Explore every episode of the podcast Solve For Nature
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Isn’t Greener w/ Danae Wolfe | 21 Jul 2025 | 00:48:38 | |
Danae Wolfe is an award-winning conservation photographer, writer, educator, and the founder behind the @chasingbugs social media handle, focused on fostering appreciation and stewardship of backyard bugs and wildlife. Ever the pragmatic, she believes that everyone has the power to make a difference in combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. Danae was the 2022 recipient of the Garden Communicators International Emergent Communicator award, and her work has been featured in various outlets including CNN, The American Gardener magazine, and Nature Conservancy magazine. Through her community conservation initiative, Chasing Bugs, she has reached global audiences with science-based education about the importance of gardening for biodiversity and has inspired gardeners to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and embrace their role in its protection. Find Danae Wolfe and Chasing Bugs online: |
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| Learning for a Resilient Future w/ Pavel Cenkl | 20 Jun 2025 | 00:48:30 | |
What if education wasn’t just about knowledge, but about resilience and real-world impact? Dr. Pavel Cenkl, Academic Dean at Prescott College and Founder of the Regenerative Learning Network, is rethinking how we learn, integrating regenerative design, global collaboration, and sustainability. Pavel is a leader in transformative education. He’s also an endurance athlete, using Arctic expeditions to document climate resilience. Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges the future of learning! Find Pavel Cenkl online: Find me online:
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| No Scrap Left Behind w/ Teralyn Pilgrim | 23 Dec 2024 | 00:44:52 | |
Teralyn Pilgrim had no idea the environmental and economic impact of food waste, or that she could save $100 a month by living waste-free. But when a story of hungry children filled her with unbearable guilt, she decided to change the way her family approached mealtime. In her new book, No Scrap Left Behind: My Life Without Food Waste, she tells the story of her quest to end her family’s food waste — and all the blunders that came with it. Despite finicky kids and a skeptical husband, Pilgrim turned her feelings of guilt into action and created a zero-food-waste kitchen. In No Scrap Left Behind: My Life Without Food Waste, Teralyn Pilgrim shares clever ways to upcycle leftovers, repurpose table scraps and ultimately trim the grocery bill — all while tackling the global impact of our massive food waste problem. Find Teralyn Pilgrim and No Scrap Left Behind online: Find me online:
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| Solving The Climate Crisis w/ John J. Berger | 12 Dec 2024 | 00:48:14 | |
John J Berger, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Fellow at The Pacific Institute and author of Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth. Solving the Climate Crisis has many stories of colorful, charismatic characters, smart, cutting-edge science, new technology, brilliant engineering, clever, profitable business strategies, and it provides a roadmap to a brighter future for people and the planet. The book also describes innovative new laws and policies relevant to federal and state climate legislative agendas and offers new financing strategies to facilitate the clean-energy transformation. In addition, the book underscores the necessity of protecting democracy to ensure we retain the ability to protect the climate. . Find John. J. Berger and Solving the Climate Crisis online: Find me online:
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| The Age of Melt w/ Lisa Baril | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:44:21 | |
Lisa Baril is a science writer who has written about natural resources and science for national parks across the southwestern United States. She holds a master’s degree from Montana State University and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, Society of Environmental Journalists, and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. In THE AGE OF MELT, she explores the shifting view that humans have long held of glaciers—from fear, to awe, to conquest. A unique form of science, ice-patch archeology, arose from the current climate crisis, as such discoveries could only be made at the cost of the world’s ice formations. THE AGE OF MELT takes the reader on a world tour of ice, exploring the conflicting belief systems around ice and its integral relationship to people. Melting ice has revealed so much about human culture, the environment, the past, and most importantly, our future. Find Lisa Baril and The Age of Melt online:
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| Architecting Impact: Building for a Sustainable Tomorrow w/ Daniel Jaconetti | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:53:47 | |
Daniel Jaconetti is the National Sustainable Design Leader at HED, one of the oldest and largest integrated architecture and engineering design firms in the United States, with 400+ employees and annual revenues of over $100M. With nearly 20 years of experience, Daniel is committed to transforming the practice of architecture to achieve zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, and equitably built environments. He leads a team of 6 regional sustainable design leaders developing high-performance designs. Under Daniel’s leadership, HED signed onto key climate initiatives like the 1.5°C COP26 Communiqué and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Commitment. In 2023 he was appointed to AIA’s National Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group. Find Daniel Jaconetti and HED online: Find me online:
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| The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos w/ Mark Easter | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:50:09 | |
In this episode, we dive deep into the environmental impact of our food systems with Mark Easter, a leading expert on the intersection of agriculture and climate change. His upcoming book, The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos, presents groundbreaking insights on the hidden carbon footprint embedded in the way we grow, transport, and consume our food. Join us as we uncover how a shift in agriculture could be key to addressing climate change and building a regenerative future. Find Mark Easter's book online:
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| Follow-Up w/ Gillian Nye | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:32:47 | |
In this episode, we explore Better Place Forests, a company creating meaningful, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cemeteries by incorporating human ashes into vibrant forest ecosystems. Gillian shares her personal journey of embracing local produce as part of her sustainability challenge and reflects on the powerful connections between community, environment, and mindful living. We also dive into other innovative, sustainable end-of-life options, like aquamation and human composting. Join us for a heartfelt conversation on honoring loved ones and creating lasting legacies that nurture the planet. Find Gillian Nye and Better Place Forests online: Find me online:
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| Into The Clear Blue Sky w/ Rob Jackson | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:51:54 | |
Rob Jackson is the Chair of the Global Carbon Project, a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy, and a professor of earth science at Stanford University. Through global scientific leadership and groundbreaking research, communications, and policy activities, Jackson’s work has reduced millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions and improved human health, safety, and air and water quality. In his new book, INTO THE CLEAR BLUE SKY: THE PATH TO RESTORING OUR ATMOSPHERE, climate scientist and chair of the Global Carbon Project Rob Jackson introduces the innovators who are doing the work: finding methods to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into minerals, perfecting e-motorcycles, developing the world’s first fossil-free steel, and creating nutritional additives for cows to cut down on the methane they release. INTO THE CLEAR BLUE SKY finds hope in unlikely places—from Amazon wetlands to Swedish steel plants—and offers a realistic roadmap toward restoring the atmosphere to preindustrial health. Find Rob Jackson and Into The Clear Blue Sky online:
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| The Parrot and the Igloo w/ David Lipsky | 01 Sep 2024 | 00:50:56 | |
David Lipsky is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Absolutely American and Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, the basis for the acclaimed movie The End of the Tour. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, This American Life, All Things Considered, and New York, and is the recipient of the National Magazine Award and the GLAAD Media Award. In THE PARROT AND THE IGLOO: Climate and the Science of Denial, now published in paperback, Lipsky explores how “anti-science” became virulent in American life—through the history of climate denial and its consequences. Climate change has become an unavoidable fact and ongoing catastrophe. The science was clear decades ago. How did so many Americans come to doubt evidence so widely accepted and compelling? It is the story of the inventors (Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse) who made our world; the scientists who bravely sounded the climate alarm; and then the hucksters, zealots, dreamers, and crackpots who lied about that science. Find David Lipsky and The Parrot and the Igloo online: Find me online:
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| Better Place Forests w/ Gillian Nye | 20 Jul 2024 | 00:36:34 | |
60% of Americans are choosing cremation instead of burial, and that number is rising. They want a smaller environmental footprint, as well as a memorial that reflects their values. Many families are looking for a place with a marker, where they can visit and remember. Better Place Forests is helping them achieve that goal by giving them end-of-life options that are more balanced and connected to nature. Gillian Nye is the Customer Experience Manager of Memorial Ceremonies at Better Place Forests and is here to talk about what they can do for you and your family. Find Gillian Nye and Better Place Forests online: Find me online:
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| Beyond Domestication w/ George and Amber-Rose Knight | 15 Jun 2024 | 00:47:58 | |
George Knight is a rewilder and, along with his wife, a co-founder of Beyond Domestication, a UK-based company specializing in nature retreats and rewilding walks. They guide people to learn about the Seven Practices through foraging, airbathing, barefoot movement, wild swimming and other natural practices. He is also a passionate trainer, connecting with individuals from various organizations across the UK and beyond. Find George and Amber-Rose Knight and Beyond Domestication online: Find me online:
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| Bad Naturalist w/ Paula Whyman | 05 May 2025 | 00:54:31 | |
Paula Whyman is the author of the new memoir Bad Naturalist and the award-winning short story collection You May See a Stranger. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The American Scholar, and numerous literary journals. In Bad Naturalist, Paula shares her often humorous and deeply honest journey of ecological restoration on 200 wild acres in the Virginia mountains — a place that challenged her assumptions, tested her patience, and taught her that nature doesn’t always follow a plan. With warmth and wit, she explores what it means to take on a monumental task before you know what you're doing — and why it’s still worth doing anyway. Find Paula Whyman and Bad Naturalist online:
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| Well Done Oil Wells w/ Curtis Shuck (Well Done Foundation) | 07 May 2024 | 00:43:24 | |
Millions of Americans across the country live within just one mile from an orphaned oil and gas well. These abandoned wells contribute to 20-30% of methane leaks in the US, which affect drinking water, harm wildlife, ruin the land, and create flooding risks, according to experts. Curtis Shuck, Chairman of the Well Done Foundation, is doing something about this. WDF is the only national nonprofit working to plug millions of orphaned oil and gas wells across the U.S. Find Curtis Shuck and Well Done Foundation online: Find me online:
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| Building Greener Buildings w/ Brian Falcon (Alter Eco) | 04 Apr 2024 | 00:45:23 | |
Brian Falcon has always been passionate about sustainable living and design. He is a registered architect in Pennsylvania, and became a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED®AP) in 2004, to focus professionally on sustainability and energy efficiency. In 2008, he founded the Berks/Lancaster Green Building Association to help local, like-minded professionals collectively expand their green building skills at the grass roots level. Most recently, Brian has become a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), as certified through the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). This program incorporates high performance building science principles and passive house techniques to create the best path to Net Zero and Net Positive Energy buildings. Alter Eco is a full-service design and build firm that provides architectural, construction management, and sustainable consulting services. Our approach is to seamlessly incorporate leading-edge building science to create cost effective, high-performance homes and small commercial buildings in any style. Experts in green building, our capabilities are well-rounded and include experience building to the ZERH program requirements set forth by the Department of Energy, Passive House Standards as certified through the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification standards. Find Brian Falcon and Alter Eco online: Find me online:
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| Solo Episode: Upcoming Changes to Solve For Nature | 02 Apr 2024 | 00:03:48 | |
I've made it past the 50 episode mark, and there are some minor changes I'd like to make to the format of the show. Find me online:
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| A River Divided w/ George Paxinos | 15 Mar 2024 | 01:01:43 | |
Environmental activist and renowned neuroscientist, George Paxinos has identified and named more brain areas than anyone in history and published 57 books. His atlases and concepts of brain organization are used by most scientists working on the relationship between the brain and cognition, emotion, motivation and thought, including neurologic or psychiatric diseases such as Alzheimer’s and depression. His latest book took 21 years to develop and publish. His new book, A River Divided, is a cross between a science fiction and ecofiction novel. It follows Evelyn, a geneticist and amateur archeologist, who discovers a tomb while vacationing in Israel. Believing she has found the remains of Christ, she attempts to revive the DNA found preserved at the site so that she can clone Him. But with human cloning being both illegal and unprecedented, she takes the risk of carrying the embryo herself. Though more a scientist than a zealot, she wants to do everything to bring Him back to the world. If her experiment were successful, the consequence could be the salvation of a dying Earth. The result of her daring discovery is the birth of identical twins Christopher and José, who are raised apart and unaware of each other's existence— one in the affluent suburbs of Sydney and the other in the slums of Buenos Aires. As different artists would sculpt different statues from the same block of marble, different environments produce different characters out of the same DNA. The twins are destined to clash, adversaries in an almighty battle for the Amazon. Find George Paxinos online: Find me online:
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| Am I Too Old To Save The Planet? w/ Lawrence MacDonald | 08 Dec 2023 | 00:47:09 | |
Alarmed by the surge in climate-related disasters, a growing number of Americans are asking “What can I do to help?” Lawrence MacDonald’s new book, Am I Too Old to Save the Planet? A Boomer’s Guide to Climate Action offers unexpected answers for the 70 million boomers--people born from 1946-1963--who are still America’s most powerful generation. A former foreign correspondent and vice president of the World Resources Institute, the world’s largest environmental NGO, MacDonald tells how America's most promising generation allowed climate change to become a planetary emergency―and what to do about it now. Find Lawrence MacDonald online: Find me online:
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| Alfie & Me w/ Carl Safina | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:32:16 | |
When ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in a near-death baby owl, they expected she’d be a temporary presence. But Alfie’s feathers were not growing correctly, requiring prolonged care. As Alfie grew and gained strength, she became a part of the family. Carl and Patricia began to realize that the healing was mutual; Alfie had been braided into their world and was now pulling them into hers. Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe, by Carl Safina, Ph.D., is the story of the remarkable impact this little owl would have on their lives. Find Carl Safina online: Find me online:
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| Follow-Up w/ Sara Turner (Nexii) | 24 Oct 2023 | 00:33:05 | |
Sara Turner, Sustainability Manager at Nexii Building Solutions is back to talk about how her challenge went that she decided to take on during our first recording. Was she able to take the plunge? Listen in and find out! Find Sara Turner and Nexii online: Find me online:
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| Restoring Eden w/ Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn | 02 Aug 2023 | 00:51:13 | |
First, the tadpoles and frogs disappeared; then the bats and the songbirds left. Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn, a honey bee veterinarian and environmental health scientist, soon realized the bees—the vital pollinators of fruits, plants, and vegetables—were dying. Everything was still and silent. In 2017, after a large flood, most of the teeming life on her beloved family farm in North Carolina had vanished in a matter of weeks. As a scientist and a naturalist, Hilborn set about to get answers: RESTORING EDEN: Unearthing the Agribusiness Secret That Poisoned My Farm Community (Chicago Review Press; August 8, 2023) is her story. With her farm suddenly lifeless, Hilborn was disoriented, bereft, and determined to understand. She documented the trail of death, taking water samples, scouring the internet, and calling every environmental expert, government agency, and agricultural consultant she could find. She got her first solid clue when she learned that a neighbor's tractor had been submerged in the floodwaters. What caused the sudden collapse of life on her farm? How was Dr. Hilborn able to unravel the mystery? Today we hear her story! Listen in! Find Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn online:
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| The Return of Wolves w/ Eli Francovich | 21 Jul 2023 | 00:43:24 | |
Following a February 10, 2022, court order, gray wolves in the contiguous 48 states and Mexico – with the exception of the Northern Rocky Mountain population – are now protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and listed as threatened in Minnesota and endangered in the remaining states. After being nearly eradicated in the 1990s, the gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington state, delighting conservationists but infuriating ranchers. Eli Francovich is a journalist who covers the environment, conservation, and outdoor recreation in Washington for the Spokesman-Review, the state's second-largest newspaper. In his new book, The Return of Wolves: An Iconic Predator’s Struggle to Survive in the American West, Francovich combines interviews, extensive research, and on-the-ground reporting to reveal the deep social and political struggles at the core of this debate over the endangered species. Ultimately, he endeavors to find a solution that will appease both parties—and perhaps mend an ever-widening division in American culture. What can our relationship with wolves teach us about our relationship with nature as a whole? About our society? Listen to find out! Find Eli Francovich online:
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| Innovating Sustainable Building w/ Sara Turner (Nexii) | 26 Jun 2023 | 00:50:16 | |
Sara Turner is a Sustainability Analyst at Nexii Building Solutions, a company dedicated to innovating and creating breakthrough building systems that prove that planet-friendly solutions aren’t a sacrifice — they’re an improvement in every way over the status quo.Sara has been contributing to the green building industry since 2017, through previous roles that include building science engineering, energy modeling, and renewable technology analysis. At Nexii, Sara leads annual carbon accounting of the company’s operations, coordinates and tracks progress of Nexii’s sustainability commitments, and has been working to implement embodied carbon analysis into product development. Find me online:
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| Shelter and Storm w/ Tamara Dean | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:51:22 | |
Tamara Dean is an award-winning essayist whose work explores the intersection of nature, community, and resilience. In Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless (University of Minnesota Press, April 22, 2025), she reflects on her move to a Wisconsin farm and the lessons learned through living close to the land. Through twelve vivid essays, Dean blends science, history, and personal narrative to ask how we care for the earth, remember those who came before us, and build a future rooted in connection. Find Tamara Dean and Shelter and Storm online: Find me online:
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| Sustainable Schooling w/ Buffy Cushman-Patz (SEEQS) | 08 Jun 2023 | 00:42:36 | |
Buffy Cushman-Patz is the founder and executive director of SEEQS (School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability) Charter School, where students are learning to become stewards of planet Earth and healthy, effective citizens of the world. On top of standard core learning in math, science, social studies, English, and the arts, students combine concepts with project-based experiences that allow students to apply what they have learned to real-world situations. "Everything we do at SEEQS is with the intent of trying to create the kind of community that we want to be a part of. I work at SEEQS because I love this community of students, teachers, and ʻohana and the work we're doing to try to make the world a better place for ourselves and for others." Buffy Cushman-Patz, SEEQS's Founder, has explored teaching and learning through the lenses of theory, policy, leadership, and through first-hand experiences as a teacher in both conventional and unconventional settings. Buffy completed her EdM in School Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 2012 , with School Development as her concentration. She earned an M.S. in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Florida. Find Buffy Cushman-Patz and SEEQS online: Find me online:
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| Carbon Negative Concrete w/ Tim Sperry (Carbon Limit) Pt. 1 | 24 May 2023 | 00:53:32 | |
Tim Sperry, the CEO of Carbon Limit, is a scientist entrepreneur who has founded two climate tech companies using novel Carbon Capture & storage technologies. After losing close family members as a child to lung cancer, he developed a strong passion for protecting nature and solving global CO2 pollution. He has found early success by creating effective yet efficiently adaptable solutions to solve the biggest problems in industries ready for disruption. Most importantly, he built a strong dedicated team and a deeply rooted company culture. After years of trial and error, Tim secured a way to capture air pollution in one of the most important infrastructure components used in construction, concrete. Tim’s award-winning technology, being recognized by The United States Military, large corporations such as Google, and publications such as Boca Magazine, can permanently trap the main culprit of global warming (CO2) inside the concrete that uses his cement mixture. Concrete Structures built with Carbon Limit’s cement will be able to actively capture CO2 pollution directly from the air and store it permanently, improving air quality & promoting a healthier environment in our cities & communities. Find Tim Sperry online: Find me online:
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| Our Food Waste Resource w/ Chris O'Brien (Hungry Giant) | 07 May 2023 | 00:42:06 | |
Chris O’Brien is the Founder and CEO of Hungry Giant, a company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austin, TX. Hungry Giant is a cleantech business commercializing waste management and recycling equipment. A revolution in food waste management, Hungry Giant solutions use new technologies that turn food waste into a useful, reusable resource. They recently launched their Bio-Dehydrator solution. The cutting-edge, proprietary technology turns food waste into a useful, useable, and valuable resource on-site at any facility that generates commercial volumes of food waste. Created by a longtime innovator in the waste management and recycling industry, the Bio-Dehydrator enables food providers to better address food waste and reduce their emissions by helping to eliminate food waste in landfills, the ocean, and other sources, while at the same time creating a valuable byproduct out of a waste. Their range of products includes the Bio-Dehydrator, Bio-Grinder, and Bio-Digester solutions all available to buy, rent, or lease. Find Chris O'Brien online: Find me online:
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| Composting and Containers w/ Erin Levine | 01 May 2023 | 00:44:28 | |
Erin has been involved in resource recovery for 18 years and in the last decade has focused specifically on the sales and marketing of finished compost. She has supported commercial compost facilities throughout the West Coast and has worked closely with the end users of compost, particularly the agricultural industry. Erin is a Certified Composting Professional through the US Composting Council and a Certified Compost Programs Manager through the Solid Waste Authority of North America. Currently, Erin works as the Resource & Recovery Manager at World Centric. As someone who's always been super excited about compost, I was really excited to talk to Erin and learn more about composting! I can't wait to talk to her again and continue discussing compost! Find Erin Levine online: Find me online:
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| Salty, Sustainable Construction w/ Daniel Mandler | 03 Apr 2023 | 01:02:41 | |
Daniel Mandler is a Professor of Chemistry in the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University and the incumbent of Archie and Marjorie Sherman Chair in Chemistry. He holds also an adjunct Professorship at the Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. His research interests span from analytical to physical electrochemistry sol-gel technology, thin films and polymers, coatings of medical devices, forensic science and nanotechnology. He has numerous patents and is very active in commercialization of various applications in numerous fields such as solar thermal coatings and medical coatings. Today, we're here to talk about a new kind of technology he is developing: sustainable bricks made from salt! These salt bricks replace typical CMU blocks, but don't have nearly as big of a carbon footprint - not to mention they are made from excess, unneeded salt that builds up in the dead sea. Find Professor Daniel Mandler online:
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| Follow-Up w/ Lizzie Horvitz | 12 Mar 2023 | 00:24:22 | |
Lizzie Horvitz is back to discuss her challenge and how it went! If you don't remember, she founded Finch, a browser extension that helps you select sustainable products on Amazon. It's a tool that educates people on the ins and outs of sustainability, making it easier to shop sustainably online, add more transparency to online purchases, and dispel lots of the myths around the nonsense marketing terms like "green," or "organic" that drive consumer behavior but has little impact. Find Lizzie Horvitz and Finch Online: Find me online:
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| Smart Designs for Conservation w/ Adarsh Ambati | 28 Feb 2023 | 00:41:39 | |
Adarsh Ambati, age 16, of California, has been utilizing his talents to design new technologies to help conserve nature! He designed a moisture sensor-based smart sprinkler system that integrates real-time weather forecast data and soil moisture levels to provide optimum levels of water for huge water savings. He also designed a very low-cost, rapid diagnostic to detect the presence of an emerging fungal amphibian parasitic pathogen threatening to wipe out many species of endemic amphibians around the world at a fraction of the cost of current methods. Tying all his ideas together, he founded Green Environment Initiatives to design solutions for environmental crises and to provide STEM education for underserved students. Find Adarsh Ambati Online: Find me online:
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| Follow-Up w/ Veeral Hardev | 18 Feb 2023 | 00:40:18 | |
If you missed the first episode with Veeral, go back and check it out! Veeral Hardev is the VP of Strategy at Ubiquitous Energy, a company that is becoming the world leader in transparent solar technology, aka clear solar panels! Last time he was on the show, he decided to take on a sustainability challenge. Let's hear how it went, as well as dig a little more into Ubiquitous Energy and their solar windows! Find Veeral Hardev and Unbiquitous Energy Online: Find me online:
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| Follow-Up with Sonja & Charlotte Michaluk | 06 Feb 2023 | 00:34:23 | |
Sonja Michaluk is back, but this time with backup from her sister Charlotte! Winner of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for her work protecting wetlands and drinking water sources using a novel bioassessment method she created, Sonja came up with a sustainability challenge to take on with her sister in our first recording, and is back to talk about how it went. I was so impressed with Sonja's motivation and passion for saving the environment, and was just as surprised to see her sister is just as motivated and passionate! Definitely worth a listen! Founded by author T. A. Barron, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders (in the US and Canada) ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people or the environment. Check out my blog post for upcycled rope photos they sent from their challenge! Find Sonja Michaluk online: Find me online:
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| Protecting Wetlands, With Science! w/ Sonja Michaluk | 22 Jan 2023 | 00:41:14 | |
Sonja Michaluk of New Jersey works passionately to protect wetlands and drinking water sources using a novel bioassessment method she created. For more than a decade, she has collected scientific data and shared it with policy makers to help conserve ecologically sensitive wetlands, critical habitat for threatened species, wildlife corridors, and old growth forests. Through her Conservation Communities Initiative, she has protected more than 50 acres of wetlands in densely populated Central New Jersey – and is working to preserve 250 more. Her years spent streamside have also led to the identification of a threatened amphibian species and protection of its habitat. At the age of 17, she was one of the winners of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Founded by author T. A. Barron, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders (in the US and Canada) ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people or the environment. Find Sonja Michaluk online: Donate to This Sustainable Life: Solve For NatureSubscribe on your favorite podcast platform!
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| Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos w/ Leah Rampy | 29 Mar 2025 | 00:46:59 | |
Leah Rampy is a teacher, leadership consultant, and author of Earth & Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos, who combines spirituality, ecology, and storytelling to guide individuals toward a deeper connection with the natural world and a sustainable way of living. Find Leah Rampy and Earth & Soul online:
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| Sustainably Scoring Amazon w/ Lizzie Horvitz | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:42:42 | |
Lizzie Horvitz has been passionate about sustainability since the age of 16 when she lived off the grid. It was there that, depending only on wind energy and rainwater, she saw the solution of climate change before fully understanding the problem. She founded Finch, a browser extension that helps you select sustainable products on Amazon. It's a tool that educates people on the ins and outs of sustainability by turning complex scientific facts into simple, actionable insights. Their goal is to make it easier to shop sustainably online, add more transparency to online purchases, and dispel lots of the myths around the nonsense marketing terms like "green," or "organic" that drive consumer behavior but has little impact. Find Lizzie Horvitz online: Donate to This Sustainable Life: Solve For NatureSubscribe on your favorite podcast platform!
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| Upgrading Infrastructure w/ Javad Mohammadi | 23 Dec 2022 | 00:43:25 | |
Javad Mohammadi is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include multi-agent optimization and machine learning in networked cyber-physical systems, including smart grid-interactive buildings, power grid, and electrified transportation systems. In short, he's solving problems and figuring out how to make our electric grids smarter with artificial intelligence! Find Javad Mohammadi online:
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| Digital, Sustainable Construction w/ Paul Laycock (VinZero) | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:41:32 | |
Climate change can be seen as a disaster or an opportunity. Paul Laycock and his company VinZero is a new global company with a goal to cut major emissions from one of the biggest emitting sectors globally: construction. Paul and his staff at VinZero are passionate about facilitating the construction industries digital journey to meet net zero outcomes via digital solutions. According to VinZero, connectivity of processes and design ideas through digitalization is the fastest way for us to achieve more, and use less. To build right, from the start. The global focus on sustainability presents the biggest opportunity for industry to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Now is the time to prepare for the future. Find Paul Laycock online: Donate to This Sustainable Life: Solve For NatureSubscribe on your favorite podcast platform!
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| 8 Billion Day w/ Michael Bayliss | 01 Dec 2022 | 00:43:34 | |
Today I'm following up with Michael Bayliss, host of the Post-Growth Australia Podcast (PGAP), activist for within the environmental and post-growth movements, Communications Manager and former Victoria/Tasmanian President at Sustainable Population Australia (SPA). Last time we spoke, he decided to taken on a personal challenge, but the challenge ended up taking a life of it's own and evolved into a project that he's now dedicated to! Also, we discuss the upcoming 8 billion day: the day when the population of earth hits 8 billion. Definitely check out his podcast, where Michael talks to experts to unpack the notion of post-growth societies and what this means for us, for future generations and for the planet. Find Michael Bayliss online:
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| This Sustainable House w/ Anna DeSimone | 18 Nov 2022 | 00:52:58 | |
Anna DeSimone is the author of Live In A Home That Pays You Back, Housing Finance 2020: New Mortgage Programs for the New Generation of Homebuyers, Retirement Planning and Investing, and Welcome to the Agrihood: Housing, Shopping, and Gardening for a Farm-to-Table Lifestyle. She is a nationally recognized expert in housing finance, and author of more than 40 professional guidebooks and over 600 articles on the topic of fair and responsible lending. She may be an expert in making homes sustainable, but let's see if she's willing to make her life sustainable as well! Find Anna DeSimone online: Find me online:
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| Following Up w/ Jill Wagner | 01 Nov 2022 | 00:25:21 | |
Jill Wagner of Terraformation and the Hawaii Island Seed Bank returns to talk about the results of her sustainability challenge and how her mission of reforesting the planet is progressing! Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time for a long conversation, but I'm looking to having another one with her someday! Find Jill Wagner and Terraformation online: Find me online:
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| Water Is The Way w/ Anthony Ricchio | 07 Oct 2022 | 00:39:19 | |
Anthony Ricchio is an entrepreneur and sustainability influencer I connected with on Instagram and had some interesting chats on sustainability so I decided to invite him onto the podcast and have our sustainability discussion via video chat! The resulting chat ended up being an enlightening, open, and stimulating conversation on sustainability! Find Anthony Ricchio online: Find me online:
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| Hawaii: Case Study for the World w/ Joshua Spodek Pt. 2 | 19 Sep 2022 | 00:45:39 | |
Today we continued our discussion about Hawaii being a case study for the direction the entire world is going: pollution leading to reducing the capacity for our planet to sustain life. Joshua Spodek is host of This Sustainable Life podcast and author of Leadership Step By Step. He guided me once again through exploring my own feelings while stopping me from evading negative feelings about my own pollution and instead exploring them. It ended up being a great conversation on sustainability! Tune in! Find Joshua Spodek Online:
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| Reddit to Reforesting w/ Yishan Wong | 03 Sep 2022 | 01:01:57 | |
Yishan Wong is an engineer and entrepreneur who has worked at big name companies like Paypal and Facebook, and was CEO of Reddit. After leaving Reddit, he used his knowledge of the tech industry and combined it with the knowledge of Solve For Nature former guest, Jill Wagner, to found Terraformation, a company designed to take down climate change through tech-powered reforestation. He's a brilliant mind, and I was so excited to talk to him, so tune in! Find Yishan Wong and Terraformation online: Find me online:
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| Special Episode - The Inflation Reduction Act w/ Joshua Spodek | 14 Aug 2022 | 00:42:59 | |
Inflation Reduction Act just passed through the senate, house, and is now heading for President Biden's desk. Today we’re going to talk about what’s in it, and then have a discussion on sustainability and whether this bill is making us more sustainable or not with Joshua Spodek, Author of Leadership Step by Step, Professor at NYU, and probably the most sustainably living person in the USA. Tune in! The Inflation Reduction Act Summary by the Bipartisan Policy Center Find Joshua Spodek Online:
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| The Insect Epiphany w/ Barrett Klein | 14 Mar 2025 | 00:54:10 | |
Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is ever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona, fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honeybees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. He celebrates biodiversity and the intersection of science and art and believes fully that embracing the beauty of insects can transform our lives and our world. Find Barrett Klein and The Insects Epiphany online:
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| Hawaii: Case Study for The World w/ Joshua Spodek Pt. 1 | 14 Aug 2022 | 00:42:30 | |
Today, I have something a little different for you. Usually, I'm interviewing someone on my podcast, but today, I'm the one getting interviewed! Some of you may know, I recently moved to Hawaii and ended up buying a home here. However, in looking for a house, I found myself feeling conflicted about it, and Joshua Spodek, host of This Sustainable Life podcast, suggested we talk about it. It was a good conversation that forced me to explore some of my own feelings about sustainability conflicting with my own personal wants for me, my wife, and my daughter. I hope some of you out there can relate to the feelings I felt, and I hope the conversation is helpful to some of you! Find Joshua Spodek Online:
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| Banking Sustainably w/ John Hartman (Ando) | 30 Jul 2022 | 00:50:44 | |
John Hartman is currently CMO of Ando, the leader in sustainable banking. He is an award-winning marketing executive who's worked with brands such as Oakley, SkullCandy, Volcom, L'Oreal, Lancome, Intuit, RayBan, HugoBoss, AAA, AARP, Intuit, WarnerBros and Taylor Guitars. Ando has disrupted the traditional banking industry by investing customer money exclusively in green initiatives like renewable energy and responsible agriculture, potentially giving users 27 times the impact of other environmental actions. Additionally, Ando is 100 percent transparent as to where those investments are made. These are just two of the many reasons Ando has been named a Certified B Corp, a recognition of their commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive economy that works for everyone. Ando users pay no monthly fees while enjoying the possibility of early paydays and easy transfers from old accounts. Find John Hartman Online: Find me online:
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| Developing Climate Resilience w/ David A. Dodd | 17 Jul 2022 | 00:46:09 | |
David A. Dodd is the head of the globally recognized International Sustainable Resilience Center, Inc (ISRC), and having dealt with two near death experiences, David has a unique take on resilience at both the macro and micro scale. After surviving his two near death experiences, he was determined to make a positive impact on this world. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit, David shifted his focus to disaster recovery and resilience. In 2011, while crafting an economic recovery strategy for Japan after the Fukushima Tsunami, the idea of the International Sustainable Resilience Center was born. ISRC is dedicated to furthering the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and is one of 8 Public Private Partnership (PPP) Specialist Centers of Excellence affiliated with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe International PPP Centre of Excellence. ISRC strives to improve disaster resilience and sustainability worldwide by specializing in providing "People first" PPPs that are sustainable and enhance disaster resilience, as well as integrating sustainability and resilience into PPPs of all types, globally. Think he's prepared to take on a challenge to make his own life more sustainable? Find David A. Dodd Online: Find me online:
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| Conservatives for Clean Energy w/ Steve Melink | 28 Jun 2022 | 00:38:56 | |
Steve Melink is the Forbes Books author of Fusion Capitalism: A Clean Energy Vision For Conservatives, and founder/CEO of Melink Corporation, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based company considered a pioneer in renewable energy solutions for the commercial building industry. He also is a national speaker on sustainability, clean energy and zero-energy buildings, and has consulted with federal and state legislators. So often renewable energy is politicized: if you're on the left, you must support green energy, if you're on the right, you must support fossil fuels. But Steve shows us that renewable energy has nothing to do with politics: it's the energy of the future. It's cleaner, healthier for us, and most importantly (from an economic standpoint), it's cheaper! Find Steve Melink Online: Find me online:
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