Climate Change: What the Data Actually Shows with Geologist Scott Tinker

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Scott Tinker** (0:57)
This whole concept that we in the modern world have reduced our emissions, why?

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:03)
Well, it's BS, right? We outsourced it to them.

**Scott Tinker** (1:06)
Completely. There's no renewable energy.

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:08)
There's no such thing as renewable energy.

**Scott Tinker** (1:10)
No, that's a myth. You have to have these collection systems in those companies, they're mine. For 20 years, Europe has been flat economically. You have to look at that and say, intentions, outcomes, and the future As you're closing. your people are leaving.
It's not going to help the climate. You're hurting the environment because wealthy nations can afford to invest in the environment.

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:33)
In the interim though, the planet will get warmer and we're going to have to adapt.

**Scott Tinker** (1:38)
Yes.

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:38)
That's inevitable.

**Scott Tinker** (1:39)
We are adapting. And what allows you to do that?
Wealth.

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:46)
Scott Tinker, welcome to TRIGGERnometry.

**Scott Tinker** (1:48)
Thank you, Konstantin.

**Konstantin Kisin** (1:49)
It's great to have you here.
We want to talk about energy. It's a really important conversation. It's one we've covered from different angles, but you're someone who's got a very sensible, pragmatic, rational approach to it, which is why it's great to have you on. Before we get into all of that, tell us a little bit about who you are, your background, how you've come to be sitting here with us.

**Scott Tinker** (2:10)
Sure.
Well, I'm a geologist by training. And studied that and worked in the technical side of the oil and gas industry for 17 years. Built 3D reservoir models and hung off of big cliffs around the world and did field work and that kind of stuff. And then 25, six years ago, I went to university, University of Texas at Austin, to run a research unit that I built into a pretty big thing, 250 people, global energy, environmental, economics, blending research around the world. And in that role, came to begin to appreciate kind of the interplay between energy and the economy and the environment and how those balance around the world.
And then along the way, I started making films with a filmmaker, we can get into all that, but that eventually ended up in 60 countries around the world, not in airports, actually deep into them. And seeing how the whole world lived, that's kind of influenced the way I am today and what I do. So I have transitioned, well, Arthur Brooks, he had a great book, right? He talked about the two curves from strength to strength. That first curve for me was a technical scientist. The second curve is an educator. That's carried me along for a while.

**Konstantin Kisin** (3:35)
All right, well, educate us. What I wanted to ask you is, first of all, to break down the reality of energy patterns and consumption around the world. Like what is going on? Because if you live in the Western country, if you live in the city in the Western country, is every second car is electric. We're making this great energy transition, and everything's wonderful, renewable energy everywhere. You see sun panels and all of this stuff.
But that's not quite the reality of the world, is it?

**Scott Tinker** (4:08)
And not the whole world. No. Yeah. Two of my favorite words, transition and renewable. But we're not, and they aren't.
And I said that in a TED Talk, actually, to 1,100 kids, I went through, well, we started with food, cow and kale, to understand energy density and took them through different forms of energy and how some, you just get a lot more bang for the buck, but all of them come from the Earth. A solar panel comes from the Earth. A wind turbine comes from the Earth. A battery comes from the Earth. It's mined.