Guest Betony Jones, appointed by President Biden, discusses the US Department of Energy's strategy for creating a sustainable energy workforce. They talk about energy jobs, the focus on manufacturing and construction, the elements of high-quality jobs, and the importance of unions. They also cover talent shortage, frustrations of small businesses, discovering passion for climate change, the role of unions in the workplace, forming and empowering unions in the clean energy transition, and private sector investments in skilling for a sustainable workforce.

Dr. Carlos Nobre, a top climate scientist in Brazil and Nobel laureate, discusses the progress and challenges of decarbonization, the risks of global insecurity, Brazil's unique emissions profile with deforestation as the main contributor, and his roadmap to halt deforestation. He also shares his vision for Amazonia 4.0, focusing on policy and infrastructure development for sustainable growth.

Chris Tolles is the CEO and Co-founder of Yard Stick PBC, which stands for Public Benefits Corporation. Yard Stick is aiming to be the measurement backbone for soil carbon. Their handheld hardware enables onsite measurement of soil carbon in agricultural fields, and their software package provides data and analytics that help stakeholders in a soil carbon project to measure and track progress. As Chris tells it, the Yard Stick co-founders got to know one another in the MCJ member community during the pandemic lockdowns in 2020. MCJ is a proud multi-time investor in Yard Stick. Even so, we still learned a ton from Chris during this conversation. Chris highlighted that while MRV technologies are often associated with carbon credit sales, the voluntary carbon market is just one avenue for soil carbon project development. Another that is seeing strong early traction is insetting, where food and agriculture companies are beginning to measure an attempt to reduce the carbon intensity of their own agricultural supply chains. They aren't selling credits; rather, they're starting to make progress on directly reducing the emissions of how their food is grown, which is great news. Chris charts his background and experience and then explains what soil carbon is and why it matters, helping to put the efforts that Yard Stick is making into the context of the broader global carbon cycle. Episode recorded on Oct 13, 2023 (Published on Dec 7, 2023)In this episode, we cover: [02:38]: Chris's background and pivoting from consumer products to climate[08:43]: Origins of Yard Stick in the MCJ Community[11:59]: How Chris and co-founders came to focus on soil organic carbon[14:43]: Cristine Morgan's research background as Yard Stick CSO[18:50]: Overview of soil organic carbon and key drivers of soil carbon stock losses[27:46]: Issues with how claims have been measured historically[33:39]: Why remote sensing technology is insufficient[35:29]: Yard Stick's technology and approach[42:50]: The company's business model[46:00]: Addressing criticism of soil carbon and other nature-based solutions[51:49]: Soil carbon support in Inflation Reduction Act and future policy[56:00]: Yard Stick's $18 million grant from the USDA[58:19]: Their recent $12M Series A round led by Toyota Ventures[01:00:00]: Reckoning with racial injustice and land theft in agriculture[01:02:04]: Encouraging climate companies to address complex social issuesResources mentioned:Demo Carbon Stock Report“Yard Stick lands 10.6M Series A to measure soil carbon” (TechCrunch) 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

Shashank Sane, EVP for Transmission at Invenergy, discusses the importance of transmission in the energy transition and the challenges and opportunities it poses. They explore the need for updated infrastructure to connect renewable energy plants and the resiliency of the US power grid. The shift to distributed power production and the regulation of transmission projects are also discussed, along with the value of an interconnected grid and the need for federal policy to drive it.

Julie Willoughby, Chief Commercialization Officer at Circ, discusses the environmental challenges of fast fashion, the impact of polyester laundering on ocean microplastics, and the water consumption of cotton cultivation. Circ employs innovative technology to transform textile waste into recycled thread. The conversation also explores the progress of the fashion industry towards sustainability and the need for change in mainstream practices.

Michael Bruce, Senior Director of Venture Investing at Emerson Collective, discusses the organization's approach within the climate space and its evolution over time. They touch on topics such as energy vs. climate change, philanthrocapitalism, and Emerson's criteria for selecting climate investments. They also explore the future of oil and gas, carbon markets, and the role of market forces and collaboration in addressing climate change.

Dr. Jen Wilcox, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, discusses direct air capture technologies, underground sequestration, and CO2 storage. The episode also touches on point source capture, technology advancements, tax credits, and incentives for carbon capture. Dr. Wilcox provides insights into the commercialization progress for carbon capture, market evolution, and the recent FECM carbon dioxide removal purchase pilot prize.

This episode discusses the challenge of access to clean cooking fuels in developing economies. EcoSafi provides cook stoves and biomass fuel pellets to reduce deforestation, improve air quality, and reduce emissions. The episode covers Tom's background in communications and journalism, the power of testimonials and community support, the MCJ membership community's initiatives in finding solutions to climate change, the clean cooking solutions for Africa, the importance of corporate buyers and accurate metrics in the voluntary carbon credit market, and the expansion of EcoSafi into multiple African countries to address deforestation and climate change.

Nate 'the House Whisperer' discusses the barriers to home electrification such as challenges in communicating savings and qualifications to consumers and OEMs. They also explore the importance of hybrid systems and mutual education between contractors and homeowners. The podcast covers misconceptions surrounding full electrification, challenges with home insulation and HVAC systems, and concerns about sick building syndrome.

In this podcast, Kunal Sinha, the Global Head of Recycling at Glencore, discusses the company's role in the energy transition and climate change. They delve into Glencore's mining and metals activities, including the extraction of key metals needed for an electrified future. They also highlight the importance of natural resource circularity and responsible production. Topics covered include sulfuric acid applications, recycled plastics and metals, copper production, recycling battery metals for EVs, and evolving labor practices in the industry.