Love climate content from podcasts but your feed is too long to finish? Read on for a quick summary of new episodes from top climate podcasts, so you can decide which ones to dive in:
In this episode of My Climate Journey's Startup Series, Julie Willoughby, the Chief Commercialization Officer at Circ, discusses the clothing industry's environmental impact and Circ’s innovative recycling technology. The fashion industry has been contributing significantly to climate change and environmental degradation. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports staggering statistics on clothing waste, with a truckload of clothes discarded every second and a doubling of clothing production in the last 15 years, even as garment usage has decreased. Polyester clothes are a major source of microplastics in the oceans, while cotton, a highly water-intensive crop, contributes to water scarcity and pollution.
Circ aims to revolutionize the industry by recycling textile scrap and used materials into new polyester and cotton-like lyocell fibers, promoting circularity in fashion. Julie Willoughby shares her journey from academia and Nike to joining Circ and the challenges she faced in the transition. With investors like Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Inditex (parent of Zara), Circ is post-Series B and moving towards large-scale commercialization. The discussion also touches on the tipping point for the fashion industry's adoption of sustainability, questioning whether it is a core part of business practices or still relegated to R&D. The episode concludes with optimism for change, driven by increasing consumer demand for sustainable products, regulatory pressures in Europe, and the potential for creating a community around recycling and sustainable practices.
In this episode of "Climate Tech Cocktails," host Matt Myers speaks with Cody Finke, co-founder and CEO of Brimstone, a startup focused on producing carbon-negative Portland cement. Cement production is a significant contributor to global GHG emissions, accounting for up to 8% of global output. Brimstone's mission is to tackle this issue by creating cement from silicate rocks, which contain no CO2 and thus reduce emissions by about 50-60% compared to traditional methods. The process also generates waste products that passively sequester CO2, potentially making the overall process carbon-negative.
Cody's background includes a PhD from Caltech and a stint working on water sanitation in India. He and his co-founder, Hugo Leandri, met at Caltech and later joined forces to address climate challenges. Cody also shares personal anecdotes, such as living in his car or a tent while climbing mountains and working on a lobster boat, which influenced his perspective on life and work.
The discussion also touches upon the concept of electrification and its limitations in certain industries, emphasizing the need for cost-effective and scalable solutions that can lead to substantial emissions reductions. Cody argues that while electrification is critical, it is not a panacea and may not be economically viable for all industrial processes, particularly those that currently use heat from fossil fuels. Instead, innovation in chemistry and process engineering, like Brimstone's approach, is essential for tackling hard-to-decarbonize sectors.
Finally, Cody highlights other climate tech startups he admires, including Peregrine, Monolith Materials, Savor, and Pivot Bio, which are working on various solutions for cleaner hydrogen production, sustainable food ingredients, and bio-fertilizers. Cody encourages listeners to think creatively about solutions to climate challenges and invites chemical engineers to consider joining Brimstone's mission.
Host Cody Simms interviews Shashank Sane, EVP for Transmission at Invenergy, a leading renewable power generation company. Invenergy has developed over 200 power projects globally, with a significant focus on renewable energy. Shashank, who has been with Invenergy for over a decade, discusses the critical role of transmission infrastructure in connecting renewable energy sources, like wind and solar farms, to consumers, especially as the U.S. Department of Energy estimates a need for over 50% increase in transmission capacity by 2035.
Shashank explains that the U.S. transmission system is outdated and fragmented, with many parts built over a century ago. He emphasizes the importance of large-scale interstate transmission projects to improve grid resilience and address climate change. The podcast delves into the technical aspects of transmission lines, the differences between AC and DC lines, and the challenges in developing large-scale transmission projects that cross state lines.
The conversation highlights Invenergy's Grain Belt Express project, a major infrastructure initiative to transport renewable energy from Kansas to Illinois, providing benefits like low-cost renewable resources and improved grid reliability. Despite its potential, the project faced regulatory hurdles and required strategic modifications to distribute benefits more equitably across states.
Shashank stresses the need for federal policy that recognizes the value of interregional transmission and the construction of a national grid. He believes that overcoming the challenges of transmission development is key to ensuring a sustainable, low-carbon energy future and mitigating the risks of extreme weather events.
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