Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

Lisa Ann Pinkerton
  • 4.8 (18)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Earthlings Podcast takes a look at the big issues facing humanity in the early 21st century and our relationship to our environment, technology, and each other. Each episode, award-winning journalist, and former NPR reporter Lisa Ann Pinkerton hosts experts, scientists, and leaders working to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Together, they cover wide-ranging topics including environmental solutions, emerging technologies, what the future might look like, and more. Support us on Patreon and receive exclusive content and benefits.

  1. 3D AGO

    #149: Rethinking Waste as a Climate Solution with Carbogenics

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Professor Ed Craig, a longtime sustainability pioneer and CEO of Carbogenics, an Edinburgh-based start-up engineering biochar from difficult-to-recycle organic waste and wastewater screenings. Drawing on decades of experience across academia, policy, and applied climate solutions, Ed breaks down what biochar actually is, how it’s made through pyrolysis, and why it represents one of the most practical and scalable tools for carbon sequestration available today. The conversation also explores how Carbogenics uses engineered biochar to enhance anaerobic digestion, increasing biogas output while locking carbon into stable, long-term storage. Key Points: Biochar is engineered carbon with real-world applications – At Carbogenics, biochar is produced from hard-to-recycle organic waste and wastewater screenings, turning disposal problems into long-lived carbon assets.Biochar can materially improve biogas economics – When added to anaerobic digesters, engineered biochar can increase biogas yields by up to 20%, directly displacing fossil fuel gas while improving system efficiency.The next growth phase goes beyond soil – Emerging use cases, from water treatment and cement applications to wildfire mitigation and orphan well remediation, could rapidly expand biochar’s role across multiple sectors. Ed Craig, CEO of Carbogenics, LinkedInLisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page. Let’s stay connected! Follow Earthlings 2.0 Socials for the latest updates and news:  Follow us on a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthlings-podcast" rel="noopener...

    43 min

  2. FEB 17

    #148: The Future of All-Electric Heat Pumps with Jetson

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Stephen Lake, founder and CEO of Jetson, to unpack why heat pumps are becoming a cornerstone of the all-electric home. Stephen breaks down what heat pumps are (and aren’t), why outdated misconceptions still slow adoption, and how Jetson is rethinking home heating and cooling by combining cold-climate heat pump hardware with modern software, predictive maintenance, and vertically integrated installation. The conversation explores the economics behind electrification, the role of incentives, grid impacts, and what it will take to move clean homes from early adopters to the mainstream over the next decade. Key Points: Heat pumps aren’t a “new tech” problem—they’re a perception problem – Stephen explains that cold-climate heat pumps now reliably operate well below freezing, but outdated beliefs from 10–15 years ago still drive homeowner hesitation and contractor advice.Home electrification is happening, but today’s devices mostly don’t talk to each other – Heat pumps, solar, batteries, EV chargers, and smart panels are all part of the same “electric home” future, yet Stephen notes they’re still largely siloed, limiting automation and cost optimization.Software is becoming the competitive advantage in HVAC – Jetson’s thesis is that heating/cooling should work more like an EV: remotely monitored, continuously optimized, and improved via updates, instead of a 15-year “black box” that only gets attention when it breaks. Stephen Lake, CEO and founder of Jetson, LinkedInLuis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page. Let’s stay connected! Follow Earthlings 2.0 Socials for the latest updates and news:  Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on a href="https://www.instagram.com/earthlingspod/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    41 min

  3. FEB 10

    #147: Predictive AI for the Green Economy With Taza

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Mary Wilson, founder and CEO of Taza, about why sustainability has become an operational bottleneck for many organizations, and how it can instead become a strategic advantage. As ESG reporting requirements fragment globally and political pressure softens in the U.S., sustainability leaders are increasingly stuck in reactive compliance mode, overwhelmed by shifting regulations, data gaps, and reliance on consultants. Mary explains how Taza’s vertical AI marketplace helps companies move beyond static ESG reports by translating sustainability goals into prioritized, actionable business projects, connecting teams with vetted solution providers, and embedding sustainability into everyday decision-making across the enterprise. We also discussed our previous episode with Schneider Electric: #109 – Inside Schneider Electric’s Ambitious Decarbonization Plan Key Points: ESG reporting is consuming sustainability teams, not empowering them – Constantly changing regulations and complex data requirements leave little time for innovation, execution, or long-term impact.From compliance to execution with AI-driven prioritization – Taza maps company goals, industry benchmarks, and regulations into concrete use cases, helping organizations focus on the initiatives that deliver near-term wins and long-term resilience.Sustainability works best when it’s shared across the organization – By aligning IT, procurement, HR, and supply chain partners around clear projects and timelines, sustainability becomes an operational function, not a siloed reporting role.Mary Wilson, Founder and CEO of Taza, LinkedIn Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re...

    33 min

  4. FEB 3

    #146: Fixing the Clean Energy Logjam with Daniel Dus

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Daniel Dus, Founder and CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), to unpack the oftentimes quiet development work that determines whether clean energy projects ever reach construction. We explore CIR’s commoditized development-as-a-service (DaaS) model, which combines deep engineering expertise, advanced software, and AI-enabled workflows to bring projects to true bankability and construction readiness. The conversation spans repowering aging solar assets, the rise of battery storage, data center-driven power demand, policy uncertainty, and why community engagement is becoming one of the most critical success factors for developers navigating today’s clean energy landscape. Key Points: Development, not deployment, is slowing clean energy scale-up – Permitting, interconnection, engineering, financing, and documentation remain the biggest sources of delay, often adding years to otherwise viable projects.Development-as-a-service replaces rigid teams with flexible expertise – CIR allows developers to access on-demand, end-to-end development or targeted services without carrying large internal teams through uneven project cycles.AI is embedded across the entire development workflow – From engineering validation and procurement to communications and process optimization, AI enables CIR’s global team to operate at several times the traditional capacity. Daniel Dus, CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), LinkedInLuis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page. Let’s stay connected! Follow Earthlings 2.0 Socials for the latest updates and news:  Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on a href="https://www.instagram.com/earthlingspod/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    37 min

  5. JAN 27

    #145: Wearable Tech to Monitor Cardiovascular Health with Nanowear

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we chat with Venk Varadan, CEO and co-founder of Nanowear, to discuss how wearable medical technology is redefining diagnostics, prevention, and clinical research. Venk explains how Nanowear’s FDA-approved textile-based nanosensors enable cardiometabolic assessments at home, capturing richer, more personalized data than traditional, episodic doctor visits. The conversation spans the limitations of today’s healthcare system, the role of AI and clean data in early diagnosis, and how decentralized monitoring could lower costs, improve equity, and reshape the future of medicine. Key Points: From reactive to preventative care – Continuous, at-home monitoring can surface early warning signs before chronic disease progresses, addressing a system that currently profits more from treatment than prevention.Textile-based sensors unlock richer health data – Nanowear’s cloth nanosensors capture heart, lung, vascular, and metabolic signals simultaneously, without invasive prep or bulky equipment.Clinical research is a near-term catalyst – Remote diagnostics can lower trial costs, reduce patient dropouts, and dramatically expand participation across more diverse populations.Venk Varadan, CEO and co-founder of Nanowear, LinkedIn Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page. Let’s stay connected! Follow Earthlings 2.0 Socials for the latest updates and news:  Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on a href="https://www.instagram.com/earthlingspod/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    37 min

  6. JAN 20

    #144: The Quiet Shift Away from Investment in Oil and Gas with Mitchell Beer

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with longtime renewable energy journalist Mitchell Beer, founder and publisher of The Energy Mix, about the widening gap between political promises to supercharge fossil fuel production and the financial reality facing oil and gas companies today. We explore why fossil fuel companies, despite political pressure, can’t return to unchecked expansion, how global markets from China to Pakistan are rewriting the demand outlook for oil and gas, and why North America is falling behind countries that have embraced electrification as a strategic advantage. Mitchell also unpacks Canada’s evolving energy politics and whether he sees reason for optimism in a decade defined by climate emergencies and rapid technological change. We also discussed several stories that his team covered this year, including: Oil Companies, Investors Talk Down Trump’s ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ as Prices Stay Low, Exploration Budgets ShrinkWhere Are the Customers? Why the Idea of a Pipeline to Asia Is Built on a Fantasy Key Points: Investor pressure is reshaping the future of fossil fuels – Even with political support, oil and gas companies cannot revive large-scale drilling because investors are prioritizing clean energy, stability, and long-term value over new fossil expansion.Clean energy now attracts roughly twice the investment of fossil fuels – According to the International Energy Agency, global capital is flowing toward renewables, storage, and efficiency technologies, reflecting their falling costs and proven ability to scale.Momentum for clean tech is strong, but timing is critical – Mitchell emphasizes that the climate crisis is severe, yet not predetermined. Progress since the Paris Agreement shows what's possible, but the outcome depends on accelerating solutions and resisting disinformation. Mitchell Beer, Founder and Publisher of The Energy Mix, LinkedIn Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments...

    34 min

  7. JAN 13

    #143: Rethinking Home Energy Resilience with Pila Energy

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Cole Ashman, founder and CEO of Pila Energy, about a new class of home energy storage designed for the way people actually live today. While grids around the world face increasing strain from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and rising electricity demand, from AI data centers to air conditioning, most households still lack affordable, accessible backup power. Pila aims to change that with a plug-in, room-by-room battery system that installs in minutes, works like a mesh network, and brings resilience to renters and homeowners alike. Key Points: Grid outages are accelerating globally – Extreme weather, heat waves, and rising electricity demand are straining infrastructure, while renters and low-income households often lack access to traditional backup power solutions.Pila offers plug-in, appliance-level resilience – Instead of a single, expensive whole-home battery, Pila distributes multiple 1.6 kWh LFP batteries throughout the home, each placed where power matters most—refrigerators, home offices, sump pumps, or medical devices.A future with billions of intelligent nodes – Cole predicts that within a decade, most buildings will have multiple distributed batteries acting as local grid resources, making the power system more resilient, flexible, and affordable.Cole Ashman, CEO and Founder of Pila EnergyLinkedInPila LinkedInPila Energy's Mission: Energy Independence for AllInstagram, TikTok, X: @pilaenergy Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t...

    39 min

  8. JAN 6

    #142: What’s in Store For Cleantech in 2026 with Cleantech Group

    In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Anthony DeOrsey, head of research at Cleantech Group, to break down the biggest forces shaping clean technology heading into 2026. Anthony explains why cleantech is better understood as a broad theme spanning energy, agriculture, materials, chemicals, transportation, and waste — and why some sectors are accelerating regardless of policy while others are feeling the impact of shifting U.S. incentives. We also discuss what we can expect to come out of Cleantech Forum North America happening on January 26 - 28 in San Diego, California. The event connects investors, corporates, and innovators to fuel the cleantech sector. There’s still time to register! For more details, click here: https://cleantech.swoogo.com/CFNA-26/begin. Key Points: AI-driven baseload demand is reshaping the market – Technologies like small modular reactors, geothermal, and fusion are accelerating due to market pull, not policy, with rising electricity demand driving new partnerships, PPAs, and capital flows.Renewables face a temporary slowdown from policy shifts – The early phaseout of the ITC and PTC under OBBBA has created a short-term rush to build, followed by expected cooling, blunting the pull-through for storage but not eliminating long-term momentum.The next frontier: reducing energy use inside data centers – Innovations in liquid cooling, direct-to-chip cooling, and advanced heat-transfer materials could become one of the most impactful ways to curb electricity demand from AI infrastructure. Anthony DeOrsey, Head of Research at Cleantech Group, LinkedIn Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications 🚀 Calling all Earthlings…   Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures!  We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what...

    34 min
See All (149)

4.8
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

The Earthlings Podcast takes a look at the big issues facing humanity in the early 21st century and our relationship to our environment, technology, and each other. Each episode, award-winning journalist, and former NPR reporter Lisa Ann Pinkerton hosts experts, scientists, and leaders working to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Together, they cover wide-ranging topics including environmental solutions, emerging technologies, what the future might look like, and more. Support us on Patreon and receive exclusive content and benefits.

Information

  • Creator
    Lisa Ann Pinkerton
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    149
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

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