Putting AI to Work for the Climate – Dr. Stephanie Hare, Researcher, Broadcaster and Author
Release Date: 01/14/2025
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Our job is to recycle so that we can recover all of that scrap and goods that you and I are recycling in our garbage bins every week or recycling as we get new cars. And our job is to recover that because we make steel in a very clean and efficient process through what's called an electric arc furnace. So, we take all of that scrap, we melt it down, and we make new steel. It does not degrade. It has a continuous reusable life.…Depending on the different products of steel, that actually determines the recycled content that goes into them for the finishes and the quality of the steel that's...
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“If you cannot change the system, change the frigging system… Women, when we have our money, are more likely to start an impact fund business or something. So, we have really got to get out of our way and just take the risk. " Tracy Gray at The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025 Innovative financing models are urgently needed to tackle the climate crisis, but significant gaps persist. Research shows that women and people of color deliver stronger returns yet continue to be underrepresented. Meanwhile, the insurance industry must confront the mounting risks of climate...
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"The climate crisis has roots in fossil fuels, but at the same time, fossil fuels fund this Russian invasion to Ukraine. So it means this is a fossil fuel war. If we will actually fight against our overall actually dependency on fossil fuels in the same way we will fight against climate change." Svitlana Krakovska on Electric Ladies Podcast The climate emergency is a security threat, and a “threat multiplier,” as former Defense Undersecretary Sherri Goodman has written. Looking at security in the same way as it has been is no longer working. The old view leaves us very vulnerable....
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“Food systems have to do with everything from production to processing, distribution, and the utilization. Then of course, end of life for food systems which includes food waste. In the United States, 40% of the food that we produce goes to waste. This means with distribution challenges that not everybody has equitable access to the kinds of foods that they need and want, at the times that they need them." Robin Currey on Electric Ladies Podcast Climate change is disrupting our food and agriculture systems, including the critical supply chains that feed and clothe us. Yet,...
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“Most things when it comes to corporate sustainability do not happen in a vacuum. I am part of an environmental sustainability team, but we would not be able to accomplish anything without our energy teams, our network teams, and more. The ability to take what can be a complex idea and translate that into a compelling business case often comes down to dollars and cents. While it takes time, that's how we've been able to drive change.” Rosie Austin on Electric Ladies Podcast In a poll at The Earth Day Women’s Summit in Dallas, Texas, 100% of respondents said that business is...
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“Our core business is harvesting and collecting the by-product from coal combustion plants historically, called fly ash. We introduce it into supplementary cementitious materials to create a Portland cement replacement. We are pushing for 20% and even 30% [replacement of traditional cement] and hopefully reaching 100% one day with our technologies that are still in development.” Marci Jenks on Electric Ladies Podcast We need infrastructure that’s safe, strong, durable and climate resilient. To build our cities, roads, bridges and more, 30 billion tonnes of concrete is poured around the...
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“Change is a constant. This is the world that we live in. And so how do you decide what needs to change and transform? The best leaders have certain traits about them when it comes to leading an organisation through change. Great leaders have an ability to communicate and inspire and they never get tired of doing it. Or if they get tired, they keep doing it anyway because constant communication is essential when you're going through change.” Deborah Lee James on Electric Ladies podcast (previously Green Connections Radio) Many companies are scaling back their climate,...
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“While the word ‘climate’ may be politically charged for some, the need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy is something we can all agree on. Americans are calling for action, and as Members of Congress it’s our responsibility to deliver. If we want long-term solutions that address both our constituents' concerns and growing climate risks, we must work together to strengthen our energy and climate security with urgency.” This week, Congress is set to debate legislation that could reshape the United States’ energy landscape. At stake is more than $700...
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“How do we get people in the tent to even hear the story? With ‘Living with Ed’ and other projects, we were a family they could identify with. We were yelling, laughing, loving each other while talking about real issues. I represented the average person’s perspective on issues like taking the subway. There’s the funny, and there’s the conflict. If it’s not entertaining, it’s not going to connect.” Rachelle Begley on Electric Ladies Podcast Culture wars around climate change do more harm than good. As climate-driven extreme weather events become more frequent,...
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“We did lots of infrastructure investments over the last handful of years to make sure our communities are in the best possible place they can be. And we complemented federal investment with workforce investment to ensure Michiganders are getting access to those kinds of roles, some of which didn't even exist previously. [This ensures] that Michigan communities could benefit from learning to be solar installers and get access to new economic income streams.” Hilary Doe on Electric Ladies Podcast The Justice Department is suing Michigan over its climate initiatives under the Clean Air...
info_outline“Many countries are looking to lead on AI and embed it in as many aspects of our lives as possible. But right now we do not have an electricity grid that is built for this purpose. We also need to think about the fuel needed to power up this grid.”
Dr. Stephanie Hare on Electric Ladies Podcast
We’re putting artificial intelligence (AI) to work for a variety of our problems on a daily basis -including climate change. How? In more ways than you might think, though it’s the amount of electricity, water and fuel it requires that raises tough questions.
Listen to Dr. Stephanie Hare, a researcher focused on the intersection of politics, technology and history, on Electric Ladies Podcast in an in-depth conversation with host Joan Michelson. Stephanie is also the author of “Technology Is Not Neutral” and co-presents “Artificial Intelligence: Decoded” on the BBC. Join us as we explore the promise and pitfalls of AI as a tool to mitigate climate change and increase equity.
You’ll hear about:
- The hurdles and opportunities of using AI.
- Why environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data needs to be treated as a valuable resource.
- How we can ensure that AI is fair, accessible, and inclusive for everyone.
- Plus, career advice for being open to great opportunities.
“Look at the problems you most enjoy solving, because the world is never going to be short of it. Stay open, nimble, curious, and flexible – and people will recognize that problem solver spirit in you.”
Dr. Stephanie Hare on Electric Ladies Podcast
Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.
You’ll also like:
- Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, CTO of Xerox, on Democratizing Energy, Innovation & STEM Careers (this episode was recorded under the previous name of our show, Green Connections Radio)
- Paula Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy, on How To Reduce Carbon Emissions And Save Money With Energy Efficiency
- Erin McLaughlin, Senior Economist, The Conference Board, about her new report on buildings, climate change and carbon emissions.
- Laura Busse Dolan, CEO, Applied Imagination, which designs and builds miniature buildings from plants and botanicals.
- Dr. Emma O’Brien, Founder of the Global Scrub Choir and Head of Music Therapy at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, on how music builds bridges and how they use it to communicate about the public health issues related to climate change.
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