What I've Learned So Far & Frontier Climate Headlines

Fresh from New York Climate Week, I’ve been reflecting on the concept of “toxic positivity” in climate spaces- a term discussed by Amy Westervelt of Drilled. It’s that disconnect between the optimism we often see at conferences and the stark realities of climate disasters unfolding worldwide.

On this show, we don’t sugarcoat or shy away from tough questions. Instead, we dive deep into solutions that could truly bend the curve on climate change. We’re not just discussing problems—we’re exploring the complex, messy work required to solve them.

In this episode, I recap some of the standout episodes we’ve covered so far, focusing on the experts and innovators leading climate solutions:

-Nikki Batchelor from XPRIZE Carbon Removal and Jack Andreessen of Breakthrough Energy
-Steve Oldham of Captura- a longtime DAC leader now focusing on ocean-based carbon removal
-Martin Freimuller of Octavia-leading a startup in Kenya, which he believes is the best location for it
-Jim Mann of Undo- A ERW company who announced a big Microsoft deal right after this recording
-Marc Shapiro of Breakthrough Energy- on how reducing plane contrails can quickly clean up aviation
-Tom Quigley of Superorganism- discussing investment in biodiversity

I also take a look at some recent climate headlines that you might not have heard about-

-Vietnam launches a low emissions rice initiative, offering $40 million in carbon credit payouts to farmers in the Mekong Delta for adopting methane-reducing practices.

-BlueSky enters a $105 million sales agreement for biochar-based carbon removal, priced at $275 per ton.

-China expands its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to include steel, aluminum, and cement, covering 60% of the country’s total emissions.

-Chongqing, China, experiments with cloud seeding to combat heatwaves, resulting in an unintended “underwear storm” due to a windstorm caused by the process.

Looking forward, I’m excited to share upcoming episodes where we tackle more cutting-edge topics like solar radiation modification with Kelly Wanser from Silver Lining, and metal-organic frameworks with Dr. Omar Farha from Northwestern University.

Thanks for listening to Climate on the Edge—let’s keep pushing the conversation forward.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Toxic Positivity at Climate Week
01:50 Takeaways from Climate on the Edge so far
10:10 Rapid Fire Climate Headlines
19:25 Upcoming Topics and Conclusion