Today’s guest is Professor Sam Fankhauser, Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and Director of the ESRC-funded Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, both at The London School of Economics and Political Science.

He is also an Associate Director at economics consultancy Vivid Economics and a Non-Executive Director of CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution.

Previously, Sam worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility. From 2008 to 2016 he was a member of the UK Committee on Climate Change.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview of Grantham Research Institute
• Nature of the research they do
• 'When and why Sam came to care about the environment'
• How urgent Sam thinks the problem is
• How settled is the science?
• 'Some causes for optimism
• Public perception in US vs Europe
• Committee on Climate Change (CCC)
• 'Free markets vs regulation
• 'Should we price carbon?
• The inequity of climate change
• Where Sam would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fight
• Sam’s advice for others looking to find their lane

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Grantham Institute: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/
• Committee on Climate Change: https://www.theccc.org.uk/
• Negative emissions technologies: https://qz.com/1416481/the-ultimate-guide-to-negative-emission-technologies/

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Dr. Julio Friedmann, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

Dr. Friedmann recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy where he was responsible for DOE’s R&D program in advanced fossil energy systems, carbon capture, and storage (CCS), CO2 utilization, and clean coal deployment. His expertise includes Large-Scale Carbon Management, CO2 removal, CO2 recycling, Oil and Gas systems, international engagements in clean fossil energy, and inter-agency engagements within the US government. He has also held positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including Senior Advisor for Energy Innovation and Chief Energy Technologist. He is also the CEO of Carbon Wrangler, LLC, is a Distinguished Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative, and serves as a special advisor to the Global CCS Institute. He was recently named as a Senior Fellow to the Breakthrough Institute and the Climate Leadership Council.

Dr. Friedmann is one of the most widely known and authoritative experts in the U.S. on carbon removal (CO2 drawdown from the air and oceans), CO2 conversion and use (carbon-to-value), and carbon capture and sequestration. His expertise includes technology, policy, and operations. In addition to close partnerships with many private companies and NGOs, Julio has worked with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Treasury.

Dr. Friedmann received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of Southern California. He worked for five years as a senior research scientist at ExxonMobil, then as a research scientist at the University of Maryland. He serves as a formal and informal advisor to several clean energy and CarbonTech companies.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Julio’s current work at the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, leading an initiative called the Carbon Mitigation Research Initiative, CAMRI.
• Julio’s prior work, including at places like Lawrence Livermore National Lab, DOE, and ExxonMobil.
• When Julio started caring about climate change, how that came about, and how his thinking on the problem has evolved over the years.
• What culpability the fossil fuel industry has, and their role in the climate fight looking forwards.
• Julio’s current work in emissions-heavy industries.
• The role of government.
• The role of carbon capture, and best ways to accelerate.
• The importance of prioritization, based on big levers but also on what’s doable.
• The role of consumers.
• How Julio would allocate a big pot of money to maximize its impact in the climate fight
• Julio’s advice for the most important things you and I can do to help.

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Dr. Julio Friedmann bio: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/dr-julio-friedmann
• Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy: https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/
• Mr. Peabody and Sherman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Peabody_%26_Sherman
• Lee Raymond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Raymond
• Stratigraphy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratigraphy
• Lawrence Livermore National Lab: https://www.llnl.gov/
• DOE: https://www.energy.gov/
• Ernie Moniz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Moniz
• Office of Fossil Energy: https://www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energy
• Jonathan Pershing: https://hewlett.org/people/jonathan-pershing/
• Melanie Kenderdine: https://www.energy.gov/policy/contributors/melanie-kenderdine
• Howard Gruenspecht: https://www.csis.org/people/howard-gruenspecht
• Hu Jintao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu_Jintao
• Xi Jinping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping
• Vaclav Smil: http://vaclavsmil.com/
• Pete Buttigieg: https://peteforamerica.com/meet-pete/
• Climeworks: https://www.climeworks.com/
• Geoengineering: http://www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/www.geoengineering.ox.ac.uk/what-is-geoengineering/what-is-geoengineering/
• Chemtrails conspiracy theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Ilan Gur, the CEO of Activate and the Founder of Cyclotron Road. Cyclotron Road is an entrepreneurial fellowship program that pairs PhD fellows working on promising scientific breakthroughs with grants that pay their salaries. Access to a bunch of expensive equipment and showers them with mentorship to try to bridge the gap between early academic research that shows great promise and actually turning the corner to become a company. Prior to founding Cyclotron Road, Ilan launched two science-based startups including Seeo, an advanced battery company that was acquired by Bosch in 2015. He was also a program director at ARPA-E. He holds a PhD in material science and engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview and origin story of Activate & Cyclotron Road
• Ilan’s time at ARPA-E and key learnings
• The 3 components of Activate’s entrepreneurial fellowship program
• How it works, application process, etc
• Relationships with corporate partners, government agencies, etc
• How the organization is funded
• Key learnings from initial cohorts
• Expansion plans
• What is missing that would help accelerate their efforts
• How you and I can help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Activate website: https://www.activate.org/
• ARPA-E: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/
• Berkeley Lab: https://www.lbl.gov/
• Opus 12: https://www.opus-12.com/
• DARPA: https://www.darpa.mil/
• Nicole Systrom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschuetz/
• Sanjay Wagle: https://lightsmithgp.com/team/sanjay-wagle/
• David Danielson: http://www.b-t.energy/ventures/team/dave-danielson/
• Raymond Weitekamp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondweitekamp/
• Horst Simon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/horst-simon-6b3417/
• Cheryl Martin: https://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=taxonomy/term/851/all
• Mosaic Materials: https://mosaicmaterials.com/
• Bill McKibben: http://billmckibben.com/
• Al Gore: https://www.algore.com/

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Lara Pierpoint, Director of Technical Strategy at Exelon.

Exelon is America's leading competitive energy provider with one of the cleanest and lowest cost power generation fleets. Its utility serves millions of electric and gas customers. Lara's team is tasked with enhancing Exelon's ability to capitalize on new technology and respond to disruptive innovations. Her expertise is in systems analysis, modeling and policy. And her knowledge is deep in nuclear, gas and electric interface and energy finance as well as widely across the electricity spectrum.

Prior to Exelon, Lara has had a number of different roles. She was Senior Advisor for energy policy and Systems analysis at Department of Energy. She was a AAAS fellow at the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. And she also has her PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT, as well as a Masters in Nuclear Engineering and in Technology and Policy also at MIT, and an undergrad in physics from UCLA. Suffice to say Lara's got a really interesting perspective to talk about everything energy and everything climate change.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview of Exelon and Lara’s role within the company
• Overview of the utilities market, and history of deregulation
• Lara’s career history, and what motivates her to do the work she does
• Deep dive into the technical strategy team, its history within the company, the work they do, and some example projects
• Broader discussion about the optimal energy mix, and the roles of nuclear, renewables, etc
• Some of the headwinds, and the best ways to accelerate the energy transition
• How you and I can help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Exelon: https://www.exeloncorp.com/
• AAAS fellowship program: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships
• US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/
• Volta Energy Technologies: https://plusvolta.com/
• Constellation Technology Ventures: http://technologyventures.constellation.com/
• MIT energy club: https://www.mitenergyclub.org/
• Department of Energy (DOE): https://www.energy.gov/
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): https://www.epri.com/#/?lang=en-US
• Hydrogen electrolyzer: https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-electrolysis

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Shawn Murphy, Founder & CEO of Titan Advanced Energy Solutions.

Titan is an advanced battery management system technology company, which is revolutionizing the renewable space by lowering the cost of lithium ion batteries by at least 30 to 40%, and doubling their expected life.

Titan's technology uses ultrasound to measure and determine the state of health, and state of charge real time and is about 100 times better than the current state of the art. This technology will eventually be implemented in electric vehicles, stationary storage and consumer electronics. Previously, Shawn was the founder and CEO of multiple successful startups, the former head of Space Science and Technology for Draper Labs, and was also the founder and former director of Shell's innovation center called Shell Tech Works.

We have a wide ranging discussion in this episode, including Titan, where it fits in the broader battery landscape, how the battery landscape fits in terms of the grid, and the rise of things like solar and wind, and also how to think about all this in the context of climate change. We then come back around to have a great discussion on the proper sources of capital for this type of innovation, the role of startups versus incumbents, and of course, the underlying motivators that make Shawn get out of bed every day and give him purpose in his work.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview of Titan Advanced Energy Solutions
• Shawn’s background leading up to starting the company, including at Draper Labs, Shell, and several startups
• Titan founding story, long vision, traction to date, and next steps
• How Titan’s product fits into broader climate fight, and what success looks like at scale
• What else can be high impact in climate fight
• Shawn’s advice for how you and I can help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Titan’s website: https://www.titanaes.com/
• Greentown Labs: https://www.greentownlabs.com/
• Shell TechWorks: https://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/innovating-together/shell-techworks.html
• Second-life EV batteries: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/second-life-ev-batteries-the-newest-value-pool-in-energy-storage
• MassCEC: https://www.masscec.com/
• Energy Innovation Capital: http://energyinnovationcapital.com/
• Schneider Electric: https://www.se.com/us/en/

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 David Burt, the CEO and Founder of DeltaTerra Capital and the lead Portfolio Manager for DeltaTerra funds. DeltaTerra provides proprietary financial models, customized portfolio analysis, and unique hedging strategies that enable highly informed climate risk management for asset owners and investors.

Before founding DeltaTerra, David was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Wellington Management Company. Prior to Wellington, he built investment processes at BlueMountain Capital, AlderTree Capital (a 2006 startup he founded to bet against the mortgage credit bubble), BlackRock Financial Management, and State Street Research and Management. He began his career as a Real Estate Economist at Property & Portfolio Research, Inc. David has spent 22 years applying his imagination, synthesis talents, and quantitative skills to help institutional investors get the most out of their real estate and structured finance investments. David has been a CFA charter holder since 2002 and received a BS in Mathematics, with a minor in Economics, from MIT in 1997.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview of DeltaTerra Capital
• Dave’s background, and what led him to identifying this opportunity and pursuing it
• Dave’s role in the mortgage backed securities market and The Big Short.
• How Dave thinks about purpose and where hedge funds fit in
• The importance of investing in the clean energy transition, and Dave’s bet for what will accelerate that transition the most
• How much exposure asset owners and investors have to climate risk, and in what forms
• How DeltaTerra will help, the business model, and the types of clients it will serve
• What else will help facilitate this transition, beyond DeltaTerra’s work

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• DeltaTerra Capital: https://deltaterracapital.com/about
• The Big Short: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Short_(film)
• mortgage backed securities: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mbs.asp
• Blackrock: https://www.blackrock.com/
• Wellington Management: https://www.wellington.com/en/
• Fannie Mae: https://www.fanniemae.com/portal/index.html'
• Freddie Mac: http://www.freddiemac.com/

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Melinda Hanson, Head of Sustainability at Bird, a micromobility company based in Santa Monica, CA. Founded in September 2017, Bird operates shared electric scooters in over 100 cities in Europe, the Middle East, and North America, with 10 million rides in its first year of operation.

Melinda joined Bird from the National Association of City Transportation Officials, where she served as deputy director of NACTO's international programs. Before that, Melinda was a consultant for the Asian Development Bank, helping design and implement public transit projects in Pakistan and the Philippines. Earlier in her career, she was a founding staff member of the ClimateWorks Foundation where she managed the sustainable transport portfolio.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• An overview of Bird
• How Melinda became interested in sustainability and micromobility
• Car culture, and some of the challenges inhibiting cities from changing
• The rise of e-scooters (and why)
• How Bird is different, relative to competition
• Melinda’s charter as head of sustainability
• Their progress to-date, and some examples of key learnings
• The value prop Bird offers to cities, and how the cities tend to evaluate the decision'
• Some barriers inhibiting progress, and the most impactful things that could change to accelerate their efforts
• What success looks like at Bird, from a sustainability standpoint
• What else matters in the climate fight
• Melinda’s advice for others trying to figure out how to help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Bird: https://www.bird.co/
• Melinda’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-hanson-6384912/
• ClimateWorks Foundation: https://www.climateworks.org/
• Barr Foundation: https://www.barrfoundation.org/
• Travis VanderZanden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis1/
• NYC’s Green Wave Plan: https://ny.curbed.com/2019/8/19/20812178/regional-planning-association-rpa-protected-bike-lane
• Quick Builds for Better Streets: https://b.3cdn.net/bikes/675cdae66d727f8833_kzm6ikutu.pdf

You can find me on twitter at @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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Ken Kimmell, President of Union of Concerned Scientists, a leading science-based nonprofit that combines the knowledge and influence of the scientific community with the passion of concerned citizens to build a healthy planet and a safer world.

Ken has more than 30 years of experience in government, environmental policy, and advocacy. He is a national advocate for clean energy and transportation policies and a driving force behind UCS’s “Power Ahead” campaign to build a large and diverse group of clean energy leadership states. Ken served on the Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth, which advised Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s administration on future transportation needs and challenges. Ken was one of 18 members the governor appointed to the panel charged with looking at five areas anticipated to have a dramatic impact on transportation: climate and resiliency, transportation electrification, autonomous and connected vehicles, transit and mobility services, and land use and demographic trends.

Prior to joining UCS in May 2014, Ken was the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), an agency with a $100 million budget and 800 employees, including a large staff of scientists and engineers. As commissioner, he also served as chairman of the board of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, helping to prod the nine member states to reduce power plant carbon emissions by almost 50 percent through 2020, reducing emissions in the region by some 90 million tons.

Ken has also served as general counsel at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, and spent 17 years as the director and senior attorney at a Boston-based law firm specializing in environmental, energy, and land-use issues.

Ken decided to focus his legal work on environmental issues after clerking for the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, where he assisted a judge in a case involving the health effects of Agent Orange. Originally from New York, he earned his bachelor’s degree at Wesleyan University and his law degree at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ken has been quoted widely, including by the Associated Press, the Boston Globe, Bloomberg Business, the New York Times and the Washington Post, and has appeared numerous times on E&E TV and National Public Radio.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview and origin story of Union of Concerned Scientists
• Scientists, and their changing views regarding political advocacy
• Nature of UCS work, and some example project
• How UCS selects these projects, and what success looks like
• Details on tactics and execution
• What motivates Ken personally do the work he does
• Ken’s assessment of where we are, and what has gone right and wrong in climate fight
• What gives Ken optimism looking forward
• Role of States vs Federal Government
• Ken’s thoughts on the best way to get meaningful bipartisan legislation done
• Ken’s thoughts on most impactful things that could happen to accelerate progress
• 'How Ken would allocate big pot of $ to maximize it’s impact in climate fight
• Ken’s advice for how you and I can help

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Union of Concerned Scientists website: https://www.ucsusa.org/
• Housing & Economic Recovery Act of 2008: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_and_Economic_Recovery_Act_of_2008
• Los Angeles’ pledge to ban gas-powered cars by 2030: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-mayors-emissions-free-cities-20171023-story.html
• Environmental Voter Project: https://www.environmentalvoter.org/
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: https://www.uschamber.com/
• California’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2050: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-100-percent-clean-energy-20190110-story.html
• Louis Brandeis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Brandeis

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Paulina Jaramillo, Professor, Engineering and Public Policy, & Co-Director, Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Paulina Jaramillo has a bachelor’s in civil and environmental engineering from Florida International University (2003), as well as a master's and PhD in civil and environmental engineering with an emphasis in green design from Carnegie Mellon University (2004 and 2007, respectively). Her past research has focused on life cycle assessment of energy systems with an emphasis on climate change impacts and mitigation research. As a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, she is involved in key multi-disciplinary research projects to better understand the social, economic and environmental implications of energy consumption and the public policy tools that can be used to support sustainable energy development and consumption. She is now the Co-Director of the Green Design Institute and has started pursuing research about infrastructure systems for global development.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• The nature of Dr. Jaramillo’s research, and how she came to focus in the areas she does
• Some of the unique challenges of Africa, in terms of both climate change and energy poverty
• How the work of her students is funded, and from what type of donors
• The criteria that make a project a good focus to take on, and some example projects that her students are currently working on
• How Dr. Jaramillo measures project success
• The role of academic research in broader solution development
• The growing importance and challenges of science communication
• Broader discussion about climate change, where we are, and some of the most impactful potential solution areas
• Dr. Jaramillo’s advice for anyone looking to find their lane in the climate fight

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Dr. Jaramillo bio: https://www.cmu.edu/epp/people/faculty/paulina-jaramillo.html

CMU Africa: https://www.africa.engineering.cmu.edu/

National Science Foundation: https://www.nsf.gov

Mini-grids: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-grids

Diesel generator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_generator

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: https://www.ferc.gov/

Subsistence farming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsistence_agriculture

1.5C IPCC report: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

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.

Enjoy the show!

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 Justin Guay, Director of Global Climate Strategy at Sunrise Project, and organization that grows social movements to drive the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy as fast as possible.

Justin  has a decade of experience in nonprofit advocacy and foundation strategy development, including managing grant making and strategy for global coal campaigns at ClimateWorks Foundation and the Packard Foundation. At the Packard foundation he oversaw a $40 million grant making portfolio across all climate and energy priorities in India, China, the US, the EU and South East Asia. He has also run the Sierra Club’s International Coal Campaign as the Associate Director for the International Climate Program.  The program focused on global efforts to transition energy systems beyond coal to clean energy with a special focus on international finance.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• Overview of Sunrise Project
• Justin’s history pre-Sunrise Project
• When he started caring about climate change, and why
• How his thinking has evolved on the problem from when he started to now
• Goals of Sunrise project and nature of the coal problem
• Where we are with getting off of coal and where we need to get to
• Biggest changes that would accelerate this path
• Biggest hurdles to these coming about and how to help
• Role of CCS, nuclear, etc
• Role of innovation, philanthropy, and policy
• Justin’s advice for others looking to find their lane in the climate fight

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• The Sunrise Project: https://sunriseproject.org.au/
• ClimateWorks Foundation: https://www.climateworks.org/
• Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/
• IPCC 1.5 degree report: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
• Global Energy Monitor: https://globalenergymonitor.org/
• Ohio coal and nuclear bailout: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23072019/ohio-coal-nuclear-bailout-law-signed-cuts-renewable-energy-efficiency-programs-governor-dewine

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.

Enjoy the show!

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