89 | How Agroforestry is Reshaping the Kenyan Countryside
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Release Date: 08/09/2023
112 | Fantasy Football and Dynamic Baselines: New Tools for Impact Assessment
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In Episode 112 of Bionic Planet, titled "Fantasy Football and Dynamic Baselines: New Tools for Impact Assessment," we unpack the often misunderstood concept of dynamic baselines and its origin in synthetic controls, using fantasy football as an analogy. The episode begins with a clear and relatively simple explanation of dynamic baselines, which have emerged as a valuable tool in climate finance. Unlike traditional static baselines, which rely on fixed reference points, dynamic baselines adapt to changing conditions and provide a more accurate measure of impact. We discuss the importance of...
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111 | The False Dichotomy Between Reductions and Removals (Rerun)
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Support Bionic Planet: Recent updates from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) have pushed an old debate into public awareness, highlighting a perceived divide between emissions reductions and carbon removals. While SBTi's new guidelines focus on cutting emissions directly within company operations, some argue this creates a false dichotomy, downplaying the essential role of carbon removals in achieving net-zero goals. In reality, both strategies—reductions and removals—are not opposing forces but complementary tools needed to combat climate change effectively. In Episode...
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110| Ecological Economics, Systems Thinking, and the Limits to Growth
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Support Bionic Planet: Guests: Jim Pittman ( Matt Orsagh ( Steve Rocco ( Books Referenced: Ecological Economics ( The Limits to Growth ( The Web of Life ( Thinking in Systems ( Energy and Civilization ( Sustainability is for Everyone ( Less is More ( Donut Economics ( Technical Revolutions in Financial Capital ( The End of Nature () In Season 9, Episode 110 of Bionic Planet, titled "Ecological Economics, Systems Thinking, and the Limits to Growth," we delve into a thought-provoking discussion with ecological economists Jim Pittman, Matt Orsagh, and Steve Rocco. The episode explores the...
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109 | How Brazil's Quilombola Communities are Planting the Seeds of Sustainability for Small Farms Around the World, with Vasco van Roosmalen of ReSeed
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Support Bionic Planet: In episode 109 of Bionic Planet, we learn how the Quilombola people of Brazil are blending the IPCC Livelihood Vulnerability Index Assessment with soil carbon methodologies developed under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to save themselves and their soil from urban expansion and agricultural encroachment. We begin with Sandra Pereira Braga, a descendant of enslaved peoples who has been farming on her family's land for almost 300 years. Sandra's story highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing the traditional practices and accumulated carbon...
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108 | The Washington Post’s Head Scratcher of a Carbon Story
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Photo by on Support me at patreon.com/bionicplanet Related Links to Follow In episode 108 of Bionic Planet, I delve into a recent article published by the Washington Post that is riddled with inaccuracies, false premises, and misleading information. The episode serves as a critical analysis of the article, highlighting the importance of fact-checking and the credibility of mainstream media in reporting on complex issues such as climate change and carbon finance. The episode begins with a passionate rant about the Washington Post's story, titled "How Carbon Cowboys Are Cashing In on...
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107 | Francis Bacon and the Prehistory of Climate Finance. Second in an intermittent series on the Untold Story of the Voluntary Carbon Market
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Support Bionic Planet: Books referenced in this episode: "The Discovery of Global Warming" by Spencer Weart (Hypertext version): "Lavoisier in the Year One" by Madison Smartt Bell: "The Life and Letters of Joseph Black, M. D." by William Ramsay (Hypertext version): In this episode of Bionic Planet, we delve into the history of the science underpinning Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS), beginning in the 1620s, in the Flemish village of Vilvoorde. The episode kicks off with the story of Jan Baptist van Helmont, a physician who conducted an experiment planting a five-pound...
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106 | Steve Discusses the "Tribes of the Climate Realm" on the Smarter Markets Podcast
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
This episoed of Bionic Planet is technically an episode of Andrew Greely’s podcast, Smarter Markets, where I appeared as a guest to discuss my new vertical "The Tribes of the Climate Realm." It’s not a series but a vertical, where episodes will drop intermittently over the remainder of the year and probably for years to come. If you're sharing or referencing the show, please reference the original at The discussion revolves around the historical context of the first generation of REDD projects and the media criticism they have encountered. Steve Zwick emphasizes the importance of...
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105 | The Role of Carbon Credits in Conservation: A Case Study from Guatemala
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In this episode of Bionic Planet, we delve into the inspiring journey of Marco Cerezo, the director of Fundaeco, a conservation NGO based in Guatemala. Marco shares his lifelong dedication to nature conservation, sustainable community development, and the fight against climate change. He recounts his early experiences studying development economics and the pivotal moment in 1989 when he learned about climate change from NASA geophysicists, which fueled his passion for conservation. Marco discusses the challenges faced by Fundaeco in its early days, relying on small grants and volunteers to...
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104 | Transition Finance: How Carbon Markets REALLY Work, with David Antonioli
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In episode 104 of Bionic Planet, I delve into the intricacies of carbon finance with my guest, David Antonioli. We explore the concept of transformational finance, where carbon payments are used to catalyze sustainable practices that can eventually stand on their own. We discuss the limitations of the current additionality tool, which focuses on individual project assessments, and the need for a more holistic approach to drive long-term sector-wide transitions. David Antonioli, with his extensive experience in climate change and carbon markets, shares insights on the need for a paradigm shift...
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103 | Jen Jenkins on Purists, Pragmatists, and Science-Based Targets
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In Episode 103 of Bionic Planet, titled "Purists, Pragmatists, and the Science-Based Targets Initiative," we delve into the complex world of emission reduction targets and the challenges companies face to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The episode explores the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI), a program designed to assist companies in setting emission reduction targets aligned to achieve net zero emissions. The episode begins by highlighting the significant increase in companies committing to SBTI since January 2023, with many not submitting their plans until January 2025. We learn...
info_outlineThis piece, adapted from a piece that first ran in 2016, serves as the fourth installment in our continuing series on carbon finance in Kenya. Today, we look at how carbon finance supports Sustainable Agriculture Land Management (SALM), which has doubled the average income of more than 30,000 Kenyan family farmers while pulling more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by increasing the carbon content of soils.