Inevitable

In this episode I interview Rich Powell, the Executive Director of ClearPath. Rich is the Executive Director at ClearPath and ClearPath Action, the DC-based organizations developing and advancing conservative policies that accelerate clean energy innovation. He educates policymakers on investing wisely in energy innovation, removing roadblocks to building and exporting American clean energy technology, and maintaining and promoting our baseload clean energy resources. Rich also leads ClearPath’s external advocacy and research partnerships with non profits, academia, and the private sector. Previously, Rich was with McKinsey & Company in the Energy and Sustainability practices. He focused on corporate clean energy strategy, government low carbon growth strategy, and clean tech market entry. ClearPath partners with in-house and external experts on nuclear, carbon capture, hydropower, natural gas, energy storage and energy innovation to advance their mission. In this episode, Rich and I discuss: Rich’s previous experience working at McKinsey and how that led to him meeting Jay Faison, the founder of ClearPath, and ultimately joining the company. How ClearPath prioritizes their efforts by evaluating impact vs likelihood of a particular policy passing. How ClearPath uses the conservative values of cost benefit analysis and performance technology in developing policy proposals. ClearPath’s non-dogmatic view on what it will take to solve the energy issues of climate change. How ClearPath hopes to achieve it’s long term goal of zero emissions by 2050. I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Rich Powell’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richpowell Rich Powell’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/powellrich ClearPath: http://clearpath.org/ Jay Faison: https://clearpath.org/about-us/jay-faison/ SnapAV: https://www.snapav.com McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/ NetPower: https://www.netpower.com Oxy: https://www.oxy.com 45Q: https://clearpath.org/jay-and-richs-take/why-45q-matters-and-why-its-not-enough/ 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

In this episode, I interviewed Susanne Brooks, Senior Director, U.S. Climate Policy & Analysis at Environmental Defense Fund. Susanne’s areas of expertise include climate change, U.S. climate and energy policy, and carbon pricing. Specifically, she works to develop and advocate environmentally responsible and economically sound policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Susanne’s areas of expertise include U.S. federal and state climate and energy policy, the economic impacts of climate change, and the design of carbon pricing programs. The Environmental Defense Fund 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. EDF’s work focuses on four main areas including: Climate & Energy, Health, Oceans, and Ecosystems. In this episode, Susanne and I discussed: What sets EDF and their work apart from other NGO’s Where EDF’s work fits into the broader picture of climate change What Susanne does specifically for EDF which includes looking years ahead to make sure EDF is prepared for future legislation proposals How EDF has been helping legislators by providing suggestions for carbon tax proposals using EMIs How Susanne found her way into climate and climate policy related work I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Susanne Brooks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-brooks-28a0894/ Susanne Brookers Twitter: https://twitter.com/susannebrooks EDF’s Website: https://www.edf.org Nat Keohane: https://www.edf.org/people/nathaniel-keohane EIM’s: http://blogs.edf.org/markets/2016/11/03/ensuring-environmental-outcomes-from-a-carbon-tax/ Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/ CEO Climate Dialogue: https://www.ceoclimatedialogue.org/ Climate Leadership Council: https://www.clcouncil.org/ World Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/ IPCC: https://www.ipcc.ch/ Brookings: https://www.brookings.edu/ 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

In this episode, I interviewed Bret Kugelmass, the Managing Director of the Energy Impact Center. We covered a number of topics, including Bret’s background and what led him to focus so passionately on nuclear, his atypical entry point and tremendously successful podcast, the work he is doing at Energy Impact Center, and his ultimate vision for what Energy Impact Center can become and the mark he wants to leave on the world. Out of all of the people I’ve met so far in my journey, Bret is the closet to my spirit animal - recovering technology entrepreneur looking to work on something more purposeful, concerned about climate change, deep dive into climate brought him to nuclear, and had many discussions and started a podcast on his quest to enter this new field without a historical background in it. Bret put out some pretty bold, controversial viewpoints. Definitely thought provoking, and whether you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing, a worthwhile listen, for sure. I would love to hear your thoughts after listening to the episode. His bio here: Bret Kugelmass is an American technology entrepreneur who's turned his focus to climate and energy advocacy. One the early pioneers in commercializing drones (Airphrame - acq. 2017) for environmental surveys and emergency response he's experienced first-hand market growth within complex technical, regulatory, and public opinion framework. He received his Masters in robotics from Stanford and his earlier work includes designing a lunar rover controller for NASA, a concept electric car for Panasonic, and automating solar manufacturing processes for Nanosolar. Motivated by the climate crises he moved to DC to set up a research initiative (Energy Impact Center) focused on exploring nuclear power and its role in deep decarbonization. He also hosts a podcast (Titans of Nuclear) where he’s conducted hundreds of audio interviews with experts throughout the nuclear sector communicating to a tech savvy and environmentally concerned audience the unique complexities and benefits of the technology. In this episode, Bret and I discuss: Bret’s background and what caused him to join the climate fight His journey talking to scientists and experts and the three a-ha moments that led to his focus on nuclear Bret’s view on the single only solution to climate change A deep dive into the world of nuclear including a line by line rebuttal of all the common concerns with nuclear energy and reactors Bret’s ultimate goal and definition of success with his work I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Bret Kugelmass: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkugelmass Titans of Nuclear: https://www.titansofnuclear.com/ Fukushima: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster Bret Kugelmass’s Lecture Series on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgTfjKxO_dTeFNOjWZXUCM0ghpDBVc2oO 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

In this episode, I interviewed Alex Flint, the Executive Director of The Alliance for Market Solutions. Alex joined AMS as executive director in May 2017. He previously served as staff director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, senior vice president of governmental affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, and as a member of President Trump’s transition team. The Alliance for Market Solutions (AMS) is an organization of conservative leaders addressing two of America’s most pressing challenges: the need to reduce carbon pollution and grow the economy. AMS respect’s climate change science and supports replacing regulations with a revenue-neutral carbon tax—a policy that would efficiently protect the environment and deregulate and grow the economy. AMS engages directly with influential conservatives, including policymakers, to cultivate support for a revenue-neutral carbon tax. We also conduct research on key aspects of carbon tax policies to provide policymakers insights into issues including the impact of a revenue-neutral carbon tax on economic growth, income, and innovation. In this episode, Alex and I discuss: Alex’s background and childhood that led to his awareness and appreciation for the environment The early days of The Alliance for Market Solutions and how it came to be Alex’s time working in nuclear and then on Trump’s transition team Alex’s case for why and how conservatives should address the issue of climate change The specific solution that AMS proposes to address climate change Why Alex does not think any solution is better than no solution when it comes to climate policy I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Alex Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-flint-0a294574/ The Alliance for Market Solutions: https://amsresearch.org/ Alex's Op Ed from Dec of 2018: https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/419392-republicans-are-losing-on-climate-issues-we-can-change Article on the email Alex wrote about climate change deniers: https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060162805 Interview of Alex - Addressing Climate Change with a Carbon Tax | White House Chronicle: https://vimeo.com/278688768 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

In this episode, I interview Nathaniel Stinnett, the Founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Voter Project. Nathaniel Stinnett founded the Environmental Voter Project in 2015 after over a decade of experience as a senior advisor, consultant, and trainer for political campaigns and issue-advocacy nonprofits. Hailed as a "visionary" by The New York Times, and dubbed "The Voting Guru" by Grist magazine, Stinnett is a frequent expert speaker on cutting-edge campaign techniques and the behavioral science behind getting people to vote. He has held a variety of senior leadership and campaign manager positions on U.S. Senate, Congressional, state, and mayoral campaigns, and he sits on the Board of Advisors for MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative. Formerly an attorney at the international law firm DLA Piper LLP, Stinnett holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He lives in Boston, MA with his wife and two daughters. In this episode, we discuss: Nathaniel's background in law and politics which led to him founding the Environmental Voter Project What the Environmental Voter Project is and what kind of work they are doing Insights into voter behavior and how it factors into climate policy How voting records and your voting file factors into climate policy regardless of which candidate you support The results and progress Nathaniel and his team at the Environmental Voter Project have made to date along with their future plans Ways people can get involved with EVP and Nathaniel’s advice to those looking to join the climate fight I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Nathaniel’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/NCStinn Environmental Voter Project: https://www.environmentalvoter.org/leadership Environmental Voter Project: How Much Do People Lie About Voting?: https://www.environmentalvoter.org/sites/default/files/documents/how-much-do-people-lie-about-voting.pdf 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

In this episode, I interview Gustaf Alstromer, Partner at Y Combinator and former Product Lead of Growth at AirBnB. Prior to AirBnB, he led Growth at Voxer and was the Co-Founder and CEO of Heysan (YC W07), which was acquired by Good Technology in 2009. In October of 2018, YC published a Request for Startups that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which YC President Sam Altman described as “the most elaborate RFS we have put out.” Gustaf is one of the partners at YC that spends a portion of their time working with these companies that are focused on addressing climate change. In this episode, we discuss: Gustaf’s background in consumer tech working at AirBnB and Voxer Where Gustaf spends most of his time at YC The background and reason for YC’s carbon removal focused Request for Startups (RFS) Why YC decided to focus specifically on carbon removal Gustaf’s view on the similarities and differences between “traditional” YC companies vs climate focused companies A few of the climate focused companies YC has invested in What YC looks for in climate focused companies I learned a lot about the YC model from talking with Gustaf and I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Gustafs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustafalstromer/ Gustaf’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gustaf Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ YC’s Carbon RFS: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/#carbon YC’s Carbon specific website: carbon.ycombinator.com Pachama: https://www.pachama.com/ Watsi: https://watsi.org/ ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/ Tarjimly: https://www.tarjim.ly/en Vote.Org: https://www.vote.org/ Good Food Institute: https://www.gfi.org/ 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

In this episode, I interview Matthew Nordan, the Managing Director at Prime Impact Fund and the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MNL Partners. Matthew also sits on numerous boards including Greentown Labs, Sense, and Quidnet Energy. As you may know from listening to Sarah Kearney’s episode, Prime Impact Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on breakthrough climate innovation. Before Prime, Matthew was a venture capital investor at Venrock, one of the world’s oldest and most successful VC firms, where he and colleagues drove the firm’s investment in Nest Labs (acquired by Google for $3.2 billion). Prior to Venrock, Matthew was President of Lux Research (acquired by private equity firm Bregal Sagemount), an advisory services firm for science-driven innovation that he co-founded in 2004. Under Matthew’s leadership, the Lux Research analyst team became a globally recognized authority on the business impact of emerging technologies. Earlier, Matthew held a variety of senior management roles at emerging technology advisor Forrester Research (NASDAQ:FORR) in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to Prime, Matthew is co-founder and Managing Partner at MNL Partners, which develops energy and environmental projects in China. Matthew also co-founded and serves on the board of Prime Coalition, Prime Impact Fund’s non-profit parent organization. Matthew has testified before the U.S. Congress four times on emerging technology issues, was a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies, and is a widely sought-after speaker and commentator. He serves on the boards of MicroByre, Lilac Solutions, Sense Labs, Quidnet Energy, and Greentown Labs (the world’s largest incubator for energy and environmental companies). Matthew graduated from Yale, where he conducted cognitive neuroscience research on emotion and memory. In this episode we discuss: The a-ha moment Matthew experienced at a conference that sparked his climate journey. The differences between traditional VC and the investments Matthew makes through Prime Impact Fund specifically as it relates to moon shot ideas and climate focused companies. How Matthew and Prime balance the return of capital vs impact along with the differences between catalytic capital and market based capital. Matthews view on the role and importance of policy in the climate fight. I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Prime Coalition: https://primecoalition.org/ Life Alive in Cambridge: https://www.lifealive.com/ Lux Research: https://luxresearchinc.com/ Richard Smalley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Smalley Quidnet Energy: http://fortune.com/2015/06/16/philanthropists-back-energy-startups/ Venrock: https://www.venrock.com/ Ray Rothrock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-rothrock-75b9403/ Nest Labs: https://nest.com/ Lucid Motors: https://lucidmotors.com/ Kyoto Protocol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol Sarah Kearney: https://www.myclimatejourney.co/episodes/sarah-kearney Program Related Investments: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/private-foundations/program-related-investments Genocea Biosciences: https://www.genocea.com/ Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ Breakthrough Energy Ventures: http://www.b-t.energy/ventures/ Evok Innovations: https://www.evokinnovations.com/ Opus12: https://www.opus-12.com/ Nicholas Flanders: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-flanders-378a6044/ 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

In this episode, I interview Gary Yohe, the Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University. Most of his work has focused on the mitigation and adaptation sides of climate change. A quick reading of Professor Yohe’s bio will give you a sense of what a heavy hitter he is: He is the author of more than 175 scholarly articles, several books, and many contributions to media coverage of climate issues. He has been involved since the early 1990’s with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he received a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as a senior member. He was a Lead Author for four different chapters in the Third Assessment Report that was published in 2001 and as Convening Lead Author for the last chapter of the contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report that was published in 2007. He was a Convening Lead Author for Chapter 18 of the Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report on “Detection and Attribution” and a Lead Author for Chapter 1 on “Points of Departure”. Most recently, he has been a contributing author to the IPCC Special Report on a 1.5 degree temperature target for mitigation. Professor Yohe continues to serve as a member of the New York (City) Panel on Climate Change (NPCC); the NPCC was created in 2008 by then Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help the City respond to the risks of climate change. The third iteration of NPCC reports was released on March 15, 2019, at the offices of the New York Academy of Sciences. He has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the “Hidden (climate change) Cost of Oil” on March 30, 2006, the Senate Energy Committee on the Stern Review on February 14, 2007, and the Senate Banking Committee on “Material Risk from Climate Change and Climate Policy” on October 31, 2007. In April of 2011, Professor Yohe was appointed Vice Chair of the National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee for the Obama Administration by then Under-Secretary of Commerce Jane Lubchenko for the Third National Climate Assessment. The Third National Climate Assessment Report was released by President Obama in a Rose Garden ceremony on May 6, 2014. He served as a member of the National Research Council Committee on America’s Climate Choices: Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change between 2008-2011 and the National Research Council Committee on Stabilization Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations that was chaired by Susan Solomon from 2009 through its release in 2010. His more recent activities include the National Academies serving as the Review Editor for their report on the “social cost of carbon” and as a member of their Panel to review the 4th National Climate Assessment. He was also a member of their Panel that prepared the 2017-2027 Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space for NASA in 2018. Professor Yohe is currently Co-editor-in-Chief, along with Michael Oppenheimer, of Climatic Change (since August of 2010). His opinion pieces now frequently appear in various national media venues. All of that is a long way of saying Professor Gary Yohe is an expert that has dedicated much of his career towards the fight against climate change, and anything I may accomplish on my journey is standing on his (and people like his) shoulders. In this episode we discuss: Professor Yohe’s history at Wesleyan and how his views of climate change have and have not changed since he entered the field in the early 80’s. His views on the three choices our planet has in response to climate change. How an economist approaches the issue of studying and addressing climate change as well as Professor Yohe’s work with the IPCC. Professor Yohe’s views on the political climate and the role policy and regulations play in climate change, including his thoughts on the Green New Deal. Professor Yohe’s thoughts on Tobacco, Big Oil, President Trump, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, and Michael Bennet. His advice to people who are looking for ways to get involved in the fight against climate change. I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Gary Yohe Biography from Wesleyan University: https://gyohe.faculty.wesleyan.edu/ Bill McKibben: http://billmckibben.com/ Michael Mann at Penn Station: https://www.michaelmann.net/ Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth: https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/ Michael Bennett: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bennet The Paris Agreement: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/d2hhdC1pcy Center for American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/ Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/ Environmental Defense Fund: https://www.edf.org/ National Climate Assessment: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/ Song Gary commissioned with Baba Brinkman, Erosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEx-F-pSdXA Song Gary commissioned with Baba Brinkman, Destruction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W68mLkxYWg Song Gary commissioned with Baba Brinkman, Redemption: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0awFSnTeI4 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

In this episode, I interview Dan Yates, the Co-Founder and former CEO of Opower, an energy software company he took public and ultimately sold to Oracle for $532 million. I was eager to speak with Dan, as he started Opower from a place of concern about the planet. It was clearly a financial win, but I had so many questions. Was it a win in terms of fulfilling the initial mission? How does he feel now about climate change vs when he started Opower in 2007? How is he evaluating what kinds of projects he takes on moving forward? What advice does he have for other people trying to figure out the same thing? Dan is a consummate professional and clearly a great leader. I also found him to be quite humble and introspective. His perspective was quite helpful to me as I am figuring out my next moves as it relates to helping with climate change, and I hope you find it helpful as well. I hope you enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and provide suggestions for future guests or topics you'd like to see covered on the show. Links for topics discussed in this episode: Jason Diamond’s Collapse: https://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Societies-Choose-Succeed-Revised/dp/0143117009 Map from EIA.gov consumption categories: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=36412&src=%E2%80%B9%20Consumption%20%20%20%20%20%20Residential%20Energy%20Consumption%20Survey%20(RECS)-b1 Robert Cialdini Understanding and Motivating Energy Conservation via Social Norms: http://media.cbsm.com/comments/168079/09+PE+Cialdini+Hewlett+Foundation.pdf Opower: https://ux.opower.com/ Oracle Opower acquisition: https://www.oracle.com/corporate/acquisitions/opower/ Dandelion Geothermal: https://dandelionenergy.com/ 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

Bob Mumgaard, Co-Founder & CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, discusses the potential of fusion as a solution to climate change, the strategy for deploying fusion commercially, the history of fusion research including the ITER project, the importance of cost competitiveness in addressing climate change, and the timeline for commercial deployment of fusion systems after 2025.