The Net Zero Life

Today on the podcast I'm speaking with Manuel Pinuela, co-founder and CEO of Cultivo. a company focused on unlocking capital to regenerate nature.   Unlocking capital is investment dollars spent on restoring land to its “original” state or at the very least improving its biodiversity through ecosystem growth. Regenerative capital is investment dollars that are put towards improving degraded land and creating improved outcomes for nature. In the episode, we discuss Manuel's lengthy journey to Cultivo, his understanding of land degradation and what can be done about it, and some of the ecosystems he hopes to one day restore. You can keep up with Manuel on LinkedIn and Twitter, and you can follow Cultivo's newest at their aptly named website, cultivo.land. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life onTwitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Today on the podcast we hear from Manik Suri, Founder and CEO of Therma, a technology startup whose mission is to help protect our food, health and planet.  Manik had storied careers as an investment banker working on Wall Street, then as a Harvard trained lawyer working on Capital hill and yet he pivoted from New York and DC to join the ranks of Silicon Valley founders in order to fight climate change. Manik founded Therma in 2019, to eliminate food waste, improve energy efficiency and reduce refrigerant emissions, three critical aspects of a net zero future. If these concepts sound foreign and unrelated to your daily life, fear not we get into them in detail, during the show.  On the flipside, companies you've likely heard of companies that work with Therma to reduce their emissions. Namely, McDonalds, Starbucks, NOW Foods, 7-Eleven and Marriott Hotels. Manik's pivot from a trajectory destined for the met gala to the chewing on glass life as an entrepreneur is one example of many where individuals are making career altering decisions to help move the world closer to net zero emissions. Manik pulls back the curtain on  the “why” behind his move and at the same time this episode puts a spotlight on an emission area that is significantly less well known, “cold chain emissions.” You can keep up with Manik on LinkedIn and Twitter, and you can follow Therma's newest Research and Impact at their website. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life onTwitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Climate change is a relatively new science. The impacts of that scientific research can have massive impacts on how governments, companies, and even individuals can think about their role in preventing climate change. Yet distilling that knowledge requires a pair of skills few people have: first, the ability to comprehend the science and second, the skills to distill it to an understandable level for a non-expert. Our guest today, Dr. Akshat Rathi, Senior Report for Climate at Bloomberg News, has made it his mission to do just that. Through his weekly newsletter and podcasts, Akshat covers physical and human solutions to the challenge of a global net zero transition. He is careful to cover the companies and people who are making a real impact. During the episode we discuss Akshat's unique pivot from a PHD in Organic Chemistry  to journalism, his keys to writing accurate and accessible climate coverage, and how he measures the impact of his work on his readers and listeners. You can keep up with Akshat on LinkedIn and Twitter, and you can find his work in his newsletter and podcast. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

As part of the flow of capital in investments such as stocks and bonds, investment vehicles are rated by trusted services to help investors make informed decisions. This creates more opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs by encouraging more capital flowing across global financial markets. The same must happen to carbon markets to build a net zero future, and today I'm speaking with Ted Christie Miller, Head of Carbon removal at BeZero Carbon, about the role of Global Carbon Ratings and how they facilitate greater trust and transparency in carbon markets.  To close any remaining gap between emission reductions and a net zero future, we need to build a massive carbon market. According to the IPCC, we need to be sequestering as much as 10 BILLION tons of CO2 across the globe by 2050 to reach net zero. And the key ingredient to expand these voluntary and regulatory carbon markets from millions to billions of tons is trust.  Companies, governments, and even individuals need to trust that their carbon credit, offset, or removal purchases are accomplishing the thing they claim to do: namely, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Our guest today, Ted Christie Miller, is an expert in carbon removal and carbon markets. He is currently the Head of Carbon Removal at BeZero Carbon where he leads research, ratings and partnerships team for engineered carbon removal for the BeZero Carbon Markets platform. The Be Zero Markets Platform grades carbon offset and removal projects on their likeliness to reduce emissions. This streamlines companies and governments decisions as they look to reduce their carbon output outside their operations. You can keep up with Ted on LinkedIn and Twitter, and you can check out BeZero Carbon on Twitter for updates on their work. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other show notes:  Ted's Suggested Readings Net Zero: How We Stop Causing Climate Change by Dieter Helm Climate Change and the Nation State: The Case for Nationalism in a Warming World by Anatol Lieven Business Green Carbon Brief NoahPinion (Noah Smith on Substack) Ted's Suggested People/Companies to Check Out Richard Howard Na'im Merchant Joss Garman Open Air Planetary Tech Captura

In the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden asked energy companies to pump more oil, drill more wells and overall increase fossil fuel production at the behest of the American public.  Energy companies have built the existing infrastructure, provided critical resources, including meeting energy demand, and they want to protect what they built. At times that has come at a cost to the climate, the speed at which we will achieve net zero emissions, and public trust.  Nonetheless it's important to identify good partners, and today's guest, Bryan Trudel is one of those partners. Bryan is the CFO and Co-founder of Avatar Innovations, a venture studio focused on energy innovation towards net zero. Reality has moved the goalposts for energy companies, and now they have to focus on a net zero future—both to save the planet and to make a profit. In service of this vision, Avatar incubates new energy companies that include net zero in their strategic business plan. On today's episode, we discuss how and why he got to this point, as well as how his work is helping change the minds of other players in the energy space in the episode. You can keep up with Bryan on LinkedIn and follow Avatar on Instagram for updates on their work. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other show notes:  Bryan's Suggested Readings How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz Arc Energy Ideas Podcast

Three and a bit seasons into The Net Zero Life we finally have  our first climate scientist on the pod. Today on the podcast we hear from Professor Kimberly Nicholas from Lund University on perspectives from a climate scientist. In conjunction with her research in sustainability, Kimberly is the author of the book Under the Sky we Make, and We Can Fix It, a monthly newsletter informing individuals on how to deliver the impacts humanity needs to reach net zero emissions. Kimberly began her study of climate science and the impacts of human induced climate change on the environment in 2003 when, in her words, climate change was a problem for future generations. In the nearly 20 years since, she has navigated both a warming world and new expectations for academics. Where previously, Kimberly and her peers solely communicated among themselves, they no longer have that luxury. Confronted with the current impacts of climate change, communicating her research with diverse groups of stakeholders is just another part of Kimberly's job as a sustainability expert.  She has published over 55 articles on climate and sustainability in leading peer-reviewed journals; writes for publications such as Elle, The Guardian, Scientific American, and New Scientist. In her book, Under the Sky We Make, Kimberly navigates this new world, writing for academics and consumers alike . You can keep up with Kimberly on Twitter, @KA_Nicholas. Sign up for her monthly newsletter We Can Fix It here and buy her book Under The Sky We Make here. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other show notes:  Kimberly's Suggested Readings New York 2140 and The Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson  Global Warming's Terrifying New Math by Bill Mckibben | Rolling Stone Kimberly's Suggested Organizations to Check Out Climate Outreach Yale Center for Climate Communications 350.org Climate Action Network

In the fight to ensure we maintain livable conditions on this planet, carbon gets most of the spotlight, however water is the key ingredient that enables life on this beautiful world. And yet, according to the World Health Organization, 2 BILLION people don't have access to clean drinking water at their home. We've covered this topic in light detail with Andrea Johnson of Green Empowerment, but today on the show, I'm speaking with Neil Grimmer about water and how ensuring every person has access to clean water is a massive part of a net zero future.   Imagine you live in a desert, off the grid, and not connected to a public source of water. Instead of walking or driving miles to the neatest water source, you can use Hydropanels, to collect water out of the air right outside your house. This is one of Source Global's many projects, and the one we're going to talk about with Neil.   As co-founder and CEO of Plum Organics, Neil built one of the fastest-growing organic food brands in the U.S. and revolutionized a dormant and commoditized category. In 2013, he sold PlumOrganics to Campbell Soup Company, where he served as a senior executive for more than five years. You can keep up with Neil on LinkedIn and at https://www.source.co/.   Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.   Other show notes:  Neil's Suggested Readings Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc. by Gary Erickson Neil's Suggested Organizations to Check Out Taxa Outdoors

Today on the show we have Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of the most important carbon recycling company in climate tech, LanzaTech. LanzaTech takes CO2 and turns it into useful materials like clothing (think Zara), jet fuel (sustainable aviation fuel), and shoes (including with the popular Swiss shoe company On).  Climate tech companies like LanzaTech often have two distinct types of problems to solve: physical and financial. We've covered a range of physical hurdles climate tech companies face on the show previously, but for the first time on the net zero life we cover the financial hurdles. That's what makes this episode so special and why LanzaTech's $500M capital raise is so important. Because they are in the midst of crossing that financial valley of death and if they succeed, they will build the path for others to follow. Jennifer was the first woman awarded the Malcolm E. Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical Research . In 2010, she was the recipient of the Leadership Award from the Civil Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative for her work in establishing the technical and commercial viability of sustainable aviation biofuels. Jennifer currently serves on the board of The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Biofuels Advisory Committee. She holds a B.Sc. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a MBA from the University of Chicago. You can keep up with Jennifer on Twitter, @TodaDogs and LanzaTech too, @LanzaTech. If you prefer email, you can reach Jennifer at Jennifer@lanzatech.com, and you can keep up with everything LanzaTech at LanzaTech.com.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other show notes:  1491 - Charles C. Mann Sir David King Solyndra Cradle to Cradle - William (Bill) McDonough

A few years ago, Hal Harvey, an acclaimed energy advisor and Justin Gillis, an award winning New York Times climate reporter, discussed the health of our planet over steaks. By the end of that dinner, they decided to write a book together on the principles individuals can rely on to help save the planet. (Sound familiar?)  That book became THE BIG FIX: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet. And over the course of the book, Hal and Justin provide readers with seven essential changes communities must enact to bring greenhouse gas emissions down to zero.  Today, Hal and Justin join The Net Zero Life to break down The Big Fix in detail, and as always, I ask them to share their climate origin stories and climate role models. Hal is a Stanford trained engineer, and CEO of Energy Innovation. He is the recipient of the UN Climate and Clean Air Award, the Heinz Award for the Environment, and the State of California's Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award. Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush both called on Hal to Serve on national and international climate panels.    Justin is an award-winning journalist with four decades of experience with major daily newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Miami Herald. As the lead reporter on climate science at The Times for nearly a decade, Justin won the John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism for a series of front-page articles exploring the basics of the climate crisis. You can keep up with Hal and Justin on Twitter, @Hal_Harvey and @JustinHGillis. You can buy The Big Fix wherever you get your books, and here's a link to where I got my copy. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other show notes:  Orsted's green energy transformation Half-Earth by E.O. Wilson

Welcome to The Net Zero Life Season 4, I'm Nathan Zvi. The question driving us this season is “How Do We Measure Impact?” Our guests are climate leaders from all over the private sector. Their expertise intersects with a host of different climate challenges, and each of them need to be measured. Our guests are founders, authors, CEOs, board members, and writers. They represent climate science, journalism, consumer goods, water tech, climate tech, and venture capital. Together, we discuss this theme along with their climate origin stories, first principles of their work, and, of course, how their organizations are building a net zero future.  In every episode we start with their why? Like Brian Trudel. How does a lifelong energy analyst become the co-founder of a net-zero focused incubator? Trudel: "It dawned on me the oil and gas sector has a problem … you basically have an existential threat on your hands.” We also cover the first principles of technical and non-technical topics, such as how to finance a critical, but as-of-yet unproven, circular economy solution at scale. Jennifer Holmgren: "I think there's this—ridiculous frankly—fight between the people who think that the unicorns will magically appear, and the world will bend the carbon curve. And the people who say, 'I just got to take a step, help me take one step. That will give me a reduction. Then I'll take another step and then I'll take another step and eventually we'll solve this problem.'" This is the question animating Jennifer Holmgren when she and her company LanzaTech recycle CO2 by making clothes and shoes with Zara and On. Every guest, and the organizations they come from, define impact differently, and how they measure that impact differs as well.  And while your actions and how you measure their impact may differ from what our guests or society believe is best, these ten episodes in season four will help you consider your role in bringing about a net zero future.  Hal Harvey: “Guilt might work well for the Catholic Church, but not right set of solutions for solving climate change.” And maybe, just maybe, help you make a small change that benefits the world. The first episode comes out next Tuesday, if you can't wait until then, check out the interviews from our incredible guests from seasons 1-3.  I'm Nathan Zvi, and this is the net zero life. I'll talk to you next week. ******** Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

In the tenth and final episode of season three, TNZL explores the lessons of a technologist with a rich history of environmental-focused innovation.  From teacher to engineer to hedge fund manager and now as the leader responsible for ensuring his portfolio companies can reduce global greenhouse gases at scale, Louis (Lou) Schick has quite a story to tell. Thankfully he is quite a good storyteller. Lou is a contrarian with a strong moral compass who is determined to innovate a net zero future. He's spent the majority of his career peering over the edge at earth's carrying capacity and figuring out how we can avoid reaching it. Lou has more than twenty years of experience as a technologist and investor. In his investing role at Clean Energy Ventures, Mr. Schick works with deal teams to source, screen and diligence new investments, as well as support portfolio companies on technology, markets, strategy and commercialization. Prior to joining Clean Energy Ventures, Lou was a co-founder, partner and CTO at NewWorld Capital, and served as a Managing Director at Ritchie Capital. From 1997 to 2005, Mr. Schick held a variety of positions at General Electric's Corporate Research and Energy groups. Mr. Schick facilitated GE's entrance into both solar and wind energy, and led GE's solid oxide fuel cell program. Lou was trained as a physicist and co-authored papers in accelerator physics, space physics, and biophysics as well as earning ten granted US patents. He holds a BS in Physics from Union College; an MS in Physics from Cornell University. Clean Energy Ventures or CEV is helping founders build a cleaner future by investing in early-stage climate tech companies. You can keep up with CEV on Twitter and if you'd like to get in touch with Lou, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.   Other show notes:  Limits to Growth Report: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Limits_to_Growth Creo Syndicate: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-16/creo-syndicate-is-the-secret-club-for-billionaires-who-care-about-climate-change Dong to Orstead: https://orsted.com/en/about-us/whitepapers/green-transformation-lessons-learned

How do you ensure a new renewable energy project is displacing fossil fuel production? How can we ensure clean energy is available to all communities, even those in the most rural areas? In the ninth episode of season three, TNZL explores the idea of emissionality (aka true impact) of a renewable energy project with Laura Zapata, CEO and Co-founder of Clearloop. During the episode Nathan and Laura discuss how she made the transition from corporate communications expert to climate tech co-founder and CEO, the importance of measuring emissionality when designing a renewable energy project, the lifecycle of a zero-carbon energy project and the math/carbon accounting behind it, and how she takes pride in representing her underrepresented community in a field traditionally dominated by white males.  Laura Zapata is the CEO and co-founder of Clearloop Corporation, a Nashville-based startup that helps companies of all sizes—from established companies like Intuit and Vista Equity Partners to direct to consumer brands like Dropps—cut their carbon footprint and expand access to clean energy in the United States. Zapata made a career in crisis communications and reputation management having worked in Congress, political campaigns, and Uber. She's now helping companies reach their ESG goals with tangible climate action and ensure that the environmental, health, and economic benefits of new solar projects reach communities getting left behind. Zapata is a strong believer that solar can do more if we're intentional about the communities where we invest and is eager to work with more companies seeking to tackle their carbon footprint to tap into their growing economic power as we strive for an equitable clean energy transition. Zapata immigrated from Colombia, was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a graduate of Dartmouth College. ClearLoop or ClearLoopUs on most social medias is for brands that want to reclaim their #carbonfootprint & expand access to #cleanenergy by building new #solar projects in the #USA ❌

Nori is the carbon removal marketplace that  helps organizations, companies, and individuals meet their climate goals with high-quality carbon removal offsets. They are early advocates of carbon removal (as opposed to avoided carbon offsets), advocates of the intersection of blockchain technology and climate, and purveyor of regenerative agriculture projects.  Ross is a former political philosophy PhD student who decided playing with filmmaking was more fun than graduate school. He is a screenwriter, producer. He's also worked in technology communications in the blockchain space. And he is a cofounder of Nori as well as their their Creative Editor where he leads the development of Nori's podcasts and other types of media. If you'd like to get in touch with Ross, you can follow him on LinkedIn or follow Nori on Twitter.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. References During the Show: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Berry - https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/michael-e-mann/the-new-climate-war/9781541758223/ -https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/220698/the-wizard-and-the-prophet-by-charles-c-mann/ -https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Human-Hands-Shaping-Planets/dp/1455589128 (David Grinspoon)    

How do we create new paradigms that shift the current economic incentives that ignore negative externalities like carbon emissions? One method is through new economic markets. But in order to build those markets, the players new frameworks and methodologies that govern the new market. Taking on this type of work requires a penchant for rule making and attention to detail. Not everyone is cut out for this work but there is a small group of organizations helping move the world closer to net zero by establishing the foundation for new markets and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) is one of those key leaders. RSB is a global membership organization that drives the sustainable transition to a bio-based and circular economy. RSB's sustainability framework has been developed by its multi-stakeholder membership, and is a uniquely robust and credible foundation for supporting innovative solutions to the climate crisis. RSB uses this foundation to develop projects, new knowledge and solutions that equip key decision-makers to deliver positive impacts for people and the planet. RSB's Executive Director, Elena Schmidt, has a strong sustainability background with a record of delivering robust product and business model innovations, serving as Head of the TÜV SÜD Certification Body for Climate and Energy before joining RSB. She has extensive experience in working with complex chain of custody settings, developing strategic business models, and managing innovation projects to establish new certification services in the private and public sector. She holds Master's degrees in both Environmental and Political Sciences. If you'd like to get in touch with Elena, you can follow her on LinkedIn or follow RSB on Twitter.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com.  

Is cryptocurrency bad for the environment? A simple question with no simple answers. Not all coins are equally bad for the environment. Nearly all crypto related emissions are scope 2 — so is it even their fault? It's complicated. On today's episode, Nathan explores the good and bad of crypto vis-á-vis the climate with Jonathan Rackoff, a Sustainability & ESG leader who recently spent ten months with Coinbase, helping the crypto giant with ESG, sustainability and climate issues. During the episode, Nathan and Jonathan discuss Jonathan's winding career journey, consider the fact that nearly all of crypto's emissions are scope 2, and look for a comparison for the nascent world of crypto. Jonathan Rackoff is a sustainability executive, former Obama White House and U.S. EPA senior lawyer, and expert in federal regulatory policy, process, and enforcement with over 20 years of diverse government affairs, crisis communications, and civil and administrative litigation experience spanning global law firms, public companies, and early and late stage startups. If you'd like to get in touch with Jonathan, you can follow him on LinkedIn. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com.

How does a banker end up leading the world's largest environmental organization? What resources did he use to build his sustainability knowledge and what frameworks did he learn from 11 years leading the organization? In latest episode of TNZL, Nathan speaks with Mark Tercek to understand how he unlocked his inner environmentalist and how he thinks everyone needs to do the same.  During the episode Nathan and Mark discuss Mark's climate journey, his unique perspective on the intersection of finance, capitalism, and the environment. They get into disclosure and carbon accounting with some added history of GAAP financial accounting and other lessons from his career for how to move the world closer to net zero emissions.  Mark R. Tercek is the former president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. He is co-author of the book Nature's Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature. Prior to The Nature Conservancy, he was a manager director and partner at Goldman Sachs for 24 years and was a member of the faculty at New York University Stern School of Business. Today Mark spends his time advising companies, investors, and NGOs on ambitious environmental initiatives and also writes a bi-weekly newsletter on Substack "The Instigator." If you'd like to get in touch with Mark, you can follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Other Show Notes  -ETFs for the Amazon (blog post) -Stewart Brand Biography -Mark's Book Recommendations   

Business and governments have the unique responsibility to foster innovation that breeds new technologies, especially ones that enable humanity to achieve net zero. While the more recognizable way is via a maverick engineer who inspires venture capital firms to invest in her idea, there is a second method. That method is "grand challenges," or competitions with a stated goal, like removing millions of tons of carbon a year), and offering up a prize money for the winners, also in the millions of dollars. Carbon Upcycling is a leading carbon to value (also known as carbon utilization) company that has participated in multiple climate-focused grand challenges and has a number of lessons to share with future participants. Joining The Net Zero Life to share those lessons, along with frameworks for leading a net zero start-up in a oil and gas heavy state, is Madison Savilow, Chief of Staff, and Apoorv Sinha, co-founder and CEO. Carbon Upcycling is a Carbon X-Prize X-Factor award winner, an Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) Grand Challenge Semi-finalist, and has received support from various provincial and federal entities in Canada. In 2017, CUT became the youngest CO2 utilization company to commercialize a product from CO2 emissions.  Apoorv Sinha is the co-founder and CEO of Carbon Upcycling Technologies, he is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy awardee (2020), a Clean 50 Honoree (2021), he's an alumnus of the Energy Futures Lab, a 2016 Leading Change delegate, a Clean50 Emerging Leader 2016, and has served on the ACTia (Alberta Cleantech Industrial Alliance) Board of Directors (2017-19).  Madison Savilow is the Chief of Staff at Carbon Upcycling Technologies. She also started and leads the company's consumer brand, Oco. Madison has spoken at TEDx conferences, podcasts, and is a member of the World Economic Forum as the Curator of Global Shapers Calgary. Most recently, Madison was listed on the 2021 Corporate Knights Top 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders.  Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. If you'd like to get in touch with Madison, you can follow her on LinkedIn or Twitter. For Apoorv LinkedIn LinkedIn is best. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

A net zero future starts with zero-carbon electricity and then electrifying everything, so why are developers with fully funded solar and wind energy generation projects waiting to build them? What's the biggest constraint to increasing zero carbon energy in North America? How do you handle the 'wind doesn't blow and sun doesn't shine problem?' The grid, the grid, and the grid. In the third episode of season three, Nathan interviews Rob Gramlich, a "grid geek" who has spent his entire career working to make the world more sustainable by effecting change at the highest levels of government and industry.  His latest effort is utilizing his 20+ years of directing or advising energy industry and policy leaders to ensure the grid is ready to support the clean energy transition. During the episode Nathan dives into Rob's climate journey, how the grid works, and why getting the grid right is so critical to achieving net zero.  Rob Gramlich is President of Grid Strategies LLC, a consultancy focused on transmission and power market reforms for a low carbon grid.  He is also Executive Director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and of Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT Coalition).    Rob oversaw transmission and power market policy for the American Wind Energy Association from 2005 through 2016 as Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs, Interim CEO, and Policy Director. He was Economic Advisor to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III from 2001 to 2005, Senior Economist at PJM Interconnection in 1999 and 2000. He has testified before the US Congress at the invitation of both parties, as well as the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and state regulatory commissions.  Rob has a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from UC Berkeley and a BA with Honors in Economics from Colby College. You can learn more about Grid Strategies LLC on their website,  https://gridstrategiesllc.com/, and if you'd like to get in touch with Rob, you can follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software engineer looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

How do you move the needle in a hard-to-abate sector? What does good sustainable corporate governance look like in a Fortune 1000 company? In the second episode of season three, TNZL explores the corporate side of collective action with Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Sustainability at Alaska Airlines. During the episode Nathan and Diana discuss how she connects to climate through art and painting, and her new(ish) role at Alaska Airlines. Diana is a sustainability leader who thinks about maximizing her impact while taking into account climate equity and justice. Known throughout the aviation industry for their sustainability efforts, Alaska Airlines has been working to manage their carbon emissions and reporting their carbon footprint since 2009 -- long before that was the popular thing to do. Diana leads Alaska's government affairs, ESG and sustainability, communications and community engagement with teams in Seattle, San Francisco, Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. Together, they are responsible for advancing Alaska's business, supporting the company's employees and local communities, and managing its environmental and social impact consistent. Diana led development of the company's 2025 ESG goals and five-part path to reach net zero by 2040, and is responsible for Alaska's venture arm – Alaska Star Ventures – which is focused on identifying and enabling technologies to accelerate that path. She also chairs the Board for the Alaska Airlines Foundation. Diana joined Alaska Airlines after two decades in health care, public health, and government service. She holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and master's degrees in public administration and public health from the University of Washington. She also serves on the Boards of Philanthropy Northwest, Pacific Science Center, Bay Area Council, and Seattle Metro Chamber. You can keep up with Alaska Airlines on their blog, https://news.alaskaair.com/, and if you'd like to get in touch with Diana, you can follow her on LinkedIn or Twitter. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

How does one go from teaching in Namibia to founding one of the most audacious climate change programs in the world? Well, in Gavin McCormick's case he was convinced to attend a hackathon which led him to discover automated emissions reductions (AER) and in relatively short order to work with Al Gore to measure all of the world's emissions in real time through Climate TRACE. In the first episode of season three, Gavin shares his story of how he become the co-founder and Executive Director of WattTime and the lessons he learned along the way. Gavin McCormick is cofounder and Executive Director of WattTime, the not-for-profit tech startup that invented Automated Emissions Reduction (AER) technology. AER is software that causes IoT devices  He is also cofounder and Electricity Co-Lead of Climate TRACE, an open collaboration between over 50 collaborating nonprofits, tech companies, and universities.  Climate TRACE teams are applying computer vision and machine learning to satellite imagery and big data to monitor all major sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world.  Gavin dropped out of a PhD program in environmental economics at UC Berkeley to found WattTime. In 2021, Climate TRACE was named a TIME Magazine invention of the year. You can learn more about WattTime on their website, https://www.watttime.org/. If you'd like to get in touch with Gavin you can follow him on LinkedIn. His TED talk on "Tracking the whole world's carbon emissions — with satellites and AI" from the TED Countdown conference in November 2021. Season three of The Net Zero Life is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife). You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Welcome to season three of The Net Zero Life. In season one, we spoke to innovators working to bring the world closer to net-zero emissions. Season two continued that journey but looked beyond lifestyle changes that reduce one's carbon footprint, towards the values that are the building blocks for a fulfilling, sustainable life. Season three of The Net Zero life tells the stories of individuals who are changing economic systems by applying their efforts across systems, not individuals. Each episode dives into the journey of a leader working in climate and how they found their path.     Season three is powered by Climate People. Learn more about Climate People by following their Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife), at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. You can subscribe to The Net Zero Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you get your podcasts.  

What does it take to get to net-zero and will we accomplish it fast enough? In the last episode of season two, Nathan speaks with Nat Bullard, Chief Content Officer at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) on how he and the rest of the BNEF team are bringing the world closer to net-zero emissions by sharing information and insights.  BloombergNEF is a research group within Bloomberg LP. Their analytical services assess the tools, business models, and pathways for achieving a deep decarbonization of the global economy by mid-century. The group covers power, transportation, food and agriculture, the built environment, and the enabling technologies linking them together. C-suite executives, board members, and consultants are a small sample of the rapidly growing community of people who benefit from BloombergNEFs insights. Nat is a leading thinker in the global transition to a net-zero society. I use his work to help research this show. He is also one of the top thinkers around net zero topics like the  energy transition, electrification of transport, climate technology, and climate finance.  During the interview, Nat and I discuss art as a lens to understand climate and innovation, his journey into the world of climate, what he reads to inform his opinions and his process for turning ideas into insights. We discuss the importance of accuracy in Bloomberg's predictions and if the world decarbonizing fast enough to reach net-zero emissions in time to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. You can learn more about BloombergNEF on their website, hhttps://about.bnef.com/ You can follow Nat on Twitter @NatBullard and/or subscribe to his weekly column in Bloomberg Green, Sparklines. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

There are many reasons we as humans should work to achieve net-zero emissions. One of those reasons is to improve the lives of individuals who occupy planet earth. Today on the show we learn from an expert who has a different way to move the world closer to net-zero, one that focuses on environmental justice and the role of being a global citizen. Is it fair that less developed countries who have emitted negligible emissions should be the most impacted by climate change including rising sea levels, more frequent and forceful tropical storms, and then not be given funding to adopt to the new climate they have to face?  To answer these question and more I'm speaking with Andrea Johnson, Executive Director of Green Empowerment, Green Empowerment's  mission is to bring renewable energy and clean water to rural communities globally. The heart of Green Empowerment's model is authentic partnership. They collaborate with in-country organizations that know the local language and culture and have a long-term commitment to the region. Following their partners lead, they design systems that are built and maintained by the communities themselves and they focus heavily on training, providing technical expertise to community members and partner staff to build lasting capacity. We discuss Andrea's journey from NASA to The Peace Corps to Green Empowerment, how she worked to launch the first payment for ecosystems services – paying landowners to protect their forests – and how Green Empowerment is bringing the world closer to net-zero emissions by identifying indigenous leaders and methodologies that enable access to zero-carbon energy and clean water.  You can learn more about Green Empowerment on their website, https://greenempowerment.org/. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

What if we had a bank of consumer good sustainability ratings so that we could compare products environmental impacts without having to rely on shady marketing or generic symbols? And what if that bank of ratings was crowd-sourced in the same manner that individual people built Wikipedia, Reddit, and Waze and then combine those efforts with machine learning, artificial intelligence, and good old fashion expertise. Well, what you would get is Finch. On the show today is Lizze Horvitz, CEO and Founder of Finch. Finch aims to decode sustainability and empower consumers to make better purchasing decisions. Lizzie started Finch in March of 2020 to educate people on the ins and outs of sustainability by turning complex scientific facts into simple, actionable insights. Launching as a browser extension, Finch fuses expert scores on products' environmental and social impacts with functional reviews from real people. During the interview we discuss Lizzie's lifelong commitment to sustainability, how that helped her as a founder, the myth that purchasing sustainably means spending more money, and bar shampoo. (Yes, you read that right, bar shampoo.) You can connect with Lizzie via email at hey@choosefinch.com or follow her on LinkedIn. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

One TRILLION single-use plastics and five GALLONS of water per dish. That is the current environmental footprint Linda Pouliot is trying to erase as she moves the world closer to net-zero emissions with her company Dishcraft Robotics. Today's guest is Linda Pouliot, Co-Founder and CEO of Dishcraft Robotics. Dishcraft takes care of the dishes so kitchens can take care of people. Dishcraft is the only reusable foodware delivery solution that combines robotic automation, process innovation, and service to solve the environmental and labor challenges facing the foodservice industry today.  Similar to a linen service, Dishcraft delivers and picks up a full range of reusable foodware items and washes them using advanced, patented technology that scrubs and inspects dishes multiple times, using cold, recirculated water. The result is a highly efficient, scalable system that conserves resources and delivers a consistent, unparalleled level of clean.   ​​Linda a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, artist and foodie who is passionate about robotics and hardware. Colleagues describe her as "the glue that sticks everything together"​ inside a company. During the interview, Linda and I discuss her entrepreneurial journey, how she integrates her passion and background for art in her role as CEO,  and how Dishcraft is moving the world closer to net-zero emissions while reducing the amount of single-use plastics and wasted water currently plaguing the food industry. You can connect with Linda via email info@dishcraft.com or follow her on LinkedIn. You can also read more about Linda at robolinda.com. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Per the IEA, energy efficiency and electrification are the two main drivers of achieving net-zero emissions in the building sector. If you think about it, buildings going up today will likely be standing in 2050. Meanwhile more and more people will need heating and cooling in their home as the climate changes. In order reach net-zero by 2050 total CO2 emissions from the buildings sector need to decline by more than 95% from almost 3 Gt in 2020 to around 120 Mt in 2050 in the NZE. And at the same time, buildings need to be healthy to ensure we can live in a warmer climate, one that is more friendly to viruses like COVID-19.    Today on the show is James Dean, Founder and CEO of Oxygen8. Oxygen8 is a clean energy technology company developing products that improve the health, comfort, and energy efficiency of buildings. James is a clean-tech entrepreneur with a passion for innovation, product development, healthy buildings, and sustainability. He has a BaSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. Equally committed to the environment in his personal life, James recently built West Vancouver's first net-zero energy Passive House, which was named North America's Most Innovative Home in 2020. During the interview, James and I discuss his net zero energy passive house, his lessons from from 20 years of starting and selling companies, how individuals can affect building codes in their cities and counties, and of course how Oxygen8 is moving the world closer to net-zero emissions while also making buildings more healthy by electrifying building ventilation. James' reading suggestions and other additional readings: Healthy Buildings by Joe Allen How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates An article about James' Passive House What is Passive House? You can get in touch with James on LinkedIn or via email at james@oxygen8.ca, and with Oxygen8 at https://oxygen8.ca/. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

In order to be net-zero you first need to reduce your emissions as much as possible and then you can neutralize the remaining with carbon offsets. Except many experts in the the climate space will say that is incorrect, and will not help us prevent the worst impacts of climate change. What you actually need to do is neutralize them with carbon removal. On the show today is Nan Ransohoff, Head of Climate at Stripe, to teach us the difference between carbon removal and carbon offsets, and share details about how she and her team are working to ensure carbon removal companies are growing at the pace we need them to in order to reach net-zero by 2050. Stripe is a billion dollar “start-up” that when not simplifying payments and increasing the GDP of the internet, is working to ensure carbon removal technology develops at the pace needed to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.  Nan and her team are working to build a large-scale, voluntary market for carbon removal by pooling demand from Stripe's 1M+ users, and then using those funds to help promising new carbon removal technologies accelerate down the cost curve. Nan and I discuss her journey into the world of climate, her mental model for climate action, and the role of carbon removal in achieving net-zero emissions. We also dive into why Stripe Climate is putting in the legwork so humanity has the menu of options it needs by 2050 to reach net-zero emissions.  Additional resources mentioned in the episode: Saul Griffith's Blog Carbon Management: Fun, Profit, Policy, and Climate Mitigation | S. Julio Friedmann You can get in touch with Nan on Twitter @nanransohoff, and via email at nransohoff@stripe.com. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. You can reach Brendan Anderson, CEO of Climate People, at brendan@climatepeople.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

The The Net Zero Life is working to build a community of sustainable minded people that bring the world closer to net-zero emissions. Which is why I'm incredibly excited to share today's episode for you. Candice Ammori is the founder of On Deck's Climate Tech fellowship, where she brings together entrepreneurs, climate technologists, and experts across the climate landscape to amplify each of their innovative and sustainable ideas.  After studying climate policy and business in undergrad she planned to devote her life to the ethics of AI and do a PhD in statistics. But in 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC came out during her first semester of grad school, and she knew she wanted to commit the rest of her career to climate. As the Director of the On Deck Climate Tech fellowship, Candice has brought the larger climate tech ecosystem closer together and helped many talented people start impactful organizations. You can get in touch with Candice on Twitter @CAmmori, and via email at cammori@gmail.com. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

How do you ensure 24/7 access to zero-carbon energy? One way is by harnessing the power of the oceans. Inna Braverman, founder of Eco Wave Power, and team are to working to capture wave energy and turn it into electricity for the grid. Under her leadership, the company installed its first grid-connected wave energy array, secured a significant projects pipeline of 325.7MW, and became the first Israeli company to ever list on Nasdaq Stockholm. Recently the company was also listed on Nasdaq US. During the interview, Inna and I chat about her search for finding a role in clean energy which led her to found Eco Wave Power (EWP). We discuss the future of wave energy, what governments and individuals can do to help accelerate the technology, and EWP's plan to install their technology across the world.  Inna Braverman founded Eco Wave Power at the age of 24. Inna was recognized by Wired Magazine as one of the “Females Changing the World”, by Fast Company as one of the world's “Most Creative People in Business for 2020” and is the winner of the United Nations “Global Climate Action Award.” For Inna, clean electricity is a very personal journey, as she was born two weeks before the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster and suffered respiratory arrest due to the pollution in the region. Luckily, her mother, a nurse, came to her crib on time and gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which saved her life. She got a second chance in life and decided to devote it to the development of a clean and safe method of electricity production. You can get in touch with Inna through Eco Wave Power's website. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.    

You can't change what you can't measure. Taylor Francis, co-founder of Watershed, is working to change that for carbon accounting. Watershed is building the next generation carbon solutions platform. Not only do they help companies track carbon for each part of their operation, Watershed helps them come up with an action plan to bring that number down to net zero. Taylor and the Watershed team are building the Google Maps for carbon accounting except they are building the map and the path.  During the interview, Taylor and I chat about his search for finding a role in the fight to stop climate change which led him to co-found Watershed. We discuss the future of carbon accounting, what individuals can learn from fortune 500 company decarbonization plans, and Watershed's goal to remove 500 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Taylor is a co-founder of Watershed, a software platform that helps businesses get to net zero carbon faster.  Taylor was an early organizer for The Climate Reality Project and has a background in public policy. With a keen interest in entrepreneurship, Taylor later joined Stripe where he worked on Atlas, a toolkit to help founders and businesses get started. At Watershed Taylor spends his time working with forward-thinking companies to help them bake carbon impact into everyday business decisions. He lives in San Francisco where Watershed is based. You can get in touch with Taylor via email taylor@watershedclimate.com or through Watershed's website. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.   Show Notes: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/06/climate-change-green-vortex-america/619228/ Hal Harvey - https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Climate-Solutions-Policy-Low-Carbon/dp/1610919564  Alaska Airlines - https://news.microsoft.com/2020/10/22/alaska-airlines-and-microsoft-sign-partnership-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-with-flights-powered-by-sustainable-aviation-fuel-in-key-routes/   

What is the best thing you can do to prevent climate change at this moment in time? Vote for policies that bring the world closer to net-zero emissions. In our first episode of Season Two Nathan speaks with Naomi Baum, COO of ACEEE, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, on how policy is the most effective tool we have to reach net-zero emissions and the different roles efficiency and innovation have in helping us reach that target.  During the show, Nathan and Naomi discuss: Her experience getting into politics, what it takes to get a bill signed into law, learnings from ACEEE's work, and her climate-friendly tips and tricks. A report detailing the impacts of energy efficiency (energyefficiencyimpact.org/), ACEEE's research on the energy burdens households face from their bills (www.aceee.org/energy-burden), and the organization's scorecards evaluating the efficiency policies and actions of states (aceee.org/state-policy/scorecard), cities (aceee.org/local-policy/city-scorecard), countries (aceee.org/portal/national-policy/international-scorecard), and utilities (aceee.org/utility-scorecard). Naomi is the Chief Operating Officer of ACEEE, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Naomi is an expert on all on things policy and Washington. She earned a bachelor of arts in political science and French from Wellesley College and a master's in public administration from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. Naomi has more than 20 years of legislative and oversight experience and has worked on a wide range of policy issues. Before joining ACEEE, she was the executive director of the bipartisan Congressional Oversight Panel and prior to that she served as the staff director for the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Since 2012, Naomi has been COO of ACEEE, a nonprofit research organization that develops transformative policies to reduce energy waste and combat climate change. You can get in touch with Naomi via email NBaum@aceee.org  or through ACEEE's website. Season two is powered by Climate People. If you are a software developer or recruiter looking to get into climate tech, Climate People is the best place to start. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. Other topics discussed on the show:   Building performance standards. The policies typically require existing buildings larger than a specified size to meet a certain energy efficiency standard, based on either energy use or greenhouse gas emissions per square foot of space. This effectively requires owners of less-efficient buildings to make efficiency upgrades by certain deadlines, generally several years in the future. EnergyGuide labels – these labels show the estimated cost of using a certain appliance model, allowing consumers to differentiate between options - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-use-energyguide-label-shop-home-appliances ENERGYSTAR – this is a certification, where products above a certain level of efficiency display an ENERGY STAR sticker - https://www.energystar.gov/ Utilities can run programs that help customers save energy. During the show Naomi discusses utilities' effort to improve energy efficiency in homes and business by providing customers incentives to make energy-efficient upgrades.

Welcome to season two of The Net Zero Life. In season one, we spoke to innovators working to bring the world closer to net-zero emissions. In season two we continuing that journey but look beyond lifestyle changes that reduce one's carbon footprint, towards the values that are the building blocks for a fulfilling, sustainable life.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter and Instagram (@thenetzerolife), at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com. You can subscribe to The Net Zero Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

On this special crossover episode, Nathan has the privilege of hosting a fellow sustainability-focused podcaster, Peter Levin -- founder and host of In Good Hands. In Good Hands is a legendary sustainability podcast, with a special focus on the consumer. Nathan and Peter discuss the In Good Hands origin story, growing the podcast, and his plans beyond the pod. They also riff on several business ideas and breakdown their impact potential. Nathan and Peter brainstorm their next collaboration and the details of their upcoming giveaway. Giveaway Details In Good Hands and The Net Zero Life are offering a free sustainability coaching session for one lucky listener. The winner will receive one-on-one coaching from Peter and Nathan, including a To-Do of practical, sustainability hacks personalized to your lifestyle. To enter, simply: Subscribe to the Net Zero Life and In Good Hands podcast on Spotify or Apple Like our giveaway post on LinkedIn or IG On Friday (July 9) we'll message the lucky winner! Thanks and hope you enjoy the conversation!   We recorded this episode in May 2021.

200 Billion tons of CO2. That is the potential amount of carbon that trees -- a solution to climate change that requires no innovation -- can remove from the atmosphere. Nathan and Diego discuss what inspired his carbon consciousness, how he thinks about the path to a more sustainable world, and what forest he is most worried about.   Diego is the founder and CEO of Pachama, a Y Combinator-backed startup working to accelerate the flow of capital to carbon capturing projects starting with forests biomass projects. Pachama harnesses satellite images and machine learning to verify the carbon storage on forests and then connects directly project developers with carbon credits buyers in an open marketplace. Pachama is a new technology startup focused on unlocking the full potential of carbon markets to accelerate forest protection and restoration as a solution to climate change. The company harnesses the latest techniques in artificial intelligence (deep learning, convolutional neural networks) and remote sensing (LiDAR, hyperspectral satellite images) to enhance the verification and monitoring of carbon capture by forests and natural ecosystems. It then aggregates vetted projects into an online marketplace platform that makes it easy for companies to access high quality forest carbon credits, as well as to monitor and share the progress of the projects with multiple stakeholders.   You can get in touch with Pachama through their website (Diego reads all of the messages from the contact page) and they are actively hiring so don't hesitate to reach out. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Walk around any suburban neighborhood and you will see two things in abundance: solar panels and electric vehicles. Fifteen years ago, that would never have been the case. In just a short period of time, solar power and EVs have become mainstream, and today's show is about another home technology that is on the same path: Geothermal Heating and Cooling. Today's guest is Kathy Hannun, President and Founder of Dandelion Energy, the largest home geothermal company in the U.S. Dandelion helps homeowners finance and install geothermal heating and cooling systems that reduce their home carbon footprint by up to 80%. Kathy and Nathan do some public career development and then dive into home geothermal. They talk about the first principles of geothermal, and how Dandelion is working to help customers understand why geothermal is good for the environment and for wallets. You can get in touch with Dandelion by emailing hello@dandelionenergy.com. They are actively hiring, so if this work interests you, you can check out their job listings at https://dandelionenergy.com/jobs.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

There is carbon in the atmosphere that is changing the very nature of our planet. Everybody knows this. What to do about it? And how? That's where things get complicated.  Today on the show we hear from Shashank Samala and Max Scholten, two of the innovators behind Heirloom Carbon, which may or may not be trying to turn the oil industry inside out. Nathan, Shashank, and Max talk about their climate journeys, capitalism as the answer to climate change, and the many challenges humanity is up against when trying to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

  Over the course of the first season, we've been introduced to a host of climate problems that the world needs to solve, as well as some of the groundbreaking companies and people who are solving them.   Today we hear from one person who is committed to highlighting climate solutions, and the people behind them. Grant Brown is the founder of happyeconews.com, a website dedicated to “finding some nuggets of positivity in the vast sea of unpleasant environmental news stories.”   Grant and Nathan discuss their shared interest in the nexus of entrepreneurship and sustainability, the countries with the best environments for sustainable living, and a whole lot more. You can get in touch with Grant on LinkedIn or at https://happyeconews.com/.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Part of my net-zero journey is finding more efficient ways to do the things I already do. People want to fly, eat, and live without harming the planet. Inertia is powerful, and when we have just a few (or zero) sustainable options, the harder it is to live sustainably. Today's guest is Corey Nobile of Impact Snacks. Corey is working to ensure that snackers can snack sustainably.  Impact Snacks created a nutrient-dense protein powder packed with no more than five good-for-you ingredients and none of the bad stuff. Upon attaining validation by PAC-12 collegiate nutritionists and continuously selling out door-to-door, the rocket ship officially launched in 2019.  Nathan and Corey discuss the myriad ways snack making and snack eating can be bad for the environment, and the steps Corey, Nathan, and everyone else can take to snack sustainably. You can get in touch with Corey on LinkedIn or via email: corey@impactsnacks.com.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.   Extra Reading: Beans instead of Beef - The Atlantic Plenty - 2 acres vertical farm Blue Horizon TerraCycle - Recycle Everythign PELA - biodegradable goods Climate disclosures Peter Levin -In Good Hands podcast The Impact

The ocean is both our partner in fighting climate change and the home of one of humanity's favorite sources of protein: fish. There are numerous reasons for us to support sustainability in ocean communities, and today's guest, Dan Watson, is committed to making that easier. Dan is Co-Founder CEO of SafetyNet Technologies, a startup creating Precision Fishing technologies that use hardware and data to move closer to a world where humans and the ocean thrive together. SNTech is a profit-with-purpose company, as we believe sustainable change requires an underlying sustainable business model. We make a lot of fish puns, and help reliably feed 1/5 Earth's human population. Dan is committed to making technology accessible to anyone who has a problem they want to try and solve, or an idea they want to explore. Current focuses include measuring the whole ocean (bottom to top), space technologies and cats. Dan and Nathan discuss important topics like bycatch, canned tuna, and a shrimp that can punch a hole in the ocean (!!). Catch it all inside.   You can get in touch with Dan on LinkedIn or by checking out https://sntech.co.uk/. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Sustainability work can be daunting. The existential threat to humanity's existence has the potential to paralyze. Today's guest is Quintin Barnes, VP & Co Founder at Allumia, and Allumia grew out of that exact paralysis. While others in Seattle were looking for a perfect solution to climate change, Quintin and his co-founders didn't wait around and got to work.    Allumia funds, designs, installs and maintains a complete efficiency upgrade for our commercial, industrial, and residential customers. In other words, they help you get the most from, and pay the least for, your lightbulbs.    Before co-founding Allumia, Quintin managed Climate Policy for the Washington Business Alliance. Prior to moving back to the Northwest, he lived in Argentina for four years where he was the Director of Latin America, and eventually also Europe, for Coastal Environmental Systems, Inc. Quintin completed undergrad at Boston College with a postgraduate degree from FLACSO Argentina, where he focused on emerging renewable energy markets and carbon pricing policy.    You can get in touch with Quintin on LinkedIn or by checking out https://www.allumia.com/.    Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).    You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Plants bear a terribly heavy burden in the fight to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. They collect and store carbon inside themselves, which is why you often hear about planting trees to save the planet.  Today's guest, Kelly Hering from Charm Industrial, tells Nathan about how her company is working to support the plants in their crucial fight to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. It turns out that we humans can remove carbon too, we just have to be creative. Charm Industrial is working to produce reliable, cost-competitive hydrogen from biomass. Their approach to producing industrial hydrogen is unique, and allows them to deliver carbon-neutral hydrogen reliably and cost-effectively. To do this they integrated a specially-chosen biomass crop, tightly coordinated farm operations, and a novel gasification system. You can get in touch with Kelly on LinkedIn or via email at kelly@charmindustrial.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

For many sustainability-minded folks, travel is a huge conundrum. Nathan identified it as one of his own sustainability vices, and some of our guests have as well. For many, the urge to see the world comes from a similar place as the urge to protect it. On today's episode, Nathan speaks with Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO of ZeroAvia, who is working every day to make it possible for us to travel sustainably. ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting 500 mile range in 10-20 seat aircraft used for commercial passenger transport, package delivery, agriculture, and more. Based in London and California, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its two prototype aircraft across the US and the UK regulatory environments, passed significant flight test milestones, and is on track for commercial operations in 2023. The company's expanding UK operations are partially supported by the grants from UK's Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government's Jet Zero Council. You can get in touch with Val on LinkedIn or by checking out www.zeroavia.com.  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Mimi Tran Zambetti is a co-founder at Wren, a Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to helping end the climate crisis. Wren is a website that lets you calculate your carbon footprint and easily fund tree planting and rainforest conservation to offset your carbon footprint. Mimi and her two co-founders launched Wren in 2019, and have since participated in YCombinator's Summer 2019 batch. Mimi and Nathan grapple with a couple of the hardest questions a sustainability minded person can ask of themselves: What can one singular person do to save the environment? And how much responsibility do I hold for each bit of carbon I emit? As they explore these and other questions, Nathan and Mimi touch on values, start up life, and the potential for positive monetary value for carbon sinks. You can get in touch with Mimi on LinkedIn or by email, mimi@projectwren.com. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Dan White is a behavioral and environmental expert with extensive experience creating successful innovations to save large amounts of carbon, quickly. His company Signol, is founded upon peer-reviewed research with Virgin Atlantic, which in 8 months saved over $6m of fuel, 24,000 mt of CO2 and made pilots feel better, a unique triple bottom line. This work is quoted as the lowest ever measured cost to reduce carbon. Dan joins the show to talk about "nudging," meshing profitability with mission driven work, sustainability in the travel sector, and a whole lot more. You can reach him on LinkedIn or via email at dan@signol.io.  Additional Reading: Scope 1, 2, & 3 Emissions as told by The EPA Signol's research paper with Virgin Atlantic  Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.

Nathan Zvi is on a mission to bring climate innovators to the forefront of media and help the people of the world reduce their carbon footprint, save money, and live happier. The Net Zero Life podcast answers the most basic question of “Why should you care about climate change?” and dives deep into topics such as “How many times do you need to use your Hydroflask before it is better than a Poland Springs water bottle?”  Along the way you'll hear from sustainability thought leaders such as climate scientists, politicians, celebrities, business people, and everyday folks who are living their best net zero life. Keep up with the show by following The Net Zero Life on Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse (@thenetzerolife).  You can also get in touch at www.thenetzerolife.com or via email at nathan@thenetzerolife.com.