Earthlings 2.0 Podcast

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Eric Osborne, Co-Founder, Board President and Community Minister of Psanctuary, to explore the rise of mushroom church communities and what intentional psilocybin practice can offer that clinical or purely recreational models often miss. We discuss why nature-based experiences can deepen spiritual connection, how Sanctuary is structured as a peer-led community designed to restore a modern “third space,” and why group support and integration may matter as much as the medicine itself. The conversation also zooms out to the broader psychedelic landscape while grappling with the risks of commercialization, ego-driven “guru” culture, and the challenge of building communities resilient enough to work through conflict rather than fracture under it. We also discussed this topic in different capacities on a few previous episodes. You can watch or listen here: #7: The Psychedelic Therapist Will See You Now#60: The Magical Future of Mushrooms Key Points: Community is becoming the missing infrastructure for psychedelic healing Sanctuary is designed to keep ceremonies accessible and non-transactional Legal recognition is evolving, but the landscape remains unevenEric Osborne, Co-Founder, Board President and Community Minister of Psanctuary, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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: LinkedInInstagram Facebook PageX Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the network!

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 Biochar can materially improve biogas economics 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 PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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:

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 Home electrification is happening, but today’s devices mostly don’t talk to each other Software is becoming the competitive advantage in HVAC Stephen Lake, CEO and founder of Jetson, LinkedIn Luis de LeonTechnica 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: LinkedIn

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 themFrom compliance to execution with AI-driven prioritizationSustainability works best when it’s shared across the organizationMary Wilson, Founder and CEO of Taza, LinkedIn Lisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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...

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-upDevelopment-as-a-service replaces rigid teams with flexible expertiseAI is embedded across the entire development workflow Daniel Dus, CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), LinkedInLuis de LeonTechnica 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: LinkedIn

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 careTextile-based sensors unlock richer health dataClinical research is a near-term catalyst Venk Varadan, CEO and co-founder of Nanowear, LinkedIn Lisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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: LinkedIn

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 fuelsClean energy now attracts roughly twice the investment of fossil fuelsMomentum for clean tech is strong, but timing is critical Mitchell Beer, Founder and Publisher of The Energy Mix, LinkedIn Luis de LeonTechnica 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...

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 globallyPila offers plug-in, appliance-level resilienceA future with billions of intelligent nodesCole Ashman, CEO and Founder of Pila EnergyLinkedInPila LinkedInPila Energy's Mission: Energy Independence for All Lisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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...

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 marketRenewables face a temporary slowdown from policy shiftsThe next frontier: reducing energy use inside data centers Anthony DeOrsey, Cleantech Grouphttps://cleantech.com/LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-deorsey-jr-b5017874/ Luis de LeonTechnica Communicationshttps://technica.inc/ 🚀 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

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, to explore how AI agents can help modernize one of the world’s largest and most complex machines: the electric grid. Mike explains what AI agents actually are, how they differ from simple chatbots, and why utilities are starting to use them for everything from wildfire risk detection to regulatory research. The conversation covers how Senpilot trains AI agents, how retrieval-based models and verification layers dramatically reduce hallucinations, why utilities are both cautious and eager to adopt AI, and what the next few years might look like for grid operators who embrace (or ignore) these tools. Key Points: AI agents behave like digital coworkersWildfire and regulatory use cases deliver immediate valueAI boosts capacity without replacing people Mike Hejmej, CEO and co-founder of Senpilot, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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:

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Alex Ip, co-founder and CEO of CERT Systems. CERT is a Canadian startup developing an electrochemical process that converts captured CO₂ into high-value chemicals, such as ethylene, using only electricity and water. Alex explains why these chemicals are so foundational to modern life, and why they’re also responsible for a significant share of global emissions. We unpack how CERT’s room-temperature “CO₂-to-chemicals” process works, what it means to replace both fossil fuel energy and feedstocks, and how circular carbon feedstocks could reshape supply chains on Earth, and maybe even enable local manufacturing on Mars. Editor's Note: This episode was recorded and edited before the National Renewable Energy Laboratory was renamed to the National Laboratory of the Rockies Key Points: Chemicals are a major but overlooked emissions sourceCERT turns CO₂ into chemicals at room temperatureCircular feedstocks can reshape supply chainsAlex Ip, CEO and co-founder of CERT Systems, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus, about how a new generation of blended wing-body aircraft could reshape both air cargo and, eventually, commercial passenger flight. The conversation explores why e-commerce has created a perfect moment for rethinking aircraft design, how starting with freight helps de-risk the path to passenger service, and what it will really take, from certification to autonomy, for these unusual-looking planes to start quietly moving our packages (and later, us) across the sky by the end of the decade. Key Points: Blended wing-body design changes the fundamentals – Lower emissions per ton and per passenger – Cargo first, passengers next – Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of NatilusLinkedInYouTubeLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn#12: Flying the Sustainable Skies 🚀 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: LinkedIn

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Eric Owski, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse, to explore how electrification is reshaping the way we power and operate our homes—and why upgrading the underlying electrical infrastructure remains one of the biggest hurdles. Eric explains how Treehouse is rethinking the entire homeowner journey by bringing technology, automation, and coordinated service delivery to a traditionally manual and fragmented industry. The conversation looks at what it takes to simplify electrification at scale, how software can support an overstretched electrical workforce, and why improving the customer experience is essential for accelerating the transition to cleaner, all-electric living. Key Points: Electrification demand is rising quicklyElectrical service upgrades are the biggest barrierTreehouse streamlines the entire electrification process Eric Owski, CEO and co-founder of Treehouse, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn#14: Electrification: The Smart Home Upgrade

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Gary Ong, CEO of Celadyne Technologies, a company focused on making hydrogen a more accessible energy source through its membrane technology. We explore why hydrogen adoption has lagged, how issues such as hydrogen crossover and membrane degradation hold back today’s fuel cells and electrolyzers, and how Celadyne’s low-permeability membrane addresses these problems and significantly improves durability. Gary explains how the technology functions as a true drop-in solution, why Celadyne is focusing on supplying membranes to partners like General Motors and the U.S. Army, and how he expects hydrogen to scale across heavy transportation and energy systems by 2035. Key Points: Hydrogen for heavy transport and industryWhy membranes matter so muchCeladyne’s low-permeability membranequintupleGary OngCeladyne TechnologiesLinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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: LinkedIn

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Alex Zorniger, Chief Commercial Officer at Power to Hydrogen, about how new hybrid electrolyzer technology could make green hydrogen more affordable and reliable. Power to Hydrogen’s system combines the best parts of existing designs to work directly with renewable energy while using common materials like nickel and iron instead of costly precious metals. We discuss how this technology could bring hydrogen production closer to the $2-per-kilogram goal, the challenges of storing and moving hydrogen, where green hydrogen is most likely to scale first, and how it fits into the global clean energy transition. Key Points: Cheaper materialsFlexible performanceBuilt-in pressure boostAlex Zorniger, Chief Commercial Officer at Power to Hydrogen, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedInEpisode #12: Flying the Sustainable SkiesHydrogen Delivery | Department of EnergyHydrogen Storage | Department of Energy 🚀 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

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we chat with Rob Alexander, CEO of AlumaPower, about a new way to generate clean, on-demand electricity using recycled aluminum. AlumaPower’s galvanic aluminum-air generator releases the energy already contained within aluminum through a chemical reaction with air and water — producing zero-emission power at the point of use and a reusable byproduct. We discuss how the company overcame the chemistry hurdles that held back aluminum-air systems for decades, the path to commercialization, and why aluminum could emerge as a global, circular energy carrier. Key Points: Recycled aluminum as fuel Backup power focusModular scalabilityRob AlexanderAlumaPower CorporationLinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedInEpisode #99 – Beyond Lithium: How Air, Water, and Rock Could Power the Grid with Hydrostor 🚀 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: LinkedInInstagram Facebook Page

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we talk with Micah Truman, founder of a Seattle-based terramation facility called Return Home, about a new approach to human composting that uses the body’s own microbes — with no added heat or forced air — to naturally return a person to soil in about nine weeks. We explore how this process differs from cremation and burial, what families experience when they participate, the alternative method’s environmental benefits, and how rethinking death care can restore a sense of connection, continuity, and compassion. The conversation spans the science of decomposition, the emotional power of returning to the earth, and the growing movement to legalize human composting across the U.S. Key Points: How teramation worksA connected goodbyeEnvironmental and human benefits Micah Truman, Founder and CEO of Return Home, LinkedInLisa Ann PinkertonTechnica CommunicationsWomen in Cleantech and SustainabilityLinkedIn 🚀 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: LinkedInInstagram Facebook Page

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we chat with Dr. Jehan Kanga, CEO and founder of Rux Energy, an Australia-based company developing advanced nanoporous materials to make hydrogen storage safer, denser, and up to ten times cheaper. While green hydrogen holds enormous promise for decarbonizing heavy transport, maritime, and construction sectors, storing and transporting it efficiently remains a major challenge. Rux Energy’s breakthrough lies in its metal–organic framework (MOF) technology — porous, tunable materials that can hold hydrogen at lower pressures and higher densities, dramatically reducing cost and improving safety. The conversation explores how this innovation could unlock affordable hydrogen logistics, the company’s upcoming maritime trials in the UK, and what the next decade holds for green hydrogen’s path to parity with fossil fuels. Key Points: Hydrogen’s cost barrier –Nanoporous innovation –Grid-independent potential –Dr. Jehan Kanga, CEO and Founder of Rux Energy, LinkedInLuis de LeonTechnica 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: LinkedInInstagram Facebook PageX Thanks to Resource Labs for having us on the...

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Mark Verhagen, CEO and co-founder of Renewable Iron Fuel Technologies (RIFT), a company turning rust into a clean heat source for heavy industry. You see, industrial heat, from cement kilns to steel plants, accounts for roughly 20% of global emissions, yet most facilities can’t electrify or switch to hydrogen because of grid and infrastructure limits. RIFT’s answer? Burn iron powder instead of fossil fuels, then recycle the “ash” (iron oxide) back into reusable fuel. We unpack how this closed-loop system works, the company’s 1 MW demo plant in the Netherlands, lessons learned as they scale, and why a grid-independent fuel could be the missing piece for decarbonizing the world’s hardest-to-abate sectors. Key Points: Industrial heat’s blind spot Iron fuel explainedCircular chemistry Mark Verhagen, CEO and co-founder of RIFTLinkedInYouTubeLuis de LeonTechnica 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: LinkedInInstagram Facebook PageX Thanks to Resource...

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Eric Law, CEO and Co-founder of Urban Machine, about how robotics and AI are transforming one of construction’s dirtiest secrets — wood waste. Every year, the U.S. generates over 37 million tons of discarded lumber, most of which ends up burned or buried. Urban Machine’s automated system, fittingly named The Machine, scans, “cooks,” and removes metal fasteners from used lumber, turning what was once landfill-bound debris into reusable, high-value wood. The conversation explores the evolution of this technology, the economics of competing with virgin lumber, new building-code pathways for reclaimed materials, and how scaling local reuse could reshape construction’s carbon footprint. Key Points: The scale of waste is staggeringAutomation unlocks circularitySustainability benefits multiply Eric LawUrban MachineLinkedInLuis de LeonTechnica 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: LinkedIn