Low-carbon energy products require huge volumes of resources from mining projects — meaning that slashing emissions will bring ecological and human rights perils of its own.
Why it matters: Technologies like electric car batteries, wind turbines, solar panels and hydrogen use unique minerals, including many that are in short supply.
The tech industry has produced ambitious pledges and tangible steps to limit climate change — but it's also responsible for emissions that make the problem worse.
Why it matters: Giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Google are important — but also controversial — corporate actors on climate change.
The rising demand for green tech is leading to a wave of new strategies to reduce the disproportionate impact of climate change on frontline communities across the U.S.
Driving the news: These tech solutions are being created bydiversely owned startups, despite racial and socioeconomic barriers to funding access in the venture capital ecosystem.
Battery technologies in development could open the door to widespread adoption of electric vehicles by cramming more energy into a cheaper, smaller package.
Why it matters: Consumers won't embrace electric vehicles until they cost about the same as (or less than) gasoline cars and provide a comparable driving range — around 300 miles between charges.
A world hurtling toward a frighteningly hot future is driving interest in geoengineering — unproven, controversial technologies with a sci-fi flavor that could temporarily freeze global warming in its tracks but not solve the underlying problem.
Why it matters: Ethical, geopolitical and practical considerations must be wrestled with regarding solar radiation management, or SRM — the most discussed and researched method of geoengineering.
A lot of mature technology already in use can reduce the impact of climate change — but to really hold global warming in check, experts say we need breakthroughs too.
Why it matters: The world is nowhere close to achieving — or even starting — the emissions cuts needed to keep the Paris Agreement's temperature targets within reach.
Good afternoon, and welcome to the final edition of our Climate Truths Deep Dive series. Today we're exploring tech's role in mitigating climate change.
