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Request for Startups: Climate Tech

ycombinator.com

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Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#241

Post by agonmon »

bmitc wrote: post #95
admax88qqq wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It requires social and behavioral changes, mainly centered around consumption. So far it seems these changes are going to be impossible to achieve. Like you say we just don't want to do them. Current levels of consumption will continue, and increase. So given that as a prior what are how do you approach the problem? If we can't change human behaviour can we innovate our way out of the problem?

I think that's part of my larger point that companies and startups simply cannot solve this problem and are really part of the problem. Governments could mandate and incentivize changes, but companies would come kicking and screaming. > If we can't change human behaviour can we innovate our way out of the problem? Most human innovations have increased climate change. I have little optimism that we can suddenly adjust…

If you ever want to stop wallowing in misanthropic nihilism, I recommend reading books like "More From Less" - Mcafee which shows that capitalism does in fact reduce/moderate consumption. Next look at "Speed and Scale" - Doerr, or "How to Solve a Climate Disaster" - Gates for a giant list of human innovations that will in fact decrease/reverse climate change.

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#243

Post by chris_va »

gumby wrote: post #232
chris_va wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, the ISA approach. I could never calibrate the fringy-ness of that idea. Do you have evidence that it works in-situ, or any ideas of how to test this in an observable way? If so, there are folks interested.

It is demonstrated in the lab and we are developing a way to assay what’s going on in the open air. Lot of interesting work in this area.

Do you have papers/whitepapers you can share (privately or otherwise)?

(I run a climate engineering group to help accelerate mitigation/removal methods.)

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#244

Post by andyjsong »

gtdawg wrote: post #187
janalsncm wrote: post #125

Here are some of my unsolicited and harebrained climate startup ideas. I’m poor and I can’t afford to pursue any of these but I believe a carbon-neutral future will require these things: * Cheap EV chargers for people who don’t own houses. Young people are the most likely to be open to EVs, but they’re also the least likely to own a house. Charging is a major barrier to entry. Create something so cheap and ubiquitous…

> * Cheap EV chargers for people who don’t own houses. https://www.itselectric.us

https://www.dockcharged.com is another one people should check out.

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#245

Post by bjelkeman-again »

janalsncm wrote: post #125

Here are some of my unsolicited and harebrained climate startup ideas. I’m poor and I can’t afford to pursue any of these but I believe a carbon-neutral future will require these things: * Cheap EV chargers for people who don’t own houses. Young people are the most likely to be open to EVs, but they’re also the least likely to own a house. Charging is a major barrier to entry. Create something so cheap and ubiquitous…

Floatavoltaics - https://solarduck.tech/

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#246

Post by bjelkeman-again »

tdaltonc wrote: post #144
janalsncm wrote: post #125

Here are some of my unsolicited and harebrained climate startup ideas. I’m poor and I can’t afford to pursue any of these but I believe a carbon-neutral future will require these things: * Cheap EV chargers for people who don’t own houses. Young people are the most likely to be open to EVs, but they’re also the least likely to own a house. Charging is a major barrier to entry. Create something so cheap and ubiquitous…

For passive carbon capture, I don’t understand what you’re proposing. Let’s pretend: Joe Biden gives you a nuclear aircraft carrier and a team of nuclear engineers. Now what?

Passive carbon capture - https://inplanet.earth/

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#247

Post by Demiurge »

PakG1 wrote: post #110
jandrewrogers wrote: post #65

I've worked in "climate intelligence" for many years. The list overlooks one of the largest and most immediate opportunities around that market: the data infrastructure and analysis tools we have today are profoundly unfit for purpose. Just about everyone is essentially using cartography tools to do large-scale spatiotemporal analysis of sensor and telemetry data. The gaps for both features and practical scalability…

> Just about everyone is essentially using cartography tools to do large-scale spatiotemporal analysis of sensor and telemetry data. The gaps for both features and practical scalability are massive. Could you point to any readings or resources that would explain these gaps? I'd be quite curious why our current spatiotemporal analysis techniques would be insufficient. Is it the analysis tools that just need new techni…

There aren’t really any problems. Some people see that because all of this data can be spatially and temporarily referenced, it can be accessed better, as if there could be one format and one application that could let you do anything you want across the space time, regardless of the source.

The reality is that a lots of models using this data are developed against a specific sensor or dataset, and just don’t work or scale.

I don’t think this will be solved in this domain by pangeo or any startup in particular.

There is an awesome new STACspec that every geo company should be adopting, and that’s the direction to move towards.

But each step towards standardizing the GIS process will require something that truly everyone can adopt, sort of like JSON.

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#248

Post by aussiesnack »

jongjong wrote: post #204

Almost all climate tech is greenwashing; superficial solutions. Climate issues require deeper system changes. We need a system which encourages financial prudence and frugality instead of one which encourages financial recklessness, infinite growth, consumerism and bullshit jobs. The problem needs to be solved at the lowest monetary incentive layer. How much energy is wasted by people travelling to and from their bul…

Yes and no. Sure, tech solutions are superficial and can only ever be partially successful. But we know how to build tech. We do not know how to manage 8 billion people stuffed into a couple of hundred unruly 'sovereign' nations. Certainly not to the extent necessary to hold back trivial desires created by corporations/marketing, which now form the core of most world cultures.

I have no idea whether or not it's possible to create a viable network of global human cultures which can constrain themselves to live as part of reality (what some call 'nature'), but I'm pretty sure if it is, it's no less than a century away. Probably longer. And we don't have that much time to stop fouling the nest.

I see climate change tech as a stopgap. Without it (BAU), or with fantasies of immediate revolutionary change, we're fucked. Tech might help keep society viable long enough to create what's really needed, in a century, or two, or three.

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#249

Post by csa »

jedberg wrote: post #172
ghiculescu wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is objectively worse about them? They seem very popular with consumers.

The engineering tolerances are not good -- ie. you can stick a pen between the body panels. Can't do that with a Toyota or Honda, for example. The interior is spartan. My $40,000 minivan has more interior features for passengers than a $140,000 Model X. The tablet controls. They are unsafe as they make you take your eyes off the road. Cars still need physical buttons for critical control systems and systems that cons…

> Cars still need physical buttons for critical control systems and systems that consumers need to control often (radio, climate control, windshield wipers, cruise control, etc.).

Radio - volume and track control are physical, more technical stuff can be done by voice or simple touch screen touches. For folks who say “I don’t do voice, but I demand physical controls”, I humbly suggest that using voice is safer than anything physical in terms of maintaining focus on the road.

Climate control - voice or simple, easy-to-access touch controls.

Windshield wipers - physical or voice, voice or touch to adjust if necessary. “Auto” makes can make this a set it and forget it feature.

Cruise control - physical

Re: Request for Startups: Climate Tech

#250

Post by csa »

ravenstine wrote: post #9

> Tesla for home appliances: re-inventing home appliances (water heaters, induction stoves, clothes dryers, etc) to create better consumer experiences using specific advantages of electric technology. > Tesla-like experience for home energy management: smart hub, including smart charging, load shifting, software-based load shedding for improved resiliency, and better circuit-level energy use measurement. With how Tes…

> unanimous lack of confidence in "autopilot" I've witnessed in owners

You must talk to a very narrow band of Tesla owners.

Auto pilot is basically enhanced cruise control, and Tesla do this quite well.

If you’re referring to fulls self driving (FSD), then I agree. FSD is best seen as slightly advanced autopilot (it can change lanes, etc.) and self-parking in very tight spots like small garages. The FSD name is largely a misnomer, and it has given the features that have been implemented well (listed above) a very bad name.

Related to the request and your comment, I personally wish that home appliances would have Tesla-esque features, just without the Elon over-promising bluster.

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