93 | Zimbabwe's Green Cheetahs, with Chiyedza Heri of the Ubuntu Alliance
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
Release Date: 12/21/2023
116 | James Mwangi and Kenya's Great Carbon Valley
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the transformative potential of Africa in the global shift towards a sustainable future, featuring an insightful conversation with James Mwangi, co-founder of Dahlberg and a leading advocate for innovative climate solutions in Kenya. We begin by discussing Africa's booming population and rich natural resources, which James argues position the continent as a powerhouse for innovation and leadership in the climate fight. Contrary to the narrative that views Africa as a victim of climate change, James emphasizes the continent's potential to lead,...
info_outline
115 | Unpacking Donald Trump's Very Weird Environmental Orders
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In this episode of Bionic Planet, Season 10, Episode 115, we dive into the significant environmental implications of the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. Originally, we had planned to focus this season on Africa, but the rapid changes in U.S. environmental policy prompted us to shift gears. I connected with Tim Male last week. Tim, who founded the Environmental Policy Innovation Center in 2017, has a wealth of experience in environmental policy, having worked in various capacities, including at the White House and with organizations like Defenders...
info_outline
114 | Michael Greene: Carbon Cowboy or Lone Ranger? Part 1
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
In this episode of Bionic Planet, I delve into the complex and often controversial world of conservation in the Amazon, featuring Michael Greene, a figure recently spotlighted in a Washington Post article that painted him as a land grabber. However, my intention is to provide a more nuanced perspective on his story, which I believe reflects broader challenges in the fight against deforestation. Michael Greene's journey began in 2009 when he entered the tangled legal landscape of land ownership in the Amazon. His work is set against a backdrop of illegal logging, land grabbing, and the...
info_outline
113 | The Future of Environmental Finance: Strategies for Biodiversity and Climate Solutions, with David Hill and George Kelly
Bionic Planet: Reversing Climate Change by Restoring Nature
This episode of Bionic Planet is a rebroadcast of David Hill's podcast, "How to Avoid Moving to Mars." In it, Professor David Hill, CBE, speaks with George Kelly, the Chief Executive of Earth Recovery Partners in the U.S. George has been a pivotal figure in the realm of mitigation banking and ecological restoration. Their conversation delves into his extensive career, starting from his early days as an environmental law practitioner to his current role supporting emerging enterprises in the environmental market. George shared insights into his journey, beginning with his master's degree in...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineZimbabwean entrepreneur Chiyedza Heri runs the Ubuntu Alliance, a company that's helping farmers leverage carbon finance to shift to more sustainable forms of agriculture.
She's one of more than a dozen young Africans I met at year-end climate talks in Dubai (COP 28) -- a new breed of entrepreneur that the late Ghanian economist George Ayittey calls "cheetahs" because they're nimble, quick, and hungry.
Green Cheetahs pursue activities that are pro-nature as well as pro-growth, and today's guest certainly fits that bill.