How to reduce the wealth gap between Black and white Americans | Kedra Newsom Reeves

The racial wealth gap in the United States is shocking: white families have a median wealth nearly 10 times greater than that of Black families. How did we get here, and how can we stop the gap from growing? Wealth equity strategist Kedra Newsom..

What it takes to create social change against all odds | Ralph Nader

Over his decades-long career as a political activist, Ralph Nader has helped expose some of the greatest misdeeds of large corporations. You may be familiar with the real-world changes his work sparked: the Clean Air Act, automobile safety laws,..

The life unfolding inside your cells, revealed in 3D | Gokul Upadhyayula

To understand how life works, you need to watch it in action, says bioimaging scientist Gokul Upadhyayula. Taking us down to the cellular level, he shares the work behind cutting-edge microscopes that capture and record, in three dimensions, the..

Our moral imperative to act on climate change -- and 3 steps we can take | His Holiness Pope Francis

The global climate crisis will require us to transform the way we act, says His Holiness Pope Francis. Delivering a visionary TED Talk from Vatican City, the spiritual leader proposes three courses of action to address the world's growing..

Civilization on the Moon -- and what it means for life on Earth | Jessy Kate Schingler

We could realistically see people starting to live and work on the Moon in the next decade -- and how we do it matters, says space policy researcher Jessy Kate Schingler. In this fascinating talk, she discusses the critical issues that arise when we..

Sexual assault, shame and teaching kids to ask for help | Kristin Jones

Sexual assault is never the victim's fault, says advocate Kristin Jones. In this courageous talk, she tells her story of overcoming the shame that followed sexual abuse as a teenager -- and shares how parents can foster an open conversation about..

Apple's promise to be carbon neutral by 2030 | Lisa Jackson and Liz Ogbu

Under the leadership of Lisa Jackson, Apple's environment and social VP and former head of the EPA, the company is already carbon neutral within their own corporate and retail boundaries. By 2030, Apple hopes to extend carbon neutrality to their..

On time and water | Andri Snær Magnason

Over the next 200 years, we can expect all of the Earth's glaciers to disappear as a result of climate change -- unless we act now, says writer Andri Snær Magnason. Telling the story of the Okjökull glacier in Iceland, the first glacier lost to..

How we could make carbon-negative concrete | Tom Schuler

Concrete is all around us: we use it to build our roads, buildings, bridges and much more. Yet over the last 2,000 years, the art of mixing cement and using it to bind concrete hasn't changed very much -- and it remains one of the world's biggest..

A "forest generation" living in harmony with nature | Ernestine Leikeki Sevidzem

We need to care for and live in harmony with the environment, says climate and gender activist Ernestine Leikeki Sevidzem. The best way to do that? Nurture a forest generation: one that learns to protect nature. Sevidzem shares how she's educating..

The global movement to restore nature's biodiversity | Thomas Crowther

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..

The joy of taking out the trash | Aparna Nancherla

Comedian Aparna Nancherla loves to take out the trash. In this funny and sharp meditation on garbage -- "the stuff that our modern, consumerist, carbon-powered culture makes us buy endlessly, and often for no reason" -- she shares thoughts on how to..

Fossil fuel companies know how to stop global warming. Why aren't they? | Myles Allen

The fossil fuel industry knows how to stop global warming, but they're waiting for someone else to pay, says climate science scholar Myles Allen. Instead of a total ban on carbon-emitting fuels, Allen puts forth a bold plan for oil and gas companies..

The 15-minute city | Carlos Moreno

Living in a city means accepting a certain level of dysfunction: long commutes, noisy streets, underutilized spaces. Carlos Moreno wants to change that. He makes the case for the "15-minute city," where inhabitants have access to all the services they..

Amazon's climate pledge: to be net-zero by 2040 | Dave Clark and Kara Hurst

In 2019, Amazon signed the Climate Pledge, a commitment to become a net-zero carbon business by 2040. Dave Clark, Amazon's chief of consumer retail, and Kara Hurst, head of the company's sustainability efforts, sit down with entrepreneur and activist..

How Ikea is growing its business while shrinking emissions | Jesper Brodin and Pia Heidenmark Cook

IKEA currently makes up 0.1 percent of all global carbon emissions -- but by 2030, they're planning to be carbon negative across their business. Discussing new thinking about the lifespan of their products, from the forest to the landfill, Jesper..

Europe's plan to become the first carbon-neutral continent | Ursula von der Leyen

With the ambitious goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, the European Union has committed to creating a greener world for future generations. In this bold talk, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, details..

The case for stubborn optimism on climate | Christiana Figueres

"This decade is a moment of choice unlike any we have ever lived," says Christiana Figueres, the architect of the historic 2015 Paris Agreement. The daughter of Costa Rica's beloved President José Figueres Ferrer, she shares how her father's..

The race to a zero-emission world starts now | António Guterres

"If we don't act now on climate change, this coming century may be one of humanity's last," says António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Guterres urges us to use this moment to..

How businesses can serve everyone, not just shareholders | Dame Vivian Hunt

Companies worldwide are pledging to play a more meaningful role in the well-being of their employees, customers and the environment. How can they turn their promises into action? From creating a representative boardroom to committing to measurable..

10 years to transform the future of humanity -- or destabilize the planet | Johan Rockström

"For the first time, we are forced to consider the real risk of destabilizing the entire planet," says climate impact scholar Johan Rockström. In a talk backed by vivid animations of the climate crisis, he shows how nine out of the 15 big biophysical..

Hand-drawn illustrations of the world's weirdest plants | Nirupa Rao

Botanical artist Nirupa Rao captures the spirit and beauty of nature in watercolor. With a portfolio of enchanting, scientifically accurate illustrations, she aims to reignite our emotional connection to the environment -- and open our eyes to an..

The energy Africa needs to develop -- and fight climate change | Rose M. Mutiso

The divide between the "energy-haves" and "energy have-nots" is stark, and their paths towards a zero-carbon emission future are not identical. In this perspective-shifting talk, energy researcher Rose M. Mutiso makes the case for prioritizing..

What kids can teach adults about asking for help | YeYoon Kim

Do you need some help? It's OK to ask, says YeYoon Kim, a former kindergarten teacher who learned from her students how powerful and courageous it can be to reach out for support. Sharing the story of one of the most difficult periods in her life, Kim..

Environmental justice is racial justice | David Lammy

Why has there been so little mention of saving Black lives from the climate emergency? For too long, racial justice efforts have been distinguished from climate justice work, says David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, England. In a stirring..

Community-powered solutions to the climate crisis | Rahwa Ghirmatzion and Zelalem Adefris

Climate change is the epic challenge of our lives, and community leaders like Rahwa Ghirmatzion and Zelalem Adefris are already working on sustainable, resilient solutions. Through their organizations in Buffalo and Miami, they're focused on durable,..

The ancient, earth-friendly wisdom of Mongolian nomads | Khulan Batkhuyag

There's a lot we can learn from Mongolian nomads about how to survive in the years to come, says environmental activist Khulan Batkhuyag. Taking us on a journey through the country's stunning rural landscape, she shows how Mongolian nomads have..

If trees could speak | Elif Shafak

How do we tell stories of humanity and nature at a time when our planet is burning? Novelist Elif Shafak invites us to listen to the trees, whose experience of time, stillness and impermanence is utterly different from our own. "Hidden inside [their]..

Kids are speaking up for the environment. Let's listen | Olafur Eliasson

Known for big, attention-grabbing installations -- like his four towering waterfalls in New York's East River -- Olafur Eliasson has scaled down his latest project, Earth Speakr: an art platform for kids designed to spur budding climate activists to..

A concrete idea to reduce carbon emissions | Karen Scrivener

Concrete is the second most-used substance on Earth (behind water), and it's responsible for eight percent of the world's carbon footprint. Cement researcher Karen Scrivener shares the research behind a pioneering new kind of cement known as LC3,..

How to be a good ancestor | Roman Krznaric

Our descendants own the future, but the decisions and actions we make now will tremendously impact generations to come, says philosopher Roman Krznaric. From a global campaign to grant legal personhood to nature to a groundbreaking lawsuit by a..

A global movement to solve global problems | Colombe Cahen-Salvador

We need to think beyond national borders to solve global problems, says activist Colombe Cahen-Salvador. Reimagining the world's fractured systems of governance and calling out their ineffective responses to major issues -- from the coronavirus..

To save the climate, we have to reimagine capitalism | Rebecca Henderson

"Business is screwed if we don't fix climate change," says economist Rebecca Henderson. In this bold talk, she describes how unchecked capitalism destabilizes the environment and harms human health -- and makes the case for companies to step up and..

Cities are driving climate change. Here's how they can fix it. | Angel Hsu

Cities pump out 70 percent of all global carbon emissions -- which means they also have the greatest opportunity to lower CO2 levels and energy consumption. Climate and data scientist Angel Hsu shares how cities around the world are leading the..

Racism thrives on silence -- speak up! | Dexter Dias

Racism thrives on your silence and apathy, says human rights lawyer Dexter Dias. Telling the story of a harrowing UK court case that spotlights the corrosive effects of injustice, Dias urges us all to speak out and expose toxic myths about race -- in..

The lie that invented racism | John Biewen

To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race. He shares his findings,..

This decade calls for Earthshots to repair our planet | Prince William

"We start this new decade knowing that it is the most consequential period in history," says Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot," he calls on us all to rise to our greatest challenge ever: the..

Why we must confront hard historical truths | Hasan Kwame Jeffries

To move forward in the United States, we must look back and confront the difficult history that shaped widespread injustice. Revisiting a significant yet overlooked piece of the past, Hasan Kwame Jeffries emphasizes the need to weave historical..

3 secrets to Netflix's success | Reed Hastings

What does it take to cultivate a culture of innovation and reinvention at work? Tracing his journey from math teacher to honesty-seeking executive, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings describes three key elements of a successful work culture, sharing how to..

Climate change is our reality. Here's how we're taking action | Al Gore, Gloria Kasang Bulus, Nana Firman, Ximena Loría and Tim

With the Climate Reality Project, Al Gore is helping mold future leaders to build the movement for climate survival and social justice from the ground up. He introduces us to four of the Project's graduates, each of whom confronts climate change on..

How cities are detoxing transportation | Monica Araya

People around the world are demanding clean air -- and cities are starting to respond, says electrification advocate Monica Araya. She takes us on a world tour of urban areas that are working to fully electrify their transportation systems over the..

How your personality shapes your politics | Dannagal G. Young

Social psychologist Dannagal Young breaks down the link between our psychology and politics, showing how personality types largely fall into people who prioritize openness and flexibility (liberals) and those who prefer order and certainty..

India's historic opportunity to industrialize using clean energy | Varun Sivaram

India has an opportunity to power its industrialization with clean energy, a feat no country in history has ever pulled off, says clean energy executive, physicist and author Varun Sivaram. Bringing on-the-ground experience as CTO of India's largest..

What magic tricks can reveal about free will | Alice Pailhès

Are you in control of your choices? Magic tricks might reveal otherwise, says scientist and illusionist Alice Pailhès. Watch closely as she performs magic tricks that unveil how your brain works, how you can be subtly influenced and what that means..

Lessons on leaving the world better than you found it | Sophie Howe

Sophie Howe is the world's only future generations commissioner, a new kind of government official tasked with advocating for the interests of generations to come and holding public institutions accountable for delivering long-term change. She..

How to decarbonize the grid and electrify everything | John Doerr and Hal Harvey

"The good news is it's now clearly cheaper to save the planet than to ruin it," says engineer and investor John Doerr. "The bad news is: we are fast running out of time." In this conversation with climate policy expert Hal Harvey, the two..

How social inequality fuels political division | Keith Payne

"If we want to fix our politics, we have to do something about inequality," says social psychologist Keith Payne. Showing how economic inequality changes the way people see and behave towards one another, Payne helps explain the rise of the political..

A lesson in turning adversaries into allies | Leah Garcés

When you're on opposite sides of an issue, how do you broker peace with your adversaries and work together to solve a problem? Follow along as animal rights activist Leah Garcés recounts three lessons she learned in hatching an ambitious plan to end..

The city planting a million trees in two years | Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, is on a mission to plant a million trees over the next two years, increasing vegetation in her city by fifty percent while shoring up eroding riverbanks and increasing biodiversity. "This isn't just..

Make your actions on climate reflect your words | Severn Cullis-Suzuki

"History has shown us that in moments of crisis, society can truly transform," says environmental educator Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Nearly 30 years ago, at just 12 years old, she spoke at the UN's Earth Summit in hopes of reversing the planet's slide..