Climate Papa

What if the most important step you can take for biodiversity is simply… noticing?Species are disappearing far faster than we can track, and for many of them, our entire scientific record amounts to a handful of specimens scattered across museum shelves.My guest today, Scott Loarie, has spent the last decade building one of the most hopeful counterforces to that trend: iNaturalist. What started as a simple idea — “What if anyone could help record the living world with their phone?” — has grown into one of the largest biodiversity datasets on Earth. Most of what scientists now know about many species comes not from elite field research, but from millions of everyday people noticing what’s around them.We talk about how climate change scrambles ecosystems, how citizen science has outpaced some traditional biology, and why biodiversity may be one of the last unpolarized environmental spaces left. iNaturalist works not because it’s high-tech, but because it taps into something deeply human: curiosity. A butterfly in your backyard becomes a datapoint for global science. A moment of noticing becomes a contribution that actually matters.In a world where climate action often feels abstract and distant, biodiversity offers something intimate: a reason to look closer.If you want to start, download the iNaturalist app, step outside, and snap a photo. It’s a tiny act that scales surprisingly far.Referenced:iNaturalist — iOS | AndroidSeek — for under 13IUCN Red ListGet connected:Scott Loarie — iNaturalist | LinkedInBen - LinkedIn | Climate PapaFeedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

How do you make decisions for the next hundred years based on evidence you only know today? That’s the question Gary Yohe has spent more than four decades wrestling with. One of the first five economists in the world working on climate change back in the early 1980s, Gary served as the Coordinating Lead Author for multiple IPCC report chapters, including the Fourth Assessment that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. His research has shaped how the world understands climate risk, bridging economics, science, and policy. Instead of chasing a perfect century-long plan, he argues we should treat climate as a risk management problem—act, learn, adjust. It’s an idea that changed the field: policy as an iterative process rather than a single bet on the future.We talk about how this shift happened and what it means today, from San Francisco’s sea-level strategy—where most of the city plans for a two-foot rise, but why the Embarcadero prepares for six—to the limits of insurance as climate risk becomes unpriceable. Gary channels John Holdren’s line that “we can abate, we can adapt, or we can suffer,” and explains why the catastrophic tail risks will never be fully insurable. He shares lessons from decades of human behavior research: how Florida’s hurricane-proof houses paradoxically increased deaths as people stopped evacuating, and how Outer Banks homeowners started building intentionally ‘disposable’ beach houses when insurance vanished. Along the way, he reflects on the communication gap that dogs climate science—how misinformation can be careless, but accuracy must be flawless—and the discipline it takes to keep public trust.Now in his seventies, Gary calls himself “a foot soldier in the climate wars.” What keeps him going isn’t blind optimism but something sturdier. Quoting Václav Havel, he distinguishes hope from optimism: optimism expects things will work out; hope believes your actions might make a difference. That’s what motivates him when he imagines his nine-year-old twin granddaughters asking, “Papa, what did you do when all this was happening?” His answer: “I was doing everything I could. And I really thought I might make a difference. And that gave me enough hope to think it was worth the time to do it.”Referenced:IPCC 4th AssessmentClimate CafeGet connected:Gary - Wesleyan | Climate CafeBen - LinkedIn | Climate PapaFeedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Agriculture, forestry, and land use together account for nearly 24 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet somehow land sits in a weird blind spot: ignored by climate conversations focused on energy and transport, underanalyzed by markets, and mispriced by farmers and timber investors alike. That’s the problem, and opportunity, we’re going to discuss today.I sit down with Danan Margason, founder and CEO of Aarden, to explore how AI can help land owners understand their options. Aarden sits at the center of a messy, trillion-dollar decision problem—enabling landowners and capital allocators to evaluate a single parcel across radically different paths: timber harvests vs. solar fields, carbon projects vs. housing, restoration now vs. monetizing later.We dive into the systems thinking behind land use and why this is such a massive market that’s been underserved by technology.Along the way, Danan shares his journey from crew boats in Seattle to Booking.com, through Carbon Direct’s push for high-quality removals, and into company-building back with his original crew buddy.Referenced:Aarden.aiJobsLand useStepchange ShowGet connected:Danan - LinkedIn | [email protected] - LinkedIn | Climate PapaFeedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

✨ Special teaser from the Stepchange Show. Details here. ✨🎧 Listen to the full episode:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeSubstackAny other podcast player search: ‘Stepchange’Today’s Climate Papa episode is a quick teaser from my other project, The Stepchange Show.Anay and I spent months digging into the hidden backbone of our modern world: data centers. These warehouses of machines quietly power everything from your email to AI — and now use more electricity than some countries.This short preview pulls back the curtain. If it sparks your curiosity, head to the full episode on the Stepchange Show through the links above.

What happens when you take the two biggest sources of emissions in the US—transportation and electricity—and smash them together at breakneck speed?In this episode of Climate Papa, I sit down with Apoorv Bhargava, the co-founder and CEO of WeaveGrid. We explore the massive, unfolding challenge and opportunity of integrating millions of electric vehicles onto a grid that wasn't built for them. WeaveGrid sits at the very center—building the critical software layer to orchestrate this transition, turning EVs from a potential liability into a powerful asset for a cleaner, more resilient energy system.We dive deep into the systems thinking required to solve climate change, busting common memes around EV charging, and discussing why the real bottleneck isn't just charging stations, but the grid itself. Apoorv shares why he’s wary of buzzwords like "Virtual Power Plants" (VPPs) and makes the case for building trust and genuine partnership with the massive incumbent industries—like utilities and automakers—that are central to the energy transition.Along the way, Apoorv opens up about his personal journey: from a childhood seeing the impacts of energy and water scarcity firsthand to the all-consuming life of a founder, and why focusing on the human side of the work is essential for the long haul.Referenced:WeaveGridVolts podcast by David Roberts on “enshitification”Get connected:Apoorv - LinkedIn | [email protected] - LinkedIn | Climate PapaFeedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Ben sits down with Michael Leggett—former Google and Facebook design leader turned climate entrepreneur—to explore the invisible but essential machinery behind the clean energy economy. Michael is the co-founder and Head of Product at Ever.green, a startup working to democratize access to high-impact renewable energy deals.Ben and Michael go deep into the world of renewable energy credits (RECs), power purchase agreements (PPAs), and the shifting landscape of carbon accounting. Why is it that only ~1,000 companies today participate in the kind of long-term clean energy contracts that actually help bring new solar and wind projects online? What happens when companies buy cheap, after-the-fact RECs and claim 100% clean energy? And how might emerging standards like 24/7 carbon-free energy reshape what counts as climate impact—for better or worse?Along the way, Michael shares his own journey from Big Tech to climate, how becoming a parent shaped his urgency, and why he remains (cautiously) optimistic that Team Earth can get it right—if we keep the focus on real-world outcomes and the systems and incentives that guide those outcomes.Referenced:Ever.greenRethinking Scope 2 Accounting by Ever.greenStepchange Show: Coal Part IIGet connected:Michael - LinkedInBen - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠Feedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch, by emailing ⁠[email protected]⁠Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

In this live crossover episode of Climate Papa and Volts, I sit down with renowned climate journalist David Roberts for a conversation bridging the personal and the planetary. David traces his unlikely path from doctoral philosophy drop out into journalism—and how his early love of systems thinking shapes his work today.We dive into the puzzle that is the energy transition. With clean energy solutions now tangible and increasingly affordable, David sees his role not just as a reporter, but as a guide through the nested challenges of decarbonization—from grid reform to housing to the politics of permitting.We dive into David’s approach to writing (“talk like you’re at a bar with a smart friend”), his current obsessions (electricity and land use), and why abundance, not austerity, should define the climate movement. Along the way we try to answer if humans might be smart enough, as a species, to outrun the fate of the protozoa.David was thoughtful, funny, and full of hope—with very little room for BS.Referenced:Stepchange Show: Coal I9Zero SeattleIn defense of Ethical NaturalismIs humanity smarter than a protozoan?What's up with electric aviation?Connect:David - VoltsBen - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠Feedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch, by emailing ⁠[email protected]⁠Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

What if the biggest climate impact from companies like Google wasn’t in their operations, but in how they shape the decisions of billions of people?In this episode of Climate Papa, I sit down with Travis McCoy, Director of Product for Sustainability at Google. We talk about his journey into climate, the pivotal moment that pushed him to make the leap, and how Google is leveraging its massive distribution to help individuals, businesses, and governments make lower-carbon choices.Travis shares why he believes climate action isn’t just about reducing emissions—it’s about changing systems at scale. And we have a mini product-jam on what it could mean for tech leaders and product builders to build climate native products.Referenced:Electrify by Saul GriffithGoogle’s sustainability work: Google SustainabilityProject Sunroof by Google: Project SunroofThe Stepchange ShowGet connected:Travis - LinkedInBen - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠Feedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch, by emailing ⁠[email protected]⁠Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Today I'm excited to introduce a new project, the Stepchange podcast, where we share the stories of human progress. Like Climate Papa, it's driven by a curiosity about the systems that shape our world, but focuses on the historical innovations and moments that got us here and the transformations happening now. The show is a long-form conversation hosted by me and Anay where we unpack the technologies, systems, and infrastructure that underpin modern life. Our first episode explores coal's role in the Industrial Revolution - a story that echoes through to the many fuel debated today. You can listen by searching for "Stepchange" on your preferred podcast platform (here on Spotify and Apple Podcasts). Climate Papa email subscribers will be added to the Stepchange email list so that you don’t miss future episodes. If the show is not for you, you can always unsubscribe and your Climate Papa updates will not be impacted. Subscribe: stepchange.show ------------------------ Coal is the story of a step change—a transformation so profound that it reshaped the course of human history. The rise of coal reshaped economies, societies, and the very way we live. It became the foundation of the Industrial Revolution and powered a new era of progress, but this leap forward came at a tremendous cost. Coal’s story begins with ancient plants that captured sunlight and locked away carbon over millennia. These deposits, buried deep in the Earth, would one day drive empires and fuel industries that transformed the world. Yet, behind this transformation lies a complex and often difficult legacy. Even as coal has faded from the forefront of our energy landscape, its fingerprints remain everywhere. The technologies it spawned, from steam engines and the rail to industrial manufacturing, continue to underpin our modern world. At the same time, coal’s legacy is inseparable from many of the challenges we face today, from labor abuse and environmental degradation to global climate change. In this debut episode, we explore the first chapter of coal's story, from its early discovery and use through the dawn of the 20th century. Thank you for joining us for the first episode of Stepchange. Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts by emailing us at [email protected]. Hosts: Ben Shwab Eidelson and Anay Shah Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome to Stepchange03:37 - The Birth of Coal09:39 - Coal's Early History17:01 - Britain's Coal Transformation25:49 - Reshaping Home & Hearth34:49 - The Iron & Coke Revolution44:28 - The Steam Engine Breakthrough1:03:37 - The Railway Revolution1:19:50 - The Rise of Industrial Cities1:38:57 - Life in the Mines1:54:37 - Coal Comes to America2:24:11 - Themes & Reflections Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History Goodman, Ruth. The Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything Paxman, Jeremy. Black Gold: The History of How Coal Made Britain Sinclair, Upton. King Coal:a Novel (fiction) Barbara Freese, 12/12/24 Johnston Suter, 1/6/24 Geological History The Carboniferous Period Earth's Historical Timeline Visualization Coal-Bearing Areas of the United States USGS: Coal Resources and Historical Production Coal Mining in Ancient China Coal Mining Regions Industrial Development British Population Growth (1100-Present) The Industrial Revolution Evolution of Steam Power History of the Steam Engine Newcomen Atmospheric Engine Key Industrial Figures Abraham Darby I James Watt Matthew Boulton John Wilkinson Franklin B. Gowen The Lunar Society of Birmingham The Grand Allies George Stephenson Social Impact and Labor History Friedrich Engels Coal Mining Labor Practices and "Hurrying" Lord Ashley and Labor Reform The Great Smog of London (1952) The Centralia Mine Fire Pennsylvania Anthracite Mining History Modern Context Global Coal Consumption Trends Emissions by Fuel Type

There was a fire that burned for 29 hours. It destroyed over 17,000 buildings, killed over 300 people, and left more than 100,000 homeless. This was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Out of the ashes, Chicago rebuilt itself into a global model of resilience. The disaster spurred major changes, including the use of fire-resistant building materials, stricter safety codes, the expansion of the fire department, and the modernization of water and sewer systems. It ultimately set the conditions for Chicago to become the birthplace of the skyscraper and a leader in architecture and urban planning. The fires in Los Angeles are still burning. The devastation is immense and heartbreaking. To grasp for some meaning, I’ve been reflecting on the history of Chicago—not as a direct analogy but as a beacon of hope. Hope that something long-lasting and transformative can come from this disaster. That we can be collectively catalyzed not just to rebuild, but to rebuild smarter—with better tools, better systems, and to rebuild resiliently. That is my hope for Los Angeles and its amazing people. To help process and understand the fires—how we got here and where we might go next—I reached out to our friends at Convective Capital. Jay Ribakove is a Principal at Convective Capital—a venture firm investing in solutions to combat and adapt to the growing threat of wildfires. We unpack how wildfires have changed over time—from the low-intensity fires of the past to today’s massive, catastrophic events. Jay explains the critical factors at play in the Los Angeles fires and the tools we have to increase our defenses. Referenced: Portfolio companies mentioned: BurnBot, Fire Aside, Overstory, Rhizome Firetech Job Board Red Sky Summit Get connected: Jay - LinkedIn | Convective Capital Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch, by emailing ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

On this show, we’ve explored how people can make infrastructure changes in their lives that have long-term positive climate impacts—whether it’s upgrading your furnace to a heat pump or switching from a gas car to an EV. Food is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s the ultimate behavioral challenge: the average person has three meals a day, 21 meals a week. That's over 1,000 meals a year or 5,000 decisions over five years. Compare that to the one-time choice of a car you may drive for five years. Each of these meals—and how we prepare them—has a major impact, both on our personal health and on the health of the planet. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Joel Gamoran—a fellow Seattle papa, chef, culinary teacher, and founder of Homemade Cooking. Joel’s journey has taken him from teaching as the head chef at Sur La Table to hosting the cooking show Scraps, where he turned food waste into culinary masterpieces (and published a cookbook as well). We discuss staggering truths about the waste in our food system—and how culinary medicine is a key unlock for our health, our communities, and the planet. Joel generously opens up about his own health journey and how that connects to his life’s work. If after this conversation you want more of Joel’s amazing energy, you can cook with him via his site Homemade Cooking, watch his PBS show Homemade Live, and follow along via his Instagram. Referenced: Food Waste - ReFED Land use data - Our World in Data Seattle not among nation’s vegan/vegetarian hot spots - Seattle Times Get connected: Joel - Instagram | Homemade Cooking Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

I sit down with Kathy Hannun--the founder of Dandelion Energy, a geothermal heat pump comany that she spun out of Google X. What is a geothermal heat pump? Well, if you go outside and drill a hole a few hundred feet below ground you would get to a stable temperature--somewhere in the 50-60 degrees range. This earth is a fantastic place to transfer heat to and from. You can then cycle a fluid (like water) down there and use the transfer of heat to very efficiently heat or cool a home via a heatpump. In fact, a geothermal heatpump should be the most efficient way to heat and cool any building. We unpack all of that, and also discuss how Kathy made major career decisions—optimizing for each step along the way. Of course, we chat about kids, Halloween costumes, and more. After the election, I was reflecting on Kathy's timeline--she spun this business out of Google X in 2017. She raised a Seed round then--proving out the product and model until growing significantly in over the last 3 years. It's interesting to realize that the product, team, and company were really formed in the early days of a very pro-fossil fuel administration. I suspect Kathy's story will have many analogs. Many of the most impactful and successful companies will be formed in 2025 by founders just as relentless and thoughtful as her. Referenced: Ebb Carbon Episode #10: The magic devices that cool (and heat) our homes and how to perfect them with Bill Kee Get connected: Kathy - LinkedIn | Dandelion Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

A bit over a year ago Ben met Anay Shah. In the months that followed Anay and Ben spent hours, then days, then months bringing forth Stepchange. Anay has not only become a fund co-founder and close friend—he’s also shared in the joy of parallel newborn parenting—both he and Ben had new babies less than a month apart over the summer. Together, they explore Anay’s journey from his early days at the State Department to leadership roles at global fintech startups (Remitly and Tala), focusing on financial inclusion in emerging markets, and how that path led him ultimately to climate tech and venture investing. Anay accidentally coined the idea of “techno-obligation,” the belief that we have a responsibility to use technology for solving urgent global challenges, particularly climate change. The conversation dives into how loss, the birth of their children, and an awareness of the finite nature of time have shaped their perspectives on life and work, and how those experiences influenced the founding of Stepchange. Referenced in the episode: On Children, Meaning, Media and Psychedelics - Ezra Klein and Jia Tolentino Image of Earth’s atmosphere Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War by Tom Steyer Speed and Scale #16 - Introducing Stepchange, our new venture fund Get connected: Anay - LinkedIn | [email protected] Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Sheeba Marie - Persephone Intro Music:Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

How do we get the money from climate legislation into the hands of someone buying a heat pump or solar? Between passing legislation, like the Inflation Reducaiton Act (IRA), and a homeowner getting new devices to run their homes there is a major coordination, paperwork, and financing problem to orchestrate. In this episode Ben interviews Jeff Coleman, founder and CEO of Eli Technologies, and fellow climate dad. Jeff’s career has a theme of building digital infrastructure to drive systemic change. He worked on the 2008 Obama campaign, numerous non-profits, and built the digital tools behind Access Clean California. This all led to founding Eli—a startup on a mission to make home decarbonization more equitable and affordable at scale. Side note—Eli is exactly the type of company that Stepchange is focused on--finding places where software-based products can accelerate the deployment speed of climate solutions. We're lucky to be investors in Eli and as always, nothing in this conversation is investment advice. Referenced: Node Collective Eli Technologies Hot Buttered Rum (Jeff’s Bluegrass band) Get connected: Jeff - LinkedIn | Eli Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Today’s outro music: Hot Buttered Rum - No Reason Why Show theme music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) 02:20 Jeff's Musical Background and Family Life 06:03 Jeff's Journey: From Musician to Climate Advocate 10:11 The Obama Campaign Experience 17:24 Transition to Climate Solutions 21:12 Challenges in Solar Installation 22:52 Building Access Clean California 26:51 Government's Role in Program Funding 27:48 Program Administration and Challenges 30:03 Equity and Incentive Structures 32:21 Decentralization and Local Needs 34:29 Eli's Mission and Approach 41:20 Building a Multi-Sided Platform 44:19 The Role of Software in Climate Solutions 50:15 Balancing Startup Life and Family 56:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This episode is a bit more papa and a bit less climate. Ben shares some family news and processes it with his 6-year-old and 3-year-old. They hit on some climate topics, the purpose of ants, and what was in the universe before earth. Kids are the best. Happy Father’s Day to all the fellow climate papas out there. Referenced in the episode: Last year’s Father’s Day special Astrophysics for People in a Hurry In other fun news, I made Bloomberg Green’s “13 Most Influential Climate Leaders to Watch in 2024” Hope to see many of you at the Bloomberg Green Festival in July in Seattle. Shoot me a note ([email protected]) if you’re planning to make it. We may have some special Climate Papa meetups in the works!

The presentation: Decarbonization: Stocks and flows, abundance and scarcity, net zero In 1995, a Morgan Stanley analyst named Mary Meeker released a report called The Internet Trends Report. In 2001 it became a slide deck. Each year the release of the annual Mary Meeker deck was eagerly devoured by those trying to understand what's going on in technology1. It informed public market and venture capital investment decisions, led to board room strategy shifts, and rippled across the industry. Those of us interested in climate and the societal and infrastructural response to climate now have our annual trend report. Beginning in 2020, Nat Bullard began publishing a presentation about the state of decarbonization, and this last years deck, his 4th, is probably one of the most useful artifacts one could consume if they wanted to understand what happened in 2023. In this wide ranging conversation with Nat we intentionally spend little time on the content of the deck, but instead focus on how and why he makes this each year. Who it’s for, and how the process of making it each year makes him think about the moment we're in right now. We also talk about big life transitions, raising kids in Singapore, and how to feel about all of this as the years march on. Nat has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of climate, technology, strategy, and capital markets. He worked at BloombergNEF and Bloomberg Green for over 13 years, and finished his time at BloombergNEF as the Chief Content Officer. If you want more Nat unpacking a few select slides of the deck, I highly recommend the excellent two-parter on Catalyst with Shayle Kann. Referenced: Nat’s presentation Introducing Stepchange Get connected: Nat - LinkedIn | X Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

As the first episode of the year, I’m focusing on a bit of a personal update. Today, I'm announcing the launch of a new climate venture fund, Stepchange. I use this week's episode to share the story behind the fund. I struggled with putting this episode out—I felt self-conscious spending the time promoting my work so publicly. But I believe that investing our money, our time, and our social capital in these startups is the best thing that I can do right now to make a difference. These companies will be critical to our energy transition and to addressing big elements of the climate crisis. This is how I’m spending most of my time. This is my toolkit, my hammer—and I’m going to swing it. So yes, this episode is me introducing Stepchange. The episode plays out in three parts: We review the Stepchange thesis on climate investing, discuss how the fund came to be, and chat with our venture partners: Anay and Arthur. We also meet three of our fund advisors: Steph, Ari, and Ian. I interview founders from the fund’s first four investments: itselectric, Bayou Energy, Line.Build, and Rhizome. I chat with fund collaborators and investors (LPs): Aaref from Bain Capital Ventures, Julie Sandler from PSL, and Marc Bridge. Thanks so much for listening today. I'm really excited to get Stepchange out into the world. Here’s to 2024. [email protected] Referenced in the episode: Stepchange The Guide to Software in Climate Tech, written by Ben and Nathan itselectric: Tiya & Nathan Bayou Energy: James Line.Build: Dasha & Steph Rhizome: Mish Bain Capital Ventures: Aaref Hilaly PSL: Julie Sandler Marc Bridge (At Present) Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

See Nicole's work referenced here. The world of climate tech is small and something happened about two years ago. From climate newsletters to Twitter accounts and LinkedIn posts... everything became more...colorful. There were stunning watercolors explaining the carbon cycle in oceans, the carbon impact of a hamburger, or the way that heat pump works to magically transfer heat into a home. Nicole Kelner had arrived on the scene. Taking her unique water color style and combining it with a deep desire to understand, and communicate, climate solutions. In this conversation, Nicole shares her journey to climate tech artist, her process for coming up with new art ideas, and her love of running the business. We also cover why Taylor Swift should date a climate scientist, the role of AI in art, and how to make wind turbines into a beautiful neon mural. Nicole's created the first climate solutions coloring book, The Electrify Everything Coloring book. The next episode of Climate Papa will share more on my focus for 2024. If you haven’t already subscribe here to follow along. To see more of Nicole’s work: Her website Her Substack blog Referenced: Climatoonist Nicole’s IPCC Image | Original IPCC image You want to work in climate spreadsheet Get connected: Nicole - LinkedIn | X Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

It was the summer of 2022 and David Rusenko had completed 15 years of a classic Silicon Valley success story. It started back in 2007 when he applied to the 4th batch of YC two hours before the deadline with his startup--Weebly. He grew Weebly, a website and ecommerce platform, to hundreds of employees and hundreds of millions in revenue and was acquired by Square in 2018. At Square he took on integrating Weebly and leading all of the growing company’s ecommerce products. When it came time for David to pop his head out to think about what was next he came to a familiar conclusion--he would deeply regret not spending this essential next decade working on climate. This conversation was filled with an abundance of agreement on the urgency to work on climate, founder-company fit, and the values we want to bring to our work with founders. We talk about some of the areas most interesting to us and the underrated role that YC has played in bolstering the climate tech ecosystem. As I've gotten to know David over the last few months, I've consistently found a kindred spirit--someone trying to take the last 15 years of product and company building and apply it to climate tech. Putting to use all the founder empathy muscles possible, and trying to dust off our electrical engineering backgrounds. We also love hearing our kids comment on the slow and smelliness of fossil fuel burning machines. David invites climate tech founders that are raising their pre-seed or seed rounds to get in touch at leapforward.vc--and to maybe look for some fun easter eggs on his website. Referenced in the episode: David's taxonomy of climate tech YC Request for Climate Tech Startups David’s talk on How to Find Product Market Fit Lazard Cost of Energy Report Guide to Software in Climate Tech Get connected: David - LinkedIn | Leap Forward Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) Note: Nothing in this episode should be viewed as investment advice.

Ben sits down with fellow climate papa, Dimitry Gershenson. They head off the deep end into how to balance being a present father with being present for your start up ambitions. They explore if founding a startup makes you more of a jerk to your kids and the importance of vulnerability and apology when you mess up. They reflect on how those same skills make you a much better parent, partner, and leader. They then turn to the money that makes the world go round and the gaps in the climate funding markets where there’s not enough going around. Dimitry ramps Ben up on the unique ways that fintech tools like revenue-based financing can be applied to climate companies and how many other financiers aren’t doing this right—either giving out bad, dilutive, terms, or taking way too long to finance the companies that urgently need capital. These realizations have led Dimitry to start Enduring Planet to address the market gap. Prior to Enduring Planet, Dimitry led M&A and served as COO for Rango Wireless, an Enduring Ventures portfolio company. Before that, Dimitry built Meta’s Energy Access program, a $15M+ investing initiative that enabled energy access for 3M people and unlocked nearly $500M in additional capital in underserved markets like Kenya and India. While at Meta, Dimitry also led the development of multiple predictive ML products in the cleantech space and built corporate accelerator programs for impact startups in India and Puerto Rico. Outside of Enduring Planet, Dimitry sits on the board of Ecosafi, a Lowercarbon-backed climate startup enabling clean cooking in emerging markets. Dimitry holds an MS in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, a BS in Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University. Referenced in the episode: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Monk & Robot Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Enduring Planet Case Studies Get connected: Dimitry - LinkedIn | Enduring Planet Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) Note: Ben is an angel investor in Enduring Planet. Nothing in this episode should be viewed as investment advice.

I wasn't sure if I should put an episode out this week. I feel like at any given moment nearly 100% of my mind and attention and definitely my emotional energy has been on processing the events over this last weekend in Israel. Climate Papa is not a news podcast and certainly not a geopolitical podcast. But this is a personal podcast--it's been a space over the last few months where I've shared a lot about what I'm thinking about and processing. It's a bit of a window into my lens on the world. And this week I’ve been feeling a lot of pain. In this short message I share what I’m feeling and share a poem that struck me.The Diameter Of The Bomb by Yehuda Amichai (1976): The diameter of the bomb was 30 centimetersand the diameter of its effective range about 7 meters,with four dead and 11 wounded.And around these, in a larger circleof pain and time, two hospitals are scatteredand one graveyard. But the young womanwho was buried in the city she came from,at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers,enlarges the circle considerably,and the solitary man mourning her deathat the distant shores of a country far across the seaincludes the entire world in the circle.And I won’t even mention the crying of orphansthat reaches up to the throne of God andbeyond, making a circle with no end and no God. I will return to talking about climate change and technology shortly. Love,Ben

Announcement: It’s PNW Climate Week next week and I’m going to host the first ever Climate Papa meetup! Next Wednesday, September 27th, at 3:30pm at Volunteer Park. Register here! Fall is here—the leaves are changing and it’s back to school season. This time of year always feels like the “real” start to the year. Coincidentally, it’s when the Jewish High Holidays begin, the New Year, Rosh Hashanah, followed by Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. What does this have to do with climate change? Well, Jews have been on an annual rhythm of “repentance, prayer, and charity” for millennia. Perhaps the High Holidays have something to teach us about how to build a pattern of individual and collective assessment, reflection, and action? Ben turns to Tamar, host of a climate Torah Study podcast, to get a High Holidays 101 lesson, and to help unpack the symbolism of the holidays in the context of a climate crisis. They reflect on how holidays can awaken our motivation, how disasters affect communities, and they compare the Book of Life to regular IPCC reports. Tamar Libicki is a mother and fan of green energy, habitat restoration, regenerative agriculture, and Torah study. She hosts the "Ḥoni's Circle" podcast along with Rabbi Paula Rose, which is a project of Congregation Beth Shalom and Ahavat v'Avodat haAdamah.  Referenced in the episode: Climate Papa Meetup - Seattle 9/27 3:30pm Honi’s Circle Future Crunch A Paradise Built in Hell Unetaneh_Tokef Leonard Cohen - Who by Fire If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’ on Ezra Klein Get connected: Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Well, we made it ten episodes in before hitting on the most emotionally charged of home appliances—the cooktop. Despite gas stoves not being a significant cause of emissions, they are a clever lock-in device used to drive homeowners to want to keep (or even add) gas hookups to their homes. The plan may ultimately backfire as we all become aware of how terrible it is for our (and especially our kids’) health to be combusting gas inside our homes. Fortunately, there’s a quiet, powerful, and clean alternative — induction cooking. Ben chats with Weldon about the joyous exploration of 2-year-olds as they learn how the world works, including the toilet. They take the same curiosity to unpack the health concerns of burning methane gas in our homes and exploring why induction is going to be the ideal way for most of us to cook in the future. They discuss how Weldon’s new company, Channing Street Copper, is solving the biggest barrier to induction adoption—removing all the complex electrical work. By adding energy storage (a big battery) to the stove it can work with a standard power outlet and even continue to work during power outages. Ben and Weldon wrap up discussing the fundamental optimism needed to be a parent and that choosing to work on climate is just doubling down. Weldon Kennedy is a Co-Founder and CMO of Channing Street Copper. He previously founded and scaled the first Kenya-native running shoe company, Enda, after serving as the Managing Director for Change.org Europe. Referenced in the episode: Ezra Klein: Your Kids Are Not Doomed Get connected: Weldon - LinkedIn | Channing Street Copper Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Editing help from Stuart at Castos Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) Transition Music: NiNe GriNd by Balkan Bump

It's the middle of August. For most of us, this is a hot and humid time of year--especially with heat waves raging across much of the world. To deal with more extreme temperatures we're going to need effective cooling, and a lot of it, quickly. Fortunately, we have the right device that can suck heat out (or push it into) our homes — heat pumps. Ben chats with Bill to get to the bottom of how heat pumps work their magic. They unpack how ductless systems make sense as the "platform of the future" for the ideal experience and why we're now at the product and UX optimization moment for heat pumps. They talk about the work Bill is doing at Quilt to make this ideal product a reality and how Bill went from a product leader working on Gmail and ad analytics products to explaining heat pump phase changes. Bill leads Quilt’s product and go-to-market efforts. Previously, he led teams developing energy efficiency technology for Google’s real estate footprint, and earlier worked on products like Gmail and Google Analytics. His family heats and cools their home with a ductless heat pump, and he’s passionate about building a much better product and adoption experience to help leave his two sons a more sustainable world. For future episodes, subscribe in your podcast app and here for broader Climate Papa updates. Referenced in the episode: Electrify: An Optimist's Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster Get connected: Bill - Quilt | LinkedIn Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Ben and Erika Reinhardt hop on post-bedtime to trade stories about their 5 and 2.5 year olds and make bathtub greenhouse gas analogies. Erika has made it her, and Spark Climate’s, mission to find and invest in the solutions we are likely or possibly going to need in the future that are, today, woefully behind. This has led to a focus on methane–currently responsible for 0.5°C of warming. Despite methane being a leading cause (and the biggest lever) to impact near-term warming, we don’t have a plan for eliminating enteric methane or any options for atmospheric methane removal. They talk about the problems with units and goals that only optimize for 2100, the need for non-profits to stand up systems that correct for market failures, and why it’s important to get to the ground truth on the state of climate solutions. Erika reflects on why it might be that both her and her partner, Peter, are drawn towards these frontier problems–and how it feels for their kids to comprehend their parents’ role in “getting rid of bad gasses.” Erika co-founded Spark, and leads the organization. Her background is in leading product engineering groups at high-growth software companies, with an impact orientation. Previously, she started and co-led U.S. Digital Response's work to provide local election offices across the country the products and technical expertise they needed to run a smooth election, led the Payments Experience engineering group at Stripe, served as the Director of Engineering at OpenAI, and was the Director of Product Engineering at Planet Labs after being an early engineer there. Erika studied computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering at MIT. She lives in San Francisco with her young family. For future episodes, subscribe in your podcast app and here for broader Climate Papa updates. Referenced in the episode: Spark Climate Erika’s personal climate action plan Reading list on near-term warming Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2023 – Analysis - IEA Chompers | Gimlet Get connected: Erika - Twitter Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Jessyn Farrell, Director of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, sits down in her living room to chat with Ben about all of Seattle’s decarbonization plans. But first, two of Jessyn’s kids express their lukewarm feelings about podcasting and begrudgingly kick off the show. They cover Jessyn’s love of cities, transit, and orca whales. This opens up into a broad conversation covering all of the things we need to do to decarbonize Seattle and the amazing future that’s in reach if we push to quickly upgrade our homes, neighborhoods, and city. They cover why the local health impacts are just as key to focus on as the global ones, and the fundamental importance of this being an urgent, equitable, and just transition away from fossil-fuels. They highlight potential product collaboration for folks in the tech industry listening: Giving cities insight into transportation data to help make improved planning decisions. Effectively distributing incentives, especially to SMB drayage truck drivers. Moving to a more effective, scaled decarbonization effort for homes*. Building financing products for residential decarbonization upgrades and giving additional visibility for home fossil-fuel consumption. Jessyn wraps up reflecting on the awareness her kids have about her work on climate. Prior to her role leading Seattle’s OSE, Jessyn served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives representing the 46th district from 2013 to 2017 and was a major transit advocate as Executive Director of the Transportation Choices Coalition. *As mentioned in the episode, Ben will be sharing more about a proposal for building a “decarbonization factory” for the hundreds of thousands of homes. To see the proposal when it is shared subscribe to Climate Papa updates. Referenced in the episode: Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment New Building Performance Standards Clean Heat Upgrade Program The “Electric Bank Account” from Rewiring America Low pollution neighborhoods Get connected: Jessyn - OSE Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Special thanks to Anna Shwab Eidelson for editing assistance. Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Ben catches up with long-time friend Noaa. They quickly establish that Ben would not be a very effective sports podcaster. They dive into Noaa’s transition from building cloud data platforms to building energy marketplaces and explore the challenge and importance of measuring impact in climate companies. Halfway through, Noaa flips the script and pushes Ben on what he’s doing with his career. They end up reflecting on climate anxiety, the existential, and the need to surrender to the present while staying focused on the work ahead. Referenced in the episode: Guide to Software in Climate Tech Delta Air Lines faces lawsuit over $1bn carbon neutrality claim ⁠Speed & Scale⁠ Catalyst Podcast No Rules Rules Drawing Lines in the Climate Sand Climate Shocks Are Making Parts of America Uninsurable. It Just Got Worse. Get connected: Noaa - LinkedIn, InRange Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Special thanks to Arthur Shwab & Anna Shwab Eidelson for editing assistance. Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

Ben realizes Father’s Day is coming and that he didn’t want any of the stereotypical Father’s Day gifts. The team at Rewiring America agrees. It turns out a lot of dads would actually prefer we focus on improving our climate outcomes, address wildfire smoke, electrify our homes, and much, much more. 20 dads and kids send in their Father’s Day wishes. We stitch them together into this special edition of Climate Papa. To see the full video and more information about the #ElectrifyFathersDay campaign go to climatepapa.com/fathers-day Music: ⁠Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) ⁠ Get connected:  Ben - ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Special thanks to Ian M, Joel, Bradley, Matt, Dimitry, Aaron, Ian W, Haggai, George, Marc, Dave, Bruce, Jeremy, The Cook Family, Alex, Arthur, and the crew of kids for sending in their Father’s Day wants. Thanks to Rewiring America for collaborating on this campaign.

Ben dives in with Julia, a psychotherapist, and Asa’s mom (Asa was the 7-year-old star of Episode #4). After a false start leads to a parenting reflection, they dive into the psychology of thinking and working on climate change. As wide ranging as the conversation was with Asa on the external world, Julia and Ben explore the internal. They hit on fundamental tensions–how do we engage without being overwhelmed, how do we trade off our basic desires with long term planning, and do we focus on me and mine vs. the collective good. As is often the source of truth in parenting and life, they find that Daniel Tiger is full of deep wisdom that you can be and feel more than one thing at the same time. They discuss the importance of building up internal scaffolding to be able to ride the complex waves of engaging with climate change. Referenced in the episode: ⁠Personal Infrastructure vs. Behavior (A Matter of Degrees)⁠ ⁠The Opposite of Spoiled⁠ Rewiring America ⁠The Uninhabitable Earth⁠ ⁠Speed & Scale⁠ ⁠Daniel Tiger - Mixed Feelings⁠ Julia’s leisure picks: Top Chef Great British Bake Off ⁠Alone⁠ Music Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)  Get connected:  Ben - Climate Papa Julia - Send Ben a message to pass along. Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email [email protected] Special thanks to Julia for recording a second session and to Arthur Shwab for editing assistance.

Ben dives deep with 7-year-old, Asa, on all things climate. In a wide ranging conversation they cover the basics of climate change, the work of Rewiring America, Indigenous practices, regenerative farming, and how to MacGyver hydropower and wind power. The deepest insights come in exploring what we leave for future generations and the role kids can play in impacting policy and those around them. They leave grown-ups with some recommendations and Asa inspires Ben to match his donation. Referenced in the episode: Rewiring America Camp Casey Asa’s Recommendations Magic School Bus Rides Again Dancing with the Birds Giving Thanks a Native American Good Morning Story Music: Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)  Get connected:  Ben - Climate Papa Asa - Send Ben a message to pass along! Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

Ben urgently calls on Bill Clerico, founder of Convective Capital, to help make sense of the wildfires and smoke pillaging the East Coast. Meanwhile, Bill is out visiting Boston with his one year old and navigating the AQI. After tackling flying with babies, they explore the relationship between wildfires, climate change, and the tools needed to improve our collective resilience. They also talk about the move from fintech into firetech and how more product builders can make similar moves. They end exploring a few product ideas to accelerate our resilience and how fires touch everything from utilities to tourism. Referenced in the episode: Bill’s Tweet of AQI projections Acquired episode on Berkshire Hathaway Part II Our Kettle Wildfires.org Music Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)  Get connected:  Ben - Climate Papa Bill - Twitter / Convective CapitalFeedback? Guest suggestions? Email [email protected]

Ben chats with Dan Lindquist, a fellow papa and product leader, about what motivates them to work on climate, how to pick your lane among the many interesting avenues in the space, the role of software as a friction reducer, and the uniquely collaborative and open dynamic in the budding climate tech community. They explore use of generative AI, large language models, and probabilistic and non-probabilistic products in the climate space.  They also talk about kids as barnacle and the trade off between spending time with your kids vs time working on the problem that matters for their future.  Referenced in the episode: Anish’s post on AI to Unlock Probabilistic Products Explain Paper Ben Thompson on Bing AI Speed and Scale Music Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)  Get connected:  Ben Eidelson on LinkedIn and Climate Papa Dan Lindquist on LinkedIn  Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email [email protected]  

Welcome to Climate Papa! Ben and Arthur verbally process the impetus for this podcast and what motivates their work on climate (hint: it’s their kids and it isn’t), and set an intention for the creative act of this project. They also talk about Barbies, getting screamed at by our kids above 93 decibels, throwing pottery, and meditating to Rick Rubin.  Reading  The Creative Act by Rick RubinThe Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Music: Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) Special thanks to Ben Gilbert, from Acquired for the podcast mentorship. Connect with us: Ben Arthur Feedback? Guest suggestions? Email [email protected]