[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.42,0:00:09.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you very much.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.46,0:00:11.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I was a boy,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.52,0:00:15.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my parents would sometimes\Ntake me camping in California.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.43,0:00:19.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We would camp in the beaches,\Nin the forests, in the deserts.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.59,0:00:22.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some people think the deserts\Nare empty of life
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.08,0:00:25.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but my parents taught me\Nto see the wildlife all around us:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.44,0:00:29.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the hawks, the eagles, the tortoises.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.17,0:00:31.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One time when we were setting up camp,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.41,0:00:34.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we found a baby scorpion\Nwith its stinger out,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.51,0:00:36.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I remember thinking how cool it was
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.85,0:00:40.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that something could be\Nboth so cute and also so dangerous.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.65,0:00:44.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After college, I moved to California\Nand I started working on
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.60,0:00:46.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a number of environmental campaigns,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.49,0:00:50.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I got involved in helping to save\Nthe state's last ancient redwood forests
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.50,0:00:55.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and blocking a proposed radioactive\Nwaste repository set for the desert.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.59,0:00:56.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Shortly after I turned 30,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.89,0:01:00.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I decided I wanted to dedicate\Na significant amount of my life
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.41,0:01:02.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to solving climate change.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.19,0:01:05.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was worried that global warming\Nwould end up destroying
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.66,0:01:07.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,many of the natural environments
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.34,0:01:09.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that people had worked\Nso hard to protect.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.17,0:01:13.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought the technical solutions\Nwere pretty straightforward;
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.18,0:01:16.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,solar panels on every roof,\Nelectric car in the driveway,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.06,0:01:18.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the main obstacles were political.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.82,0:01:21.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so I helped to organize a coalition
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.30,0:01:25.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the country's biggest labor unions\Nand biggest environmental groups.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.47,0:01:30.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our proposal was for a 300-billion-dollar\Ninvestment in renewables.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.09,0:01:33.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the idea was not only\Nwould we prevent climate change,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.20,0:01:35.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we would also create\Nmillions of new jobs
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.80,0:01:38.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in a very fast-growing high-tech sector.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.77,0:01:41.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our efforts really paid off in 2007,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.63,0:01:45.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when then-presidential candidate\NBarack Obama embraced our vision.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.50,0:01:51.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And between 2009 and 2015,\Nthe US invested 150 billion dollars
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.32,0:01:54.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in renewables and other\Nkinds of clean tech.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.81,0:01:57.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but right away we started\Nto encounter some problems.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.96,0:02:00.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So first of all, the electricity\Nfrom solar rooftops
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.82,0:02:04.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ends up costing about twice as much\Nas the electricity from solar farms.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.93,0:02:06.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And both solar farms and wind farms
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.72,0:02:09.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,require covering a pretty\Nsignificant amount of land
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.37,0:02:11.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with solar panels and wind turbines
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.59,0:02:14.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and also building\Nvery big transmission lines
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.59,0:02:17.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to bring all that electricity\Nfrom the countryside into the city.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.10,0:02:22.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Both of those things were often very\Nstrongly resisted by local communities,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.99,0:02:25.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as well as by conservation biologists
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.20,0:02:30.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who were concerned about the impacts\Non wild bird species and other animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.60,0:02:32.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, there was a lot of other people
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.61,0:02:34.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,working on technical\Nsolutions at the time.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.83,0:02:36.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the big challenges, of course,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.60,0:02:38.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the intermittency of solar and wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.78,0:02:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They only generate electricity\Nabout 10 to 30 percent of the time
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.08,0:02:43.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during most of year.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.56,0:02:45.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But some of the solutions being proposed
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.78,0:02:50.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were to convert hydroelectric\Ndams into gigantic batteries.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.29,0:02:53.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The idea was that when the sun\Nwas shining and the wind was blowing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.50,0:02:56.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you would pump the water\Nuphill, store it for later,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.48,0:02:59.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then when you needed electricity,\Nrun it over the turbines.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.52,0:03:02.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In terms of wildlife,\Nsome of these problems
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.65,0:03:04.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just didn't seem like\Na significant concern.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.86,0:03:08.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when I learned that house cats\Nkill billions of birds every year
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.01,0:03:12.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it put into perspective the hundreds\Nof thousands of birds
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.16,0:03:14.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that are killed by wind turbines.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.63,0:03:16.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It basically seemed to me at the time
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.50,0:03:20.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that most, if not all, of the problems\Nof scaling up solar and wind
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.45,0:03:23.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could be solved through more\Ntechnological innovation.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.19,0:03:25.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But as the years went by,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.98,0:03:29.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these problems persisted\Nand, in many cases, grew worse.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.83,0:03:33.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So California is a state that's really\Ncommitted to renewable energy,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.33,0:03:36.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we still haven't converted\Nmany of our hydroelectric dams
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.59,0:03:37.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into big batteries.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.19,0:03:40.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some of the problems are just Geographic;
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.63,0:03:43.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's just you have to have\Na very particular kind of formation
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.71,0:03:44.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be able to do that,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:44.94,0:03:46.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and even in those cases,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.28,0:03:49.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's quite expensive\Nto make those conversions.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.02,0:03:52.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Other challenges are just\Nthat there're other uses for water
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.39,0:03:53.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like irrigation,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.91,0:03:58.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and maybe the most significant\Nproblem is just that in California,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.42,0:04:00.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the water in our rivers and reservoirs
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.81,0:04:03.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is growing increasingly\Nscarce and unreliable
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.21,0:04:05.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,due to climate change.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.17,0:04:09.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In terms of this issue of reliability\Nas a consequence of it,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.61,0:04:12.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we've actually had to stop the electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.08,0:04:14.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,coming from the solar\Nfarms into the cities
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.13,0:04:16.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because there's just been\Ntoo much of it at times.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.47,0:04:20.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or we've been starting to pay\Nour neighboring states like Arizona
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.33,0:04:22.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take that solar electricity.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.04,0:04:25.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The alternative is to suffer\Nfrom blowouts of the grid.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.65,0:04:27.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it turns out that
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.76,0:04:30.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when it comes to birds and cats -
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.38,0:04:35.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cats don't kill eagles; eagles kill cats.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.18,0:04:40.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What cats kill are the small common\Nsparrows and jay's and robins,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.75,0:04:44.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,birds that are not endangered\Nand not at risk of going extinct.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.04,0:04:51.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What do kill eagles and other big birds\Nlike this kite as well as owls and condors
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.18,0:04:53.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and other threatened\Nand endangered species
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.89,0:04:54.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are wind turbines,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.99,0:04:57.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in fact, one of the most\Nsignificant threats
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.48,0:04:59.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to those big bird species that we have -
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.90,0:05:03.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we just haven't been introducing\Nthe airspace with many other objects
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.74,0:05:06.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like we have wind turbines\Nover the last several years.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.64,0:05:09.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in terms of solar,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.43,0:05:13.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know building a solar farm is a lot\Nlike building any other kind of farm;
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.55,0:05:16.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you have to clear\Nthe whole area of wildlife.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:16.42,0:05:21.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is a picture of one third of one\Nof the biggest solar farms in California
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.93,0:05:23.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called Ivanpah.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.20,0:05:24.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In order to build this,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.37,0:05:27.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they had to clear\Nthe whole area of desert tortoises,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.56,0:05:31.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,literally pulling desert tortoises\Nand their babies out of burrows,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.67,0:05:35.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,putting them on the back of pickup trucks,\Nand transporting them to captivity
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.47,0:05:37.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where many of them ended up dying.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.49,0:05:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the current estimates are that\Nabout 6,000 birds are killed every year,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.20,0:05:44.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually catching on fire\Nabove the solar farm
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.46,0:05:46.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and plunging to their deaths.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.48,0:05:48.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over time it gradually struck me
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.62,0:05:52.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that there was really no amount\Nof technological innovation
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.13,0:05:55.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was going to make\Nthe sun shine more regularly
Dialogue: 0,0:05:55.42,0:05:57.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or wind blow more reliably.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.86,0:06:00.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, you could make\Nsolar panels cheaper,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.87,0:06:02.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you could make\Nwind turbines bigger
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.68,0:06:06.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but sunlight and wind\Nare just really dilute fuels.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.08,0:06:09.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in order to produce\Nsignificant amounts of electricity,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.10,0:06:12.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you just have to cover\Na very large land mass with them.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:13.21,0:06:17.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In other words, all of the major problems\Nwith renewables aren't technical,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:17.31,0:06:19.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're natural.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.64,0:06:22.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, dealing with\Nall of this unreliability
Dialogue: 0,0:06:22.63,0:06:24.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the big environmental impacts
Dialogue: 0,0:06:24.28,0:06:26.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,obviously comes at a \Npretty high economic cost.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.53,0:06:30.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know we've been hearing a lot\Nabout how solar panels and wind turbines
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.07,0:06:32.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have come down in cost in recent years,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:32.44,0:06:34.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but that cost has been \Nsignificantly outweighed
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.84,0:06:38.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by just the challenges of integrating all\Nof that unreliable power onto the grid.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.28,0:06:41.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just take, for instance, \Nwhat's happening in California.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.99,0:06:45.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the period in which solar panels\Nhave come down in price
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.65,0:06:48.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,very significantly, same with wind,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.13,0:06:50.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we've seen our electricity prices
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.50,0:06:52.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,go up five times more than\Nthe rest of the country.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.45,0:06:54.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's not unique to us.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:54.73,0:06:56.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can see the same phenomenon\Nhappen in Germany,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.53,0:06:58.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is really the world's\Nleader in solar, wind,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:58.36,0:06:59.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and other renewable technologies.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.59,0:07:02.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their prices increased 50 percent\Nduring their big renewable energy push.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.63,0:07:06.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now you might think, well,\Ndealing with climate change
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.80,0:07:10.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is just going to require\Nthat we all pay more for energy.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:10.69,0:07:12.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's what I used to think.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.91,0:07:16.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But consider the case of France.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.06,0:07:18.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,France actually gets\Ntwice as much of its electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.25,0:07:20.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from clean zero emission sources\Nthan does Germany, and yet,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.41,0:07:25.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,France pays almost half\Nas much for its electricity.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:25.99,0:07:29.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How can that be?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:29.05,0:07:30.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, you might have already\Nanticipated the answer.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:30.37,0:07:32.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,France gets most of its electricity\Nfrom nuclear power, about 75% in total.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.09,0:07:39.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And nuclear just ends up\Nbeing a lot more reliable,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.37,0:07:41.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,generating power 24 hours a day,\Nseven days a week,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:41.62,0:07:45.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for about 90% of the year.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:45.16,0:07:47.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We see this phenomenon\Nshow up at a global level.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.62,0:07:49.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, for example, there's been\Na natural experiment
Dialogue: 0,0:07:49.09,0:07:51.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over the last 40 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.46,0:07:52.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even more than that,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.96,0:07:54.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or in terms of the deployment of nuclear\Nand the deployment of solar,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.42,0:08:00.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can see that\Nat a little bit higher cost,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:00.46,0:08:02.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we got about half as much electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:08:02.17,0:08:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from solar and wind\Nthan we did from nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:06.64,0:08:08.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, what does all this mean\Nfor going forward?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.83,0:08:10.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think one of the most significant\Nfindings to date is this one.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.84,0:08:13.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Had Germany spent five hundred\Nand eighty billion dollars on nuclear
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.66,0:08:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,instead of renewables,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:17.47,0:08:19.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would already be getting\Na hundred percent of its electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.51,0:08:21.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from clean energy sources,\Nand all of its transportation.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.41,0:08:27.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now I think you might be wondering\Nand it's quite reasonable to ask:
Dialogue: 0,0:08:30.01,0:08:32.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is nuclear power safe and\Nwhat do you do with the waste?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.47,0:08:33.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, those are very reasonable questions.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.97,0:08:36.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Turns out that there's been\Nscientific studies on this
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.07,0:08:38.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,going over 40 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:38.77,0:08:40.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is just the most recent study
Dialogue: 0,0:08:40.24,0:08:42.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was done by the prestigious\NBritish Medical Journal, Lancet,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.25,0:08:44.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,finds that nuclear power is the safest.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:44.26,0:08:46.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's easy to understand why.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:46.93,0:08:48.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,According to the World\NHealth Organization,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.64,0:08:51.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about 7 million people die\Nannually from air pollution.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.50,0:08:55.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And nuclear plants don't emit that.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.57,0:08:57.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a result, the climate scientist,\NJames Hansen, looked at and he calculated
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.35,0:09:01.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that nuclear power has already saved\Nalmost two million lives to date.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:01.75,0:09:04.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It turns out that even wind energy\Nis deadlier than nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.12,0:09:09.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a photograph taken\Nof two maintenance workers
Dialogue: 0,0:09:09.79,0:09:11.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the Netherlands,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.50,0:09:13.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shortly before one of them\Nfell to his death to avoid the fire,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:15.64,0:09:17.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the other one was engulfed in flames.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:17.26,0:09:20.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now what about environmental impact?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:20.44,0:09:21.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I think a really easy way\Nto think about it is
Dialogue: 0,0:09:21.76,0:09:24.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that uranium fuel which is\Nwhat we used to power nuclear plants
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.07,0:09:25.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is just really energy dense.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.21,0:09:30.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,About the same amount\Nof uranium as this Rubiks's Cube
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.89,0:09:34.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can power all of the energy\Nyou need in your entire life.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:35.44,0:09:38.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a consequence,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.68,0:09:40.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you just don't need that much land
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.60,0:09:42.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to produce a significant\Namount of electricity.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.88,0:09:44.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here you can compare the solar farm\NI just described, Ivanpah,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.83,0:09:47.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to California's last nuclear plant,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.41,0:09:50.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Diablo Canyon.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.77,0:09:52.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It takes 450 times more land\Nto generate the same amount of electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.75,0:09:54.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as it does from nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.79,0:09:57.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You would need 17 more solar farms
Dialogue: 0,0:09:59.92,0:10:02.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like Ivanpah in order to generate\Nthe same output as Diablo Canyon.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:02.32,0:10:05.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And of course it would then be unreliable.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.80,0:10:07.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, what about the mining and the waste\Nand the material throughput.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:10.12,0:10:11.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, This has been studied\Npretty closely as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:11.92,0:10:13.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it just turns out
Dialogue: 0,0:10:13.51,0:10:16.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that solar panels require 17 times\Nmore materials than nuclear plants do,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:18.61,0:10:21.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the form of cement,\Nglass, concrete, steel, etc.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.49,0:10:23.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that includes all the fuels\Nused for those nuclear plants.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.23,0:10:25.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The consequence is that what comes out\Nat the end since its material throughput
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.73,0:10:30.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is just not a lot of waste from nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:30.16,0:10:32.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of the waste from the Swiss\Nnuclear program fits into this room.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:34.57,0:10:37.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Nuclear waste is actually the only waste\Nfrom electricity production
Dialogue: 0,0:10:38.95,0:10:41.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's safely contained and internalized.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:41.23,0:10:43.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Every other way of making electricity
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.21,0:10:45.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,emits that waste\Ninto the natural environment
Dialogue: 0,0:10:45.49,0:10:48.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,either as pollution or as material waste.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.01,0:10:50.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We tend to think of solar panels as clean
Dialogue: 0,0:10:50.59,0:10:53.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the truth is that there is no plan\Nto deal with solar panels
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.27,0:10:57.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the end of their 20 or 25 year life.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.79,0:11:00.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A lot of experts are actually\Nvery concerned that solar panels
Dialogue: 0,0:11:00.22,0:11:02.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are just going to be shipped\Nto poor countries in Africa or Asia
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.18,0:11:06.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the rest of our electronic\Nwaste stream to be disassembled,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.78,0:11:13.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,often exposing people\Nto really high level of toxic elements,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:13.21,0:11:15.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including lead, cadmium and chromium,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:15.61,0:11:17.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,elements that because they're elements,\Ntheir toxicity never declines over time.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.68,0:11:23.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think we have an intuitive sense
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.20,0:11:25.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that nuclear is a really powerful\Nstrong energy source,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:25.66,0:11:28.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that sunlight is really dilute\Nand diffuse and weak,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:31.15,0:11:33.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is why you have to spread\Nsolar collectors or wind collectors
Dialogue: 0,0:11:35.29,0:11:38.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over such a large amount of land.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:38.32,0:11:40.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maybe that's why nobody was surprised
Dialogue: 0,0:11:40.75,0:11:43.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when in the recent science-fiction\Nremake of Blade Runner,\N
Dialogue: 0,0:11:43.15,0:11:45.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the film open a very dark dystopian scene
Dialogue: 0,0:11:45.91,0:11:48.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where California's deserts have been\Nentirely paved with solar farms.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:52.48,0:11:53.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of which, I think, raises\Na really uncomfortable question:
Dialogue: 0,0:11:53.86,0:11:56.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the effort to try to save the climate,\Nare we destroying the environment?
Dialogue: 0,0:11:59.02,0:12:02.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, the interesting thing is that\Nover the last several hundred years,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:05.71,0:12:07.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,human beings have actually\Nbeen trying to move away
Dialogue: 0,0:12:07.03,0:12:08.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from what you would consider\Nmatter-dense fuels
Dialogue: 0,0:12:08.86,0:12:11.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,towards energy dense ones.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:11.71,0:12:14.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That means really from wood and dung\Ntowards coal, oil, natural gas, uranium.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:16.99,0:12:18.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a phenomenon that's been\Ngoing on for a long time.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:18.31,0:12:20.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Poor countries around the world\Nare in the process still
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.09,0:12:23.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of moving away from wood and dung\Nas their primary energies.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:23.62,0:12:26.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And for the most part,\Nthis is a positive thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:26.50,0:12:29.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As you stop using wood\Nas your major source of fuel,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:32.05,0:12:34.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it allows the forests to grow back\Nand the wildlife to return.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:34.51,0:12:36.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As you stop burning wood in your home,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:36.34,0:12:38.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you no longer need to breath\Nthat toxic smoke.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:40.99,0:12:43.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as you go from coal\Nto natural gas and uranium
Dialogue: 0,0:12:43.75,0:12:45.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as your main sources of energy,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:45.79,0:12:48.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it holds out the possibility of basically\Neliminating air pollution altogether.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:50.83,0:12:53.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's just this problem with nuclear -
Dialogue: 0,0:12:53.05,0:12:55.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well, it's been pretty popular to move\Nfrom dirtier to cleaner energy sources,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:56.89,0:12:59.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and from energy diffuse\Nto energy dense sources -
Dialogue: 0,0:12:59.89,0:13:02.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nuclear is just really unpopular\Nfor a bunch of historical reasons.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:02.23,0:13:04.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as a consequence, in the past,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:04.78,0:13:07.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think a lot of others have sort of said,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:07.45,0:13:09.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to deal with climate change,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:09.52,0:13:11.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we're just going to need
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.17,0:13:12.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all the different kinds\Nof clean energy that we have.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:15.49,0:13:16.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is that it just\Nturns out not to be true.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.99,0:13:19.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You remember I discussed\NFrance a little bit ago.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:20.92,0:13:22.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,France gets most of its\Nelectricity from nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:22.24,0:13:24.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If France were to try to significantly\Nscale up solar and wind,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:27.34,0:13:29.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it would also have to significantly reduce\Nhow much electricity it gets from nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:32.98,0:13:35.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's because in order to handle the huge\Nvariability of solar and wind on the grid,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.98,0:13:38.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they would need to burn more natural gas.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:38.08,0:13:40.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Think of it this way,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:40.12,0:13:42.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's just really hard to ramp\Nup and down a nuclear plant
Dialogue: 0,0:13:44.14,0:13:45.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whereas I think we're all pretty\Nfamiliar with turning natural gas
Dialogue: 0,0:13:45.79,0:13:47.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,up and down on our stove.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:47.83,0:13:50.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A similar process works\Nin managing the grid.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.35,0:13:52.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course it goes without saying
Dialogue: 0,0:13:52.93,0:13:55.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that oil and gas companies\Nunderstand this pretty well,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:55.24,0:13:57.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is why we've seen them invest\Nmillions of dollars in recent years
Dialogue: 0,0:13:59.35,0:14:03.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in promoting solar and wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:03.25,0:14:05.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This just raises, I think,\Nanother challenging question
Dialogue: 0,0:14:05.50,0:14:07.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is that in places\Nthat are using a lot of nuclear,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:07.99,0:14:10.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their grids that are mostly\Nnuclear and hydro,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:14.17,0:14:15.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and going towards solar and wind\Nand other renewables
Dialogue: 0,0:14:15.64,0:14:17.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would actually increase carbon emissions.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:17.62,0:14:19.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think a better alternative\Nis just to tell the truth.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:21.52,0:14:23.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's what a number\Nof scientists have been doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:23.38,0:14:25.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mentioned earlier
Dialogue: 0,0:14:25.62,0:14:27.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that hundreds of thousands of birds\Nare killed every year by wind turbines.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:27.73,0:14:29.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What I didn't mention is that\Na million bats at a minimum
Dialogue: 0,0:14:31.90,0:14:33.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are killed every year by wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:33.88,0:14:35.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The consequence has been\Nthat bat scientists
Dialogue: 0,0:14:35.83,0:14:37.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have been speaking out about this.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:37.48,0:14:40.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This particular bat species,\Nthe hoary bat,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:40.21,0:14:42.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is a migratory bat species,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:42.34,0:14:44.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is literally at risk\Nof going extinct right now
Dialogue: 0,0:14:46.45,0:14:48.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the significant\Nexpansion of wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:48.94,0:14:51.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not just wind, it's also on solar.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:51.64,0:14:53.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The scientists who were involved\Nin creating the Ivanpah solar farm
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.53,0:14:55.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and who were involved in clearing\Nthat land have been speaking out.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:14:58.15,0:15:01.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of them wrote,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:01.12,0:15:03.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Everybody knows that translocation\Nof desert tortoises doesn't work.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:03.40,0:15:05.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When you're walking\Nin front of a bulldozer,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:07.09,0:15:09.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crying, and moving animals\Nand cacti out of the way,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:09.16,0:15:11.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's hard to think that\Nthe project is a good idea."
Dialogue: 0,0:15:11.20,0:15:13.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And now we can see these phenomena\Nat work at an international level.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:16.54,0:15:18.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In my home state of California,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:18.37,0:15:20.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we've been stuffing a lot of natural gas\Ninto the side of a mountain
Dialogue: 0,0:15:22.33,0:15:23.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to handle all that\Nintermittent solar and wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:24.25,0:15:26.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's sprung a leak.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:26.23,0:15:28.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was equivalent to putting\N500,000 cars on the road.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:28.30,0:15:30.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And currently in Germany,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:30.64,0:15:33.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's protesters trying to block\Na new coal mining project
Dialogue: 0,0:15:34.32,0:15:36.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that would involve destroying \Nthe ancient Han back forest
Dialogue: 0,0:15:36.24,0:15:38.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to get to the coal underneath,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:38.73,0:15:41.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all in an effort to phase out nuclear\Nand expand solar and wind.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:43.44,0:15:46.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The good news is that I think that\Npeople still care about nature enough
Dialogue: 0,0:15:48.51,0:15:50.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for these facts to matter.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:50.31,0:15:52.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We saw last year in South Korea
Dialogue: 0,0:15:52.77,0:15:55.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a citizen's jury deliberated\Nfor several months
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.11,0:15:56.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,weighing these different issues.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:56.88,0:15:58.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They had to decide whether they were\Ngoing to phase out nuclear
Dialogue: 0,0:15:58.89,0:16:01.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or keep it and expand it.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:01.65,0:16:04.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They started out 40 percent\Nin favor of expanding nuclear
Dialogue: 0,0:16:06.54,0:16:08.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but after several months\Nand considering these issues,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:08.04,0:16:10.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they ended up voting 60%\Nto expand nuclear.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:10.32,0:16:13.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A similar phenomena just\Nhappened last week in Arizona.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:15.12,0:16:17.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The voters had a ballot initiative
Dialogue: 0,0:16:17.10,0:16:19.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to vote on whether or not\Nto continue with nuclear
Dialogue: 0,0:16:19.20,0:16:21.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or to phase it out and try to replace it\Nwith natural gas and solar.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:23.22,0:16:26.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They ended up rejecting at 70 to 30.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:26.16,0:16:28.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And even here in Europe,\Nwe saw the Netherlands
Dialogue: 0,0:16:28.50,0:16:30.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the one of the first countries\Nin recent memory
Dialogue: 0,0:16:32.70,0:16:34.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to actually announce as they did last week
Dialogue: 0,0:16:34.74,0:16:36.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they're going to start to increase\Ntheir reliance on nuclear power
Dialogue: 0,0:16:36.36,0:16:37.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in recognition that there's just no way
Dialogue: 0,0:16:39.81,0:16:41.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they could generate significant amounts\Nof energy enough from solar and wind
Dialogue: 0,0:16:43.11,0:16:44.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to meet their climate targets.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:44.97,0:16:47.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think it's natural
Dialogue: 0,0:16:47.37,0:16:49.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that those of us that became\Nvery concerned about climate change,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:49.56,0:16:51.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such a big environmental issue,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:51.21,0:16:53.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would gravitate towards\Nreally romantic solutions
Dialogue: 0,0:16:56.54,0:16:58.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like harmonizing human civilization\Nwith the natural world
Dialogue: 0,0:16:58.98,0:17:01.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using renewable energies.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:01.14,0:17:03.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I think it's also understandable\Nthat as the facts have come in,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:05.85,0:17:07.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,many of us started to question\Nour prior beliefs and change our minds.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:10.41,0:17:14.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For me the question now is
Dialogue: 0,0:17:14.03,0:17:16.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we know that renewables\Ncan't save the planet,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:16.86,0:17:18.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are we going to keep\Nkeep letting them destroy it.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:18.66,0:17:25.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you very much.