Climate Change Facts & Myths with Neil deGrasse Tyson - Cosmic Queries

How did we save the ozone layer? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice break down the successful campaign to save the ozone layer with professor and atmospheric chemist Susan Soloman and director of research for the Institute of Governance and Sustabaility Stephen Andersen. What lessons can we learn to apply to the ongoing climate crisis?

How do you save the world? We discuss their winning the Future of Life Award this week (details here) for their contributions to the 1987 Montreal Protocol. What was it? Is it the most successful treaty of our day? How did the ozone layer get depleted? What is a Chlorofluorocarbon or CFC? How do you convince people to get rid of what they have if you don’t have something for them to replace it with? We explore how industries and media were able to create a movement to help the cause. How do we create a sustainable civilization?

How does the ozone layer work to protect us? Discover the different forms of oxygen and how they interact with UV rays from the sun. How much UV actually reaches the Earth’s surface? What are the actual effects of refrigerants and CFCs on the atmosphere? What’s HCFC22? Or HFC410A? Are we at the point of no return with runaway climate change? Do we have any new technology to reverse the change? We break down whether geoengineering Earth is a good idea and how to fix our dire energy infrastructure problem.

Do all heroes wear capes? We take a moment to appreciate the work of climate scientists and the tireless work they’ve been doing against the clock. Would reducing the cost of greener alternatives be enough? What’s the most life-changing adaptation we will be forced to make in the near future? Is it true that 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions are created by just 100 companies? What does it mean to go carbon-neutral? What is the most likely cause for Earth becoming uninhabitable? How do you convince climate change deniers? What lessons can we learn and apply from the Montreal Protocol? All that, plus, Chuck announces the release of his new hit country album “My Daddy was a Solar Panel Installer.”

Thanks to our Patrons Ryan Ogle, David Matthews, Colleen Magee-Uhlik, Ryan Atashkar, Cameron Q Myhre, Jordan Sisinni, and Mien for supporting us this week.

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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