In the first half, Steve Goreham, executive director of the Climate Science Coalition of America, discussed the growing challenges facing renewable energy and the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution on U.S. power consumption. He highlighted the rapid expansion of data centers —now over 4,000 in the U.S., up 50% in less than 2 years —driven by AI technologies like ChatGPT. These facilities consume six to ten times more electricity than they did before, with data centers projected to use 20% of U.S. electricity within the next decade, up from 4% a year ago, he reported.
Goreham noted that while data centers bring jobs and initial revenue, their enormous power and water demands strain local resources, often leading to higher electricity and water rates. Some companies, like Meta, are building on-site gas power plants to meet their energy needs, with one facility in North Louisiana expected to consume more power than New Orleans. Addressing net zero energy policies aimed at eliminating carbon emissions by 2050, he argued these goals are "an impossible task," especially given AI's constant and intensive power requirements. He likened the situation to a "70 or 80 foot tall tidal wave" of AI growth overwhelming the "tiny sailboat" of net zero ambitions.
He warned of the strain renewable energy places on power grids, citing blackouts in Spain, and in Texas, where an outage caused over 200 deaths. Challenging the mainstream narrative on climate change, he pointed to solar-driven natural cycles over human-made emissions. Despite $10 trillion spent globally in the last two decades to combat warming, 87% of the world's energy in 2024 still comes from coal, oil, and natural gas, he commented. He also cited a political backlash against net zero policies, with parties in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia distancing themselves from aggressive emissions targets, signaling a potential decline in "climatism."
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In the latter half, author Michele Phillips, a consultant with over 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, shared her approach to cultivating happiness and managing emotional energy. "Happiness is not a place to arrive, but it's an energy," she said, describing emotions on a ladder from low-energy states like depression to high-energy states like joy and love. She explained that many people seek quick fixes to jump to happiness, but true joy requires "learning how to get yourself into that beautiful feeling...with your own thoughts, beliefs, and emotions."
She pointed out the dangers of social media, particularly for young children, citing the concept of "compare and despair," where constant exposure to others' highlight reels fosters dissatisfaction and anxiety. Discussing practical strategies, Phillips introduced her "write your outcome" methodology, which encourages individuals to focus on what they can control and consciously choose their reactions to stressful situations. She shared a personal anecdote about overcoming road rage by reframing her perspective: "When someone cuts me off in traffic... I write the outcome I want: I want to get where I'm going."
Stressing the importance of regulating the nervous system and self-soothing to prevent emotional meltdowns, she encouraged laughter as a vital emotional release and suggested that optimism can be learned, even for those who tend toward pessimism. She emphasized that "our brain is set up to look for what's going wrong," urging listeners to shift focus from "doom and gloom" to everyday positive experiences. Further, Phillips advocated slowing down and tuning into the body's signals, recommending, "Put your hand on your heart, take a deep breath and listen to your body."
News segment guests: Mish Shedlock, Howard Bloom