Science & Technology

How to Harness Abundant, Clean Energy for 10 Billion People | Julio Friedmann | TED

We can produce abundant, sustainable and cheap energy — for everyone, says physicist Julio Friedmann. He explores the infrastructure, innovation and investment needed to supply energy to 10 billion people, offering case studies from Chile’s refurbished supply chain, built in partnership with Japan, to Namibia’s budding clean hydrogen production, inviting us to envision a greener,…

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We can produce abundant, sustainable and cheap energy — for everyone, says physicist Julio Friedmann. He explores the infrastructure, innovation and investment needed to supply energy to 10 billion people, offering case studies from Chile’s refurbished supply chain, built in partnership with Japan, to Namibia’s budding clean hydrogen production, inviting us to envision a greener, more equitably powered world.

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77 Comments

  1. @mawkernewek

    December 1, 2023 at 7:55 am

    There is something a bit off as he says if you have a massive solar farm that just fuels a hydrogen plant, which makes hydrogen for export making some corporation extremely rich, but isn’t even connected to the electricity grid in the country so the local people are no better off. It all sounds a bit neo-colonial.

    • @scatton61

      December 1, 2023 at 8:36 am

      I agree, he is just spouting talking points that have been around for decades. You can have the world’s largest solar farm in Africa but getting that energy to Europe is a huge problem and probably will cost more than the power plant itself and then be susceptible to terrorist attack. JCB are doing some interesting things with organisations in Australia with regards to hydrogen creation from solar and wind farms for transport to the UK to be used in construction vehicles where they can refuel on site to where the construction is happening.

    • @mawkernewek

      December 1, 2023 at 8:48 am

      @@scatton61 I think hydrogen is always the jam tomorrow fuel, which will come online in 10-15 years whenever the whole hydrogen infrastructure can be built out (has been 10-15 years for a number of decades now), which gives licence in the short term for business as usual.

    • @scatton61

      December 1, 2023 at 2:59 pm

      ​@@mawkernewek Remember that we went from horses and coal-steam-driven vehicles to petrol and diesel and that certainly took longer than 15 years. Batteries, for the foreseeable future, are only suitable for a small number of use cases and Hydrogen is the only single-fuel option. You cannot use batteries to power any heavy goods vehicles on land sea or the air, mass people transport other than electric trains, military or construction vehicles or farming vehicles. The main problem with hydrogen is making it using green technology. Transporting it to outlets would be much the same concept as we do currently with diesel and petrol.

  2. @jmfu

    December 1, 2023 at 8:21 am

    Can’t watch a bolo tie 🫤

  3. @crawkn

    December 1, 2023 at 8:35 am

    To build out the renewable energy infrastructure sufficiently to dislace fossil fuels will require orders of magnitude more mined raw materials, some of which have problematic geographic concentrations and environmental impacts in the extraction and refinement. Some even contend that the world’s reserves are insufficient and production can’t be ramped fast enough to meet environmental goals. It would be nice if proponents would address these issues.

    • @philurbaniak1811

      December 1, 2023 at 8:45 am

      This is more or less what I was thinking, personally no idea if it’s accurate but it seems substantial! I suppose: prove me wrong, investors?

    • @feedbackzaloop

      December 1, 2023 at 8:51 am

      That’s where “turn electricity into fuel” comes in

    • @price724

      December 1, 2023 at 11:00 am

      Thorium nuclear reactors

    • @crawkn

      December 1, 2023 at 2:02 pm

      @@price724 I’m definitely a proponent, but they are still in the development stage. They are unlikely to be in production in much less than 10 years. And they require some expensive alloys (Inconel or INOR-8) using rare elements too, like cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium, although in lesser quantities. But the main thing is, we don’t have time to wait for it to be a commercially available product.

    • @crawkn

      December 1, 2023 at 2:20 pm

      @@feedbackzaloop The issue is with some of the production of electricity, that’s where some of the materials are needed, like rare earths for generators. And hydrogen electrolysis is energy inefficient and requires catalysts like platinum, iridium, and ruthenium. Ruthenium catalyst is also used in synthesis of methanol, my preferred fuel, since it is easier and more efficient to store and transport than hydrogen. It is not my contention that the required elements can’t be sourced reliably and ethically, in sufficient quantity, but it is contended by some that they can’t, so it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

  4. @scatton61

    December 1, 2023 at 8:40 am

    It’s nice to see a video that isn’t full of woke messaging. But many of the projects that he discussed are not working or are impractical having huge problems that prevent them from reaching their targets. I’m not at all convinced by the speaker that he is sincere.

  5. @feedbackzaloop

    December 1, 2023 at 8:40 am

    How is it always those hungry with “scarcity of the past” seeking the “opportunity of abundance”? So happened (in no particular order) with gold, silk, spices, wood, etc, so is happening with energy.

    Europe will never get secure supply even when cut ties with all sorts of import, it would strain itself then. But that’s ok, security is overrated and still doesn’t provide safety. (writing from home in Germany with water outage after first snowfall of the year)

  6. @dameanvil

    December 1, 2023 at 8:48 am

    00:07 🌍 Energy consumption for 10 billion people needs to be addressed through sustainable and abundant energy sources, affecting various global challenges like water, food, poverty, and climate.
    02:06 🌱 Urgent climate action demands abundant, sustainable, and inexpensive energy solutions, not just for electricity but also for heat, fuels, and heavy industries, with a focus on accessibility for all.
    03:36 💡 Earth receives an abundance of solar energy, exceeding the estimated energy needs of 10 billion people, including wind, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear resources, particularly in regions often considered future climate victims.
    05:29 💰 Development mechanisms and investment vehicles must shift to recognize the potential of abundant energy, redirecting focus from past scarcity-based models to opportunities for growth and abundance.
    07:02 🚧 Infrastructure development is crucial, necessitating investments in transmission lines, roads, ports, and fueling stations to enable energy accessibility and transport of clean fuels and molecules.
    08:03 🔬 Innovation is key for cheaper, more efficient energy solutions, building on successful models like solar energy cost reductions, and focusing on technologies such as perovskites, multi-exciton technologies, and sustainable fuel production.
    09:34 💸 Shifting investment methods towards systemic approaches, encompassing multiple projects, cycles, and years, while considering the entire value chain, can create sustainable growth and positive returns from energy initiatives.

  7. @vesawuoristo4162

    December 1, 2023 at 9:19 am

    India and China are committed to keep using coal in a big way still , they obviously don’t understand the consequences.

  8. @PirateAndBum

    December 1, 2023 at 9:32 am

    Good to hear a diversification of energy production.

  9. @alejandromendoza9018

    December 1, 2023 at 9:38 am

    this planet can only support 1 billion people

  10. @marcvolpe8252

    December 1, 2023 at 9:43 am

    LET US HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE VAGINA GOD’S GREATEST CREATION

    • @claudiaxander

      December 1, 2023 at 9:51 am

      go on

    • @pirateluffy01

      December 1, 2023 at 10:32 am

      👂

  11. @zakw4540

    December 1, 2023 at 9:45 am

    Not at our current trajectory buddy boy. Future children will have a hard time breathing the air and finding potable drinking water.

  12. @Joshlrrc

    December 1, 2023 at 9:59 am

    Amazingly simplified/explained complex ideas! Geopolitics are omitted here, and are currently another constrain

  13. @user-gg8we2ot4b

    December 1, 2023 at 10:07 am

    I agree.

  14. @SimoNe-lc6rr

    December 1, 2023 at 10:45 am

    This guy has no idea about the goepolitical, financial and scientific feasibility of what he’s talking about. We live in an increasingly polarizing and deglobalizing world and he talks about grids and infrastructures in non developed world. Hydrogen storage is as realistic today as nuclear fusion is.

    • @bastiandantilus

      December 1, 2023 at 2:38 pm

      Large scale hydrogen storage is a necessary part of IC creation. Like, today. And twenty years ago.

  15. @JustAThought01

    December 1, 2023 at 11:48 am

    We need to rethink the entire reason for humans to even exist: to make our world a better place to live. Let’s all agree to stop trying to dominate others and instead cooperate with all others to make life better for all people. Set the world wide objective to build a just society. A society which protects all from harm.

    • @jessidurmis

      December 1, 2023 at 8:15 pm

      Yes for so much of history society has controlled simply through fear and greed. Morals and love have to be the decision makers for this world to find harmonious fulfillment for all.

  16. @spiritwalker5835

    December 1, 2023 at 11:54 am

    Why in the world would the evil elites want this? If they cannot capitalize on it, they definitely won’t fund it. Duh!

  17. @andycordy5190

    December 1, 2023 at 1:16 pm

    Great speech.

    Currently, those who control investment are determined to lap up the profit from the very last drop of oil and puff of gas. They are well practiced at excuses and will stifle the stream of innovation as long as possible.

    I love the prospect of developing countries optimising their own clean energy for their own benefit but history shows that local and international corruption will see to it that those potentials will go overseas. The price of investment is return and the west is not ready to give up on control of wealth generation.

  18. @ColCurtis

    December 1, 2023 at 2:07 pm

    How about giving Namibians birth control and after about 12 to 24 years there would be way less people needing a refrigerator.

  19. @sbyx8899

    December 1, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    The biggest polluters are factories, planes, ships.

  20. @user-uy2ps6ii1r

    December 1, 2023 at 5:25 pm

    A Western vision about the global south, the reality here in Brazil is diferent, sorry, colonialism all over

  21. @jeromewalton5553

    December 1, 2023 at 5:27 pm

    He lost me as soon as he mentioned keeping our agriculture system the way it is

    • @jessidurmis

      December 1, 2023 at 8:30 pm

      Can you please mark where he said this. “He said 80% food consumed around the world moves through modern agriculture.” Doesn’t mean modern agriculture is ideal. Though it does produce enough food to feed more people than it actually ends up feeding, due to greedy waste.
      GMOs and chemical herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides are more than unnecessary. They deplete the soil and produce less nutrient dense crops. I do not think his biggest concern is the nuances of agriculture but the bigger picture of energy use in the world. I am someone concerned with the world’s agriculture and nutrient consumption. I am also concerned with the irresponsible use of energy and lack of worldly distribution. We are learning as a world and I do believe we will act wisely (maybe later rather than sooner unfortunately)

    • @mitkoogrozev

      December 2, 2023 at 12:08 pm

      @@jessidurmis I would assume when it’s only said “agriculture” that includes both animal agriculture and crops. Animal agriculture is tremendously wasteful and is one of the leading causes of environmental destruction, it also takes up 80% of the arable land while providing only 20% of all calories. And on top of that they use the unsustainable methods and ingredients that you mentioned. So it really does need a tremendous overhaul. Even if we stopped fossil fuel use, and we released zero CO2 but we continued our standard industrial scale farming and all other industrial processes as we do them now, we are still screwed.

  22. @jessidurmis

    December 1, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    7:31 this is why America has a chance at truly fall..we don’t support higher education…more people are turing away from student loans.. so will the US have the abundance of willingly capable people?

  23. @vthilton

    December 1, 2023 at 8:38 pm

    Save Our Planet Now!

  24. @stephenkentperez7705

    December 1, 2023 at 8:54 pm

    Glad to see Saul Goodman is contributing to the betterment of the planet now.

    • @fernandor3854

      December 3, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      Howdy to that partner

  25. @stickman4087

    December 1, 2023 at 8:58 pm

    There will never BE ten billion people on this earth. Fertility rates are dropping at an alarming rate and statistics show that people around the world are actually barely reproducing fast enough to replace the amount of people that are dying every year, so pretty soon the population will start to level out and then actually start to slowly decline, which means all this talk about exponentially growing population is completely unsubstantiated bullshit

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      December 1, 2023 at 9:25 pm

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  27. @chip2373

    December 1, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    To get to Net Zero, the fastest path is to implement carbon taxes that increase every year. The economics will automatically drive innovation, creativity and ingenuity as companies, consumers, banks and investors figure out how to develop new and cheaper sources of energy and more efficient methods of transport and uses of energy. A progressively increasing tax makes the economics crystal clear and helps fossil fuel and auto companies plan their own transition to new products and sources of revenue.

    • @Cesar13M

      December 6, 2023 at 5:19 am

      Sorry but you are too late for the party but in Europe we already pay for carbon emission even if most of the European countries don´t emite too much carbon .

  28. @ruttles

    December 1, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    Was there actually novel, new information in this or was it just a pep talk?

  29. @gene4094

    December 1, 2023 at 10:42 pm

    The Perovskite must be ‘negative refractive indexed meta material (NRIMM) ferrite catalyst that absorbs a refracted weak Infrared wave field and becomes an Ultraviolet radiation giant plasmonic photogalvanic effect. This epsilon naught water splitting for Hydrogen + Oxygen.

  30. @michaelbartell1166

    December 1, 2023 at 11:56 pm

    ❤ truthful robots abundance😊

  31. @MrLargonaut

    December 2, 2023 at 12:50 am

    I have said this for years to people who know me. If you solve the energy problem, you’ve solved the water problem. If you’ve solved the water problem, you’ve solved the food problem. If you’ve solved energy, water, and food, humanity starts running out of things to fight over.

    • @thethinkingcaveman

      December 2, 2023 at 5:36 am

      False. You run out of necessities to fight about. You don’t, however, run out of things to fight over, i e, land, women, religion, languages, cultural differences. Humans are master instigators and reactionaries. Some are very vengeful, as gangs have proven. But I agree that solving the necessities of life is important. Start somewhere.

    • @tapansutradhar482

      December 2, 2023 at 5:57 am

      H!

    • @jean-charlesfidinde8131

      December 2, 2023 at 2:42 pm

      Wonderful comment

    • @time2livelife

      December 3, 2023 at 9:53 pm

      People will still fight over power and inequality, but I like your sentiment.

    • @JkennGG

      December 4, 2023 at 2:53 pm

      Hit the nail on the head there. I really hope it’s just incredibly difficult to solve issues like this because of the sheer scale you’d need to implement the changes on, but I’m with you on the idea that it may not be that and instead a power situation for elites :/

  32. @RogerJayYang

    December 2, 2023 at 1:06 am

    @TED | Julio Friedmann : We just had fusion – in California!

  33. @raspreparation4283

    December 2, 2023 at 1:30 am

    Dhanyavad 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

  34. @user-vy2mn6br4v

    December 2, 2023 at 3:26 am

    Yes, a great Master plan. We know what to do, we can do and we must do it. A change of our lifestyle in every part is possible but it is hard. Hard, Not because it makes our Lifestyle a little bit less comfortable. Hard because a change of mindset for >30% of humans, seems not to be possible. So, if the others not stand up and do, it will not happen. Hopefully we all get the curve into right direction. Not for us only, for the next generations. BR from Germany.
    But, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; And I’am not sure about the universe.” A.Einstein

  35. @HarpaAI

    December 2, 2023 at 4:59 am

    🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

    00:07 🌍 *The importance of addressing energy and climate challenges.*
    – The speaker reflects on the question of optimism or pessimism regarding climate change.
    – Emphasis on the need for abundant, clean energy to address various global challenges.
    01:06 🚀 *Energy as a fundamental challenge.*
    – Richard Smalley’s identification of energy as a core challenge among the top ten facing humanity.
    – The speaker highlights how multiple global issues, including water, food, and climate, are interconnected with energy.
    02:06 🌞 *The need for abundant, sustainable, and cheap energy.*
    – The speaker presents the concept of abundant, sustainable, and affordable energy.
    – Emphasis on providing energy to everyone while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
    03:36 💡 *Abundant energy sources available on Earth.*
    – Discussion of the vast amount of energy the Earth receives from the sun and other natural sources.
    – Mention of various clean energy options, including wind, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear.
    04:34 🌍 *Examples of countries utilizing clean energy resources.*
    – Examples of countries like Chile and Kenya leveraging their abundant clean energy resources.
    – Focus on the potential of exporting clean energy resources to other regions.
    05:59 💰 *The need for systemic investment mechanisms.*
    – Discussion on the shift from single-project finance to broader investment mechanisms.
    – Emphasis on the importance of infrastructure development and human capital.
    08:03 🌱 *The role of innovation in achieving abundant energy.*
    – Discussion of innovation in reducing energy costs and increasing efficiency.
    – Reference to innovations in solar photovoltaics, electric vehicles, and clean hydrogen production.
    09:34 🔄 *The value chain and global positive investment.*
    – Discussion of the importance of considering the full value chain in energy projects.
    – Emphasis on creating revenue streams from infrastructure, equipment sales, and products.
    10:36 🌍 *Expanding projects for greater impact.*
    – Exploration of expanding projects to include grid development and more renewable energy sources.
    – Consideration of the broader economic and social benefits of large-scale energy projects.
    12:03 🤝 *The importance of collective optimism and action.*
    – A call for collective action, optimism, and collaboration in addressing energy and climate challenges.
    – A vision of building a thriving world through infrastructure, innovation, and investment in abundant, sustainable, and affordable energy.

    Made with HARPA AI

  36. @knlobzor01

    December 2, 2023 at 6:58 am

    Вы тоде смотрите это чтобы изучать английский??

  37. @crazynigrafagratard2724

    December 2, 2023 at 9:44 am

    nuclear

  38. @mariaantoniettamontella9173

    December 2, 2023 at 10:23 am

    bravissimo

  39. @stavb9400

    December 2, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    Utopia

  40. @philiptrivandrum

    December 3, 2023 at 2:24 am

    What about general people? Is the population goes up or down? Their economic stabilisation? It is 100% sure many will lose their jobs in next 10 years. How this will sustain the population? You are looking one side of the equation.

  41. @H4N5O1O

    December 3, 2023 at 8:23 am

    infrastructure needs covetic metal.

  42. @MrGutterbunny

    December 3, 2023 at 1:28 pm

    If we could just remove Human Selfishness from our hardwiring this could all be in place very quickly.
    I don’t know… Let’s all pretend we’re in a real life End of Days Movie and the best way out is to work together.
    Or be American…

  43. @BS-detector

    December 3, 2023 at 4:07 pm

    If our government were serious about solving problems we wouldn’t have any. Truly…our government is used by rich people/entities to continuously suck the life out of anything touchable to continue the idea that the few at the top have to control the majority at the bottom. If every neighborhood had a mini-solar set up as a back up and every house had a battery closet with its own roof-top panels, they’d be off the grid. If every apartment building had it’s own system, they’d be off the grid. The solution is not bigger and consolidated methods of bringing power to the masses, the solution is simple: empower the masses individually and in small groups so there’s plenty for everyone. There is plenty for everyone when everyone is involved.

  44. @depha3386

    December 3, 2023 at 6:41 pm

    9:20 اي اللي جاب مصطفي مدبولي هنا 😂😂

  45. @HulaCan-nn1bn

    December 5, 2023 at 10:02 am

    First, ask them what do they need it for. Then get a piece of looseleaf… in the end there is a number. Slide it back if it doesn’t suit your …um.. lifestyle. In the end there is one option. Nuclear _THE NEW _*_CLEAR_*_ SOLUTION FOR YOU_ . Now lets do food and water … what?.. too soon for glass houses? Okay okay just go away 😀

  46. @ThePilotGear

    December 5, 2023 at 10:29 am

    wow. very well said.

  47. @user-yv4gg7jb2f

    December 5, 2023 at 11:24 am

    Nobody wants energy for 10 billion people and luckily we are killing each other enough not to reach 10 billion

  48. @markusweidenbach2382

    December 5, 2023 at 5:55 pm

    That’s the real American spirit and enthusiasm I miss in Germany …

  49. @pituife

    December 6, 2023 at 6:50 am

    Having the target of cheap and abundant energy is the biggest flaw. Scarce and valuable resources are what move the world and bring profits, so of course none of the rich and powerful really want this.

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