Geothermal energy, despite lower carbon emissions than coal, is not benign. Projects like Nevada's proposed Baltazor site highlight significant environmental and social costs. Geothermal

Geothermal energy, despite lower carbon emissions than coal, is not benign. Projects like Nevada's proposed Baltazor site highlight significant environmental and social costs. Geothermal development leads to habitat destruction (e.g., in Kenya and for Nevada's Dixie Valley toad) and violent evictions of indigenous communities.

Drilling releases toxic elements like mercury, arsenic, and boron into groundwater. Facilities also cause air pollution, including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, contributing to acid rain and health issues, as seen in Iceland. Moreover, "enhanced geothermal systems" (EGS) utilize fracking technology, injecting high-pressure slurries that can poison groundwater and induce earthquakes, mirroring problems in the oil and gas industry.

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) offers a powerful solution to fuel the future, capable of replacing fossil fuels for industrial processes like steel and cement manufacturing, thereby reducing

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) offers a powerful solution to fuel the future, capable of replacing fossil fuels for industrial processes like steel and cement manufacturing, thereby reducing global carbon emissions. CSP systems use arrays of revolving mirrors (heliostats) to precisely reflect sunlight into a central receiver, generating immense heat.

Recent advancements in AI and machine learning are making CSP technology smarter, more efficient, and increasingly affordable. Innovators like Heliogen, backed by Bill Gates, leverage software to optimize mirror control, making solar energy cleaner and cheaper than fossil fuels. This progress paves the way for global adoption, as explored in the "Hard Reset" series.

This episode of Nature’s Genius explores the ancient forest as a community thriving on symbiosis. It features ecologists Dr. Suzanne Simard, author of "Finding the Mother Tree," and Dr. Teresa

This episode of Nature’s Genius explores the ancient forest as a community thriving on symbiosis. It features ecologists Dr. Suzanne Simard, author of "Finding the Mother Tree," and Dr. Teresa Ryan, who reveal an elaborate tapestry of kinship, cooperation, and mutual aid within these ecosystems. Dr. Simard is a leading researcher in plant communication, while Dr. Ryan investigates salmon-forest relationships.

Nature’s Genius, a Bioneers podcast series, delves into how life’s symphony offers solutions to balance human civilization with living systems. Learn more and find additional resources on the series page: bioneers.org/natures-genius/

"It's not that I don't think these problems are big or that they're urgent, but I can start to see that these problems are solvable." Data scientist Hannah Ritchie, a self-proclaimed "urgent

"It's not that I don't think these problems are big or that they're urgent, but I can start to see that these problems are solvable." Data scientist Hannah Ritchie, a self-proclaimed "urgent enthusiast," counters climate doomerism with this hopeful message. In her full Big Think interview, Ritchie, a Senior Researcher at Oxford and Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, explores a wide range of critical environmental topics.

She delves into climate change solutions, sustainable food systems, plastic waste, and population dynamics, offering pragmatic perspectives. For more, subscribe to Big Think on YouTube or read the full transcript here. Ritchie is also the author of "Not the End of the World."

Princeton Bioethics professor Peter Singer, author of "Animal Liberation Now," challenges our factory food systems and the psychology behind them. He examines ethical dilemmas concerning animal

Princeton Bioethics professor Peter Singer, author of "Animal Liberation Now," challenges our factory food systems and the psychology behind them. He examines ethical dilemmas concerning animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and speciesism, advocating for a shift towards ethical eating.

Singer proposes plant-based diets and cultured meat as sustainable alternatives, emphasizing the importance of considering suffering. His influential work, which inspired effective altruism, encourages informed dietary choices for a more ethical and sustainable future.

Explore more: Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube: Big Think YouTube. Watch "Change your diet, extend your life": Video Link. Become a Big Think Member: Members. Guide leaders with Big Think+ for Business: Big Think+.

Fungi form a complex, vital underground network of mycorrhizal threads, exchanging nutrients and forming symbiotic partnerships essential for life on Earth. Visionary biologists Toby Kiers and

Fungi form a complex, vital underground network of mycorrhizal threads, exchanging nutrients and forming symbiotic partnerships essential for life on Earth. Visionary biologists Toby Kiers and Merlin Sheldrake explore these wonders in an episode of Bioneers' *Nature's Genius* series.

Dr. Kiers is Executive Director and Chief Scientist of SPUN (Society for the Protection of Underground Networks) and a Professor at VU Amsterdam. Dr. Sheldrake, a biologist and writer, is a research associate at Vrije University Amsterdam, works with SPUN, and advises the Fungi Foundation.