Episodios
-
When we think about the transition to renewable energy sources, many of us imagine rooftop solar panels and wind turbine-dotted hills. But it's not just about capturing energy, it's also about keeping it. This week on Sea Change Radio we speak with Matt Simon, a Grist senior staff writer, to discuss long-duration energy storage. The transition to renewables for utilities is still very much evolving -- efficiency, intermittency, and storage are among the issues scientists have yet to perfect. Simon shares some ideas for how we can build upon existing technologies to store solar and wind power, with longer capacity than lithium-ion batteries, ranging from reservoirs and caverns to our existing fleet of electric vehicles.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Matt Simon (MS) | 00:23 - We're actually in this really fascinating time where we are better understanding that the Earth is a resource not for extracting the fossil fuels out of it. That's stupid and done. We need to stop doing that now. We're turning more to the energy that is naturally produced by the earth, but also the energy that we can pump underground, for instance, and store down there as a battery. It's a fascinating frontier.
Narrator | 00:48 - When we think about the transition to renewable energy sources, many of us imagine rooftop solar panels and wind turbine-dotted hills. But it's not just about capturing energy, it's also about keeping it. This week on Sea Change Radio we speak with Matt Simon, a Grist senior staff writer, to discuss long-duration energy storage. The transition to renewables for utilities is still very much evolving -- efficiency, intermittency, and storage are among the issues scientists have yet to perfect. Simon shares some ideas for how we can build upon existing technologies to store solar and wind power, with longer capacity than lithium-ion batteries, ranging from reservoirs and caverns to our existing fleet of electric vehicles.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:50 - I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Matt Simon. Matt is a senior staff writer at Grist. Matt, welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Matt Simon (MS) | 01:58 - And thank you for having me.
Alex Wise (AW) | 02:00 - It's good to have you back. You have left wired after a dozen or so years there, and congratulations on joining Grist covering climate. How's the transition been so far for you?
Matt Simon (MS) | 02:13 - Thanks. Yeah, it's been fantastic. It's, um, it's amazing to be here with a truly phenomenally talented group of people that are laser focused on climate stuff. So I'm, I'm here covering climate solutions, which I feel like, um, is the most optimistic way, um, for my mental health to be approaching climate coverage this day and age. Um, so I'm feeling surprisingly good.
Alex Wise (AW) | 02:37 - I wanted to discuss a piece you've written for Grist recently, which delves into long duration energy storage. We often think of just energy storage as battery storage, and that's a very short-lived type of energy. If you can define long duration energy storage, how the people who run electric grids look at this piece of the puzzle, that would be terrific.
MS | 03:03 - Sure. So the core of the issue here is that as we are deploying more renewables like wind and solar, we need ways to store that energy. So when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining, we need electricity to flow to people's homes. Um, so the idea here that a lot of people have probably heard about by now is that you have these giant banks of lithium ion batteries on the grid. We have, uh, some of these in California already. They have these also in Texas, wherever you're seeing the proliferation of renewables, you're seeing these battery banks pop up. Um, so the idea here is that you, uh, have the sun go down. You're not generating any solar energy. You draw from those battery banks to give people electricity. Uh, -
Since 1973, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement has been bestowed upon people who have made a significant impact in the fight for a sustainable planet. In 2019, we spoke with that year's Tyler Prize Laureate, Warren Washington, to learn about the beginnings of his groundbreaking career as an atmospheric scientist. This week on Sea Change Radio, we pay tribute to Dr. Washington, who recently passed away at the age of 88. He was the second African American to receive a PhD in meteorology, a former chair of the National Science Board, and a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Then, we revisit part of our conversation with physicist Hattie Carwell to learn about her long, illustrious career in the atomic energy space as well as her work at the Museum of African American Technology.
-
¿Faltan episodios?
-
In the wake of the recent U.S. election which was beyond disappointing to those of us who care about the planet, Sea Change Radio will not be closely covering political issues and the machinations of the incoming administration simply because it will be too depressing. Instead, we will continue to cover the shift to sustainability. Rather than focusing on humans this week on Sea Change Radio, we dig into the archives and turn our gaze to the insect world. First, we speak to two scientists, Dylan Gaeta and Scot Miller, from Johns Hopkins University, who share their research on the effects that termite pesticides are having on the climate. Then, we hear from Anne Carlson, the CEO of Jiminy's, who talks about the benefits of her company's insect-based dog food.
-
It seems fitting this week, as millions of Americans sit down to an enormous feast, that we discuss the topic of over-indulgence -- and we are not just talking about turkey and pie. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Canadian environmental journalist Lloyd Alter about sufficiency. We discuss the need to develop sufficiency measures in the sustainability space, talk about examples of sufficiency from the corporate world, and look at Paul Brannen's recent book "Timber!" which makes the case that wood is a more sustainable building material as compared to mined or manufactured compounds.
-
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan. For three years in a row now, the United Nations has chosen to hold its flagship environmental meeting - the UN Conference of the Parties, or COP - in a country largely dependent on oil revenues for its economic well-being. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Bob Berwyn of Inside Climate News, currently in Baku, Azerbaijan covering COP29. We examine the problems associated with holding this ever-expanding event in a petro-state, discuss the logistics behind the selection, and consider the key takeaway policies from the conference.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Bob Berwyn (BB) | 00:22 - And there's people every day here telling me stories about their islands, where their wells are full of salt water, where they can't grow food anymore, where their shoreline communities are being flooded. And then go into these, uh, sort of glitzy reception in pavilion areas where people are backslapping each other and making deals and smiling and drinking espressos. I mean, there's hundreds of boots that everyone has its own little espresso stand. And, you know, it feels like a business convention.
Narrator | 00:56 - Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan for three years in a row. Now the United Nations has chosen to hold its flagship environmental meeting, the UN conference of the parties or cop in a country, largely dependent on oil revenues for its economic wellbeing. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Bob Berwyn of Inside Climate News. Currently in Baku, Azerbaijan covering Cop 29. We examine the problems associated with holding this ever expanding event in a petro-state. Discuss the logistics behind the selection and consider the key takeaway policies from the conference.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:50 - I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Bob Berwyn from Inside Climate News. Bob, welcome back to Sea Change Radio.
Bob Berwyn (BB) | 02:04 - Hello Alex, and thanks for having me back again. I appreciate it.
Alex Wise (AW) | 02:08 - Well, it's always a pleasure. I wish there'd be better news as an expat based in, uh, Austria, you have a, a different perspective, a unique perspective on the American political process, and it's been a very difficult one for all of us to deal with. But we're not going to talk about that moving forward on Sea Change Radio as much as possible. It's just too depressing. So let's focus on something else depressing, which is last time we had you on, well, I don't know if it was the last time we had you on, but we did talk to you last year when you covered the Cop 28 Conference, the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Dubai this year. It's in another petro-state, not that far from it. It's in Azerbaijan. And this one might be even more depressing from what I've been reading about it. From your coverage set, the stage, if you will, for what this conference means and what the message is coming from the United Nations ho having it hosted by Azerbaijan.
Bob Berwyn (BB) | 03:09 - Sure. Depressing is probably, uh, a good word. Saddening is another good word. And it is the third year in a row that the conference has been hosted in an oil dependent petro-state with, uh, authoritarian tendencies. So, uh, there were concerns going in about restrictions on civil liberties and dissidents of the government here being imprisoned. And quite some restrictions on protests. You probably recall that sub past cops, there have been fairly large, uh, demonstrations in the streets of the host cities, really with thousands of people turning out. And that's been kind of ratcheted down the last three years to the point that this year demonstrators are only allowed inside the blue zone. The so-called Blue Zone of the conference, which is for the duration of the event, is designated as United Nations territory. So the United Nations rules apply rather than the host country laws. -
When it comes to energy transitions, marine vessels tend to get overlooked, even though they are some of the worst polluters of our oceans and air. The heavy duty diesel fuel used by most ships presents serious problems for the planet. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Maria Gallucci, a Senior Reporter at Canary Media, who describes efforts being made to transform boats and ships into zero emission marine fleets. We look at a project to electrify tugboats in San Diego, a cutting-edge hydrogen ferry about to launch in San Francisco, and innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the international cargo shipping space.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Maria Gallucci (MG) | 00:17 - When we think about the effect that these vessels have, yes, they are certainly contributing to climate change in a very real way. They're also directly spewing pollution into these communities as well.
Narrator | 00:30 - When it comes to energy transitions, marine vessels tend to get overlooked, even though they are some of the worst polluters of our oceans and air. The heavy duty diesel fuel used by most ships presents serious problems for the planet. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Maria Gallucci, a Senior Reporter at Canary Media, who describes efforts being made to transform boats and ships into zero emission marine fleets. We look at a project to electrify tugboats in San Diego, a cutting-edge hydrogen ferry about to launch in San Francisco, and innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the international cargo shipping space.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:30 - I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Maria Gallucci. Maria is a senior reporter for Canary Media. Maria, welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Maria Gallucci (MG) | 01:43 - Hi. Thanks for having me.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:45 - Why don't you first tell us about Canary Media. You just recently celebrated your third anniversary, correct?
Maria Gallucci (MG) | 01:51 - Yes, we did. So, Canary Media is a nonprofit newsroom covering the clean energy transition. We are a fully independent outlet, and we focus primarily on the United States, but kind of hoping to expand globally because obviously this is an issue that affects everywhere.
AW | 02:07 - When we think about energy transitions, we're often thinking about getting an electric vehicle or making a change to our electric grid. But one of the more global issues is ocean transport. And you've written a few pieces on how maritime vessels are trying to electrify. Why don't you first kind of give us an overview of some of the industry's problems that they're facing and, and what the solutions could be on the horizon?
MG | 02:36 - Sure. So globally, the International Shipping Sector accounts for about 3% of greenhouse gas emissions every year. That includes cargo ships, harbor crafts, and all types of vessels that serve this massive multi-trillion dollar industry. And there are kind of many ways to go about tackling the problem of, one of which is, is developing greener fuels to go in these cargo ships. Another is electrifying, uh, especially the smaller vessels like tugboats and ferries. Still complicated and expensive to do, but, uh, we're starting to see a lot of progress on harbor craft and particular that operate close to ports close to communities. And so it's not just a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also kind of these toxic air pollutants that concentrate in communities.
AW | 03:28 - So these harbor craft, let's focus on those a little bit more. It makes a lot of sense. These are kind of the low hanging fruit for transitioning to electrification, right? You can recharge them pretty frequently because they're not out to Sea for two or three days.
MG | 03:43 - Exactly. Uh, ferries especially, and even tugboats, they kind of have a home base. They'll go out, they'll do the run, they'll come back, -
Many of us on the Left see the fight for environmental justice as going hand-in-hand with other progressive battles, including racial justice and human rights. But, evidently, not all environmentalist efforts are rooted in the same values. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Abrahm Lustgarten, a reporter for ProPublica, about his recent piece chronicling an ugly, hidden side to the history of the American environmentalist movement. We learn about John Tanton, a virulent racist and eugenicist who befriended many environmental leaders, find out how he’s connected to the perpetrator of the El Paso Wal-Mart mass shooting, Patrick Crusius, and talk about how white supremacy and xenophobia have come to dominate right-wing rhetoric in this country.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Abrahm Lustgarten (AL) | 00:18 - We are all paying too little attention to, you know, the human impacts of climate change to the pressures of climate change and what that does to society and to politics, and to communities, not physically, not the disaster threats and things like that, but what it does to the way that we relate to each other.
Narrator | 00:35 - Many of us on the Left see the fight for environmental justice as going hand-in-hand with other progressive battles, including racial justice and human rights. But, evidently, not all environmentalist efforts are rooted in the same values. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Abrahm Lustgarten, a reporter for ProPublica, about his recent piece chronicling an ugly, hidden side to the history of the American environmentalist movement. We learn about John Tanton, a virulent racist and eugenicist who befriended many environmental leaders, find out how he’s connected to the perpetrator of the El Paso Wal-Mart mass shooting, Patrick Crusius, and talk about how white supremacy and xenophobia have come to dominate right-wing rhetoric in this country.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:35 - I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Abrahm Lustgarten. He's a reporter at ProPublica. Abrahm, welcome back to Sea Change. Radio.
Abrahm Lustgarten (AL) | 01:48 - Great to be here. Thanks for having me.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:50 - Been almost a decade, I think, since we've spoken, but I wanted to have you on because you wrote an excellent piece recently for ProPublica entitled “The Ghost of John Tanton - Climate Change and Anti-Immigrant Hate are colliding for Telling a Volatile Future.” A lot of our discussions about the environmental movement have focused on race, and one of the criticisms that we hear is that it's too white of a movement In many ways, John Tanton is really the poster child for that discussion. Who is he and why don't you explain how you came to discuss him as part of a, a, a larger point you're trying to make in this piece.
Abrahm Lustgarten (AL) | 02:28 - Yeah, so John Tanton is a man who started most of the organizations that we now know to be hugely influential in steering and characterizing and setting the tone of our debate over immigration in the United States. But he didn't start out that way. He started out as, uh, an avid environmentalist and going back to the 1950s, 1960s, you know, he was, uh, both an early conservationist. He lived in Michigan and he started early conservation groups in Michigan. He was an early member of the Sierra Club and headed the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club. And he, like many environmentalists of the era, was most concerned about this idea that we were overpopulating the planet, that the number of people on the planet was drawing too much on resources and making life unsustainable. And so he set out, uh, you know, a very intelligent individual and a very organized, uh, and networked individual to campaign against, uh, overpopulation, uh, and to do that in every way that he could. But that evolved over the years. And as the US reproductive rate stabilized in, in the mid 1970s, -
This week on Sea Change Radio, we give you one last pre-election episode with two keen political journalists. First, a free-flowing conversation about the presidential election with John Stoehr of the Editorial Board where we discuss the state of polling, take a look at the closing days of the two candidates and evaluate the impact of the Harris campaign having a significant ground game advantage. Then, we speak to Daniel Nichanian of Bolts Magazine as he breaks down his site’s new voting guide - a useful tool to get a better grasp of the many amendments on state and local ballots across the country.Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.John Stoehr (JS) | 00:21 - We don't even talk about self-inflicted wounds with him because there's so many of them. There's so many. We just toss it in the pile of more of the same. We won't think of it until he loses. When he loses and all the dread is gone, then we'll look back and say, of course, of course he was going to lose.Narrator | 00:39 - This week on Sea Change Radio, we give you one last pre-election episode with two keen political journalists. First, a free-flowing conversation about the presidential election with John Stoehr of the Editorial Board where we discuss the state of polling, take a look at the closing days of the two candidates and evaluate the impact of the Harris campaign having a significant ground game advantage. Then, we speak to Daniel Nichanian of Bolts Magazine as he breaks down his site’s new voting guide - a useful tool to get a better grasp of the many amendments on state and local ballots across the country.Alex Wise (AW) | 01:20 I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by John Stoehr. He's the founder and editor in chief of The Editorial Board. John, welcome back to Sea Change Radio.John Stoehr (JS) | 01:37 - Thanks for having me back, Alex.Alex Wise (AW) | 01:39 - I really wanted to get a chance to speak with you before the election one last time. I think we're all on pins and needles a little bit. There's that sense of dread, not necessarily because we think Kamala Harris will lose, but because if she does, the downside is just so terrible. I think you, just like myself, have, have skipped over a lot of the articles that we've seen. Here's what will happen to the Department of Education if Donald Trump should win. Here's what will happen to the EPA if Donald Trump should win. I'm just not clicking on any of those articles right now. Well, why don't you speak to this greater dread that we're all feeling and and what it means from your perspective.John Stoehr (JS) | 02:18 - Well, I, I think first of all, the dread is appropriate. It's appro. We are all, we're not crazy. You know, we, we do think, we do, we all understand the risks that we we're facing and that we are all feeling a bit of hype. Hypervigilance is really what that is. It's a anticipation, a bracing of oneself or some i some impact that's coming, and that's, that is appropriate. And I think, I think a lot of people, uh, actually see things in, in an upside down kind of way. Like, this is a bad thing that we're all feeling and we actually can't wait for it to be over. Now, I do think we can all, we all want it to, to be over. That's true. And I think that's also reasonable. But let's not forget how reasonable it is to be bracing for impact . You know, we, it is not crazy. And I think that's where we should, you know, if you're, if you're, um, doom scrolling or trying to get ahead, read ahead about project 2025 and so on and so forth, yes, there can be some, maybe some unhealthy obsession with that. But it's also, it begins with a very reasonable impulse to protect oneself, at least mentally and emotionally. I think, I think we can, we can spiral off into doom. And I think if you're into doom, you've, you're going too far because it hasn't happened yet. , you know, the future is unwritten.
-
There is a large swath of politically aware Americans out there who would like to follow the exhortations of Michelle Obama and “do something,” but the prospect of knocking on people’s doors can be a little daunting. This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, Elizabeth Chur, has fully embraced the art of political canvassing, however, and learned to have fun with it. In her new book, The Joy of Talking Politics With Strangers, Chur shares her experiences walking the pavement for policies and candidates she feels passionate about, talks about how to convert non-voters into voters and gives us plenty of valuable tips for canvassing success.
Narrator| 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Elizabeth Chur (EC) | 00:17 - There's something about us as volunteers that we're allowed to go off script a little bit. And to the extent that I can get away from the canned marketing script and make a person-to-person connection, I think really goes a long way to lower people's defenses, engage with them, and build rapport, which is really important.
Narrator | 00:39 - There's a large swath of politically aware Americans out there who would like to follow the exhortations of Michelle Obama and do something, but the prospect of knocking on people's doors can be a little daunting. This week's guest on Sea Change Radio Elizabeth Chur has fully embraced the art of political canvassing, however, and learned to have fun with it. In her new book, The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers, Cher shares her experiences walking the pavement for policies and candidates she feels passionate about. Talks about how to convert nonvoters into voters and gives us plenty of valuable tips for canvassing success.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:35 I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Elizabeth Chur. She is a swing left San Francisco volunteer, a voter engagement trainer, and author of the new book, the Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers. Elizabeth, welcome to See Change Radio.
Elizabeth Chur (EC) | 01:50 - Thanks so much for having me. I'm delighted to be here.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:55 - The subtitle of your book is How to Save Democracy One Conversation at a Time. It's a really good guide for people who want to be knocking on doors maybe for the first time or haven't had success doing it before.
EC | 02:09 Thank you so much. I wrote this book partly because it's the book that I wish I had when I was starting out. I was not a political activist before 2016. I phone banked maybe every four years for one or two shifts, and I definitely voted in every election, but I figured, you know, I was good and other people that were far more qualified would take care of the heavy lifting, of knocking on doors and making phone calls. And I figured, they're just smarter than I am. They're more capable, they're more informed and they would just handle it. And the 2016 election was a, like a buck vice water in my face. because it really did not work out that way. And I realized that it's up to each of us as citizens to step up and participate. And so, you know, I started with post carding and then I moved on to phone banking and I eventually mustered the courage to go actually knock doors in person. And I learned a lot along the way. And I think one of the biggest surprises was how much I enjoyed it. And I really wanted to share that with other people because I think there is this fear of talking with strangers and particularly talking with them about politics. So there's sort of two things. I mean, I share a lot of logistical tips, like how to navigate maybe potentially challenging conversations with people that say I don't vote, or how to address fears that a lot of my friends have. Oh, well, isn't that scary? You know, and talking to them about that sort of like being a guide. But I also wanted to kind of share some of my own journey as, uh, becoming an activist and kind of what's helped, sustain me in this work. -
Death is a topic that most of us prefer not to think too much about. While we must all acknowledge its inevitability, on a day-to-day basis, it feels better to keep it up on a shelf in a box, out of reach from quotidian life. Then again, there are decisions to be made, and they really do need to be made in advance of those inexorable metamorphic events. This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the burgeoning green funeral industry from the CEO and Founder of Recompose, Katrina Spade. We look at the environmental problems associated with conventional burial and cremation, hear about the rather unusual modern history of embalming in the US, and go deep on the subject of human composting.Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.Katrina Spade (KS) | 00:13 - Green Funerals are growing. There's a lot of interest in bringing and looking at new ways of caring for bodies after death that aren't polluting and aren't toxic.Narrator | 00:26 - Death is a topic that most of us prefer not to think too much about. While we must all acknowledge its inevitability on a day-to-day basis, it feels better to keep it up on a shelf in a box out of reach from quotidian life. Then again, there are decisions to be made and they really do need to be made in advance of those inexorable metamorphic events. This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the burgeoning green funeral industry from the CEO and founder of Recompose Katrina Spade. We look at the environmental problems associated with conventional burial in cremation, hear about the rather unusual modern history of embalming in the US and go deep on the subject of human composting.Alex Wise (AW) | 01:34 I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Katrina Spade. She is the founder and CEO of Recompose. Katrina, welcome to Sea Change Radio.Katrina Spade (KS) | 01:46 - Thank you very much.Alex Wise (AW) | 01:48 - Before we dive into the services that your company offers, why don't you explain from an environmental perspective, what's been the problem for a few dozen centuries in the way humans bury their dead? Why can we do better from an environmental standpoint?Katrina Spade (KS) | 02:09 - So the way we currently bury our dead, I'll call that conventional burial started around the Civil War, and that's when modern embalming was invented by a couple of entrepreneurial young people, , who said, look at this market of potential clients. They actually went out to the battlefields in the south and pre-sold the service of embalming to soldiers who might die. And that was a way to get those bodies back from the south to the north after death. And they used arsenic, I think at the time. Now it's a formaldehyde-based process or solution. So interestingly, I mean, people have still do and have for millennia had their dead out to say goodbye to them, but they've looked dead as opposed to looked embalmed. So it's perfectly fine and pretty common in other parts of the world to have a dead person who's un embalmed be out for a goodbye and a viewing and a what is relatively new like it since the Civil War, is this idea that we should pump the body full of embalming fluid to preserve it as long as we can. That practice is not religious based. It's not, it's not even really like a deep cultural basis in, in terms of its history. It's, uh, really was this very practical way of getting soldiers back to their homes.AW | 03:30 - It also coincided with the birth of photography as well, I imagine. So people would want to capture a photo with their loved one before they buried them, right? KS | 03:42 - Great point. I mean, I just say again, you don't need to embalm someone to get a picture of them when they've died.AW | 03:47 - But they look a little better this way.KS | 03:49 - I don't know. I think you, you could say “better.” I could say “different.”AW | 03:53 - That was the pitch in the 1880s or something,
-
This week on Sea Change Radio, we take a break from worrying about the election and look beyond these shores. First, we speak to Ayoola Dominic, the CEO and Co-Founder of Koolboks - an innovative refrigeration solution for the large swaths of sub-Saharan Africa that don’t have reliable access to electricity. We get an in-depth look at the company’s technology, learn about the challenges they’re facing and discuss the relationship between Koolboks and the Clinton Global Initiative. Then, we revisit part of our 2023 conversation with author Tim Killeen who has chronicled efforts to curb deforestation in the Amazon.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Ayoola Dominic (AD) | 00:17 -So what Koolboks has done is we've integrated for the first time in freezers, lithium-ion batteries. So what happens is when you have power, you can connect them to the grid, and when we don't have power you can actually charge with the solar panels.
Narrator | 00:35 - This week on Sea Change Radio, we take a break from worrying about the election and look beyond these shores. First, we speak to Ayoola Dominic, the CEO and Co-founder of Koolboks, an innovative refrigeration solution for the large swaths of Sub-Saharan Africa that don't have reliable access to electricity. We get an in-depth look at the company's technology, learn about the challenges they're facing, and discuss the relationship between Koolboks and the Clinton Global Initiative. Then we revisit part of our 2023 conversation with author Tim Killeen, whose chronicled efforts to curb deforestation in the Amazon.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:37 - I'm joined now on Sea Change. Radio by Ayoola Dominic. He's the CEO and Co-founder of KoolBoks. Ayoola, welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Ayoola Dominic (AD) | 01:47 - Thank you so much, Alex, for having me.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:49 - It's a pleasure to have you. Why don't you explain to us what Koolboks is, and if you can summarize what your product is all about, that would be great.
Ayoola Dominic (AD) | 01:58 - So I'll, I'll start with, uh, a bit of a context. So in, in Sub-Saharan Africa, you have over 600 million people that lacks access to electricity and therefore lacks access to refrigeration. Um, as compared to Europe and America, where you have a hundred percent penetration in refrigeration in Sub-Saharan Africa, you'll be shocked to know that it's only 17%. I repeat only 17% of the people have access to refrigeration.
Alex Wise (AW) | 02:30 - We're talking permanent refrigeration, like you have a refrigerator running 24 7, right?
Ayoola Dominic (AD) | 02:36 - Correct. And you obviously, we know what that means in terms of food wastage. About a third of all food is wasted before it gets to market. And we're talking small restaurants, we're talking small bars, and these are things that normally we would take for granted in the West, but it's a real problem in Africa. So, um, looking to solve this problem, myself and my co-founder, like three years ago, designed to found a company called the Koolboks. And the goal was to make refrigeration affordable and accessible to everyone that needs it. So using the sun and water, which is abundant in Africa, we created a solution that is able to generate refrigeration for up to four days, whether or not you have power, whether or not you have sunlight. And this we did by storing energy in the form of ice as opposed to just storing energy in the form of batteries. But of course, looking at the peculiarity of the customers we serve, then the big question, I mean, what good is the technology if no one can afford it? So what we did was we integrated in our units a pay as you go technology enabling individuals and small businesses to be able to pay as low as 10 to $15 every month to own a refrigerator. And today we've deployed in over 6,000, um, units across 26 countries in only three years, and we're still doing more actually. -
This week on Sea Change Radio, more of our discussion with Democratic strategist and data analyst Tom Bonier. In this part of the conversation, we talk about the importance of a political campaign’s so-called “ground game,” look at the predictive value of early voting numbers, and examine whether Donald Trump would actually have steamrolled Joe Biden as so many were assuming. Then, we take a peek back at our 2019 interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin to learn a thing or two about leadership.Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.TB | 00:17 - And so on one side, Americans were saying, no, we don't want either of them. And so one side says, okay, we'll give you someone else. We'll give you someone who is going to wage a historic candidacy and can break the glass ceiling and, and is running a joyful, hopeful campaign. And on the other side, you're going to still have that guy.Narrator | 00:36 - This week on Sea Change Radio, more of our discussion with Democratic strategist and data analyst Tom Bonier. In this part of the conversation, we talk about the importance of a political campaign’s so-called “ground game,” look at the predictive value of early voting numbers, and examine whether Donald Trump would actually have steamrolled Joe Biden as so many were assuming. Then, we take a peek back at our 2019 interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin to learn a thing or two about leadership.AW | 01:30 - I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Tom Bonier. Tom is a Democratic strategist and he's with the Tara Group and TargetSmart. Tom, welcome to Sea Change Radio.TB | 01:38 - It's great to be here.AW | 01:40 - Tom, any podcast you might listen to or any piece you're reading, almost always to the t prefaces it with, this is a very close election. You have to say that it seems like a contractual obligation. I was completely wrong in 2016. I, if I owned my home, me too. I would've bet my mortgage that Hillary Clinton was going to win. So everybody should take my analysis with a huge grain of salt. And I'm not discouraging anybody from going out and knocking on doors like I'm going to do. We should not take anything lightly. We keep talking about Pennsylvania being the crux of this election, but I think there's much more to this election than just Pennsylvania. I don't think this is going to be as razor thin as everybody is assuming.TB | 02:23 - Well, I think there's a good amount of evidence pointing in that direction. You know, again, as I said earlier, I, I understand the tendency for some people to talk about it being incredibly close. And let's not take anything for granted that Donald Trump could win. Don Donald Trump could win. But if we're going to assign probabilities to that, that's a much lower probability outcome. Then there's the probability of Harris winning by a narrow margin, and then there's a probability of Harris winning by a wider margin. And I'm not going to assign percentages to any of those. But I would say in aggregate there's a far higher percentage of Vice President Harris winning because of all that data, uh, that, that you mentioned in terms of the intensity and the gate and engagement. We are looking much more like 2008, you know, where you have a candidate who's inspiring and enthusiasm and energy running against a candidate who is not running a very vigorous campaign and is deeply flawed, which John McCain was, and with Sarah Palin, I'm not saying McCain and Trump are the same, that's a sacrilegious thing to say at this point, given, especially how Donald Trump has attacked John McCain…AW | 03:35 - But he was a known quantity. TB | 03:37 - That's right. And in terms of the contours of the, the candidates and, and the candid season campaigns, there are similarities there. And so yeah, from that data perspective in 2016, again, everyone was wrong , uh, but, it didn't lend itself to that type of analysis because we didn'...
-
There's a lot riding on the upcoming presidential election: reproductive freedom, climate change, healthcare, Supreme Court appointments, just to name a few. But no matter what issue is at the top of your list, the decision that Americans will be making over the next six weeks will have a lasting effect for decades to come. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Democratic strategist and data analyst Tom Bonier about the presidential election. In the first half of our two-part discussion, we look beyond the polls, as Bonier explains other elements that measure voter intensity, examine the lingering impact of the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and dig into voter registration data in key states like Pennsylvania and Florida.
Narrator| 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Tom Bonier (TB) | 00:17 - In any given moment, most Americans aren't worried about their right to an abortion, but if you ask them what question is a deal breaker for them, that's just not negotiable. It's number one by far.
Narrator | 00:32 - There's a lot riding on the upcoming presidential election: reproductive freedom, climate change, healthcare, Supreme Court appointments, just to name a few. But no matter what issue is at the top of your list, the decision that Americans will be making over the next six weeks will have a lasting effect for decades to come. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Democratic strategist and data analyst Tom Bonier about the presidential election. In the first half of our two-part discussion, we look beyond the polls, as Bonier explains other elements that measure voter intensity, examine the lingering impact of the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and dig into voter registration data in key states like Pennsylvania and Florida.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:33 - I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Tom Bonier. Tom is a democratic strategist and data analyst, and he's with the Tara Group and TargetSmart. Tom, welcome to Sea Change. Radio,
Tom Bonier (TB) | 01:46 - It's great to be here.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:47 - I've wanted to talk to you for a long time. I've followed your work for many years. I know that being liberal in 2024 means constantly being afraid, but I find your words to be reassuring in these very murky times. The data that you work with is pointing in encouraging ways for you. Why can that dispel some of the fears that so many liberals are feeling since 2016, really…
Tom Bonier (TB) | 02:15 - Yeah. And, and, and I'll include myself in the we all of that. I think if, if you don't have some amount of fear, uh, given the stakes, you probably aren't paying close enough attention. But as you said, for me, I find solace in data and that goes above and beyond polling. I think most people focus on polling, and as we know, polling, is not always the most reliable indicator of which way the political winds might be blowing. And so what I tend to focus on is more individual level data that focuses on actions people are taking. So that's generally new voter registrations. It's election result, in the lead up to an election that might be primary election results. It could be special elections. And then, you know, the other sort of campaign-related information, how they're raising money. The numbers of activists and volunteers we're just looking for signs of energy and enthusiasm. We know that the one big part of the equation, of determining who's likely to win an election, is turnout to state the obvious. It's turnout and persuasion polls give us a pretty good sense of persuasion and all of that other data gives us a much clearer sense of engagement and turnout.
AW | 03:32 - But as you've said, polls don't tell us who's going to vote, and you call it measures of intensity. Why don't you spell that out for our listeners if you can.
TB | 03:42 - Yeah, and so to even just to drill down on that point, -
If you live in a hilly city (like I do), riding a bike for a quick errand can be an arduous proposition - at least that was true until the advent of electric assist. E-bikes now comprise a healthy 5% share of the bicycle market in the U.S. And as many new owners are discovering, e-bikes can offer a viable transportation alternative, reducing or even eliminating the need for a car. This week on Sea Change Radio we speak with e-bike executive Bill Klehm to get a snapshot of the industry, hear where he believes e-bikes are heading, and learn about his company’s unique distribution model.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Bill Klehm (BK) | 00:20 - I do think that the ride share investment that's now being doubled on is going to drive up the adoption of e-bikes, because more people will be trying them. You know, IBM in 1973 talked about this whole notion of the seven times rule. You don't truly change until you've experienced and can do something seven times. So with that, the more times we can create these experiences, the more opportunities we have to touch a customer and to have them consider our product.
Narrator | 00:52 - If you live in a hilly city (like I do), riding a bike for a quick errand can be an arduous proposition - at least that was true until the advent of electric assist. E-bikes now comprise a healthy 5% share of the bicycle market in the U.S. And as many new owners are discovering, e-bikes can offer a viable transportation alternative, reducing or even eliminating the need for a car. This week on Sea Change Radio we speak with e-bike executive Bill Klehm to get a snapshot of the industry, hear where he believes e-bikes are heading, and learn about his company’s unique distribution model.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:37 - I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Bill Clem. Bill is the CEO of e Bliss Global Bill. Welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Bill Klehm (BK) | 01:47 - Well, thank you very much for having me. Um, wonderful opportunity to kind of talk about one of my major passions, and that's e mobility and e-bikes. So thank you.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:57 - Pleasure to have you on the show. So maybe you can give us a backdrop on the industry and where eBliss Global's model fits in all of this.
BK | 02:06 - So, in 2016, there was 60,000 e-bikes sold in the US this year, by all stretches of the imagination, it's gonna be about 2.5 million. Keeping in mind that Toyota sells about 1.8 to 1.9 million cars. So e-bike industry in the United States has no, has now crossed over to a mass market product. Um, and it is now what I call a market segment of one. So that means that different channels of distribution, different product segments are starting to emerge. And what we, what we've done is taken a clean sheet approach to the industry. So in 2003, I started a company and made transmissions. So I made transmissions for the bike and e-bike industry, largely in Europe. So I got to sit around the campfire and watch Europe go from basically nothing to four or 5 million e-bikes a year over the period that I was, I was there with selling product. And so we decided to take a different approach to the US as we see the US taking a similar approach now to Europe in that e-bikes are becoming a fundamental piece of transportation, not just a toy. So one of our taglines is we are, we are transforming toys into transportation. So our, our approach is to take a and redesign the entire experience. So products are interesting, but what products do is create an experience for the consumer. And that experience, in our opinion, for a mass market product means one of no compromises. So customers who are buying these products today aren't really interested. They aren't in cyclist enthusiasts, they aren't people who like chains. They aren't people who like derailers. They aren't people who like maintenance. They want to like the experience of riding an e-bike and or a bik... -
As election season kicks into high gear, it can be a challenge to talk about anything else but the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. This week on Sea Change Radio, we succumb to that temptation as we turn to the second half of our discussion with political analyst Jared Yates Sexton. Then, we dig into the archives to hear from Lauren Kim, a born-again Christian environmentalist who volunteers for an organization called Young Evangelicals for Climate Action.
Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Jared Yates Sexton (JYS) | 00:16 - I don't think anyone should give him any space to discuss anything. And quite frankly, I think by giving him the trappings of interviews and space on networks or whatever, it normalizes something that is inherently abnormal and dangerous.
Narrator | 00:33 - As election season kicks into high gear, it can be a challenge to talk about anything else but the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. This week on Sea Change Radio, we succumb to that temptation as we turn to the second half of our discussion with political analyst Jared Yates Sexton. Then, we dig into the archives to hear from Lauren Kim, a born-again Christian environmentalist who volunteers for an organization called Young Evangelicals for Climate Action.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:20 - I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Jared Yates Sexton. Jared is a political analyst and he is the host of the Muck Rake podcast. And his online writings can be read at dispatches from a collapsing state. Jared, welcome back to Sea Change Radio.
Jared Yates Sexton (JYS) | 01:33 - Hey, Alex, it's great to see you.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:35 - So, we were talking about trying to get local elections higher on people's radar. Some of the things I would add to the points that you've made in addition to caring about your school board elections and all these other smaller elections than the President, it's important to think about politics in a less abstract way. If we can think about how it affects not just yourself personally. I, I'm privileged and I will be okay if Donald Trump gets elected. I'm horrified by the prospect of it, not for my own fortune, but for the fortune of the world and, and the people who can't afford to have him be in charge. And we feed into that in, in our media questions like, politician, A, how are you gonna please black voters in Georgia by giving them things that black voters in Georgia care about? What, why, why do we have to slice and dice our issues into demographics that way?
JYS | 02:33 - Well, I, want to make a few points because you've brought up, uh, a lot of good, important issues that I think we need to get into. First things first, I'm a white dude who used to live in Georgia. I don't live in Georgia anymore. My wellbeing and my family's wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of black people in Georgia. And what I have been taught, and this is a larger thing, I want to point out, we're in a political crisis. We're in a democratic crisis. We're also in a spiritual crisis. We're also in a mental health crisis. And here's the reason why, since the 1980s, we have been absolutely bombarded and abused by this idea that the only thing that matters in the world is what you get and whether or not you are able to have wealth and comfort and safety, right? And, and by the way, it's been used against us completely. It's alienated us from each other. Everyone says, oh, it's social media, it's tv, it's whatever. No, it's not. Those things have built off of a larger idea, which is that neoliberalism tells us, you are alone. You are in danger. Take care of yourself. Right?
AW | 03:38 - Tax cuts has been one of the most obvious go-to things for the Republican party for 50 years. It's like you care about taxes being lower, right? And then let's just feed into that beast for decades.
JYS | 03:51 - And look what's happened. -
So far this election season has been pretty dramatic, with candidate switch-ups, surges in fundraising and volunteerism, and a growing list of criminal charges laid against one of the candidates for president. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to political analyst Jared Yates Sexton about the state of the hotly contested race for the White House. We get his takeaways from the recent Democratic National Convention, look at the turnout disparity between older adults and youth voters, and discuss how to get all voters in this country more engaged in down-ballot races.
Narrator| 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Jared Yates Sexton (JYS) | 00:18 - The good news is that small d Democratic power, the actual struggle and organizing for this thing, it can change the world. You can have a better life. Your kids can have a better life. Your neighbors can have better lives. It can be so much better, and we can fight for it. And matter of fact, when we fight for it, we win. The bad news is this, we do have to get involved.
Narrator | 00:40 - So far this election season has been pretty dramatic, with candidate switch-ups, surges in fundraising and volunteerism, and a growing list of criminal charges laid against one of the candidates for president. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to political analyst Jared Yates Sexton about the state of the hotly contested race for the White House. We get his takeaways from the recent Democratic National Convention, look at the turnout disparity between older adults and youth voters, and discuss how to get all voters in this country more engaged in down-ballot races.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:30 - I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Jared Yates Sexton. Jared is a political analyst and he is the host of the Muckrake podcast. His online writings can be read at dispatches from a collapsing state. Jared, welcome back to Sea Change Radio.
Jared Yates Sexton (JYS) | 01:46 - Hey, Alex, it's great to see you.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:48 - So you just got back from covering the DNC, the Democratic National Convention, and I wanted to get your take on this, and I've, I've been eager to discuss politics with you for the year. This so much has gone on since we last spoke, but what stood out to you from going to Chicago recently?
Jared Yates Sexton (JYS) | 02:09 - Well, so it was sort of a, a tale of two experiences. Alex, I, I've been observing politics, you know, I've been, I've been working in it now for the past eight years, but I've been observing it my entire life. It's really weird to see the Democratic party nailing their messaging. Like it's a really shocking thing because this is a party that shoots itself in the foot and then decides to go ahead and shoot the other foot. You know, you, you can set your watch by it. But this was a, a really well done spectacle. And, you know, some people get uncomfortable when I call it propaganda, but that's what conventions are. It's a matter of getting people excited and getting them rallied to go into the main, uh, election season, you know, running up to the actual election day. The Democrats have managed, I, I think both by strategic decisions, but also by pure happenstance and by sort of harnessing what's going on in, in our political climate and discourse. They have managed to gain enthusiasm and direction and momentum. But I also spent my time among the protests outside of the Democratic National Convention. I spent a lot of time with the, uh, the Gaza protesters, and I happened to see a lot of brutality and oppression that was, uh, wielded out by the Chicago pd. And one of the things that really struck me about kind of straddling those two worlds and watching at night at this very, very slick political presentation, there were problems, but we don't have to get into all of those and get into the particulars, but watching a slick presentation that basically is riding on the momentum of... -
As kids, many of us read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and thought, "man, this book banning and burning stuff is terrible." Apparently, though, not everyone felt the same. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to filmmaker Arthur Bradford about his most recent documentary for MSNBC Films entitled "To Be Destroyed," which takes viewers inside efforts to ban books from a public high school in Rapid City, South Dakota. The film follows author and literacy advocate Dave Eggers, as he travels to the school district where his novel, "The Circle," was pulled from shelves along with four other titles. Bradford tells us about why this topic felt so important to him, gives us a glimpse behind the making of the film, and discusses how the documentary reveals some larger truths about right-wing crusaders in this country.
Narrator| 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.
Arthur Bradford (AB) | 00:21 - I asked him about this notion that teachers were indoctrinating students, and he said, I, I don't have time to indoctrinate students. And if I had that ability, I would use it to get students to turn their work in on time and to wear deodorant every day.
Narrator | 00:36 - As kids, many of us read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury and thought, "man, this book banning and burning stuff is terrible." Apparently, though, not everyone felt the same. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to filmmaker Arthur Bradford about his most recent documentary for MSNBC Films entitled "To Be Destroyed," which takes viewers inside efforts to ban books from a public high school in Rapid City, South Dakota. The film follows author and literacy advocate Dave Eggers, as he travels to the school district where his novel, "The Circle," was pulled from shelves along with four other titles. Bradford tells us about why this topic felt so important to him, gives us a glimpse behind the making of the film, and discusses how the documentary reveals some larger truths about right-wing crusaders in this country.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:50 - I'm joined now on Sea Change Radio by Arthur Bradford. He’s a documentary filmmaker and his latest film is “To Be Destroyed.” Arthur, welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Arthur Bradford (AB) | 02:02 - Thanks, Alex. It's good to be here.
Alex Wise (AW) | 02:05 - So I should tell listeners that Arthur and I are friends from high school, and I haven't seen him since his debut film. How's your news? First, tell our listeners what how's Your News was all about. I thought it was terrific.
AB | 02:18 - Yeah, that was like over 20 years ago that that film came out. I had been working at a summer camp for people with disabilities and uh, I was teaching a video class there and we started doing these news programs, and one of the segments that kind of took off was having some of the campers, people with disabilities do man-on-the-street interviews. And so this movie, “How's Your News?” was a feature documentary where we took five of the more outgoing people with disabilities from the camp and we drove across the country, uh, and they would interview people all along the way.
AW | 02:56 - And at the, at the screening that I saw of this, they were all in attendance as well, along with Francis Ford Coppola. It was a really cool event. And the kids, who are now adults, were very engaging and I highly recommend that film to folks. Can people rent it on Amazon still?
AB | 03:14 - It's kind of hard to find, like there's also different versions of it. So after we did that, you can find it on YouTube, honestly, that's probably the best way. But we did a feature length film of it that was on HBO and then, years later, we also did, we started going to political conventions. So in 2008 we went to, um, no, 2004 we went to the political conventions. And then we did a short-lived series for MTV called How’s Your News? which is probably really hard to find, -
As the dog days of summer shorten, and our vacations wind down, we dig into the Sea Change Radio archives to revisit two climate-related conversations. First, we discuss the issue of a warming planet with Andrea Thompson, a science reporter and associate editor at Scientific American. We look at how people and policymakers are trying to cope with the rising temps and examine how different parts of the globe are being affected. Then, we speak to David Messina, the CEO of Rumin8, an Australian-based startup that is hoping to transform the cattle industry. The company’s main product is a lab-grown feed additive that is designed to significantly reduce methane emissions in ruminants like cattle and sheep. We discuss the problem that Rumin8 is trying to solve and talk about the company’s business strategy and hurdles it faces.
-
For many of us, the holiday season presents an opportunity to spend some time thinking about people less fortunate than ourselves. This week on Sea Change Radio, we spotlight a story of hope, determination and redemption. Our guest is Christine Yoo the director and producer of the new documentary film 26.2 to Life which takes viewers into the San Quentin Prison Marathon and its 1000 Mile Club. We learn about the inspiration behind the film, discuss the challenges of long distance running behind bars, and look at what the film reveals about our prison system and the effect it has on millions.
Narrator | 00:02 – This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. I’m Alex Wise.
Christine Yoo (CY) | 00:23 – There were a lot of people there with brothers or fathers or mothers in prison, or their kids in prison too. It’s a cycle that is self-perpetuating.
Narrator | 00:38 – For many of us, the holiday season presents an opportunity to spend some time thinking about people less fortunate than ourselves. This week on Sea Change Radio, we spotlight a story of hope, determination and redemption. Our guest is Christine Yoo the director and producer of the new documentary film 26.2 to Life which takes viewers into the San Quentin Prison Marathon and 1000 Mile Club. We learn about the inspiration behind the film, discuss the challenges of long distance running behind bars, and look at what the film reveals about our prison system and the effect it has on millions.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:38 – I am joined on Sea Change Radio by my high school classmate, Christine Yu. Chris is the director and producer of the new documentary film 26.2 to Life. Christine, welcome to Sea Change Radio.
Christine Yoo (CY) | 01:51 – Hey Alex, how are you? Glad to be here.
Alex Wise (AW) | 01:55 – First, why don’t you give us a brief synopsis of 26.2 to Life, and then I want to dive into how you came about the project because it’s, it’s really a labor of love. It took six years, right?
Christine Yoo (CY) | 02:07 – Yeah, absolutely. Six long, very long years. So 26.2 to Life takes you inside the San Quentin Prison Marathon. And it explores the transformative power of running through the lens of the prisons running club, which is called the Thousand Mile Club. And within this club that is organized by these volunteers who are elite marathon runners that go into the prison throughout the year to coach a group of incarcerated men, they train so that every November they run a 26.2 mile marathon entirely behind the prison walls, 105 laps around this prison yard. But more than running the film really explores, uh, what, what led these men to the starting line at San Quentin and highlights their rehabilitative journeys to, to define themselves, you know, to be more than their crime.
Alex Wise (AW) | 03:12 – So how did you get interested in this project and how did you decide which characters you were going to follow as, as, as the story unfolded in front of you?
CY | 03:24 – So, my relationship with the prison system started more than 20 years ago. Um, I had a friend who was also fellow Korean American who was wrongfully convicted, and he was sentenced to 271 years in California state prison. Um, it really impacted me a lot. Um, I knew his whole family and how devastating it was for them. And he was somebody that I felt basically could have been my brother. You know, we had like the same type of family vacations, you know, grew up very similarly. Our fathers went to the same school in Korea. Um, and so because of his incarceration, I really started to wonder, uh, what does that look like if you know you’re going to die in prison? I mean, what does that act? How do you actually carry out a life? You know, because people still need to find a way to live. So what does that really actually look like for people? Uh, and the, so I guess basically the opportunity to explore that question came to me in 2016. -
Most of us have never been there but according to a quick Google search, some of the things you might see at the bottom of the ocean include sea spiders, tube worms, and something called a blob sculpin. Add to that list: heavy equipment for mining rare earth minerals like cobalt and manganese. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Daniel Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California at Berkeley, about deep-sea mining. We learn about this segment of the extraction industry, consider the environmental hazards, and examine why it’s largely unnecessary. We also take a look at the promise of growing rare minerals like perovskites in laboratories, and discuss the recent Sunnylands Climate Agreement between the U.S. and China.Narrator | 00:02 – This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I’m Alex Wise.Daniel Kammen (DK) | 00:25 – Cobalt as mined today, either in the Congo, where most, most of it comes from, or um, from the seabed, is hugely problematic and damaging.Narrator | 00:37 – Most of us have never been there but according to a quick Google search, some of the things you might see at the bottom of the ocean include sea spiders, tube worms, and something called a blob sculpin. Add to that list: heavy equipment for mining rare earth minerals like cobalt and manganese. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Daniel Kammen, an energy professor at the University of California at Berkeley, about deep-sea mining. We learn about this segment of the extraction industry, consider the environmental hazards, and examine why it’s largely unnecessary. We also take a look at the promise of growing rare minerals like perovskites in laboratories, and discuss the recent Sunnylands Climate Agreement between the U.S. and China.Alex Wise (AW) | 01:46 – I’m joined now on Sea Change Radio by Daniel Kammen. He is a Professor of Energy at UC Berkeley, and a former science envoy for President Obama. Dan, welcome back to Sea Change Radio. Daniel Kammen (DK) | 01:57 – Thanks for having me back on. I really appreciate it. Alex Wise (AW) | 02:00 – Always a pleasure. I wanted you to summarize the white paper that you presented at COP 28 in Dubai. It was entitled, “Next Generation EV Batteries Eliminate the Need for Deep-Sea Mining.” So first, what is deep-sea mining and what’s the problem that it presents?Daniel Kammen (DK) | 02:19 – So, deep-seabed mining is in my view, kind of one of the scariest crossover issues between the old energy economy and the new energy economy. And by that what I mean is that we’ve known about seabed mining for a long time. In fact, Howard Hughes was, one of the many ways he was famous was he constructed a boat, the Glomar Explorer that was ostensibly supposed to be harvesting these nodules of rare earth metals, manganese, cobalt, a variety of things from the sea floor. And they’re about the size of tennis balls or softballs. They grow very slowly, um, at low temperature and, and, and high pressure and he had this boat that was designed to go do that. But in fact, we now know decades later that the Glomar Explorer was actually a CIA front and it was a front to go and try to pull a sunken Russian submarine off the bottom of the ocean.AW | 03:15 – This was not in the white paper, but this is very interesting .DK | 03:18 – It is very interesting. That’s right. So, so this is an example of deep-seabed harvesting being a front for essentially cold war. So we’ve known about there are these nodules on the ocean bed floor. They grow a fraction of a millimeter a year in size. They accumulate these, these materials. And the issue that intersects with the new energy economy is that with the rise of the need for materials for solar panels and in particular batteries for electric vehicles, a number of companies have been launched. They have names like the Metals Company, impossible Metals, and others arguing that we should be harvesting these materials...
