To fight climate change, we need to clean up the global electricity system by replacing fossil fuel power plants with clean generation — right? Climate author Solomon Goldstein-Rose thinks we need to do much more than that. Replacement isn’t enough, he explains in this compelling talk: we need to rapidly develop a new global system capable of producing 12 times the amount of clean electricity we generate today. He shares four reasons why we need that expansion — first, to electrify everything in all parts of the world (not just the wealthy ones) — as well as some intriguing ideas for how we can get there.
Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at
Learn more about #TEDCountdown:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
Website:
Watch the full 2021 TED Countdown Global livestream here:
Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.
Become a TED Member:
Follow TED on Twitter:
Like TED on Facebook:
Subscribe to our channel:
TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at
Brett
December 28, 2021 at 5:02 pm
It’s cheaper to just take a few steps back from the ocean shore.
Anthony Higham
December 28, 2021 at 5:07 pm
You got your list of generating methods wrong. Nuclear power should be the first priority as it is the cleanest and safest. It kills the least number of people per kilowatt hour generated.
Wind power should be abandoned because; it kills birds, bats and insects on a monstrously absurd level and is unbelievably expensive in terms of resources versus power generated.
Ben Carter
December 28, 2021 at 5:18 pm
So who’s supposed to pay for all of this?
Also, wind farms are bird-o-matics and bat-o-matics. What’s your answer to this?
Clearing large areas of land for solar is anti-environment. What’s your answer to this?
The answer to the last two questions is mostly nuclear energy.
MajkaSrajka
December 28, 2021 at 9:55 pm
Luckily he mentioned nuclear two times instead of following usual “vapor bad, must close and plant more trees” line of greenminded individuals.
GekkoBear
December 29, 2021 at 12:01 am
Nuclear energy is a ticking time bomb. We have no good plans for the waste. If there is a disaster that causes an industrial collapse, which is likely, the waste storage sites won’t be able to pump water to cool waste. That’s a huge problem no one wants to talk about. Not to mention events like Fukushima or a war could cause a radioactive disaster.
Other renewables destroy huge pieces of land in the form of mining and depend on fossil inputs for mining, refining, and manufacturing. The obvious solution is to deindustrialize and engage in a planetary permaculture process.
Hrushikesh Avachat
December 28, 2021 at 5:19 pm
Countries need to tap into waste water management systems and other such sustainable technologies along with clean and renewable energy. Estimates say if we are able to recycle all the waste water that is currently left untreated then we will have enough clean drinkable water for the entire society. Wastage of food also needs to be given equal priority and we need to generate awareness in people regarding wasted food.
Krunoslav Stifter
December 28, 2021 at 5:41 pm
“Clean Electricity?” WTH? Where does he think electricity comes from? Thin air? TED is where brain cells go to die.
SUCCESS STORIES WITH SAHIL
December 28, 2021 at 5:42 pm
Green energy is the future need and not choice.
Open Quotes
December 28, 2021 at 5:56 pm
“The loneliest people are the kindest.
The saddest people smile the brightest.
The most damaged people are the wisest.
All because they do not wish to see anyone suffer the way they do.”
Bobby
December 28, 2021 at 5:57 pm
We need fusion and small state nuclear energy at scale
Home Wall
December 28, 2021 at 6:10 pm
This man thinks he can engineer a “stable environment.” Perhaps he can also create “good people” and “free wealth” next.
Lisa P
December 28, 2021 at 6:36 pm
GO ITER!
GekkoBear
December 28, 2021 at 6:44 pm
Woah what if we just used less energy?
Noukz
December 28, 2021 at 8:45 pm
It HAS to be added that, the “first world” countries need to downsize, use less, be less wasteful and more efficient. This, is a cultural problem, especially in the US and the western Europe…
MajkaSrajka
December 28, 2021 at 9:53 pm
Eat the bugs and live in the pond?
Shame that chinese or indians won’t follow.
GekkoBear
December 29, 2021 at 12:04 am
@MajkaSrajka downsizing doesn’t have to be dystopian. Sustainable cities are a lie anyways. Ever hear of permaculture? Ever hear of human beings who take responsibility to meet their own food needs as individuals and communities? India certainly has more of this than the US does. The rest of the world is industrializing so they can be consumer markets for western industrial goods and services. Not because the people of those countries want that, but because their governments have been hijacked by Western corporations and their proxy states.
Tark McCoy
December 28, 2021 at 8:52 pm
That depends, how much weed are you trying to grow???
Dawn Bolton
December 28, 2021 at 9:17 pm
Build smaller homes, automobiles, warehouses, factories, retail stores .
MajkaSrajka
December 28, 2021 at 9:53 pm
own nothing and be happy
Son of Sevenless
December 28, 2021 at 9:24 pm
this is the longest anyone has taken to say “we’re screwed”
A F
December 28, 2021 at 9:31 pm
One of the best TED talks I have heard. Even more impressive considering it was delivered by a McDonald employee
MajkaSrajka
December 28, 2021 at 9:56 pm
Still waiting for my nuclear flying cars 😭
Scott Sophia
December 28, 2021 at 11:07 pm
People will be kicking themselves in few weeks if they miss the opportunity to buy and invest in crypto as its retracing …..BE WISE.
Linda Raymond
December 28, 2021 at 11:35 pm
His really an amazing man with amazing skills he changed my 0.3btc to 2.1btc
Brandom Jack
December 28, 2021 at 11:36 pm
His obviously the best invested 2000USD with him and I made a profit of 9101USD
Brandom Jack
December 28, 2021 at 11:51 pm
✝️〽️+𝟭𝟯𝟰𝟳𝟴𝟬𝟴𝟰𝟲𝟮𝟱〽️✝️
Olivia Ava
December 28, 2021 at 11:58 pm
@Brandom Jack .Thanks placing my trade with Anthony Brian.
Rose Lucy
December 29, 2021 at 12:00 am
My first investment with Expert Anthony Brian gave me the assurance that has made me invest without fear of loosing I got four of my friends involved with him already.
MCRuCr
December 28, 2021 at 11:08 pm
We need to consume less energy in total. Like in winter you dont have to heat to 22 degrees when 18 will do
太雄
December 28, 2021 at 11:34 pm
Thank you for enlightening me!
RalfG
December 28, 2021 at 11:55 pm
This video is disclosing facts that everyone could be aware of by reading two or three wikipedia articles. However, obviously the German government is not intelligent enough to be aware of simple facts. I am German. Now with the Greens in government I am really keen to know how they will make Germany survive without the last six nuclear reactors, three being shut down January 1st 2022, last three shut down end of 2022. Completely lunatic. This is only done due to ideologic reasons, the Greens are too proud to comit that they were and are wrong. They will neither save climate, nor they will take advantage of technological advantages, they will spoil German economy and the gobal climate. Shame on them…..
67Whitegoat
December 29, 2021 at 12:35 am
What makes you think you can effect climate change. It will happen with or without us. It always has.
Bruce
December 29, 2021 at 1:04 am
Hi, I think there is a problem with the subtitles while it is shown 5 seconds before the voice
Joe Smith
December 29, 2021 at 1:25 am
We’re going to need a lot of nerds like him to get this done
sunnytov
December 29, 2021 at 5:51 am
Is nuclear energy clean?
Brendan O' Neil
December 29, 2021 at 2:23 pm
arguably cleaner than non renewable alternatives , nuclear fusion could be the cleanest, if we can get it working.
ibnu umar
December 29, 2021 at 7:04 am
Islam al haq
Eli Nope
December 29, 2021 at 7:39 am
Petawatts are downright tiny compared to other large named numbers, yada yada yada.
Tom Payne
December 29, 2021 at 8:06 am
What a bunch of impractical and unnecessary goals. Oh, and did he actually say that we need more electricity to lower the birth rate? Does he not realize that we need to sustain society with more children, not less children?
Stefan Albu
December 29, 2021 at 8:57 am
Maybe the elecricity was put in our houses so the state could spy on our thoughts. Thoughts are probably electrical and….maybe they are pulled like a magnet into electrical wires and then heard by the state
bj0rn
December 29, 2021 at 9:48 am
Do you realize how funny it is that it takes a young bold man in yellow T-shirt to say what should be obvious to everyone.
mt89
December 29, 2021 at 10:51 am
Lol ok good luck with that
Pepe Stock is Soaring
December 29, 2021 at 11:49 am
Goldstein
Ronald Dan Caliva
December 29, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Does everyone else need to know this electric stuffs?
Brendan O' Neil
December 29, 2021 at 2:40 pm
Maybe the real answer to humanity’s carbon footprints is just a lot less feet? two legs bad, four legs bad.
Greg Oast
January 3, 2022 at 5:58 am
So are you advocating for mass genocide
Sakshi Makkad
December 29, 2021 at 3:02 pm
thank you ✨
Michael Bulu
December 29, 2021 at 3:33 pm
I might be missing something, but all the carbon capture techniques I’ve read about only function in very small scale, like using copper nano-spikes to catch individual CO2 molecules. Is there legitimate hope for large scale carbon capture by 2050???
Eric Gouw
December 29, 2021 at 3:59 pm
Why not change our lifestyle, instead of trying to change the planet?
Fatima Mouhandiz
December 29, 2021 at 4:38 pm
yes we can !
Cybernetic Butterfly
December 29, 2021 at 9:04 pm
This shows whatever plans out there for fusion power needs to get it’s schedule waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster.
We’d need at least 2nd or 3rd generation viable fusion plants by 2050 for it to be a good contributor to this.
Maybe as a follow up source of further growth of energy consumption after 2050.
GekkoBear
December 29, 2021 at 9:31 pm
Delusional
Cybernetic Butterfly
December 29, 2021 at 9:06 pm
How much fusion power do we need by 2050 for it to be enough to make a difference?
Cybernetic Butterfly
December 29, 2021 at 9:09 pm
How much water resources do we spend from rivers to operate clean power production?
Neil M
December 30, 2021 at 12:11 am
No realism here. Hard to believe he’s an engineer… Nuclear is currently the only viable option.
Turtle Playz Shorts
December 30, 2021 at 3:32 am
The day when all human put public interest as the priority over the personal interest(which is individualism), we might achieve the great success throughout the entire human history. Teamwork around globe is essential for making our life better.✊🏼💪🏼🔥
Sekar Vedaraman
December 30, 2021 at 7:50 am
Well Said Solomon.
King Solomon’s wisdom is legendary.
Here is a important piece of the puzzle for Consideration. Better storage technologies for energy generated during periods of low usage, so that they can be supplied to users during periods of high demand.
Making the dream of creating a slightly better world is certainly achievable in the current century century, as long as the world comes together as one.
william sandler
December 30, 2021 at 10:01 am
The political power of the oil, gas and extractive industries — and the powerplants and utilities that deliver them is immense. Most of them make money through status quo processes. This virtually guarantees that change will come in excruciatingly slow centimeters at a time.
Robert Psotka
December 30, 2021 at 3:22 pm
Wonder when was the last time this guy planted a tree
Ricky S
December 30, 2021 at 6:31 pm
Bitcoin is an energy innovation play
LUIS ALBERTO ESQUIVEL
December 30, 2021 at 10:04 pm
I´m worry about Mexico goberment, my country , only think in oil energy production because is afraid of international companies hystorical abuse
Tri Sooma
December 31, 2021 at 3:42 am
Great talk, informative and scary at he same time – since we have to rely on politics to make it happen :sadpanda
MarkNiceyard
January 2, 2022 at 3:19 am
Talking about 30 years into the future sounds pretty much like the talk of medieval religion or a politician. First of all it’s a story that sounds somehow logically – but still a story and not reality.
Alpha Zed
January 3, 2022 at 12:26 pm
hire this man
Taliesin Haugh
January 3, 2022 at 6:08 pm
I am stunned to see people still talking about direct capture factories when seaweed-based oceanic aquaculture scales better and provides numerous other natural services, AND the tech already exists. Where is the TED talk about that?
Yann Rivaud
January 3, 2022 at 8:39 pm
Problems with subtitles !!
14 Nguyễn Tiến Định
January 4, 2022 at 4:49 pm
phụ đề lỗi r ạ
Biswadip Jana
January 5, 2022 at 11:09 am
Keep It Up! 🙏🤝👍