#sustainability
30 episodes
#2087: Why Refill Stations Haven't Gone Mainstream
We explore the technical and economic friction preventing refill-on-the-go from replacing single-use packaging in Western supermarkets.
#1912: GDP: The Giant Receipt for the Whole Country
We break down what GDP actually measures and why the economy can "grow" while your wallet feels poorer.
#1760: Why Sloths Keep Dying on Roads and Power Lines
Sloths are getting trapped in cities, but a simple rope bridge is saving hundreds from highways and power lines.
#1743: Why the SEC’s Climate Rule Vanished
The SEC’s landmark climate disclosure rule is gone. Here’s what happened, and why companies still have to report emissions.
#1655: Why Lemon on Fish? The Chemistry of Flavor Pairing
Up to 80% of flavor is aroma. Discover the volatile compounds that make foods sing together—and how to use them.
#1512: The Sustainability Wand: Rewiring a Broken Civilization
What if we could permanently delete the ten most unsustainable habits of modern life? We explore the structural flaws pushing Earth to the brink.
#1497: Is Your Company Actually Profitable or Just a Value Destroyer?
Is profit a fiction? Discover how new accounting standards are pricing air, water, and life itself directly into the corporate balance sheet.
#1487: The New Bretton Woods: Engineering a Livable Planet
Discover how the IMF and World Bank are pivoting from poverty alleviation to climate resilience and mobilizing trillions in private capital.
#1485: Mandatory Scope 3: The End of Voluntary Carbon Reporting
From California mandates to SEC reviews, the era of voluntary green claims is over. Learn why Scope 3 reporting is the new corporate reality.
#1444: The $4 Trillion Engine: How Municipal Bonds Build the World
Discover how the $4 trillion municipal bond market funds our physical world and why these assets are a strategic powerhouse for modern investors.
#1348: The Ghost in the Machine: Why Accounting Ignores the Planet
Why does the global economy feel disconnected from reality? Explore the 500-year history of the "blind spots" in our financial ledgers.
#1347: The Carbon Math Paradox: Why Climate Accounting is Broken
Why do identical emissions lead to different social costs? Explore the "carbon math paradox" and the messy reality of impact-weighted accounting.
#1338: Can Experts Put a Price Tag on Human Goodness?
Can we put a dollar value on human goodness? Explore how new accounting standards are turning social and environmental impacts into hard currency.
#1251: Why Richer Countries Are Getting Miserable
Why is the US falling in happiness rankings while others thrive? Explore the "Beyond GDP" movement and the true metrics of a life well-lived.
#1062: The Silicon Age: Turning Sand into Intelligence
Why did silicon win the chip wars? Explore the "modern magic" that turns ordinary sand into the world's most powerful processors.
#852: Beyond the Market: Building a Post-Capitalist Economy
Is it time to move past the stock market? Explore how community wealth building and resource-based models could redefine human value.
#792: The Framework Laptop: Modularity and the Right to Repair
Can laptops ever be as modular as desktops? Explore how Framework is fighting planned obsolescence with swappable parts and open designs.
#784: Beyond the Alkaline Cycle: Mastering Home Batteries
Stop feeding your power-hungry tools a diet of alkalines. Learn how to switch your whole home to sustainable, high-performance rechargeables.
#760: Hacking the Desert: Israel’s Water Technology Miracle
Discover how drip irrigation and desalination turned a desert nation into a global leader in water security and sustainable agriculture.
#685: The Pulse of the Deep: Life in the Middle of the Ocean
Is the open sea a glassy mirror or a chaotic storm? Herman and Corn dive into the science of swells, fetch, and the ocean’s constant pulse.
#683: The Pied Piper Reality: Building a Truly Distributed Web
Herman and Corn explore the technical and legal hurdles of replacing massive data centers with a global peer-to-peer network of consumer devices.
#595: The Dirty Truth: The Environmental Cost of Diapers
Herman and Corn dive into the massive waste stream of disposable diapers and the surprising science behind modern cloth alternatives.
#574: The Outlook Shift: 5 Destinations to Change Your Life
Forget vacations. Herman and Corn explore five destinations where a month-long stay will fundamentally shift your perspective on how to live.
#513: Financing the Future: The Logic of Sustainability Bonds
Can debt markets save the planet? Explore how sustainability-linked bonds align corporate finance with environmental goals.
#510: Did Your EV Break Your Arm or the Planet?
Are electric vehicles truly green? From 1900s dominance to the ethics of cobalt mining, we explore the complex reality of the EV revolution.
#508: Israel's Solar Revolution: Can the Sun Power the Future?
Israel led the world in solar water heaters, but why is it lagging in electricity? Herman and Corn explore the future of the Israeli grid.
#429: Can 10 Air Conditioners a Second Save or Sink the Planet?
Explore how breakthroughs like liquid desiccants and radiative sky cooling are transforming AC from a climate threat into a sustainable solution.
#391: The Green Print: Sustainable Reading in a Digital Age
Is paper greener than digital? Discover how to satisfy your long-read cravings without the environmental guilt.
#159: The High Cost of Flight: Aviation and Impact Accounting
Is flying at odds with a livable planet? Explore the physics of aviation, the limits of green fuel, and the true cost of impact accounting.
#149: From Sand to Smart City: Building the Future Negev
Herman and Corn explore the engineering hurdles of building a sustainable, high-tech metropolis in the heart of the Negev desert.