Inevitable

Today’s guest is Deepika Nagabhushan, Program Director, Decarbonized Fossil Energy at Clean Air Task Force, which develops policy and advocacy strategies aimed at making carbon capture, utilization & storage technologies widely available, globally by mid-century. Deepika has developed analysis and led advocacy efforts related to CCUS, including power sector modeling that studied CCS deployment in the US under various federal policy scenarios, including 45Q tax credit that the Congress passed in 2018, an assessment of the role of zero carbon technology in developing countries, and securing a CCUS protocol under the California LCFS. She works across policy, regulatory and market-based areas related to CCS. Prior to joining CATF, Deepika spent 5 years with Schneider Electric. She led the deployment of global marketing operations across Asia-Pacific countries and managed marketing communication projects for Schneider Electric’s energy management solutions in the United States. She also helped expand the reach of Schneider Electric Access to Energy initiative “BIPBoP” by identifying partner companies and frameworks for collaboration. Deepika graduated in 2015 from The Earth Institute at Columbia University with a Master of Science in Sustainability Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Bangalore University in Karnataka, India. She is currently based in San Francisco. In today’s episode, we cover: Overview of the decarbonized fossil energy program at CATF How CCS works, and analogy to sulfur dioxide and acid rain What will and won’t drive people to adopt, and the role of government Some of the cost drivers for CCS and the variables that go into it Initial market of EOR, how it works and why it is getting so much attention What the critics of CCS for EOR say, and Deepika’s responses Concerns about CCS & why they are unfounded, according to Deepika Role of big oil and gas, role of innovation, and the role of policy Importance of R&D Some examples of companies leading in this area Is divesting a good idea? How Deepika would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fight Deepika’s advice for others looking to find their lane in the climate fight Links to topics discussed in this episode: Clean Air Task Force: https://www.catf.us/ Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/enhanced-oil-recovery.asp CCUS: https://www.aiche.org/ccusnetwork/what-ccus Companies to watch in CCS: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/companies-watch-carbon-capture-and-storage You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs. Dr. Emily Reichert serves as Chief Executive Officer of Greentown Labs, the largest clean technology startup incubator in the United States. As the company’s first employee, Emily has spearheaded the rapid growth of Greentown Labs into a global center for clean technology innovation, attracting visitors and partners from around the world. Emily started her career at Arthur D. Little as a Ph.D. scientist and progressed into R&D, business development and general management roles. Prior to Greentown Labs, she was the Director of Business Operations at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry where she helped grow the angel-funded startup into a sustainable contract R&D business with a mission to minimize environmental impact of chemical products. Emily also served as a MIT Sloan Fellow in Innovation and Global Leadership as well as a Venture Labs Fellow at Flagship Ventures, a Boston-based Venture Capital firm. Emily has served as a board member or as a key advisor for a number of innovation and entrepreneurship-focused organizations including the Northeast Clean Energy Council, Cleantech Open Northeast, Cyclotron Road, the Incubatenergy Network and the MIT Enterprise Forum. She has been appointed to leadership positions on innovation, economic development, entrepreneurship and clean technology commercialization at both the state and federal level including Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Economic Development Planning Council and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Emily has earned international recognition for her leadership in cleantech innovation and has received invitations to speak at International Conferences such as Les Rencontres Economiques d’Aix-en-Provence, France, and the Fish Family Foundation’s Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative in Tokyo, Japan.   She holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. When Emily isn’t at Greentown Labs, you’ll likely find her traveling the world with her husband, Chris Nielsen. As an avid outdoorswoman, Emily has experienced adventures in many corners of the globe including, tree-climbing in the Amazon, swimming with sea turtles off the island of Fernando de Noronha, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, trekking the Andes of Ecuador, and cycling along the Danube River bend north of Budapest. In today’s episode, we cover: Overview of Greentown Labs Origin story and what problem it is solving Traction to date, long vision, and what is coming next Long vision and whats coming next How the model works - tools, resources, and benefits Some example member success stories How large companies can/are engaging Role of innovation in the climate fight Lessons from the first cleantech bubble Barriers holding back innovation today Encouraging signs 'Best ways to accelerate Greentown’s role Role of policy and how it interrelates with innovation How startups should know if right they are a fit for Greentown How Emily would allocate a large pool of money to maximize its impact in the climate fight Emily’s advice for others looking to find their lane to help with this problem Links to topics discussed in this episode: Greentown Labs: https://www.greentownlabs.com/ Department of Energy grants: https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grant-making-agencies/department-of-energy.html Ed Markey: https://www.markey.senate.gov/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Josh Bushinsky, Co-Founder & Partner at Trajectory Energy Partners. Trajectory Energy Partners brings together landowners, electricity users, and communities to develop solar energy projects with strong local support. Josh was born in Illinois, and at seven moved with his family to Rochester, New York, where he grew up backpacking. He brings to Trajectory Energy Partners a comprehensive appreciation and commitment to the environment, first working in energy as a visiting researcher at the University of Cape Town. An attorney by trade he has represented the renewable sector at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, as well as worked with the Microgrid Investment Accelerator, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing. Josh is proud to develop community solar in Illinois and remains an avid hiker — now sharing that skill with his children and family. In today’s episode, we cover: What led Josh to care about the environment, and his path before founding Trajectory Energy Partners The opportunity they saw with community solar, and specifically in the midwest, where it is lesser known Trajectory Energy approach, including how they handle community involvement Criteria that makes a land parcel a good fit Pitch to farmers and the  benefits to them Some of the biggest recurring concerns that come up from farmers and why Benefits to the town of community solar Resistance from utilities and why, and how legislation is required Sellers market - more money out there than good projects What success looks like for Trajectory Long vision, and what opportunities lie in store in the future Broader discussion about climate change and some of Josh’s ideas for the most impactful ways to help Josh’s reflections, after many years working in this problem area Links to topics discussed in this episode: Trajectory Energy Partners: https://trajectoryenergy.com/ Stephen Schneider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Schneider Waxman-Markey: https://grist.org/article/2009-06-03-waxman-markey-bill-breakdown/ Clean Air Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act_(United_States) White House Council on Environmental Quality: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/ Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati: https://www.wsgr.com/WSGR/Default.aspx OPEC: https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/ The Paris Agreement: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement Jon Carson: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/jon-carson Renewable portfolio standard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_portfolio_standard Green bank: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_bank You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Dan Lashof, Director of World Resources Institute, United States. He coordinates WRI’s work in the United States across climate, energy, food, forests, water and the sustainable cities programs. This includes overseeing the work of the U.S. climate team, which aims to catalyze and support climate action by states, cities, and businesses while laying the groundwork for federal action in the coming years. Dan has been working to promote solutions to climate change for more than two decades. Before the World Resources Institute, Dan was the Chief Operating Officer of NextGen Policy Center and previously served as the Director of the Climate and Clean Air Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. His focus is developing federal and state regulations to place enforceable limits on carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollutants. He has participated in scientific assessments of global warming through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and has monitored international climate negotiations since their inception. He was a member of Governor McAuliffe’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission, and has testified at numerous Congressional and California legislative hearings. Dan earned his Bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics at Harvard and his Doctorate from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. Dan is married to Diane Regas and has three adult children. When not working Dan enjoys bicycling, hiking, eating, and cheering for the Golden State Warriors. In today’s episode, we cover: WRI history and the nature of their work The 4 pillars Dan believes are needed to solve climate change Some examples of WRI’s current initiatives How they measure success How WRI is different 'Unique nature of the climate problem Role of government Role of policy Role of natural gas in short and long-term Role of big oil Role of adaptation Where Dan would allocate a large pool of money to maximize impact Dan’s advice for others seeking to find their lanes to help Links to topics discussed in this episode: WRI website: https://www.wri.org/ NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/ WRI renewables accelerator for cities: https://www.wri.org/events/2019/02/american-cities-climate-challenge-renewables-accelerator NYC’s Green New Deal: https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/209-19/action-global-warming-nyc-s-green-new-deal#/0 Science based targets: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Todd Allen, Chair and Professor, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences at University of Michigan. An offer to skip history class in high school to listen to a Navy ROTC recruiter sent Todd Allen on a serendipitous journey that led to him becoming one of the top U.S. experts in nuclear energy, with focus on the material science of nuclear systems. Todd began his professional career as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy where he learned the practical applications of operating a nuclear power plant as well as how to take a submarine to periscope depth. Following active duty, he built on that practical Navy experience by earning a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering with specific focus on how radiation changes the physical properties of metals. His first post-Ph.D. position was as a staff scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. While at Argonne, he joined the leadership team tasked with developing the Generation IV Roadmap, the document that framed the resurgence of the nuclear research programs early in the 21st Century. Following Argonne, he joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin. While there, he split his time between establishing a premier material science program at the university and supporting the Idaho National Laboratory. At INL, he led the transition of the Advanced Test Reactor into a national user facility, creating a unique distributed network of national research facilities working together to support novel research ideas brought by universities and private industry. He also ran a six-institution Energy Frontier Research Center focused on answering fundamental questions about heat transfer in nuclear fuel. From 2013-2016, he helped lead the Idaho National Laboratory as the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science & Technology, including being an important contributor to the development of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative announced at the White House in November 2015. He is the author of over 200 technical publications, many of which are readable. Todd has degrees in nuclear engineering and management information systems. He is a native of Michigan and tries very hard to find ways to watch baseball. His best summer ever (2016) was 64 different stadiums across the U.S. In today’s episode, we cover: Todd’s history, the history of the nuclear industry, and how those have intersected over his career Some of the opportunities of nuclear energy Some of the misconceptions about it Some of the risks and downsides The impact nuclear can have in the climate fight What else can be impactful in the climate fight Todd’s advice for others looking to find their lane in the climate fight Links to topics discussed in this episode: Enriched Uranium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium International Atomic Energy Agency: https://www.iaea.org/ Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain_nuclear_waste_repository Blue Ribbon Commission: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ribbon_Commission_on_America%27s_Nuclear_Future Three Mile Island: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident Chernobyl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster Jesse Jenkins: http://energy.mit.edu/profile/jesse-jenkins/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Josh Freed, SVP of the Clean Energy Program at Third Way. Third Way is a national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas.  Their work is grounded in the mainstream American values of opportunity, freedom, and security. As the founder and leader of Third Way’s Clean Energy Program, Josh promotes policies to use every tool possible to combat climate change—including scaled-up innovation, advanced nuclear, and carbon capture technologies in addition to the increased use of renewables and efficient storage.   Since 2009, he has overseen Third Way’s clean energy and climate advocacy efforts, serving as the organization’s chief strategist on these issues. He regularly advises senior federal and state policymakers, philanthropies, academics, and business leaders. Under his leadership, his team’s accomplishments include Third Way’s groundbreaking research on advanced nuclear technology—which transformed federal support for nuclear innovation—and building new alliances to defend federal support for clean energy research and development.  Josh regularly writes and speaks on climate, clean energy, and innovation issues, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, National Journal, POLITICO, The Los Angeles Times and Wired. In today’s episode, we cover: Josh’s history and what led him to Third Way Third Way founding story What the climate team looked like when he got there vs today Their goal to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 Areas of focus, how they prioritize, and what they do in each area to help drive things forwards Current political climate and the path forwards Sober assessment of where we are with climate progress, and what it will take to solve Josh’s thoughts on GND, carbon tax, and other topics Josh’s advice for others looking to find their lane in the climate fight Links to topics discussed in this episode: Jim Kessler: https://www.thirdway.org/about/leadership/jim-kessler 2004 US Presidential Election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_United_States_presidential_election Advanced nuclear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_nuclear Rachel Pritzker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelpritzker/ Ray Rothrock: https://www.energy.gov/ne/contributors/ray-rothrock Ross Koningstein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosskoningstein/ Nuclear Regulatory Commission: https://www.nrc.gov/ ClearPath: https://clearpath.org/ Niskanen Center: https://niskanencenter.org/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Joseph Majkut, Director of Climate Policy at Niskanen Center. Joseph is an expert in climate science, climate policy, and risk and uncertainty analysis for decision making. He is frequently cited by prominent media outlets; his writing has been featured in scientific journals, public media, and environmental trade press; and he has been invited to testify before Congress on climate and scientific research. Before joining the Niskanen Center, he worked on climate change policy in Congress as a congressional science fellow, supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He holds a PhD from Princeton University in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the Delft University of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College. In today’s episode, we cover: Joseph’s background pre-Niskanen, including why he left academia and came to DC Overview of Niskanen and their work Niskanen origin story, including how it is similar and different to the Cato Institute Joseph’s role as director of climate policy and how his team fits in Initiatives they are currently working on, and how they select and prioritize Discussion about carbon pricing, viability and implications Discussion about political landscape and best way to make headway in polarized climate Advice to others looking to help Links to topics discussed in this episode: Niskanen Center: https://niskanencenter.org/ Joseph’s bio: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/director-of-climate-science-2/ AAAS fellowship program: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships Jerry Taylor bio: https://niskanencenter.org/blog/staff/jerry-taylor/ Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/ Article on Supreme Court decision from 2014: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-limits-epas-ability-to-regulate-greenhouse-gas-emissions/2014/06/23/c56fc194-f1b1-11e3-914c-1fbd0614e2d4_story.html Waxman-Markey: https://www.c2es.org/document/waxman-markey-short-summary/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Steve Oldham, CEO of Carbon Engineering. Founded in 2009, CE is a Canadian-based clean energy company leading the commercialization of groundbreaking technology that captures CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, and a second technology that synthesizes it into clean, affordable transportation fuels. From a pilot plant in Squamish, B.C., CE has been removing CO₂ from the atmosphere since 2015 and converting it into fuels since 2017. Steve brings more than 20 years of executive experience to CE’s team, stemming from previous roles in technology, robotics, and aerospace sectors. Steve served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Development for MDA, a leading Canadian technology firm. At MDA, Steve held a variety of senior executive positions across Canada and the US, covering General Management, Business Development, and Strategy. He has secured financing from Government and commercial sources for a variety of complex technologies, including several large satellite programs. Steve holds a bachelor of science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Birmingham in England. In today’s episode, we cover: Overview of direct air capture and how it works Progress to date, long vision, and what is coming next Cost drivers, and go to market strategy Discussion about carbon math and why carbon removal is so important Discussion on 45Q tax credits, LCFS credits, what they are and why they matter Discussion around price on carbon, whether it is essential, and why it may make sense to distinguish legacy carbon removal from removal at point of emission and also why incentives may make sense based on carbon intensity Discussion about enhanced oil recovery vs pure CO2 removal services, and Carbon Engineerings short and longterm plans Discussion around historic role of big hydrocarbon companies, role going forward, and how important they are to the equation Discussion around CE and how they are working with some of the big hydrocarbon companies, and the nature of those relationships CE’s licensing model, profile of partners to take into other parts of the world What policy initiatives Steve finds to be most impactful Steve’s advice for others trying to find their lane in the climate fight Links to topics discussed in this episode: Carbon Engineering: https://carbonengineering.com/ Chevron: https://www.chevron.com/ Occidental Petroleum: https://www.oxy.com/aboutOccidental/Pages/default.aspx BHP: https://www.bhp.com/ Jim McDermott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesacmcdermott/ Direct air capture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_air_capture 45Q: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:26%20section:45Q%20edition:prelim) California Low Carbon Fuel Standard: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs.htm You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 John Larsen, a Director at Rhodium Group who leads the firm’s US power sector and energy systems research. John specializes in analysis of national and state clean energy policy and market trends. Previously, John worked for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis where he served as an electric power policy advisor. Prior to working in government, John led federal and congressional policy analysis in the World Resources Institute’s Climate and Energy Program. John is a non-resident Senior Associate in the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has lectured at several academic institutions including Johns Hopkins University and Amherst College. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. In today’s episode, we cover: Overview of Rhodium Group The state of the state in US in regards to climate policy, emissions projections, energy makeup looking forwards, and the role of specific technologies and policies Role of federal vs state government and what we can learn from history that applies looking forwards Links to topics discussed in this episode: Rhodium Group: https://rhg.com/ John’s bio: https://rhg.com/team/john-larsen/ Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov/ Dr. Stephen Chu: https://www.energy.gov/contributors/dr-steven-chu Ernest J. Moniz: https://www.nti.org/about/leadership-and-staff/ernest-moniz/ Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/ Francis Rooney: https://francisrooney.house.gov/ Ted Deutch: https://teddeutch.house.gov/ California Low Carbon Fuel Standard: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs.htm Direct air capture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_air_capture 45Q: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:26%20section:45Q%20edition:prelim) You can find me on twitter at @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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 Nat Keohane, Senior Vice President of Climate at Environmental Defense Fund,  where he leads EDF’s Climate program and helps to shape the organizations advocacy for environmentally effective and economically sound climate policy.   EDF is one of the world's largest environmental organizations, with more than two million members and a staff of 700 scientists, economists, policy experts, and other professionals around the world. Guided by science and economics, they tackle urgent threats with practical solutions. An economist with expertise in energy and environmental policy, Nat also holds a position as Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University, where he teaches a seminar on climate change policy. Previously, Nat served in the Obama Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Environment in the National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council, where he helped to develop and coordinate administration policy on a wide range of energy and environmental issues. Before joining the Administration, he directed economic policy and analysis at EDF, playing a lead role in the efforts to enact comprehensive cap-and-trade legislation in Congress. Prior to EDF, Nat was an Associate Professor of Economics at the Yale School of Management. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2001, and his B.A. from Yale College in 1993. In today’s episode, we cover: Nat’s history, what led him to care about climate change, and what led him to EDF What EDF does, and how Nat’s responsibilities have evolved at EDF since 1994 when he joined to today Nat’s time teaching at Yale, what he liked about it, and what ultimately led him back to the advocacy world at EDF His time at the White House in 2011/2012 as Special Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Environment in the National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council The role of markets vs policy The importance of striking the right balance between urgency and hopefulness EDF’s focus on pragmatism and getting stuff done, not just what the right answer is in theory EDF’s bipartisan approach and the importance of that for any meaningful policy initiatives to be durable over the long term Importance of the 2020 US presidential election, and the stakes The role of China, and of geography in general when determining climate impacts and strategy Some reasons for optimism How Nat would allocate $100B to maximize its impact in the climate fight Nat’s advice for you and I on how to help Links to topics discussed in this episode: Nat Keohane’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-keohane-00809988/ Nat Keohane’s twitter: https://twitter.com/natkeohane?lang=en EDF: https://www.edf.org/ Yale School of Management: https://som.yale.edu/ Waxman-Markey bill: https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/glossary/1805110/waxman-markey-bill National Economic Council: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/nec EPA: https://www.epa.gov/ Cap and trade: https://www.edf.org/climate/how-cap-and-trade-works China cap and trade: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611372/china-is-creating-a-huge-carbon-market-but-not-a-particularly-aggressive-one/ You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests. Enjoy the show! 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