TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast

TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast

Follow TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

The podcast series that explores the insights, approaches, experiences of scientists, engineers, designers, business entrepreneurs, politicians and other successful change-makers, who are finding smart, effective ways to answer one or more of the three critical challenges of the Twenty-First Century…

Craig Applegath


    • Jun 21, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 59m AVG DURATION
    • 36 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast

    Episode 035 | Patrick Crabbe: Carbon is the Universal Language

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2022 48:11


    In this episode my guest is Patrick Crabbe. Patrick is the Director of Mass Timber at Bird Construction, North America's first general contractor to dedicate full-time expertise, and a create a national centre of excellence, for sustainable mass timber construction. “We have to start managing infrastructure from a starting point of carbon. Carbon is the universal language. Maybe we need to stop looking at chasing points in certain building accreditation programmes, and really starting to focus on what is the carbon impact of this decision?”   Patrick Crabbe I've come to know Patrick as one of Canada's sustainable mass timber industry leaders , with a focus on mass timber's potential to reduce and sequester carbon dioxide emissions. Patrick is not only hugely knowledgeable, but he is also one of the most passionate and energetic advocates for sustainable mass timber I have met. Growing up in a wood manufacturing family, and then earning degrees in biology from St. Francis Xavier University, and then an Honours degree in Wood Products Processing from the University of British Columbia, Patrick brings a lifetime of experience and expertise to sustainable mass timber construction. In his leadership role at Bird Construction, Patrick supports 18 districts across Canada with a focus on providing constructability input during the design and pre-construction and construction phases, as well as educating project teams, clients, and the public. He is an active member of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (led by the World Bank) and a trusted advisor to Infrastructure British Columbia and the Canadian Wood Council. Our conversation ranges from a discussion of Patrick's passion for wood and mass timber as a powerful tool to meet the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce embodied carbon in the construction industry, to the opportunities and challenges for mass timber market acceptance, to the advice he would give listeners, and of course, and to the two books that Patrick Recommends to listeners. I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. #zerocarbon #carbonaction #ClimateChange #makingadifference #movingtheneedle #climateaction #environment #sustainableconstruction #environmentalactivist And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 034 | Ben Gibbons: Investing In The Future of Sustainable Agriculture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 56:33


    In this episode my guest is Ben Gibbons. Ben is the Founder and Managing Partner of Waterpoint Lane, a venture capital firm focused on investing in growth stage companies centered in primary production, technology and services,  and consumer products,  that promote sustainable practices throughout our food system. In our conversation Ben and I talk about the really big challenges facing the world in creating and maintaining a sustainable food system in the face of escalating climate change impacts; the most promising policies, strategies and technologies for helping us reduce the environmental harm we are causing; the huge challenge of food security and a sustainable food supply in the face of climate impacts; and what advice Ben would offer listeners about what they can do to be part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the Twenty-first Century Imperative and maintaining hope.  Background Ben grew up on his family's sheep and wheat farm in central New South Wales, in Australia.   In 2019, Ben re-established his connection with the land and the sustainability of our food supply with his founding of the venture capital firm Waterpoint Lane.  (and Ben tells me that Waterpoint Lane was the name of the road leading up to the family farm!) Ben spent the previous 15-plus years of his career in investment banking and consulting to support growth-stage and middle-market companies, with extensive experience across mergers and acquisitions, debt, equity, and alternate capital financing transactions. Through Waterpoint lane, Ben sees significant opportunity to drive change in the way we think about our food system, change that contributes to climate solutions, and secures a lasting-and-sustainable legacy for our children. I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)  

    Episode 033 | Geoff Smith: Forget About Hope, It's Time To Do Something!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 38:45


    In this podcast I talk with Geoff Smith, CEO and President of EllisDon. Geoff is the President & Chief Executive Officer of EllisDon, an employee-owned, $5 billion-a-year construction services and technology company. In the world of Climate Change mitigation, Geoff Smith is probably best known for his leadership of the Carbon Impact Initiative – A Building Industry-Led Action Plan in Support of Canada's International Climate Change Commitments. In our conversation, Geoff and I talk about how climate change and carbon emissions came to be such an important concern for Geoff, and what EllisDon is trying to do about it; what the construction industry can do to make a difference in moving the needle on carbon emissions; the big efforts EllisDon is making to tackle the opportunities and challenges associated with Mass Timber given its potential to significantly reduce embodied carbon and lock up carbon; and what will be required to actually meet our commitments to the Paris agreement and reduce carbon emissions before it is too late. We also talk about losing hope and what we need to do about it. I have known and worked with Geoff for many years and have come to admire him as both one of the Construction Industry's most respected leaders, but also as a great guy. He is one of those rare people, who is successful, intelligent, and incredibly competent, while also having a real sense of humility, and a wonderful sense of humour. These are the qualities that have made him such an effective industry leader and innovator and why I wanted to interview him for this podcast. I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)  

    Episode 032 | Alex Lukachko: Designing Buildings For The Long Term

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2021 46:00


    In this episode I talk with Alex Lukachko. In our conversation, Alex talks about the rapid change that we face within the design and construction industry as we try to move the entire industry towards the goal of zero-carbon (and perhaps restorative construction) that we need to address the climate crisis.  He talks about the challenges of designing buildings for the long-term, but he also talks about opportunities to help this effort if we look to the past.  We also talked about what gives Alex hope, and keeps him going when things look dark, and the advice he would offer listeners about what they can do to be part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative. Alex is a Principal at RDH Building Science Inc. and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's John H Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.  Alex is well known in Canada's building industry as an important thought-leader in building science, zero-carbon building design, and climate change adaptation.  An architect by training, with degrees in both philosophy and architecture, from the University of Waterloo, Alex currently leads an interdisciplinary consulting team at RDH in Toronto that works on advanced, net-zero carbon buildings. Alex works with multi-disciplinary design teams, and industry stakeholders, for both new buildings and for deep-energy retrofits of existing buildings. This gives him a broad view of the industry, as well as the forces that need to be marshalled to significantly reduce building-related greenhouse gas emissions. At the University of Toronto, Alex teaches Master's of Architecture students about building performance, low-carbon design strategies and technologies, resilience, and long-term adaptation to climate change.  Outside of this work, Alex, his partner, and their three kids lead an active, cycling-intensive life in Toronto, investing a little extra carbon each year to spend time at the edge of the ocean in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I hope you enjoy our conversation! --------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 030 | Matthew Tokarik: Geothermal will be a part of our Green Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2021 68:22


    In this episode our Twenty First Century Cleantech contributor, Connor Reed, talks with Matthew Tokarik, President of Subterra Renewables, a renewable energy developer who designs, builds, owns, and operates geothermal heating and cooling systems across North America, with the goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately reaching Net-Zero building operation. Matt has previous experience working as a Building Energy Consultant developing whole building energy models, conducting energy audits, and creating carbon reduction strategies for new and existing buildings and building portfolios. He is also a Sessional Instructor at Ryerson University, where he leads courses and seminars in sustainability, building science, and energy modeling. In this episode we talk about the world of geothermal heating and cooling, and why it's going to be one of the fastest growing industries in the green building space over the next few decades. I hope you enjoy the conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 030 | Sayjel Patel: Relentless Pursuit of a Mission

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2021 70:28


    In this episode I talk with Sayjel Vijay Patel. Sayjel is an MIT-trained architect, technologist and the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Digital Blue Foam. Sayjel's past work bridges across the scales of software, materials, and cities, often mashing-up industrial technologies in new and provocative collaborations; From a Bartending System using Kuka Robots for Google I/O;  to developing an award-winning Mars 3D printing concept for NASA,  to designing a fleet of emotion-sensing robots for the Shenzhen Biennale in 2019. Sayjel was a Founding Professor at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (the DIDI), the first Design University to open in the UAE, where he pioneered a new format of combinatorial design education - where students are trained in 2 different design disciplines simultaneously. Before joining the DIDI, Sayjel was a Researcher with the SUTD Digital Design and Manufacturing and Design Center in Singapore, where he invented an award winning software for multi-material 3D printing. Since 2013, Sayjel has coordinated “CodeKitchen”, an ongoing series of peer-to-peer learning labs and workshops to bridge emerging technology and design practices. Today, Sayjel is concentrating 100% of his time as the co-founder, and CTO of Digital Blue Foam - an architectural software start-up. Digital Blue Foam's mission is to create the algorithms, interfaces, and operating systems, to accelerate the decarbonization of the building industry. In his free time, Sayjel loves to oil paint, and spend quality time with his wife and daughter.   In our podcast Sayjel and I talk about the importance of urban density, how two key metrics are the most important way to drive low carbon cities, and how to scale design strategies at an urban level to reduce the carbon footprint of city dwellers.  I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    TFCI Podcast Episode 029 | Mike Andrade: Technology Disruption and Canadian Cleantech

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2021 41:07


    Mike Andrade is the CEO of Morgan Solar and a real veteran of the solar industry. In this episode, Mike talks about everything from his start at IBM, to his views on hydrogen, carbon capture, and of course what he's doing to promote Canadian cleantech and manufacturing. This is our first episode in a new series that we are calling Twenty-First Century Cleantech. For regular listeners, you'll remember that we introduced Connor Reed a couple of episodes ago in episode 27. In this new series, Connor is going to be bringing stories focused on clean technologies through conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and anyone who is leading the energy and carbon transition. In our first episode we are talking to Mike Andrade about Canadian cleantech disrupting the oil & gas incumbents. More specifically, we're talking about solar. Mike has more than 30 years experience working with dozens of the best-known tech firms, launching hundreds of products, and he's had a ringside seat for global technology disruption events – everything from IBM in the early 90's to Blackberry and now distributed solar. He was part of the founding management team at Celestica –a multinational electronics manufacturing services company headquartered here in Toronto, Ontario - and during his time there Mike experienced first-hand the challenges of growing a global tech company in a highly competitive environment.  Mike believes that climate change is the defining issue of our generation and that technology is part of the solution, but that it's also going to be a disruptive event for Canada. So, in addition to his role as CEO of Morgan Solar and investor in multiple early stage cleantech companies, he is active in advisory roles with the government on manufacturing, innovation and clean technology. I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 028 | Michelle Xuereb: Seeking Out Optimism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 82:49


    In this podcast I talk with Michelle Xuereb, an architect and the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle. In our podcast Michelle and I talk about some of the important strategies for mitigating carbon emissions – both operational and embodied carbon – but also about how we can design to improve our social infrastructure in order to increase climate change resilience, exploring some of the ideas she outlined in her TEDX talk. Michelle's passion for the environment and her desire to positively impact communities was the original impetus for her pursuing a career in architecture.  Michelle describes her story of becoming an architect in her recent TEDx Toronto talk in 2020 – which we have provided a link to in our Show Notes– and talks about the importance of being able to bring both right and left-brain thinking to the environmental and social challenges we now face. In her role as the Director of Innovation, she is the ‘go-to' person for planning and phasing of her firm's most intricate renovation work, and its large, complicated projects. Her larger role in the studio is to keep current with the growing body of knowledge of environmental issues and to ensure that sustainability is embedded in key decisions made by the firm and her team.  This includes reviewing the firm's internal and external practices to minimize the environmental footprint of projects, and heading up the studio's Green Team, which consults on projects and strives to provide strategies for targeting and achieving sustainability goals on every project. Michelle has also been active in many local green initiatives, such as the consultation processes with the City of Toronto for the Toronto Green Standard and Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines as well as The Archetype Sustainable Condo Project with Sustainable Buildings Canada. As the past Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Buildings Canada, she was invited to co-facilitate workshops for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's ‘Paths to Zero' initiative, a directive that seeks to reach zero waste, carbon, energy and water on provincial buildings. Michelle also sat on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), Greater Toronto Chapter from 2010 to 2012. I hope you enjoy our conversation!                                             -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast's Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 027 | Connor Reed: The Launch of Twenty First Century Cleantech

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 46:16


    In this episode I talk with Connor Reed, about the launch of a new segment on this podcast that we’re calling “Twenty First Century CleanTech.” In this segment, that will air every other month, Connor will be interviewing leading entrepreneurs, researchers, and business leaders who are breaking fresh ground with innovative new Clean Technologies that could be important tools for helping us to transition to a zero-carbon economy. This is a project that Connor and I are very excited to be launching, and I’m thinking you will also enjoy hearing from a new voice with a fresh perspective. Connor is currently an Associate with Reshape Infrastructure Strategies in Toronto where he is responsible for low-carbon development strategy. He is a one of those rare individuals who likes to get deep into the weeds on analytical engineering problems, BUT who can also pull up to look at a problem from 30,000 feet. Connor’s professional focus is on advancing district scale energy solutions to facilitate innovative, resilient, and sustainable urban development. Even though he spends his 9-to-5 mostly thinking about green buildings and green cities, he also tries to stay on top of anything and everything related to decarbonization -- from Nuclear Fusion to Carbon Sequestration. You can think of this episode as a prequal to the Twenty First Century CleanTech launch, which we plan to be a reoccurring segment. In this first episode Connor and I talk about his passion for podcasting, what types of CleanTech stories he will be exploring, who he will be interviewing, and who he hopes to interview in the future. We will also be hearing a few clips some of the upcoming interviews that Connor has lined-up. I hope you enjoy our conversation! -------------------- You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 026 | Mario Vasilescu: Cutting Through Information Pollution to Deal With Climate Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2021 58:34


    This is a slightly different kind of podcast. Typically I interview guests who are in some way making a difference through their efforts to deal with the causes or effects of climate change and other environment-related challenges. This podcast is no different, but the approach is very different: In today’s podcast, I interview Mario Vasilescu about “information pollution.” “What does “information pollution” have to do with climate change and the Twenty First Century Imperative?”   Well, as you will hear in this episode, Mario argues that if we are going to deal with climate change, we first need to be able to agree on reality.  And given the ever increasing difficulty of internet “information pollution,” that is becoming ever-more harder to do. So in this podcast Mario and I talk about “information pollution”, what it is,   why we need to deal with it,   and how we can deal with it, in order to have more effective conversations about how to meet the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative.   Background Mario is a robotics engineer turned humane technologist and media ecologist.  He describes himself as “obsessed with rethinking how we measure and value attention”, and writes and speaks on the subject where it intersects with the future of work, media, and education. He is now putting his thinking into practice with his innovative, and award-winning company and social media platform, Readocracy.com, where he is both CEO and CPO.  Readocracy rewards and recognizes users for being well-informed, and helps users track and improve their content consumption.   As Mario says: “Readocracy is like a Fitbit to track your information diet.” Mario graduated from Ontario Tech (previously known as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology) in 2012 majoring in Mech-a-tronic Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Management. During his final year he won two national competitions in social media innovation  and the future of work, which landed him a role at the think tank of a multinational HR and change-management consulting firm based out of Paris, France, where he continued digging into these subjects to map emerging trends related to the role of different generations and technology at work. Mario has led digital projects for organizations at the national level in both Canada and France, and has spoken about emerging trends at leading media conferences, as well as directly to the leadership teams of some of the world’s largest media organizations. When he isn’t working on Readocracy, you can find him enthusiastically cooking or eating, playing or watching basketball or hockey, writing, making art, and almost always listening to one of his many themed playlists. ------ You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)

    Episode 025 | Taylor Davis: Driving Change Through Conscious Capitalism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2021 77:03


    In this podcast I talk with Taylor Davis about being a green entrepreneur and how he sees "conscious capitalism" as a means to make much needed environmental changes in the world, and his belief that we will be able to solve the key challenges posed by climate change. We also talk about Taylor’s plans for launching a podcast, what gives Taylor hope and keeps him going when things look dark, and what advice he would offer listeners about what they can do to be part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative. Taylor is an experienced entrepreneur and innovator with a strong track record for creating, and brining new products to market. As early as grade 11 he started an e-commerce store during his comm-tech class, and then, while studying neuroscience at Dalhousie University from 2007 to 2010, he began designing and selling cognitive nootropic supplements, as well as launching an asphalt maintenance company to pay back his student debt. Early in his career Taylor used software, digital strategies and his experience in contract manufacturing to create new asphalt maintenance and paving products. He joined Shopify as employee 132 in 2013 to test-drive the 9-to-5 work-week but was drawn back to innovating within his own businesses.  In 2018 he became accredited for scientific research and development in green infrastructure technology and is a Funded NRC-IRAP Scientist.  Taylor is currently the CEO of PurePave Technologies, and the President of Smart Green Cities Inc.  Endlessly curious, fascinated by the power of new technologies, and the transformative influence of the internet, Taylor is passionate about advancing material sciences and software that improve the environmental quality of cities, and reduce the escalating impacts of climate change.  Apart from the fact that Taylor is such an interesting person and successful entrepreneur, I wanted to interview Taylor because of his passion for harnessing business as an engine to tame climate change.  Indeed, if our species is actually going to be able to pull back from the brink of climate disaster, not only will we have to have scientists and policy makers providing solutions, but we will also need to enlist the energy and resources of the commercial world.  Here I think Taylor is a great role model, and in today’s podcast we explore his philosophy of “conscious capitalism,” where good ideas come from, important lessons from his experience starting and leading a company manufacturing a stormwater and flooding mitigation system, and what he thinks are the greatest opportunities for moving the needle on addressing the challenges of climate change. ------ You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 024 | Martin Nielsen: Inspiring the Next Generation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2020 79:04


    In this podcast I talk with Martin Nielsen about his design philosophy, his belief that sustainable design is no longer enough, that we must now be designing to create truly regenerative buildings - buildings that improve the ecosystems they are part of. We also talk about what gives Martin hope when things are looking dark. Martin is one of those truly inspiring individuals whose energy and enthusiasm for green design is contagious, and he is a magnet to all of the young DIALOGers passionate about learning how to design buildings that improve their environment and make a real difference in reducing CO2 emissions. He is both a registered architect and a mechanical engineer, and brings over two decades of experience and leadership to the DIALOG’s urban design, mixed-use development, higher education, and transportation projects. He is passionate about developing regenerative design solutions that are socially, economically, and environmentally responsible, with a portfolio of work that has been recognized with awards for planning, architecture, and innovation. Martin’s recent project work includes the new LEED® Gold certified Campus Energy Centre, the new Exchange Residence, and the Bus Exchange at the University of British Columbia. He led the sustainable design strategy and LEED® certification process on the University of Calgary’s U-District neighbourhood, the largest ND Platinum project in Canada. And he is currently leading the rezoning of the Heather Lands, a 21-acre development in Vancouver with the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Watututh nations, in partnership with Canada Lands Corporation. You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.    Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 023 | Lliam Hildebrand: Planning for a Prosperous Transition

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020 50:52


    In this episode, I talked with Lliam Hildebrand about his inspiration and reasons for founding Iron+Earth; the huge opportunities to transform the dying fossil fuel industry workforce into a renewable energy workforce; the opportunities and challenges for policy to drive large-scale social change; and about the “Prosperous Transition Plan” that Iron+Earth is now rolling out, that, if implemented, could transform Canada’s workforce, businesses, infrastructure, and environment to meet the demands of a future net-zero economy. We also talked about what gives Lliam hope and keeps him going when things look dark, and the advice he would offer listeners about what they can do to be part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative. Lliam is the founder, and now Executive Director, of Iron+Earth, a not-for-profit NGO led by Alberta oilsands workers committed to both re-training oil industry workers for new jobs in the rapidly emerging renewable energy industry, and to engaging in, and advocating for, renewable energy development to create an energy future they can proud of.  Lliam led the creation of this organization during the spring of 2015 when oil prices started to fall. Oil sands workers were losing their jobs, and the need to diversify Alberta’s energy grid was on everyone’s mind. As Lliam notes, “We founded Iron+Earth as a platform to engage in renewable energy development issues, and to empower us to advocate for an energy future we could be proud of creating.” Since its inception, membership has grown to include workers from a variety of industrial trades, including boilermakers, electricians, pipe fitters, ironworkers, and labourers. You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 022 |  Dr. Afton Halloran: Towards a Sustainable Future Where We Can Flourish

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2020 72:54


    In this episode I talk with Dr. Afton Halloran about global food security and sustainability; and  the link between climate-induced food insecurity and climate refugees; the reality that there are no silver bullets to the critical environmental challenges we face; but at the same time there are still a number of positive solutions to our problems that are “lights at the end of the tunnel”, and that it’s not all “gloom and doom”.   We also talk about what gives Afton hope and keeps her going when things look dark, and what advice she would offer listeners about what they can do to be part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative, and maintaining their hope?   As an independent consultant in Sustainable Food System Transitions, and a trans-disciplinary scientist, Afton has worked on food and agriculture issues with organizations such as the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Nordic Council of Ministers. Afton is a consultant-researcher for the Food Planet Prize Secretariat, has co-authored and edited three books on sustainable food systems,  and holds a research position at the University of Copenhagen.     Afton is also now the host of the Nordic Talks podcast, the number-one producer of Nordic inspirational podcasts on sustainability.   You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.    Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 021 | Henry Gordon-Smith: Sustainable Food Supply In The Face Of Climate Change

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2020 59:48


    In this podcast I spoke with Henry Gordon-Smith, the founder and CEO of Agritecture an urban agriculture consulting firm. Henry has become the world’s go-to expert in urban agriculture: from community gardens to high-rise high-intensity hydroponic agriculture. I thought Henry would be a good person to talk with about the Twenty First Century Imperative, and specifically about the importance of developing local food supplies to counter the increasing impacts that climate change is having on our industrial food system. In 2011, Henry started Agritecture.com, a media platform covering the news, business, and design of how agriculture integrates with the built environment. Following that, in 2013, Henry co-founded the Association for Vertical Farming, and then in 2014, he started Agritecture Consulting, an urban agriculture consultancy assisting over 126 clients in 26 countries including entrepreneurs, multinational companies, architecture firms, municipalities, and educational institutions. Most recently, in April 2020, Henry's team launched Agritecture Designer, the world's first online urban farm planning software. In all his pursuits, Henry says he is motivated by achieving triple bottom line success – success that is measured by its positive impact on people, the planet, and profitability. In this podcast interview, I had a wide-ranging conversation with Henry about the challenges and opportunities for urbanizing food production; where aquaponics fits in; new techniques and technologies, and what gives Henry hope in the face of the enormous climate change challenges we face.  You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 020 | Ryan Zizzo: Embodied Carbon - How To Decarbonize The Construction Sector

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2020 66:31


    In this podcast interview, I spoke with Ryan Zizzo, the Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Mantle, an interdisciplinary climate change consultancy based in Toronto, about the challenges and opportunities for reducing both operating and embodied carbon in new buildings as well his thoughts on climate change adaptation. Ryan is doing some really exciting work in the quantification of carbon and developing strategies to reduce both operating and embodied carbon.  I first met Ryan when we were both presenting at a CaGBC Conference some years ago. What impressed me most about Ryan’s presentation was his deep understanding about, not just how to design a sustainable, low-carbon building, but the implications of the life cycle of the building – and this was when life cycle approaches were not widely used. Ryan is also one of the most knowledgeable people about carbon accounting in Canada. He is currently the Chair of the Embodied Carbon Network’s 80+ member Policy Working Group, as well as a member of the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Steering Committee. As the Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Mantle, Ryan and Mantle’s team of lawyers, engineers and green finance experts assist public and private sector clients decrease their carbon footprint and devise strategies to transition to a low-carbon and climate-adjusted future. You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 019 | Craig Applegath: Pulling Back From The Brink of Climate Change Catastrophe – We can do it but time is running out!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2020 54:02


    In this podcast episode, in place of our typical interview format, you will hear the keynote presentation I gave to the American Institute of Architecture StudentsConference in December 2019.This presentation sums up the key ideas that I have been exploring with our podcast guests over the past two years, as well as background research for those interviews.    For all of you who have been following the science of climate change, you will know that this will be no ordinary decade! It will most probably be the last opportunity our species has to pull back from the brink of climate change catastrophe, and hopefully save ourselves, and the rest of the biosphere, from run-away global warming.  The good news is that we now have all the tools and technologies at our disposal to stop global carbon emissions if we decide to do it! And we’ve done this before. We did it in the Second World War, in 1940, where in 2 years under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the United States instituted their “Arsenal of Democracy” program, and went from producing no planes, no tanks, and no arms, to producing hundreds of thousands to supply all the allies in their fight against Nazi Germany and then Imperial Japan. However, instead of gearing up to produce planes, tanks, and guns, we will need to build millions of photovoltaic panels, thousands of wind generators, and plant billions of trees.  It is no exaggeration to say that we now need to be making serious preparations for an all-hands-on-deck, heroic, last-ditch effort to save ourselves, and the biosphere as we now know it from global warming catastrophe. From what we are hearing from the most knowledgeable and expert climate scientists, we have ten years – and possibly less, depending on how the quickly the global warming  positive feedback loops accelerate the warming process – to stop emitting CO2 into our atmosphere, and to find ways to reduce existing atmospheric concentrations of CO2. In this keynote presentation I lay out how we can most effectively do this, and I introduce what I have called the “Architects N.E.W. D.E.A.L.” – an acronym for the seven key things that I think architects, engineers, and planners can do to make a significant contribution to this effort. ------ You can read more about this podcast in the podcast Show Notes. Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please show your support by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 018 | Jeff Ranson: Does Climate Change Trump All Other Things?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2019 88:44


    In this podcast I speak with Jeff Ranson, the Regional Director of the Canadian Green Building Council (for the Greater Toronto Area).  For as long as I have known Jeff (going on ten years now) he has been passionate about exploring and developing transformative policies that improve the environment, people’s living conditions, and sustainable, economic prosperity.    After receiving an Honours BA in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University in 2002, Jeff has held a number of positions including: Program Manager of the Clean Air Foundation; a Senior Associate in Sustainability at The Innovolve Group Inc.;  Manager of Education & Outreach for Sustainable Buildings Canada in Toronto, (which is when I first met Jeff); the Executive Directorship of the Toronto 2030 District; Design Review Panel Member at Waterfront Toronto; and now the Regional Director for Greater Toronto Area of the Canadian Green Building Council. In our wide ranging conversation, we talk about the opportunities and challenges for policy to drive large scale change; about whether climate change trumps all other urban concerns; about how to design for effective urban density; about his guarded optimism that we still have a fighting shot at meeting the challenges of climate change;  and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference. You can read more about this podcast in the Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 017 | Aaron Myran: Climate Change Is Not Partisan - It’s Our Future!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2019 55:44


    Aaron Myran is the founder and director of Future Majority, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to amplifying the collective voice of young Canadians, and through Future Majority, it’s pretty clear to me that Aaron is going to have a BIG impact on Canada’s future! In this episode I talked with Aaron about how he ended up as a political organizer; the role he sees for the Future Majority organization in helping to engage the youth vote in the upcoming Canadian Federal Election; the critically important role of an engaged young electorate in meeting the huge environmental challenges we now face; and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference. You can read more about this podcast in the Show Notes.  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.    

    Episode 016 | Jim Taggart: The Voice of Green Architecture in Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2019 62:25


    If you are at all familiar with the building and design sector in Canada you will know that Sustainable Architecture and Building Magazine (SABmag) is the go-to source for green design news and commentary. Our podcast guest today, Jim Taggart, is its editor and founder. In this podcast I talked with Jim about what he wants to do with the SABmag ideas platform he has created, and his thoughts on how we might design buildings to be more effective in addressing the impacts of climate change; what the future looks like, or could look like; and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference. You can find the Show Notes at: http://bit.ly/JimTaggart-ShowNotes Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.  

    Episode 015 | Eric Davies: Trees Make a Difference

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2019 52:35


    Eric Davies is one of the Canadian media’s most sought-after experts when it comes to trees, urban forests, and ravine ecology. Whether it is the plight of indigenous trees in our ravines, or the propagation of resilient heritage trees to help mitigate climate change, Eric is the guy the media goes to for information and insight.  In this podcast, I spoke with Eric about his thoughts on how forests can be an important part of how we will address the impacts of climate change;  and how he sees his role as someone on the front lines of environmental harm reduction, regeneration, and climate adaptation;  and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference.   See Show Notes at: http://bit.ly/Eric-Davies-Notes  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 014 | Dr. Wendy Pentland: Coping with Climate Fear and Anxiety

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2019 76:06


    In this episode I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Wendy Pentland, a personal coach, and a recently retired professor of occupational therapy at Queens University.  I’d been thinking for some time that it would be worthwhile doing a podcast that explores the anxieties and fears that so many listeners are telling me they are experiencing around the emerging realities of Climate Change, and how they might better cope with them or channel them in a positive direction.  Wendy has worked as a professional coach for more than 15 years, coaching over 500 people in all walks and spheres of life -  professionals, academics, executives, in the private sector, public sector, large organizations, small businesses, private practices, academia, healthcare and medicine. With all that experience, I thought Wendy would be the perfect person to help us explore our climate-change worries.  Wendy’s coaching approach is grounded in the belief that people are motivated primarily by two desires: to fulfill their own potential and to make a meaningful contribution to the world; to make a difference. People frequently have difficulty fulfilling these desires because they govern themselves with beliefs and fictions that hold them back and blind them to what may be greater possibilities.  I thought I would interview Wendy, but in the end, she interviewed me. It turned out to be the best approach. Instead of listening to Wendy and me talk in very general terms about how we might all deal with our common climate-change worries, you get to hear a world-class coach help me with my own personal climate-change worries.  So, I am standing in for you, the listener, because for coaching to work, it has to be very personal and specific.  However, I am pretty sure that everyone listening will find something they can apply to themselves from this interview on my fears and sadness about the state we are in.  As with all the interviews in the series, we end up agreeing on the importance of hope, even in the face of the wicked challenges now on our doorstep. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Wendy-Pentland Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Episode 13 | Craig Applegath: Hope in the Dark

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2019 31:43


    The theme of Episode 013 is hope. There are clearly no easy answers, and no easy fixes to the terrible environmental and social problems ahead of us. But I continue to believe that however dark the future may seem, pessimism and defeatism are not going to help. So, I thought it might be worthwhile for us to recall some of the thoughts our previous podcast guests had about hope and optimism in the face of the tremendous challenges we now face. This episode is a compilation of excerpts of some of the conversations I had with guests about hope and optimism. I hope you enjoy it! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Hope_in_Dark Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Craig Applegath - Year in Review - Episode 012

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2018 47:36


    It’s been a real pleasure producing this series! I’ve learned a lot, as I hope you have!  So thanks very much for tuning in! Instead of trying to summarize all of the ideas explored over the year, I have instead focused on three themes that really seemed to resonate with listeners, and have pulled excerpts from the podcasts that best exemplified these themes. I also thought it would be appropriate to close this year’s podcast series with excerpts of the answers to the question that I typically asked at the end of each interview. And that is: “What advicewould you offer listeners about what they can do to be a part of making a difference in meeting the challenges of the 21st Century imperative?” I look forward to returning in 2019 for another year of podcasts where we will continue to explore the approaches and insights of scientists, designers, planners, engineers, business entrepreneurs, and other successful change-makers, who are finding effective ways to meet the challenges of21st Century Imperative. You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Pod_Year_Review Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Rahul Mehrotra - Designing for Adaptation and Regeneration - Episode 011

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2018 61:53


    In this podcast I had the great pleasure of interviewing Rahul Mehrotra. Rahul is a practicing architect and educator, splitting his time between his professional practice in Mumbai, and teaching at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, where he is a professor and Director of Urban Design program. Rahul has executed a wide range of projects across India, and has also written, co-authored and edited dozens of books on Mumbai, its urban history, its historic buildings, public spaces and the planning process. In our podcast I talk with Rahul about the social and environmental purpose that underpin much of his work, as well the important insights he has gained from his research of the Kumbh Mela, and later explorations of impermanent habitations that may provide us with important understandings for how we might more effectively respond to future large-scale migrations of climate refugees. You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Rahul_Mehrotra Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. 

    Peter Howard - Smart Carbon Policy and Technology - Episode 010

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2018 51:13


    In this episode, I speak with Peter Howard, an expert on sustainability and climate change policy, and more recently, carbon sequestration. Peter and I discuss how to develop effective climate and carbon policy, as well delving into how biological carbon emissions sequestration technology works, including how it might be scaled to address ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions. His career to date has included a combination of both public and private sector experience, including positions as an Ontario Government policy maker at the Ministry of the Environment, as a management consultant for Price Waterhouse Cooper, and currently, as the Vice President of Sustainability and Project Development at Pond Technologies - a Canadian biotech start-up. You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Peter_Howard Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Dale Prest - Sustainable Forest Management and the Fight for a Stable Climate - Episode 009

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2018 86:42


    In this podcast I spoke with Dale Prest, CEO of the Climate Forest Company (CFC). We talked about the global carbon cycle and our future ability to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and existing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide through more effective forest management practices. As the CEO of CFC Dale explores and devises strategies to fight climate change through sustainable forest management, for example, by incenting maritime woodlot owners to manage their forests to store carbon, and by creating innovative forest products that displace fossil-fuel intensive products like concrete and steel. In our conversation we discuss how the sustainable management of forests is an important opportunity for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations – that are now over 400ppm. Dale points out that current clear-cutting practices by many of the world’s forest harvesting companies accounts for 20 percent of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere (!), and that simply by changing forest management and harvesting methods we could make a huge dint in our global greenhouse gas emissions. We also talk about the global carbon cycle, and our future ability to reduce both emissions and existing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Dale_Prest Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.    

    Brad Bradford - Planning and Politics for Sustainable Cities - Episode 008

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2018 40:38


    In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Brad Bradford. I first met Brad in 2011 when he was the President of the Canadian Association of Planning Students, and I was speaking about Resilience in the face of Climate Change Impacts at the annual CAPS conference he had helped organize. I distinctly remember being very impressed when I first met Brad, especially by his keen awareness of the planning issues associated with Climate Change, as well as complex realities of trying to address these issues. Brad is now an urban planner and community activist, with specialty expertise in sustainable and district energy planning, a passionate cyclist and competitive bike racer, and he is now entering the world of politics by running for Toronto City Council in Beaches-East York (Ward 19).  Until leaving the City of Toronto to run for City Council, Brad was responsible for Stakeholder Engagement and Special Projects in the Office of the Chief Planner at the City of Toronto where he spent his time working with government, the private sector, non-profits, and community groups to broaden discussions around the kind of city we want to be. Brad is passionate about in the interconnected issues of inclusivity, affordability, transit and the environment. Through his role at the City, and as a future City Councillor, Brad is working to diversify voices in decision-making and bring more people to the table to discuss city-building issues. In 2016 Brad won the Canadian Institute of Planners President’s Award for his work on the FutureFORWARD Task Force. And as an avid cyclist, Brad launched the Toronto Hustle project in 2017 to develop the next generation of Canadian athletes, while providing a platform for active transportation advocacy across North America. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Brad_Bradford  Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Pamela Robinson - Planning Sustainable, Smart, Resilient Cities - Episode 007

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2018 78:40


    In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Robinson.  Pamela is the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Strategic Initiatives for the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University, an Associate Professor for the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson, and a registered professional planner. Her areas of expertise include urban sustainability, environmental design and planning, urban governance, and public engagement. I have admired Pamela’s work in the urban sustainability space for a number of years, so it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with her about urban planning and the challenges of the Twenty First Century Imperative.  I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Pamela_Robinson Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. 

    Eric Corey Free - Living Architecture: Architecture That Takes Responsibility for Itself - Episode 006

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2018 48:28


    In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Corey Freed, an award-winning architect, author, and global speaker.  His role and title at Morrison Hershfield, an international Building Science firm, is “Sustainability Disruptor,” a role that has him identifying solutions to problems most teams didn't know were holding them back.  If you’ve ever seen him present or watched one his TEDx talks, you will know that he is as much a stand-up comedian as a sustainability thought-leader, so I was very excited to sit down with him and discuss the challenges presented by the Twenty First Century Imperative. Eric is the author of 11 books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies.”  In 2012, he was named one of the 25 "Best Green Architecture Firms" in the US, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects."  In 2017, he was named one of Build's American Architecture Top 25.  He holds a prestigious LEED Fellow award from the US Green Building Council. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Eric_Corey_Freed Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page. 

    Mike Williams - On Sustainability, Carbon, and Big Data - Episode 005

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2018 40:01


    In this episode, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Williams, a professional engineer who has spent his career specializing in sustainable design, green standards compliance, carbon reduction, and developing energy efficiency strategies. Mike has been a key contributor to some of Canadaʼs greenest buildings, including the CANMET Materials and Testing Laboratory in Hamilton, and the Elementary Teachersʼ Federation Headquarters in Toronto, both of which earned LEED Platinum certification and set new standards for sustainability in their communities. I’ve known Mike Williams for many years, and recently I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Mike on developing a Low-Carbon Roadmap for assisting our higher education clients to set and meet low carbon emission goals for their campuses. In addition to being one of the most highly regarded sustainability engineers in Canada, Mike is a lot of fun to work with! He is an innovative thinker and is great at bridging the divide between the big concept and the nitty gritty of implementation. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Mike_Williams_Pod Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.  

    Craig Applegath - An Introduction to the Twenty First Century Imperative and Its Host - Episode 000

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2018 45:56


    Since starting the podcast, we’ve received many comments from listeners suggesting that we do an episode that provides a more complete introduction to the Twenty First Century Imperative podcast, provides some context about the purpose of this series, and gives some background about myself, your host, Craig Applegath. And so, in this episode, we flip the script, so to speak. Rather than me sitting down with another expert in the field, I sat down with my assistant producer Erin Masters, so she could interview me. We discuss how my dual interests in ecology and design have shaped my career as a pioneer in the planning and design of zero carbon buildings and campuses, urban resilience, and symbiotic regeneration cities. You will hear a bit about my personal history, what motivated to start to the project, and my take on some of the key questions I pose to my guests every month. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Pod_Intro Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Klaus Hoppe - Inspiring Freiburg's Green Transformation - Episode 004

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2018 71:08


    In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Klaus Hoppe, one of the world's authorities on low carbon and smart city planning. From 2001 to 2014, he led Freiburg's energy department, coordinating their energy policies and strategies. Even though Klaus will tell you it was a team effort, Freiburg's international status as one of the greenest, most sustainable cities in the world owes a great deal to Klaus's vision and commitment to creating sustainable and smart cities. In our interview, I talked with Klaus about his experience confronting climate change in both his past role, leading Freiburg's energy department, coordinating its energy policies and strategies, and his current role as a sustainable, smart cities consultant, helping municipalities, city networks, and national governments develop smart cities and sustainable development strategies, and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference in meeting the challenges of the TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Klaus_Hoppe Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Stan Choptiany – Adapting to Climate Change – Episode 003

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2018 61:02


    In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stan Choptiany, a former high school teacher, university professor, and mayor of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. In our interview, I spoke with Stan about his experience confronting climate change in both his role as the mayor of the ocean-front town of St. Andrews, and his role as a biologist and environmental activist on the front lines of environmental harm reduction, regeneration, and climate adaptation, and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference in meeting the challenges of the TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE. I hope you enjoy our conversation. You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Stan_Choptiany Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.  

    Ryan Meyers - Valuing Natural Capital - Episode 002

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2018 63:50


    In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Meyers, one of the world’s leaders in quantifying natural capital, former Chief Technology Officer at Impact Infrastructure, and now a Director at MAP Consulting where he specializes in web development and sustainability economics. In this podcast episode, we talk about why the monetization of natural capital is so important in finding a pathway towards minimizing the risks of climate change, and how we can all be contributing to the effort.  I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Ryan_Meyers Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Jeff Schnurr - Restoring Ecosystems in Africa and Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2017 49:15


    In this, our first episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Schnurr, the Chairman of Community Forests International (also know as CFI), and more recently, the CEO of Jaza Energy. In today’s interview, we are going to talk to Jeff about how he started a sustainable forest NGO; and how he sees his role as someone on the front lines of environmental harm reduction, regeneration, and climate adaptation; and what advice he would have for someone setting out to make a difference. I hope you enjoy our conversation! You can find show notes at: http://bit.ly/Jeff_Schnurr Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast is ad-free and relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

    Claim TWENTY FIRST CENTURY IMPERATIVE Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel