Inevitable

Latest Episodes:

Skilled Labor Series: Eric Letvin, FEMA Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

This episode is part of our Skilled Labor Series hosted by MCJ partner, Yin Lu. This series is focused on amplifying the voices of folks from the skilled labor workforce, including electricians, farmers, ranchers, HVAC installers, and others who are on the front lines of rewiring our infrastructure.

Eric Letvin serves as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s deputy assistant administrator for mitigation.

Eric directs FEMA's pre and post-disaster mitigation programs that support sustainable disaster resilient communities to avoid or reduce the loss of life, property and financial impacts of natural hazards. We talk about Eric's career journey, a brief history of FEMA and what the agency does before, during, and after natural hazards or disasters. We emphasize the importance of pre-disaster mitigation alongside talking about a new tranche of funding from the Infrastructure Bill going to support the work here.

In this episode, we cover:

[01:37]: Eric's role at FEMA and career path from engineering to hazard mitigation
[03:43]: FEMA's inception, evolution, and mission within DHS
[05:35]: Hazard mitigation vs. resilience outcomes
[06:29]: FEMA's expanded role in non-natural disaster management
[09:05]: Pre and post-disaster flood mitigation strategies and grant programs
[11:38]: Wildfire mitigation efforts and challenges amplified by climate change
[14:55]: FEMA's operational structure and budgeting for disaster relief and mitigation
[17:06]: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for resilience efforts
[19:03]: Examples of funded projects in disadvantaged communities
[20:17]: The significance of FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance program in the face of climate change
[22:56]: Advances in flood mapping technology and risk communication
[24:40]: Challenges in modeling wildfire risk and the dynamic nature of wildfire hazards
[26:34]: The importance of building codes in disaster readiness
[28:59]: The shift towards prioritizing pre-disaster mitigation funding
[30:00]: Lessons from past disasters on the value of proactive mitigation

Resources mentioned:

Episode recorded on Nov 16, 2023 (Published on Feb 29, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Navigating Climate Emotions with Dr. Britt Wray Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Britt Wray is a science communicator and the author of two books. Her latest is Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Anxiety, which is a national bestseller. Dr. Wray is also the director of CIRCLE (Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership, and Emotional wellbeing) at Stanford Psychiatry, a research and action initiative in the Stanford School of Medicine. Her first book, the Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction was named a best book of 2017 by the New Yorker. She most recently is a top award winner of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, which was bestowed upon her by the National Academies in partnership with Schmidt Futures.

Climate change evokes a myriad of emotions unique to each individual. It can stir outrage in some, sadness in others, a sense of helplessness for some, and dread for the future in others. There is no universally right or wrong reaction, as our responses are shaped by our distinct relationships with the world and the diverse circumstances in which we live. The perception of climate change varies; for some, it may feel abstract, while for others, the impacts are undeniably profound and far-reaching.

But as Dr. Wray points out, we know that climate change as we are experiencing it is anthropogenic, meaning it's the result of human behavior. And yet so little has been studied about the human behavioral response to climate change. How do we individually and collectively feel about climate change, and what do those feelings drive us to do? This is the sweet spot of Britt's work.

In this episode, we cover:

An overview of Dr. Wray's research on climate distress
Her work as the Director of CIRCLE (Community-minded Interventions for Resilience, Climate Leadership, and Emotional Wellbeing) at Stanford Psychiatry
An overview of climate anxiety and its impact on people
The concept of solastalgia and broken record, record breaking
The importance of community and social connections in addressing climate anxiety
The need for evaluation and evidence-based interventions for climate anxiety
Including behavioralists and psychologists when addressing climate change
The potential role of guilt in motivating action on climate change
The impact of climate change on reproductive decisions and parenting
Dr. Wray's book and newsletter
The importance of open and vulnerable conversations about climate change

Episode recorded on Jan 29, 2024 (Published on Feb 26, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Exploring Material Science Startups with SOSV Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of My Climate Journey, we have two guests: Susan Schofer and Po Bronson.

Susan is partner at SOSV and Chief Science Officer at Hax, which is SOSV's initiative around hard tech. She has a PhD in chemistry from Caltech, and most recently spent eight years at Modern Meadow, a growth stage startup in the bio leather space.

Po is general partner at SOSV, and managing director of IndieBio, which is SOSV's initiative around biotech. Po has written seven New York Times bestsellers, and has won nine national awards for science journalism.

Cody and our guests cover Susan and Po's backgrounds, the challenges in evaluating material science startups, their journeys from academia and the food industry, and early-stage deep tech investment models. They also discuss business economics in material science startups, scaling challenges, sustainable sourcing, and the potential and limitations of synthetic biology in the context of material science startups.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:01]: Susan and Po’s roles at SOSV
[03:08]: The complexity of evaluating material science startups
[04:49]: Susan's journey from chemistry academia to industry
[07:13]: Po's transition from the food industry and writing to IndieBio
[09:12]: Comparing Hax's and IndieBio's methodologies within SOSV
[11:54]: SOSV's early-stage deep tech investment model
[14:46]: Business economics in material science startups
[17:11]: Unmet needs and sustainable sourcing in materials
[19:48]: The critical role of performance in bio-based materials
[22:22]: Scaling challenges in sustainable startups
[24:08]: “Pure” vs. blended materials
[30:54]: Scaling issues faced by bioleather companies
[34:35]: Trends in the plastics space and circularity
[37:15]: Challenges in the cosmetics and skincare industry
[41:47]: Defining terms “biomanufacturing,” “bioeconomy,” and “synthetic biology”
[45:07]: Challenges in biology vs. chemistry
[51:35]: Susan and Po’s advice for founders

Episode recorded on Jan 16, 2024 (Published on Feb 20, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Startup Series: Residential Geothermal with Dandelion Energy Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

Dan Yates is the CEO and Chairman of Dandelion Energy, a Series B Stage startup deploying solutions for residential geothermal energy.

As Dan explains it, residential geothermal distinguishes itself from utility-scale geothermal by not aiming to exploit a scarce, underground heat source for electricity generation through turbines. Instead, the process involves circulating an aqueous solution through a closed loop underground. This allows the system to harness the stable temperature of the soil beneath and employ it for both heating and cooling functions in a residential ground source heat pump. Essentially, residential geothermal aligns with the trajectory of residential HVAC heat pump adoption, serving as a means to maintain a dependable and efficient temperature for optimal heat pump performance.

Dan is a repeat guest on My Climate Journey. He joined Jason way back on Episode 7 to recount his journey as the Co-founder and the CEO of Opower. Dandelion's Co-founder, Kathy Hannun, was also on the pod way back on Episode 35. A lot has changed in that time.

In today's conversation, we touch a bit on Dan's Opower journey, but most of the time is spent on Dandelion and geothermal. We also cover Dandelion's current geographic focus areas, the technologies it has developed, how they operate the company, the business model, the recent tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and other legislation that have benefited the company, and so much more.

In this episode, we cover:

Dandelion's mission to bring residential geothermal to scale
Dan's experience at Opower and its thesis
Difference between residential geothermal and utility-scale
How residential geothermal works and its benefits
Dandelion's closed-loop solution
Geographic focus areas of Dandelion Energy
The company's heat pump technology
Recent tax incentives for geothermal energy
An overview of Dandelion's operations
The company's business model and funding to date
Dandelion's biggest challenges and barriers to growth
Estimated cost breakdown for homeowners looking to switch to geothermal with Dandelion
Career opportunities with Dandelion and how folks can spread the word about geothermal

Episode recorded on Jan 18, 2024 (Published on Feb 15, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

The Science Moms' Guide to Climate Conversations with Kids Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guests are Dr. Melissa Burt and Dr. Emily Fischer, who are part of a group called the Science Moms. The Science Moms are a consortium of climate scientists who are also mothers and who are, in their words, working to give our children the planet they deserve. They aim to demystify climate science and motivate everyday moms to demand climate change plans and solutions.

Dr. Burt is an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University with a focus on arctic clouds, radiation and sea ice, and the assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the school's Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. Dr. Fischer is an associate professor also in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. She also serves as an affiliate faculty member for the CSU School of Global Environmental Sustainability.

A few months ago, we took to social media to see who could talk more about kids and climate change. The Science Moms were recommended by a huge number of folks that we know and trust. So here we are. Enjoy the show!

In this episode, we cover:

[2:36] Background of Dr. Melissa Burt and Dr. Emily Fischer
[7:26] An overview of the Science Moms
[9:01] Concerns parents have when talking to kids about climate change
[10:47] How to engage kids of different ages on climate
[16:39] How to feel confident in discussing climate change without being an expert
[20:09] Political implications of discussing climate change
[27:31] Myth vs. fact about climate change
[29:41] Examples of collective action for parents and kids
[33:41] Resources for learning more about Science Moms

Episode recorded on Feb 5, 2024 (Published on Feb 12, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Startup Series: Gradiant Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Prakash Govindan is COO and Co-founder at Gradiant.

Gradiant is a Series D stage company that develops technology for industrial wastewater treatment. They work with Fortune 500 clients across a range of industries, including semiconductor fabrication, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, mining, and more, to help them reuse water in their operations.

Prakash discusses his background, experiences with water scarcity during his childhood in India, how he met his co-founder during his doctoral work at MIT, how the company started, and the problem of industrial wastewater today. Cody and Prakash talk about some of the different industries and use cases that Gradiant serves, a bit about how their technology works, and how their business model is structured.

As Prakash says in the conversation, water is one of the primary interfaces through which the world will experience climate change, whether through drought or flood. The more we can do to manage our water supply, the better off we will be.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:35]: Prakash's early experiences with water scarcity in India
[04:09]: Gradiant becoming the water industry's only unicorn
[10:21]: How climate change primarily impacts society through water
[11:52]: Gradiant's role in closing the loop on industrial wastewater
[18:25]: The challenges of industrial vs. municipal wastewater treatment
[22:22]: Gradiant's bespoke water treatment solutions for the pharmaceutical industry
[26:17]: The company’s involvement in direct lithium extraction and production processes
[30:52]: The importance of seawater desalination and minimizing brine discharge
[38:03]: How Gradiant collaborates with semiconductor clients under the CHIPS Act
[41:50]: Gradiant's approach to extracting valuable byproducts from waste
[45:06]: Early funding for Gradiant from high net-worth individuals and family offices
[46:01]: Gradiant's revenue and backlog growth, anticipating future financial milestones
[48:38]: The story behind the company name, Gradiant with an “A” instead of an “E”

Episode recorded on Jan 5, 2024 (Published on Feb 8, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Sustainable Project Finance with Nexus PMG Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

Ben Hubbard is CEO and Co-founder at Nexus PMG, an infrastructure advisory and project development organization dedicated to reducing carbon intensity and enhancing resource efficiency. Ben co-founded Nexus PMG in 2013 after multiple years of working on complex metal refining facilities in locations including Mongolia and Saudi Arabia.

In this episode, Cody and Ben cover how Nexus PMG got started, what key risks the firm explores when assessing a project for development capital, Ben's advice for infrastructure-heavy startups as they scale, and how he sees the next five years of infrastructure deployment playing out. And they cover a whole lot in between, including the criticality of feedstocks, the role of insurance, opportunities for private equity, and first-of-a-kind project finance.

In this episode, we cover:

[01:56]: Ben's early mining experience in extreme climates during the 2007 recession
[05:24]: Nexus PMG's founding story
[11:51]: Abandoning all fossil-fuel projects and full transition to low-carbon focus
[17:01]: Observations on declining investment returns in wind and solar projects
[20:39]: Challenges in variability and quality of sustainable materials
[27:15]: Turnaround of a distressed biomass plant in British Columbia
[30:08]: Launch of Nexus Development Capital for scaling businesses
[36:04]: Recent shifts from strategics investing to meet ESG goals
[38:17]: Why team dynamics are critical to project success
[42:50]: Trend forecasting in sustainable projects: hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels
[46:01]: Ben’s optimism about capital deployment in the next decade

Episode recorded on Jan 8, 2024 (Published on Feb 5, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Skilled Labor Series: Decoding HERS, the Key to Home Energy Efficiency Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Roy Mittleider is the director of training for CalCERTS. CalCERTS is one of California's Home Energy Rating System providers (or HERS), which is an acronym we use a lot in this episode. They operate in the state under the conditional approval of the California Energy Commission, or the CEC. CalCERTS provides specialized HERS training and certification, performs quality assurance on all HERS Raters they certify, and maintains an online data registry of permits and records of energy efficiency work for each home in California.

In this episode, we deep dive into what a HERS rater does, who they work with, what their training is like, and what career paths they can take. We also talk about different types of energy specifications a structure needs to meet in order to be up to the latest energy code. And we end with talking about the role that technology can play in optimizing the workflow in the home energy efficiency auditing space.

In this episode, we cover:

Introduction to CalCERTS and the Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
History of the HERS industry and its development in California
Compliance rating and verification process for existing homes and new construction
Energy specifications and standards for buildings in California
The importance of air sealing and insulation in home energy efficiency
The role of technology in optimizing workflow and improving efficiency in home energy efficiency auditing
Career paths and opportunities for HERS raters
Importance of data registry and record-keeping for energy efficiency work in California
Potential for technology to improve data transfer, streamline paperwork, and enhance the HERS rating process

Episode recorded on Aug 17, 2023 (Published on Nov 2, 2023)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

The Power of Positive Climate Narratives Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Denise Baden is Professor of Sustainable Business at the University of Southampton and founder of Green Stories.

At Green Stories, Dr. Baden has run 16 writing competitions since 2018, focused around sustainability and storytelling. She is herself also the author of multiple eco-fiction novels, including Habitat Man and is the editor of a collection of short stories called No More Fairy Tales: Stories to Save Our Planet. She's working with BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, on a project about the role of screenwriters in consumer culture. And she's co-created the #ClimateCharacters campaign with them to highlight TV and movie characters who take on climate positive lifestyle behaviors.

Dr. Baden and Cody have a wide-ranging conversation about the role of storytelling as a lever for climate action, her work in researching how characters who demonstrate positive behaviors tend to drive better outcomes than fear mongering via disaster scenarios, and how the climate attitudes amongst her students have changed during her time in academia.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:37]: Dr. Baden's realization about the impact of storytelling while teaching ethics
[04:35]: Her findings on the impact of positive vs. negative storytelling
[09:50]: The concept of Thrutopias and Dr. Baden’s Green Stories competitions
[12:31]: #ClimateCharacters collaboration with BAFTAs
[17:35]: How fictional narratives shape subconscious value adoption
[19:01]: Concerns about dystopian themes in climate storytelling
[22:54]: The role of humor in climate-related storytelling
[26:33]: Promoting sustainability through Green Stories competitions
[31:25]: Personal carbon allowances for sustainable behaviors
[34:00]: Positioning climate change stories for broader audience engagement
[37:50]: Techniques for making climate change stories broadly engaging
[41:59]: Leveraging existing movements like minimalism and other trends
[45:12]: How climate attitudes amongst students have changed over time

Episode recorded on Jan 4, 2024 (Published on Jan 29, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Startup Series: Cleaner Chemicals with Dioxcycle Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

Sarah Lamaison is the CEO and Co-founder of Dioxycle.

Dioxycle is developing technology to produce sustainable ethylene from recycled carbon emissions. Ethylene is the world's most used organic chemical and it's a precursor to many everyday products including construction materials, plastics, and textile fibers. Indeed, it's a core feedstock for polyester.

Ethylene is also an enormous market at well over $100 billion. We were excited to learn from Sarah about Dioxycle as an example of a startup leveraging electrolysis to convert electricity, water, and carbon emissions into low carbon chemicals. Dioxycle announced a Series A of financing earlier this year with investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital and Gigascale.

In this episode, we cover:

[02:00]: An overview of Dioxycle
[04:37]: Sarah's background in CO2 electrolysis
[06:41]: Ethylene's role in everyday products, including polyester fabrics
[11:02]: Dioxycle's novel carbon electrolysis technology for converting emissions into ethylene
[17:53]: The challenge of decarbonizing ethylene's embedded emissions
[23:14]: Dioxycle's goal of cost-competitive production below fossil prices
[25:24]: Current trends and challenges in sustainable ethylene production
[28:26]: The need for renewable power sources for Dioxycle's electrolysis process
[30:19]: Dioxycle's focus on deploying an industrial pilot and team expansion
[33:49]: Key global centers for ethylene production
[34:36]: Dioxycle's vision as a trusted tech provider in emissions recycling

Episode recorded on Dec 14, 2023 (Published on Jan 25, 2024)

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@ovr.vc.

Connect with Override:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected