Supercool

In just two years since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) became U.S. law, the clean energy economy has been on a tear: $380B in new investment by companies; 900 new and expanded manufacturing facilities; and clean energy jobs growing at twice the rate of conventional jobs (4.2% vs 2%). Joining Josh to discuss these supercool accomplishments is David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. As the DOE’s second-in-command and Chief Operating Officer, David has played a key role in implementing President Biden’s landmark clean energy legislation.Show NotesGuest: David Turk, Deputy SecretaryOrganization: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)US DOE Projects: Community Benefits map — where the DOE is funding projects)Article: 2018 New York Times Op-Ed by Andrew Jones and Auden SchendlerFor more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus our:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Supercool on Instagram and Linked

Bitcoin mining faces frequent criticism in climate circles for its voracious energy appetite. But what if that narrative is over-generalized or maybe even entirely misses the mark? Joining Josh is Matthew Schultz, the founding CEO and current Executive Chairman of CleanSpark, a publicly traded Bitcoin miner with nearly 5% market share of new Bitcoin. CleanSpark operates predominantly using nuclear energy in rural communities throughout America. Tune in to discover how CleanSpark blends clean energy with cryptocurrency to forge a sustainable future.Show LinksGuest: Matthew Schultz, Executive ChairmanCompany: CleanSpark | America's Bitcoin MinerFor more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus our:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Supercool on Instagram and Linkedin 

Kathy Hannun began incubating within Google X, the startup that would become Dandelion, a home geothermal energy company that today is the largest and fastest-growing in America. With several thousand residential installations completed in the Northeast, Dandelion is scaling nationally, partnering with installers and homebuilding giants like Lennar. Carbon-free geothermal energy is about to become the default heating and cooling source for thousands of American homes.Show Links:Guest: Kathy Hannun Company: Dandelion Energy For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, follow the podcast and subscribe to:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

While saving the Amazon grabs headlines, the trees right outside your front door shape your life in important ways. The more trees in your city neighborhood, the less crime, the fewer prescriptions for antidepressants, and the lower rates of asthma, childhood leukemia, and other immune diseases. These leafy giants affect everything from healthier newborns to longer life expectancy to higher property values.  Geoffrey Donovan, an urban forester and economist with the U.S. Forest Service, joins the show. His groundbreaking research over the two decades is reshaping how urban planners and policymakers think about the essential public health and economic role of trees in city life.Show Links:Guest: Geoffrey DonovanOrganization: U.S. Forest ServiceGrant Program: U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forest Program For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

Garbage trucks have gone missing in cities around the world. In neighborhoods from London to Barcelona and Singapore to Seoul, their unmistakable sight, sound, and smell are notably absent. The reason? Trash has gone underground, whisked away through a hidden network of pneumatic pipes—no trucks, no noise, no stench. If this sounds like the future, it is. But this particular slice was invented in the 1960s by Swedish company Envac. The company’s CEO, Joakim Karlsson, joins Supercool to discuss how Envac is taking trash removal to a whole new dimension.Show Links:Guest: Joakim KarlssonCompany: EnvacConference Video: Joakim Karlsson on stage in Rio de Janeiro at The Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute)  For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

Marshall Gobuty didn’t set out to build green when he became a real estate developer in his 50s. After a successful career in the clothing and furnishings industries, he sought to establish credibility in Florida’s competitive housing market. LEED certification presented the perfect opportunity. But Gobuty didn’t stop at meeting the minimum. His first project, Mirabella, became the first LEED Platinum Certified residential community in the U.S. His next development, Hunters Point, became the first LEED Zero Energy Certified community in the world. Sometimes, it takes an outsider to push an industry beyond its norms and conventions. Gobuty is building sustainable neighborhoods and communities many could hardly imagine—until now.Show Links:Guest: Marshall GobutyCompany: Pearl HomesResidential Development: Hunters PointGreen Building Resources: U.S. Green Building Council and RESNET For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

Fresh out of grad school, Kyle Wagenschutz was hired by the mayor of Memphis, TN, and given a daunting task: prevent the city from being named the "Worst Place to Bicycle in America" by Bicycling Magazine for a third year in a row. Kyle succeeded. Five years (and over a hundred miles of bike lanes) later, Memphis was recognized as a national leader, and Kyle was honored at the White House as a Champion of Change. Kyle took his insights to other cities and accomplished the near impossible: he enabled them to build safe, convenient, protected bike lanes in months, not decades. He joins Supercool this week to share the playbook.Show Links:Guest: Kyle WagenschutzOrganization: City ThreadGrant Program for Cities: Accelerated Mobility Playbook (Applications Open Until 11/20/24)Project: The Final MileFor more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

Stanford professor Mark Jacobson wasn’t just dreaming of a world powered by renewable energy back in 2009—he was doing the math and architecting the plan. Jacobson teamed up with actor-turned-eco-hero Mark Ruffalo to co-found The Solutions Project with a mission to transition the world to 100% renewables by 2035.  As Jacobson's vision took root, states and cities began making 100% renewable pledges. By 2019, his idea had reached Capitol Hill when AOC and Senator Markey introduced the Green New Deal. Jacobson’s message? We can pull it off, it’ll save us trillions, and spare millions of lives. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to live in just about any state that’s ahead of the curve, you’re already paying some of the lowest energy bills in the country. Show Links:Guest: Mark Jacobson (Stanford University, LinkedIn, Wikipedia)Book: No Miracles Needed: How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air Organization: The Solutions ProjectArticle: Scientific American - A Plan to Power 100% of the Planet with RenewablesBackground data: U.S. Covid-relief spending For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn

At Holabird Academy and Graceland Park, two net-zero energy Baltimore public schools, the future is already in session. Solar panels line the roofs, geothermal wells lie below the ballfields, and energy-efficient features keep these buildings running entirely on renewable power. But while these schools are a win for the planet, the real story is how they’re transforming the lives of everyone who steps inside—students, teachers, administrators, and the surrounding community. Stephanie Novak Pappas, the award-winning Principal of Holabird Academy, joins the conversation along with Amy Upton, Director of Environmental Design and Principal at Grimm & Parker Architects, the visionary behind these modern, sustainable, 21st-century schools where carbon emissions are down and performance is up.Show Links:Guests: Stephanie Novak Pappas and Amy UptonSchool: Holabird AcademyCompany: Grimm + Parker Architects (see the Holabird project)For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon and improve modern life, subscribe to our newsletter.

Cities are in a race against time to cut carbon, and the stakes are high. Responsible for 70% of global emissions, urban centers around the world are stepping up. At the heart of this global movement are mayors. Through C40 Cities—a network of nearly 100 leading cities—mayors are sharing, learning, and spreading the most effective climate solutions worldwide. David Miller served as Mayor of Toronto from 2003-2010, where he transformed the city into a climate leader with a strategy rooted in innovation, inclusion, and opportunity. Now, as a Managing Director at C40, David is guiding cities toward a sustainable future—where addressing climate change also means improving city life.Show Links:Guest: David MillerOrganization: C40 CitiesPodcast: Cities 1.5, hosted by David Miller and produced by the University of Toronto Press. It features progressive policy conversations with urban leaders taking action to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees.Book: Solved: How the Great Cities of the World are Fixing the Climate CrisisFor more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus:* Youtube Channel* Weekly Newsletter* Instagram and LinkedIn