A tree grows out of the ground. But does it come from the ground? Four hundred years ago, Jean-Baptiste van Helmont planted a willow tree in a carefully weighed pot of soil to find out. His experiment produced evidence he couldn't fully explain—and helped open a trail of discovery connecting forests, fuels, and the atmosphere. In this episode of Bionic Planet, I revisit the prehistory of the volun

Season 12 of Bionic Planet begins by going backwards. Climate change has fallen off the public radar just as the need for workable solutions has become more urgent. I've long argued that the great tragedy of climate and biodiversity finance is that those who understand it most have their noses to the grindstone, while those who understand it least have their mouths to the megaphone. That's one rea

In this episode of Bionic Planet , we finally catch up with Michael Greene — the carbon developer branded a "land grabber of epic proportions" in The Washington Post , and now at the center of an unfolding saga that feels more like a political thriller than a conservation story. When Greene began building carbon projects in the Brazilian Amazon, he didn't expect to end up battling organized crime,

In this episode of Bionic Planet, we delve into the pressing issue of climate change and its profound impact on coastal ecosystems, particularly focusing on blue carbon. We kick off the discussion by highlighting Indonesia's monumental decision to relocate its capital from Jakarta to Borneo due to the city sinking under the dual pressures of climate change and land subsidence. This serves as a sta

Like what you hear? Support us at patreon.com/bionicplanet . Today's guest, Blue Carbon Pioneer James Kairo, brings us into the fascinating world of mangroves and their immense economic and ecological value. Our journey begins with a brief overview of mangroves, which, despite covering only 0.01% of the sea surface and just 1% of Kenya's land area, play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and c

In this episode of Bionic Planet, we continue our dive into the complex and often contentious world of community conservancies in northern Kenya, focusing on the Biliqo Bulesa and Cherub Community Conservancies. The episode opens with a powerful statement from community members, emphasizing that the ongoing legal battles surrounding these conservancies are not about the interests of the community

In this gripping two-hour episode, we pull back the curtain on misinformation campaigns targeting carbon projects in Kenya's Northern Rangelands. Through interviews with local leaders—including Mohamed Shibia, director of the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) carbon program, and elders Peter Lekurtut of the Samboru people and Peter Kilesi of the Maasai—we hear firsthand how traditional grazing syste

In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the transformative potential of Africa in the global shift towards a sustainable future, featuring an insightful conversation with James Mwangi, co-founder of Dahlberg and a leading advocate for innovative climate solutions in Kenya. We begin by discussing Africa's booming population and rich natural resources, which James argues position the conti

In this episode of Bionic Planet, Season 10, Episode 115, we dive into the significant environmental implications of the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. Originally, we had planned to focus this season on Africa, but the rapid changes in U.S. environmental policy prompted us to shift gears. I connected with Tim Male last week. Tim, who founded the Envir

In this episode of Bionic Planet, I delve into the complex and often controversial world of conservation in the Amazon, featuring Michael Greene, a figure recently spotlighted in a Washington Post article that painted him as a land grabber. However, my intention is to provide a more nuanced perspective on his story, which I believe reflects broader challenges in the fight against deforestation. Mi

This episode of Bionic Planet is a rebroadcast of David Hill's podcast, "How to Avoid Moving to Mars." In it, Professor David Hill, CBE, speaks with George Kelly, the Chief Executive of Earth Recovery Partners in the U.S. George has been a pivotal figure in the realm of mitigation banking and ecological restoration. Their conversation delves into his extensive career, starting from his early days

In Episode 112 of Bionic Planet, titled "Fantasy Football and Dynamic Baselines: New Tools for Impact Assessment," we unpack the often misunderstood concept of dynamic baselines and its origin in synthetic controls, using fantasy football as an analogy. The episode begins with a clear and relatively simple explanation of dynamic baselines, which have emerged as a valuable tool in climate finance.

Support Bionic Planet: https://www.patreon.com/bionicplanet Recent updates from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) have pushed an old debate into public awareness, highlighting a perceived divide between emissions reductions and carbon removals. While SBTi's new guidelines focus on cutting emissions directly within company operations, some argue this creates a false dichotomy, downplaying

Support Bionic Planet: https://www.patreon.com/bionicplanet Guests: Jim Pittman ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespittman/) Matt Orsagh ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-orsagh-a1b8417/) Steve Rocco ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/steverocco/) Books Referenced: Ecological Economics ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77985.Ecological_Economics?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZDNVmbxl5B&rank=1) The Lim

Support Bionic Planet: https://www.patreon.com/bionicplanet In episode 109 of Bionic Planet, we learn how the Quilombola people of Brazil are blending the IPCC Livelihood Vulnerability Index Assessment with soil carbon methodologies developed under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to save themselves and their soil from urban expansion and agricultural encroachment. We begin with Sandra Pereira B

Photo by Karol Stefański on Unsplash Support me at patreon.com/bionicplanet Related Links to Follow In episode 108 of Bionic Planet, I delve into a recent article published by the Washington Post that is riddled with inaccuracies, false premises, and misleading information. The episode serves as a critical analysis of the article, highlighting the importance of fact-checking and the credibility of

Support Bionic Planet: https://www.patreon.com/bionicplanet Books referenced in this episode: "The Discovery of Global Warming" by Spencer Weart (Hypertext version): https://history.aip.org/climate/index.htm "Lavoisier in the Year One" by Madison Smartt Bell: https://wwnorton.com/books/Lavoisier-in-the-Year-One/ "The Life and Letters of Joseph Black, M. D." by William Ramsay (Hypertext version): h

This episoed of Bionic Planet is technically an episode of Andrew Greely's podcast, Smarter Markets, where I appeared as a guest to discuss my new vertical "The Tribes of the Climate Realm." It's not a series but a vertical, where episodes will drop intermittently over the remainder of the year and probably for years to come. If you're sharing or referencing the show, please reference the original

In this episode of Bionic Planet, we delve into the inspiring journey of Marco Cerezo, the director of Fundaeco, a conservation NGO based in Guatemala. Marco shares his lifelong dedication to nature conservation, sustainable community development, and the fight against climate change. He recounts his early experiences studying development economics and the pivotal moment in 1989 when he learned ab

In episode 104 of Bionic Planet, I delve into the intricacies of carbon finance with my guest, David Antonioli. We explore the concept of transformational finance, where carbon payments are used to catalyze sustainable practices that can eventually stand on their own. We discuss the limitations of the current additionality tool, which focuses on individual project assessments, and the need for a m