looks to accelerate critical innovations for sustainable living and environmental justice.

U.S. Department of Energy | Energy.gov | Explore

Energy Earthshots Initiative

Edited by J. Wilcox, B. Kolosz, J. Freeman | Hemlock Printers, 2021 | Book

A full introductory textbook on carbon dioxide removal. The online copy is incredibly informative and free to read.

The Global Carbon Project, 2021 | Explore

The Global Carbon Project

This site integrates knowledge of greenhouse gases for human activities and the Earth system.

IPCC, 2023 | Article

"AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023"

Learn more

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

The American Climate Corps will teach a new generation of Americans the skills necessary to access jobs around conserving land and water, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies and tackling climate change. Sign up on their website to learn more.

Goal 13 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Learn more on their website.