Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft is a professor at University of Maryland and a leading expert in agricultural

remote sensing and climate adaptation. Dr. Whitcraft discusses her journey from co-founding NASA Harvest, a global program addressing food security with satellite data, to leading NASA Acres, which focuses on U.S. agriculture. She explains how AI and satellite technology are changing the agricultural sector, offering solutions ranging from crop yield prediction to regenerative farming practices. Alyssa also shares insights into Harvest SARA, a nonprofit she

founded to foster collaboration between public and private sectors in advancing sustainable agriculture. Finally, she provides career advice for aspiring scientists and professionals interested in the intersection of AI, climate, and agriculture.

Carsten Brinkschulte is the CEO of Dryad, a company that leverages AI to detect wildfires early and prevent catastrophic damage. Carsten shares his journey from a telecom entrepreneur to climate tech innovator, explaining how Dryad’s solar-powered sensors and mesh networks detect wildfires at their inception and transmit real-time alerts to their customers. He also discusses the technical challenges of embedding machine learning into low-cost sensors, the importance of collaborating with public and private stakeholders, and the evolving landscape of wildfire detection technology. Carsten provides advice for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs, emphasizing the need to align impact with profitability.

In this episode, host Mike Toffel speaks with Pasi Miettinen, CEO of Sagewell, a company that uses AI to help utilities and their customers manage energy demand efficiently. Pasi explains how Sagewell’s technology helps reduce peak electricity usage, which in turn lowers energy costs and lessens climate impact. He also discusses how smart data analytics can identify energy-saving opportunities and the importance of AI in optimizing energy usage patterns. Pasi provides insights on the challenges and successes in the utility sector and shares career advice for those looking to work in AI and clean energy.

In this episode, host Mike Toffel sits down with Paul Dickinson and Tom Rivett-Carnac, co-hosts of the climate podcast Outrage & Optimism, to preview COP29, the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. With their extensive experience in climate negotiations and industry collaboration, Paul and Tom share insights on how COP29 fits into the broader climate agenda, what business leaders should expect, and how they can best engage. The conversation delves into the evolving role of COP, from setting targets to ensuring implementation, and the critical importance of corporate involvement in driving ambitious

climate action.

David Cash, the Regional Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for

New England, shares his journey from environmental science to state and federal leadership roles. He highlights how the clean energy transition in the United States is being driven by public policy, community engagement, and new funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. He explains the U.S. EPA’s role in balancing climate action with economic development, while promoting environmental justice. David also offers insights

on career opportunities at the intersection of business, climate, and government.

Rich Lesser, Global Chair of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), shares how BCG is

helping clients walk the walk with net-zero commitments, transition to sustainable practices, and how it is partnering with global organizations to amplify their impact. He also delves into the challenges businesses face in adapting to climate risks and the role of AI in optimizing everything from supply chains to climate resilience. Rich suggests ways businesses can step up to create meaningful changes and concludes with his advice for those looking to enter the climate space.

This is the fourth episode in our series on business and climate change in the media and entertainment industry, where we’re diving into the business of news and storytelling around climate change. Our prior episodes featured CNN, Netflix, and Sustainable Entertainment

Alliance. In this episode, we are hosting Joel Makower, the co-founder and Chair of Trellis, formerly known as GreenBiz. Joel has been a pioneer in the climate media space since he founded The Green Business Letter in 1991. Today, Trellis stands as a leading independent media platform focused on the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability. In this

conversation, Joel will share insights into his journey, the business strategy of a niche climate-focused digital media and event platform, and the critical role of a media platform in advancing climate action. With a career spanning over three decades at the intersection of media, business and climate, Joel also offers valuable advice for those who are looking to make impact in climate.

This episode is the third in our series on how the media and entertainment industries are integrating climate change into their storytelling and TV show and film production processes. This episode features Sam Read, Executive Director of the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, a consortium of major studios and streamers including Disney, Netflix, and Warner Brothers. Sam describes how these players are working together to share best practices and insights, and the progress he’s seeing in the industry. He also offers advice for those looking to work in climate-related alliances and collaborations.

In this episode of Climate Rising, we explore how Netflix, a global entertainment powerhouse, is leveraging its platform to tell compelling stories about climate change. Stewart, Netflix's first

Sustainability Officer, joins host Mike Toffel to discuss the company’s strategic approach to sustainability, and the importance of embedding climate themes in popular content. Stewart shares insights into the challenges and opportunities of incorporating climate considerations into both operations and storytelling, revealing how Netflix is contributing to the global climate conversation.

This episode is the first of our latest series on climate in media and entertainment, where we explore and understand the role of storytelling in shaping climate actions. Today we have Bill Weir, Chief Climate Correspondent at CNN who shares his expertise on how CNN integrates climate narratives into their news coverage, the power of storytelling, and the strategies they employ to highlight both the urgency of the climate crisis and the innovative solutions emerging worldwide.  

Host and Guest

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative (LinkedIn)

Guest: Bill Weir, Chief Climate Correspondent, CNN (LinkedIn)