Best Nrdc Podcasts (2024)

1
31: Synonym's mission to create a new green asset class - using bioeconomy to replace 50% of petrochemical products 49:12

1M ago49:12

49:12

In today's episode we will explore the world of scaling bioeconomy to replace 50% of petrochemical products in the future. That is the bold vision of Synonym, a company dedicated to accelerating the transition to better, more sustainable materials through bioproducts. Joining us today is Joshua Lachter, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Syno…

1
30: Making farming sexy again: How Climate Farmers Aims to Support Regenerative Farmers with Co-Founder Philipp Birker 43:33

2M ago43:33

43:33

Today, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Philippe Birker, co-founder of Climate Farmers. This company is on a mission to revolutionize agriculture by building the necessary infrastructure to scale up regenerative practices. How? By developing an ecosystem measurement system that serves as a baseline for financing the transformation to regene…

1
29: From Ancient Organism to Renewable Energy Superhero: Electrochaea Synthesis of Synthetic Methane 48:50

2M ago48:50

48:50

In today's episode, I am speaking to Doris Hafenbradls, CTO and Managing Director of Electrochaea. Doris has enjoyed a successful career as scientist and corporate executive in the biotech and pharma industry in the US and Europe. She joined Electrochaea from Axxam, a leading provider of integrated discovery services for the life sciences industry,…

1
Interview with Ted Smith, Founder of Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Part Four 1:09:06

5M ago1:09:06

1:09:06

In Part Four we pick up our conversation about recycling e-waste, including the genesis of EPR -- Extended Producer Responsibility -- and the limits of a “bottle bill” approach to recycling e-waste. We discuss the Coalition’s collaboration with the Basel Action Network, and the current state of e-waste recycling, including certification guidelines …

1
28: Policy Special Focus - Regenerative Agriculture Policy with NRDC Deputy Director Lara Bryant 29:07

5M ago29:07

29:07

Today I am talking with Lara Bryant, Deputy Director of NRDC (The Nature Resource Defence Council) in USA. Lara has a background in chemistry and studied plant and Soil Science and has a master’s degree in public administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University. NRDC is a Non-Profit organization with more than 3 million m…

1
Interview with Ted Smith, Founder of Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Part Three 1:11:04

5M ago1:11:04

1:11:04

In part three of our interview, we begin speaking about the train derailment and release of vinyl chloride in East Palestine Ohio that occurred in February. We discuss the difficulty of retaining institutional memory of toxic accidents and other incidents, and what that could mean for communities where new micro chip plants may be built under the C…

1
27: Harnessing the Ocean's Might: In-Depth with SeaO2 Founders on their Mission to Capture a Gigaton of CO2 by 2035 44:51

6M ago44:51

44:51

In today's episode, I am speaking with Rose Sharifian and Ruben Brands. Rose is CTO and co-founder of CDR startup SeaO2. She is a chemical engineer and petroleum engineer by training, who is researched, for the last 5 years, the electrochemical oceanic carbon capture during her PhD at University of Delft, Netherlands. My second interview partner is…

1
26: BiCRS - How can biomass contribute to negative emissions in the future? A conversation with Stefanie Bischoff, Managing Director of Airfix 37:32

7M ago37:32

37:32

In today's episode, I am speaking with Stephanie Bischof, Managing Director Airfix. Stephanie worked for more than 10 years in finance for large international companies like coca-cola and svwarowski. A movie about soil health led her to move into the climate field. Since the spring of 2022, she has led a subsidiary of South Pole in the field of bio…

1
25: Sustainable laptop? How Framework is Challenging Traditional Tech Industry Norms. Interview with Founder Nirav Patel 30:33

8M ago30:33

30:33

In today's episode, I am speaking with Nirav Patel, founder and CEO of Framework. He is a former engineer at Oculus VR, Apple and Facebook. Framework is founded on the philosophy that the greatest positive environmental impact can come from creating products that last longer, thus generating less waste. The first 2 products are laptops which can be…

1
24: From Tobacco to Steaks: Dana Yarden's Biotech Journey to Turn Tobacco into Natural Bioreactors 39:03

8M ago39:03

39:03

In today's episode, I'm speaking with Dana Yarden, co-founder of BioBetter. Their vision is to solve one of the biggest bottlenecks in advancing cultivated meat to mass production. They have invented a new way of creating growth factors, cheaper and faster, for the cultivated meat industry. Biobetter harnesses the inherent advantages of tobacco pla…

1
23: The Green Retail Revolution: SCORE! Keynote Address 27:43

9M ago27:43

27:43

On May 24, 2023, Friederike von Waldenfels, CEO of Forestrock and Founder of SustainNOW, spoke at the SCORE! – Swiss Conference for Retail and E-Commerce at StageOne in Zurich-Oerlikon. In her keynote, she talks about "Green Retail - From Prejudice to Successful Opportunities." This special episode has been created to showcase the fantastic keynote…

1
22: The Last Mile of E-Commerce - with Milo Stössel, the Co-Founder of Quickpac 40:03

9M ago40:03

40:03

In todays episode, I am speaking with Milo Stössel, co-founder and CEO of the Swiss transportation startup quickpac. Their vision is to fulfill the transition of ecommerce to be more sustainable and seamless. Quickpac is the only one in Switzerland with a 100% electric vehicle fleet for last mile delivery. Founded in 2019, quickpac quickly scaled u…

1
21: Making Showers Smarter - A Fireside Product Chat with Ted Li, Co-Founder of Oasense 23:09

10M ago23:09

23:09

In todays episode, I am speaking with Ted-Li, co-founder of Oaesense. Oasense developed a self-powered smart showerhead that helps people conserve up to 60% of water and energy by switching off automatically when you step away. Ted-Li has an engineering background and worked in different sensor focused companies as well at Apple. He joined as co-fo…

1
20: From founder to climate investor - Talk with serial entrepreneur and investor Tim Schumacher 40:24

11M ago40:24

40:24

In today's episode, I am speaking with Tim Schumacher. Tim is a German Investor and Entrepreneur with a long-term focus on Impact and Climate. He co-founded and led the publicly traded Sedo.com as CEO for ten years. Since 2012, he has founded and invested in multiple start-ups like Eyeo (makers of Adblock Plus), SaaS.group, Zolar, CarbonCloud, Pach…

1
Interview with Ted Smith, Founder of Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Part Two 1:04:22

11M ago1:04:22

1:04:22

In this episode, we have Part Two of my interview with Ted Smith, Founder and Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. We begin part two talking about the birth of Silicon Valley, the perception of tech as a “clean” industry, and the reality of workplace health risks. We then talk about the beginnings of the Coalition, spurred by …

1
19: Has Europe a water problem? Interview with Hydraloop Co-Founder and CMO, Sabine Stuiver 54:40

1y ago54:40

54:40

In today's episode, I am speaking with Sabine Stuiver, co-founder and CMO of Hydraloop. Their mission is to empower people and organizations to save water and energy whilst retaining the comfort of living. Their product is a circular water system for family and multi-family homes. So you can use the shower water to flush your toilet or to water you…

1
Interview with Ted Smith, Founder of Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Part One 1:16:38

1y ago1:16:38

1:16:38

In this episode, we have Part One of my interview with Ted Smith, Founder and Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. For more than forty years, Ted has worked to clean up the extensive pollution caused by manufacturers of semi-conductors in Silicon Valley, which contains the most Superfund sites in the country. In the wake of di…

1
18: Druups - Catching water out of air. Interview with Jonas Wamstad, CMO and co-founder of Drupps 40:24

1y ago40:24

40:24

In todays episode, I am speaking with Jonas Warmstad, founder and CMO of Drupps. Their vision is to recycle industrial evaporated wastewater into drinking water while recycling a lot of heat at the same time. Jonas says about himself that he is an engineer with too little patience to be an engineer. He wants to solve sustainability problems and the…

1
17: Genome edited food - the answer for healthier diet and climate change? Interview with Lynsey Wenger, CFO of Pairwise 46:34

1y ago46:34

46:34

In todays episode, I am speaking with Lynsey, CFO of the US startup Pairwise. Their mission is to build a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables by using CRISPR as technology. Prior to joining Pairwise in 2020, Lynsey served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at Calysta, a biotechnology company developing alte…

1
Interview with Pamela Miller, Founder of Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), (Part 2) 54:14

1y ago54:14

54:14

In this episode, we have Part Two of my interview with Pamela Miller, Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, also known as ACAT. We pick up our conversation as Pam describes the work that initially brought her to the west coast, from Florida, including her work for Washington state’s Department of Ecology to establish …

1
Interview with Pamela Miller, Founder of Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) (Part 1) 1:04:25

1y ago1:04:25

1:04:25

This is Part One of my interview with Pamela Miller, Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, also known as ACAT. Since starting ACAT in 1997, Pamela has worked in support of indigenous communities in Alaska seeking cleanup of polluted, military, industrial, and resource extraction sites. At the same time, Pam has long b…

1
16: Zerofy - simplifies a zero-carbon life for households. Interview with Till Quack, founder and CEO. 32:38

1y ago32:38

32:38

Today, we're joined by Till Quack, the visionary founder of Zerofy, a company with a mission to simplify a zero-carbon life for households. Till is a Swiss entrepreneur and product builder who uses his expertise in computer vision to help make a positive impact on the world. In this episode, we delve into the world of personal carbon tracking and i…

1
15 - The Renaissance of fungi and ancient fermentation process in the food tech industry. Interview with founder and CEO of Bosque Foods, Isabella Iglesias-Musachio 39:57

1+ y ago39:57

39:57

In todays episode, I am speaking with Isabella, Founder and CEO of Bosque Foods. Their mission is to create the best tasting and minimally processed, whole-cut meat and fish alternatives grown naturally from fungal mycelium. Isabella has an academic background in sustainability and agriculture. She has spent her career building startups in the Unit…

1
14: Using rocks to capture carbon at big scale! Interview with Lithos Co-Founder and CEO, Mary Yap 46:55

1+ y ago46:55

46:55

In todays episode, I am speaking with May Yap, co-founder and CEO of Lithos Carbon. The team's mission is to accelerate mineral weathering at the gigaton scale. They are using volcanic stone basalt to speed up the Earth’s naturally carbon capture process in the soil and ocean. Farmers are spraying individual adapted basalt on their farmland to capt…

1
Interview with Dr. Mark Mitchell, founder of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ) (Part 2) 33:26

1+ y ago33:26

33:26

We're back! For this episode, we have Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Mark Mitchell, founder of the Hartford Environmental Justice Network, later renamed the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, (CCEJ). In Part 2 we discuss Dr. Mitchell’s unhappy tenure as the Health Director for the city of Hartford Connecticut, and the systemic and…

1
13: Building the Stripe for energy or how your Tesla can earn money. Interview with Thomas Folker, co-founder of Leap 1:08:16

1+ y ago1:08:16

1:08:16

In this episode I am speaking with Thomas Folker, creator of the US software Leap. Leap provides an easy market access for distributed energy providers (short DER). This can be your electric vehicle at the charging station at home or a smart thermostat. In a nutshell, your Tesla can trade energy back into the grid and you get money for it. The aim …

1
12: Can fashion be sustainable? Interview with Dan Leahy - CEO of MakersSights. 41:57

1+ y ago41:57

41:57

This exciting episode features Dan Lehim, Co-founder and CEO of MakerSights, an inventory optimization tool with the aim to reduce overproduction by integrating consumer feedback in the design process. Their customers include New Balance, Champion, and Rothys. Fashion is responsible for 8-10% of the global carbon emissions and almost up to 40% of c…

1
11# - Winning the 100m USD carbon removal XPrize - Interview with student initiative CircularHorizon 22:29

1+ y ago22:29

22:29

This is a short episode to present the CircularHorizon initiative, with Stella Harper and Darius Stulz. Darius co-founded the student initiative Circular Horizon with the goal of developing a scalable carbon removal project based on biochar. They are participating in the 100m USD XPrize Challenge by Musk Foundation. To win the grand prize, teams mu…

1
Episode 10 - Turning from a for-profit into an impact entrepreneur - Interview with Christian Vollmann - founder of Carbon One (C1). 46:32

2y ago46:32

46:32

In this episode of the SustainNOW Podcast, I am talking to Christian Vollmann - Founder of Carbon One. In this episode, she is talking with Christian Vollmann, a serial digital entrepreneur who transformed from a pure profit to an impact entrepreneur. He co-founded companies such as iLove, eDarling, video platform MyVideo and social network nebenan…

1
09 - Cannabis as "magic" solution plant for climate change - Interview with Gavin George, Puregene 43:34

2y ago43:34

43:34

Dr. Gavin George is a co-founder and CEO of Puregene AG. The Swiss company has developed a technology stack that harnesses the power of genomics for trait discovery and predictive plant breeding, using massive datasets and machine learning to assemble tailored elite varieties, fit for industry. He was awarded a PhD in 2010 from Stellenbosch Univers…

1
08 - Turning CO2 into food. Interview with Arkeon Founder Gregor Tegl. 42:37

2y ago42:37

42:37

After obtaining his PhD at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Gregor continued his dedication to environmental biotechnology at the University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada, researching enzymes for the sustainable production of complex macromolecules. His passion for food and sustainable eating ignited a 5+ year l…

1
07: Hydrocarbon - The Energy umpf as a big challenge to get green. Interview with Yair Reem. 45:09

2y ago45:09

45:09

Yair is a Partner at Extantia Capital, a climate-first VC fund focused on deep decarbonisation technologies. Extantia invests in exceptional climate-tech founders who build the next “Gigacorns”, companies that are ultimately capable of saving in excess of 1Gt of CO2 emissions per year and are also commercially viable with scalable business models. …

1
Interview with Dr. Mark Mitchell, founder of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ) 1:06:50

2y ago1:06:50

1:06:50

This is Part One of my interview with Dr. Mark Mitchell, founder of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ). A medical doctor, with a Masters in Public Health, he is a long-time toxics and public health advocate. Dr. Mitchell is currently working at George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication, serving as the…

1
Interview with Dr. Anna Reade, NRDC PFAS scientist (Part 2 of 2) 47:10

2y ago47:10

47:10

For this episode, we have Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Anna Reade, scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). We continue our discussion of her work focused on the large and highly persistent class of chemicals known as PFAS. We talk about their widespread use in many products, and their potential impacts on vulnerable popul…

1
06 - Vertical Farming - Chances & Limitations discussed with UrbanOasis Founder Albert Payaró Llisterri 42:52

2y ago42:52

42:52

Today's guest is Albert Payaro Llisterri, co-founder of Urban Oasis, Vertical Farming Tech Startup from Sweden. He studied Material Engineering and lived in different countries till he started his entrepreneurial journey in 2017. We will talk about what vertical farming is, what are the chances but also the limitations and how tech can accelerate t…

1
Interview with Dr. Anna Reade, NRDC PFAS scientist (Part 1 of 2) 1:11:43

2y ago1:11:43

1:11:43

In this episode, I interview Dr. Anna Reade, PFAS scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). In Part 1 of this two-part interview, we discuss her participation on a panel with several chemical industry representatives and the flawed and misleading arguments they made to oppose regulating PFAS chemicals as a class. Dr. Reade discusse…

1
Interview with Jacqueline Warren, long-time toxics attorney with EDF and NRDC 1:05:10

2+ y ago1:05:10

1:05:10

For this episode, I spoke with Jacqueline Warren, who worked as an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) from 1973 to 1991. She was one of the leading toxics advocates in Washington DC when most of the major federal toxics laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund and the T…

1
Interview with Sharon Lerner, Investigative Reporter for The Intercept 1:10:00

2+ y ago1:10:00

1:10:00

For this episode, I spoke with Sharon Lerner, investigative reporter for The Intercept, whose groundbreaking work has included in-depth writing on a host of chemical-related issues including PFAS, pesticides, plastic waste, and environmental justice. We began our conversation discussing her recent stories on systemic problems within the Environment…

1
Interview with Jose Bravo, Executive Director of the Just Transition Alliance 1:32:08

2+ y ago1:32:08

1:32:08

For the past three decades, Jose Bravo has spent his life working to improve the health and lives of communities across the country and around the world, using every available tool of advocacy including door-to-door education, building diverse coalitions, corporate-focused consumer campaigns, negotiation, litigation and direct action. He currently …

1
Looking Up 32:35

2+ y ago32:35

32:35

Prepping for 2022: We’ve been through a year of climate emergencies. It's been terrifying to witness the Earth’s reaction to the destruction we have wrought upon her. We’re often ill prepared to cope with the resulting chaos and dislocation. When a storm takes out the power lines, or an earthquake ruptures the water pipes, or a mudslide blocks the …

1
Interview with Ken Geiser, founder of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute 1:25:54

2+ y ago1:25:54

1:25:54

Throughout his career of teaching, writing and organizing, Ken Geiser has been one of the most important theoreticians of the Toxics movement, as well as a Johnny Appleseed, having a hand in the creation, development and sustenance of more than two dozen organizations, while mentoring many other Toxic Avengers. Among many accomplishments, Ken was o…

1
Alex 35:06

2+ y ago35:06

35:06

Art is fundamental to understanding who we are in context to the world. Artists translate and blend physical worlds with emotional landscapes, threading magic into our lives. No one embodies this journey more than Alex Nichols. She works with explosive vision and unparalleled focus to express her artistic voice. Alex's art focuses on translating th…

1
Interview with Dr. Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program 1:51:40

2+ y ago1:51:40

1:51:40

Dr. Linda Birnbaum is a "rock star" in the world of environmental health, a groundbreaking scientist who has devoted her career to studying the potential health impacts of toxic chemicals. We learn about Dr. Birnbaum's interest in science and notable accomplishments beginning at an early age, and trace her path of education and early career. Dr. Bi…

1
Interview with Lois Gibbs, Toxic Avenger at Love Canal and Founder of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice 1:55:50

2+ y ago1:55:50

1:55:50

In the first episode of the Toxic Avengers podcast, we interview Lois Gibbs, who led the successful fight for community relocation from the poisoned neighborhood of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York. For the past 40 years, she has been the Director of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, helping communities facing similar threats to th…

1
Nalleli 32:08

2+ y ago32:08

32:08

Nalleli Cobo grew up in South Central Los Angeles just 30 feet away from a polluting oil well. When Nalleli was nine she and her community started getting nose bleeds, nausea, headaches and asthma. Nalleli began a crusade to shutdown oil drilling in her neighborhood by focusing on the power of storytelling - shining a bright light on what was happe…

1
05 - Interview with Daniel Skaven Ruben - How we gonna nourish 10bn people in a sustainable way? 47:30

2+ y ago47:30

47:30

More information and all links: www.sustainnow.ch Daniel Skaven Ruben is Head of Strategy & Special Projects at Swedish plant-based cheese startup Stockeld Dreamery Prior to that, he was a consultant to The Rockefeller Foundation Food Initiative during 2017-2021, supporting the Foundation’s work to advance a more nourishing and sustainable food sys…

1
Welcome to the Toxic Avengers podcast, meet the people working to keep us safe from toxic chemicals 5:22

2+ y ago5:22

5:22

Welcome to Episode 0 of the Toxic Avengers podcast. For this introductory episode I discuss the problem of our continuous exposure to toxic chemicals, in our air, our water, our food, in all kinds of consumer products, at home and in the workplace. I describe the purpose and format of the podcast, interviewing people who work to attain health prote…

1
Heterodox 35:59

2+ y ago35:59

35:59

As world leaders descended on Glasgow to agree on a plan to curb climate pollution, most of the obstacles to inking a deal centered on who pays for what. Not being discussed is the underlying financial framework of capitalism which has played an outsized role in getting us into this mess. Because capitalism focuses nearly exclusively on maximizing …

1
Weather 33:27

2+ y ago33:27

33:27

Talking about the rain, wind, sun, humidity, snow, hail, storms, heat, flooding and everything in between is one of our favorite topics of conversation. That’s now being amped up to a whole new level because of climate change. Today’s extreme weather is causing droughts, wildfires, mega hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and temperatures both so cold a…

1
04 - Interview with Sacha Ghiglione - CEO of Prime Computer 45:19

2+ y ago45:19

45:19

Sacha is CEO and Board member of the Swiss climate neutral, green IT manufacturer Prime Computer which is mainly producing mini PCs for medium size companies. Sacha is also a Board Member of the European Technology Chamber & the Climate Action Commission, supporting the use of European technology to reach the sustainability goals (SDGs) of the UN. …

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