Episode Summary
Executive Summary: Jonathan Foley describes Project Drawdown as a science-and-communications nonprofit focused on identifying the most viable climate solutions and accelerating global “drawdown,” when greenhouse gases begin to fall. He argues climate science has been broadly accurate, emphasizes that multiple sectors beyond electricity need action, and urges a mix of policy, markets, RD, culture, and new leadership to scale solutions.
Main Topics: Project Drawdown’s mission and role (Priority: 5/5): Foley explains Drawdown’s purpose: systematically evaluate climate solutions, communicate them clearly, and help the world reach a future where atmospheric greenhouse gases decline. He frames the organization as nonpartisan, noncommercial, and evidence-based. From Drawdown 1.0 to Drawdown 2.0 (Priority: 5/5): The first book established that enough solutions already exist to solve climate change; the next phase will focus on becoming a living digital platform and on helping partners implement solutions at scale. Climate science, denial, and the burden on scientists (Priority: 4/5): Foley discusses how climate scientists have faced harassment, threats, and political attacks despite the accuracy of their forecasts, and calls out the influence of fossil-fuel interests and misinformation. Sector-by-sector climate strategy (Priority: 5/5): He argues electricity is advancing fastest, but food/agriculture, industry, transport, and buildings require more attention. Different sectors need different levers: deployment, policy, RD, or market transformation. Accelerators: policy, finance, culture, and democracy (Priority: 4/5): Foley distinguishes physical climate solutions from the accelerators that make them happen, stressing carbon pricing, getting money out of politics, restoring democratic accountability, and broad cultural change. Evidence of Drawdown’s real-world influence (Priority: 4/5): He offers examples of companies, philanthropists, and institutions using Drawdown to guide investments and operational changes, showing the book’s indirect but meaningful impact. What individuals can do (Priority: 4/5): Foley encourages people to learn, talk about climate, use their existing strengths, and join the movement in roles ranging from engineering and entrepreneurship to storytelling and activism.
Key Arguments: Project Drawdown’s core mission is to speed the moment when greenhouse gases peak and then decline, making the atmosphere safer and more equitable. Climate change is solvable with technologies and practices that already exist, though deployment and scaling remain major challenges. Electricity is the closest sector to being solved because solar, wind, storage, and efficiency are now often cheaper than fossil fuels. Food, agriculture, land use, buildings, transport, and industry are equally critical but under-addressed in climate discourse and investment. Different sectors require different interventions: deployment for electricity, policy and culture for agriculture, and RD for hard-to-decarbonize materials like concrete and steel. Climate scientists have not been “too pessimistic”; many of their decades-old projections have tracked reality closely. Scientists and activists have faced real harassment and even death threats, showing that climate work carries social and political risk. Big international agreements alone are insufficient; cities, states, businesses, investors, and civil society are already driving important progress. Carbon pricing would help, but meaningful climate action also requires reducing fossil-fuel political power and reforming democracy. Broad, diverse leadership—especially youth, women, people of color, and new voices—will be essential to solving the problem. Individuals matter because many small acts of communication and leadership can shift norms, institutions, and adoption of solutions.
Data Points: Project Drawdown book solutions catalog: 100 solutions - The original Drawdown book described the 100 most substantive climate solutions. Project Drawdown team involvement: about 100 people - Students, postdocs, and research fellows contributed to Drawdown over several years. Project Drawdown origin timeline: idea started around 2015 - Foley describes the project’s genesis and research phase before the 2017 book release. Drawdown book release: 2017 - The first Drawdown book was published about a year and a half before this 2019 conversation. Climate leadership experience: 30 years - Foley says he decided to dedicate his life to climate change 30 years earlier. U.S. peak emissions: 2007 - He notes U.S. emissions peaked in 2007 and have declined since. U.S. emissions decline from peak: 15% below maximum - He says current U.S. emissions are about 15% below the historical peak. Cities and states economic share: about 25% of U.S. economy - California and New York together represent roughly a quarter of the U.S. economy. Electricity sector share of climate problem: about 25% - He states electricity accounts for about one-fourth of global climate emissions. Food/agriculture/land use share: about 25% - He identifies food, agriculture, and land use as another quarter of emissions. Industry share: about 20% - He estimates industry contributes roughly one-fifth of global emissions. Top five sectors share: 90% - Electricity, food/agriculture/land use, industry, transport, and buildings together account for about 90% of emissions. Methane relative potency: about 80x CO2 over 20 years - He notes methane’s high near-term warming impact compared with carbon dioxide. Methane atmospheric lifetime: 20 to 30 years - He explains methane is short-lived compared with CO2, making it a strong near-term target. EV sales versus SUVs/pickups in America: 1 EV for every 15 SUVs/pickup trucks - Used to illustrate how much of the transportation fleet still favors high-emission vehicles. Deforestation share of global emissions: 10% to 15% - He says deforestation contributes a significant share of global greenhouse gases. Major deforestation geographies: Brazil and Indonesia - He says about half of global deforestation occurs historically in these two places. Major commodity drivers: 4 commodities - Beef, soybeans, palm oil, and timber are cited as key deforestation drivers. Ted talk views: about 4 million views each - He mentions talks by Catherine Wilkinson and Chad Fashman (Freshman in transcript) as amplifiers of Drawdown’s reach. Climate fund size: $2 billion - He references Breakthrough Energy Ventures and its venture fund. Potential climate budget: $100 billion - In a hypothetical, he says he would focus this amount on protecting forests.
Pivotal Quotes: "Drawdown is referring to a moment in time in the future when greenhouse gas levels stop going up and they start going back down again." — Jonathan Foley: Defining the organization’s central concept and mission. "We have enough solutions to stop climate change in its tracks in the next few decades with what we have today." — Jonathan Foley: Summarizing the core optimism of Project Drawdown’s first book. "The best thing we can do about climate change is learn about it and talk about it." — Catherine Hayhoe (as quoted by Jonathan Foley): Advice Foley highlights for individuals who want to help.
Implications: Climate action is not limited by a lack of solutions; it is limited by deployment, policy, capital, and coordination. For listeners, the practical takeaway is to use their own skills, support systemic reforms, and help scale proven solutions now.