How we’re turning pollution into toys, toothpaste and more | Xu Hao

TED Talks Daily

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4.1 • 11.9K Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It took alcohol 200 years to go from scientific discovery to industrial revolution, but tech innovator Xu Hao says we can’t afford to wait that long to tackle the climate crisis. He explores why most climate solutions are still stuck in labs — despite breakthrough science that can turn planet-warming CO2 into everyday products like toothpaste, water bottles and smartphone components — and explains what it will take for a clean future to arrive sooner than we think.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Curries. That's the aerated 10 kilo hot point washing machine with fabric care to help clothes last longer.
0:07.0	Wow. Wait, who said that?
0:09.0	Me. I'm using telepathy instead of talking. It uses less energy.
0:13.0	Oh, let me try.
0:15.0	But that...
0:16.0	It takes practice.
0:19.0	Delivery, installation and recycling for only 35 pounds.
0:23.6	Energy-efficient tech made easy.
0:25.6	Add installation recycling up basket and 21st of the tempter since these apply.
0:30.6	In a world of seismic change, will your business shape the future or be shaped by it?
0:36.6	How will we capture the imagination of tomorrow's consumers?
0:42.3	Overcome operational constraints to focus on future growth
0:46.3	and unlock economic and social prosperity through environmental responsibility.
0:52.3	With EY's full spectrum of services across sectors,
0:55.9	we're all in to shape the future with confidence.
0:59.1	Start your transformation journey at EY.com slash transformation.
1:06.2	Support for TED Talks Daily comes from the Financial Times.
1:09.7	Every day brings an avalanche of headlines.
1:12.6	Some are noise. Some are designed to distract. So how do you know what's worth your attention?
1:17.5	That's where the Financial Times comes in. The FTs journalism delivers clarity, depth, and independence.
1:23.3	No spin, no hidden agenda, just reporting you can trust. It's why leaders in business, policy, and culture rely on the F.T as their source of understanding
1:32.5	of what's happening now and what's coming next.
	...

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