Ted Talk Tuesday #114 : Can we solve Global Warming?

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. This week’s talk was posted by Joshua Nuttall. Here’s why he chose it.

Global warming and climate change, are two topics that fascinated me at school and were a central topic in one of major’s at varsity. Looking back on these years of studying and asking the question of “what got me interested in these topics”, it was definitely the fact that I had an amazing Geography teacher at school. You may think that I am joking when I tell you that the reason I picked my subjects to study at school after grade 9, when we had a choice, was because of the teachers that taught those specific subjects. My logic was that if I was going to spend the next 3 years in a classroom learning from a teacher I should rather enjoy going to class, instead of it being something that I was forced to do.

In searching for a Ted Talk to share as part of this series, I was drawn back to global warming following a few recent experiences and conversations that bought it back in to focus. These conversations included discussions around risk management in the insurance environment and data analytics for forward thinking recycling company Imagined Earth. Life sure is amazing how it continues to flow and change direction, giving us the opportunity to learn, contribute and meet different people along the way.

So, that’s the story behind why I chose this talk to share with you today. I hope you enjoy it and remember that we all have a role to play in helping to create a more sustainable environment to live in.

The Montreal Protocol, finalised in 1987, 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 examined the world we avoided when we banned chlorofluorocarbons. In this talk he also shares lessons we can carry forward to address the ongoing challenges we face.