Water and the road to net zero

10/08/21 • 25 min

Renewables and energy experts Mike Case and Iain Gunn explain why a net zero future just isn’t possible without managing water.
The pair take an in-depth look at trends in offshore wind, including the future for floating turbines, as well as explaining how water interacts with our energy supply in ways you might never have thought of.
Listen in to get up-to-date on energy and gain fascinating insights from the hidden world behind the big engineering projects.

Previous Episode

Water on tap? We need to act now to avoid water shortages as our climate changes

As climate changes advances, how can we make sure there is enough water to go round – for drinking, sanitation, farming, industry, and ecosystems?

Chris Counsell, Aodhín McBride, and George Woodhouse discuss how the impacts of climate change – heavier rainfall, rising temperatures, droughts, and hurricanes – will affect water availability. The water resource experts explain how planning will help, stressing the need to manage demand, as well as increasing supply and making infrastructure more resilient.

Listen in to find out how everyone needs to do their part now to ensure that water shortages don’t become commonplace in the future.

Next Episode

Can ports keep goods moving as climate changes?

Climate change could disrupt the operation of ports and harbours, a vital part of the global supply chain, unless they are well prepared.
Maria di Leo, Mark Lee and Tom Matthewson discuss how ports need to allow for the predicted impacts of climate change – rising sea levels, higher waves and increased storminess – when designing new infrastructure or adapting existing sea walls, quays or breakwaters.
Our experts also outline the role ports can play in cutting carbon emissions, for instance by supporting ships moving to low carbon fuels, or changing dredging practices and techniques to make space for new habitats.

The Hydrofiles - Water and the road to net zero

Transcript

Sally Jackson 0:01
Welcome to the Hydrofiles, the HR Wallingford podcast. I'm Sally Jackson, and today I'm joined by Iain Gunn and Mike Case, to discuss the role of water in the energy transition to a zero carbon future. Iain is a civil engineer specialising in marine environments; he has more than 20 years experience. And he is also our energy sector lead, looking at where we can help with the energy transition. Mike Case has 10 years experience in renewables, has worked all over the worl