David Roberts, Volts

Explicit content warning

10/10/22 • 75 min

2 Listeners

Inevitable

Today’s guest is David Roberts, aka Dr. Volts, who runs the Volts newsletter and podcast.

David has been reporting on and explaining clean energy topics for almost 20 years. He talks to politicians, analysts, innovators, activists, and more about the latest progress in the world's most important fight. David’s work is deeply researched and an invaluable resource for people who want a better understanding of what a clean energy transition and viable future could look like. And he isn’t afraid to share his strongly held opinions.

In this conversation, Jason learns more about David’s background, his views on the issue and how they’ve evolved throughout his career. They discuss some of the fundamental politics ingrained in climate, and some of the solutions that are accelerating our transition away from fossil fuels. There’s a lot of insight packed into this episode and we hope you enjoy it.

In this episode, we cover:

[4:49] How David got involved in journalism and climate
[9:10] His thoughts on the climate issue early in his career and how they've evolved
[13:54] How concerned he thinks people should be
[23:32] Approaching solutions to climate that also solve other issues
[27:25] Importance of celebrating small victories to motivate future progress
[34:37] David's optimism for a clean energy future
[44:16] The human need to feel some sense of control and how that impacts their views on climate
[54:07] U.S. journalism today
[57:54] Intersection between environmentalism and climate
[1:01:03] David's thoughts on tech and how it’s approaching clean energy
[1:05:02] Speed round including solar geoengineering, nuclear, carbon capture, offsets, and more

Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Dr. Volts Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on September 23, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

Connect with MCJ:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Today’s guest is David Roberts, aka Dr. Volts, who runs the Volts newsletter and podcast.

In this episode, we cover:

[4:49] How David got involved in journalism and climate
[9:10] His thoughts on the climate issue early in his career and how they've evolved
[13:54] How concerned he thinks people should be
[23:32] Approaching solutions to climate that also solve other issues
[27:25] Importance of celebrating small victories to motivate future progress
[34:37] David's optimism for a clean energy future
[44:16] The human need to feel some sense of control and how that impacts their views on climate
[54:07] U.S. journalism today
[57:54] Intersection between environmentalism and climate
[1:01:03] David's thoughts on tech and how it’s approaching clean energy
[1:05:02] Speed round including solar geoengineering, nuclear, carbon capture, offsets, and more

Get connected:
Jason's Twitter
Dr. Volts Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on September 23, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

Connect with MCJ:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Previous Episode

Startup Series: Shellworks

Today’s guest is Insiya Jafferjee, CEO ad Co-Founder of Shellworks.

When we talk about excellence in packaging today, we typically think of companies who create an elegant and exciting unboxing experience. Think Apple. But as sustainability continues to gain awareness in the popular conscience, how far away are we from celebrating companies who create small footprints from their packaging? How do you celebrate something if the goal is for it not to be noticeable in the first place?

Shellworks is developing sustainable packaging alternatives to plastic that don't compromise on performance or aesthetic. Based in the UK, the company recently raised a seed round of funding to help them scale their micro based mono-material packaging via cosmetics companies that are looking for natural packaging alternatives. Insiya brings a no-compromises spirit to what she's doing at Shellworks. She believes her company can develop packaging that has minimal footprint and is stunning and brand-forward.

In this conversation, Cody and Insiya cover her background, the state of plastic packaging today, how Shellworks came to be, their initial approach to product development, current product lines and traction, and how their non-compromising culture turns internal innovations into a robust product pipeline.

In today’s episode, we cover:

[2:38] Insiya's background and climate journey
[8:15] The world of packaging and different types of plastics involved
[14:04] Industrial shift away from plastic packaging
[18:03] Challenges to addressing packaging in cosmetics
[19:46] Shellworks' go-to-market strategy
[24:33] An overview of Shellworks and their focus on mono-material products
[27:27] The company's commercial traction
[29:47] Use cases that aren't a good fit for Shellworks' offerings
[36:53] The company's core value ads
[41:44] What's next for Shellworks
[45:20] Funding to date, early challenges and how Insiya overcame them

Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
MCJ Podcast Twitter
MCJ Collective Twitter

*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on August 31, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

Connect with MCJ:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Next Episode

Startup Series: Sweep

Today’s guest is Rachel Delacour, co-founder and CEO of Sweep.

Carbon accounting helps organizations measure their emissions so they can understand their overall footprint, share findings, and plan future reductions. Sweep’s business intelligence tools specialize in using data to map a company’s carbon emissions and helping them realize feasible goals while managing future growth. In doing so, Sweep is shifting the way companies view carbon from a limitation to a creative force for innovation.

Rachel has a background in business intelligence, having sold her previous startup to Zendesk. She felt that she could best contribute to the climate problem by leveraging the skills and expertise she and her team already had around data management, modeling, and forecasting. Sweep recently announced a sizable Series B in funding led by Coatue, and they've raised over a hundred million dollars in aggregate in a little less than two years.

In this conversation, Cody and Rachel discuss her journey, how Sweep views the market need, how companies source scope 3 emissions data, the potential role of regulation and carbon reporting, and whether or not recommending offsets or contributions creates any incentives. Rachel’s story is great for people looking to make the transition, but not quite sure where to start.

In this episode, we cover:

[2:27] Rachel's financial background and climate journey
[8:51] How she took existing skills and applied them to carbon
[18:14] Sweep's approach to building a diverse team of experts from the carbon, tech, and political backgrounds
[24:19] Rachel's views of carbon accounting vs. carbon management
[29:15] An overview of scope 3 emissions
[33:09] How companies are accessing accurate emissions data
[38:32] The role of carbon management platforms in accelerating regulations
[41:17] Sweep's success with companies so far
[44:27] Future targets vs short-term reality in emissions reductions
[48:59] Rachel's interactions with sustainability teams and financial directors
[56:29] Where global climate justice fits into Sweep's solution
[1:01:19] How Sweep balances customer reductions and credits
[1:05:02] What's next for Rachel and Sweep

Get connected:
Cody's Twitter
Rachel’s Twitter
Sweep
MCJ Podcast
MCJ Collective

*You can also reach us via email at [email protected], where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on September 7, 2022.

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected].

Connect with MCJ:

*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant