At RE:WIRED Green, We’re Innovating to Fight the Climate Crisis

Doria Robinson, executive director of Urban Tilth, will then take the stage to discuss how climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income populations. She’ll share her experiences with urban farming, which can help communities feed themselves without relying on massive agricultural networks, ease the strain on global food chains, and enrich and enliven communities all at the same time.

III. Thinking Beyond Technology

While technology will certainly help us adapt and mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, technology alone won’t save us. As the final programming block of the day emphasizes, human ingenuity and action on both personal and systemic levels will be critical.  

WIRED science writer Matt Simon guides us through several conversations focused on actionable solutions to problems in our communities. He begins by introducing David Lin and Mathis Wackernagel, chief science officer and president, respectively, of the Global Footprint Network, who leads attendees through a “choose your own adventure” style activity where everyone evaluates how much “Earth” we all take up, and what the impact of continued growth will be on our society.

Peter Mui, founder of Fixit Clinic, will talk about the right-to-repair movement and encourage all of us to fix and tinker with the products we buy, rather than tossing them in landfills. He also discusses the Fixit Clinic, where anyone can bring their broken electronics and get them repaired, with the goal of decreasing waste and encouraging people to hang on to the tools they use for as long as possible. James McBride, cofounder and CTO of Otherlab, will show off some of the innovative solutions he and his team are working on to reduce our use of fossil fuels and decarbonize the world.

Next, Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez, an assistant professor at UC San Diego, takes the stage to talk about our electrical grid and the goal of “making everything electric” to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. But that in itself is not enough, she says. Our goal must be to build resilient energy systems that can operate sustainably and incorporate clean energy solutions. She starts by discussing what we can do today, then takes us forward into what a clean, resilient grid will look like decades from now.

While we’re talking about clean energy, Alan Ahn, senior resident fellow of the Climate and Energy program at Third Way, an organization that advocates for nuclear power in any sustainable, climate-friendly energy mix, will take the stage. He discusses what, if any, future nuclear power has in the United States, and how recent events in Ukraine and Japan have changed people’s perceptions of nuclear energy as a clean solution.

Next, WIRED managing editor Hemal Jhaveri chats with actor and producer Regina Hall and Sarah Shanley Hope, vice president at The Solutions Project, about on-the-ground solutions and actionable advice for individuals and communities to make a difference at home, where the impact of climate change will be felt the most. The panel will discuss everything from community gardening to advocating for climate justice. 

Closing out the session is Colette Pichon Battle, a climate activist, lawyer, and partner at Taproot Earth, who is on the front lines in the Louisiana bayou fighting to protect vulnerable communities from being quite literally washed away.

We hope that the day’s conversations, interactive sessions, and presentations illuminate the urgency and importance that climate change presents to all of us. We also hope they put the spotlight on real people, just like you and I, who have real solutions, actionable suggestions, and practical tools to preserve and protect our world.

As always, you can read more of WIRED’s climate coverage at wired.com/climate.