The Future of Battery Storage, with Dr. Shirley Meng

The Future of Battery Storage, with Dr. Shirley Meng

Author: Berkeley Law August 25, 2026 Duration: 1:45
For decades, lithium-ion batteries have been on the cutting edge, but now, sodium-ion batteries could make renewable energy storage more abundant, cheaper, and less carbon-intensive. Dr. Shirely Meng explains how sodium could be used to complement lithium-ion batteries, especially for large scale grid storage, by relying on an abundant resource and existing manufacturing infrastructure.

While headlines often focus on climate disruption, a quieter story of tangible action is unfolding worldwide. Climate Break, from the researchers at Berkeley Law, focuses squarely on that narrative of solutions. Each concise episode, always under two minutes, introduces you to the people and projects making a difference right now. You’ll hear directly from scientists in the field, policy innovators crafting new regulations, and entrepreneurs developing practical technologies. This podcast moves past the overwhelming scale of the problem to highlight specific, working examples of progress. The conversations span from local initiatives in California to global efforts, all grounded in the intersecting realms of science, policy, and natural systems. Tuning in offers a regular, manageable dose of insight into how communities, companies, and citizens are actively reshaping our approach to the planet’s most pressing challenge. It’s a resource for anyone seeking a clearer understanding of the actionable ideas emerging from the front lines of climate response.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Climate Break
Podcast Episodes
Eliminating Single-Use Plastic Bags, with Jesse Langley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45
Single-use plastic is detrimental to the environment, creating huge amounts of waste. This week, we spoke to Jesse Langley, CEO of Lotus Sustainables, about eliminating single-use plastic bags with reusable alternatives.…
Rerun: Water Batteries, with Erik Steimle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45
Water Batteries, or pumped storage hydropower, offer an innovative way to store and release energy during peak demand periods or when renewable sources are unavailable, ultimately reducing reliance on fossil fuels by ena…
Earth Species, with Aza Raskin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46
Earth Species Project develops sophisticated AI technologies like Nature-LM audio, the world’s first and leading audio-language machine learning algorithm with various capabilities. It has the potential to help our envir…
Rerun: COF 999 Carbon Capture, with Dr. Omar Yaghi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45
Dr. Omar Yaghi has recently led research in developing “Covalent organic framework number 999,” or COF 999, a yellow, powder-like material that has the potential to change make great steps forward in limiting carbon diox…