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TED Tech
Sherrell's Top 5 (#3): How one of China’s biggest tech companies is tackling carbon removal with Xu Hao
Tencent is one of China’s biggest tech companies, running the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat and the world’s largest video game vendor. Now, it’s also an up-and-coming force in the field of carbon removal. Xu Hao, the vice president of Sustainable Social Value at Tencent, oversees two of those initiatives: the Carbon Neutrality Lab and CarbonX. He sits down with Sherrell Dorsey, host of the “TED Tech” podcast, to talk about how megacorporation can help advance the climate movement. He also explores the current state of carbon removal technology and how Tencent’s video games are becoming an unlikely source of climate education for hundreds of thousands of people.
This is episode three of a four-part series airing this month on TED Tech, where host and climate tech journalist Sherrell Dorsey speaks with climate leaders on the technology sparking a greener, more equitable future.
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Sherrell's Top 5 (#1): How we built Watch Duty, the lifesaving wildfire alert app with John Mills
11:53|After finding himself alone in an unreported wildfire in the woodlands of California, John Mills decided to take matters into his own hands. Hear the incredible story of how he rallied fire survivors and retired first responders to create Watch Duty, the nonprofit emergency alert system that’s beating official government warnings and buying people precious minutes to escape danger.
Sherrell's Top 5 (#2): Inside India's astonishing solar revolution with Kanika Chawla
13:24|In 2014, the world’s second largest coal consumer made a bold promise: to increase its solar capacity from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts in just eight years. Many people called it overly ambitious, but energy expert Kanika Chawla saw the opportunity of a lifetime. She tells the story of how India became a solar powerhouse, turning an expensive dream into an economic reality — and creating a model for other countries to follow suit. After, Sherrell reflects on what drives the green economy and the growth strategy other companies can follow.
Sherrell's Top 5 (#4): The multidimensional magic of modern maps | Peter Wilczynski
09:40|Maps have long helped us understand the world — now, they can help us shape it. Digital cartographer Peter Wilczynski introduces the Living Globe: a real-time, data-rich digital twin of Earth that fuses satellite imagery, sensor data and AI. Watch for a glimpse of the future of maps — and learn how these new tools can help us build the future without wrecking the planet.
Sherrell's Top 5 (#5): How to pull the emergency brake on global warming with Mohamed A. Sultan
17:08|Landfills across African cities are catching fire and releasing methane, an invisible greenhouse gas with more short-term warming potential than CO2. Sustainable strategist Mohamed A. Sultan reveals how local communities are turning this crisis into opportunity, diverting hundreds of tons of waste from landfills and helping thousands of farmers adopt more sustainable techniques. Learn why cutting methane emissions is a win-win opportunity to drive down global temperatures while also creating more livable cities. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.)
How to power the world – and accelerate clean energy with Kimiko Hirata
20:27|How much electricity does humanity use? And how can we ensure that the energy we need in the future is also clean? In this episode, Sherrell shares two talks on how one climate advocate in Japan is convincing the country to adopt renewable energy, and a TED-Ed lesson that dives into the complex systems required to power the world.Talks featuredA cheat sheet for accelerating clean energy | Kimiko HirataHow much electricity is needed to power the world? | TED Ed
How to pick the right path forward with AI with Alvin W. Graylin and Manoush Zomorodi
22:38|“Entry-level hiring has collapsed — because Agentic AI is now doing the work that used to train junior developers, researchers, and analysts,” says TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey. In this episode, Sherrell shares two talks on the future of AI. First, Alvin W. Graylin is in conversation with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi at TED Next 2025 on the policies that can help people whose jobs are threatened by AI. Then dive into a TED-Ed lesson on technological inventions throughout the centuries and AI impact on humanity’s future.Talks featured3 possible futures for AI — which will we choose? | Alvin W. Graylin and Manoush ZomorodiIs AI the most important technology of the century? | TED-Ed
Is your electric bill about to go up? with Asim Z. Haque
46:53|The grid powering millions of homes and businesses on the East Coast was never built to handle the surging demand from data centers and the AI boom. So what happens when the system designed to carry that load starts falling behind and consumers start seeing rate hikes? In this miniseries finale, Sherrell sits down with Asim Z. Haque, Senior Vice President of Governmental & Member Services at PJM Interconnection, to talk about the state of our energy infrastructure. Then after the interview, Sherrell shares a talk from Varun Sivaram on how AI can scale responsibly and help solve the energy crisis it created.Talk featuredHow AI Can Solve Its Own Energy Crisis | Varun Sivaram
Power Without a Playbook with Kristen Gonzalez
34:22|With data centers popping up throughout the country, what does accountability look like for local governments? In this episode, Sherrell is in conversation with New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez discussing the role policy can play in the development –or lack thereof– of data center construction. Afterwards, stick around for a talk from Sasha Luccioni on the alternative AI models that could make technology smarter, fairer and more sustainable.Talk featuredWe're Doing AI All Wrong. Here's How to Get It Right | Sasha Luccioni