Inevitable

Today’s guest is David Roberts, aka Dr. Volts, who runs the Volts newsletter and podcast.

David has been reporting on and explaining clean energy topics for almost 20 years. He talks to politicians, analysts, innovators, activists, and more about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. David’s work is deeply researched and an invaluable resource for people who want a better understanding of what a clean energy transition and viable future could look like. And he isn’t afraid to share his strongly held opinions. 

In this conversation, Jason learns more about David’s background, his views on the issue and how they’ve evolved throughout his career. They discuss some of the fundamental politics ingrained in climate, and some of the solutions that are accelerating our transition away from fossil fuels. There’s a lot of insight packed into this episode and we hope you enjoy it.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [4:49] How David got involved in journalism and climate 
• [9:10] His thoughts on the climate issue early in his career and how they've evolved 
• [13:54] How concerned he thinks people should be 
• [23:32] Approaching solutions to climate that also solve other issues 
• [27:25] Importance of celebrating small victories to motivate future progress 
• [34:37] David's optimism for a clean energy future
• [44:16] The human need to feel some sense of control and how that impacts their views on climate 
• [54:07] U.S. journalism today 
• [57:54] Intersection between environmentalism and climate 
• [1:01:03] David's thoughts on tech and how it’s approaching clean energy 
• [1:05:02] Speed round including solar geoengineering, nuclear, carbon capture, offsets, and more

Get connected: 
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Dr. Volts Twitter
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*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 23, 2022.

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Insiya Jafferjee, CEO ad Co-Founder of Shellworks. 

When we talk about excellence in packaging today, we typically think of companies who create an elegant and exciting unboxing experience. Think Apple. But as sustainability continues to gain awareness in the popular conscience, how far away are we from celebrating companies who create small footprints from their packaging? How do you celebrate something if the goal is for it not to be noticeable in the first place? 

Shellworks is developing sustainable packaging alternatives to plastic that don't compromise on performance or aesthetic. Based in the UK, the company recently raised a seed round of funding to help them scale their micro based mono-material packaging via cosmetics companies that are looking for natural packaging alternatives. Insiya brings a no-compromises spirit to what she's doing at Shellworks. She believes her company can develop packaging that has minimal footprint and is stunning and brand-forward. 

In this conversation, Cody and Insiya cover her background, the state of plastic packaging today, how Shellworks came to be, their initial approach to product development, current product lines and traction, and how their non-compromising culture turns internal innovations into a robust product pipeline.

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [2:38] Insiya's background and climate journey 
• [8:15] The world of packaging and different types of plastics involved
• [14:04] Industrial shift away from plastic packaging 
• [18:03] Challenges to addressing packaging in cosmetics 
• [19:46] Shellworks' go-to-market strategy 
• [24:33] An overview of Shellworks and their focus on mono-material products 
• [27:27] The company's commercial traction 
• [29:47] Use cases that aren't a good fit for Shellworks' offerings 
• [36:53] The company's core value ads
• [41:44] What's next for Shellworks 
• [45:20] Funding to date, early challenges and how Insiya overcame them 

Get connected: 
Cody's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 31, 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

*This episode is part of our new 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.

To kick off our new Skilled Labor Series, this episode is co-hosted by Yin Lu and Sam Steyer, CEO and Co-Founder of Greenwork, with guest Andy Martinez, PV Field Performance Technician at Sunrun. 

The solar market represents approximately 5% of the current U.S. energy mix. While this may seem insignificant, the industry is expected to grow at a record pace in coming years, especially following the Inflation Reduction Act. But to reach the clean electricity goals set by President Biden, employment in solar-related positions will need to exceed 900,000 workers by 2035. 

Greenwork is facilitating this transition by helping climate tech companies build their construction teams, both by adding new employees and by partnering with local specialty contractors like Andy. After attending electrical trade school, Andy landed a job with Sunrun as has been with the company for 4 years. 

In this conversation, Yin and Sam learn about Andy’s background and how he started working with Sunrun. We learn about his day-to-day experience as a field performance technician and where Andy sees his career progressing in the space. Like any job, we also hear about some of the challenges Andy faces and how he continues to overcome them while maintaining a positive and optimistic outlook. We cannot create a clean energy future without people like Andy, and are extremely grateful for him sharing his story and inspiring others. 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [1:49] Intro to Sam and Greenwork 
• [3:30] Andy's background and experience as a field technician at Sunrun 
• [5:09] Andy's educational journey toward becoming a solar installer 
• [6:05] The Sunrun interview process and employee training 
• [7:56] A typical day for Andy as a solar installer 
• [9:32] Some day-to-say frustrations, including disconnections between sales and field work
• [11:59] How Andy views the environmental factor of his work
• [12:57] Where climate change fits in when communicating customers 
• [15:36] The evolution in solar technology 
• [20:04] What's working in terms of companies building construction and installation teams 
• [23:42] Importance of treating contractors like a second customer 
• [24:52] What Andy wishes more people knew about solar installation work 
• [28:16] Andy's future career path 
• [29:32] Jobs needed to meet electrification demands in the US 
• [30:43] How to get more people into trade schools 
• [32:57] Initial challenges of the job and how to overcome them
• [36:27] The little things that keep Andy optimistic and happy at work 

Get connected: 
Yin’s Twitter
Yin’s LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 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 Michele Demers, Founder and CEO at Boundless Impact Research & Analytics. 

As companies pursue sustainability targets, having an accurate measure of their carbon footprint provides transparency, accountability, and benchmarks to reach and improve on. Boundless is an industry research and impact analytics platform that provides quantitative and evidence-based research and data for investors, companies, and funds. They offer Scope 1, 2, and 3 climate data, analysis and market intelligence across a growing number of emerging sectors that address significant environmental challenges. 

In this episode, Jason and Michele dig deeper on this important area to better understand what the landscape is, how well adopted these frameworks are, how much standardization there is out there, what types of incentives exist, which ones are helpful, and which ones cause friction. They also cover the types of companies that are taking advantage of this work, how consistent it is across sectors, and of course, what we can change to help get to where we need to be.

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [3:19] An overview of Boundless Impact Research and Analytics 
• [4:54] The company's origin story
• [9:35] How companies understand their true carbon footprints 
• [14:32] Tooling available to understand risk and environmental impact
• [21:25] Boundless' balance of software vs services 
• [24:31] Which industries the company is focused on and why 
• [29:12] How the annual assessment process changes across industries  
• [31:24] The role of life cycle assessment as the standard 
• [33:09] The process for companies working with Boundless 
• [37:22] The future of a real-time dashboard for emissions 
• [39:02] What happens when reports are not favorable
• [42:10] How Boundless works with companies on improvements based on first analysis

Get connected: 
Jason's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 8, 2022.

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Khaled Hassounah, CEO and Co-Founder of Ample. 

When entirely new platforms emerge, the initial product attempts on those platforms often look like what we already know, and they typically don't take full advantage of inherent differences from the historical way of doing things. For example, when the internet first emerged, media resembled digital newspapers. When mobile first emerged, apps looked like small versions of websites. With EVs, the way they are sold and powered mirrors how internal combustion vehicles are sold. After all, you wouldn't buy a gas-powered car without a gas tank!

But Ample is rethinking all of that. The company’s mission is to accelerate the transition to electric mobility by offering an energy delivery system that is as fast, as convenient, and as cheap as gas, while being powered by 100% renewable energy. They do this by deploying robotic pods that enable modular battery swapping for EVs. Ample's take on all this is to rethink how energy is delivered to EVs and to reconsider the unit economics around powering your car. This episode will inspire you to think of all the possibilities of what things can look like when you reconsider them from first principles. 

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [2:57] Khaled's background and transition to climate
• [5:11] State of EVs today
• [8:38] Nuances around EV charging networks and associated challenges
• [13:15] Outlier geographies that have done well with EV charging networks
• [17:20] Battery swapping and leasing alternatives
• [22:10] An overview of Ample and its battery swapping solution
• [32:54] How Ample's solution scales while reducing the amount of batteries across their system
• [37:06] Different use cases for Ample's different batteries
• [40:23] Details of Ample's charging pods
• [43:41] The company's go-to-market
• [47:21] Ample's pod setup and servicing
• [54:11] How Ample is sharing profits with OEMs, landowners, and municipalities
• [59:16] How Khaled is building the business from a venture capital and debt financing perspective

Get connected: 
Cody's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 25, 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 Genevieve Guenther, author, activist, and Founding Director of End Climate Silence. 

Dr. Genevieve Guenther is a Renaissance scholar and literary critic who turned to climate activism after having a child and becoming increasingly alarmed about the world she might leave to her son. Using her training in rhetoric and cultural politics, she works to revamp the ways that we think and talk about the climate crisis. She is guided by the conviction that our language for the crisis is largely inaccurate and misleading, and that fixing this problem requires us not just to reframe talking points, but to recognize how our speech itself—what we say and what we don’t say about climate change—reproduces fossil-fuel ideologies. 

Mobilizing through digital and direct action, Dr. Guenther founded End Climate Silence, a volunteer organization that pushes the news media to start talking about the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. Dr. Guenther also advises activist groups, corporations, and policymakers, and she serves as an Expert Reviewer for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Her next book, The Language of Climate Politics, is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. 

Jason and Genevieve have a great discussion in this episode about many of the topics we typically cover on the My Climate Journey podcast, but Dr. Guenther offers a unique perspective given her background. They also dig into some areas of disagreement and find that once again people who are dedicated to working on solving the crisis agree on a lot more than the polarized environment of Twitter may have them believe.

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [3:39] Genevieve's background and her work in climate
• [10:04] Use of the word "uncertainty" among scientists and in climate communications
• [13:35] An overview of End Climate Silence
• [16:06] How Genevieve's views about the nature of the problem have evolved
• [24:40] Her views on the gravity of the problem, and challenges of modeling human behavior and warming
• [35:46] Energy poverty and justifying fossil fuel production
• [39:30] How Genevieve would transition to clean energy if she was in charge
• [44:31] Her thoughts on carbon removal
• [49:44] Challenges with direct air capture as a solution
• [57:03] Issues with entrepreneurs overpromising carbon removal

Genevieve's book recommendations: 

• Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems
• Amitav Gosh, The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis 
• Jason Moore, Capitalism in the Web of Life: Ecology and the Accumulation of Capital

Get connected: 
Jason's Twitter
Genevieve's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 11, 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 Gagan Dhillon, CEO & Co-Founder of Synop. 

In many climate conversations about mobility, solutions inevitably turn into conversations about fleets. But understanding what fleets are, how they manage access to fuel, and how all of this will change as fleets adopt EVs are critical to clean transportation at large. Synop automates EV operations by helping businesses handle tracking, billing, reporting, and cost management under one unified, data-centric platform. Compatible with all EV types and charging stations, their AI-powered platform is designed specifically for commercial fleets and OEMs to modernize performance and meet sustainability commitments.

Prior to co-founding Synop, Gagan witnessed first-hand the challenges of businesses transitioning to commercial electric vehicles. Previously at REIN, an insurtech startup, he worked with major commercial OEMs and global insurance carriers on solutions for the commercial auto space. During that time, he got a first-hand look at the challenges of the commercial EV space and was inspired to develop the software needed to support the industry’s transition to using electric-powered commercial vehicles. 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [2:06] Gagan and his co-founder's background
• [5:34] An overview of fleets in the transportation sector today
• [10:15] How ICE fleets are managed and fueled 
• [12:03] Challenges of electrifying fleets 
• [14:33] Use cases for different types of EV charging
• [17:48] An overview of Synop
• [21:15] Status of electric semi-trucks in U.S. 
• [24:42] Synop's customers today and who they plan to serve in the future 
• [27:25] The company's energy management service 
• [31:03] Synop's solution to charge management for fleet operators 
• [34:38] Potential cost savings 
• [39:40] What Gagan has learned along his climate journey 
• [46:21] Synop's funding and how they plan to capitalize the business going forward 
• [48:36] How Gagan sees the space evolving over the next 5 years

Get connected: 
Cody's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 22, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Camila Thorndike. 

Most recently, Camila managed Senator Bernie Sanders' portfolio on climate, energy, environment, territories, and tribes. The focus of her tenure was the Build Back Better Act passed in 2021 out of the Senate budget committee and House of Representatives. The majority of the bill's climate policies were retained in the subsequent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by the Senate in 2022. Camila is also co-founder of Our Climate, a youth advocacy nonprofit. 

Camila and Jason cover the IRA, what she’s celebrating, where it missed the mark, and where we should go from here. They also talk about climate justice, energy poverty, the policy and regulatory landscape, and tons more. The conversation is a great follow-up to a previous episode with Benji Backer, who is very active in the conservative climate circle. 

Camila will be participating in an AMA in the MCJ Slack community and answering questions asynchronously for 24 hours starting Wednesday 21st September 21 at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm BST. Set your reminders, and get your questions ready!

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [8:18] Camila's background and how she got started in climate activism and policy
• [11:23] Her work with Senator Bernie Sanders 
• [16:04] How Camila thinks about the problem of climate change and how it's evolved over time
• [22:17] Her views on the urgency of the problem 
• [28:19] Greed and the fossil fuel industry 
• [39:47] Financing access to clean energy and energy efficiency in developing countries 
• [41:46] Ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels
• [47:10] Potential phases of a rapid transition 
• [49:58] Camila's thoughts on the Inflation Reduction Act
• [53:45] The lack of Republican support and level of polarization today 
• [56:37] Her views on the two-party system 
• [1:00:06] The role of individuals and actions we can take 
• [1:04:27] Speed round including nuclear energy, billionaires, carbon offsets, carbon removal, and more

Correction: Original green new deal plan was $16 trillion, not $10 trillion.

Get connected: 
Cody's Twitter
Camila’s Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 15, 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 Jason Aramburu, CEO and co-founder of Climate Robotics. 

Earth’s soils contain 14 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere. To harness this natural resource, Climate Robotics is using existing technologies and converting crop residue into biochar before sequestering it deep in the ground for thousands of years. The company uses advanced robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate and automate this process. The end result allows farmers to turn waste on their fields into carbon sinks while improving the health of their soils. Jason has an extensive career focused in leveraging technology for improving agricultural productivity. His background spans from smart irrigation and soil sensoring to agricultural technology and robotics. 

Cody and Jason have a great discussion about Jason’s background, biochar's origins as an indigenous practice dating back millennia, the chemistry of biochar, the Climate Robotics solution and his company's business model. As one of the most peer-reviewed CDR technologies, biochar is poised to make a substantial impact in carbon sequestration. 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• [2:11] Jason's background and how he got involved in carbon sequestration 
• [3:15] History of biochar as an indigenous practice 
• [7:55] Origins of Climate Robotics 
• [11:55] An overview of biochar 
• [20:52] Biochar and enhanced rock weathering 
• [24:02] History of biochar in the U.S, how it's being used today and challenges 
• [28:36] What Climate Robotics is building 
• [32:25] How automation fits into the company's technology 
• [36:15] The company's business model 
• [43:45] Carbon credits and cost relative to other sequestration methods 
• [48:10] Funding to date and future plans 
• [50:04] Patents and how Jason protect's the company's technology 
• [53:06] Biochar's permanence and scalability

Get connected: 
Cody's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*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 August 12, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

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• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is Matthias Schmelzer, an economic historian, networker and climate activist. 

This episode is complementary to a previous podcast with Timothée Parrique, who covered the topic of degrowth. Matthias’ main interests include the political economy of capitalism, social and environmental history, climate catastrophe, aviation, and alternative economics. He is author of the award-winning The Hegemony of Growth and co-author of The Future Is Degrowth: A Guide to a World beyond Capitalism.

To further the conversation about degrowth, Jason and Matthias discuss the overall concept and build bridges to not only increase understanding, but also help us come together to address the problem that we all share.

*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 August 9, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

Connect with MCJ:

• Cody Simms on LinkedIn
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant