Reversing Climate Change

Ranching has been vilified as a major contributor to climate change. But what if it’s not the cow but the HOW? The fact is, animals have always lived and grazed on grasslands, and when we leverage regenerative grazing to raise livestock, we can rebuild the soil and sequester carbon in the grass and soil, sourcing materials like leather, fiber, and meat in a more responsible way.  Chris Kerston is the Chief Commercial Officer of the Land to Market Program at the Savory Institute, a nonprofit working to regenerate the world’s grasslands through Holistic Management. Today, Chris joins Ross to explain how the Savory Institute promotes regenerative grazing and share their vision of a future where farmers and ranchers work together. Chris walks us through the Land to Market program’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol, describing why they measure a breadth of ecosystem services versus sequestered carbon alone. Listen in to understand how Savory is supporting brands like Timberland and learn how the Land to Market Program can help us make more informed choices about what we consume. Resources: Nori on Patreon Savory Institute Chris at Savory Institute Savory’s Land to Market Program Kiss the Ground Savory’s Partnership with Timberland Diana Rodgers Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat: Why Well-Raised Meat is Good for You and Good for the Planet by Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf Peter Donovan at the Soil Carbon Coalition The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity by John Mackey, Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman MD Joel Salatin Will Harris Gabe Brown The Nature Conservancy Savory’s Land to Market Brand Partners Leather Working Group Wendell Berry Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori Nori on Facebook Nori on Twitter Nori on Medium Nori Newsletter Email podcast@nori.com Subscribe on iTunes Carbon Removal Newsroom

We live in a point-and-click society where labor is seen as something to overcome. But what if we’ve got it wrong? Philosopher turned farmer Dr. Scott H. Moore contends that entertainment doesn’t have to be passive. In fact, activities like reading Dante, growing tomatoes or fixing our own plumbing can bring us a lot of joy and satisfaction—and maybe even transform the way we see the world. Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Great Texts at Baylor University and the author of How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers. Today, Dr. Moore joins Ross to discuss the connections among philosophy, the Classics, theology and farming, explaining how Wendell Berry inspired his decision to become a farmer, and exploring how great works like Dante’s Divine Comedy remain relevant in modern life. Dr. Moore challenges us to rethink our notion of labor, describing the rewards of problem-solving with our hands and engaging in activities like gardening or woodworking—as opposed to just buying the things we want. Listen in for Dr. Moore’s insight on making leisure more intentional and learn how Christian thought and the Classics can help us cultivate a sense of gratitude and initiate meaningful conversations about what really matters. Resources: Dr. Moore at Baylor University How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers by Scott H. Moore Books by Wendell Berry The Divine Comedy Volume I: Inferno by Dante Alighieri, translated by Mark Musa The Great Courses: Dante’s Divine Comedy The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis Nick Offerman Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop by Nick Offerman The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry, narrated by Nick Offerman Joel Salatin on Reversing Climate Change EP072 Quill Robinson on Reversing Climate Change S2EP18 Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper Books by Gregory A. Boyd Books by David Bentley Hart G.K. Chesterton Sorry, ran out of space! Will update these notes with the full list when room is expanded.

There is a temptation to believe that science and technology will save us from climate change, while we continue business as usual. But we have already emitted huge levels of CO2 into the atmosphere, and it’s going to take both carbon capture at the source and direct air capture (DAC) from ambient air to make a dent in the record atmospheric concentration of 415ppm we hit in 2019. Dr. Jennifer Wilcox is the James H. Manning Chaired Professor of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the author of the first textbook on carbon capture. Today, Dr. Wilcox joins Ross and Christophe to discuss the distinction between carbon capture in general and direct air capture specifically and explain why we need both strategies to succeed in reversing climate change. Dr. Wilcox goes on to describe the two leading DAC technologies, solvents and solid sorbents, sharing how we might decide where to build plants and what tech to use in a given situation. Listen in for Dr. Wilcox’s insight on conducting a techno-economic assessment on systems that have yet to be deployed and learn how you can get involved in the ongoing advancement of carbon management. Resources: Nori on Patreon Nori on Twitter Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori Dr. Wilcox on Twitter Dr. Wilcox on Google Scholar Dr. Wilcox’s TED Talk David Biello at TED ‘Cost Analysis of Carbon Capture and Sequestration of Process Emissions from the US Industrial Sector’ in Environmental Science & Technology ‘Cost Analysis of Carbon Capture and Sequestration from US Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants’ in Environmental Science & Technology ‘Cost Analysis of Direct Air Capture and Sequestration Coupled to Low-Carbon Thermal Energy in the United States’ in Environmental Science & Technology Carbfix Sherwood’s Rule Climeworks Petra Nova Carbon Engineering Global Thermostat American Physical Society 2011 Report Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy Books by Wendell Berry Charles Eisenstein

We know that minority populations bear an unequal burden when it comes to climate change. And yes, Black Americans are concerned about the climate crisis, but they don’t see the environment as a top-tier issue. So, what can advocates and policymakers do to make climate change more relevant to Black communities and ensure their inclusion in a clean energy transition? Jared DeWese is Senior Communications Advisor for the Climate & Energy Program at Third Way, a center-left federal policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. Jared joins Ross to discuss the organization’s recent report, ‘Black Americans Care About Climate Change (But It’s Complicated),’ sharing the top takeaways from their qualitative research and explaining how advocates can mobilize communities of color around climate change by connecting the issue with their daily lives. Jared weighs in on how Black Americans are impacted by climate change, introducing us to the idea of environmental racism and exploring what we can do to confront and transform discriminatory systems and policies. Listen in for Jared’s insight on promoting climate policy in a divided Congress and learn why he is optimistic about the potential for real progress at this particular moment in history. Resources: Third Way Energy on Twitter Jared on Twitter Black Americans Care About Climate Change (But It’s Complicated) Yale Program on Climate Communication Study on Race & Attitudes Toward Climate Change The Environmental Kuznets Curve When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequity in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson Joe Biden’s Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution & Environmental Justice Otto von Bismarck & the Welfare State The History of Rome Podcast Revolutions Podcast The Life & Legacy of John Lewis on The Daily Podcast James Baldwin on Being Black in America Alexander Hamilton on Slavery as Wasted Potential W.E.B. Du Bois’ Concept of Double Consciousness The Environmental Defense Fund Poll on African Americans & Clean Energy Resources Nori Nori on Twitter

Many indigenous communities see the climate crisis as another form of colonialism. First World countries have colonized the atmosphere with their greenhouse gas emissions. And there is a risk that carbon removal infrastructure reinforces business-as-usual. So, what is the best approach to decolonizing the atmosphere? How can we tackle climate change in a way that fits with broader progressive goals around equity and social justice? Dr. Holly Jean Buck is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA’s Institute on the Environment and Sustainability and the author of After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration. Dr. Buck joins Ross to discuss her recent article in Progressive International, ‘How to Decolonize the Atmosphere.’ She describes how the ideas in The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth informed her thinking and introduces us to the concept of settler colonialism as it relates to climate change. Dr. Buck walks us through her three progressive goals for carbon removal: 1) link carbon with the managed decline of fossil fuels, 2) ensure public ownership and return on investment, and 3) advocate for a global framework for carbon removal. Listen in for Dr. Buck’s insight on the interconnectedness of the climate crisis with the other major issues we face and find out why she is concerned about the way social media may be influencing scientific research. Resources Dr. Buck’s Website Dr. Buck on Twitter The Red Deal Part 1: End the Occupation Beyond Wiindigo Infrastructure by Winona LaDuke, Deborah Cowen After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration by Holly Jean Buck Global CCS Institute Report on Climate Change Rhodium Report on Jobs & Direct Air Capture Rhodium Report on Policies for the US to Advance Direct Air Capture Sad by Design: On Platform Nihilism by Geert Lovink Nexus by Ramez Naam Daniel Schmachtenberger ‘Climate Change is a Waste Management Problem’ in Issues in Science and Technology All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change by Michael T. Klare

Carbon dioxide levels are double what they were prior the Industrial Revolution. And we know that reducing emissions is simply not going to be enough to avoid widespread ecological collapse. We need strategies for removing CO2 from the atmosphere at scale. So, what if green sand beaches could provide a promising solution to climate change that is nature-based, affordable, and can be deployed around the globe? Kelly Erhart and Tom Green are the Cofounder and Executive Director, respectively, of Project Vesta, an organization dedicated to capturing a trillion tonnes of excess CO2 in rock through coastal enhanced weathering. Kelly and Tom join Ross to explain how they are creating green sand beaches with olivine to remove CO2 from the atmosphere faster and store it in limestone on the sea floor. They discuss the benefits and potential risks of enhanced weathering in an aquatic environment as well as the permanence of Project Vesta’s sequestration process. Kelly and Tom share the news of how Stripe came to be their first customer, describing how the nonprofit is funded and what’s behind their decision to make the technology open-source. Listen in to understand how the enhanced weathering process might help solve the ocean acidification problem and how Project Vesta sees their solution's scalability and cost-effectiveness. Resources Project Vesta Project Vesta’s Research Page Project Vesta on Instagram Project Vesta on Facebook Project Vesta on Twitter Eric Matzner on Carbon Removal Newsroom EP018 Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Climate.gov ‘Exoskeleton Dissolution with Mechanoreceptor Damage in Larval Dungeness Crab Related to Severity of Present-Day Ocean Acidification Vertical Gradients’ in Science of the Total Environment Stripe’s Negative Emissions Commitment Stripe’s Partnership with Project Vesta Air Miners Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori Nori on Facebook Nori on Twitter Nori on Medium Nori on YouTube Nori on GitHub Nori on Patreon Nori Newsletter Email podcast@nori.com Subscribe on iTunes Carbon Removal Newsroom

Have you ever wondered what happens to your clothes after you drop them off at Goodwill? Or where your electronics go once you’ve left them at the recycling center? Yes, some of our excess is exported to emerging markets around the world and either resold or harvested for parts. Is that cool? And what can we do to shop in a way that reduces our environmental impact? Adam Minter is a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade and Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale. Today, Adam joins Ross to explain how being born into a family of junk dealers informed his career as a journalist. He introduces us to what happens when we donate clothing to Goodwill, describing how items are sorted and resold or exported to other markets around the world. Adam weighs in on why it’s not unethical to send our e-waste to West Africa or resell used car seats in Mexico, challenging us to worry more about the quality of the products we buy and less about where they’re exported when we’re done with them. Listen in for Adam’s insight around the value of mass market collectibles and learn how to shift your consumer thinking from immediate cost to total cost of ownership. Resources Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori Nori on Patreon Nori Newsletter Adam at Bloomberg Opinion Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade by Adam Minter Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter Scrap Magazine Speed Queen Unbundled Airlines on Planet Money EP517 Kelley Blue Book Patagonia Worn Wear Frugalwoods Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson

The American Constitution provides the ‘nuts and bolts of liberty,’ putting constraints on the government and promising equality before the law. But the challenge is that it relies on state officials to enforce the law impartially. What if the blockchain could help us avoid these human-level implementation problems and effectively automate some features of our bureaucracy? Dr. Nick Cowen is a lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lincoln and the author of the paper, ‘Markets for Rules: The Promise and Peril of Blockchain Distributed Governance.’ Today, Nick is back to discuss the potential benefits of blockchain governance structures, including the ability to apply law impartially and reduce censorship. He explores the idea of consent as it applies to the blockchain and explains how the technology prevents the off-diagonals that manifest out of subsidiarity. Nick weighs in on whether the blockchain will become a competition to be the best or the most permissive and describes how the technology might influence our political systems—and vice versa. Listen in for Nick’s insight around the application of civil versus common law traditions via the blockchain and learn how we can leverage blockchain technology for environmental governance. Resources Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori Nori on Twitter Carbon Removal Newsroom Nori on Patreon Nick’s Website Nick on Academia Nick on SSRN Nick on Twitter ‘Markets for Rules: The Promise and Peril of Blockchain Distributed Governance’ by Nick Cowen Ethereum John Rawls John Locke Quill Robinson on RCC S2EP18 Tax Justice Network Ozark James M. Buchanan Adam Smith Being Me Being You: Adam Smith and Empathy by Samuel Fleischacker Alan Partridge Dr. Anton Howes on Twitter Ilia Murtazashvili

What's the future got in store for architecture? A return to tried and true organic construction methods like adobe or rammed earth? Buildings that are as alive as human bodies? Something in between? How do we create more beautiful and livable spaces while also making the built environment carbon-negative? This week's guest is Dr. Wil Srubar, Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, Technical Director of Materials R&D at Katerra, and Cochair of the Carbon Leadership Forum Network and serves as its global hub director. We talk about trends in architecture and materials science and try to ferret out what might be coming down the pike, particularly in light of the article Wil wrote in The Conversation, "Buildings grown by bacteria—new research is finding ways to turn cells into mini-factories for materials". A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture by Virginia Savage McAlester Wil's CU profile Akira Dr. Kate Simonen's RCC episode Andrew Himes' RCC episode Chris Magwood and Jacob Deva Racusin's RCC episode

The tragedy of the commons suggests that, left to our own devices, we will overuse and overconsume our shared resources in the name of self-interest. And that either privatization or state control is required to keep us in check. But Elinor Ostrom advanced a third option, a polycentric governance approach in which the people involved solve the problem on their own through a commons solution. Dr. Nick Cowen is a lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lincoln and the author of the paper, ‘Cost and Choice in the Commons: Ostrom and the Case of British Flood Management’. Today, Nick joins Ross to discuss the differences among state, market, and commons solutions to the environmental problems we face. He explains how Ostrom’s work changed the way we think about the tragedy of the commons and walks us through several examples of communal solutions that preserve shared resources. Nick goes on to introduce the concepts of residual-claimancy and the transitional gains trap, describing how government intervention in flood management followed by a period of privatization led to the current dilemma in Great Britain. Listen in for insight around how Ostrom’s communal systems might appeal to both conservative and liberal politics and learn how we can apply her interdisciplinary ideas to protect our shared resources. Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Facebook Nori on Twitter Carbon Removal Newsroom: our other podcast! Nori on Patreon Nori Newsletter Nori on Twitter Nick’s Website Nick on Academia Nick on SSRN Nick on Twitter ‘Cost and Choice in the Commons: Ostrom and the Case of British Flood Management’ by Nick Cowen Elinor Ostrom Ostrom’s Workshop Method Ostrom’s Google Scholar Page Ostrom’s Nobel Prize Lecture Books by James C. Scott Ludwig Von Mises’ Insights on Intervention ‘The Transitional Gains Trap’ by Gordon Tullock Dr. Bryan Caplan on RCC S2EP2 Karen Bradshaw Bryan Leonard Friedrich August Hayek Ilia Murtazashvili Kate Raworth