Inevitable

Michael Thomas is making a name for himself in independent investigative climate journalism. One of his earliest pieces saw him immerse himself in dozens of Facebook groups, organized around opposing local clean energy legislation. He used that exploration to pen a series on climate misinformation, which can be found on his newsletter at distilled.earth, and has recently started creating content on YouTube. He also created Carbon Switch, a Wirecutter-like guide to help people navigate home electrification, which he donated to Rewiring America.Michael is also a co-founder of Campfire Labs, a tech-focused content marketing agency that donates 50% of its profits to climate action. This has included a significant contribution to Climate Changemakers, a climate action platform co-founded by Cody in 2020.We started by discussing Michael's motivations for starting his investigative journalism efforts and his climate journey. We then delved into the stories he's written and the investigations he's done. Michael also shared his advice for anyone feeling the itch to get started with something that they might not have prior experience in. Spoiler alert, it involves a strong willingness to embrace and learn from failure.At MCJ, none of us had prior climate experience, but we believe that as long as you're willing to dive in and do the work, there's so much impactful progress to be made in the climate space. We're seeing more and more people like Michael being called into action every day.In this episode, we cover: [03:24]: Michael's background and early journalism career[06:16]: Moments that catalyzed his climate journey[10:02]: His interest in home electrification and founding of Carbon Switch[14:14]: Investigating the alarming health impacts of gas stoves[17:35]: The origins of Campfire Labs and marketing climate tech companies[20:49]: Rewiring America's acquisition of Carbon Switch[25:09]: Takeaways from his immersion in clean energy opposition Facebook groups[32:05]: Influencers in the clean energy opposition space and their misinformation playbooks[37:52]: Clean energy misinformation in right wing cable news and links to big oil[45:19]: How anxiety about mining is weaponized against clean energy[49:11]: How collective action transformed Amsterdam into a bike-based beacon of hope[54:24]: Michael's process for finding topics and publishing his writing[57:10]: Potential legal ramifications and dealing with online harassment[58:51]: How Michael funds his work, the generosity within the climate creator space, and advice for anyone wanting to jump in[01:05:20]: The essential role of popular movements in shaping climate policyGet connected: Michael Thomas TwitterCody SimmsMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on Apr 26, 2023 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Brad Hartwig is CEO and founder of Arbor, and today’s topic is BiCRS. No, not the people in black leather jackets cruising down the highway, but rather the acronym for the process of biomass carbon removal and storage, BiCRS. Arbor is developing a process that transforms organic waste from forest thinning to prevent wildfires. The company’s process converts the carbon in the waste into stored CO2, while also producing clean energy and freshwater as byproducts. Specifically, Arbor's process runs wood waste through a light thermal treatment known as torrefaction, which is somewhat akin to roasting coffee beans. They take this torrefied biomass and gasify it into syngas and then combust it with pure oxygen to produce clean water and high purity CO2, which they then run through a highly dense turbine to create carbon negative electricity while injecting the CO2 into permanent sequestration.The plants that they will build to operate this process end to end will be significantly smaller than existing biomass energy facilities. And Arbor has an audacious vision to own and operate these carbon capture plants in a distributed nature near carbon injection wells and sequestration facilities, selling the excess power that they generate back to the grid or to the facilities themselves. We start the conversation going into Brad's inspiring background, which includes time as a rocket engineer at SpaceX and nearly a decade on the USA National Swim Team, while also volunteering for Marin County Search and Rescue and the California Air National Guard. We cover how he surveyed the entire carbon dioxide removal space before landing on the idea for BiCRS and how his aerospace background seemed particularly well suited for Arbor's specific approach.In this episode, we cover: [2:51] The movement of talent from the aerospace industry into climate [6:28] Brad's volunteer work with the California Air National Guard Rescue Operations and Marin County Search and Rescue[8:37] His personal background in aerospace and work at SpaceX[15:24] The importance of meaningful service work [19:57] Brad's motivations for getting into the carbon removal space and the thesis for Arbor[25:21] Differences between BiCRS and BECCS[27:47] How and where Arbor sources materials[31:49] Arbor's process for transitioning forest materials into biocarbon[35:07] An overview of torrefaction [40:37] The "trilemma" of biomass, CO2 storage, and load demand[43:38] How the company plans to scale based on organic waste feedstock availability[45:38] Arbor's integrated carbon sequestration and power generation business model[50:49] The carbon capture side of the business [51:38] Funding to date and plans for Arbor's future capital [54:27] The challenges of processing biomass[56:52] Who Arbor wants to hear fromGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInBrad Hartwig / ArborMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on May 5, 2023 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Hampus Jakobsson is General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, a seed-stage venture capital firm that backs the most exciting climate tech startups across Europe and the United States.We were excited for this one because Hampus is a software engineer, turned founder, turned angel investor, turned VC. He also grew up working in areas of more traditional tech that didn't involve climate, and only recently pivoted to devoting all of his professional attention to building a climate investment firm, a story that's relatable to many.In this episode, we cover: [2:42] An overview of Pale Blue Dot [5:01] Hampus' feelings about the climate problem and how they've evolved [9:19] The early days of Pale Blue Dot's first fund [13:08] How Hampus balanced his time getting the first fund closed vs. planting the seed directionally with LPs [18:14] His strategy and thesis before going to market compared to where Pale Blue Dot is today[22:43] The firm's approach to the first check vs. follow on[27:50] Different areas of climate Pale Blue Dot invests in [31:02] The Pale Blue Dot founder [35:03] The firm's decision process on potential investments [43:23] Sector expertise and Pale Blue Dot's diligence process[52:57] Hampus' thoughts about impact and how Pale Blue Dot measures it[57:08] Reporting and important metrics[01:03:24] Pale Blue Dot's geographical footprint [01:06:31] The firm's mix of LPs [01:10:19] Hampus' thoughts on the role of fossil fuel companies in the energy transition [01:19:06] An overview of The Drop conferenceAdditional Resources: The Overstory by Richard PowersGet connected: Jason JacobsHampus Jakobsson / Pale Blue DotMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on April 17, 2023. Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Lori Lodes is the executive director of Climate Power, a strategic communications operation focused on building the political will and public support for bold climate action. It was founded going into the 2020 US presidential election and played a key role in establishing climate as core messaging pull through for the Biden campaign and Build Back Better agenda. Before stewarding Climate Power, Lori spent a handful of years in corporate communications at Apple. She was deputy director of communications for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016, and she spent many years working on communication initiatives for the Affordable Care Act and healthcare.gov.We were looking forward to talking with Lori to hear how she's taking her learnings from managing communications efforts at the highest levels of corporate and political initiatives, and applying them to climate. In the few short years that Climate Power has been active, it's shifted from helping place climate on the Biden campaign agenda, to supporting the passage of landmark federal climate legislation, to now highlighting stories of successful policy implementation at the state and local level. It's an ever-shifting chess board, and our chat with Lori helped us recognize just how much the conversation on climate has evolved in the national discourse in a few short years.  In this episode, we cover: [02:39]: Lori's background and initial reluctance to engage with climate[05:19]: Lori's move to Apple after working on the 2016 Clinton campaign[06:55]: How her experiences in government and at Apple have informed her communication strategy[11:49]: Lori's work with John Podesta and the origins of Climate Power[16:42]: Transitioning the climate conversation to the mainstream[18:38]: Climate Power's strategy to make climate a political issue and the urgency of the 2020 election[24:52]: The rise of climate as a "kitchen table issue" during the COVID crisis in 2020[26:40]: Aligning stakeholders and messaging to create favorable conditions for climate action[29:33]: The Inflation Reduction Act and clean energy job creation, particularly in Republican districts[32:03]: The challenges of the "implementation" phase of policy, and the importance of highlighting the benefits of climate action[36:34]: Climate social media influencers at the White House and "surround sound" communications[40:16]: How to get connected with Lori and Climate PowerGet connected: Cody SimmsLori LodesClimate Power WebsiteMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on April 27, 2023 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.Nathanael Johnson has spent the past 18 years as an award-winning journalist who has written features for Harper's Magazine, New York Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and produced stories for the likes of NPR and This American Life. Recently, Nathanael has switched career paths and now is training to become an electrician. In the past, we've chatted with folks on the show who've spent decades in the trades, but we wanted to hear the story of someone who's earlier in their journey in the field. More interestingly, we wanted to understand the motivations behind someone's decision to make the switch from a computer job to a skills trade job, and the joys, misconceptions, challenges and rewards that come with it.In this episode, we cover: [01:26]: How Yin and Nathanael got connected [02:37]: Nathanael's early exposure to nature and the “aesthetics of environmentalism”[05:13]: His liberal arts education and cutting through jargon in academia[07:43]: Starting his career as a newspaper reporter in rural Idaho[13:13]: Nathanael’s journey to becoming a climate reporter for Grist[15:01]: Falling out of love with journalism and discovering electrical work [17:51]: The clear and immediate impact of electrical work vs. uncertain impact of writing[21:18]: Fears about switching careers and dealing with internalized class stigma [25:29]: How we can “dewire” cultural stigmas about skilled trade careers[28:26]: The need to rebuild the educational pipeline and infrastructure for trade careers[30:33]: The issue of representation and redefining what an electrician looks like[32:20]: Nathanael’s advice on testing new career paths[35:41]: Pay, schedule, job security, and work-life balance as an electrician[41:47]: Nathanael's favorite moments as an electrician so farRecommended Resources: Scott Brown Carpentry (YouTube Channel)Get connected: Nathanael TwitterYin Twitter / LinkedInMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on March 28, 2023.  Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by MCJ partner, Jason Jacobs. This series explores a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress.Mohammad Barkeshli is the Vice President of Full Consequence Investing at Hall Capital Partners. Hall Capital Partners has a singular focus on building and managing large investment portfolios. Their clients include families, endowments, and foundations with over $40 billion under management. Mohammad focuses on the firm's impact investing efforts which they’ve coined Full Consequence Investing or FCI. He's responsible for research, identification, due diligence, and ongoing monitoring of investments across asset classes. Jason and Mohammad have a great discussion in this episode about Hall Capital's strategic  approach, where it fits in the climate tech and capital stack, the criteria they use when making investment decisions, what they're hearing from their clients now, and how that's evolved.In this episode, we cover: [3:00] The benefits of increasing transparency across the capital stack and why Mohammad agreed to come on the show[4:35] An overview of Hall Capital[6:48] The firm’s approach known as Full Consequence Investing (FCI)[8:25] The average asset class for its clients[11:38] Hall Capital’s different investment vehicles[16:26] How the firm’s investing teams are divided across asset classes[21:00] Mohammad’s background[22:25] Where FCI fits into Hall Capital’s story and brand[28:06] FCI as a key diligence effort for the firm’s investment strategy[29:38] What falls within FCI and how Hall Capital evaluates opportunities across categories[34:00] The role of ESG across industries and investments[36:00] Hall Capital’s process for working with clients who are interested in building a portfolio that’s geared toward climate solutions[42:46] Balancing investments for profit, impact, and the public good[46:23] Limitations and challenges with time horizons[47:57] How Mohammad thinks about team and track record[52:55] Concessionary impact investments[1:00:57] Hall Capital’s involvement with philanthropic capital[1:04:36] Areas Mohammad would like to improve for his clients and their investments[1:06:51] Who Hall Capital would like to hear from and how people can helpGet connected: Jason JacobsMohammad Barkeshli / Hall CapitalMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on April 5, 2023. Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Katrina Erwin and Glennys Navarrete are program managers at the CLEO Institute and co-hosts of the House on Fire Podcast.The CLEO Institute is a 501C3 nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, exclusively dedicated to climate education and advocacy. Founded in 2010, CLEO, which stands for Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities, works with communities across Florida to build climate literacy and mobilize climate action.Katrina focuses on helping youth activists leverage their power most effectively in state and local political settings. And Glennys leads CLEO's efforts at schools to educate students on climate issues and be more effective advocates.We jump into a number of different topics about youth climate activism, including what climate education programs look like in schools, how parents can be most effective at supporting youth climate action, when youth activists should focus on collaboration or on resistance, the role of social media in climate action, and lastly, how to inspire kids to care about climate change in the first place.In this episode, we cover: [02:32] Glennys’s background and climate journey[06:40] Katrina's background and climate journey[12:36] The history and goals of the CLEO Institute[16:03] Integrating climate curriculum into schools in an overly-politicized environment [18:15] Avoiding "Trigger words" and misinformation [19:25] How parents can play a role in youth climate activism[25:49] Creating spaces where young people can be heard, not tokenized[30:18] Empowering young people to engage in local politics[35:25] "Power mapping" and using social media to research and contact local politicians[39:22] Katrina's and Glennys's favorite climate influencers on social media, and the role of activists on social platforms[40:44] Shifting climate conversations from “doom and gloom” to solutions-oriented, and from “polar bear” imagery to local reality[45:08] The House on Fire podcast, and how to get involved with the CLEO InstituteGet connected: Cody SimmsCLEO InstituteKatrina ErwinGlennys NavarreteMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on April 11, 2023 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Henrik Langeland is the Co-founder and CEO at Enode. Enode is building digital infrastructure to enable a coordinated, smart, and flexible energy system. In particular, Enode's software API connects over 400 smart devices like EVs, solar panels, and thermostats, so that they can work together to help a home run as efficiently as possible, both within itself and as a node in a larger energy system. The idea of energy demand response relies on the ability of each node in an energy system to be as smart as possible. And Enode is this digital glue layer between them.Cody and Henrik spend time talking about his background and the electrification progress made in Norway, where Enode is headquartered. They also talk about the role of software, climate, and energy systems, plus what Enode is and how it works. Henrik compares Enode's role in energy systems to Plaid's role in the banking world, as a service solution that creates more efficiency for all and solves a common problem that all actors in the system would otherwise need to build themselves. We're happy to be multi-time investors in Enode via our MCJ Collective Venture funds and hope you enjoy hearing from Henrik about what they're building.In this episode, we cover: [2:54] Henrik's background and early interest in energy [7:04] EV adoption in Norway and the inspiration for Enode's software solution [12:05] Enode's role in connecting and integrating different energy devices [16:58] The company's product offering [18:14] Enode's consumers including OEMs, energy retailers, etc. [23:08] Henrik's perspective on how software can make a difference in climate [26:22] Risks of deregulation of the energy system (e.g. ERCOT)[27:17] How Enode uses AI [31:51] Henrik's predictions for energy interoperability and his company's role in itGet connected: Cody Simms Twitter / LinkedInHenrik Langeland / EnodeMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on May 4, 2023 Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

This episode is part of our new Capital Series hosted by MCJ partner, Jason Jacobs. This series will explore a diverse range of capital sources and the individuals who drive them. From family offices and institutional LPs to private equity, government funding, and more, we'll take a deep dive into the world of capital and its critical role in driving innovation and progress. Will Tickle is a partner, senior investment advisor, and director of impact investing for Ballentine Partners. Ballentine Partners is a wealth management firm that prioritizes the needs of its clients while maintaining integrity and independence. The firm offers customized investment solutions and planning expertise to a wide range of clients, from individual professionals and entrepreneurs with liquid assets of $3.5 million to multi-generational families with assets worth over a billion dollars.In this episode, Jason and Will discuss his process for defining impact and which areas are important for his client’s portfolios. They also cover the balance of impact between the firm's contributions and those from the clients directly. Will shares how his clients' impact investments have evolved since the firm's first involvement in 2005. Lastly, they explore where climate and climate tech fit into all of this. Enjoy the show! In this episode, we cover: [2:49] An overview of Ballentine Partners[4:25] How the firm's clients inspired its approach to climate investing[7:09] Will's background and focus on impact[9:27] The firm's ethos to serving clients[11:58] How Ballentine Partners applies an impact lens to its existing portfolio of assets[14:10] What Ballentine is hearing from clients[17:01] Challenges of assessing impact across an entire portfolio[19:23] How Ballentine balances impact with returns[23:55] Capitalism and its role in the future of the clean energy transition ahead[29:24] Changes to inspire widespread adoption of impact investing[32:40] The role of shareholder activism[34:17] Ballentine's impact reports[37:35] Who Ballentine wants to work withGet connected: Jason JacobsWill Tickle / Ballentine PartnersMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on April 4, 2023.   Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Dr. Jay Taneja is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the director of the STIMA Lab (Systems Towards Infrastructure Measurement and Analytics) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Taneja is a world-class expert on the clean energy economy of Kenya, which is our topic for today's discussion.Kenya's story is fascinating from a clean energy and climate change perspective. The country has made remarkable progress in expanding electricity access, with renewable sources providing the majority of its electricity supply. In 1990, only one million Kenyans had access to electricity. However, in the past few decades, Kenya has made impressive strides, doubling access to electricity from 30% of households in 2013 to approximately 75% in 2022.Despite being the least responsible from a cumulative emissions perspective, the African continent is likely to be the most impacted by climate change. Currently, the Horn of Africa, where Kenya is located, is experiencing a multi-year drought. Tune in to learn more about Kenya's clean energy economy, its impressive transition, and some hurdles ahead. Enjoy the show!In this episode, we cover: [2:46] Jay's background and expertise[7:35] His work at the STIMA Lab at UMass[12:39] An overview of life and electricity usage in urban vs rural communities throughout Kenya[20:46] Challenges with solar home systems and accessibility[23:57] Kenya's new president and his sentiments toward clean energy[27:20] The realized impacts of climate change throughout the country[30:38] Geothermal expansion in Kenya[35:12] The balance of nationalized priority and commercial capital in driving the region's clean energy transition[38:24] Kenya's blueprint and lessons for other countries[40:07] How Kenya could leverage COP27's Loss and Damage Fund for vulnerable countriesGet connected: Cody SimmsJay TanejaMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on March 31, 2023.  Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant