Stay ConnectedReversing Climate Change is a podcast about carbon removal and climatetech that keeps wandering off into literature, history, philosophy, theology, and geopolitics on the theory that the technical and scientific questions stop making much sense without them. Hosted by Ross Kenyon, who did not go past a year of political philosophy PhD coursework and has visibly not let it go.
Paid subscriptions live on Substack @ https://rosskenyon.com.
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Copyright: © Nori
“We have not settled America. We have colonized America. Now, we’ve got to figure out … how to actually live here. How are we going to move forward? Everybody needs to be an agrarian now.”
— Mary Berry
We live in a culture that pushes us to keep moving. Obsessed with upward mobility, we keep searching for something more. But this ‘problem of mobility’ robs us of the opportunity to belong to a place. To develop deep cultural ties with the land and each other. And Mary Berry contends that this disconnection and lack of community is the source of many of our problems here in the US.
Mary Berry is the Executive Director of The Berry Center, a nonprofit that advocates for farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Mary joins Ross to explain how her family’s history as part of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative inspired her to build The Berry Center and describe how the Burley Tobacco program’s principles are at work in her team’s Our Home Place Meat initiative.
Mary offers insight around the value of belonging to a place we love, discussing what it means to be part of a community and why we need to initiate small solutions locally—rather than waiting for one big policy or program to save us. Listen in to understand Mary’s argument against our current economy and learn how The Berry Center’s work goes beyond agriculture to foster cultural change.
Resources
Call (502) 845-9200
Agrarian Culture Center & Bookstore
Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association
Wendell Berry Farming Program at Sterling College
Becoming Native to This Place by Wes Jackson
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam
Wendell Berry’s Port William Novels
The World-Ending Fire by Wendell Berry
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander
Organic Valley Dairy Cooperative
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e30-how-to-think-littlew-mary-berry-ef7
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Regardless of where you stand on the ethics of eating meat, the fact is, it’s a big part of the climate math. It provokes strong feelings all around, some of which may be contradictory within one’s self. And so much of the climate analysis is dependent upon how the animals were raised, marketed, and so on. It’s hard to speak (at least for some) with crisp lines. In this episode we wade into these details.
Jonathan Safran Foer is the bestselling author of Eating Animals, Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,and We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast. Today, Jonathan joins Ross to describe his relationship with meat, explaining what inspired him to become a vegetarian at the age of nine and why he is willing to admit to moral failure when he grabs a burger at the airport.
Jonathan shares his proposal for reducing our meat consumption as posited in We Are the Weather, weighing in on why it’s dangerous to make our food choices such a big part of our identity. Listen in for Jonathan’s insight on what makes climate change such a difficult story to tell and learn why Jonathan thinks reserving meat for dinner is a productive form of climate activism.
Resources:
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
‘Options for Keeping the Food System Within Environmental Limits’ in Nature
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells
Learning to Die in the Anthropocene by Roy Scranton
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e29-jonathan-safran-foer-on-meat-108
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Direct air capture or DAC is one of the many strategies we need to employ to achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. So, how do we scale up the DAC industry to capture the hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 we need to remove from the atmosphere? And what would that kind of growth mean in terms of business opportunities and job creation?
John Larsen is a Director at Rhodium Group, an independent research firm that analyzes global disruptive trends. He leads the firm’s US power sector and energy systems research, specializing in the analysis of clean energy policy and market trends. Today, John joins Ross, Christophe, and Aldyen to discuss his team’s most recent report and associated webinar, Capturing New Jobs and New Business: Growth Opportunities from Direct Air Capture Scale-Up.
John outlines the policy recommendations he suggests to ramp up the construction of DAC plants, offering insight around potential government subsidies for decarbonization and sharing what policy solutions work (and which ones don’t). Listen in as John explores the clean tech innovations he finds interesting and introduces us to the most promising commercialization pathways for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050!
Resources:
Capturing New Jobs and New Business: Growth Opportunities from Direct Air Capture Scale-Up
Capturing Leadership: Policies for the US to Advance Direct Air Capture Technology
45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Sequestration
California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
The DOD’s Plan to Produce Jet Fuel from Seawater on Aircraft Carriers
Klaus Lackner at Arizona State University
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e28-how-many-jobs-will-a-direct-4b7
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Ranching has been vilified as a major contributor to climate change. But what if it’s not the cow but the HOW? The fact is, animals have always lived and grazed on grasslands, and when we leverage regenerative grazing to raise livestock, we can rebuild the soil and sequester carbon in the grass and soil, sourcing materials like leather, fiber, and meat in a more responsible way.
Chris Kerston is the Chief Commercial Officer of the Land to Market Program at the Savory Institute, a nonprofit working to regenerate the world’s grasslands through Holistic Management. Today, Chris joins Ross to explain how the Savory Institute promotes regenerative grazing and share their vision of a future where farmers and ranchers work together.
Chris walks us through the Land to Market program’s Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol, describing why they measure a breadth of ecosystem services versus sequestered carbon alone. Listen in to understand how Savory is supporting brands like Timberland and learn how the Land to Market Program can help us make more informed choices about what we consume.
Resources:
Savory’s Land to Market Program
Savory’s Partnership with Timberland
Peter Donovan at the Soil Carbon Coalition
Savory’s Land to Market Brand Partners
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e27-are-grasslands-overshadowed-878
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
We live in a point-and-click society where labor is seen as something to overcome. But what if we’ve got it wrong? Philosopher turned farmer Dr. Scott H. Moore contends that entertainment doesn’t have to be passive. In fact, activities like reading Dante, growing tomatoes or fixing our own plumbing can bring us a lot of joy and satisfaction—and maybe even transform the way we see the world.
Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Great Texts at Baylor University and the author of How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers. Today, Dr. Moore joins Ross to discuss the connections among philosophy, the Classics, theology and farming, explaining how Wendell Berry inspired his decision to become a farmer, and exploring how great works like Dante’s Divine Comedy remain relevant in modern life.
Dr. Moore challenges us to rethink our notion of labor, describing the rewards of problem-solving with our hands and engaging in activities like gardening or woodworking—as opposed to just buying the things we want. Listen in for Dr. Moore’s insight on making leisure more intentional and learn how Christian thought and the Classics can help us cultivate a sense of gratitude and initiate meaningful conversations about what really matters.
Resources:
Dr. Moore at Baylor University
How to Burn a Goat: Farming with the Philosophers by Scott H. Moore
The Divine Comedy Volume I: Inferno by Dante Alighieri, translated by Mark Musa
The Great Courses: Dante’s Divine Comedy
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop by Nick Offerman
The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry, narrated by Nick Offerman
Joel Salatin on Reversing Climate Change EP072
Quill Robinson on Reversing Climate Change S2EP18
Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
Sorry, ran out of space! Will update these notes with the full list when room is expanded.
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e26-how-to-burn-a-goat-farming-154
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
There is a temptation to believe that science and technology will save us from climate change, while we continue business as usual. But we have already emitted huge levels of CO2 into the atmosphere, and it’s going to take both carbon capture at the source and direct air capture (DAC) from ambient air to make a dent in the record atmospheric concentration of 415ppm we hit in 2019.
Dr. Jennifer Wilcox is the James H. Manning Chaired Professor of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the author of the first textbook on carbon capture. Today, Dr. Wilcox joins Ross and Christophe to discuss the distinction between carbon capture in general and direct air capture specifically and explain why we need both strategies to succeed in reversing climate change.
Dr. Wilcox goes on to describe the two leading DAC technologies, solvents and solid sorbents, sharing how we might decide where to build plants and what tech to use in a given situation. Listen in for Dr. Wilcox’s insight on conducting a techno-economic assessment on systems that have yet to be deployed and learn how you can get involved in the ongoing advancement of carbon management.
Resources:
American Physical Society 2011 Report
Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e25-the-dac-up-plan-for-climate-f95
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
We know that minority populations bear an unequal burden when it comes to climate change. And yes, Black Americans are concerned about the climate crisis, but they don’t see the environment as a top-tier issue. So, what can advocates and policymakers do to make climate change more relevant to Black communities and ensure their inclusion in a clean energy transition?
Jared DeWese is Senior Communications Advisor for the Climate & Energy Program at Third Way, a center-left federal policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. Jared joins Ross to discuss the organization’s recent report, ‘Black Americans Care About Climate Change (But It’s Complicated),’ sharing the top takeaways from their qualitative research and explaining how advocates can mobilize communities of color around climate change by connecting the issue with their daily lives.
Jared weighs in on how Black Americans are impacted by climate change, introducing us to the idea of environmental racism and exploring what we can do to confront and transform discriminatory systems and policies. Listen in for Jared’s insight on promoting climate policy in a divided Congress and learn why he is optimistic about the potential for real progress at this particular moment in history.
Resources:
Black Americans Care About Climate Change (But It’s Complicated)
Yale Program on Climate Communication Study on Race & Attitudes Toward Climate Change
The Environmental Kuznets Curve
Joe Biden’s Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution & Environmental Justice
Otto von Bismarck & the Welfare State
The Life & Legacy of John Lewis on The Daily Podcast
James Baldwin on Being Black in America
Alexander Hamilton on Slavery as Wasted Potential
W.E.B. Du Bois’ Concept of Double Consciousness
The Environmental Defense Fund Poll on African Americans & Clean Energy Resources
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e24-black-americans-care-about-e0f
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Many indigenous communities see the climate crisis as another form of colonialism. First World countries have colonized the atmosphere with their greenhouse gas emissions. And there is a risk that carbon removal infrastructure reinforces business-as-usual. So, what is the best approach to decolonizing the atmosphere? How can we tackle climate change in a way that fits with broader progressive goals around equity and social justice?
Dr. Holly Jean Buck is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA’s Institute on the Environment and Sustainability and the author of After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration. Dr. Buck joins Ross to discuss her recent article in Progressive International, ‘How to Decolonize the Atmosphere.’ She describes how the ideas in The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth informed her thinking and introduces us to the concept of settler colonialism as it relates to climate change.
Dr. Buck walks us through her three progressive goals for carbon removal: 1) link carbon with the managed decline of fossil fuels, 2) ensure public ownership and return on investment, and 3) advocate for a global framework for carbon removal. Listen in for Dr. Buck’s insight on the interconnectedness of the climate crisis with the other major issues we face and find out why she is concerned about the way social media may be influencing scientific research.
Resources
The Red Deal Part 1: End the Occupation
Beyond Wiindigo Infrastructure by Winona LaDuke, Deborah Cowen
After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration by Holly Jean Buck
Global CCS Institute Report on Climate Change
Rhodium Report on Jobs & Direct Air Capture
Rhodium Report on Policies for the US to Advance Direct Air Capture
Sad by Design: On Platform Nihilism by Geert Lovink
‘Climate Change is a Waste Management Problem’ in Issues in Science and Technology
All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change by Michael T. Klare
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/how-to-decolonize-the-atmosphere-592
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Carbon dioxide levels are double what they were prior the Industrial Revolution. And we know that reducing emissions is simply not going to be enough to avoid widespread ecological collapse. We need strategies for removing CO2 from the atmosphere at scale. So, what if green sand beaches could provide a promising solution to climate change that is nature-based, affordable, and can be deployed around the globe?
Kelly Erhart and Tom Green are the Cofounder and Executive Director, respectively, of Project Vesta, an organization dedicated to capturing a trillion tonnes of excess CO2 in rock through coastal enhanced weathering. Kelly and Tom join Ross to explain how they are creating green sand beaches with olivine to remove CO2 from the atmosphere faster and store it in limestone on the sea floor. They discuss the benefits and potential risks of enhanced weathering in an aquatic environment as well as the permanence of Project Vesta’s sequestration process.
Kelly and Tom share the news of how Stripe came to be their first customer, describing how the nonprofit is funded and what’s behind their decision to make the technology open-source. Listen in to understand how the enhanced weathering process might help solve the ocean acidification problem and how Project Vesta sees their solution's scalability and cost-effectiveness.
Resources
Eric Matzner on Carbon Removal Newsroom EP018
Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from Climate.gov
Stripe’s Negative Emissions Commitment
Stripe’s Partnership with Project Vesta
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e23-can-green-sand-beaches-sequester-524
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
Have you ever wondered what happens to your clothes after you drop them off at Goodwill? Or where your electronics go once you’ve left them at the recycling center? Yes, some of our excess is exported to emerging markets around the world and either resold or harvested for parts. Is that cool? And what can we do to shop in a way that reduces our environmental impact?
Adam Minter is a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Tradeand Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale. Today, Adam joins Ross to explain how being born into a family of junk dealers informed his career as a journalist. He introduces us to what happens when we donate clothing to Goodwill, describing how items are sorted and resold or exported to other markets around the world.
Adam weighs in on why it’s not unethical to send our e-waste to West Africa or resell used car seats in Mexico, challenging us to worry more about the quality of the products we buy and less about where they’re exported when we’re done with them. Listen in for Adam’s insight around the value of mass market collectibles and learn how to shift your consumer thinking from immediate cost to total cost of ownership.
Resources
Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade by Adam Minter
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter
Unbundled Airlines on Planet Money EP517
Resources
This episode's page on the web: https://www.rosskenyon.com/p/s2e22-the-unexpected-order-in-the-fa6
Subscribe to the Reversing Climate Change Substack: https://www.rosskenyon.com/subscribe
Books from the show, at Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/reversing-climate-change
My other show, Climate Workers Anonymous: https://www.climateworkersanonymous.com
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