meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Plain English with Derek Thompson

An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News Commentary, News

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2023

⏱️ 83 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The world is engaged in a multitrillion-dollar project to decarbonize the economy to slow or reverse climate change. But what exactly does that mean? How optimistic should we be that we can pull this off? And what new technology do we need to build to make it happen? This is a mega-pod with two guests. Ramez Naam is a writer, speaker, and one of the best technologists I know at explaining the progress we’re making toward building a clean-energy economy. And Vinod Khosla is one of the most famous venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, the founder of Khosla Ventures, and an investor in several sci-fi-sounding companies, including one that is working on fusion technology—which might be one of the most exciting and important technologies we'll ever build. Host: Derek Thompson Guests: Ramez Naam & Vinod Khosla Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, it's Sean Fennessy, one of the hosts of the Prestige TV podcast.

0:04.7

HBO's Barry is back for a fourth and final season, and that means I'll be back recapping

0:09.9

the show with co-creator and star, Bill Hader, to dive deep on the themes, scenes, and

0:14.4

major moments in the series.

0:16.2

Bill will provide insight into how every episode is made and why it's ending.

0:19.8

New Prestige TV Barry recaps will go live every Sunday night when the episode ends, so make

0:24.0

sure you're subscribed to the Prestige TV podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

0:30.4

Today's episode is about the future of energy.

0:33.8

This is a megapod with two guests.

0:36.9

First, Ramesh Nam is a writer and speaker.

0:40.0

One of the best technologists I know, it's explaining the progress we're making toward

0:43.5

building a clean energy economy.

0:45.9

And Vinod Kostler is one of the most famous venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, the founder

0:50.9

of Kostler Ventures, and an investor in several sci-fi sounding companies, including one

0:56.8

that is working on fusion technology, fusion technology, which might be one of the most

1:03.0

exciting and important technologies we ever built.

1:07.7

But before we get to the interviews, I want to say something about energy.

1:11.9

The history of progress is, in so many ways, a history of energy.

1:18.0

As the author, Voxlev Smill, has written, quote, the course of history can be seen as

1:22.9

the quest for controlling greater stores and flows of more concentrated and more versatile

1:28.5

forms of energy, and converting them in more affordable ways at lower costs and with

1:33.4

greater efficiencies into heat, light, and emotion.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Ringer, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Ringer and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.