Plastics production has doubled in the last two decades, clogging up our oceans and showing up in our organs. The massive growth in plastics production is also increasing CO2 output and driving up fossil fuel demand. Meanwhile, only 8% of plastic actually gets recycled, challenging our trust in the waste management system.But a new set of tools driven by AI, robotics, and material science are helping recycle plastics, steel, textiles, and just about everything else. And a new generation of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers are devoting themselves to launching those tools.In this episode, we examine technology advances that are helping recyclers convert hard-to-recycle waste into a valuable feedstock – and what it means for building a circular economy with a singular goal of radically reducing global waste.Guests:<ul><li>Kate Brandt, chief sustainability officer at Google</li><li>Astro Teller, captain of moonshots, at X, the moonshot factory</li><li>Rey Banatao, project lead at X, the moonshot factory</li><li>Julia Mangin, head of sustainability, Recology</li><li>Emma Lingle, project manager at X, the moonshot factory </li></ul>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXr0ddAmh5Q">our complementary documentary</a> about how scientists and entrepreneurs at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory, are inventing tools driven by AI, robotics, and material science to recycle plastics, steel, textiles, and just about everything else. It's all part of their vision to build a circular economy that will radically reduce global waste.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Plastics production has doubled in the last two decades, clogging up our oceans and showing up in our organs. The massive growth in plastics production is also increasing CO2 output and driving up fossil fuel demand. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, only 8% of plastic actually gets recycled, challenging our trust in the waste management system.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But a new set of tools driven by AI, robotics, and material science are helping recycle plastics, steel, textiles, and just about everything else. And a new generation of entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers are devoting themselves to launching those tools.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we examine technology advances that are helping recyclers convert hard-to-recycle waste into a valuable feedstock – and what it means for building a circular economy with a singular goal of radically reducing global waste.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Kate Brandt, chief sustainability officer at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Astro Teller, captain of moonshots, at X, the moonshot factory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Rey Banatao, project lead at X, the moonshot factory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Julia Mangin, head of sustainability, Recology&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Emma Lingle, project manager at X, the moonshot factory &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXr0ddAmh5Q"&gt;our complementary documentary&lt;/a&gt; about how scientists and entrepreneurs at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory, are inventing tools driven by AI, robotics, and material science to recycle plastics, steel, textiles, and just about everything else. It's all part of their vision to build a circular economy that will radically reduce global waste.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Technology advances are helping recyclers convert hard-to-recycle waste into a valuable feedstock. But can they help build a circular economy that could radically reduce global waste?

Chasing Arrows

Last March, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket into space from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It carried more than 40 payloads on board, including a satellite called MethaneSAT, which was designed to track methane emissions around the globe. Cutting methane emissions is a critical step toward reducing the rise of global temperatures that climate change is spreading to communities.In this episode, we have two stories about how data centers – and the AI they enable – are helping to mitigate the invisible threats of heat and air pollution around the world, particularly for vulnerable populations.From satellites to tree canopies, we ask how AI can help protect human health, reduce air pollution, and temper the urban heat island effect in our cities.Guests: <ul><li>Mansi Kansal, Cool Roofs product manager at Google</li><li>Dr. Monica Bharel, clinical lead for public sector health at Google</li><li>Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Google Earth outreach manager</li><li>Millie Chu Baird, VP, Office of Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund</li><li>Fatima Luna, chief resilience officer, City of Tucson</li></ul>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ScKkopYpg">our complementary documentary</a> about how Google’s data centers are helping make the invisible threats of air pollution and methane emissions visible.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Last March, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket into space from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It carried more than 40 payloads on board, including a satellite called MethaneSAT, which was designed to track methane emissions around the globe. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cutting methane emissions is a critical step toward reducing the rise of global temperatures that climate change is spreading to communities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we have two stories about how data centers – and the AI they enable – are helping to mitigate the invisible threats of heat and air pollution around the world, particularly for vulnerable populations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From satellites to tree canopies, we ask how AI can help protect human health, reduce air pollution, and temper the urban heat island effect in our cities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Mansi Kansal, Cool Roofs product manager at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dr. Monica Bharel, clinical lead for public sector health at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Google Earth outreach manager&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Millie Chu Baird, VP, Office of Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Fatima Luna, chief resilience officer, City of Tucson&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ScKkopYpg"&gt;our complementary documentary&lt;/a&gt; about how Google’s data centers are helping make the invisible threats of air pollution and methane emissions visible.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Data centers – and the AI they enable – are helping to mitigate the invisible threats of heat and air pollution around the world, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Invisible Threats

Dwane Roth is a fourth-generation farmer growing corn, wheat, sorghum, and sunflower in southwestern Kansas. Back in 2016, the state of Kansas launched a three-year pilot designed to test the latest water conservation technologies on three working farms. Dwane’s farm was one of them. Seeing the benefits, Dwane became an outspoken advocate for high-tech approaches to water conservation – approaches that could help restore the critical Ogallala Aquifer running underneath most of western Kansas. In this episode, we ask how data-driven predictive tools are helping farmers use less water and improve yields. Plus, we look at how data and AI are getting excess food to those who need it most. And we confront the paradox of hunger and food waste existing at the same time, in the same places. Guests: <ul><li>Emily Ma, head of special projects in REWS sustainability at Google</li><li>Prem Ramaswami, head of Data Commons at Google</li><li>Stephanie Zidek, vice president of data and analytics, Feeding America</li><li>Dwane Roth, farmer and water conservation advocate in Kansas</li><li>Astro Teller, captain of moonshots at X, the moonshot factory</li></ul>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVxYTWmM0Mw">our complementary documentary</a> about how data and AI are getting excess food to those who need it most, and the paradox of hunger and food waste existing at the same time, in the same places.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dwane Roth is a fourth-generation farmer growing corn, wheat, sorghum, and sunflower in southwestern Kansas. Back in 2016, the state of Kansas launched a three-year pilot designed to test the latest water conservation technologies on three working farms. Dwane’s farm was one of them. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Seeing the benefits, Dwane became an outspoken advocate for high-tech approaches to water conservation – approaches that could help restore the critical Ogallala Aquifer running underneath most of western Kansas. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we ask how data-driven predictive tools are helping farmers use less water and improve yields. Plus, we look at how data and AI are getting excess food to those who need it most. And we confront the paradox of hunger and food waste existing at the same time, in the same places. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Emily Ma, head of special projects in REWS sustainability at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Prem Ramaswami, head of Data Commons at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Stephanie Zidek, vice president of data and analytics, Feeding America&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dwane Roth, farmer and water conservation advocate in Kansas&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Astro Teller, captain of moonshots at X, the moonshot factory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVxYTWmM0Mw"&gt;our complementary documentary&lt;/a&gt; about how data and AI are getting excess food to those who need it most, and the paradox of hunger and food waste existing at the same time, in the same places.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Data-driven tools are helping farmers use less water and improve yields. Data and AI are getting excess food to those who need it most. But hunger and food waste still exist at the same time and places.

Growing a Better Food System

In January 2024, winter storm Gerri swept across the Midwest, bringing subzero temperatures with it. In Omaha, Nebraska, just as everyone was turning up the heat, the city’s four thermal power plants went offline. Tim McAreavey is the VP of Customer Service at Omaha Public Power District. As the freeze gripped Nebraska, Tim and his team began an all-out effort to enlist the help of their biggest customers to reduce energy demand – including a Google data center.In this episode, we have three stories about how data centers are helping decarbonize the energy system – and how to manage the growing energy needs of AI. Plus we learn about Tapestry's mission to make everything on the grid visible by using data science and AI to plan, predict, and monitor assets across the network.And we ask how data centers and the tools they enable are helping communities accelerate clean energy while making the electric grid more resilient, literally keeping the lights on for homeowners, businesses, schools, and hospitals.Guests:<ul><li>Page Crahan, Tapestry team lead at X, the moonshot factory</li><li>Savannah Goodman, data and software climate solutions lead at Google</li><li>Urs Hölze, Google fellow and former senior VP for engineering at Google</li><li>Alexina Jackson, vice president of strategic development, AES</li><li>Tim McAreavey, vice president of customer service, Omaha Public Power District</li><li>Astro Teller, captain of moonshots at X, the moonshot factory</li></ul>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2YhPkXHrT0">our complementary documentary</a> about how AI-assisted tools like Alphabet’s Tapestry are helping accelerate clean energy while making the electric grid more resilient—literally keeping the lights on for homeowners, businesses, schools, and hospitals.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In January 2024, winter storm Gerri swept across the Midwest, bringing subzero temperatures with it. In Omaha, Nebraska, just as everyone was turning up the heat, the city’s four thermal power plants went offline. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tim McAreavey is the VP of Customer Service at Omaha Public Power District. As the freeze gripped Nebraska, Tim and his team began an all-out effort to enlist the help of their biggest customers to reduce energy demand – including a Google data center.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we have three stories about how data centers are helping decarbonize the energy system – and how to manage the growing energy needs of AI. Plus we learn about Tapestry's mission to make everything on the grid visible by using data science and AI to plan, predict, and monitor assets across the network.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And we ask how data centers and the tools they enable are helping communities accelerate clean energy while making the electric grid more resilient, literally keeping the lights on for homeowners, businesses, schools, and hospitals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Page Crahan, Tapestry team lead at X, the moonshot factory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Savannah Goodman, data and software climate solutions lead at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Urs Hölze, Google fellow and former senior VP for engineering at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Alexina Jackson, vice president of strategic development, AES&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Tim McAreavey, vice president of customer service, Omaha Public Power District&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Astro Teller, captain of moonshots at X, the moonshot factory&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2YhPkXHrT0"&gt;our complementary documentary&lt;/a&gt; about how AI-assisted tools like Alphabet’s Tapestry are helping accelerate clean energy while making the electric grid more resilient—literally keeping the lights on for homeowners, businesses, schools, and hospitals.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Data centers are helping decarbonize the energy system while enabling tools that make the grid more resilient. But how do we manage the growing energy needs of AI?

Keeping the Lights On

According to NASA, nearly two-thirds of all Western wildfires recorded over the past 75 years occurred in just the last two decades. Firefighters and fire researchers are seeing this trend first hand. As wildfires grow more destructive and more unpredictable, fire experts need better ways to account for extreme variability.Now, major advances in AI are helping to predict wildfire behavior, and protect communities across the globe. In this episode, we examine how data centers enable researchers, policymakers, and NGOs to mitigate climate threats like forest fires, reduce emissions, and enable a wide range of decarbonization solutions.Guests: <ul><li>Kate Brandt, chief sustainability officer at Google</li><li>Olivia Gagliardi, smokejumper, Missoula, Mont.</li><li>Matt Hancher, director of engineering, Geo for Environment team at Google</li><li>LaWen Hollingsworth, fire behavior specialist, Fire Modeling Institute</li><li>Kit O'Connor, research ecologist, U.S. Forest Service</li><li>Prem Ramaswami, head of Data Commons at Google</li><li>Jorge Rivera, director of data, ONE Campaign</li></ul>Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hibjbZDys4">our complementary documentary</a> on how AI is helping researchers predict and respond to fires more effectively.

<description>&lt;p&gt;According to NASA, nearly two-thirds of all Western wildfires recorded over the past 75 years occurred in just the last two decades. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Firefighters and fire researchers are seeing this trend first hand. As wildfires grow more destructive and more unpredictable, fire experts need better ways to account for extreme variability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now, major advances in AI are helping to predict wildfire behavior, and protect communities across the globe. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we examine how data centers enable researchers, policymakers, and NGOs to mitigate climate threats like forest fires, reduce emissions, and enable a wide range of decarbonization solutions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guests: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Kate Brandt, chief sustainability officer at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Olivia Gagliardi, smokejumper, Missoula, Mont.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Matt Hancher, director of engineering, Geo for Environment team at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;LaWen Hollingsworth, fire behavior specialist, Fire Modeling Institute&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Kit O'Connor, research ecologist, U.S. Forest Service&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Prem Ramaswami, head of Data Commons at Google&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Jorge Rivera, director of data, ONE Campaign&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Watch &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hibjbZDys4"&gt;our complementary documentary&lt;/a&gt; on how AI is helping researchers predict and respond to fires more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

How can AI and data centers help us solve critical climate challenges?

Data on Fire

An award-winning podcast from Google about the unseen world of data centers.

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