Make Climate Cool Again

Norman Crowley may be the Elon Musk of Europe. I don't know anything more on brand than talking to Norman Crowley, CEO of Cool Planet Group. When I first met with Norman, we talked about his newest company Electrifii. The company converts classic luxury cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin into high performance electric cars using Tesla components. Boasting a performance specification on par with a Formula 1 racing car, these electrified cars can hit speeds of 0 to 60mph in under 2 seconds and deliver a driving range of 600km. Electrifii makes sense when the other companies in Cool Planet Group include Crowley Carbon, a carbon reduction software for buildings and Crowley Solar, solar manufacturing and development. It's a triple threat. 

Learn more at http://www.coolplanetgroup.ie/

The Nerdwallet for sustainability, Finch started out as an informational website, studying different areas of consumer goods and making recommendations. Lizzie Horvitz, CEO of FINCH Insights, 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. Lizzie has taken those early beginnings and created a really powerful browser extension that works with Amazon to educate consumers on their purchasing choices. Browser extensions are not new tools BUT they are a passive opportunity to integrate education and awareness. Before Finch, Lizzie worked in supply chain and sustainability at Unilever and then became Chief Operating Officer at Muuse, a startup that aims to mitigate single-use plastics in the to-go industry. She has a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA and Master of Environmental Management from Yale University. 

Sustainability Help Desk

Season 3 is back with an action packed and planned season. To start the podcast off with a bang, meet Chris and Sam, two friends who met in grad school at University Of Michigan and have never actually taken a class together. They started an email newsletter sponsored by their school called On Ramp, a guide to meaningful climate action. Like most people, they have grown increasingly worried about climate change. Raging wildfires, biblical floods, and polar vortexes tend to have that effect. They wanted to be a part of the solution, but had no idea where to start. Every week, Onramp sent subscribers bite-sized actions in the form of links. These links were videos, blog posts, sustainable product recommendations, and whatever else Chris and Sam could dream up. When subscribers clicked on the links, they would earn Planet Points. Planet Points measure how much carbon dioxide you’ve sucked out of the atmosphere by engaging with On Ramp. A seriously cool concept and awesome guys to chat with - get connected with Sam and Chris via Linkedin. 

Warby Parker is known as one of the OG social impact companies. But how are they reallllly doing? What does their report say? Are they misleading consumers or are they actually a good company. I was actually surprised at the significant amount of data that Warby had and could share. Not only did they share data from 2021 but also over the past five years so you could track progress. There were points where you noticed Warby Parker had to backtrack due to the COVID pandemic but I do think they tried to make up for it in other areas. I would say the biggest learning opportunities for other companies surround people and DEI opportunities. I would be interested in some of their updates in net years report on how some of their people initiatives are working out but all really progressive and designed to invest in the culture of the company. I always quote Cardi B in my presentations to college kids, "Kulture is Expensive". BUt it's so valuable and it can speed up change in the best ways. Or worst. Depending on what a company decides to invest in. 

I need a coffee and a new glasses prescription after reviewing Jetblue's long 2019/2020 ESG report in size 5 font. BUT I think what was most interesting to me was how Jetblue is preparing for the future by assessing their climate risks and opportunities. Also I had no idea that they were the first carbon neutral airline (for domestic flights) in the US. Jetblue also alludes to a medium term timeline for carbon pricing or a carbon tax. That's a big hint for all of us of what could be coming down the pipeline. Pun intended. There is some really great data throughout the report and highly organized charts on topics that some businesses could really learn and benefit from when it comes to preparing for the future. Did I know I was reading their future goals? No. But I do know their investment strategy and I'll take that to the bank. My biggest criticism for this report is to make a 10 page summary of this report designed for regular people who want to learn more and take sustainability lessons and apply them to their jobs. And also, carbon neutral isn't enough. 

Jessica Reid is the author of the book Planet Now: Effective Strategies for Communicating about the Environment (published September 2020). Planet Now’s strategies are designed to educate, encourage, and equip readers to talk about the environment with confidence and without shame or scare tactics. It explains how readers can tailor communications to their audience to encourage behavior change like climate action. Jessica is in the Environment and Science Communication dual-degree program at UNC-Chapel Hill, so she is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a focus on sustainability while beginning her master’s degree in media and communication with a focus on strategic communication. Since publishing Planet Now, Jessica has focused on sharing her research with as many people as possible through public speaking engagements. Ultimately, Jessica is passionate about combining communications and her love for the environment to create a more sustainable planet. 

Feel free to connect with Jessica at the following sites: 

As the second installment of our Net Zero series, we are going to talk about Net Zero as a corporate strategy. Marion Verles is the CEO of SustainCERT, a mission-driven company that offers next-generation impact accounting and certification solutions for carbon markets, corporate reporting and impact investing. Prior to launching SustainCERT, Marion officiated as CEO of the Gold Standard Foundation, a standard that works to ensure every dollar of climate and development funding goes as far is it can. She also founded Nexus-Carbon for Development, a cooperative of development organisations looking to scale their climate mitigation programs through results based finance.Before joining the climate and development arena, Marion worked at Barclays Bank as a corporate development analyst. She holds a Masters in European Business and a Masters in Public Administration and is currently studying for her third degree in Psychology. 

Lina Khan is a first generation Pakistani American and a passionate advocate in creating a better world through the power of design with sustainable integrity. It is her mission to be a part of the transition towards a more sustainable future, especially with energy in the built environment. Using her knowledge from UC San Diego and Duke University, along with her interdisciplinary background, she focuses on incorporating energy and sustainable strategies into architectural design. Since joining Gensler, she has helped to grow the Sustainability practice area by creating energy and carbon modeling tools and best practices for project teams regarding net zero energy and net zero carbon. Lina is also a Global Design Resilience Practice Area Leader across Gensler’s global portfolio, and creates tailored resilience and carbon smart strategies within Government and Defense industry. 

Nomad is one of the amazing brands I connected with when I started working with the Mission Brand Alliance. I loved chatting with Sarah Shoemaker and Sofia Silva to talk more about how a small company can make sustainable decisions for a lifestyle brand. Both women are graduates from UC Santa Barbara with a background in Environmental Studies. As the company grew, and the need for leadership in sustainability initiatives arose, Sarah And Sofia have taken the reins. Sarah took the opportunity to head up implementing sustainable programs and policies to focus on office composting to carbon offsetting. Sofia is the Wholesale Director at Nomad. Outside of managing the wholesale department, Sofia promotes diversity and inclusion and oversees corporate donations. We talk about zero waste shops, the power of the carpool and how to get started with sustainability at company where you are doing something else. 

ATTN SMALL BIZ OWNER: Please fill out and SHARE the survey on the state of sustainability in small businesses.

When companies create product, they make an impact on the planet. Some companies care more about this than others and go beyond packaging. They also invest in their impact on the community. Brett Zundel, Co-Owner of Loon Outdoors, is part of driving a mission to make fly-fishing more sustainable for the industry and the planet. As 1% for the Planet members, we talk about the organizations that Loon is working with to drive positive change. Brett shares his story of his love of nature and sharing it with his own kids and how that has affected his perspective on the environment. We also talk about the controversy around hatcheries and why we need to protect our fish populations. Loon Outdoors is based in Ashland, Oregon and sells fly-fishing products. 

The power of EV's is more than just progress in transportation (see what I did there?). It's about the future of energy and I really enjoyed interviewing Greenbiz 30 Under 30, Vartan Badalian. Vartan is accelerating the fight against climate change and developing the electric vehicle (EV) policy landscape in the United States. He is deeply passionate about his work and personal mission to transform the mobility industry. He currently works at the Climate Group as the EV100 Program Manager. Previously, he has worked as corporate counsel for a startup EV charging company and clerked at the U.S. EPA, NRDC, and NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability. Vartan has a B.S. in Sustainable Energy Management from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School with an Honors Certificate in Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resources Law. He is licensed to practice law in New York State.

Rasha Hasaneen is the Vice President of Innovation and Product Excellence for Trane Technologies. She is on a mission to bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor spaces for a more sustainable future. She is an expert on the topics of indoor environmental quality, bringing innovation and a customer-focused approach to this critical area of sustainability. Rasha also leads the Center for Healthy & Efficient Spaces (CHES). And in case you weren't impressed enough, she is also a national level Karate Champion.

Thanks to @SpeakOnPodcasts and @TraneTechnologies for this interview.

What's the difference between shampoo and ibuprofen?

You have a favorite shampoo and you can pick the packaging. Over The Counter (OTC) products are something we use to manage our cough or our allergies but we end up with a ton of waste. Cabinet Health is making better packaging for products by developing a refillable and compostable system so you can feel better without feeling bad about the planet.

Russell Gong is a co-founder of OTC brand Cabinet. He and his co-founder Achal met nearly a decade ago combating social inequality international communities. Russ is a former social entrepreneur and US National Guard, Infantry, worked in community empowerment. They share a deep curiosity about how medicine is made and more importantly how to make it better for people. Their brand was born as a result of their vision for offering the world a more transparent and sustainable medicine. Today, Cabinet is on a mission to simplify the world of health & medicine through transparency, quality, and sustainability.

Looking for a new beach read? Waiting for the Night Song might be your next summer book! It has been named to Most Anticipated 2021 lists by several organizations including Newsweek, Buzzfeed, and US Weekly. Julie Carrick Dalton and I sit down and talk about what the heck is eco literature, how she was able to weave romance and murder and climate change into a story and why she panic bought a forest.

Prior to being an author, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in publications including The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Electric Literature, and The Chicago Review of Books. Her second novel, The Last Beekeeper, is due for release in 2022.

This is the PERFECT book for a book club because Julie will actually ZOOM into your meeting if you ask her and say please!

You can find the book on Amazon, at Target, Barnes & Noble or online. I got mine secondhand from a Goodwill Amazon.

Welcome back for Season TWO of Make Climate Cool Again! To kick it off, we have a friend of the podcast, Emily Poulin, to talk about following your passion, quitting school and moving to a magical place - Australia! We talk about how important communication is to the sustainability movement and how to make good choices for yourself and the planet. Emily is a fellow podcaster, producing the show Veggies Before Noon. The VBN podcast is designed to deliver your weekly veggies for your mind, lifestyle & the planet. She just graduated and is starting her career as a sustainability consultant. 

Find more veggies @veggiesbeforenoon

Shannon Kenny is a Sustainability Consultant who helps businesses become environmentally sustainable without sacrificing profit. She has worked with a variety of companies from startups, to hotels, to fashion brands and beauty companies. And has spoken at sustainable events as well as been on panels with thought leaders in the environmental world. She's also been featured in several publications, including USA Today, MarketWatch and mindbodygreen.

Petria Leggo-Field is the founder of Coco Rose Eco and the Coco Rose Community.  Petria is on a mission to build a well-informed community based around the earth-friendly movement and help female eco entrepreneurs make a bigger impact, become more visible and make more sales. She is proud to gather a community of like-minded business owners who are ready to embrace a more sustainable business,  and be mentor to help support and guide them to make small steps in the right direction to enhance our planet.

Petria is also the weekly host of The Sustainable Shift Podcast, which was founded in 2020 and in addition also loves guest speaking and workshop facilitating about all things sustainable business.

Ecopreneurs for Earth Day- 22nd & 23rd April, 2021

Tickets Live 16th March - Grab your Ticket

A 2 Day Virtual Event for Ecopreneurs who are ready to make a bigger impact on our planet #ecopreneurs4earthday

Having a professional background in music & event production as well as genuine care for the environment, Priya Chandel has found the perfect mix between her two passions in working with the Bye Bye Plastic Foundation - a non-profit that aims to reduce single-use plastic in the music industry. Priya works with DJs, event venues, and festivals across the globe helping them find and implement sustainable solutions that eliminate plastics from our dance floors one plastic bottle, straw, or cup at a time.

Maria Vasco is the founder of Uvida Shop, Boston's first Zero Waste store. Her store offers home essential products without any plastic packaging, a refill room, and even a plant room. She graduated from UMass Boston with a degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability in 2020. Maria grew to be interested in ways to combat the plastic pollution problem through her college journey. It was in her Junior year where the university funded her proposal to open a zero-waste store in the city. In the future, Maria plans to host eco-workshops and other interactive events in the store to help raise awareness on our climate issue and support small business along the way.

Take 15% off with your purchase with code MAKECLIMATECOOL

What the heck is Clubhouse? 🤔 🤔
Why does it matter?

Clubhouse is changing. the. game. I can connect to so many professionals and industry leaders in moments. It's an educational platform as much as it's a communication platform.

As Founder and CEO of Current Agency & Made Equal Clothing Co., Chirag helps clients in the areas of community relations, social media, target advertising, public relations, and SEO/SEM. Chirag’s diverse work background experience of over 15 years in hospitality and tourism marketing and social media management allows him to provide his clients with a variety of services that will help their organizations grow. Chirag is a graduate of Chipola College (Associate in Arts), Florida State University (Bachelors in Science in Marketing), and Savannah College of Art & Design (Masters in Arts in Creative Business Leadership).

Skylar is the founder of Happy Earth Habits, a platform dedicated to heart-centered, mindful education & inspiration for Mama Earth. She is also the Founder of Skylar C Creative, a high vibe branding agency helping conscious businesses build jaw-dropping brands. Skylar is here to create, inspire and inform. Holding the highest vision for this planet as well the people & businesses on it. Oh, she’s also on a mission to sprinkle some freshness and fun into all things earth-loving and all things branding.

Bradford H. Dockser is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Green Generation, which engineers and implements comprehensive integrated energy efficiency solutions that lower operating costs while improving sustainability on behalf of a diverse set of clients worldwide. During his more than two decades of real estate investing, Brad was a Principal with national real estate investment firm, MacFarlane Partners, and Founder and Managing Director for Starwood Capital Europe overseeing operations, direct investments, and operating joint ventures and financing activities throughout Europe.

Brad received an A.B. cum laude in Economics and a Master of Business Administration, both from Harvard University. Brad serves on the global advisory board for Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance. He serves as Co-Chair of ULI Washington Sustainability Initiative and Chair of ULI’s Redevelopment and Reuse Product Council. Brad serves on the Advisory Board for the WELL Advisory for Hotels and Resorts. He is a member of the US Green Building Council and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP).

Let's get real about 2021. What is on the agenda? What about goals? Let's get better together. 

PROMOTIONS:

Pooja Ganesan is the Founder and CEO of booni doon, a zero waste skincare company based in New York City. Inspired by activism around stopping climate change, Pooja started booni doon to bridge the gap between skincare products that are claiming to be environmentally and socially sustainable and those that actually are. Prior to founding booni doon, Pooja worked in Healthcare Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan and as a social impact consultant at Fairmount Ventures. She received a BA from Johns Hopkins University, where she studied Anthropology and Environmental Studies and also received a MBA from Emory University.

PROMOTIONS:

Kelsey Rumburg is passionate problem-solver and customer advocate, dedicated to empowering others to solve complex environmental, economic, and social issues. She has always been passionate about building businesses with a positive, sustainable impact on the world, and has been deeply curious about social entrepreneurship since university, where she completed her senior thesis on scaling social enterprises.

She currently works in Operations at FloatMe, a Fintech start-up dedicated to encouraging the financial literacy and ability of its users.

Will Gadd is a living legend in the truest sense. Year after year, he continually pushes the boundaries of ice climbing and, even after having won every major title from the World Cup to the Winter X Games, he continues to push the envelope. Will has also broke the world distance record on a paraglider not once, but three times. He was also the first person to cross the US by paraglider after a gruelling seven-week trip. In 2014, he made several first ascents of Kilimanjaro’s dwindling ice towers. As the glacier rapidly disappears from climate change, he returned in 2020 to make one last ascent. Red Bull sponsored his 2020 trip and documented the current conditions that change everything. 

Businessman, environmental crusader and successful entrepreneur, Sebastian Sajoux developed a unique world class proprietary upcycling technology to convert all non-recyclable plastics into an innovative product for use in construction projects and as a substitute for aggregate and gravel. The first large scale solution for a large scale problem that can be deployed at a competitive cost even with landfill tipping fees. Sebastian is passionate and dedicated to developing practical technological environmental sustainability solutions to protect the global natural environment, human and ecological health. 

Sarah Paji Yoo is the CEO and Co-Founder of Blueland. She is a serial retail entrepreneur passionate about building meaningful and innovative consumer brands. Previously, was a Partner at LAUNCH, creating and operating new consumer businesses including M.Gemi, Rockets of Awesome and Follain. Prior to LAUNCH, was co-founder and CEO of Snapette, the largest mobile platform for local fashion shopping, which was sold to leading e-commerce platform PriceGrabber in 2013. Sarah has contributed to The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Forbes, Time, InStyle and Glamour, and previous speaking engagements include CNBC, ABC News, Fox, Bloomberg TV, Time Inc., and Harvard.

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Dr. Vincent Esposito is a board-certified chiropractor in the state of New York, and has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition. He combines his passion for cooking with his expertise in functional medicine principles to create realistic, sustainable practices to prevent and treat chronic diseases.

He is a co-host of The Art of Eating Podcast, and has recently started a platform for live cooking demonstrations weekly. He also shares the latest information on whole foods, plant-based nutrition, wellness, and sustainable health on his YouTube Channel.

Fernando is the Community Engagement Associate Planner for the Bronx Borough Office at the NYC Dept of City Planning. He is also a sustainable consultant and has prior experience working on community development and environmental justice planning and policy with THE POINt CDC in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx. Fernando has studied across four continents researching and observing sustainability related issues.

~Support the Podcast~

Instagram: @makeclimatecool

Website: www.makeclimatecool.com