171 episodes

Once a week, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington have a conversation with a leader in clean energy, mobility, climate finance or sustainable development. Informative, inspiring and fun!

Cleaning Up is supported by Capricorn Investment Group.

Cleaning Up. Leadership in an age of climate change‪.‬ Michael Liebreich, Bryony Worthington

    • News
    • 4.8 • 40 Ratings

Once a week, Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington have a conversation with a leader in clean energy, mobility, climate finance or sustainable development. Informative, inspiring and fun!

Cleaning Up is supported by Capricorn Investment Group.

    Absolutely Electrifying - Ep158: Saul Griffith

    Absolutely Electrifying - Ep158: Saul Griffith

    Michael chats with Saul Griffith, Australian-born engineer, inventor, advisor, author and 2007 MacArthur "Genius". He specialises in clean and renewable energy technologies, and has founded a dozen technology companies across 20 years in Silicon Valley, as well as authoring 3 books, including `Electrify', and `The Big Switch'. He has recently turned his attention from Otherlab, his independent Research and Development lab, to policy work and writing, including founding Rewiring America and Rewiring Australia, non-partisan organisations dedicated to electrification and decarbonisation and the associated policy and regulatory implications of meeting our climate goals.

    • 1 hr 13 min
    The Methane Hunters - Ep157: Dr. Sebastien Biraud & Sharon Wilson

    The Methane Hunters - Ep157: Dr. Sebastien Biraud & Sharon Wilson

    Bryony speaks to two fascinating guests, both specialising in methane emissions, their causes and impacts: Dr. Sebastien Biraud and Sharon Wilson.

    Dr. Biraud is a biogeochemist, leading the Climate Sciences Department. Sebastien's work has taken him to the tropical rainforests of the Amazon, the great plains of the United States, and the Arctic tundra. He is currently co-leading/leading projects for the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission. These projects involve integrating and applying high-precision greenhouse gas observations to advance research on the atmospheric carbon cycle and to enhance measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emissions.

    Sharon is a 5th generation Texan who, after 12 years working for the oil and gas industry in Ft. Worth, left and bought 42 acres in Wise County. Unknown to her at the time was that George Mitchell was experimenting in Wise County to figure out how to produce oil and gas from shale. She had a ringside seat at the sneak preview called Fracking Impacts. This experience prompted her to join Earthworks’, working on their Oil & Gas Accountability Project in 2010. In 2014, she became a certified optical gas imaging thermographer and now travels across the U.S. making visible the invisible methane pollution from oil and gas facilities through her non-profit, Oilfield Witness, and giving tours to media, Members of Congress, state lawmakers, regulators, and investment bankers.

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Audioblog 12: The Five Superheroes of the Transition

    Audioblog 12: The Five Superheroes of the Transition

    This week, Michael presents the second part of his two-parter for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, exploring the bear and bull cases for the net zero transition. This week is the bull case: the "5 superheroes" of the transition, 5 forces/trends even more powerful than last week's "5 horsemen", which can prevail in the challenge of rapidly decarbonising the global economy. The 5 superheroes are: Exponential Growth, Systems Solutions, Great Power Competition, Disappearing Demand, and the Primary Energy Fallacy. And stay tuned until the end for a 6th "bonus" superhero!

    This audioblog is based on Michael's Bloomberg New Energy Finance opinion piece of the same title.

    • 39 min
    Audioblog 11: The Five Horsemen of the Transition

    Audioblog 11: The Five Horsemen of the Transition

    Michael is solo this week on Cleaning Up, outlining the "5 horsemen" of the net-zero transition - the five greatest obstacles to the net zero transition. These 5 horsemen are: the economics of energy solutions, the electrical grid, the demand for critical mineral, political and social inertia, predatory delay by the powerful incumbents. This audioblog is based on Michael's Bloomberg New Energy Finance opinion piece of the same title.

    • 29 min
    A Magnificent Woman And Her Flying Machines - Ep156: Bonny Simi

    A Magnificent Woman And Her Flying Machines - Ep156: Bonny Simi

    Bryony returns with Bonny Simi, President of Operations at Joby Aviation, where she's working on bringing to market a new civilian electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft. Prior to joining the team at Joby, Bonny held several operational and strategic roles at JetBlue Most notably, she founded and led JetBlue Technology Ventures, investing in improving the travel, hospitality, and transportation industries. As a pilot, Bonny has commanded Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft at both United Airlines and JetBlue Airways. She is also an Emmy-nominated sports reporter and a 3-time Olympian in the sport of Luge.

    • 55 min
    Extreme Electrochemistry for a Sustainable Future - Ep155: Prof Donald Sadoway

    Extreme Electrochemistry for a Sustainable Future - Ep155: Prof Donald Sadoway

    Michael returns to talk with legendary educator and inventor, Donald Sadoway, Professor Emeritus of Materials Chemistry at MIT. After earning his PhD in chemical metallurgy in 1977 at the University of Toronto, he joined the faculty at MIT where he spent 44 years. For 16 of those, he taught 3.091 (Introduction to Solid-State Chemistry)—and his animated lectures, peppered with references to music, art, and literature—doubtless contributed to the subject’s popularity. Among the many accolades bestowed on Professor Sadoway in his 44 years as a teacher and researcher at MIT was a compliment by Bill Gates: “best chemistry lessons anywhere. Unbelievable.” In 2012, for the invention of the liquid metal battery, he was named by Time magazine one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” He has founded several hard tech startups, including Ambri, Avanti Battery Company and Boston Metal.

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
40 Ratings

40 Ratings

CDEinWDC ,

Excellent Information

This podcast is an important part of my deep dive education on the intricacies of the clean energy transition.

oliviabaker13 ,

Insightful and inspiring!

It’s evident that Michael puts extraordinary effort into every single episode of Cleaning Up. The conversations he leads are compelling, educational, and incredibly inspiring. What makes this show a true standout is the quality of the guests, the insights they share, and the leadership advice they impart. Highly recommend tuning in!

Guy Har ,

Good balance

Top draw guests (save one odious former Aus PM) plus Michael’s obvious expertise and a wealth of super important topics combine for an excellent series. Finds a good balance between recognising unchecked emissions present existential risk but rebuffing outright alarmist doomism, which is helpful for those struggling to keep the latter in check.

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