How concentrated solar power could fuel the future Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo Learn skills from the world's top minds at Big Think Edge:

How concentrated solar power could fuel the future Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo Learn skills from the world's top minds at Big Think Edge: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What if we could not only harness the power of the sun, but actually use it to run the entire planet? Concentrated solar power (CSP) has the potential to do just that — using arrays of revolving mirrors called heliostats, light is reflected into a massive receiver. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, the cost to replicate these Sunlight Refineries™ is dropping. Soon solar energy will be cleaner and cheaper than using fossil fuels, which could mean adoption on a global scale. Heliogen, a company founded by Bill Gross and backed by Bill Gates, wants to eliminate all uses of fossil fuels. Using cameras, AI, and machine learning, they are working to make these CSP systems smarter and much more efficient. This episode is from Hard Reset, a Freethink original series about rebuilding the world from scratch and reimagining everything from first principles. Catch more Hard Reset episodes on their channel: https://www.freethink.com/shows/hard-reset ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT: NARRATOR: This might look like a death ray, but it's not. It's actually... One enormous, very accurate magnifying glass. NARRATOR: This magnifying glass has a technical name, a sunlight refinery. To use it, find somewhere really sunny, plop down a bunch of mirrors, bounce the sunlight into a single spot and you can melt just about anything. Okay, so it is kind of death ray-ish. Why do this? Because manufacturing steel or cement requires a lot of heat and making something super hot has historically meant burning dinosaurs. STEVE SCHELL: You look at the massive carbon footprint that is associated with these industrial applications and it can't be ignored. NARRATOR: Twenty percent of global carbon emissions to be precise. And because this technology is so good, it might just change the entire energy industry. And prevent World War III in the process. This is "Hard Reset," a series about rebuilding our world from scratch. Just east of Six Flags and north of LA is a place called Lancaster, which is very flat, very hot and a perfect place to test a takeover of the world's energy supply. [dramatic music] Yeah, that sounded more Bond villain-y than I thought it would. Anyway, these are called heliostats and the reason this solar refinery works so well is that under these mirrors and shot glasses are pretty simple motors that they can control remotely. And this allows the mirrors to change angles throughout the day, depending on where the sun is. How do they know where the sun is? Interns. No, AI, of course. BILL GROSS: You need to take each of thousands of mirrors and point them very, very precisely, accurate to about 1/10 or 1/20 of a degree. NARRATOR: That's Bill Gross, genius visionary and founder of over 150 companies. Also super nice guy. GROSS: Thank you, I really appreciate it. NARRATOR: At the top of the tower, high-resolution cameras monitor the position of the mirrors below. SCHELL: You can actually see the two at the top are the easiest to pick out 'cause they're on booms above the receiver. NARRATOR: So Heliogen gets all those mirrors to reflect sunlight into that big target at the top. SCHELL: So what we've got just above us is the solar receiver. So you can see that's what we saw from ground level. That's where that concentrated sunlight is focused when the field is operating. NARRATOR: The cameras know if the mirrors are bouncing into the sun because those cameras are assessing the quality of the sky's blue. Let's break that down with Steve, who has cool tattoos. SCHELL: This is my robot battle armor and what I have here is a jungle on an alien planet with robots tending the garden. NARRATOR: And is in charge of the technology stuff here. SCHELL: What these cameras see is the reflection of the sky close to the sun. Close to the sun, the sky appears very bright from the scattered sunlight coming through it and the further away from the sun you look, the darker or less bright that patch of sky appears to be. NARRATOR: So the cameras look at the color blue and the AI uses that information to assess the distance from the sun, deduce the orientation of the mirror and therefore, where the beam is going. SCHELL: So every few seconds, we get a measurement of where that beam is going and we can command the heliostat to make small corrections to optimize its tracking. In this industry, that is a complete game changer 'cause now we don't rely on the hardware to be so precise, we have software to make it precise. So it really changes everything about how that plant... To read the full transcript, please go to https://bigthink.com/videos/concentrated-solar-power

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As principal founder of the Clean Coalition, Craig Lewis has spearheaded the drive to create resilient, reliable, redundant and sustainable energy grid solutions that are available NOW. Craig

As principal founder of the Clean Coalition, Craig Lewis has spearheaded the drive to create resilient, reliable, redundant and sustainable energy grid solutions that are available NOW. Craig studied industrial-scale solar energy deployment in Germany, when that country brought renewables-driven energy resilience to their entire electrical grid. These micro-grids not only generate power locally, where it is needed, they keep generating the energy needed to support core emergency services in times of disaster. Craig Lewis, with an MBA and MSEE from the University of Southern California and a BSEE from the University of California, Berkeley,.has over 30 years of experience in the renewables, wireless, semiconductor, and banking industries. Principal founder of Clean Coalition, Craig has spearheaded the drive to create resilient, reliable, redundant and sustainable energy grid solutions that are available NOW. As Vice President of Government Relations at GreenVolts, he brought solar energy solutions into practice by successfully following California’s Renewable Portfolio Standards. Craig was energy policy lead on Steve Westly’s 2006 California gubernatorial campaign. He has worked at leading wireless, semiconductor, and banking companies such as Qualcomm, Ericsson, and Barclays Bank. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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“We the Power” chronicles Europe's citizen-led community energy movement, highlighting visionaries who are transforming the traditional energy system. The film follows friends, families, and cooperatives from Germany to Spain and London as they overcome legislative barriers, empowering locals to produce clean electricity and build healthier, financially stable communities.

Discover how to join, invest in, or build your own energy community at Patagonia.com/WethePower. You can also bring "We the Power" to your community to spark discussions. To host a digital or in-person screening and access exclusive resources, register your interest here.

Special thanks to: www.energygarden.org.uk, www.ews-schoenau.de, www.somenergia.coop

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Robin Wall Kimmerer, a mother, scientist, and Citizen Potawatomi Nation member, is an acclaimed author. Her books, including the widely praised "Braiding Sweetgrass" (also adapted for young adults) and award-winning "Gathering Moss," highlight Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge, fostering ecological understanding through plants.

This short film is part of The Arachne Project, a May 2024 gathering by Oregon State University's Spring Creek Project. This diverse community of writers, scientists, and Indigenous leaders explored new visions for conservation in an uncertain future. Learn more at https://beav.es/arachne.

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The coronavirus pandemic offered a glimpse into what life can become when hit with a crisis that we were least prepared for. Chukwumerije's passionate talk warns of an impending crisis as a result of

The coronavirus pandemic offered a glimpse into what life can become when hit with a crisis that we were least prepared for. Chukwumerije's passionate talk warns of an impending crisis as a result of inaction on our part in responding to the climate change but also highlights the opportunities presented to us as we become environmentally conscious as a country. Chukwumerije Okereke is a Professor of Environment and Development at the University of Reading where he also serves as the Co-Director of Climate and Justice Centre and the Leverhulme Climate Justice Doctoral Scholarship Programme Previously, he was a Senior Research Associate at Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, UK, and Head of Climate and the Environment Development Centre at the Smith School Enterprise, University of Oxford, respectively. He remains a visiting fellow at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) Professor Okereke’s work is devoted to understanding the mix of policies, strategies, and institutional arrangements that can help to address climate change and natural resource degradation in Africa in the context of sustainable development and Africa’s structural economic transformation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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Yvette Williams MBE from Justice4Grenfell shares her moving account of what she witnessed on the night of the fire at Grenfell Tower and how after years working behind the scenes, she was motivated

Yvette Williams MBE from Justice4Grenfell shares her moving account of what she witnessed on the night of the fire at Grenfell Tower and how after years working behind the scenes, she was motivated to become a more vocal and visible community activist. Yvette is interviewed by Ben Bailey Smith an English rapper, comedian, actor, screenwriter, radio presenter and voiceover artist, who is also known as Doc Brown. Yvette has lived in North Kensington for over 30 years. She previously worked with the Mangrove Community Association and has served tenure as a Trustee for the Tabernacle Community Centre and the Pepper Pot Club (African Caribbean Elders Centre). She is also a founding member of Operation Black Vote – a national campaign encouraging BME communities to engage in the democratic process. She has worked with a number of campaigns including those for Stephen Lawrence and Frank Critchlow. Yvette has a professional background working in education and criminal justice. Both Yvette and her daughter witnessed the fire at Grenfell Tower, after being alerted by a family friend who was evacuated from one of the walkways. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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Ahead of COP26, Ursula Woodburn, Head of EU Relations, CLG Europe, caught up with Maria Letizia Mariani, Chief Commercial Officer, and Steve Meadows, Director of Services & Operations at

Ahead of COP26, Ursula Woodburn, Head of EU Relations, CLG Europe, caught up with Maria Letizia Mariani, Chief Commercial Officer, and Steve Meadows, Director of Services & Operations at Signify. CLG Europe is a cross-sectoral business voice convened across the EU in support of a climate neutral economy. The Group develops credible, ambitious positions amongst its membership and deploys effective strategic communications to engage with the highest levels of policy audiences. CLG Europe is diverse in its membership and representative of Europe in both geography and sector, welcoming the innovative talent of SMEs as well as leading established companies. The group works closely with policymakers – particularly the Green Growth Group of EU climate and environment ministers, and supportive Members of the European Parliament through its Green Growth Partnership. The group also maintains a network of sister groups across the EU and works in partnership with some of the largest business focused organisations in support of climate action as one of the founders of the We Mean Business Coalition. CLG Europe is convened by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership's world-leading expertise on sustainability and a team that has a deep understanding of the political landscape and how to shape it. #AchievingZero #COP26 #COP26Glasgow #TogetherForOurPlanet

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Cheryl Suchors began writing at age six, when she wrote a play starring her sister and herself. She continued to write poetry until she took a detour through the business world for twenty years. She

Cheryl Suchors began writing at age six, when she wrote a play starring her sister and herself. She continued to write poetry until she took a detour through the business world for twenty years. She holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Smith College. Her memoir, 48 PEAKS, Hiking and Healing in the White Mountains, was published by She Writes Press in September, 2018. Cheryl continues to hike every chance she gets, most recently in Poland and Canada. Have you ever heard of the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club? Neither had Cheryl Suchors until she was already hiking one of the NH mountains that qualifies! Floundering in her second career, the one she’s always wanted, forty-eight year old Cheryl Suchors resolves that, despite a fear of heights, her mid-life success depends on hiking the highest of the grueling White Mountains in New Hampshire. All forty-eight of them. She endures injuries, novice mistakes, and the heartbreaking loss of a best friend. When breast cancer threatens her own life, she seeks solace and recovery in the wild. Hear her talk about hiking, changing careers, overcoming grief and more from the quest that took her ten years to complete. Get the book here: https://goo.gl/4ZR2fv

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Following the movie screening we will be hosting a panel discussion with movement leaders on the impacts of oil drilling on rainforest biodiversity and indigenous peoples, as well as its connection

Following the movie screening we will be hosting a panel discussion with movement leaders on the impacts of oil drilling on rainforest biodiversity and indigenous peoples, as well as its connection to fossil-fuel-polluted communities and climate chaos in California and beyond. SPEAKERS: Ryan Patrick Killackey, Producer, Director, Writer, Cinematographer, YASUNI MAN; Tom Smith - Founding Director, UCLA Center for Tropical Research, Monic Uriarte - member of the coalition Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND-Los Angeles), Grandma Gloria Arellanes - Elder of the Tongva Tribe Moderator - Leila Salazar-López - Executive Director of Amazon Watch California's oil policy matters for the Amazon. Nearly 70% of Ecuador's crude is exported to California refineries. The Trump administration is dismantling the EPA and expanding offshore drilling in the Pacific Ocean. Join us on June 14th to tell Governor Jerry Brown it's his last chance to plan for a managed decline of fossil fuel production!

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"Solving for Z" explores IFMGA guide Zahan Billimoria’s relationship with the exhilarating highs and profound risks of big mountain skiing. The film delves into the gap between perception and reality in high-consequence environments, questioning what we are willing to risk.

Education is paramount for mountain safety. Learn more about Zahan's Samsara Mountain Experience programs or find opportunities in your own area: samsaraexperience.com.

A Patagonia Presents film by Teton Gravity Research, "Solving for Z" features Zahan Billimoria, Kim Billimoria, and others.

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