This week on Everybody in the Pool, it’s the second episode in our special series on AI and energy use. When it comes to making data centers more energy efficient, few have a larger burden than Amazon’s AWS — the world’s largest cloud provider by market share. Molly talks with Chris Walker, head of sustainability for AWS, about how the company’s customers are pushing it to be as energy efficient as possible, for reasons of economics and the environment. He touches on an Accenture study that says...
Jan 30, 2025•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, it’s the first episode in our special series on AI and energy use. We’re starting at the foundational layer of AI computing: the chips. Nvidia is the undisputed leader when it comes to providing the processors (and networking equipment and cards and servers and racks) and the software platform that lets companies use those chips to train AI models. But what’s the company’s responsibility when it comes to enabling more sustainable AI? We spoke with Nvidia’s hea...
Jan 23, 2025•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to the third season of Everybody in the Pool! Well, almost. We’re busy preparing an exciting way to kick off the new year: with a four-part series on everybody’s favorite topic, AI and energy use. We’ve already been worried about data centers and their global electricity consumption, but training new AI models (and answering our inane questions and writing emails for us) are pushing that demand potentially exponentially higher. In this series, we’ll talk to executives from chip gian...
Jan 16, 2025•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we are leaning into a powerful tool in the fight against climate change: storytelling. Molly talks with Greg Jacobs, co-director of The Here Now Project, about the innovative documentary, which presents climate change through the eyes of ordinary people worldwide. The film aims to evoke a sense of urgency and community around climate action, By demonstrating a series of climate shocks over the course of a single year, from a historic deep freeze in Texas to plagues of locusts and sea ...
Dec 19, 2024•35 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast In this conversation, GL Genco, founder of Generation Conscious, talks about how his company has created vending machines for dehydrated laundry detergent sheets. The goal is to promote sustainability and reduce waste, yes, but also to change the way we think about how we shop for hygiene products overall. He shares his personal journey, the environmental impact of traditional packaging, and the importance of making eco-friendly products accessible to all, particularly in university settings. Th...
Dec 12, 2024•34 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Everybody in the Pool, host Molly Wood explores an overlooked climate solution hiding in plain sight: leaky air ducts and building envelopes. She speaks with Amit Gupta, CEO of Aeroseal, about an innovative technology that uses "pixie dust" physics to seal energy-wasting leaks in buildings. Learn how up to 40% of your heating and cooling could be escaping through poorly sealed ducts, and discover a solution that's good for both the planet and your wallet. "Leaking air ducts is...
Dec 06, 2024•35 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, we are re-visiting a favorite episode from season 1, and maybe it’ll inspire you and your friends and family toward a fun holiday activity! Obviously, global warming and the climate crisis are intimidating topics. But this week’s guest has built an entire career out of play. Jenny Gottstein is a game-maker, previously of Go Games and IDEO, and a few years ago, she created a game called Beat! That! Heat!, a climate action game show. Molly and Jenny talk about h...
Nov 21, 2024•30 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast In this conversation, Chris Dickerson, co-founder of Players for the Planet, discusses his journey from being a professional athlete to becoming an advocate for environmental awareness in sports. He shares insights on the impact of sports on the environment, the importance of community engagement, and the need for systemic change in how sports organizations handle waste and sustainability. The conversation highlights the evolution of Players for the Planet, the challenges faced in promoting clim...
Nov 07, 2024•34 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Usually on the show we talk about carbon-emitting sectors, but today we’re talking about one of the planet’s most precious resources: water. Specifically, industrial water, which is used in staggering amounts, horribly contaminated, and sometimes just put right back into the environment. Anurag Bajpayee, CEO of Gradiant, discusses the company's technology-driven end-to-end water solutions and their goal to conserve water for future generations and give nature its water back. Gradiant's approach ...
Oct 31, 2024•34 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast Installing climate-friendly home upgrades is expensive—lots of new tax rebates and incentives can help make it cheaper, but only if you can actually get them. Sealed is a company that focuses on residential energy efficiency and electrification and recently pivoted to helping contractors find new customers and take advantage of those all-important subsidies. LINKS: Sealed: https://www.sealed.com/ All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/ Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter:...
Oct 24, 2024•32 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast GoodLeap is a technology-first company that aims to be a premier marketplace for all things sustainability in the home. They provide tools and resources for both homeowners and contractors to make sustainable home improvements easier and more accessible. GoodLeap offers a platform for homeowners to explore different sustainability options, connect with vetted contractors, and access financing options. They also provide education and support for contractors, helping them navigate the complex land...
Oct 17, 2024•33 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast Etosha Cave, co-founder of 12, a carbon transformation company, discusses the origin story of the company and its focus on creating jet fuel from CO2 and water. The company's technology mimics the process of trees, taking in CO2 and water and using electricity to break them down into smaller atomic bits and reforming them into new molecules. The main motivation behind the company's work is the desire to create clean and abundant energy, driven by Cave's personal experience growing up near an aba...
Oct 10, 2024•31 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast This week on the show, Molly talks with Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, at an event that was held during New York Climate Week. Fusion energy is one of the most promising and biggest swings we can take toward solving the climate crisis and potentially reversing some of the damage we’ve already done. Fusion energy is the same type of energy that powers the sun; if we can generate that kind of energy economically on Earth, we could have a nearly limitless source of energy that em...
Oct 03, 2024•33 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast Steve Oldham, CEO of Captura, discusses carbon capture and removal, highlighting the importance of these processes in achieving climate goals. He explains that carbon capture aims to turn off the 'taps' of CO2 emissions, while carbon removal directly removes CO2 from the atmosphere. Captura focuses on utilizing the ocean's natural ability to capture CO2 through a process called electrodialysis. Oldham emphasizes that their process is designed to be environmentally friendly and does not harm the ...
Sep 26, 2024•34 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Nicole LeBlanc, a partner with Woven Capital, discusses the $800 million growth venture capital fund for Toyota and its investments in sectors that support the growth and future of Toyota. The fund focuses on three core pillars: electrification, intelligence (software), and diversification. LeBlanc highlights two investments: Corvus Energy, a company that provides batteries and hydrogen for zero-emission marine vehicles, and Intuition Robotics, an AI companion for the elderly that helps reduce l...
Sep 12, 2024•35 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we’re talking about renewable fuels — specifically cleaner propane. Propane, as it turns out, is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions that not a lot of people are tackling. Dr. Rebecca Boudreaux, President and CEO of Oberon Fuels, talks about the company's work in decarbonizing the global propane sector. Oberon Fuels produces molecules out of bio-waste that can be blended into cleaner propane, and used in various applications, including transportation, industrial, and residentia...
Sep 05, 2024•28 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast We need battery materials, but we also need to reduce mining and critical minerals extraction and centralizing production outside our borders. So, this week, we’re talking about making batteries from old batteries. Mike O'Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements, discusses the mission of his company to make batteries more sustainable by producing high-performance cathode materials from recycled batteries. The focus is on NMC batteries, which are primarily used in electric vehicles (EVs) and grid storage....
Aug 29, 2024•25 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast We talk to a lot of startups, but this week’s guest is a platform for inspiring and supporting a whole bunch of startups! Alysia Garmulewicz, co-founder and co-CEO of Materiom, discusses the importance of developing regenerative biomaterials as alternatives to petroleum plastics. Materiom offers an open database of biomaterial recipes, providing entrepreneurs and innovators with the information they need to create new materials. They also integrate generative AI into their platform to help start...
Aug 22, 2024•28 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Every thriving ecosystem needs connectors, support systems—pollinators, in fact. This week, Molly is joined by Jon Bonanno, the managing partner of Factor, to talk about building great climate companies with a combination of human skills, networking and introductions, and smarter ways to raise money. Jon pivoted into climate tech after the attacks of 9/11 left him deeply shaken. He emphasizes the violence and centralization of the fossil economy and the need for a transition to a clean economy t...
Jul 25, 2024•26 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast Agriculture contributes to climate change, sure, but climate change also makes agriculture a whole lot harder. This week, Poornima Parameswaran, co-founder and CEO of Trace Genomics, discusses the company's mission to unlock the hidden potential of soil and empower farmers to make data-driven decisions. By analyzing DNA mapping, data science, and machine learning, Trace Genomics provides farmers with comprehensive insights into their soil's biological and chemical properties. The data is used to...
Jul 18, 2024•32 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Dana R. Fisher, author of “Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action,” discusses the importance of activism in addressing the climate crisis. She explains that while the state and the market have not been able to solve the crisis, civil society has a crucial role to play. Fisher highlights the role of the radical flank, which engages in attention-getting actions to raise awareness and expand the movement (like throwing orange cornstarch on Stonehenge). She emphasizes that these act...
Jul 11, 2024•33 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we take you on an exciting journey to the ARPA-E Innovation Summit in Dallas, Texas. ARPA-E is a division of the government’s advanced research and projects agency, tasked with finding and funding the latest and greatest technology innovations to transform America’s energy production and use. Join Molly Wood on a walking tour of the summit’s expo hall, where she dives into the world of electric airplanes, laser-manufactured steel, and innovative solutions for the oil and gas ind...
Jun 27, 2024•30 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Coffee, chocolate, oranges, berries, and a lot more foods are at risk of becoming harder to grow and even outright scarce as climate change worsens—oh and existing agriculture has lots of negative climate impacts. What if we could make high-quality, sustainable food accessible to everyone? In this episode of Everybody in the Pool , Molly Wood speaks with Gilwoo Lee, founder and CEO of Zordi. Zordi is an ag-tech company that combines greenhouses, robots, and AI to create autonomous food-growing e...
Jun 20, 2024•31 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast We all know we need companies to lead the climate transition, so which companies are doing the work? In this episode of Everybody in the Pool , Molly Wood speaks with Megan Lorenzen, Director of Climate and Energy at Salesforce, about the company's groundbreaking efforts in sustainability. Salesforce has achieved a rare milestone: powering its operations with 100% renewable energy. It’s also pushing industry changes like the Green Code Initiative, which reduces carbon emissions via efficient cod...
Jun 14, 2024•32 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast For Everybody In the Pool's first anniversary, Molly Wood looks back at one innovative company that made a huge impression last year. We re-air a fascinating episode featuring Manuela Zoninstein, CEO and founder of Kadeya. Kadeya is revolutionizing the beverage industry by eliminating single-use containers. Their unique system dispenses reusable stainless steel bottles filled with filtered local tap water. After use, these bottles are returned to the machine for washing, sanitizing, and refillin...
Jun 05, 2024•30 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast It may be the last week of Bike Month, but it’s never too late to talk about bikes—and all kinds of micro-mobility, in fact. Molly Wood welcomes Chinmay Malaviya, co-founder and CEO of RidePanda. He shares his vision of decarbonizing daily commutes by providing employees with easy access to e-bikes, pedal bikes, and scooters. RidePanda partners with employers to offer these eco-friendly vehicles as part of commuter and sustainability benefits, reducing reliance on personal cars and cutting emiss...
May 30, 2024•30 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, discover how advanced electrochemistry can clean up the chemical industry. Our guest, Jeff Erhardt, CEO of Mattiq, has pioneered a groundbreaking approach to decarbonize chemical production. Mattiq is using new electrochemical technology to make important chemicals with much lower carbon emissions. This could help lead to a cleaner and more sustainable chemical industry. Mattiq's tackling the problem by developing new catalysts, optimizing modular production, ...
May 23, 2024•28 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re talking about hydroelectric power, without the dams and major infrastructure and a little less worry about drought, to boot. Molly Wood talks with Emily Morris, founder and CEO of Emrgy, about how distributed hydroelectric systems are becoming a key player in the renewable energy mix. We talk about the historical and modern significance of hydropower, its environmental considerations, and how Emergy is both modernizing water infrastructure and also grabb...
May 16, 2024•27 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, Ricky Silver, CEO of Daily Harvest, discusses the company's mission to provide healthy, organic, and sustainable food options. Daily Harvest sells ready-to-eat meals and smoothies made from organic fruits and vegetables, all of which are gluten-free and vegan (with the option to add whatever you like!). The company aims to make healthy eating more accessible and affordable, and has expanded its distribution to include retail stores like Target. But the company...
May 09, 2024•26 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re taking a step back to take a look at the data and see how we’re tracking toward making it to net zero by 2050. Ryan Pancharadsam is a partner at Kleiner Perkins and together with legendary clean tech investor John Doerr, he wrote a book called Speed & Scale, breaking down the climate crisis into a series of categories with accomplishable objectives attached to them. We’ll talk about the team’s newly updated tracker, looking at progress toward our surviva...
May 01, 2024•33 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast 
