# Can Corporate Sustainability Truly Help the Planet? A Look at Google X
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Chapter 1: The Promise of Technology in Sustainability
Recently, I completed reading “Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think” by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler. The authors argue that many pressing global challenges can be addressed through technological innovation, extending this optimistic viewpoint to the climate crisis.
Their admiration for wealthy tech philanthropists is evident, highlighting how these entrepreneurs leverage their resources to tackle significant global issues. The book positions their initiatives as pivotal solutions to humanity’s challenges. However, one must ponder: what tangible impact have these projects made? Should we really rely on them for resolving the climate crisis?
To explore this, I examined X, a forward-thinking division of Google established by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. This initiative aims to accelerate the development of "sci-fi sounding technologies" that could fundamentally improve the world. While X does not represent all tech philanthropy projects, it offers insight into the effectiveness of such endeavors.
Chapter 2: Inside X — The Moonshot Factory
Upon visiting X’s website, you’re greeted with a clear mission statement: “We create radical new technologies to solve some of the world’s hardest problems.” Founded in 2010, X—formerly Google X—is a semi-secret research facility led by Astro Teller, known as the Captain of Moonshots. This diverse team of innovators aims to achieve a “10x impact” on the world's most stubborn issues.
X was born from the Chauffeur project, Google’s self-driving car initiative, led by Stanford roboticist Sebastian Thrun. The founders were so impressed with Thrun's work that they allowed him the freedom to explore unconventional projects, paving the way for X’s inception. Maintaining an air of secrecy, X fosters creativity to transform innovative concepts into companies with the potential for profound global influence.
Section 2.1: Projects with Environmental Focus
While not exclusively focused on sustainability, many of X's initiatives address environmental issues. These projects span from renewable energy storage to sustainable agriculture, instilling a cautious optimism about tackling significant challenges posed by climate change.
#### Subsection 2.1.1: Dandelion — Affordable Geothermal Energy
Buildings contribute to 39% of energy-related carbon emissions, according to the UN Global Status Report. Motivated by this statistic, a team at X aimed to simplify and reduce the cost of heating and cooling homes using geothermal energy, a clean and abundant resource. In July 2017, the start-up Dandelion emerged from X's incubator.
Though the initiative holds promise, its implementation faced hurdles. Forbes reported mixed reviews from customers, who appreciated the systems but encountered issues like damaged yards and unexpected costs. Dandelion's President, Kathy Hannun, assures that they are committed to improving their processes while customer feedback remains largely positive.
#### Subsection 2.1.2: Malta — Storing Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar face a significant challenge: storage. X developed Malta to address this issue by creating a grid-scale energy storage system using molten salt. Founded as an independent entity in 2018, Malta has received backing from notable investors like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
However, Malta is still working towards its first project launch, anticipated for 2024 or 2025, and currently lacks customers.
#### Subsection 2.1.3: Makani — Harnessing Wind Energy
While wind has the potential to provide significant global energy, it currently accounts for only 5% of electricity production. Makani sought to change this by replacing traditional wind turbines with energy-generating kites. After a 13-year development period, Makani became an independent company in 2019.
Despite initial success, the project was discontinued in 2020 due to the complexities of commercialization.
Section 2.2: Evaluating Corporate Sustainability Initiatives
While initiatives like those from X inspire innovation and progress in tackling the climate crisis, they are not a panacea. It’s crucial to maintain a critical perspective on corporate sustainability efforts, recognizing that they often aim to maximize profits, rather than purely address environmental concerns.
Combatting climate change requires comprehensive global cooperation, alongside political and economic reforms, and corporate accountability. No single solution exists; instead, a multifaceted approach is necessary to achieve a sustainable future.
Ultimately, the climate movement includes a diverse group of stakeholders—innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, community leaders, educators, and citizens. To foster sustainable energy models, we need pioneers like those at X who are willing to challenge the status quo. It is essential to appreciate their contributions without placing them at the forefront of environmental activism or shielding them from scrutiny.
The first video, "Can Business Save the Earth? Innovating Our Way to Sustainability," explores how innovative business practices can address environmental challenges.
The second video, "Can Business Save The Earth: Innovating Our Way to Sustainability," delves deeper into the role of corporate innovation in sustainability efforts.