Carbon-Capturing Concrete and Other Planet-Friendly Innovations

Global carbon emissions fell in 2020 for the first time in decades, due to the pandemic and the resulting economic slowdown. Empty airports and quiet highways meant fewer planes and cars spewing carbon dioxide into the air. The decline was significant, but emissions need to fall even more - for several years in a row - in order to reach the emissions goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement. To make matters worse: emissions are rising again.   On today’s Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe examine ways technology can help combat climate change. Andrew Beebe, a Managing Director with the early-stage venture firm Obvious Ventures, talks about the enormous business opportunity decarbonizing the global economy poses, and talks about the companies his firm is backing, from electric buses to flying cars.  JB Straubel, CEO and Founder of Redwood Materials discusses recycling batteries for electric vehicles. The co-founder and former CTO of Tesla says battery recycling, as a relatively new field, is ripe for innovation.    Also in the episode, Rob Niven, Founder and CEO of Carbon Cure, talks about enabling the concrete industry to improve operations while reducing its carbon footprint.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices