AWESome EarthKind Ron Kamen

The entire world is transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy sources for our electricity, heating, cooling and transportation.  Technologies such as energy efficient light bulbs and appliances, solar and wind powered electricity, air and ground source heat pumps, and electric vehicles are transforming our lives.
Communities, schools, and workplaces are adopting zero-carbon technologies that will also reduce costs and improve our health and safety.  But did you know that the industrial sector is responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and that industry is projected to become America's biggest emission source by 2035. 
For climate action to succeed, we need to develop sustainable industrial practices.  
How can we revolutionize America's biggest emitters, the iron, steel, chemicals, and cement industries?  
In today's episode, we meet Jeffrey Rissman. The Senior Director of Industry at Energy Innovation, Jeffrey focuses on technologies and policies that combat the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector. 
Jeffrey has a new book, Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity, and it's now on sale worldwide.  
In Zero-Carbon Industry, Jeffrey unpacks the complex challenges presented by climate change and offers clear actionable insights on how we can revamp the industrial world's heaviest emitters using cutting edge technologies and intelligent policies. 
Cited in the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and elsewhere, his work shows how we can reshape our entire industrial landscape.  
Today's awesome Earth Podcast is sponsored by Earth Energy Consulting.  Earthkind Energy brings over 30 years of expertise in creating clean energy projects that reduce energy costs, provide outstanding returns on investments, lower carbon footprints, and leave a proud legacy for our children and all future generations. www.earthkindenergy.com.  
Now let's hear Jeffrey Rissman tell us how Zero-Carbon Industry provides a roadmap to how smart investments in technology, people, and the planet can lead our transformative journey to a carbon-neutral industrial sector.
 
Topics Covered in this episode:
Learn about the importance of decarbonizing the industrial sector. Find out about technologies and policies for achieving sustainable prosperity in the industrial sector. Learn about the concept of zero-carbon industry and how it can be achieved. Find out about the role of heat pumps in decarbonizing industrial heating processes. Learn about the various technologies available for delivering heat in industrial processes. And more…  
“One thing I realized is that the industrial sector is very important. It's producing a lot of the emissions that humans are adding to the atmosphere, but it gets a lot less attention than the other sectors. “ - Jeffrey Rissman
 
Connect with Jeffrey Rissman:
Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity (Center on Global Energy Policy Series) book: https://zerocarbonindustry.com/ 20% Off the Book when you sign-up through this mailing list sign-up: https://energyinnovation.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=0faf0f29db5d15d8b0c1411ad&id=b3d85e52c9  https://www.jeffreyrissman.com/   

Quantum Quote: "We build too many walls, and not enough bridges." - Isaac Newton
We live in an incredibly polarized world.  Every day, we witness the widespread, massive distrust of almost everything and everyone. 
How can we overcome the escalating anger and mistrust that pervades close to every aspect of our society?  Well, in today's episode, we meet Erik Wohlgemuth of Future 500 (www.future500.org) with over two decades of experience in stakeholder engagement and corporate sustainability.
Erik is trusted by diverse leaders across industries, sectors, and political persuasions.  Erik is an expert in humanizing opponents through compassionate diplomacy.  He is adept at depolarizing relations between businesses, activists, philanthropists, and investment leaders, so that they can find common ground and explore solutions to the social and environmental challenges that threaten our very civilization.
Erik earned his MBA from the Yale School of Management and his Master's in Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. Beyond Future 500, Erik serves as a board member for Pacific Forest Trust, and as a West Coast Advisory Board member for the Yale School of Management.
Erik is also a fellow chapter director for Environmental Entrepreneurs or E2, the national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization of over 10,000 business people who are advocating for policies that are good for the economy and the environment. 
Now let's hear Erik tell us how future 500 is depolarizing relations to effect durable change that happens at the speed of trust. 
Today's AWESome Earth Kind podcast is sponsored by EarthKind Energy Consulting.
EarthKind Energy brings over 30 years of expertise in creating clean energy projects that reduce energy costs, provide outstanding returns on investment, lower carbon footprints, and leave a proud legacy for our children and all future generations.  You can visit EarthKindEnergy.com to discover how EarthKind Energy Consulting partners with developers, builders, communities, government entities, and nonprofit organizations to create new revenue sources, reduce energy and operation costs, and lower carbon footprints with energy efficiency, solar, air and ground source (geothermal) heat pumps, electric vehicles, and EV charging stations.
Challenges:
Erik faced challenges related to building trust between corporations and civil society leaders.
●      He struggled with finding the courage to follow a less beaten path in his career.
●      Erik works to navigate the polarization in plaguing this country and the world.
●      He encountered challenges related to corporate political responsibility and bridging the gap between different perspectives on issues like clean energy.
●      Erik also faced difficulties dealing with the slow pace of change and the frustration of idealistic younger generations.
●      He experienced setbacks in projects where trust and collaboration were not established effectively.
●      Erik is dealing with the complexities of permit reform and regulatory systems hindering progress in various projects and the hard work of operationalizing environmental justice principles within a big oil and gas company.
 
Lessons: Building trust and collaboration between different stakeholders is essential for effecting positive change. Humanization and finding common ground, even with polarized opposites, can lead to collaboration and progress. Permit reform and operationalizing environmental justice are two key areas for addressing current challenges in the energy and environmental sectors.
Supernova 1: "Humanization leads to trust. Trust leads to collaboration." - Erik Wohlgemuth
Supernova 2: “Humanize, think about people that may be your polarized opposite, and figure out a way to find common ground with them." - Erik Wohlgemuth 
Aha Moment:
"A critical moment was walking into a business school admissions office and picking u

Quantum Quote: 
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
To make the transition to a sustainable civilization, we need new business models. The future belongs to clean tech startups AND traditional energy companies who evolve and lead the transition.
The Robison family business was founded over 100 years ago to deliver coal. Then Robison moved to deliver oil, then natural gas and electricity. Now - under this generation’s leadership, the traditional fossil fuel company is transitioning to clean biofuels, heat pumps, and geothermal energy.
Robison aims to provide the most affordable and clean products and services to help their customers make the choice that fits their unique situation. With a 100 year commitment to their customers, Robison aims to deliver the best service, better health, and a greener future now - and for the generations to come!
Dan Singer is the CEO and President of Robison. Since his arrival in 1996, Robison has expanded its services to include natural gas supply and service, electricity supply, air conditioning, plumbing, duct cleaning, heat pumps, geothermal installations, and servicing, as well as indoor air quality solutions.
We’d like to hear from you! Please help us understand how AWESomeEarthKind can help you achieve your clean energy goals.
SEND YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY
 
SuperNova #1. Make sure that you're working with a company that not only knows how to install the equipment, but knows how to service and maintain it.
 
SuperNova #2. The pro of doing it now is the amount of incentive and assistance that is available to people to do. This is a train that's moving. Eventually, everyone is going to have to make the transition. So why not do it now, when there are a lot of incentives available.
 
SuperNova #3. The technology we're talking about, even geothermal,  isn't new technology. This isn't experimental. So it's not like you got to wait and see what's going to happen-- it works! It's here. While there will always be improvements, the technology is proven, reliable, and affordable TODAY.  
 
Dan’s AHA! Moment came when he started to become curious about ways that we can help our customers lower their carbon footprint and be more efficient, especially at times when fuel oil and gas prices are so volatile.
 
Best Advice He’s Ever Received: Don't stop taking risks.
 
Personal Habit that Contributes to Success: I try as hard as I can, at least once a week, to have a genuine conversation with somebody I've never spoken to before, and just learn from them. Who are they? What makes them tick?
 
Internet Resource: www.robison.com 
 
Book Recommendation: The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players by Pat Riley
 
Magic Wand: If everybody would take a little bit more time to understand others, rather than trying to convince others. I think that will make us a little bit better. Just listen a little bit. Listen instead of talk.
 
Most Energized About Today: I think the pace of change is fascinating. We're doing things now leading to keeping people comfortable in their homes.
 
Connect: 
Website: http://www.robison.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robisonenergy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobisonEnergy1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robison/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobisonEnergy/
Youtube: https://www

 
Quantum Quote: 
"The peacemaker taught us about the seven generations. He said, when you sit in Council for the welfare of the people, you must not think of yourself or your family, not even of your generation. He said, make your decisions on behalf of the seven generations coming, so that they may enjoy what you have today." - Oren Lyons
"It's not the critic who counts; nor the man or woman who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes up short again and again. Because there is no effort without error, and shortcoming." - Theodore Roosevelt

The world can feel very overwhelming– from fast-paced modernization to the constant production of greenhouse gases.
However, hope is still within our reach as we try to change our habits,  influence future generations, and save our environment.
Changing habits, switching to organic foods, and saving the earth one initiative at a time can lower the damages of our consumption. However, these aren’t enough. To achieve sustainable change, we need a constant effort to educate and empower every individual - especially at educational institutions…
Learn with us today about the changes that the State University of New York at Buffalo (University at Buffalo, or UB) are making to lead by example, empower our youth, and create a greener future for everyone!
As UB’s inaugural chief sustainability officer since 2011, Ryan McPherson works to create a culture of innovative and collaborative sustainability at UB and implement strategies to help position the university as a sustainability leader in the community, state, and nation, as well as across all institutions of higher education. As part of the university’s climate action plan, Ryan has been setting 10 key strategies to implement within the next decade.
Ryan has also worked to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals across campus and New York as part of the broader effort to create the next generation of change agents that can build the future we seek.
SuperNova #1. We all have to be in the arena. Whether you are currently succeeding or failing is not necessarily the point - you need to be in the game. We have a lot of things to do right now, and we need everyone in the arena working to really advance things.
SuperNova #2. Realize that sustainability is not the goal. Sustainability is a strategy to achieve existing goals.
SuperNova #3. We can talk as much as we want about hope and all the possibilities that are out there, etc. But there is a ticking clock that is in front of us. And every day, every hour that we delay, is a consequence that happens on the backside of that timebomb.
Worst Career Moment: The one that really stands out is that we went through a couple of years worth of really evaluating, working, putting out bids, analyzing, really reducing risk all for  a lot of on-site and our off-site solar,  and had a really great bid come in. The forecast savings was a couple million dollars a year, for 20 years, under a locked purchase power agreement, a long-term contract. One of the great things about New York is we have some awesome goals, and some really good investment and funding. But one of the big challenges is we have a lot of regulation in the state. And so, the procurement and regulatory framework to get approval of certain things works at a different speed than the market. And so, we lost that opportunity. 
Best Advice He’s Ever Received: I think sometimes in order to go fast, you need to go slow. Sometimes thinking through things a little bit more than just reacting actually gets you further ahead and has more impact.
Personal Habit that Contributes to Success: I don't know if it contributes to my success, but it helps prepare me. I love trail running.. Sustainability work is about the lo

Quantum Quote: “Save the climate with profitable wave power.” – Jan G. Skjoldhammer
 
Each and every year, uwe are burning more fossil fuels, ruining our children’s futures and all of our lives.
 
What we’ve been missing is a more cost-effective and climate-saving solution that’s been around since the very beginning of time.
 
Wave power—about three times more stable than wind—has the potential to provide energy equal to all the electric consumption of everyone in the world right now! 
 
Jan’s message is that wave power alone could provide most of our energy needs. Help propel the future of energy solutions and help save the climate with profitable wave power; It may be the missing link we’ve all been looking for.
 
Jan G. Skjoldhammer is the Founder and CEO of Novige AB- or NoviWavi - a wave energy developer that uses ocean waves to generate electricity. Jan has been an officer, captain, instructor and display pilot with a well-developed technical side, having built a race car in his youth, among many other projects. He is a natural-born entrepreneur with a tireless ambition and an environmental awareness that has led him to make a significant positive impact on the world and mitigate climate change.
 
Skjoldhammer's entrepreneurial endeavor in property development laid the monetary foundation of NoviOcean in 2016, with early retirement from his long-time career at SAS Airlines. Today, Jan leads a team of like-minded individuals who also strive towards saving the climate with profitable and renewable wave energy technology.
Today’s podcast is sponsored by EarthKind Energy Consulting (www.EarthKindEnergy.com) Email info@EarthKindEnergy.com for a free 20 minute consultation to discuss your energy cost pains - and how solar, heat pumps, and electric vehicles may provide you with the means to save money while improving the environment and leaving a proud legacy for your children.
 
SuperNova #1. Wave power’s potential globally is estimated to be about the same as humanity’s current electrical consumption, about. 29,000 terawatt hours per year.   For the US, about 66% of the total consumption in the US can be provided by wave power. 
 
SuperNova #2. Wave energy generators are low on the horizon, hardly visible, don't make any disturbing sounds, and do not harm any animal life, birds or sea life;
 
SuperNova #3. Wave power is about three times more stable than wind power. But combining wave power with solar and/or wind energy can provide five times the power and meet all our energy needs, eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels.
Combining wave power with solar and wind provides the missing link for energy.
 
 
Connect:
⦁    Website: https://noviocean.energy/ 
⦁    Email: jan.skjoldhammer@noviocean.energy 
⦁    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-g-skjoldhammer-8807996/ 

Quantum Quote: “Save our soil in the hopes that the soil might just save us.” - Woody Harrelson
 
We all have to eat - but agriculture is something we often don’t think about And, even when we do, we don’t think much about how it affects our environment. But climate smart grants, carbon credits, and goals to become “net zero” have now made agriculture a hot topic in the mainstream media over recent years.
 
Sustainable agriculture provides a fast and direct path to the eco-friendly changes we want, and climate smart farming can create more resilient crops and healthier food.
But… did you know that smart farming practices can also play an important role in solving the climate crisis by taking carbon out of the air and sequestering it into the soil?
There are a plethora of contributions you can make, programs you can educate yourself on, and a change of lifestyle you can invest in. Switching to a climate-smart and organic agriculture provides benefits that have the ability to positively influence numerous environmental factors - and support the farmers who bring us our daily sustenance. 
To be protected by Mother Earth, we must first love and take care of her through smart actions and eco-friendly changes. One of our first steps is in agriculture.
 
Dive in and learn more about climate-smart agriculture and the power, protection, and strength it brings - not only to the environment, but to you as well.
 
While Sara Waldner didn’t grow up on a farm, she’s been passionate about promoting the benefits of modern agriculture and educating others about the challenges that farmers face to feed our growing world for over a decade. Her advocacy began in high school with her involvement in FFA, the largest student-led organization in the country that prepares members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture.
 
We’d like to hear from you! Please help us understand how AWESomeEarthKind can help you achieve your clean energy goals.
 
SEND YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY
 
SuperNova #1. The most successful stories of farmers implementing these types of climate-smart practices on their farm often came from having a peer-to-peer connection with someone, whether that was through a different mentorship group,a program, a one-on-one connection that they already had, or attending different events and seminars that some of the soil conservation or soil health advocacy groups put on.
 
SuperNova #2. Farmers are business people first and foremost. And they need to be able to have the flexibility to adjust and refine practices on their operation as needed throughout the transition.
 
SuperNova #3. Rather than just focusing on soil health or carbon sequestered, it's important also realize the many additional benefits that come with these practices, like improved biodiversity and soil nutrients, and improved water retention and quality. Erosion prevention increases yields over time because of the benefits of soil health. Because our soils are more resilient, you'll be better suited to face the extreme weather events that we are all too familiar with these days. 
 
The upcoming US Farm Bill this year is our best opportunity to create climate smart policies and support sustainable agriculture. Tell the Federal Government how you feel about farm health and the upcoming Farm Bill:  https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/farm-bill-input
 
Connect: 
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarawaldner/
ACT Now: Rural Investment to Protect our Environment (R1PE100)- Policy Platform: riperoadmap.org/take-action/



Today’s podcast is sponsored by EarthKind Energy Consulting. Find out how you can save money while reducing your carbon footprint with clean energy technologies by going to www.EarthKindEnergy.com.