Climate Papa

Ben Eidelson
Climate Papa

At the intersection of climate change, technology, and parenthood. Climate Papa is a home for the climate dads, climate papas, and climate papis. The climate abbas, the climate babas, and climate tatas. We're here to gather folks sitting at the intersection of Emily Oster, Dr. Volts, Jason Jacobs, and Elad Gil. Maybe I’m the only one. Maybe there’s dozens of us.

  1. #24: The Stepchange Podcast: Coal Part I

    JAN 21

    #24: The Stepchange Podcast: Coal Part I

    Today I'm excited to introduce a new project, the Stepchange podcast, where we share the stories of human progress. Like Climate Papa, it's driven by a curiosity about the systems that shape our world, but focuses on the historical innovations and moments that got us here and the transformations happening now. The show is a long-form conversation hosted by me and Anay where we unpack the technologies, systems, and infrastructure that underpin modern life. Our first episode explores coal's role in the Industrial Revolution - a story that echoes through to the many fuel debated today. You can listen by searching for "Stepchange" on your preferred podcast platform (here on Spotify and Apple Podcasts). Climate Papa email subscribers will be added to the Stepchange email list so that you don’t miss future episodes. If the show is not for you, you can always unsubscribe and your Climate Papa updates will not be impacted. Subscribe: stepchange.show ------------------------ Coal is the story of a step change—a transformation so profound that it reshaped the course of human history. The rise of coal reshaped economies, societies, and the very way we live. It became the foundation of the Industrial Revolution and powered a new era of progress, but this leap forward came at a tremendous cost. Coal’s story begins with ancient plants that captured sunlight and locked away carbon over millennia. These deposits, buried deep in the Earth, would one day drive empires and fuel industries that transformed the world. Yet, behind this transformation lies a complex and often difficult legacy. Even as coal has faded from the forefront of our energy landscape, its fingerprints remain everywhere. The technologies it spawned, from steam engines and the rail to industrial manufacturing, continue to underpin our modern world. At the same time, coal’s legacy is inseparable from many of the challenges we face today, from labor abuse and environmental degradation to global climate change. In this debut episode, we explore the first chapter of coal's story, from its early discovery and use through the dawn of the 20th century. Thank you for joining us for the first episode of Stepchange. Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts by emailing us at hi@stepchange.show. Hosts: Ben Shwab Eidelson and Anay Shah Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome to Stepchange03:37 - The Birth of Coal09:39 - Coal's Early History17:01 - Britain's Coal Transformation25:49 - Reshaping Home & Hearth34:49 - The Iron & Coke Revolution44:28 - The Steam Engine Breakthrough1:03:37 - The Railway Revolution1:19:50 - The Rise of Industrial Cities1:38:57 - Life in the Mines1:54:37 - Coal Comes to America2:24:11 - Themes & Reflections Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History Goodman, Ruth. The Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything Paxman, Jeremy. Black Gold: The History of How Coal Made Britain Sinclair, Upton. King Coal:a Novel (fiction) Barbara Freese, 12/12/24 Johnston Suter, 1/6/24 Geological History The Carboniferous Period Earth's Historical Timeline Visualization Coal-Bearing Areas of the United States USGS: Coal Resources and Historical Production Coal Mining in Ancient China Coal Mining Regions Industrial Development British Population Growth (1100-Present) The Industrial Revolution Evolution of Steam Power History of the Steam Engine Newcomen Atmospheric Engine Key Industrial Figures Abraham Darby I James Watt Matthew Boulton John Wilkinson Franklin B. Gowen The Lunar Society of Birmingham The Grand Allies George Stephenson Social Impact and Labor History Friedrich Engels Coal Mining Labor Practices and "Hurrying" Lord Ashley and Labor Reform The Great Smog of London (1952) The Centralia Mine Fire Pennsylvania Anthracite Mining History Modern Context Global Coal Consumption Trends Emissions by Fuel Type

    2h 55m

  2. JAN 17

    #23: Making sense of the Los Angeles fires with Jay Ribakove from Convective Capital

    There was a fire that burned for 29 hours. It destroyed over 17,000 buildings, killed over 300 people, and left more than 100,000 homeless. This was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Out of the ashes, Chicago rebuilt itself into a global model of resilience. The disaster spurred major changes, including the use of fire-resistant building materials, stricter safety codes, the expansion of the fire department, and the modernization of water and sewer systems. It ultimately set the conditions for Chicago to become the birthplace of the skyscraper and a leader in architecture and urban planning. The fires in Los Angeles are still burning. The devastation is immense and heartbreaking. To grasp for some meaning, I’ve been reflecting on the history of Chicago—not as a direct analogy but as a beacon of hope. Hope that something long-lasting and transformative can come from this disaster. That we can be collectively catalyzed not just to rebuild, but to rebuild smarter—with better tools, better systems, and to rebuild resiliently. That is my hope for Los Angeles and its amazing people. To help process and understand the fires—how we got here and where we might go next—I reached out to our friends at Convective Capital. Jay Ribakove is a Principal at Convective Capital—a venture firm investing in solutions to combat and adapt to the growing threat of wildfires. We unpack how wildfires have changed over time—from the low-intensity fires of the past to today’s massive, catastrophic events. Jay explains the critical factors at play in the Los Angeles fires and the tools we have to increase our defenses. Referenced: Portfolio companies mentioned: BurnBot, Fire Aside, Overstory, Rhizome Firetech Job Board Red Sky Summit Get connected: Jay - LinkedIn | Convective Capital Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ Feedback? Guest ideas? Get in touch, by emailing ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

    39 min

  3. JAN 1

    #22: Cooking as medicine for our bodies and our planet with chef Joel Gamoran

    On this show, we’ve explored how people can make infrastructure changes in their lives that have long-term positive climate impacts—whether it’s upgrading your furnace to a heat pump or switching from a gas car to an EV. Food is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s the ultimate behavioral challenge: the average person has three meals a day, 21 meals a week. That's over 1,000 meals a year or 5,000 decisions over five years. Compare that to the one-time choice of a car you may drive for five years. Each of these meals—and how we prepare them—has a major impact, both on our personal health and on the health of the planet. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Joel Gamoran—a fellow Seattle papa, chef, culinary teacher, and founder of Homemade Cooking. Joel’s journey has taken him from teaching as the head chef at Sur La Table to hosting the cooking show Scraps, where he turned food waste into culinary masterpieces (and published a cookbook as well). We discuss staggering truths about the waste in our food system—and how culinary medicine is a key unlock for our health, our communities, and the planet. Joel generously opens up about his own health journey and how that connects to his life’s work. If after this conversation you want more of Joel’s amazing energy, you can cook with him via his site Homemade Cooking, watch his PBS show Homemade Live, and follow along via his Instagram. Referenced: Food Waste - ReFED Land use data - Our World in Data Seattle not among nation’s vegan/vegetarian hot spots - Seattle Times Get connected: Joel - Instagram | Homemade Cooking Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

    1h 5m

  4. 11/13/2024

    #21: Digging down deep for (near) free heat with Kathy Hannun of Dandelion Energy

    I sit down with Kathy Hannun--the founder of Dandelion Energy, a geothermal heat pump comany that she spun out of Google X. What is a geothermal heat pump? Well, if you go outside and drill a hole a few hundred feet below ground you would get to a stable temperature--somewhere in the 50-60 degrees range. This earth is a fantastic place to transfer heat to and from. You can then cycle a fluid (like water) down there and use the transfer of heat to very efficiently heat or cool a home via a heatpump. In fact, a geothermal heatpump should be the most efficient way to heat and cool any building. We unpack all of that, and also discuss how Kathy made major career decisions—optimizing for each step along the way. Of course, we chat about kids, Halloween costumes, and more. After the election, I was reflecting on Kathy's timeline--she spun this business out of Google X in 2017. She raised a Seed round then--proving out the product and model until growing significantly in over the last 3 years. It's interesting to realize that the product, team, and company were really formed in the early days of a very pro-fossil fuel administration. I suspect Kathy's story will have many analogs. Many of the most impactful and successful companies will be formed in 2025 by founders just as relentless and thoughtful as her. Referenced: Ebb Carbon Episode #10: The magic devices that cool (and heat) our homes and how to perfect them with Bill Kee Get connected: Kathy - LinkedIn | Dandelion Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

    57 min

  5. 10/24/2024

    #20: The other half of Stepchange’s origin story: integrating fatherhood, investing, and a values-driven life with Anay Shah

    A bit over a year ago Ben met Anay Shah. In the months that followed Anay and Ben spent hours, then days, then months bringing forth Stepchange. Anay has not only become a fund co-founder and close friend—he’s also shared in the joy of parallel newborn parenting—both he and Ben had new babies less than a month apart over the summer. Together, they explore Anay’s journey from his early days at the State Department to leadership roles at global fintech startups (Remitly and Tala), focusing on financial inclusion in emerging markets, and how that path led him ultimately to climate tech and venture investing. Anay accidentally coined the idea of “techno-obligation,” the belief that we have a responsibility to use technology for solving urgent global challenges, particularly climate change. The conversation dives into how loss, the birth of their children, and an awareness of the finite nature of time have shaped their perspectives on life and work, and how those experiences influenced the founding of Stepchange. Referenced in the episode: On Children, Meaning, Media and Psychedelics - Ezra Klein and Jia Tolentino Image of Earth’s atmosphere Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War by Tom Steyer Speed and Scale #16 - Introducing Stepchange, our new venture fund Get connected: Anay - LinkedIn | anay@stepchange.vc Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Music: Sheeba Marie - Persephone Intro Music:Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

    1h 22m

  6. 07/26/2024

    #19: Unlocking home decarbonization and a side of bluegrass, with Jeff Coleman

    How do we get the money from climate legislation into the hands of someone buying a heat pump or solar? Between passing legislation, like the Inflation Reducaiton Act (IRA), and a homeowner getting new devices to run their homes there is a major coordination, paperwork, and financing problem to orchestrate. In this episode Ben interviews Jeff Coleman, founder and CEO of Eli Technologies, and fellow climate dad. Jeff’s career has a theme of building digital infrastructure to drive systemic change. He worked on the 2008 Obama campaign, numerous non-profits, and built the digital tools behind Access Clean California. This all led to founding Eli—a startup on a mission to make home decarbonization more equitable and affordable at scale. Side note—Eli is exactly the type of company that Stepchange is focused on--finding places where software-based products can accelerate the deployment speed of climate solutions. We're lucky to be investors in Eli and as always, nothing in this conversation is investment advice. Referenced: Node Collective Eli Technologies Hot Buttered Rum (Jeff’s Bluegrass band) Get connected: Jeff - LinkedIn | Eli Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Today’s outro music: Hot Buttered Rum - No Reason Why Show theme music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix) 02:20 Jeff's Musical Background and Family Life 06:03 Jeff's Journey: From Musician to Climate Advocate 10:11 The Obama Campaign Experience 17:24 Transition to Climate Solutions 21:12 Challenges in Solar Installation 22:52 Building Access Clean California 26:51 Government's Role in Program Funding 27:48 Program Administration and Challenges 30:03 Equity and Incentive Structures 32:21 Decentralization and Local Needs 34:29 Eli's Mission and Approach 41:20 Building a Multi-Sided Platform 44:19 The Role of Software in Climate Solutions 50:15 Balancing Startup Life and Family 56:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    1h 2m

  7. 06/18/2024

    #18: A very special Father's Day

    This episode is a bit more papa and a bit less climate. Ben shares some family news and processes it with his 6-year-old and 3-year-old. They hit on some climate topics, the purpose of ants, and what was in the universe before earth. Kids are the best. Happy Father’s Day to all the fellow climate papas out there. Referenced in the episode: Last year’s Father’s Day special Astrophysics for People in a Hurry In other fun news, I made Bloomberg Green’s “13 Most Influential Climate Leaders to Watch in 2024” Hope to see many of you at the Bloomberg Green Festival in July in Seattle. Shoot me a note (ben@climatepapa.com) if you’re planning to make it. We may have some special Climate Papa meetups in the works!

    11 min

  8. 04/11/2024

    #17: Why we must understand the present with Nat Bullard

    The presentation: Decarbonization: Stocks and flows, abundance and scarcity, net zero In 1995, a Morgan Stanley analyst named Mary Meeker released a report called The Internet Trends Report. In 2001 it became a slide deck. Each year the release of the annual Mary Meeker deck was eagerly devoured by those trying to understand what's going on in technology1. It informed public market and venture capital investment decisions, led to board room strategy shifts, and rippled across the industry. Those of us interested in climate and the societal and infrastructural response to climate now have our annual trend report. Beginning in 2020, Nat Bullard began publishing a presentation about the state of decarbonization, and this last years deck, his 4th, is probably one of the most useful artifacts one could consume if they wanted to understand what happened in 2023. In this wide ranging conversation with Nat we intentionally spend little time on the content of the deck, but instead focus on how and why he makes this each year. Who it’s for, and how the process of making it each year makes him think about the moment we're in right now. We also talk about big life transitions, raising kids in Singapore, and how to feel about all of this as the years march on. Nat has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of climate, technology, strategy, and capital markets. He worked at BloombergNEF and Bloomberg Green for over 13 years, and finished his time at BloombergNEF as the Chief Content Officer. If you want more Nat unpacking a few select slides of the deck, I highly recommend the excellent two-parter on Catalyst with Shayle Kann. Referenced: Nat’s presentation Introducing Stepchange Get connected: Nat - LinkedIn | X Ben - LinkedIn | ⁠Climate Papa⁠ To get in touch, email ⁠ben@climatepapa.com⁠ Music: Slynk & Lazy Syrup Orchestra - Mellow Kinda Hype (Balkan Bump Remix)

    42 min
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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

At the intersection of climate change, technology, and parenthood. Climate Papa is a home for the climate dads, climate papas, and climate papis. The climate abbas, the climate babas, and climate tatas. We're here to gather folks sitting at the intersection of Emily Oster, Dr. Volts, Jason Jacobs, and Elad Gil. Maybe I’m the only one. Maybe there’s dozens of us.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Eidelson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ben Eidelson
  • Show Website
    Climate Papa

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