Saving the World From Bad Ideas

• Bad Idea #24 "We’ll just use Hydrogen!" with Michael Liebreich

  🔍 Episode Summary:Is green hydrogen the silver bullet for decarbonisation — or a trillion-dollar distraction? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas is joined by energy analyst, investor, and podcaster Michael Liebreich to unpack Bad Idea #24: “We’ll just use Hydrogen!” Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance and co-host of the Cleaning Up podcast, makes the provocative case that green hydrogen is over-hyped, fundamentally flawed as a fuel, and destined to remain a niche solution rather than the backbone of a “hydrogen economy.” Together they explore the physics, economics, and politics of hydrogen — why hype keeps returning in 20-year cycles, what role hydrogen can play in industry and fertilisers, and why pragmatism, not techno-fantasy, must drive climate strategy.🧠 Topics Discussed: ● 💧 Why hydrogen is a “really crappy fuel” — and the laws of thermodynamics make it costly ● 📉 The difference between green, blue, grey, turquoise, and pink hydrogen ● 🏭 Current global hydrogen use: 100m tonnes/year, and why 0.1% is green ● 🚢 Why shipping liquid hydrogen is nearly impossible (density, leakage, energy loss) ● 💸 Hydrogen’s “missing trillions”: the cost gap with grey hydrogen ● 🛩️ Europe’s RED III mandate and the looming cost inflation in aviation fuels ● 🚛 Why trucks, steel, and shipping are unlikely to go hydrogen ● 🔋 The rise of electric trucks, batteries, and the hydrogen ladder framework ● ⚖️ Pragmatism vs. hype: why chasing bad ideas risks a climate backlash ● 🐢 The “Pragmatic Climate Reset”: think like a tortoise, not a hare👨‍🏫 Guest Bio: Michael Liebreich is founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, managing partner of EcoPragma Capital, and CEO of Liebreich Associates. A former Olympic skier, he is now one of the world’s leading clean-energy analysts. He is also co-host of the podcast Cleaning Up. His influential “Hydrogen Ladder” has shaped debate about where hydrogen makes sense — and where it doesn’t. Michael also writes extensively at Liebreich Associates Essays.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources: ● Michael Liebreich – The Hydrogen Ladder ● Michael Liebreich – The Missing Trillions of Hydrogen ● Michael Liebreich – The Pragmatic Climate Reset (Part I & II) ● Hydrogen Economy – Jeremy Rifkin (2002) ● The Future of Hydrogen – IEA report (2019) ● TNO study on hydrogen costs – https://www.tno.nl/en/newsroom/2022/03/green-hydrogen-production-costs/ ● European RED III Directive – https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/renewable-energy/renewable-energy-directive-targets-and-rules_en● Porsche synthetic fuels project, Chile – https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2022/company/porsche-chile-haru-oni-efuels-pilot-plant-26823.html💬 Quote Highlights:“Hydrogen is the Swiss Army knife of energy — there’s almost always something cheaper, safer, and more convenient.” — Michael Liebreich “If you care about the climate, the cleanest kilo of hydrogen is the one you never make.” — Michael Liebreich “For every $1/kg cost gap, hydrogen needs $100 billion per year in subsidies. That’s the missing trillions.” — Michael Liebreich“Politicians love hydrogen because it’s a get-out-of-jail-free card. But hype doesn’t change physics.” — Michael Liebreich “Think like a tortoise, not like a hare: go steady, pragmatic, and win the race.” — Michael Liebreich🌐 About WePlanet: WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #23 "These are the best of times" with Luke Kemp

  🔍 Episode Summary Is civilisation inherently self-destructive? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas is joined by political scientist and existential risk researcher Dr Luke Kemp to tackle Bad Idea #23 "These are the best of times"Luke unpacks what history really tells us about the fate of past societies — and how those lessons do (and don’t) apply to today’s global risks like climate change, nuclear war, and AI. They explore the role of complexity, fragility, and inequality in collapse, and why we need to reject fatalism to build resilience and renewal instead.From ancient Rome to modern techno-capitalism, this episode explores whether doom is destiny — or a bad idea we need to outgrow.🧠 Topics Discussed ● 📜 What “collapse” actually means, and why it’s more often transformation ● 🏛️ Why Rome never really “fell” — and neither did most civilisations ● 🌍 Global risks vs. local collapses: what makes our world different ● 🔁 The role of feedback loops, fragility, and complexity ● 🌡️ Why climate change is a multiplier of collapse, not the root cause ● 💣 Nuclear war, AI, and engineered pathogens as existential risks ● 🤖 Why AI doom scenarios may be overhyped (and misdirected) ● 🧠 “Collapsology,” survivalism, and the new secular eschatologies ● 🌱 What real resilience looks like: democracy, equity, adaptability ● 🧘‍♀️ Why pessimism is lazy — and optimism is an active choice👨‍🏫 Guest BioDr Luke Kemp is a political scientist and risk researcher at the University of Adelaide and the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. He co-led the influential 2022 paper Climate Endgame and has written widely on societal collapse, risk cascades, and global futures. A former adviser to the Australian government, Luke specialises in the intersection of history, complexity science, and future risk. His current work focuses on resilience and renewal in the face of polycrisis.📚 Recommended Reading & Resources ● 📝 Climate Endgame (2022 paper) – https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2204269119 ● 🌐 Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) – https://www.cser.ac.uk ● 🧠 Luke Kemp research profile – https://researcher.sydney.edu.au/researcher/51183 ● 📖 Jared Diamond – Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse:_How_Societies_Choose_to_Fail_or_Succeed ● 📖 Joseph Tainter – The Collapse of Complex Societies – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Collapse_of_Complex_Societies ● 📖 Kyle Harper – The Fate of Rome – https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691192062/the-fate-of-rome ● 📘 Our Final Hour – Martin Rees – https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/martin-rees/our-final-hour/9780465068630/ ● 📗 The Precipice – Toby Ord – https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/toby-ord/the-precipice/9780316484911/ ● 🎧 Collapse: The End of Everything (podcast series) – https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001qbpr 💬 Quote Highlights“Collapse is rarely the end — it’s usually the start of something new.” — Luke Kemp “Rome didn’t fall — it transformed over centuries. That’s not a Hollywood ending, but it’s a real one.” “Climate change is a risk multiplier, not the root cause of collapse. The real danger is fragility and inequality.” “We need to stop treating resilience like a buzzword. It’s a system of systems — democratic, equitable, adaptive.” “The biggest myth is that doom is destiny. It’s not. We have choices.”🌐 About WePlanet WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at https://weplanet.org📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: https://www.weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #22 "Solar can’t power the world" with Bill McKibben

  🔍 Episode Summary Can the sun save civilization? In this episode of Saving the World from Bad Ideas, Mark Lynas sits down with legendary climate author and activist Bill McKibben to take on Bad Idea #22: "Solar can’t power the world." McKibben, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act, makes a powerful case for solar as our best hope to avert climate catastrophe — and explains why a rapid, global energy transformation is not only possible, but already underway. They dive into the economics of solar, the moral urgency of ditching fossil fuels, the false promise of geoengineering, and why the shift to sun and wind can unlock a fairer, more democratic world. Bill’s new book Here Comes the Sun offers both realism and hope — and in this episode, he brings that rare combination to life.🧠 Topics Discussed ☀️ Why solar energy is the most transformative and hopeful technology of our time 📉 Why fossil fuel addiction is a moral and structural tragedy — not just an economic one 🏭 The deep political resistance to renewables, especially in the U.S. 🚩China's solar supremacy and its global influence via trade networks 🐝 Agrivoltaics: how solar panels can improve yields, pollination, and biodiversity 📦 Rooftop solar, virtual power plants, and why permitting matters 💰 Why oil companies hate renewables: no repeat customers 🧠 What activism must focus on now that clean energy is cheaper than fossil 🌍 The moral and technological failure of solar geoengineering 🙏 Climate, faith, and the spiritual case for solar 🎉 “Sun day”: a nationwide celebration and call to action for clean energy in the U.S.👨‍🏫 Guest Bio Bill McKibben is an author, environmentalist, and founder of 350.org and Third Act. He wrote the first popular book on climate change (The End of Nature, 1989) and has spent decades on the front lines of climate activism. His newest book, Here Comes the Sun: The Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization, blends urgent science with hope — and charts a path toward a solar-powered future. Bill teaches at Middlebury College and has been described as “America’s leading environmentalist.”📚 Recommended Reading & Resources Here Comes the Sun – Bill McKibben The End of Nature – Bill McKibben Sunday.Earth – Join Bill’s solar celebration movement 350.org – Global climate movement Third Act – Organizing older Americans for climate action Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports IEA Reports on China’s solar exports and BYD’s global EV expansion 💬 Quote Highlights“We live on a planet where the cheapest way to make energy is to point a sheet of glass at the sun.” “Every wild natural place will be transformed by climate. The only way to save them is to power our world differently.” “Fossil fuels are expensive — in dollars, in lives, in politics. Solar is beautiful, cheap, and fair.” “You don’t have to be a sophisticated theologian to know: love your neighbour, and don’t drown them with emissions.” “Activism must now focus on speed — how fast can we make this transformation happen?”🌐 About WePlanet WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at weplanet.org.📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📩 Subscribe to new episodes: weplanet.org/podcast 👁️ Follow us on Twitter/X: @weplanetint

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• Bad Idea #21 "We can’t solve climate change" with Hannah Ritchie

  🔍 Episode Summary Is it too late to stop climate change — or do we still have reasons for hope? In this episode, Mark Lynas talks with data scientist and author Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor of Our World in Data and author of Clearing the Air: The hopeful guide to solving climate change in 50 questions.Hannah tackles some of the biggest climate myths head-on: that we’re doomed to runaway warming, that renewables can never power the world, and that going plant-based won’t make a difference. With data-driven clarity, she explains why the transition to clean energy is moving faster than people think, how “ultra-processed” doesn’t always mean unhealthy, and why there are no deal-breakers in the fight against climate change.This conversation is both realistic and optimistic — a must-listen for anyone looking for evidence that solutions are within reach.🧠 Topics Discussed 🌍 Why we are not locked into 5–6°C of warming ⚡ The clean energy transition and the speed of solar & wind growth 🔋 How to solve renewables’ variability with storage, nuclear, and grids 🌱 Land use myths: why renewables won’t “cover the landscape” 🚗 Electric vehicles: efficiency gains and outdated myths 🥩 Meat substitutes, ultra-processed foods, and what the data actually shows 🏗 Cement, steel, and other “hard to abate” sectors ✈ Aviation’s future: biofuels, hydrogen, or carbon removal? 🌞 Solar geoengineering — risky gamble or necessary backup plan? 🌟 Why Hannah calls her book “a hopeful guide”👩‍🏫 Guest Bio Hannah Ritchie is Deputy Editor at Our World in Data and author of the Substack Sustainability by Numbers. Her new book Clearing the Air tackles 50 of the most common myths and half-truths about climate change with a data-driven approach. Hannah is known for making complex climate data accessible and empowering.📚 Recommended Reading & Referenced resourcesClearing the Air — Hannah RitchieNot the end of the World  — Hannah RitchieOur World in Data – Climate Change CollectionSustainability by Numbers Substack  — Hannah RitchieIPCC AR6 – Working Group III (Mitigation of Climate Change)Six Degrees, our final warning — Mark LynasSustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air — David MacKay💬 Quote Highlights“We are not headed for five or six degrees of warming. Every fraction of a degree we avoid reduces risk.” — Hannah Ritchie“Solar and wind are growing faster than any energy source in history. This transition can be much quicker than people think.” — Hannah Ritchie“Yes, the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow — but that’s a solvable problem.” — Hannah Ritchie“The idea that renewables will cover the landscape is just wrong. Powering a country with solar takes only a few percentage points of land.” — Hannah Ritchie"There are no deal-breakers. None of the questions I tackle suggest this is impossible — all are solvable.” — Hannah Ritchie🌐 About WePlanet WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement challenging bad ideas and championing evidence-based solutions for climate, nature, and human development. Learn more at weplanet.org.📥 Join the Conversation 💬 Feedback or questions? Email: [email protected] 📬 Subscribe to new episodes: weplanet.org/podcast 🐦 Follow us on Twitter/X: @weplanetint

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• Saving the world from BAD IDEAS season two is coming!

  We’re back. Season 2 of Saving the World from Bad Ideas is coming — and it’s bigger, bolder, and maybe even more controversial. This time once more , we’re joined by some of the sharpest minds on the planet.🌍 Bill McKibben on activism, power, and what we’ve learned from 30 years of climate campaigning. 🧠 Hannah Ritchie returns to dismantle more doomer myths with data. 🔥 Luke Kemp on civilisational risk and collapse. ⚡ Michael Liebreich on energy transitions without fantasy thinking. 💥 Ted Nordhaus on why he's no longer a 'climate catastrophist', degrowth, and the real way forward.If you're tired of bad ideas blocking good solutions — this season is for you. Subscribe now and be ready. 

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