Bruce Bartlett: The Roots of Wreckage

Today on Sea Change Radio we take a little timeout from all things sustainability to analyze how the Republican Party has led us to some very uncertain and dangerous times with a white supremacist occupying the White House. To help us dissect the roots of modern Republicanism, we hear from author and economist Bruce Bartlett, who worked for both the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations before defecting from the Party in 2003. We learn about Bartlett’s own political journey, debate the legacy of Ronald Reagan and discuss how this country’s conservative party has squandered an opportunity by not being the party of conservationism.

Dan Austin: 88Bikes

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A generation ago, the dream of owning a bicycle was one shared by a vast number of American kids. While the explosion of competitors like video games and iPhones may have somewhat tempered that youthful enthusiasm for bikes in this country, there are still millions of children in developing nations who can only begin to imagine having their very own bicycle. This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, Dan Austin, is in the business of fulfilling those dreams for kids from Belgrade to Calcutta. He talks about his philanthropic nonprofit 88Bikes, the problem his organization is trying to solve and the unique way it puts donors directly in touch with recipients. Then, we dig into the Sea Change Radio archives to discuss ways to tackle homelessness in this country with San Francisco City Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.

Jessica McCarty on Arctic Wildfires

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You may have seen some headlines recently declaring that “The Arctic is on Fire!” Are these just sensationalist reports? Or do these fires represent an unprecedented and alarming danger? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio is Dr. Jessica McCarty, a satellite data expert and a professor at Miami of Ohio. She describes how weather data are collected, explains how this summer’s arctic fires in Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia stack up historically, and tells us what they mean for the planet moving forward.

Mike Markus + Donnel Baird: From Wastewater to Retrofitting

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What would you say to the idea of drinking a tall, cool glass of wastewater? On the face of it, it sounds, well, yucky. But it turns out you’ve probably been drinking it all along. There’s good technology now for extracting impurities and making even the dirtiest water potable. And some water districts around the country are taking this technology to scale. This week on Sea Change Radio, we dig into the archives and hear from Mike Markus, the General Manager of the Orange County, California Water District. Orange County’s practices may represent the high water-mark for the re-use of H2O. Then, we speak with Donnel Baird, the founder and CEO of BlocPower, a startup that uses technology to retrofit buildings in financially underserved communities. Baird explains BlocPower’s business model, tells us what inspired him to start the company, and talks about the challenges that the current political environment brings.

Christian Shearer: Regeneration Innovation

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How is blockchain connected to healing the earth? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio can explain — he is Christian Shearer, the CEO of Regen Network. We discuss his company’s business model, how Regen Network might help stem the tide of Big Agriculture, and the differences between permaculture and regenerative farming.

Amy Harder: Investments in Nuclear Power + Plastics

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If you had a million dollars what would you do with it? OK, now what if it were $100 billion? Today on Sea Change Radio, we are talking with Amy Harder, environment and climate reporter for Axios, about where some titans of industry are investing their money and the environmental impact it might have. You might be surprised to learn, for example, that Bill Gates has been pouring some of his considerable wealth into the nuclear energy sector. Harder recently interviewed Gates about his estimated half a billion dollar investment into TerraPower. She tells us about that as well as the big bets that companies like Exxon Mobil are making on ethane, a petrochemical by-product that is used to produce plastic.

Mark Coleman on Mindfulness and Nature

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The last time you went for a little walk around the neighborhood, did you take a few moments to drink in the natural beauty around you, even in the most unlikely of places, like a timid squirrel, a blossoming tree or a unique cloud formation or did you choose to zone out with a podcast, talk on the phone or text someone? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio wants you to try your best next time to be more attentive of your surroundings – and, who knows, it might just become a habit. We speak to author and nature meditation teacher, Mark Coleman, about his new book From Suffering To Peace, and the steps we can take to appreciate our environment in hopes that we can become happier, kinder and better stewards of our planet.

PurpleAir Founder Adrian Dybwad (re-broadcast)

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Northern California’s now infamous Camp Fire was not only the largest, longest, and deadliest wildfire in the state’s history, it also produced record amounts of smoke. Schools closed, there was a run on protective masks, and people were fashioning do-it-yourself air purifiers because there were none left in stores. And it looks like we will only see an acceleration of wildfires in the future. This grim forecast has brought a surge in traffic to websites that monitor air quality like AirNow, Weather Underground, and PurpleAir. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with the founder and CEO of PurpleAir, a company that sells laser air quality sensors for home use at a reasonable price, and posts all the results in real-time on its site. We discuss PurpleAir’s business model, its unique brand of crowd-sourcing technology, and examine the ways that it casts the world in a different, and sometimes frightening, light.

James Hoggan: Politics in Polite Company

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Has this ever happened to you: You are talking with a friend or family member, and as the topic moves to politics, things start to get a little heated. You make what you think are excellent points, based on data, logic, and what you fervently believe to be the absolute truth. Yet, when the debate concludes, somehow neither of you has budged an inch, and no one leaves any wiser. Perhaps this is why we are instructed to “never discuss politics in polite company.” This week on Sea Change Radio, we are talking about bridging the divide, with James Hoggan, an author and the co-founder of Desmog Blog. Hopefully, the next time the subject of impeachment or the Democratic nominee of your choice arises, the debate can be spirited, productive, and maybe even polite.

Soil4Climate: To Meat or Not To Meat?

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To meat or not to meat? That is the question. Recent innovations in lab-grown meats seem to be making non-meat burgers and tacos a tastier option than they have ever been. But are these products too good to be true? And are non-meat alternatives always more ecologically responsible than actual meat? This week’s guests on Sea Change Radio have some thoughts on the matter. We speak with the co-founders of Soil4Climate, Seth Itzkan and Karl Thidemann, about the mission of their organization. They lay out the benefits of regenerative farming and grazing practices, as well as a lifestyle that includes eating plenty of meat. They also explain why they hope companies like Impossible Foods ultimately fulfill the promise in their name, and cease to be possible.