Inevitable

Today's guests are Nan Ransohoff & Ryan Orbuch, members of Stripe’s Climate team. 

Nan and Ryan work on the Climate team at Stripe, and I was very excited for the opportunity to interview them. While it’s not a climate company, Stripe recognizes that climate change poses a long term risk to its mission of growing the GDP of the Internet. As a result, Stripe is doing a number of things that I think are fascinating. For one, it’s treating the climate team like a product team. The company embraces a culture of experimentation and, as part of that, it’s leaning into negative emissions. The company has been transparent in its efforts, open sourcing much of its work. Second, Stripe is figuring out how to include merchants in its efforts to decarbonize. I can't wait to see what Stripe does in climate over time. It's a fascinating company, and a great discussion.

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s discussion, we cover:

• Nan’s and Ryan’s respective backgrounds and how it lead them to climate.
• What is Stripe and its mission?
• Stripe’s negative emissions commitment.
• How did Stripe go about learning about climate?
• The Stripe Climate team and how it operates.
• Purchasing an offset vs. a negative emission.
• Stripe’s project purchases and its selection process.
• How Stripe thinks of the policy landscape and its role in it.
• How much focus is spent on helping other businesses with negative emissions and reducing its own emissions.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Stripe’s 2019 negative emissions announcement: https://stripe.com/blog/negative-emissions-commitment
• Ryan’s climate blog post (lists project purchases): https://stripe.com/blog/first-negative-emissions-purchases
• 45Q Tax Credit: https://www.betterenergy.org/blog/primer-section-45q-tax-credit-for-carbon-capture-projects/
• Stripe Negative Emissions Source Material on Github: https://github.com/stripe/negative-emissions-source-materials
• Stripe is looking to add a designer and operations manager to the climate team: [email protected]

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

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Sean’s experience as an entrepreneur.
• Sean’s background in science and his interest in climate change.
• How business revealed to him the regulatory and legislative barriers related to climate development.
• How his father and his work in cogeneration plants influenced his interest in biofuels and climate.
• The challenges faced by mission-driven energy companies.
• Why he feels, in general, the tech component is overstated as a barrier.
• Why deployment of technology is the real challenge.
• How Sean transitioned from business to politics.
• Why framing climate change, in a way that appeals to constituents’ specific interests, is key.
• The specific areas of the Green New Deal he takes issue with.
• How the needs of addressing climate change far exceed what’s politically possible currently.
• Why critical issues, like climate change, cannot be decided by the majority.
• What Sean recommends concerned citizens should do to address climate change.
• What Sean believes the U.S. needs to do to address climate change.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Website: https://casten.house.gov/about
• Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Casten
• Recycled Energy Development: http://www.recycled-energy.com/
• IMF Fossil Fuel Subsidy Report: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/Environment/energy-subsidies
• Green New Deal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_New_Deal

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

Today's guest is Andrew Salzberg, Loeb Fellow at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

I was excited for this one, because transportation is such a key lever in decarbonization and one that we haven't yet spent enough time talking about here on the pod. We cover a lot in this episode, including an overview of the transportation ecosystem, where we are today, where we need to go and what are some of the barriers that have been holding us back. We also talk about the arc of Andrew's career and his time at Uber. I enjoyed this one a lot and I hope you do as well.

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Andrew’s early passion in transit and transportation.
• His background in civil engineering and urban planning.
• His experience working in China on urban development.
• Andrew’s time at Uber.
• His perspective on where the U.S. is with respect to climate change.
• How transportation behavior is hampering progress on emissions.
• The role of ride share companies and the impact of autonomous vehicles.
• His impetus for leaving Uber.
• The importance of localizing action to improve transportation.
• The big transportation levers that should be pulled to address climate change.
• The challenges around local regulations and NIMBYism and the need to overcome it.
• Lyft’s recent announcement to go 100% EV by 2030.
• How the government needs to lead the decarbonization of transportation.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Loeb Fellow Profile: https://loebfellowship.gsd.harvard.edu/fellows-alumni/fellows-search/andrewsalzberg/
• Transport for London: https://tfl.gov.uk/
• House Democrats’ climate proposal: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/06/30/pelosi-climate-plan/
• Lyft’s pledge to go 100% EV by 2030: https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/leading-the-transition-to-zero-emissions

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

In today’s debate, we cover:

• What is hydrogen?
• How is it used and why is it important?
• Jigar’s and Gene’s respective background as it relates to hydrogen
• The applications and costs associated with hydrogen
• What competes with hydrogen in the energy market
• The necessity of a price on carbon as it relates to hydrogen
• What the natural gas boom says about hydrogen’s future
• Initiatives Jigar and Gene would respectively recommend the government to employ
• Predictions of hydrogen looking a decade out

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• “Power To The People”: https://www.amazon.com/Power-People-Revolution-Transform-Industry/dp/0374236755
• “Helping Walmart Meet Sustainability Goals with Fuel Cell Technology”: https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/sustainability/20140516/helping-walmart-meet-sustainability-goals-with-fuel-cell-technology

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

Today's guest is Philip Behn, CEO of Imperfect Foods. 

In today’s episode, we cover:

• What is Imperfect Foods and its mission
• Imperfect Foods’ achievements in terms of customers-served and food waste recovered
• The company’s origin story
• Philip’s journey in food and how he joined Imperfect Foods
• What he learned during his stints at McKinsey and Walmart
• Imperfect Foods’ value proposition
• The landscape of the food waste problem
• How the resources spent on food waste has compounding effects
• The artificial standards of produce “beauty” that lead to some food waste
• How Imperfect Foods’ mission is aligned with addressing climate change
• Why there’s controversy with Imperfect Foods’ business
• Imperfect Foods’ current and future portfolio of offerings
• The specific overlap between food waste and climate change
• The role of government in addressing climate change
• Philip’s perspective on carbon offsets

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Imperfect Foods: https://www.imperfectfoods.com/
• Food Recovery Network: https://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/
• (Yale Climate Connection) “Food waste starts long before food gets to your plate”: https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/05/food-waste-has-crucial-climate-impacts/

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

Today's guest is May Boeve, Executive Director & Co-Founder of 350.org.

We have a great discussion in this episode about May's roots in activism and in fighting to combat global warming, where that came from, how it came about, and how her thinking on these topics has evolved over the past decade. We also talk about the current state of affairs in the climate movement and in the world, where we need to go, and what are some of the things that can be most impactful for helping us get there. Enjoy the show! 

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• What is 350.org and its mission?
• May’s early experience in activism at Middlebury College.
• How the climate crisis and the movement to address has changed over the past decade.
• The intersectionality of climate change with other social ills.
• The silver-lining of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of global attention on a singular problem.
• How 350.org’s focus has centered on divestment from fossil fuel companies.
• The role of 350.org, its team and its volunteers play in its activism.
• Why the climate risk to financial markets represents an opportunity to advance the goals of a “just transition.”
• How clean energy can be a solution to “energy poverty.”
• Why the transition of the fossil fuel industry to clean energy is not enough to reverse the damage the industry inflicts on the world.
• Divestment in fossil fuel companies vs. engagement.
• Why the fossil fuel industry is a dishonest broker and unreliable partner in addressing climate change.
• Solutions that excite and give May hope.
• How the focus of 350 has been influenced by the recent tension and movement for racial justice.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• 350.org: https://350.org/
• “Just Transition”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Transition
• “Energy Poverty”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_poverty
• Belt and Road Initiative: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative
• Bill McKibben’s pieces in Rolling Stone Magazine: https://www.rollingstone.com/author/bill-mckibben/
• As You Sew: https://www.asyousow.org/
• “Two-Year Long Investigation: What Exxon Knew About Climate Change” (Columbia Journalism School): https://journalism.columbia.edu/two-year-long-investigation-what-exxon-knew-about-climate-change
• The Solutions Project: https://thesolutionsproject.org/
• Overton Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

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
• Visit mcj.vc
• Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter

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

Today's guest is Phil Bredesen, Former Governor of Tennessee.

This is a fascinating discussion because I haven't come across many people who have made the transition from entrepreneurship to politics back to entrepreneurship. But Governor Bredesen has danced back and forth in both of these areas quite successfully over a long illustrious career. We also have a great discussion about climate change, its impact, the best path forward and what levers we've got to solve it. And which ones governor Bredesen is most excited about. Enjoy the show! 

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• His motivation for getting involved in climate change
• How his interest in climate evolved from his upbringing and his tenure as governor working on conservation
• His realization that solar was more than just a source of renewable energy
• How electrical generation and transportation represent the lowest-hanging and largest GHG-reduction opportunity
• The mission behind founding Clearloop
• His thoughts on the role of the private sector in addressing the emissions crisis
• His career beginning as a healthcare entrepreneur to politics
• His founding of Silicon Ranch, the company’s mission and the interests of its customers
• What he saw as being broken in the landscape of offset solutions
• How attempting to address climate change with lifestyle changes is an uphill battle
• How improving battery storage and nuclear represent impactful solutions to climate
• His skepticism that a price on carbon will make a measurable difference
• The role of government in addressing climate change
• The need to frame the benefits of renewables and clean technologies
• How the Manhattan Project analogy is not appropriate given what needs to happen with climate
• Why he views the Green New Deal as impracticable

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Silicon Ranch: https://www.siliconranch.com/
• Clearloop: https://clearloop.us/
• Green New Deal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_New_Deal
• “Disarming ourselves in the fight against climate change”: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/disarming-ourselves-fight-against-climate-change

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

In today’s episode, we cover:

• The benefits of partnering with MIT in founding The Engine
• The mission and vision of The Engine
• The Engine’s focus on “tough tech” and the role it plays as a backer of it
• How The Engine compares with a typical VC firm and important differences that makes it unique
• How Katie landed at The Engine after a long career in technology and investing
• The role MIT plays at The Engine
• The relationship between The Engine and its portfolio companies
• The cross-functional resources The Engine brings to bear on behalf of its companies
• Katie’s perspective on balancing investor returns and organizational mission
• The criteria The Engine uses in selecting companies in which to invest
• How VC has become more MBA-driven than science-driven and the neglect of “tough tech”
• The biggest gap in the financing landscape for “tough tech”
• The overlap between The Engine’s style of investing and the style popularized on Sand Hill Road
• What The Engine’s LPs think of the incubator’s hybrid impact and returns mission
• What Katie thinks of “impact investing”
• How Katie would allocate a $100B to deliver impact
• The durability of “tough tech”

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• The Engine: https://www.engine.xyz/
• Public Benefit Corporation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-benefit_corporation
• Blended Finance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_finance

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
• Visit mcj.vc
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today's guest is Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University.

We also talk a lot about climate change, how to think about the problem, the path forward, and most importantly how Rebecca came to be doing this work to begin with. She has a fascinating journey, and I know it was helpful for me as I'm navigating my own journey. I hope you find it helpful too. Enjoy the show! 

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Her work at the Harvard Business School
• Her journey to research climate change and studying purpose-driven organizations
• Her latest book, “Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire”
• The genesis of her focus on climate change
• Her work setting up the first course on sustainability at MIT
• Her initial perspective that climate change is fixable and that business would be central to the solutions
• How her views have changed since she first studied climate change
• Why a price on carbon has not manifested
• How the political dynamics and rampant denialism were unexpected barriers to a price on carbon
• Her findings on the role of entrepreneurship, anti-trust and initial government demand in the progress of innovation
• How carbon pricing has affected other countries
• Optimism for policy opportunities to price and tax carbon
• How job creation and credits can make a price on carbon more politically palatable
• How the dominance of passive investing has contributed to more sustainable-focused investments
• How individual behavior and consumption habits will have to change to respond to climate change
• The role of fossil fuel companies in addressing climate change
• The strategy of engagement versus divestment to influence corporations’ response to climate
• How capitalism has become a “master” instead of a “servant” to delivering progress
• Her views on the Green New Deal
• Her assessment of the partisan and social divide when it comes to taking action on climate change
• How climate education and political lobbying represent critical levers to moving the needle on climate change

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• “Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire” : https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rebecca-henderson/reimagining-capitalism-in-a-world-on-fire/9781541730151
• Prof. Henderson’s Faculty Page: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=12345
• “Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors”: https://www.nber.org/papers/w16529
• Harvard University’s Climate Action Plan: https://green.harvard.edu/campaign/harvards-climate-action-plan
• Iberdrola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberdrola
• Enel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enel
• Shell’s net-zero announcement: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/16/shell-unveils-plans-to-become-net-zero-carbon-company-by-2050

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
• Visit mcj.vc
• Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter

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

Today's guest is Maggie Thomas, Political Director of Evergreen Action.

I was very excited for this discussion, as Maggie is deep in climate policy and has done so on behalf of campaigns that have arguably the best climate policy around. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including the key tenants of the Inslee policy plan, what it was like to be a part of the Inslee campaign and the Warren campaign, and where we find ourselves in this pivotal moment of the clean energy transition. In addition to dissecting the merits of various policy positions, we also discuss what other levers can be most impactful to bringing about the change that we so desperately need. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I suspect you will as well. Enjoy the show! 

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Maggie’s interest in and passion for climate policy
• How Maggie found herself in politics, policy and climate
• Her time and experience as Climate Deputy Director on Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign
• What she learned during the campaign
• What she observed of the landscape of climate stances among the Democratic presidential candidates
• Her transition to the role of Climate Policy Director in Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s campaign
• The founding, mission and work of Evergreen Action
• The need for clear timelines for specific sectors to abandon fossil fuels
• Why clean energy standards are critical for addressing climate change
• Examples of meaningful market incentives
• The importance of climate justice and its part in addressing climate change
• Putting a price on carbon, thoughts on its effectiveness and political feasibility
• The role of the private sector
• The role of nuclear power as a solution
• Why Maggie feels natural gas has no role in a clean energy future
• Whether bipartisan support is needed to make progress on climate change
• What she recommends a potential Biden Administration do to address climate change

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Evergreen Action: https://evergreenaction.com/
• NextGen America: https://nextgenamerica.org/
• “The US can reach 90 percent clean electricity by 2035, dependably and without increasing consumer bills”: https://gspp.berkeley.edu/news/news-center/the-us-can-reach-90-percent-clean-electricity-by-2035-dependably-and-without-increasing-consumer-bills
• “A Clean Jumpstart for America”: https://www.dataforprogress.org/clean-jumpstart

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
• Visit mcj.vc
• Subscribe to the MCJ Newsletter

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