Everybody in the Pool

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re diving into the power of convening — and what happens when global climate leaders, local food producers, indigenous communities, philanthropists, and data nerds get in the same room... and then go mountain biking together.Our guest is Aimée Christensen, a longtime climate champion and founder of Christensen Global, the Sun Valley Forum, and the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. From negotiating clean energy deals at the Department of Energy to putting Google on the path to carbon neutrality, Aimée has worked at the highest levels of policy, law, business, and philanthropy.She’s now focused on making an impact both globally and in her hometown of Sun Valley, Idaho — where she’s built a powerful hub for innovation and resilience. We talk about:Her remarkable journey from the Earth Summit in Rio to Google.org and beyondThe origins and goals of the Sun Valley ForumWhy gathering people is a critical tool in solving the climate crisisThe incredible ripple effects of partnerships and solutions born at the ForumBuilding resilient communities through food, energy, and investmentDon’t miss the short clip from this year’s Forum to see how nature quite literally stole the show.LINKS:Website: https://www.christensenglobal.comLinkedIn: Aimée ChristensenAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor! in@everybodyinthepool.com

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we explore the pioneering world of rare earth metal recycling with Ahmad Ghahreman, CEO and co-founder of Cyclic Materials. This is a a technology with big environmental implications, and a whole lot of geopolitical ones also. Rare earth metals are used to make magnets that are part of electric motors and wind turbines, on the clean tech side, but also kind of everything else electronic, including things like laser guidance systems, missiles, and jet engines. And China controls pretty much the entire market — and, since April, has stopped almost all shipments of metals and magnets!Discover how Cyclic Materials addresses the critical challenge of recycling rare earth metals—essential for a sustainable, electrified future. Ahmad shares his journey from hydrometallurgy to developing innovative processes that extract high-value metals from discarded goods. As electrification accelerates demand, understand why recycling these metals is both an environmental imperative and an economic necessity.Key PointsRecycling Importance: Emphasizing the need to recycle rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium, critical for manufacturing electric motor magnets.Technical Challenges: Unpacking the complexities of extracting these metals and how Cyclic Materials develops solutions to overcome these hurdles.Geopolitical and Supply Chain Insights: Ahmad’s perspective on the implications of locally producing these critical metals in North America and Europe, enhancing supply chain resilience.Resources & LinksVisit Cyclic MaterialsConnect with Ahmad Ghahreman on LinkedInListen to all episodes: Everybody in the PoolSubscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletterGet an ad-free experience: Become a MemberHelp us spread the word about sustainable solutions!Please subscribe and share Everybody in the Pool with your friends!We value your feedback and inquiries: Contact usExplore how innovative recycling solutions are vital for a cleaner, sustainable future. Tune in for valuable insights and engaging conversations.

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re sticking with the theme of climate storytelling and climate communication with a well-known activist and advocate for justice, climate action, equity, and getting out the vote. Rev Yearwood is the president of the nonprofit Hip Hop Caucus, which works to engage young people around voting and community service, and he also advises the Bloomberg Foundation on climate storytelling projects. He and Molly talk about putting the climate crisis in a language everyone can understand, why there aren’t any hip hop songs about climate change (yet?), and how Earth is like a spouse we need to stop taking for granted.LINKS:Hip Hop CaucusAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on "Everybody in the Pool," we are on one last week of summer vacation but we didn’t want to leave you without anything to listen to any longer! One of Molly’s other projects is a podcast called Futureverse, where she and co-host Ramanan Raghavendran interview authors of climate fiction, to try to understand how fiction and science fiction imagine a present or a future in the world of a changing climate. Recently, they interviewed the Harvard professor and scientist Naomi Oreskes. She is known for her climate change activism, for nonfiction works on coordinated disinformation, and for trying to communicate science to the masses — which led her to co-author a work of fiction called The Collapse of Western Civilization. We spoke with her about knowing what’s coming, how to stop it, how to win people to your side, and how sometimes fiction can tell better stories than science.LINKS: The Futureverse podcastNaomi OreskesThe Collapse of Western CivilizationAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on "Everybody in the Pool," Molly Wood chats with Josh Dorfman, the dynamic co-founder and CEO of Supercool, a media company dedicated to highlighting climate solutions that cut carbon, boost business, and enhance modern life. In this episode, Josh shares insights from his journey in sustainability, from developing carbon-negative building materials to launching Supercool to spotlight scalable climate solutions.Explore how Josh envisions a future where climate initiatives are not just about avoiding disaster but are pathways to a more exciting and innovative world. Discover the critical role of storytelling in transforming climate tech adoption and the surprising innovation layers driving real change.Join us as we dive into the stories of people who are working smartly and tirelessly towards a sustainable future. Whether you're a climate tech enthusiast or a green lifestyle advocate, this episode sheds light on the collective effort needed to drive progress.Listen now and get inspired by the brilliant minds propelling us towards a better, greener future.LINKS:SupercoolLinkedin - supercoolJosh DorfmanAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we're taking a deep dive into the unsung hero of climate solutions: federal data. This crucial data helps predict extreme weather, guide public health responses, and by the way, underpins a whole lot of existing and future climate tech startups. But the US government is pulling the plug on long-standing climate infrastructure, and all kinds of groups are scrambling to protect it. Molly talks with Jonathan Gilmour, a data scientist from Harvard, who’s on a mission to protect this precious resource. He's part of a team working tirelessly to keep these datasets safe and accessible for all the researchers, startups, and policymakers who need them. If you're curious about how federal data impacts everything from insurance rates to groundbreaking tech innovations, this episode is a must-listen. Discover why protecting this data is not just important—it's essential for our future.LINKS:Jonathan Gilmour - WebsiteJonathan Gilmour - LinkedInAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on Everybody in the Pool, it’s the final installation in our Kickstarter Successes miniseries. Molly talks to Jonathan Cedar, founder and CEO of BioLite. You’ll hear how BioLite uses their innovative "parallel innovation" model to deliver clean energy solutions to over 15 million people. The company started with a mission to tackle off-grid energy poverty in developing countries, which led to a range of products for the US market as well, from camping stoves to solar lights to lanterns to a forthcoming line of backup power solutions. Hear how BioLite manages both commercial and mission-driven product lines, and how it used Kickstarter to “hack” the startup funding model.LINKS:BioLiteJonathan CedarAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re looking at a climate tech company that’s a Kickstarter graduate with a surprisingly action-movie sounding solution to reforestation. Flash Forest is using drones that fire (harmless) seed projectiles at the ground to help automate and speed up reforestation. Co-founder Cameron Jones tells Molly how the mission to plant a billion trees was sparked by personal experiences with wildfire devastation in Canada, inspiring him to start the business with his brother. He shares insights on the challenges and triumphs of launching a Kickstarter-funded venture, turning innovative ideas into a reality. Stay tuned as we continue our miniseries on Kickstarter's success stories next week with Jonathan Cedar of BioLite.LINKS:Flash ForestCameron JonesAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/Please subscribe and tell your friends about Everybody in the Pool! Send feedback or become a sponsor at in@everybodyinthepool.com!

This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re looking at some innovative ways to get money to the climate startups that need it — specifically, crowdfunding climate solutions on Kickstarter. Molly chats with Nathan Nalevanko from Kickstarter's design and technology team, uncovering how alternative funding can drive sustainability projects and how Kickstarter has been recruiting companies in this category, and helping them with promotion and even marketing. In the coming weeks, we’ll feature Kickstarter success stories Flash Forest and BioLite.KickstarterNathan NalevankoAll episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter: https://www.mollywood.co/Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast: https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/