Earthlings 2.0 Podcast - podcast cover

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

Lisa Ann Pinkertonearthlingspodcast.com
The Earthlings Podcast takes a look at the big issues facing humanity in the early 21st century and our relationship to our environment, technology, and each other. Each episode, award-winning journalist, and former NPR reporter Lisa Ann Pinkerton hosts experts, scientists, and leaders working to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Together, they cover wide-ranging topics including environmental solutions, emerging technologies, what the future might look like, and more. Support us on Patreon and receive exclusive content and benefits.

Episodes

#40: COP 28 and the Conundrum of International Anarchy

Hello Earthlings! Join us for a compelling discussion on COP28  that cuts through the noise, offering essential insights for anyone passionate about our planet's future with our host, Lisa Ann, a former NPR Environmental journalist with over 15 years in clean technology PR. We’ll unravel how decision-making processes can dilute impactful climate action, discover the crucial role of community and individual initiatives in driving climate policy, and hear about the positive future development...

Jan 16, 202417 minEp. 40

#39: Rethinking Reforestation with Mast Reforestation

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, join us as we speak with Grant Canary , the visionary CEO behind Mast Reforestation. Grant delves into the intricate journey of ideating and refining reforestation initiatives, shedding light on the challenges faced and the invaluable role of feedback from peers and collaborators. Reforestation stands as a powerful weapon in our arsenal against climate change, and Grant passionately elaborates on its transformative impact. Discover the manifold benefits this...

Jan 09, 202433 minEp. 39

#38: Turning Climate Science into Public Action with Dr. Aaron Thierry

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Aaron Thierry to discuss the challenges involved in climate activism. We talked about the pivotal role science has in determining the planet's future and why scientists need to take more active social responsibility to enforce meaningful change. Aaron breaks down the criticality of this transformation, shedding light on the challenges he's faced firsthand. Together, Aaron and Lisa Ann navigate the intricate landscape of climate science, u...

Jan 02, 202437 minEp. 38

#37: Earthlings 2.0 x Trash Magic Episode Swap: Producer's Responsibility in End of Life of Products with Heidi Sanborn

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, we’re doing an episode swap with the incredible Trash Magic podcast, hosted by the dynamic duo Sara Fuentes and Oakley J-Fast ! In this wonderful episode, Oakley and Sara talk to the remarkable Heidi Sanborn , an esteemed pioneer in the field of extended producer responsibility with over thirty years of experience. As they explore the intricacies of sustainable packaging, Heidi reveals the vital importance of transparency in the recycling process. She demyst...

Dec 26, 202331 minEp. 37

#36: Our Super Capacity to Wean Remote Communities off of Diesel with Marty Snyder

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and guest Marty Snyder (President at SuperCapicitor Energy ) delve into the amazing technology of supercapacitors, the damaging effects of diesel, and energy storage.  Lisa Ann and Marty speak about the challenges related to providing power supplies to communities that live off-grid. Marty gives insight into SuperCapicitor’s objectives to achieve a cleaner solution to powering communities cu...

Dec 19, 202337 minEp. 36

#35: The Charge of the Electric Farm with David Meyers

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), is joined by David Meyers (founder of GridTractor ) to explore the future of agriculture. David shares his passion for reducing carbon emissions in agriculture through ⚡️electrification ⚡️ Lisa Ann and David discuss GridTractor and the misconceptions about the farming industry’s adoption of innovative technologies- they’re mostly all for it but turns out, that Mother Nature doesn’t care if you ne...

Dec 12, 202333 minEp. 35

#34: Reinventing Solar from the Ground Up with Daniel Flanigan

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and guest Daniel Flanigan (Chief Marketing & Product Officer at Erthos ) explore the varied problems that come from switching to solar power as well as their exciting possible solutions!  Solar energy, while promising, has not yet reached its full potential as a comprehensive energy solution for the future. Nonetheless, innovative companies like Erthos are at the forefront of advancing t...

Dec 05, 202324 minSeason 15Ep. 34

#33: Carbon Price, Power, and Politics with Neal Dikeman Part 2

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and guest Neal Dikeman (founder and Partner at Energy Transition Ventures , Chairman of Cleantech.org ) continue their discussion on the politics, legislation, and ethics of carbon credit and carbon offset.  Lisa Ann and Neal delve deeply into the conflicting objectives behind using carbon credits to counterbalance carbon emissions and critically assess whether this approach is genuinely eff...

Nov 28, 202339 minEp. 33

#32: The Future of Solar Farming - Earthlings 2.0 x SunCast Episode Swap

Hello Earthlings! This week we’re bringing a very special episode swap with SunCast , hosted by Nico Johnson . We're showcasing an exceptional episode featuring Dan French, Executive Producer of the Solar Farm Summit . In this enlightening conversation, Nico and Dan delve into the intricacies of agrivoltaics, an innovative fusion of agriculture and solar power generation. We found this episode very insightful and exciting, and hope you find it just as captivating.  Tune in and let's explore...

Nov 21, 20231 hr 11 minEp. 32

#31: Carbon Price, Power and Politics with Neal Dikeman (Part 1)

Hello Earthlings! Buckle up for an exciting episode where we tackle carbon prices, power dynamics, geopolitics… oh my!  In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and guest Neal Dikeman (Partner at Energy Transition Ventures ) delve deep into the world of clean energy and the energy transition. With Neal's extensive experience in the industry, they explore climate change solutions, political movements, and the need to address trade issues to combat th...

Nov 14, 202329 minEp. 31

#30: The Magical Solution of Beans with Andy Jarvis

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and guest Andy Jarvis (Director of The Bezos Earth Fund ) explore the answer to everything… Beans!Join us on this enlightening journey as we delve into the unassuming world of beans and their surprising impact on global health and the environment. In this episode, Andy walks us through the Beans is How campaign from the SDG2 Advocacy Hub . We cover the variances in bean consumption across the glo...

Nov 07, 202325 minEp. 30

#29: Living, Breathing, Beautiful Buildings with Lindsay Baker

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), is joined by Lindsay Baker (CEO and Chief Strategist of the International Living Future Institute ) to explore a future where living buildings give more to the environment and society then they take. To hear Lindsay say it, designing buildings that use materials that won’t make us sick, reuse their water, generate their own energy and create economic and community benefits is not a far-fetched id...

Nov 01, 202346 minEp. 29

#28: Solving the Rubik’s Cube of Carbon Markets with Steve Boyle

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and our guest Steve Boyle ( Rubicon Carbon VP, Head of Sales) discuss how we solve the puzzle of carbon markets.  If you follow this industry, you know the ability of companies to purchase carbon credits to offset their emissions can be as complicated as a Rubik’s Cube. Steve walks us through the industry’s reputational challenges, Verra’s carbon credits scandal, and the differences between ...

Oct 24, 202330 minEp. 28

#27: Future-Proofing Batteries the EV Battery with Virginia Klausmeier

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and our guest Virginia Klausmeier (President and CEO of Sylvatex ) dive into how to prepare the electric vehicle industry now for the revolution that’s coming, by rethinking one component of EV lithium-ion batteries - cathodes. They explore how costs and carbon emissions could be brought down and make scaling EV battery manufacturing more sustainable in preparation for the demand that’s expected ...

Oct 17, 202331 minEp. 27

#26: The Forever Fuel in Nuclear Fusion with Randall Volberg

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and our guest Randall Volberg ( Type One Energy ), discuss the potential benefits of Nuclear Fusion. We speak about the differences between the different types of nuclear fusion reactor design and how they can be used to provide clean highly dense energy for the planet. Throughout the episode, we have a comprehensive discussion about the challenges associated with nuclear power and insights and p...

Oct 10, 202334 minEp. 26

#25: A Mighty Urban Wind Future with Erika Boeing

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ) and our guest Erika Boeing (CEO and founder of Accelerate Wind ) discuss how we can generate energy from small wind turbines, similar to solar power!   Historically, small wind technology has faced obstacles, but Erika Boeing's background sets her apart. With her impressive experience as a NASA mechanical components intern and her work on "Project Drawdown," Erika brings a wealth of expertise...

Oct 03, 202329 minEp. 25

#24: The Fast Future of AI with David Kruguer

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ) and our guest David Krueger (Assistant Professor at Cambridge University) discuss the blisteringly fast future of AI!   In his work at Cambridge, David helps with the computational lab and its machine learning departments. He focuses on deep learning algorithms, AI alignment and in his words “whatever we can do to prevent the chance that AI leads to human extinction.” David has a vast knowled...

Sep 26, 202337 minEp. 24

#23: The Perils and Payoffs of Carbon Credits with Sasha Mackler

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode we are joined by our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and our guest Sasha Mackler (Executive Director of The Energy Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center). We zoom in on the promising concept of compensating projects that drawdown carbon emissions. In this discussion of voluntary carbon markets, Sasha and Lisa Ann discuss how carbon credits work, and the reputation challenges the industry faces; most recently with the scandal from ...

Sep 19, 202335 minEp. 23

#22: The Land of the Lost Food with Lisa Johnson

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ), and our guest Dr. Lisa Johnson (a), discuss the impact of global food waste! Dr. Johnson is a researcher and Adjunct Assistant ProfessorAdjunct Assistant Professor North Carolina State University, private consultant in food loss and agriculture, and serves as the Board Chair of UpRoot Colorado.  We delve into the pressing issue of the climate crisis and its far-reaching implications for food...

Sep 05, 202333 minEp. 22

#21: The Big Idea Behind Tiny Homes with Lindsey Wood

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, our host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ) and our guest Lindsey Wood (CEO of Go Tiny Academy ) discuss, you guessed it, tiny home living!  Lindsey’s journey into tiny home living began with a series of challenges that ultimately shaped her into an expert in the field. She's now committed to sharing her insights through the Tiny Home Academy, helping others downsize, create living space solutions, and explore the possibilities of tiny...

Aug 29, 202342 minEp. 21

#20: Digitizing Democracy with Hannes Astok

Hello Earthlings! In today’s episode, host Lisa Ann Pinkerton (CEO of Technica Communications ) we explore the concept of using the internet for government interactions and services, also known as e-governance. Our guest Hannes Astok (Executive Director, Chairman of the Management Board - Estonia’s e-Governance Academy) talks to us about Estonia's advanced e-governance system and how other countries are taking advantage of their experience. Estonia's online services encompass a range of tasks, y...

Aug 22, 202330 minEp. 20

#19: Fossil Fuel Misinformation with Duncan Meisel Executive Director, Clean Creatives

Welcome back! We’re back in communications range to continue our collective journey of exploration into what the future holds for all living things on our planet.   In the second episode of the season, we explore the hidden work that helps oil and gas companies undermine the many efforts of forward-thinking Earthlings to combat climate change. Our guest today is Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, who advocates the crucial yet sensitive role of PR firms in clean energ...

Aug 15, 202328 minEp. 19

#18: The Recycler for Spaceship Earth with Brittany Zimmerman, CEO of Yummet

Welcome to Season 3! We’re back in communications range to continue our collective journey of exploration into what the future holds for all living things on our planet.   In this first episode of the season, we explore how technology developed for space travel is being reused here on planet Earth. Our guest is Brittany Zimmerman, CEO of Yummet, a remarkable female entrepreneur who has pioneered a groundbreaking innovation. Using her deep expertise as one of the youngest NASA Principal...

Aug 09, 202331 minEp. 18

#17: Season Three Preview

An Earthling Evolution Welcome Earthlings to Season 3! In this special episode, creator and host Lisa Ann Pinkerton previews what’s new on the podcast, how it’s elevated to Earthlings 2.0, and highlights some of the captivating you’ll hear in the first few episodes.  Join us as we speak to entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, and policy advocates to explore a wide range of topics, including innovative climate solutions, groundbreaking emerging technologies, and intriguing glimpses into t...

Aug 01, 20236 minEp. 17

#16: Life at 3° C with Dr. Bill Mcguire, Dr. Camille Paramsean, Dr. Edmon Totin, and Dr. Peter Howard

You are living on a planet that is 1.1°C hotter than 100 years ago. By 2100, your future family members could be living in a 3°C world. This means mass deaths from extreme heat. Failing agriculture and food scarcity. Lack of drinkable water. Mass climate migration. Cities underwater. Civil unrest, and other dangers that you may not have even thought about. It’s not IF these things will happen, it’s how soon and how bad it will get.  Buckle up. In this episode, we look at the path we are cur...

Apr 02, 20231 hr 15 minEp. 16

#15: Space Inc. with Neeraj Gupta, Ryan Hartman, and Marcia Smith

Humanity is moving into space, and our businesses are coming with us. In recent years we have seen the beginnings of a new wave of human activity in space, from new commercial ventures, to exploration and even space tourism. But what does the future of our species in space look like? And will we recreate our problems and carry our political dysfunction with us into the final frontier? Join us for the latest episode of Earthlings Podcast as we ask these and more questions about our collective jou...

Feb 08, 20231 hrEp. 15

#14: Electrification: The Smart Home Upgrade with Ari Matusiak, Alex Bazhinov, and Claire Broido Johnson

The home of the future is electric and dynamic. In this episode, we look at the how-to of smart home electrification and the integrations coming to maximize the transformation from the ordinary home to a live-in power plant. And we explore how the US federal government is providing incentives for home upgrades like heat pumps and induction stoves,  With our guests, we examine how homes are moving to a future of generating their own power, storing it and selling it to their neighbor or back ...

Dec 21, 202257 minEp. 14

#13: Chilling Out Urban Mobility with Melinda Hanson, Carlos Pardo, and Charlie Welch

E-bikes, e-scooters, and other forms of micromobility are changing how we get around cities and cities. In this episode, we examine multiple angles of this change to smaller, more efficient forms of transportation, looking at the benefits to individual riders and how and why we can change cities to allow people to meet their travel needs more efficiently. We also explore the danger of fires from today’s lithium-ion batteries and new chemistry that could make micromobility safer.  In this ep...

Nov 16, 20221 hr 4 minEp. 13

#12: Flying the Sustainable Skies with Graham Warwick, Val Miftakhov, and Blain Newton

The future of flight is evolving. From battery electric airplanes to hydrogen power to sustainable aviation fuels, new technologies are opening up new vistas of what is possible. As an industry, airlines and aircraft manufacturers are informally aiming to make aviation net zero by 2050. But decarbonizing how we fly people and goods isn’t just about new airplane technology; it requires new fueling and charging infrastructure and new business models.  In Flying the Sustainable Skies, co-hosts...

Nov 01, 202259 minEp. 12

#11: Plastic Diet with Patricia Kombo, Kam Sripada, and Beth Rattner

Plastic is everywhere. And it could be making you sick. As higher concentrations of microplastic particles are found throughout the world, in the air, soils and water, more and more research is suggesting that all this plastic could have negative health impacts, including on babies, children, and our ability to have children. This is particularly a danger for the Global South, which is suffering disproportionately from plastic pollution. In Plastic Diet, co-hosts Lisa Ann Pinkerton (former NPR r...

Oct 18, 202258 minEp. 11