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Why good ideas get trapped in the valley of death— and how to rescue them

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Plan for Zero

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All new products must pass through the "valley of death" before they reach the market. Many never make it out, and sometimes that’s ok— if they don’t work, don’t fill a need, or for any number of reasons. One of the fields where this problem is most pressing is zero-carbon technologies. Why is it vulnerable to this trap, and can we change it? Explore how to break the cycle of the funding gap.

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About Plan for Zero

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face today, and the stakes could not be higher. To avoid the worst effects of a warming world - which will be catastrophic - humans need to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. TED-Ed created a video series which provides a plan to meet those goals, based on an urgent, authoritative book by Bill Gates, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. Avoiding a climate disaster won’t be easy, but it’s possible. Learn more »

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  • Video created by TED-Ed
  • Lesson Plan created by TED Ed

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