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Today's guest is Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, best-selling author, strategist, teacher, and one of 15 “women who will save the world,” according to Time magazine.
Dr. Wilkinson leads the All We Can Save Project, which she co-founded with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. As an emergent nonprofit, the project's mission is to nurture the leaderful climate community we need for a life-giving future using the tools of narrative change, community building, deep learning, and tending the emotional and spiritual route from which climate leadership grows. She is the creator of All We Can Save Circles, a unique model for deep dialogue about the climate crisis and building community around solutions, and Climate Wayfinding, a program that supports people in finding or deepening their place in climate work. Last but certainly not least, Dr. Wilkinson co-hosts the podcast A Matter of Degrees with Dr. Leah Stokes, which tells stories for the climate curious.
Dr. Stokes recently had an insightful conversation with Jason (listen here), but Katharine brings a unique perspective and experience to the climate discussion, given her different background. In this episode, we dive into Dr. Wilkinson's journey to working on climate, her theory of change, and how it’s evolved. We also cover the role of activism, the arts, education, and a bunch of things that aren't typically associated with climate discussions, especially in Silicon Valley technology and innovation circles.
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Jason Jacobs
Dr. Wilkinson
All We Can Save
A Matter of Degrees
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on November 4, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Adam Wright, CEO and co-founder of Vespene Energy, which uses landfill methane to fuel Bitcoin mining.
At MCJ we’ve spent some time at the intersection of Bitcoin as an incentive mechanism for halting methane emissions with Crusoe Energy and their work with flared waste gas at oil wells. But understanding the actual scale of the landfill emissions problem and how the status quo doesn't provide an economic incentive for improvements is pretty mind-blowing. Perhaps a carbon tax could pass some day or fines for landfill owners could aim to remedy the issue, but we need landfills and collaborative solutions for all the waste we produce. Vespene's answer is to provide a carrot rather than a stick. The company offers operators the financial upside of the biogas that their sites produce in exchange for Vespene being able to use it.
Adam describes Bitcoin mining not as the end-all-be-all for Vespene, but instead as an immediate economic consumer for biogas that doesn't require facilitating a buyer or hooking up a ton of expensive infrastructure. It essentially bootstraps an energy business with a third-party, logistics-free, economic model attached. And it's a model that can unlock totally different use cases once it's in place, including EV charging and more. Vespene is on the early side of building out its business, and they'll no doubt learn a lot about the real-world atoms at play as they move forward. But if they can incentivize the halt of the 15% or more of the US's methane footprint that comes from landfills, they can make a real difference on the climate front.
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
Vespene Twitter / Adam’s Twitter
MCJ Podcast
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 17, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Ira Pearl, Vice President of Environmental Sustainability at Cox Enterprises. Ira is also the leader of Cox Conserves.
In his role, Ira leads Cox's efforts to tackle sustainability challenges while driving its goals to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2024 and become water and carbon neutral by 2034. Cox Enterprises is interesting because they are a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with approximately 55,000 employees and $21 billion in total revenue. Its major operating subsidiaries are Cox Communications and Cox Automotive. Not only is the scale of Cox Enterprises pretty shocking, but the proactive role they've taken in trying to do the right thing with climate change and the clean energy transition is also noteworthy.
Jason and Ira unpack a lot in this episode, including Ira's career and what led him to Cox in the first place. They talk about Cox's approach to sustainability, some of the progress the company has made in reaching net zero goals, as well as some of the barriers that they've come across along the way. They also cover where Cox is going in the future and have a great discussion about some of the things Ira thinks will help everybody move faster and what gets him most excited about the future and the clean energy transition overall. Enjoy the show!
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Ira’s LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on November 3, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Matt LeDucq, CEO and co-founder of Forum Mobility, which is working on the problem of heavy-duty trucking electrification, starting in California with the drayage sector.
There are essentially two types of trucking. The first is long-haul or "over the road" which transports goods over long distances. If you've ever done a cross-country road-trip, the semi trucks on the interstates you see are long-haul trucks. And then there are drayage trucks. These trucks take large cargo containers from sea ports to distribution centers (and back and forth). Their typically short distances and repeatable patterns make them especially good candidates for electrification. Drayage trucks are relatively densely clustered and predictable, which helps when it comes to planning the EV charging infrastructure that can provide the amount of power these trucks command. It also turns out that California has some aggressive emissions reduction regulations coming online that will dramatically escalate the transition of drayage trucks from diesel to electric.
Matt and Cody have a great conversation about the pending California regulations at play, as well as the history of clean air regulation around trucking. They also talk about the air quality issues surrounding most ports and the environmental justice issues that these regulations are aiming to address. They cover how the vast majority of drayage truck owners are independent operators and the financial burden that these regulations place on them. And, of course, they talk about Forum Mobility's product offering and company history, in addition to Matt's deep background in renewable energy. There are loads to learn about electrifying the trucking industry in this episode. Enjoy!
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
Matt’s LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 18, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.
Today's guest is Alejandro Carrillo, a rancher who lives in El Paso, Texas and stewards his family's ranch in Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert.
Maintaining grasslands is important for preserving biodiversity, ensuring clean rivers, and storing carbon. In fact, since grasslands store carbon underground in their roots and soil, some would argue that they are better carbon sinks than forests. As stewards of these habitats, ranchers like Alejandro who focus on regenerative practices play an important role raising livestock and maintaining carbon sinks. After a successful career as an IT consultant, Alejandra joined his family ranch in 2004. Tired of the constant drought and suffering that came with traditional ranching in a desert climate, he'd been searching for ways to adapt and rehabilitate his family's land. Since 2006, Alejandro has adapted the principles of holistic grazing or regenerative ranching as we'll learn about in this episode. He’s also the president of Pare Del, a nonprofit organization that provides ongoing education for cattle ranchers as well as promotes holistic plant grazing across the world's deserts.
In this fascinating and meandering conversation, Yin and Alejandro discuss regenerative ranching, why dung beetles are so important, the epigenetics of cows, the differences between Mexican and American agriculture policies, their effects on ranching and a whole lot more. Enjoy!
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Yin’s Twitter / LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on September 1, 2022.
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Taj Eldridge. He calls himself the DJ Khaled of climate and you’ll know why when you hear him speak.
Taj’s professional portfolio spans a variety of roles that live at the intersection of diversity, inclusivity, and climate. He’s currently involved in three exciting pursuits. As general partner at Include Ventures, Taj works with a team of experts to build a large and dynamic platform of women and historically underrepresented fund managers and founders, with the goal of opening new market opportunities for investors and driving alpha, environmental, and social governance. Taj is also leading CREST or the Climate Resilient Employees for a Sustainable Tomorrow out of JFF Labs, which is a program that prepares people for climate resilient jobs in the United States and India. Lastly, Taj supports Klean Energy Kulture, an organization on a mission to transition black communities to clean energy by kicking off a series of experiences that tour historically black institutions and leverage music, gaming and sustainable fashion to promote sustainability and opportunities as a way of life.
These topics are each so important and they're also undeniably interrelated. In this conversation, Taj walks us through ways to think about diversity and inclusion, how they go together, and what types of initiatives can be most important to bring about the progress that we all desire. Jason and Taj have a great discussion about his personal journey, what motivates him, and how his theory of change has evolved from when he started doing this work many years ago to today. Then we talk about each of the initiatives he's currently involved with and also his framework for thinking about how to allocate his portfolio of time. This is a really exciting and insightful discussion. Enjoy!
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Taj’s Twitter
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 12, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Eric Reinhardt, CEO and co-founder of Helio, which makes it simple for customers to transition off fossil fuels and fully electrify their homes.
The home electrification process in most of the U.S. is not a seamless experience. Homeowners approach electrification with different needs. Some have to upgrade broken equipment, whereas others opt for a total rehab. But having to piece together a variety of seemingly related projects requires working with multiple contractors, contracts, and challenges that could limit widespread adoption. Helio is making a bet that there is a growing segment of homeowners who are motivated to electrify the whole stack of their homes, from rooftop solar and HVAC to water heaters, EV chargers, and more. The company aims to provide customers with a roadmap for achieving that while also doing the actual installation work.
Given all of the tax credits and rebates coming online for home electrification as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and other local programs, more homeowners will likely be looking at this problem. And with a third of emissions coming from residential buildings, Helio’s solution could make a significant dent in their goal of electrifying millions of homes. Their roadmap solution educates homeowners and helps them plan for the amount of power they’ll need as they pursue home improvement projects.
In this episode, Eric and Cody have a great chat about his background as well as his co-founders, what he's learned from customer interest thus far, how they can provide home estimates at scale, and how he sees Helio growing in the future. We're honored that our venture fund at MCJ Collective is an investor in Helio, and I hope you enjoy the conversation.
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
Helio Twitter
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 7, 2022.
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Jill Tauber, Vice President of Litigation for Climate and Energy at Earthjustice.
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization. They wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, preserve magnificent places and wildlife, advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. The work they do is not only extremely important, but also in the thick of relevant topics we’re seeing at the moment. One that comes to mind is permitting. We need to move quickly on building clean infrastructure, but at the same time we need to be mindful of communities where this infrastructure is being built. Community members should have a voice in these projects and we have to build them in a way that’s not harmful to people living around them. This is just one example.
In this episode, we cover Jill's journey to doing the work that she does, and we also dig into Earthjustice and their criteria for projects they take on. We cover Jill's views on the role of fossil fuels in the clean energy transition, and of course the Inflation Reduction Act bill permitting, barriers holding us back, changes that could unlock faster progress, and where Earthjustice fits into all of this now and in the future. The earth certainly needs a good lawyer and we’re stoked to have Jill share her journey with us.
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Jill’s Twitter
Earthjustice Twitter / TikTok
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 27, 2022.
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today’s guest is Emily McAteer, co-founder and CEO of Odyssey Energy Solutions, helping emerging market project developers to finance, build and operate distributed renewable energy at scale.
How the Global South modernizes is the original climate justice debate that has been a key topic of global policy discussions for decades, going back to the Kyoto Protocol of the 1990s and even earlier. The crux of the conversation is that climate change has primarily been caused by the 20th century economic development of the United States, Western Europe, Japan, et cetera. And if the rest of the world were to follow the same fossil fuel enabled development path, we'd rapidly blow past emissions targets and into the worst possible climate change outcomes. So what's the rest of the world to do?
The answer seems to be to leapfrog, to modernize via a network of distributed renewable energy technology as opposed to a monolithic fossil fuel-powered grid. And yet that also introduces a whole new host of questions. Emily's been working at the nexus of climate and emerging markets for just about her whole career and brings a wealth of experience into Odyssey while working on answering these questions.
In this episode, Cody and Emily have a great conversation about energy access in emerging markets today, what new distributed grids will look like, how development finance institutions (DFIs) work and the role of nation states in securing financing for energy projects. We also cover how Odyssey is bringing financing, procurement, and operational solutions to market to solve the local problems inherent in this space. Emily and Odyssey just announced a seed round led by Equal Ventures that we at MCJ Collective were honored to participate in. So we’re welcoming Emily today as an MCJ Collective portfolio CEO, as well as an MCJ podcast guest. Enjoy the show!
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
Odyssey Twitter
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on September 21, 2022.
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
Today's guest is Felicia Marcus, the Williams C. Landreth visiting fellow at Stanford University's Water in the West program.
Felicia is also an attorney, consultant, and member of the Water Policy Group. She most recently served as Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, where she implemented laws regarding drinking water, water quality and state's water rights, as well as heard regional board water quality appeals, settled disputes, and provided financial assistance to communities to upgrade water infrastructure. Before her appointment to the Water Board, she also served in positions in government, the non-profit and private sector. In government, Felicia served as the regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest region during the Clinton Administration, where she was known for her work in bringing unlikely allies together for environmental progress and for making the agency more responsive to the communities it serves, particularly Indian Tribes, communities of color, local government and agricultural and business interests.
Water is often considered an untold climate story. From water scarcity and drought, to extreme flooding and rising sea level, the impacts of our changing climate on this critical resource demand our attention. In this episode, Jason and Felicia dig deep into her background and have a great discussion about the intersection of water and climate. what the biggest risks are, how much those risks are factored in today, what some of the barriers are to properly factor in those risks, and from a solution standpoint, what we can do about it.
In this episode, we cover:
Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Felicia’s Twitter
MCJ Podcast / Collective
*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Episode recorded on October 3, 2022
Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].
Connect with MCJ:
*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
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