Elias Ayrey on Forests and Social Justice

In this episode I speak with Elias Ayrey, a forest carbon scientist and Chief Science Officer at Renoster, a carbon credit diligence firm. We discuss:• How growing up in suburban New Jersey with a science teacher mother shaped his connection to nature and science.• His move from ecology to forest remote sensing, and how it gives him a unique perspective on forests.• His passion for paleobotany and early plant evolution.• His realization that carbon market challenges stem primarily from human factors rather than technical limitations.• How direct observation of carbon market projects revealed both transformative community benefits and serious human rights violations.• His pragmatic view of carbon markets as a flawed but necessary climate solution given human nature. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit discernearth.substack.com