Where’s My Carbon Coming From? – Zara Summers, Chief Science Officer, LanzaTech
Release Date: 04/08/2025
Recycled Steel Goes Mainstream - Tabitha Stine, General Manager, Energy Solutions, Nucor Corporation
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Our job is to recycle so that we can recover all of that scrap and goods that you and I are recycling in our garbage bins every week or recycling as we get new cars. And our job is to recover that because we make steel in a very clean and efficient process through what's called an electric arc furnace. So, we take all of that scrap, we melt it down, and we make new steel. It does not degrade. It has a continuous reusable life.…Depending on the different products of steel, that actually determines the recycled content that goes into them for the finishes and the quality of the steel that's...
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Unlocking Capital For Women And Climate Solutions – Women Leaders In Finance And Investment, The Earth Day Women’s Summit
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“If you cannot change the system, change the frigging system… Women, when we have our money, are more likely to start an impact fund business or something. So, we have really got to get out of our way and just take the risk. " Tracy Gray at The Earth Day Women’s Summit 2025 Innovative financing models are urgently needed to tackle the climate crisis, but significant gaps persist. Research shows that women and people of color deliver stronger returns yet continue to be underrepresented. Meanwhile, the insurance industry must confront the mounting risks of climate...
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Climate Is A Security Emergency – From A Top Climate Scientist & A Geopolitical Expert
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
"The climate crisis has roots in fossil fuels, but at the same time, fossil fuels fund this Russian invasion to Ukraine. So it means this is a fossil fuel war. If we will actually fight against our overall actually dependency on fossil fuels in the same way we will fight against climate change." Svitlana Krakovska on Electric Ladies Podcast The climate emergency is a security threat, and a “threat multiplier,” as former Defense Undersecretary Sherri Goodman has written. Looking at security in the same way as it has been is no longer working. The old view leaves us very vulnerable....
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Food, Fashion & Ag vs. Climate Change – Voices From The Earth Day Women’s Summit
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Food systems have to do with everything from production to processing, distribution, and the utilization. Then of course, end of life for food systems which includes food waste. In the United States, 40% of the food that we produce goes to waste. This means with distribution challenges that not everybody has equitable access to the kinds of foods that they need and want, at the times that they need them." Robin Currey on Electric Ladies Podcast Climate change is disrupting our food and agriculture systems, including the critical supply chains that feed and clothe us. Yet,...
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Business Leaders Bridging The Climate Gap – Voices From The Earth Day Women’s Summit
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Most things when it comes to corporate sustainability do not happen in a vacuum. I am part of an environmental sustainability team, but we would not be able to accomplish anything without our energy teams, our network teams, and more. The ability to take what can be a complex idea and translate that into a compelling business case often comes down to dollars and cents. While it takes time, that's how we've been able to drive change.” Rosie Austin on Electric Ladies Podcast In a poll at The Earth Day Women’s Summit in Dallas, Texas, 100% of respondents said that business is...
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Green Cement Is Changing How We Build – Marci Jenks, Eco Material Technologies
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Our core business is harvesting and collecting the by-product from coal combustion plants historically, called fly ash. We introduce it into supplementary cementitious materials to create a Portland cement replacement. We are pushing for 20% and even 30% [replacement of traditional cement] and hopefully reaching 100% one day with our technologies that are still in development.” Marci Jenks on Electric Ladies Podcast We need infrastructure that’s safe, strong, durable and climate resilient. To build our cities, roads, bridges and more, 30 billion tonnes of concrete is poured around the...
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Leading In Times Of Great Change – Deborah Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Change is a constant. This is the world that we live in. And so how do you decide what needs to change and transform? The best leaders have certain traits about them when it comes to leading an organisation through change. Great leaders have an ability to communicate and inspire and they never get tired of doing it. Or if they get tired, they keep doing it anyway because constant communication is essential when you're going through change.” Deborah Lee James on Electric Ladies podcast (previously Green Connections Radio) Many companies are scaling back their climate,...
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The Politics Of Progress On Climate And Energy – U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“While the word ‘climate’ may be politically charged for some, the need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy is something we can all agree on. Americans are calling for action, and as Members of Congress it’s our responsibility to deliver. If we want long-term solutions that address both our constituents' concerns and growing climate risks, we must work together to strengthen our energy and climate security with urgency.” This week, Congress is set to debate legislation that could reshape the United States’ energy landscape. At stake is more than $700...
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Women Rewriting The Climate Conversation – Voices From The Earth Day Women’s Summit
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“How do we get people in the tent to even hear the story? With ‘Living with Ed’ and other projects, we were a family they could identify with. We were yelling, laughing, loving each other while talking about real issues. I represented the average person’s perspective on issues like taking the subway. There’s the funny, and there’s the conflict. If it’s not entertaining, it’s not going to connect.” Rachelle Begley on Electric Ladies Podcast Culture wars around climate change do more harm than good. As climate-driven extreme weather events become more frequent,...
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How Michigan Turns IRA Tax Credits Into Growth – Hilary Doe, Chief Growth Officer, Michigan
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“We did lots of infrastructure investments over the last handful of years to make sure our communities are in the best possible place they can be. And we complemented federal investment with workforce investment to ensure Michiganders are getting access to those kinds of roles, some of which didn't even exist previously. [This ensures] that Michigan communities could benefit from learning to be solar installers and get access to new economic income streams.” Hilary Doe on Electric Ladies Podcast The Justice Department is suing Michigan over its climate initiatives under the Clean Air...
info_outline“We've worked with partners like AcelorMittal… and oil and gas refineries. Emissions that would've been destined for the atmosphere are piped into our bioreactor and our magnificent microbes turn that gas into ethanol. When we pull out that ethanol, we can send it a lot of different places. You can go to On, Adidas, Athleta and buy products made by these mighty microbes from steel mill emissions. We actually flew a Virgin Atlantic flight from Orlando to London with 50 percent of the fuel in that plane made from our ethanol.”
Zara Summers on Electric Ladies Podcast
Addressing the climate crisis involves confronting some enormous challenges, from decarbonizing aviation to reducing fashion’s carbon footprint. Fortunately, technology and innovation provide an opportunity to make significant strides forward. Meet LanzaTech, a company turning carbon dioxide into the raw materials and energy we need for our lives.
Listen to Zara Summers, Chief Science Officer at LanzaTech, as she explains how the company is harnessing the power of nature's oldest metabolism, the mighty microbe. This innovation is turning greenhouse gases into everyday materials like shoes and clothing, sustainable aviation fuel for our jets, and even fish feed!
You’ll hear about:
- How LanzaTech transforms captured industrial emissions into valuable materials and fuels.
- The global brands working with LanzaTech (and how you can spot fabrics made from recycled emissions).
- How the technology is driving a circular economy in fashion and textiles.
- The uses of LanzaTech's protein-rich biomass in food and feed.
- Plus, advice on making a career transition.
“Just jump in. Because even if it crashes and burns, it's experience and you learn no matter up and down inside it. But if you keep doing the same thing you've always done, you're robbing yourself of those opportunities. Even small risks – putting your hand up for a project where you might know 20 percent of what it takes to do it. Gosh, isn't that the best way to motivate yourself to learn something new?”
Zara Summers on Electric Ladies Podcast
Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.
You'll also like:
- Autumn Hustins, Finance Director at Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), a waste-to-energy plant converting agricultural and food waste into electricity.
- Björk Kristjánsdóttir, COO/CFO of Carbon Recycling International, on turning CO2 into valuable products.
- Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA, a state program deploying innovative climate solutions.
- UN Climate Week discussion on how some creative women are making sustainable fashion a reality, moderated by Joan Michelson.
- Kerry Bannigan, Managing Director of PVBLIC Foundation, on sustainability and social responsibility on the runway.
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