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THE VIDEO SHELF · energy transitions

Václav Smil at Driva Climate Investment Meeting 2019

Vaclav Smil's talk on historic energy transitions and what they imply for climate investment. He argues that transitions are slow, technology improves gradually, and only absolute cuts in energy use would truly work.

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Why HN readers recommended it

Frequently linked as a sobering, data-grounded counterpoint to techno-optimism about decarbonization and green growth.

This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.

Video & recommendation details

Creator / channel
Nysnø Klimainvesteringer
Topic
energy transitions
Format
talk
Level
general
HN recommenders in dataset
3
HN mentions in dataset
15
Recommendation years in dataset
2019–2024

These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.

From the original HN conversations

Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.

  • On the other hand 1/2 of world looks more or less the same - rural Africa, india, china... If you believe we are highly adaptable and new technologies will 'save us' somehow check this presentation : [VIDEO] ...it's eye opening

    raaaaraaaa2 on Hacker News · 2019-08
    In Singapore Says Musk's Electric Cars Are About 'Lifestyle,' Not Climate

  • Here's a fascinating talk by Václav Smil at the Driva Climate Investment Meeting in 2019: [VIDEO] Bill Gates calls him "one of my favorite thinkers" and reviews his recent book "Growth": > Vaclav Smil ... reaches the ... conclusion: Earth is fragile and “before it …

    carapace on Hacker News · 2021-10
    In ‘Green growth’ doesn’t exist – less of everything only way to avert catastrophe

  • > the ability to dramatically reduce world hunger is a direct consequence of humans' capacity to improve crop yields such as rice and corn through breeding and engineering. Not through "breeding and engineering", through artificial nitrogen fertilizer. We have been turning oil into people . …

    carapace on Hacker News · 2022-03
    In Launch HN: Living Carbon (YC W20) – Trees that capture and store more carbon

Summaries, classifications and recommendation records are from the HackerTube source dataset. Read about this library and its limitations.

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