Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Is the future of clean energy and climate solutions brighter than we think? In this episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes back Hannah Ritchie — Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, researcher at the Oxford Martin School, and author of her new book, Clearing the Air.
In ‘Clearing the Air,’ Hannah tackles 50 of the most common myths and misconceptions about climate solutions, from “Isn’t climate action too polarised and politically divisive to fix?” to “What happens when the wind doesn’t blow?” and “Won’t the world run out of minerals?” Hannah dives into the data behind renewables, electric cars, nuclear power, grids, and even lab-grown meat — cutting through the noise with clarity.
Michael quizzes Hannah on why she wrote the book and what she hopes to achieve with it, and whether it has the potential to change the minds of climate skeptics. This conversation offers a grounded, accessible look at what really works, what doesn’t, and why we should feel more hopeful than the doom-filled narratives suggest.
Leadership Circle:
Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.
Links & more:
• Clearing The Air: penguin.co.uk/books/462676/clearing-the-air-by-ritchie-hannah/9781784745745
• Ep147: Dr Hannah Ritchie: youtu.be/fMLmeWc7NFo
• Ep178: Dr Andy Palmer: youtube.com/watch?v=fzDWFFRDK8o
mliebreich.substack.com/p/decarbonizing-the-last-few-percent
• Decarbonising the Last Few Percent: mliebreich.substack.com/p/decarbonizing-the-last-few-percent
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:00 - Clearing The Air
06:50 - Who’s The Book For?
12:06 - Aren’t Electric Cars Just As Bad For The Climate?
15:52 - Don’t Electric Cars Struggle in the Cold?
18:10 - Battery Degradation
21:45 - Are Your Predictions Too Pessimistic?
23:10 - What Happens When The Wind Doesn’t Blow?
26:15 - The Final 5%
31:00 - Spinning Reserves
32:15 - Can We Build The Grid?
36:00 - Growing Pains
38:40 - Aren’t Renewables Too Expensive?
41:10 - Is Nuclear Too Expensive?
45:00 - Critiques of Nuclear
49:30 - How Long Does Nuclear Take To Build?
52:00 - Too Dependent on China?
55:30 - Security & Resilience
01:01:45 - Meat Substitutes
01:08:00 - Outro
Is the future of clean energy and climate solutions brighter than we think? In this episode of Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes back Hannah Ritchie — Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, researcher at the Oxford Martin School, and author of her new book, Clearing the Air.
In ‘Clearing the Air,’ Hannah tackles 50 of the most common myths and misconceptions about climate solutions, from “Isn’t climate action too polarised and politically divisive to fix?” to “What happens when the wind doesn’t blow?” and “Won’t the world run out of minerals?” Hannah dives into the data behind renewables, electric cars, nuclear power, grids, and even lab-grown meat — cutting through the noise with clarity.
Michael quizzes Hannah on why she wrote the book and what she hopes to achieve with it, and whether it has the potential to change the minds of climate skeptics. This conversation offers a grounded, accessible look at what really works, what doesn’t, and why we should feel more hopeful than the doom-filled narratives suggest.
Leadership Circle:
Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.
Links & more:
• Clearing The Air: penguin.co.uk/books/462676/clearing-the-air-by-ritchie-hannah/9781784745745
• Ep147: Dr Hannah Ritchie: youtu.be/fMLmeWc7NFo
• Ep178: Dr Andy Palmer: youtube.com/watch?v=fzDWFFRDK8o
mliebreich.substack.com/p/decarbonizing-the-last-few-percent
• Decarbonising the Last Few Percent: mliebreich.substack.com/p/decarbonizing-the-last-few-percent
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:00 - Clearing The Air
06:50 - Who’s The Book For?
12:06 - Aren’t Electric Cars Just As Bad For The Climate?
15:52 - Don’t Electric Cars Struggle in the Cold?
18:10 - Battery Degradation
21:45 - Are Your Predictions Too Pessimistic?
23:10 - What Happens When The Wind Doesn’t Blow?
26:15 - The Final 5%
31:00 - Spinning Reserves
32:15 - Can We Build The Grid?
36:00 - Growing Pains
38:40 - Aren’t Renewables Too Expensive?
41:10 - Is Nuclear Too Expensive?
45:00 - Critiques of Nuclear
49:30 - How Long Does Nuclear Take To Build?
52:00 - Too Dependent on China?
55:30 - Security & Resilience
01:01:45 - Meat Substitutes
01:08:00 - Outro
