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PODCAST

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

Lisa Ann Pinkerton

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

science earth sciences

All Episodes

35:28

#181: Stress Testing the Future of Solar with RETC

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/10/06

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Cherif Kedir, President and CEO of the Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC), about what it takes to ensure solar panels can perform reliably for decades in the field. Cherif discusses RETC's PV Module Index (PVMI) and Thresher Test, how solar testing has evolved as technologies and operating environments have changed, and the role third-party validation plays in building confidence across the industry. The conversation also explores

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35:10

#180: From Food Waste to Renewable Energy with Divert

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/09/29

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Ben Kuethe Oaks, Senior Vice President, Commercial at Divert, about building a more circular approach to food waste. Divert works with grocery retailers and other food businesses to track unsold food, prevent waste, increase food donations, and process food that can no longer be eaten through anaerobic digestion.Check out our previous episodes on food waste and agriculture:#98 – Beyond Organic: Understanding Regenerative Agriculture

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41:18

#179: Reinventing the Grid for the AI Age With Grid...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/09/22

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Bryce Yonker, Executive Director and CEO of Grid Forward, about one of the biggest challenges facing the electric grid today: meeting surging electricity demand while keeping power reliable and affordable. As AI data centers, electrification, manufacturing, and extreme weather place new pressure on utilities, Bryce explains why affordability has become a central issue for grid operators and policymakers. The conversation covers data

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22:24

#178: Unlocking Natural Gas Energy Waste with...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/09/15

On this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Jeff Earl, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Sapphire Technologies, about an overlooked source of clean energy. Every day, pressure is intentionally reduced throughout natural gas pipeline networks to safely deliver gas to homes, businesses, and industrial facilities. That pressure contains usable energy, but in most systems it is simply dissipated as heat. Jeff explains how Sapphire Technologies' turbo expander

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29:03

#177: The EV Industry Now Has Adult Problems with...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/09/08

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Kameale Terry, CEO of ChargerHelp, about what it takes to keep EV charging infrastructure reliable after deployment. As the industry matures, attention is shifting toward uptime, maintenance, diagnostics, and how quickly operators can resolve failures when they occur. Kameale explains why modern EV chargers behave more like connected computers than traditional fueling equipment, how field data can reveal complex software and

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33:41

#176: Turning a Can of Fuel Into a Fusion Star with...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/09/01

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Will Regan, Founder and Chief Scientist of Pacific Fusion, about how the company is developing pulser-driven inertial fusion for eventual commercial deployment. Will breaks down how the system works, the scientific breakthroughs that have changed the outlook for commercial fusion, and why Pacific Fusion believes modularity and mass manufacturing could provide a path toward reliable fusion power plants. He also discusses the company's

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44:26

#175: Investing in the Energy Behind the AI Boom with...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/08/25

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Theo Ludwick, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at NosTerra Venture Capital, about the infrastructure behind AI's rapid growth. Theo explains why electricity has become one of the biggest bottlenecks facing AI data centers, how operators are balancing power and water use, and why energy efficiency could help unlock additional data center capacity in the near term. The conversation also explores emerging energy and cooling technologies,

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24:35

#174: Rethinking What It Takes to Electrify Fleets...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/08/18

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with John Bonitz, Clean Transportation Project Manager at the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center and one of the organizers behind the Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference & Expo. The conversation explores how commercial fleet electrification is moving beyond pilot projects and into real-world deployment. As fleet operators face rising fuel costs, evolving regulations, new charging technologies, and growing amounts of

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36:17

#173: Active Diesel Particulate Filters: Unlocking...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/08/11

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Thomas Babineau, Senior Emissions and Technology Advisor at Rypos, about one of the least discussed environmental challenges surrounding AI data centers: diesel backup generators. As data centers expand to support artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure, most continue to rely on diesel generators to provide emergency backup power during grid outages. Thomas explains why diesel remains the most reliable

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39:34

172: Why Stopping Climate Change Means Fixing...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/08/04

On this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Sunrise Movement Executive Director Aru Shiney-Ajay about the future of youth climate organizing and why action depends on building a more representative democracy. Aru explains how the climate movement is connecting emissions reduction with green jobs, healthcare, public transit, economic security, and fossil fuel accountability. The conversation also explores the Make Polluters Pay campaign, the climate impact of AI data centers,

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37:22

#171: Turning Ports Into Power Stations for Clean...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/07/28

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Hendrik Tiesinga, founder and CEO of Climate Edge. Maritime shipping is one of the world's biggest decarbonization challenges and is responsible for moving roughly 80% of global trade. The shipping industry is under increasing pressure to reduce emissions while continuing to power the global economy. Hendrik explains why scaling clean shipping requires more than new fuels; it also depends on financing, improved energy efficiency, and

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24:38

#170: Turning Grid Transformers into Intelligent...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/07/21

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Matthew Williams, Founder and CEO of Ionate Energy, about why electric grid modernization is becoming just as important as building more renewable energy. As AI data centers, electric vehicles, distributed energy resources, and electrification place unprecedented demands on aging electricity infrastructure, utilities are facing a growing need for greater visibility, flexibility, and control across the electric grid. Matthew explains

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48:01

#169: How NASA is Growing Food in Space with Gioia Massa

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/07/14

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Gioia Massa, Senior Project Scientist for Space Crop Production at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, about how NASA is preparing to grow food on the Moon, Mars, and future deep-space missions. As human space exploration moves beyond short-duration missions, reliable food production will become a critical component of life support systems. Gioia explains the science behind space agriculture, including how researchers are overcoming

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34:42

#168: Cracking the Code on Building Energy Costs With...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/07/07

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Behdad Bahrami, CEO of Edgecom Energy, about how artificial intelligence is changing the way industrial facilities manage electricity. As energy prices become more volatile, AI data centers drive unprecedented demand on the electric grid, and utilities introduce increasingly complex pricing structures, manufacturers and other large energy users need better visibility into how and when they consume electricity. Behdad explains how

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32:50

#167: How Quantum Hydrogen Can Clean Up Industrial...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/06/30

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Masami Hayashi, Global Strategy Director at Clean Planet Inc., about the company's work developing solid-state fusion technology for industrial heat. While electricity often dominates clean energy discussions, industrial heat remains one of the largest sources of global energy consumption and emissions. Hayashi explains that Clean Planet's Quantum Hydrogen Energy (QHE) technology uses hydrogen and proprietary metal catalysts to

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37:55

#166: How Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Removes Carbon...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/06/23

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Michael Kelland, CEO and Co-Founder of Planetary Technologies, about whether the ocean could play a much larger role in helping remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For decades, the ocean has served as one of Earth's largest carbon sinks, absorbing roughly a quarter of human-generated CO2 emissions. But that service comes at a cost: ocean acidification, which threatens coral reefs, shellfish, and marine ecosystems worldwide

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44:59

#165: Bonus Episode: Looking Back on 15 Years of...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/06/16

In this special bonus episode of Earthlings 2.0, we feature WCS Talks Unplugged, the podcast from Women in Cleantech & Sustainability (WCS). Host Sara Fuentes sits down with our very own Lisa Ann Pinkerton to discuss the origins of one of the largest global networks supporting women in cleantech, renewable energy, sustainability, and climate technology. Lisa Ann reflects on how a simple decision to stop waiting for change and start building community grew into an organization

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29:37

#164: How the Grid Could Survive the AI Boom with...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/06/09

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Michael Wood III, Director of Commercial Development at DG Matrix, about one of the biggest challenges behind the AI boom: aging electrical infrastructure. As AI, data centers, manufacturing and electrification drive unprecedented demand for electricity, utilities and developers are increasingly constrained by a grid architecture built around technologies that have changed little in more than a century. Michael explains how DG Matrix

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34:46

#163: Can Renewable Energy Replace Combustion? This...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/06/02

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Hayden Smith, CEO of FeX Energy, about the growing challenge of decarbonizing industrial heat and why long-duration energy storage may become essential to the future of clean manufacturing and grid reliability. While renewable electricity adoption continues to grow, many industrial sectors still rely on fossil fuel combustion to generate the high-temperature heat needed for cement, steel, chemicals, plastics, mining, and food

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50:54

#162: Whales, Wolves, and Wild Comebacks: The Power...

Earthlings 2.0 Podcast ·

2026/05/26

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Alister Scott, Executive Director of the Global Rewilding Alliance, about the growing global rewilding movement and how ecosystem restoration could play a major role in addressing biodiversity loss, climate resilience, flooding, wildfire risk, and human well-being. The conversation explores what rewilding actually means: restoring ecosystems by reducing destructive human activity, reconnecting habitats through wildlife corridors, and

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181 results

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