Reversing Climate Change
Focused on people & organizations coming together to reverse climate change
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On this bonus episode of *Reversing Climate Change*, Nori CEO Paul Gambill and Director of Corporate Development Alexsandra Guerra join Ross to talk about the $4M seed round Nori just closed, what that means for the company, and how hiring will proceed. Tune in to learn more about Nori careers and what is happening at the company. *Resources:* Coverage of Nori's round in TechCrunch and GeekWire The Medium post Paul wrote about Nori's round The Nori Careers page --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeChasing a Job with Purpose (in carbon removal)—w/ Heidi Lim, Chief of Staff at Opus 12
How are you spending your time? Is it aligned with what you genuinely care about? In 2018, Heidi Lim quit her role in enterprise software to solve climate change full-time. What steps did she take to identify a new, purpose-driven path and then land a role in carbon removal? Heidi is the Chief of Staff at *Opus 12*, a company working to recycle CO2 into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels, and the author of two popular Medium articles, *‘We Need to Talk About Carbon Removal’* and *‘Chasing a Job with Purpose’**.* On this episode of *Reversing Climate Change*, Heidi joins Ross to walk us through her process for finding meaningful work, explaining what inspired her to pursue a role in the carbon removal space. Heidi shares her strategies for figuring out what kind of purposeful work you want to pursue, challenging us to reach out to people on paths we’re interested in and embed ourselves in communities with likeminded individuals. Listen in for Heidi’s insight on turning content creation into career opportunities and learn how to plant the seeds that will lead to your dream role. *Resources:* *‘Chasing a Job with Purpose’ by Heidi Lim* *‘We Need to Talk About Carbon Removal’ by Heidi Lim* *Heidi on Instagram* *Veg T-Rex on Instagram* *Heidi on Twitter* *AirMiners* *Apply to Join AirMiners Slack* *Opus 12* *My Climate Journey* *APIENC* *After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration** by Holly Jean Buck* *Carbon180* *Holly Jean Buck on Reversing Climate Change EP103* *Holly Jean Buck on Reversing Climate Change S2 Bonus Episode* *We Are Climate Designers: The Podcast* *Climatebase* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeKiss the Ground doc live on Netflix!—w/ Gabe Brown, regenerative farmer and rancher
Nature is self-organizing, self-regulating, and self-healing. And if we follow her patterns, we can heal our ecosystem, produce better quality food, and more profitable farms and ranches. So, what does it look like when we adopt regenerative agricultural practices that work with nature’s principles? And what can we do to support the farmers and ranchers who understand the relationship between carbon and soil health? Farmer, rancher and soil health pioneer Gabe Brown is the bestselling author of *Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture* , and his work is featured in the new Netflix documentary, *Kiss the Ground*. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Gabe joins Ross and Christophe to explain what inspired his own transition to regenerative agricultural practices and how he works with farmers and ranchers, using the context and tools available to move them down a regenerative path. Gabe walks us through the six principles of how nature functions, describing how we can work with nature to heal our ecosystem and why we all benefit from a shift from monoculture to polyculture. Listen in for Gabe’s insight on how a farmer or rancher’s profitability depends on carbon and learn how you can vote with your consumer dollars to promote regenerative agricultural practices. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeThe Electric Election 2020 Roadtrip w/ Benji Backer of The Conservation Coalition
*Reversing Climate Change *alumnus and founder and president of the American Conservation Coalition, Benji Backer, returns to the show to tell us about The Conservation Coalition's new multimedia project, The Electric Election Roadtrip 2020. Benji and his team are traveling the country in a Tesla X to investigate the multiple overlapping climate solutions being developed. You can follow the show and its video on Facebook, TCC's website, or the podcast via audio in your podcast app of choice. *Resources:* The Electric Election 2020 Roadtrip website American Conservation Coalition's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, website The Conservation Coalition website, and Twitter Benji Backer's Twitter The Trump panel with scientists referenced in this episode --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episode“We have not settled America. We have colonized America. Now, we’ve got to figure out … how to actually *live* here. How are we going to move forward? Everybody needs to be an agrarian now.” — Mary Berry We live in a culture that pushes us to keep moving. Obsessed with upward mobility, we keep searching for something more. But this ‘problem of mobility’ robs us of the opportunity to belong to a place. To develop deep cultural ties with the land and each other. And Mary Berry contends that this disconnection and lack of community is the source of many of our problems here in the US. Mary Berry is the Executive Director of *The Berry Center*, a nonprofit that advocates for farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies. On this episode of *Reversing Climate Change*, Mary joins Ross to explain how her family’s history as part of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative inspired her to build The Berry Center and describe how the Burley Tobacco program’s principles are at work in her team’s *Our Home Place Meat* initiative. Mary offers insight around the value of belonging to a place we love, discussing what it means to be part of a community and why we need to initiate small solutions locally—rather than waiting for one big policy or program to save us. Listen in to understand Mary’s argument against our current economy and learn how The Berry Center’s work goes beyond agriculture to foster cultural change. *Resources* *Nori* *The Berry Center* *The Berry Center on Facebook* Call (502) 845-9200 *Agrarian Culture Center & Bookstore* *Our Home Place Meat* *Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association* *Wendell Berry Farming Program at Sterling College* *Wes Jackson* *Nick Offerman* *Becoming Native to This Place **by Wes Jackson* *Gary Snyder* *Jayber Crow **by Wendell Berry* *Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community **by Robert D. Putnam* *Wendell Berry’s Port William Novels* *The World-Ending Fire **by Wendell Berry* *Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television **by Jerry Mander* *50-Year Farm Bill* *Organic Valley Dairy Cooperative* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeRegardless of where you stand on the ethics of eating meat, the fact is, it’s a big part of the climate math. It provokes strong feelings all around, some of which may be contradictory within one’s self. And so much of the climate analysis is dependent upon how the animals were raised, marketed, and so on. It’s hard to speak (at least for some) with crisp lines. In this episode we wade into these details. Jonathan Safran Foer is the bestselling author of *Eating Animals*,* Everything Is Illuminated*, *Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close*, and *We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast*. Today, Jonathan joins Ross to describe his relationship with meat, explaining what inspired him to become a vegetarian at the age of nine and why he is willing to admit to moral failure when he grabs a burger at the airport. Jonathan shares his proposal for reducing our meat consumption as posited in *We Are the Weather*, weighing in on why it’s dangerous to make our food choices such a big part of our identity. Listen in for Jonathan’s insight on what makes climate change such a difficult story to tell and learn why Jonathan thinks reserving meat for dinner is a productive form of climate activism. *Resources:* *We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast **by Jonathan Safran Foer* *The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals **by Michael Pollan* *‘Options for Keeping the Food System Within Environmental Limits’ in * *Nature* *Bill Niman* *Wendell Berry* *Kate Knibbs on Reversing Climate Change S2EP12* *The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming **by David Wallace-Wells* *Learning to Die in the Anthropocene **by Roy Scranton* *Peter Singer* *Purchase Nori Carbon Removals* *Nori* *Nori on Twitter* *Nori on Patreon* Email *podcast@nori.com* *Carbon Removal Newsroom* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeHow many jobs will a direct air capture industry create?—w/ John Larsen of Rhodium Group
Direct air capture or DAC is one of the many strategies we need to employ to achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. So, how do we scale up the DAC industry to capture the hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 we need to remove from the atmosphere? And what would that kind of growth mean in terms of business opportunities and job creation? John Larsen is a Director at Rhodium Group, an independent research firm that analyzes global disruptive trends. He leads the firm’s US power sector and energy systems research, specializing in the analysis of clean energy policy and market trends. Today, John joins Ross, Christophe, and Aldyen to discuss his team’s most recent report and associated webinar, Capturing New Jobs and New Business: Growth Opportunities from Direct Air Capture Scale-Up. John outlines the policy recommendations he suggests to ramp up the construction of DAC plants, offering insight around potential government subsidies for decarbonization and sharing what policy solutions work (and which ones don’t). Listen in as John explores the clean tech innovations he finds interesting and introduces us to the most promising commercialization pathways for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050! *Resources:* *Rhodium Group* *John at Rhodium Group* *Capturing New Jobs and New Business: Growth Opportunities from Direct Air Capture Scale-Up* *Capturing Leadership: Policies for the US to Advance Direct Air Capture Technology* *45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Sequestration* *California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard* *The DOD’s Plan to Produce Jet Fuel from Seawater on Aircraft Carriers* *Klaus Lackner at Arizona State University* *Purchase Nori Carbon Removals* *Nori* *Nori on Twitter* *Nori on Medium* *Nori on YouTube* *Nori on Patreon* *Nori Newsletter* Email *podcast@nori.com* *Subscribe on iTunes* *Carbon Removal Newsroom* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeAre grasslands overshadowed by charismatic megaflora?—w/ Chris Kerston of Savory Institute
Ranching has been vilified as a major contributor to climate change. But what if it’s not the cow but the HOW? The fact is, animals have always lived and grazed on grasslands, and when we leverage regenerative grazing to raise livestock, we can rebuild the soil and sequester carbon in the grass and soil, sourcing materials like leather, fiber, and meat in a more responsible way. Chris Kerston is the Chief Commercial Officer of the Land to Market Program at the Savory Institute, a nonprofit working to regenerate the world’s grasslands through Holistic Management. Today, Chris joins Ross to explain how the Savory Institute promotes regenerative grazing and share their vision of a future where farmers and ranchers work together. Chris walks us through the Land to Market program’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol, describing why they measure a breadth of ecosystem services versus sequestered carbon alone. Listen in to understand how Savory is supporting brands like Timberland and learn how the Land to Market Program can help us make more informed choices about what we consume. *Resources:* *Nori on Patreon* *Savory Institute* *Chris at Savory Institute* *Savory’s Land to Market Program* *Kiss the Ground* *Savory’s Partnership with Timberland* *Diana Rodgers* *Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat: Why Well-Raised Meat is Good for You and Good for the Planet **by Diana Rodgers and Robb Wolf* *Peter Donovan at the Soil Carbon Coalition* *The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity **by John Mackey, Alona Pulde, MD, and Matthew Lederman MD* *Joel Salatin* *Will Harris* *Gabe Brown* *The Nature Conservancy* *Savory’s Land to Market Brand Partners* *Leather Working Group* *Wendell Berry* *Purchase Nori Carbon Removals* *Nori* *Nori on Facebook* *Nori on Twitter* *Nori on Medium* *Nori Newsletter* Email *podcast@nori.com* *Subscribe on iTunes* *Carbon Removal Newsroom* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeHow to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers—w/ Dr. Scott H. Moore, author
We live in a point-and-click society where labor is seen as something to overcome. But what if we’ve got it wrong? Philosopher turned farmer *Dr. Scott H. Moore* contends that entertainment doesn’t have to be passive. In fact, activities like reading Dante, growing tomatoes or fixing our own plumbing can bring us a lot of joy and satisfaction—and maybe even transform the way we see the world. Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Great Texts at Baylor University and the author of *How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers*. Today, Dr. Moore joins Ross to discuss the connections among philosophy, the Classics, theology and farming, explaining how Wendell Berry inspired his decision to become a farmer, and exploring how great works like Dante’s *Divine Comedy *remain relevant in modern life. Dr. Moore challenges us to rethink our notion of labor, describing the rewards of problem-solving with our hands and engaging in activities like gardening or woodworking—as opposed to just buying the things we want. Listen in for Dr. Moore’s insight on making leisure more intentional and learn how Christian thought and the Classics can help us cultivate a sense of gratitude and initiate meaningful conversations about what really matters. *Resources:* *Dr. Moore at Baylor University* *How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers **by Scott H. Moore* *Books by Wendell Berry* *The Divine Comedy Volume I: Inferno **by Dante Alighieri, translated by Mark Musa* *The Great Courses: Dante’s **Divine Comedy* *The Problem of Pain **by C.S. Lewis* *Nick Offerman* *Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop **by Nick Offerman* *The Unsettling of America **by Wendell Berry, narrated by Nick Offerman* *Joel Salatin on Reversing Climate Change EP072* *Quill Robinson on Reversing Climate Change S2EP18* *Leisure: The Basis of Culture **by Josef Pieper* *Books by Gregory A. Boyd* *Books by David Bentley Hart* *G.K. Chesterton* Sorry, ran out of space! Will update these notes with the full list when room is expanded. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
Listen to the episodeThe DAC-up plan for climate change—w/ Dr. Jen Wilcox of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
There is a temptation to believe that science and technology will save us from climate change, while we continue business as usual. But we have already emitted huge levels of CO2 into the atmosphere, and it’s going to take both carbon capture at the source and direct air capture (DAC) from ambient air to make a dent in the record atmospheric concentration of 415ppm we hit in 2019. *Dr. Jennifer Wilcox* is the James H. Manning Chaired Professor of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the author of the *first textbook on carbon capture*. Today, Dr. Wilcox joins Ross and Christophe to discuss the distinction between carbon capture in general and direct air capture specifically and explain why we need both strategies to succeed in reversing climate change. Dr. Wilcox goes on to describe the two leading DAC technologies, solvents and solid sorbents, sharing how we might decide where to build plants and what tech to use in a given situation. Listen in for Dr. Wilcox’s insight on conducting a techno-economic assessment on systems that have yet to be deployed and learn how you can get involved in the ongoing advancement of carbon management. *Resources:* *Nori on Patreon* *Nori on Twitter* *Purchase Nori Carbon Removals* *Nori* *Dr. Wilcox on Twitter* *Dr. Wilcox on Google Scholar* *Dr. Wilcox’s TED Talk* *David Biello at TED* *‘Cost Analysis of Carbon Capture and Sequestration of Process Emissions from the US Industrial Sector’ in **Environmental Science & Technology* *‘Cost Analysis of Carbon Capture and Sequestration from US Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants’ in **Environmental Science & Technology* *‘Cost Analysis of Direct Air Capture and Sequestration Coupled to Low-Carbon Thermal Energy in the United States’ in **Environmental Science & Technology* *Carbfix* *Sherwood’s Rule* *Climeworks* *Petra Nova* *Carbon Engineering* *Global Thermostat* *American Physical Society 2011 Report* *Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy* *Books by Wendell Berry* *Charles Eisenstein* --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reversingclimatechange/support
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