ESS TEDx-Unit Wise | essgurumantra

TEDx Videos

Topic 1:

1.1 Environmental value systems

Richard talks about a "a new way of accounting that could help save our planet". He encourages us to take into account the environmental impact of our unethically capitalist ways of treating natural resources such as water.

He also talks about the maintenance cost of goods, such as washing a pair of jeans, which he shows can make a huge impact.

1.3 Energy and equilibria

3.How much land mass would renewables need to power a nation like the UK? An entire country's worth. In this pragmatic talk, David MacKay tours the basic mathematics that show worrying limitations on our sustainable energy options and explains why we should pursue them anyway.

4.Veteran TED speaker Taylor Wilson shares his thoughts on the future of energy. In 2009 at age 14, Taylor became the youngest person in history to produce nuclear fusion, and went on to develop many novel nuclear technologies including security, medical, and energy

1.4 Sustainability

Leyla Acaroglu (A-jar-a-loo) is a sustainability strategist and leading proponent of systemic life cycle-based sustainability. She is the founder and director of Eco Innovators, designer, social scientist, strategist and educator she is a creative force who finds innovative and inspiring ways of catalyzing change.

2.This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. What are we doing to ourselves when we tell ourselves constantly - through the medium of ever-more pervasive advertising - that we are Consumers? And what would it look like to put all the creativity that currently goes into that, into involving people in society as Citizens?

1.5 Humans and pollution

1.The Montreal Protocol proved that the world could come together and take action on climate change.

Thirty years after the world's most successful environmental treaty was signed, atmospheric scientist Sean Davis examines the world we avoided when we banned chlorofluorocarbons -- and shares lessons we can carry forward to address the climate crisis in our time.

2.We talk about clean energy and debate the definitive impact humanity has on our environment, but the numbers are often too abstract for us to internalize. In this talk, chemical engineer David Klanecky lays out straightforward analogies to help us understand our individual impact on the planet’s future, and hints at what we, as consumers, can do to make easy and effective changes for the better.

Topic 2: Ecosystems and ecology

2.1: Species and population

1. There are about 500 species of squid, and they live in all the world’s oceans, making them a reliable food source for whales, dolphins, sharks, seabirds, fish - and even other squid. As a result, the squid's most extraordinary adaptations are those that have evolved to help them thwart these predators. Carly Anne York explains how these stealthy cephalopods have mastered deep sea survival.

2. Science writer Richard Preston talks about some of the most enormous living beings on the planet, the giant trees of the US Pacific Northwest. Growing from a tiny seed, they support vast ecosystems -- and are still, largely, a mystery.

2.2: Communities and ecosystems

1. In the African grasslands, a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath. The animal's corpse threatens to infect the water, but for the vulture, this isn't a problem: it's a feast. With a stomach of steel that can digest diseased meat and waste, vultures are essential to removing dangerous pathogens from ecosystems. Kenny Coogan explores the importance of the desert's cleanup crew. [Directed by Katarina Jukić, narrated by Addison Anderson].

2. A unique ecosystem of plants, birds and monkeys thrives in the treetops of the rainforest. Nalini Nadkarni explores these canopy worlds -- and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships

2.3: Flows of energy and matter

Every day, we use materials from the earth without thinking, for free. But what if we had to pay for their true value: would it make us more careful about what we use and what we waste? Think of Pavan Sukhdev as nature's banker -- assessing the value of the Earth's assets. Eye-opening charts will make you think differently about the cost of air, water, trees ...

2.4: Biomes, zonation, and succession

"Save the rainforest" is an environmental slogan as old as time — but Tasso Azevedo catches us up on how the fight is actually going these days. Spurred by the jaw-dropping losses of the 1990s, new laws (and transparent data) are helping slow the rate of deforestation in Brazil. Is it enough? Not yet. He has five ideas about what we should do next. And he asks if the lessons learned in Brazil could be applied to an even bigger problem: global climate change.

2.5: Investigating ecosystems

What are our forests really made of? From the air, ecologist Greg Asner uses a spectrometer and high-powered lasers to map nature in meticulous kaleidoscopic 3D detail -- what he calls "a very high-tech accounting system" of carbon. In this fascinating talk, Asner gives a clear message: To save our ecosystems, we need more data, gathered in new ways.

Topic 3: Biodiversity and conservation

3.1: An introduction to biodiversity

Should a cauliflower be valued and preserved like the Mona Lisa? What would it mean to us if we lost the cauliflower as a species? The world has experienced a 75 percent decrease in horticultural diversity in the past 150 years. Botanist and educator, Esther Meduna explains why this is a problem and how the seed libraries popping up worldwide are helping combat it.

Biodiversity is the key to life on Earth and reviving our damaged planet, says ecologist Thomas Crowther. Sharing the inside story of his headline-making research on reforestation, which led to the UN's viral Trillion Trees Campaign, Crowther introduces Restor: an expansive, informative platform built to enable anyone, anywhere to help restore the biodiversity of Earth's ecosystems.

3.2: Origins of biodiversity

How does evolution really work? Actually, not how some of our common evolutionary metaphors would have us believe. For instance, it's species, not individual organisms, that adapt to produce evolution, and genes don't "want" to be passed on -- a gene can't want anything at all! Alex Gendler sets the record straight on the finer points of evolution. [Directed by Giant Animation Studios, narrated by Julianna Zarzycki].

2. In 2013, a treasure trove of unusual fossils were uncovered in a cave in South Africa, and researchers soon realized: these were the remains of a new species of ancient humans.

3.3: Threats to biodiversity

Between the years 1950 and 2000, 90% of the world’s armed conflicts took place within biodiversity hotspots.

3.4: Conservation of biodiversity

It is estimated that by 2050 30% of the world biodiversity may be extinct.

Topic 4: Water and aquatic food production systems and societies

4.1: Introduction to water systems

WATER. It's the most essential and pervasive element of life. Yet, nearly half of humanity will face water scarcity by 2030 due to climate change and population growth. What can be done about the looming crisis of a global drought? Could water scarcity spark war as world leaders have already predicted? In this bold and hopeful TEDx talk, Kaveh Madani shares a different approach to the water crisis, one that promotes thinking and possibilities as fresh as clean water.

4.2: Access to freshwater

1.Deepika Kurup has been determined to solve the global water crisis since she was 14 years old, after she saw kids outside her grandparents' house in India drinking water that looked too dirty even to touch. Her research began in her family kitchen -- and eventually led to a major science prize. Hear how this teenage scientist developed a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to purify water.

2. Forbes 30under30 Entrepreneur, Hamza Farrukh, and his team at Bondh E Shams (The Solar Water Project) have developed a cost-effective and transportable solution for the global water crisis. Their innovation, the OASIS BOX (Off-Grid Aqua Solar Integration System) provides 25 years of safe water to 2,000 people in just $10,000. Each liter of water is 3,000 times less expensive than bottled water and is delivered free of cost to vulnerable communities.

4.3: Aquatic food production systems

How does evolution really work? Actually, not how some of our common evolutionary metaphors would have us believe. For instance, it's species, not individual organisms, that adapt to produce evolution, and genes don't "want" to be passed on -- a gene can't want anything at all! Alex Gendler sets the record straight on the finer points of evolution. [Directed by Giant Animation Studios, narrated by Julianna Zarzycki].

4.4: Water Pollution

1.We need a global weather service for water, says entrepreneur and TED Fellow Sonaar Luthra. In a talk about environmental accountability, Luthra shows how we could forecast water shortages and risks with a global data collection effort -- just like we monitor the movement of storms -- and better listen to what the earth is telling us.

2. As we keep pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, more of it is dissolving in the oceans, leading to drastic changes in the water's chemistry. Triona McGrath researches this process, known as ocean acidification, and in this talk she takes us for a dive into an oceanographer's world. Learn more about how the "evil twin of climate change" is impacting the ocean -- and the life that depends on it.

Topic 5: Soil systems and terrestrial food production systems and societies

5.1 Introduction to soil systems

1.“What if our bodies could help grow new life after we die, instead of being embalmed and buried or turned to ash?”Join Katrina Spade as she discusses "recomposition" -- a system that uses the natural decomposition process to turn our deceased into life-giving soil, honoring both the earth and the departed. This Ted Talk talks about decomposition and recomposition of humans after death in the formation of soil.

dirt," she says.

5.2 Terrestrial food production systems and food choices

By 2050, global food production must double to keep up with population growth. How does the man "who buys the most food in America" think this can be accomplished? Jack Sinclair, Executive Vice President of the Walmart US Grocery division, shares a few ideas on what we can do to produce more, sustainability. (One of them: re-use the apples in America that weren't good enough to eat, to make juice.) He talks about what kind of methods could be implemented to ensure more efficient and sustainable production of food for the future.

5.3 Soil degradation and conservation

There's two times more carbon in the earth's soil than in all of its vegetation and the atmosphere -- combined. Biogeochemist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe dives into the science of soil and shares how we could use its awesome carbon-trapping power to offset climate change. "[Soil] represents the difference between life and lifelessness in the earth system, and it can also help us combat climate change -- if we can only stop treating it like like dirt," she says. The speaker is talking about solutions that we are going to need as we face the consequences on climate change by using natural systems like soil. (ALSO example of ecocentrist view)

Topic 6: Atmospheric systems and societies

6.1 Introduction to the atmosphere

Every minute, 400 pounds of hydrogen and almost 7 pounds of helium escape from Earth's atmosphere into outer space. Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi studies the phenomenon of atmospheric escape, and in this fascinating and accessible talk, she considers how this process might one day (a few billion years from now) turn our blue planet red. This video can help students subconsciously remember the important components of the atmosphere and its importance while they learn about another interesting topic.

6.2 Stratospheric ozone

As we recklessly warm the planet by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, some industrial emissions also produce particles that reflect sunshine back into space, putting a check on global warming that we're only starting to understand. Climate activist Kelly Wanser asks: Can we engineer ways to harness this effect and further reduce warming? Learn more about the promises and risks of "cloud brightening" -- and how it could help restore our climate to health.

6.3 Photochemical smog

Daan Roosegaarde uses technology and creative thinking to produce imaginative, earth-friendly designs. He presents his latest projects -- from a bike path in Eindhoven, where he reinterpreted "The Starry Night" to get people thinking about green energy, to Beijing, where he developed a smog vacuum cleaner to purify the air in local parks, to a dance floor that generates electricity to power a DJ booth. Check out Roosegaarde's vision for a future where creativity is our true capital.

7.1 Energy choices and security

This link shares a playlist of over 10 ted talks related to this topic – renewable energy, political tensions over oil, future of energy, and many more… Open to find out!

7.2 Climate change—causes and impacts

You can't understand climate change in pieces, says climate scientist Gavin Schmidt. It's the whole, or it's nothing. In this illuminating talk, he explains how he studies the big picture of climate change with mesmerizing models that illustrate the endlessly complex interactions of small-scale environmental events. He elaborates on the patterns, and uncertainties observed regarding climate change.

2. Bjorn Lomborg in this TED talk asks if given $50 billion to spend, which would you solve first, AIDS or global warming? Danish political scientist Bjorn Lomborg comes up with surprising answers.

7.3 Climate change—mitigation and adaptation

Imagine the hottest day you've ever experienced. Now imagine it's six, 10 or 12 degrees hotter. According to climate researcher Alice Bows-Larkin, that's the type of future in store for us if we don't significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions now. She suggests that it's time we do things differently—a whole system change, in fact—and seriously consider trading economic growth for climate stability.

2. Our planet has a carbon problem -- if we don't start removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we'll grow hotter, faster. Chemical engineer Jennifer Wilcox previews some amazing technology to scrub carbon from the air, using chemical reactions that capture and reuse CO2 in much the same way trees do ... but at a vast scale. This detailed talk reviews both the promise and the pitfalls.

Topic 8: Human systems and resource use

8.1 Human population dynamics

The world's population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years -- and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth. This is the paradoxical answer that Hans Rosling unveils at TED@Cannes using colorful new data display technology (you'll see).

8.2 Resource use in society

Whales have a surprising and important job, says marine biologist Asha de Vos: these massive creatures are ecosystem engineers, keeping the oceans healthy and stable by pooping, for a start. Learn from de Vos, a TED Fellow, about the undervalued work that whales do to help maintain the stability and health of our seas -- and our planet. This talk gives an example on how an organism in our environment help in protecting and preventing environmental problems. They should be protected for not only their sake but also ours.

2. Every day, we use materials from the earth without thinking, for free. But what if we had to pay for their true value: would it make us more careful about what we use and what we waste? Think of Pavan Sukhdev as nature's banker -- assessing the value of the Earth's assets. Eye-opening charts will make you think differently about the cost of air, water, trees ...

8.3 Solid domestic waste

Founder and President of MBA Polymers, which has developed an incredibly energy and economically efficient method to recycle plastics — by turning it into the raw material again.

8.4 Human population carrying capacity

Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries.

Topic 7: Climate change and energy production