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Earth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

Earth911.com's Sustainability In Your Ear

By: Mitch Ratcliffe
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 Earth911's Mitch Ratcliffe interviews activists, authors, entrepreneurs and changemakers working to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, post-carbon society. You have more power to improve the world than you know! Listen in to get started saving the planet!Copyright 2023 Earth Media Partners Earth Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Earth911 Podcast: Brenna Simmons-St. Onge is on a Regenerative World Quest

    Earth911 Podcast: Brenna Simmons-St. Onge is on a Regenerative World Quest
    Jun 2 2025
    On today's Sustainability In Your Ear, meet Brenna Simmons-St. Onge, a systems strategist, regenerative futurist, and founder of B the Light Consulting, as we explore her family's extraordinary three-year journey around the world. The Regenerative World Quest isn't your typical travel adventure; it's a deliberate mission to identify, amplify, and help replicate Earth's most promising regenerative communities and projects. From Costa Rica to South Africa, she and her family engage with leaders, learn from Indigenous knowledge holders, and discover models that regenerate land, restore community agency, and reconnect people to purpose. Brenna's aim is to demonstrate how regeneration—not just mitigation—can serve as our organizing principle for addressing the climate crisis.

    Rather than extracting experiences as tourists, Brenna and her family integrate into the places they visit, contributing through forms of meaningful exchange. Her key insight is that true abundance comes from within—our creativity, generosity, and the love we share with others and the planet. Thee regenerative communities she's visited focus on building a prosperity based on relationships, ecological health, and community resilience rather than accumulating material possessions. The Regenerative World Quest will culminate in a documentary series and practical playbook that others can use to live more lightly on the planet, thinking seven generations ahead following Indigenous traditions. To follow Brenna's journey and learn from the regenerative communities she discovers, visit https://bthelightconsulting.com/ or follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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    53 mins
  • Earth911 Podcast: REC Solar and Trinchero Family Estates Electrify Winemaking

    Earth911 Podcast: REC Solar and Trinchero Family Estates Electrify Winemaking
    May 26 2025
    Energy is required at every step of the food and beverage industry supply chain, from growing grapes to bottling and delivery, making it a significant source of emissions and a prime target for climate innovation. On this episode of Earth911’s Sustainability in Your Ear, we explore how wineries and other producers are turning to clean, renewable energy to cut costs, reduce emissions, and future-proof their operations. We’re joined by James Presta, Business Development Manager at REC Solar, and Mario Trinchero of Trinchero Family Estates, a storied family-run winery in California’s Sonoma County. REC Solar and Trinchero teamed up to bring solar energy to one of the country’s largest winery operations, showing how collaboration between energy experts and agricultural producers can drive meaningful progress toward a carbon-neutral future.

    James explains that a decentralized electric grid is emerging—powered by modular solar installations and guided by power purchase agreements (PPAs) that lock in long-term energy prices. When networked together, these individual installations can form a resilient web of renewable power. Solar, wind, and geothermal systems will provide flexibility and stability in a world of climate extremes—if we act quickly enough to scale them. Mario reflects on the motivations behind his family’s move to solar: sustainability is not just good business, it’s essential to preserving the land and legacy that define the brand. By using solar energy in its winemaking process, Trinchero has cut emissions and operating costs while strengthening its commitment to environmental stewardship.

    We also delve into the mechanics of PPAs—a modern-day version of the 1930s rural electrification initiative that brought power to American farms. But now, companies like REC Solar—not government agencies—extend the grid through private partnerships. These agreements offer fixed pricing, shared risk, and maintenance contracts, but it’s critical to understand the provider’s long-term plans. A strong PPA can unlock the potential to electrify entire supply chains, eliminate dependence on diesel generators, and drive innovations where wires have never reached. And the potential for abundant, clean power is growing. What could we build if we end up with more energy than we need? As James and Mario suggest, the answer may be anything we can imagine with the right infrastructure—without the pollution that defined the last century. Learn more about REC Solar at recsolar.com and about Trinchero Family Estates at tfewines.com.
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    38 mins
  • Earth911 Podcast: MUUS Climate Partners' Kavita Patel Unpacks the CleanTech Opportunity

    Earth911 Podcast: MUUS Climate Partners' Kavita Patel Unpacks the CleanTech Opportunity
    May 19 2025
    On today’s Sustainability In Your Ear, meet Kavita Patel, a principal at MUUS Climate Partners, as we discuss how smart investments and business support can drive environmental impact while generating returns. MUUS Climate Partners invests in early-stage climate technology companies, with a portfolio including battery recycler Nth Cycle, EV charging innovator AmpUp, and innovative air conditioning developer Harvest. The firm targets critical sectors—energy, industry, materials, and transportation—where innovation is essential for meeting climate goals. In our conversation, Kavita addresses the “green premium,” pointing out that while consumers may pay more upfront for sustainable products, they often realize long-term savings. She emphasizes that the most significant opportunity to reduce costs lies in eliminating waste throughout our economy, from production, through the use phase, to recovering and reusing materials traditionally discarded after a single use.

    Kavita emphasizes that the most significant opportunity to reduce costs lies in eliminating waste throughout our economy, from production, through the use phase, to recovering and reusing materials traditionally discarded after a single use She also .shares a key insight about entrepreneurial leadership: successful climate tech founders have multiple backup plans. True innovators become “chief resource obtainers” by finding value where others see none. The entrepreneurs who will transform our economy can turn scrap into gold, whether starting with used equipment or reimagining landfill contents as raw materials for sustainable products. To learn more about MUUS Climate Partners and their approach to climate technology investment, visit muusclimate.com.
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    43 mins

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