Elias Ayrey on Forests and Social Justice

In this episode I speak with Elias Ayrey, a forest carbon scientist and Chief Science Officer at Renoster, a carbon credit diligence firm. We discuss:

• How growing up in suburban New Jersey with a science teacher mother shaped his connection to nature and science.

• His move from ecology to forest remote sensing, and how it gives him a unique perspective on forests.

• His passion for paleobotany and early plant evolution.

• His realization that carbon market challenges stem primarily from human factors rather than technical limitations.

• How direct observation of carbon market projects revealed both transformative community benefits and serious human rights violations.

• His pragmatic view of carbon markets as a flawed but necessary climate solution given human nature.

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