Reversing Climate Change

Communicating the science behind climate change is a challenge. But when you present these concepts in an artistic way and make the data beautiful, it’s more engaging and easier to understand. And more likely to inspire climate action. Nicole Kelner is Artist-in-Residence at My Climate Journey, where she communicates the complex challenges of climate change in a beautiful, accessible way. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Nicole joins Ross, Siobhan, and Asa to explore why people are drawn to her watercolor representations of scientific data and explain her efforts to communicate climate concepts accurately. Nicole describes how she incorporates humor in her artwork and brainstorms ideas for a potential collaboration with the Nori Meme Lab. Listen in to understand how Nicole thinks about AI-generated art and learn how her work makes a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change. Connect with Nori Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Twitter Join Nori's Discord to hang o

Nori lives at the intersection of climate and crypto, attempting to build a global commodities market for carbon removal on the blockchain. And while we’ve discussed carbon removal at length on the podcast, we’ve spent less time exploring how one might use crypto to determine a reference price for carbon. So, what does Nori look like under the hood? How can we use the blockchain as a tool to get the world’s atmospheric carbon balance back to 300 parts per million? Chris Burniske is Partner at Placeholder VC, a venture capital firm that invests in decentralized networks and Web3 services, including Filecoin, Polkadot, and Nori. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Chris joins Ross and Nori CEO Paul Gambill to explain what differentiates our market-based system for valuing CO2 from other climatetech projects. Chris and Paul discuss the potential to build a world of complex financial instruments around Nori and describe what market mechanisms one might use to create depth around the pricing of carbon-bac

Reforestation (and afforestation) projects can take carbon out of the atmosphere. And yet, in our current system, sometimes only the largest, most well-connected projects can afford the verification process. But what if there was a way to maintain the integrity of the MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) process, while making it accessible to anyone who wants to plant trees? Jeremy Epstein is Head of Growth at Open Forest Protocol, a Web3 platform working to transparently measure, verify, and fund forestation projects. On this CDR Happy Hour bonus episode of Reversing Climate Change, Jeremy joins Ross and Siobhan to share his definition of regenerative finance and discuss the benefits of putting carbon markets on the blockchain. Jeremy explains what differentiates OFP from other ReFi projects and explores whether or not derivatives can be good for carbon removal. Listen in for insight on balancing accuracy with accessibility in carbon markets and learn how to help OFP build the future of distributed

As a nascent industry, carbon dioxide removal is often misunderstood by the general public. And that makes CDR humor very niche. Maybe only 5% of people will understand it, but those who do really, really appreciate it. Just go to a Halloween party dressed as the Climeworks stock photo, and you’ll see what we mean. Jack Andreasen serves as Manager of Carbon Management in US Policy and Advocacy at Breakthrough Energy, an organization committed to scaling the technologies we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. He is also a prolific writer of memes in the CDR space. On this edition of the Reversing Climate Change CDR Happy Hour, Nori Meme Lab colleagues Ross and Siobhan sit down with Jack to discuss what drew him to carbon dioxide removal and describe his role in ‘carbon middle management’ at Breakthrough. Jack shares his frustration with having to defend CDR in conversations with people outside the space, explaining how he thinks about the criticisms of direct air capture and the misinformation perpetuate

Do you wish your career was a little more gratifying? That it gave you the chance to work on something you really care about? You don't need a science or engineering background to pursue a career in climate solutions. In fact, a variety of skill sets translate to climate work. So, how do you get into the carbon removal space? Where can you go for resources and networking opportunities? On this edition of the Reversing Climate Change CDR Happy Hour, Nori Meme Lab colleagues Asa Kamer and Siobhan Montoya Lavendar discuss their journey to a career in carbon removal, describing the college and early work experiences that inspired their work in the climate space. Siobhan and Asa share the top resources for people interested in carbon removal and encourage us to check out the AirMiners community and OpenAir Collective for networking and volunteer opportunities. Listen in for insight on who to follow for job openings in climate solutions and learn how to go about pursuing a career in the rapidly changing field of ca

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. Whatever you might think about, this legislation is certainly the biggest step forward in climate action in our lifetimes. But that’s not the only thing we have to talk about in the Nori Carbon Removal Meme Lab this week! On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Ross sits down with fellow memeologists, Siobhan Montoya Lavender and Asa Kamer, to revel in having our Lion King Meme featured on Zeke Hausfather’s Twitter response to a New York Times opinion piece against carbon capture and storage or CCS. Ross, Siobhan, and Asa also discuss why academics in the carbon removal space have a growing bias toward high durability and high permanence, yet capital is flowing into natural climate solutions. Listen in to understand the challenges around ton-year carbon accounting and learn about public reaction to the Inflation Reduction Act and how it finances clean energy. Connect with Nori Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Twitter

For climate startups to find customers, attract talent, and secure funding, they need to communicate their value effectively. But how do you deliver content that explains complex ideas in an accessible way? How do you synthesize information to appeal to a variety of audiences? Nick Van Osdol is a writer on the Nori team, the creator of the Keep Cool newsletter, and host of The Keep Cool Show, a podcast that gives promising climate tech startups an opportunity to pitch investors. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Nick joins Ross to explain why communications is an undervalued sector within the climate space and discuss his work on the forthcoming updated version of the Nori white paper. Nick shares his interest in how the Inflation Reduction Act’s $370B for climate action will be deployed and describes the challenge of scaling supply to accommodate Advanced Market Commitments to buy carbon credits. Listen in for Nick’s take on pragmatism versus idealism in the climate space and learn how a talented

How do you create original content in the carbon removal space? In its podcast content, the Nori creative team looks for unique voices, encouraging guests on Reversing Climate Change and Carbon Removal Newsroom to explore nuance. As for their carbon removal memes, the writers are currently mining the movies they watch with their kids and popular online satirical humor (think The Onion and Reductress) for ideas. On this bonus episode of Reversing Climate Change, Ross sits down with his colleagues in the Nori Meme Lab, Siobhan Montoya Lavender and Asa Kamer, to discuss why ascribing agency to CO2 is funny and describe how they look for meme potential in cinema—not to be confused with Krysten Sinema, though they have insight on her too. Ross, Siobhan, and Asa offer stories of celebrity sightings and consider who qualifies as a ‘climate celeb,’ sharing examples of the academics and podcast guests they’re guilty of gushing over. Listen in to understand how we showcase productive disagreement in both Nori podcasts

Direct air capture (DAC) is growing in popularity around the world, and it is an important tool for reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. But 30% of all the carbon dioxide we’ve emitted to date is stored in the ocean. So, what can we do to sequester CO2 from ocean water? Is the technology similar to that of direct air capture? How does the process work? Steve Oldham is former CEO of DAC pioneer Carbon Engineering and current CEO of Captura, a startup working to capture carbon dioxide from our oceans at scale. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Steve joins Ross and cohost Radhika Moolgavkar, Head of Supply and Methodology at Nori, to explain what he believes may make direct ocean capture cheaper and easier than DAC. Steve discusses how the natural equilibrium between the ocean and the atmosphere provides an opportunity for carbon removal and describes how his team evaluates candidate sites with a focus on existing oil and gas infrastructure. Listen in for Steve’s insight on the greatest challenges facing c

Most carbon removal content is highly technical and very serious. But it doesn’t have to be. So, what would it look like to produce carbon removal content that is a little looser? A little less informational? A little more appealing to a lay audience? And a little more fun? On this bonus episode of Reversing Climate Change, Ross sits down with fellow memeologist and Thanks a Ton Cofounder Siobhan Montoya Lavender to have an informal conversation that infuses some fun in the carbon removal community. Ross and Siobhan discuss how they think about choosing between science and funny in the context of a meme and describe the value in producing content that is less utilitarian and more accessible to the general population. Listen in for the story of Ross’ harrowing experience with a group of very aggressive crows and enjoy 30 minutes of lighthearted carbon removal content! Connect with Nori Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Twitter Join Nori's Discord to hang out with other fans of the podcast an

The direct air capture industry is attempting to recreate the oil and gas sector in reverse—at a highly accelerated rate. And those of us in the space have a tremendous opportunity to build something truly impactful. But how do we educate the general public around the carbon removal technologies at our disposal? Can a well-crafted meme help people understand the benefits of direct air capture? Jason Hochman is Cofounder and Senior Director of the recently launched Direct Air Capture Coalition, a global nonprofit working to educate, engage, and mobilize society around the deployment of DAC technology at the pace and scale the climate crisis requires. He also happens to be an accomplished mememaker in the carbon removal space. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Jason joins Ross and cohost Siobhan Montoya Lavender to do a live meme workshop, sharing his approach to writing DAC-themed memes for popular Simpsons and Sith Kermit templates. Jason discusses the early growth of the Direct Air Capture Coaliti

As a consumer who cares about climate change, you may be shopping for organic, local, or even regenerative food products. But does your support of sustainable agriculture extend to wine? How does a winemaker earn the certified sustainable distinction? And what does sustainable viticulture look like? Steve Lohr is President and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, a winemaking operation with vineyards in Monterey County, Paso Robles, and Napa Valley, California. J. Lohr is dedicated to sustainability and the environment, and Steve’s team earned the 2020 Green Medal Leader Award from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Steve joins Ross to discuss J. Lohr’s sustainability practices, describing how an operation of scale can make large investments in sustainable practices in an attempt to move the needle, and why Steve believes in sustainability at any size of business. How much of a business attempting sustainability is cost-saving and how much is brand val

Here at Nori, we take climate change very seriously. But we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously. So, we developed the Memelab as a way to engage with other carbon removal enthusiasts and introduce a new audience the idea of removing CO2 from the atmosphere—with humor. Asa Kamer is Producer of the Carbon Removal Newsroom podcast. Siobhan Montoya Lavendar is Cofounder at Thanks a Ton. And they are both part of the writing team for Carbon Removal Memes for Climate Restorative Teens. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Asa and Siobhan join Ross to share the origin of Nori’s Carbon Removal Memelab and explain why it’s so challenging to identify what makes a successful meme. Asa, Siobhan, and Ross describe the important role comedy can play in reversing climate change, discussing why self-deprecating humor works better than being mean, and how they iterate on a joke to be funny without being offensive. Listen in for insight around why it's fun to riff on common objections to carbon removal and learn

"We humans are just specks of dust on a slightly bigger speck of dust in the immeasurable vastness of space. We can't cause stars to explode, we don't set the wheels of galaxies spinning, and it is not we who span the vault of heaven above us. But we can marvel at the universe and ask questions about it. We can have faith, hope, and love in this world-and this makes us stardust of a very special kind." —Dr. Heino Falcke We tend to think that science and spirituality are mutually exclusive. But for Dr. Heino Falcke, a belief in something bigger complements his understanding of the universe. Dr. Falcke is a Professor of Astroparticle Physics and Radio Astronomy at Radboud University. He is also the author of Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Dr. Falcke joins Ross and cohost and Nori advisor David Addison to discuss the origin of carbon molecules and describe what drew him to the study of black holes. Dr. Falcke explains how he captured the fir

The Green Revolution in the second half of the 20th century was seen as an important solution to the problem of malnutrition in the developing world at the time. And while it may have succeeded in staving off hunger, the industrialization of agriculture created a whole new set of problems, chief among them a lack of diversity in our food system. Why does this matter? What is the food monoculture costing us? And what can we do to bring back some of the diverse foodways we’ve lost along the way? Dan Saladino is the renowned food journalist behind BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme and author of Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Dan joins Ross to explain why we so desperately need biodiversity in our food system, exploring why diverse foods may taste better, and could be better for us. Dan walks us through several examples of rare foods discussed in his book and offers insight on the people working to revive old foodways. Liste

Many of the artists and creators who mint nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are concerned about the environmental impact of the blockchain. But what if they could pair carbon removal with any given NFT to make it carbon-negative? Alexander Salnikov is Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer at Rarible: a multichain, community-centric NFT marketplace. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Alexander joins Ross and cohost Alexsandra Guerra, Nori’s Director of Corporate Development, to discuss the partnership between Nori and Rarible, describing how it affords Rarible users the opportunity to address their carbon footprint. Alexander explains how NFTs function as an effective way to store assets on the blockchain, exploring the many different use cases for NFTs, and how having access to a community is attracting new users to the space. Listen in for Alexander’s insight around the future of NFTs and learn how blockchain technology might be used to make all our systems more transparent, faster, and more efficient. Conn

Mónica Guzmán has some difficult conversations with her parents. She’s a liberal Democrat, while her mom and dad voted enthusiastically for Trump both times. So, how does she bridge the political divide and maintain a loving relationship with her parents, despite their differences of opinion? And what can you and I do to develop intellectual curiosity and see difficult issues from different points of view? Mónica is the Digital Director at Braver Angels , the nation’s largest nonprofit working to depolarize America. She is also the author of the new book, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Mónica joins Ross to discuss how she navigates the relationship with her conservative Republican parents, describing why it’s important to maintain connections with friends and family who don’t see things the way you do. Mónica explains how condescension and curiosity are mutually exclusive, challenging us to

A long-term study of climate and conflict determined that in places with large populations and a history of political exclusion of ethnic groups, nearly one-third of the wars initiated in the last 40 years were preceded by a climate disaster. So, what is the connection between climate emergencies and armed conflict? Why do climate disasters escalate political disputes? And what can we do about it? Scott Carney is an investigative journalist, anthropologist, and New York Times bestselling author. Dr. Jason Miklian serves as a senior researcher at the Center for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo. Together they are the authors of The Vortex: A True Story of History’s Deadliest Storm, an Unspeakable War, and Liberation. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Scott and Jason join Ross to discuss the geopolitical landscape of South Asia after World War II and explain how the 1970 Bhola Cyclone led to the genocide of 3 million people and triggered the Indo-Pakistani War. Scott and Jason

What is the gap between what farmers know now and what they need to know to farm more regeneratively? How do we close that gap? What is the best way to advocate for the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices? Jesse Smith is the Director of Land Stewardship at White Buffalo Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to practicing, promoting and perfecting the principles and practices of regenerative ag. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Jesse joins Ross to explain how WBLT furthers regenerative ag through the development of products, training programs, and scientific research. Jesse shares WBLT’s focus on teaching the integration of annual and perennial cropping with animal systems and offers advice on attracting young engineers, scientists, and creative artists to the regenerative ag space. He goes on to discuss the benefit of ecosystem service payments, describing what he views as the unfair advantage producers have in regions with a higher potential for carbon sequestration and what mark

The Rhône Valley of France is famous for its Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier grapes (among others), while Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cab Franc (et al!) are grown in Bordeaux. And these wine grapes have thrived in their respective regions for centuries. But what happens when rising temperatures change the kinds of grapes that can be grown in a particular area? How is the climate crisis changing the way wine is produced? And what can we do as consumers to promote sustainability among winemakers? Paul Wagner is a Viticulture and Winery Technology Instructor at Napa Valley College and Cohost of Bottle Talk with Rick and Paul. He also serves as guest lecturer at multiple universities in Europe and the US and offers several wine-related courses as part of The Great Courses lecture series. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Paul joins Ross to explain what attracts him to the artistry and experience of winemaking, exploring what makes wine grapes sweeter than any other fruit and how they give you a sense