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Voices

Experts weighing in with their own words on a range of climate tech topics. Submit your ideas here.

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Illustration, scientist stands in front of a deep valley, with a wind turbine and solar panels on one side and an oil rig on the other. Blue background. — Helping entrepreneurial scientists cross the first ‘Valley of Death’
Many scientists develop breakthrough materials and new processes that could be successful commercial products. But most of these breakthroughs remain in lab notebooks or seminar slides and never translate into startup ideas. Voices
David Jaramillo 3 min read

Illustration of a globe with Texas and Poland emphasized with two hands in front, one holding a solar array and one holding a dump truck filled with coal. — A political surprise in coal country could provide a lesson for oil country
Conservative U.S. states like Texas, with deep historical and economic connections to the fossil fuel industry, could learn from Poland, once a fossil fuel stronghold turning toward renewables. Voices
Pete Harrison 3 min read

An aerial photo of an arid plain surrounded by mountains with a blue sky above dotted with a few white clouds. — Changing the relationship between mining and Native American Tribes
To move forward with mining projects on or near Tribal lands, we need to right past wrongs and build projects that are designed with and for Tribes. Voices
Morgan Bazilian, Daniel Cardenas, & Rick Tallman 3 min read

Two girls are sitting in a dark field in front of unlit houses. One of them is struggling to read while the other holds up a lightbulb with a growing plant inside, eliminating the darkness. — Why we need a more ambitious global energy target
The world is committing to expanding energy access to all, but our current target is too low. Without a new approach, we will leave billions of people behind — and drive an even bigger wedge between rich and poor nations over climate policy. Voices
Todd Moss 3 min read

Submit An Idea

Cipher is committed to publishing a diversity of perspectives from climate and energy leaders and experts. Have a story idea? Let us know!

Let’s build an apprenticeship program for climate entrepreneurs

It’s time for startups to actively adopt a cleantech apprenticeship model from their inception. The urgency of climate change today means we don't have the luxury of letting apprentice-mentor relationships form organically.   Voices

Alice Havill 4 min read

Illustration of hikers in the foreground with wind turbines in the background.

High school climate curriculum is boring. Let’s change that.

With a problem as crucial as climate change, we need to teach students about the solutions — and we need those lessons to stick. Voices

Vinesh Kothari 3 min read

Illustration of children in a classroom with an Earth and a thermometer on the blackboard.

The realities of supplying abundant clean energy

We are inadvertently creating systems that either will not eliminate CO2, or will produce less abundant and less reliable energy. The solution is to focus on the complete energy system. Voices

W.D. Budinger & Paul Bauman 3 min read

Illustration of nuclear energy plant, wind turbines and solar panels.

A climate work visa to unlock global cleantech talent

To bridge the talent gap and accelerate global efforts toward a greener future, the Global North, including the U.S. and Europe, should implement a climate-focused visa program. Voices

Harshita Mira Venkatesh 3 min read

Engraving of immigrants arriving in New York harbor in the 1800s, people on a ship with the statue of liberty in the background.

Saudi Arabia has a surprisingly clear path to net zero

Saudi Arabia’s economy depends heavily on oil exports. But the kingdom has a clearer path to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions at home than many other countries. Voices

Jim Krane 3 min read

A pipeline marked with 'CO2' at an outdoor industrial facility.