Inevitable

Today’s guest is Genevieve Guenther, author, activist, and Founding Director of End Climate Silence. Dr. Genevieve Guenther is a Renaissance scholar and literary critic who turned to climate activism after having a child and becoming increasingly alarmed about the world she might leave to her son. Using her training in rhetoric and cultural politics, she works to revamp the ways that we think and talk about the climate crisis. She is guided by the conviction that our language for the crisis is largely inaccurate and misleading, and that fixing this problem requires us not just to reframe talking points, but to recognize how our speech itself—what we say and what we don’t say about climate change—reproduces fossil-fuel ideologies. Mobilizing through digital and direct action, Dr. Guenther founded End Climate Silence, a volunteer organization that pushes the news media to start talking about the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. Dr. Guenther also advises activist groups, corporations, and policymakers, and she serves as an Expert Reviewer for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Her next book, The Language of Climate Politics, is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. Jason and Genevieve have a great discussion in this episode about many of the topics we typically cover on the My Climate Journey podcast, but Dr. Guenther offers a unique perspective given her background. They also dig into some areas of disagreement and find that once again people who are dedicated to working on solving the crisis agree on a lot more than the polarized environment of Twitter may have them believe.In today’s episode, we cover: [3:39] Genevieve's background and her work in climate[10:04] Use of the word "uncertainty" among scientists and in climate communications[13:35] An overview of End Climate Silence[16:06] How Genevieve's views about the nature of the problem have evolved[24:40] Her views on the gravity of the problem, and challenges of modeling human behavior and warming[35:46] Energy poverty and justifying fossil fuel production[39:30] How Genevieve would transition to clean energy if she was in charge[44:31] Her thoughts on carbon removal[49:44] Challenges with direct air capture as a solution[57:03] Issues with entrepreneurs overpromising carbon removalGenevieve's book recommendations: Donella Meadows, Thinking in SystemsAmitav Gosh, The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis Jason Moore, Capitalism in the Web of Life: Ecology and the Accumulation of CapitalGet connected: Jason's TwitterGenevieve's TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 11, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Gagan Dhillon, CEO & Co-Founder of Synop. In many climate conversations about mobility, solutions inevitably turn into conversations about fleets. But understanding what fleets are, how they manage access to fuel, and how all of this will change as fleets adopt EVs are critical to clean transportation at large. Synop automates EV operations by helping businesses handle tracking, billing, reporting, and cost management under one unified, data-centric platform. Compatible with all EV types and charging stations, their AI-powered platform is designed specifically for commercial fleets and OEMs to modernize performance and meet sustainability commitments.Prior to co-founding Synop, Gagan witnessed first-hand the challenges of businesses transitioning to commercial electric vehicles. Previously at REIN, an insurtech startup, he worked with major commercial OEMs and global insurance carriers on solutions for the commercial auto space. During that time, he got a first-hand look at the challenges of the commercial EV space and was inspired to develop the software needed to support the industry’s transition to using electric-powered commercial vehicles. In today’s episode, we cover: [2:06] Gagan and his co-founder's background[5:34] An overview of fleets in the transportation sector today[10:15] How ICE fleets are managed and fueled [12:03] Challenges of electrifying fleets [14:33] Use cases for different types of EV charging[17:48] An overview of Synop[21:15] Status of electric semi-trucks in U.S. [24:42] Synop's customers today and who they plan to serve in the future [27:25] The company's energy management service [31:03] Synop's solution to charge management for fleet operators [34:38] Potential cost savings [39:40] What Gagan has learned along his climate journey [46:21] Synop's funding and how they plan to capitalize the business going forward [48:36] How Gagan sees the space evolving over the next 5 yearsGet connected: Cody's TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 22, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Camila Thorndike. Most recently, Camila managed Senator Bernie Sanders' portfolio on climate, energy, environment, territories, and tribes. The focus of her tenure was the Build Back Better Act passed in 2021 out of the Senate budget committee and House of Representatives. The majority of the bill's climate policies were retained in the subsequent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the Senate in 2022. Camila is also co-founder of Our Climate, a youth advocacy nonprofit. Camila and Jason cover the IRA, what she’s celebrating, where it missed the mark, and where we should go from here. They also talk about climate justice, energy poverty, the policy and regulatory landscape, and tons more. The conversation is a great follow-up to a previous episode with Benji Backer, who is very active in the conservative climate circle. Camila will be participating in an AMA in the MCJ Slack community and answering questions asynchronously for 24 hours starting Wednesday 21st September 21 at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm BST. Set your reminders, and get your questions ready!In today’s episode, we cover: [8:18] Camila's background and how she got started in climate activism and policy[11:23] Her work with Senator Bernie Sanders [16:04] How Camila thinks about the problem of climate change and how it's evolved over time[22:17] Her views on the urgency of the problem [28:19] Greed and the fossil fuel industry [39:47] Financing access to clean energy and energy efficiency in developing countries [41:46] Ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels[47:10] Potential phases of a rapid transition [49:58] Camila's thoughts on the Inflation Reduction Act[53:45] The lack of Republican support and level of polarization today [56:37] Her views on the two-party system [1:00:06] The role of individuals and actions we can take [1:04:27] Speed round including nuclear energy, billionaires, carbon offsets, carbon removal, and moreCorrection: Original green new deal plan was $16 trillion, not $10 trillion.Get connected: Cody's TwitterCamila’s TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 15, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Jason Aramburu, CEO and co-founder of Climate Robotics. Earth’s soils contain 14 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere. To harness this natural resource, Climate Robotics is using existing technologies and converting crop residue into biochar before sequestering it deep in the ground for thousands of years. The company uses advanced robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate and automate this process. The end result allows farmers to turn waste on their fields into carbon sinks while improving the health of their soils. Jason has an extensive career focused in leveraging technology for improving agricultural productivity. His background spans from smart irrigation and soil sensoring to agricultural technology and robotics. Cody and Jason have a great discussion about Jason’s background, biochar's origins as an indigenous practice dating back millennia, the chemistry of biochar, the Climate Robotics solution and his company's business model. As one of the most peer-reviewed CDR technologies, biochar is poised to make a substantial impact in carbon sequestration. In today’s episode, we cover: [2:11] Jason's background and how he got involved in carbon sequestration [3:15] History of biochar as an indigenous practice [7:55] Origins of Climate Robotics [11:55] An overview of biochar [20:52] Biochar and enhanced rock weathering [24:02] History of biochar in the U.S, how it's being used today and challenges [28:36] What Climate Robotics is building [32:25] How automation fits into the company's technology [36:15] The company's business model [43:45] Carbon credits and cost relative to other sequestration methods [48:10] Funding to date and future plans [50:04] Patents and how Jason protect's the company's technology [53:06] Biochar's permanence and scalabilityGet connected: Cody's TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 12, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Matthias Schmelzer, an economic historian, networker and climate activist. This episode is complementary to a previous podcast with Timothée Parrique, who covered the topic of degrowth. Matthias’ main interests include the political economy of capitalism, social and environmental history, climate catastrophe, aviation, and alternative economics. He is author of the award-winning The Hegemony of Growth and co-author of The Future Is Degrowth: A Guide to a World beyond Capitalism.To further the conversation about degrowth, Jason and Matthias discuss the overall concept and build bridges to not only increase understanding, but also help us come together to address the problem that we all share.*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 August 9, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Rollie Williams, host and creator of Climate Town. The topic of climate change can be dark upon initial exploration. While some find inspiration in innovation and action, many folks struggle to get beyond the pervasive desperation and doomerism that dominate the conversation. Climate Town takes a totally different approach and uses humor to unpack complex climate topics while offering suggestions for how audiences can take meaningful action. In the past two years, the Climate Town YouTube channel has amassed 393,000 subscribers, several millions views, a handful of awards, and has spawned an engaged Discord community of climate-focused-yet-delightfully-regular people.Rollie is a Brooklyn-based comedian and video editor, and he holds a graduate degree in Climate Science and Policy from Columbia University. He’s also the former creator and host of the monthly comedy show 'An Inconvenient Talk Show' doing sketches and comedic deep dives by pairing comedians (SNL, The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, etc) together with climate scientists (NASA, MIT, Harvard). In today’s episode, we cover: [5:41] And overview of Climate Town and how it came to be [13:32] How climate is being communicated today, its complications and direct opposition[18:18] Rollie's goal of making comedy videos while sharing facts and CTAs[22:25] Importance of taking action on the local level and where to start[28:20] Rollie's comedic influences [35:56] The future of the Climate Town community [46:41] Why context and learning helps keep people groundedGet connected: Cody's TwitterClimate Town TikTokClimate Town YouTubeMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 10, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Alex Trembath, Deputy Director at the Breakthrough Institute. The Breakthrough Institute is a global research center that identifies and promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges. Their vision is of a world that is good for both people and nature, and they believe that human prosperity and an ecologically vibrant planet are possible at the same time. They have an eco-modernist perspective and embrace technological innovation without sacrifice. In this episode, Jason and Alex discuss eco-modernism, the work at the Breakthrough Institute, Alex's views on the nature of the climate problem and what some environmentalists get wrong in his opinion. They also talk about potential solutions, the role of innovation, the role of policy, how urgent this challenge is and some of the best ways to address it. Starting on Wednesday 7th September at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm BST  Alex will be joining the MCJ community in our AMA channel, answering questions asynchronously for 24 hours. Set your reminders, and get your questions ready!In today’s episode, we cover: [5:38] An overview of Breakthrough Institute and their focus on technological solutions to environmental problems [7:18] Alex's climate journey and early ideological frictions with Breakthrough [9:22] Origins of Breakthrough [12:48] Alex's views on the right vs wrong way to think about the problem of climate change [17:44] Dealing with climate anxiety [25:26] Why different groups of people can look at the same data and have drastically different conclusions about the level of urgency required to address climate change [28:02] GDP as a measure of human well-being [31:01] Ways of decoupling emissions from economic growth [33:49] Capitalism, colonialism, and mixed economies around the world [39:00] Policy tools Breakthrough pursues to accelerate decarbonization [43:42] Problems with net-zero pledges and voluntary offsets from big companies [45:54] The role of individual behaviors and eco-modernist virtue signaling [48:15] The role of government [54:00] What drives Alex in his work Get connected: Jason's TwitterAlex’s TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 8, 2022. 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

Today’s guest is Moji Karimi, CEO and Co-Founder of Cemvita Factory. Cemvita Factory’s mission is to deploy nature-inspired economical technology to empower the energy transition and create a brighter future. This is done by a portfolio of industrial biotechnology solutions across Cemvita’s three verticals: CO2-based biomanufacturing, biomining, and subsurface biomanufacturing. On the surface, it sounds like the company is tackling an impossible number of initiatives for an early stage startup, but that’s part of the excitement of what's happening in synthetic biology right now. Cemvita’s de-siloed and deverticalized approach to innovation requires cross-functional expertise and problem solving. Moji and Cody have a great discussion about biomining for lithium and copper, subsurface biochemical production, including gold hydrogen, and biomanufacturing of waste carbon dioxide into other end products. Plus they talk about the different use cases as businesses, and Cemvita Factory's cross-disciplinary approach to innovation. Solving climate change requires new ways of thinking, and Moji’s background and work at Cemvita is an excellent example of this. In today’s episode, we cover: [5:35] An overview of Cemvita Factory and the company's origin[8:35] How Moji transitioned from deep space exploration into working on energy [10:32] Meaning of biomimicry [12:28] Cemvita's go-to-market applications [17:26] Use cases for biomining and issues with lithium extraction today [19:27] An overview of leaching [24:17] Risky byproducts associated with using microbes and biomaterials for extraction[27:28] An overview of subsurface biomanufacturing and gold hydrogen [34:05] An overview of carbon biomanufacturing and how it can generate sustainable aviation fuel [41:54] An overview of renewable natural gas[45:24] How Cemvita's different pathways are interconnected [50:50] How Cemvita is sourcing solutions Get connected: Cody's TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 8, 2022. 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

Today's guest is Rebecca Dell, Senior Program Director, Industry at ClimateWorks Foundation.ClimateWorks is on a mission to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy. Since 2008, ClimateWorks has granted over $1.3 billion to more than 600 grantees in over 50 countries. Now, Rebecca leads the industry program, which is dedicated to reducing and eliminating the one-third of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the material economy. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Obama Administration, where she coordinated implementation of President Obama's Climate Action Plan and was a lead analyst and author of the U.S. Quadrennial Energy Review. Before her federal service, Rebecca was a scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, studying the interaction between the ocean and land-based ice sheets like those in Greenland and Antarctica. Industries are a huge source of emissions and many people say that they are notoriously "hard to decarbonize," but this conversation with Rebecca sheds light on additional context for why that may be the case (or not). What aspects make them hard to decarbonize? How can we accelerate decarbonization and philosophically, what should we do in the meantime? This is a great discussion and we hope you enjoy it! In today’s episode, we cover: [3:57] An overview of ClimateWorks Foundation[6:02] Rebecca's unusual entry into climate from physics[11:37] Gap in resources and funding for solutions in the industrial sector[13:53] Why the industrial sector is considered "hard to decarbonize"[16:21] Activities that are mainly responsible for GHG emissions, including steel, cement and chemicals[21:56] Costs associated with green production and who covers it[28:56] Examples of how Rebecca creates demand for low GHG commodities[32:34] ClimateWorks' model for looking at potential grantees[37:15] Biggest levers for decarbonizing industrials faster[39:28] Voestalpine steel company example of the infrastructure planning, local politics, and social issues tied to decarbonizing certain industrials[44:44] Types of capital needed[48:36] Why a carbon tax is unappealing[52:52] Carbon capture and the cement industry[58:41] How people can make an impact in climate working in the industry sectorGet connected: Jason's TwitterRebecca’s TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 August 5, 2022. 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

Today's guests are Mary Yap, Co-Founder and CEO at Lithos Carbon, and Adam Wolf, Co-Founder and CEO at Eion Carbon.Both Lithos and Eion work in the space of enhanced rock weathering, a subset of carbon removal that seeks to speed up the planet's natural carbon cycle. In this process, rain absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, falls onto and weathers rocks and in doing so creates a bicarbonate solution that eventually finds its way into the ocean for permanent carbon sequestration. For all the talk of engineered carbon capture solutions, rock weathering is about as natural as you can get. It's the foundation of the earth's long carbon cycle, and it also takes place over millions of years, so a bit longer than we need right now.In this episode, we seek to understand what it means to speed up this natural process and apply it to agriculture such that it can be a viable carbon sink in the decade-scale timeframe we need to address climate change. We have a great discussion about the long carbon cycle itself, the different types of rocks found on earth, how agriculture uses mineral inputs today, and some of the underlying economics of this method as a carbon removal technology. We also learn more about Lithos and Eion, plus Mary and Adam’s personal climate journeys. In today’s episode, we cover: Broad overview of the long carbon cycleThe power of acid rain in removing CO2 from the atmosphereEarth as a habitable planet compared to VenusAn overview of bicarbonatesHow enhanced rock weathering speeds up this carbon capture solutionDifferent types of rocks used for enhanced rock weatheringBenefits and drawbacks of using limestoneEnergy demands of creating the Lithos and Eion productsTransportation challengesMary and Adam's MRV methodsTheir company's business modelsGet connected: Cody's TwitterMCJ Podcast TwitterMCJ Collective Twitter*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 July 29, 2022. 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