Fuel Cell Cars & Trucks – Jackie Birdsall, Toyota

Many voices are talking about how we need to rebuild the post-pandemic economy to also make us more resilient to the ravages of climate change.  Ramping up adoption of electric vehicles is always in those conversations, especially battery-powered ones. But not there are hydrogen fuel cell EVs too. Listen to Jackie Birdsall, Senior Engineer of these vehicles at Toyota explain how they work and much more, with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.

COVID-19 Transforming Energy – Lisa Jacobson, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

We could not get through this pandemic – or run our national or global economies – without energy. Literally. Energy kept hospitals taking care of patients, kept essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies open, kept first responders equipped to respond and transport patients to medical care and communities.  Yet, the energy sector is reeling under the weight of this pandemic, with travel at a complete standstill and offices and businesses shuttered. Yet, clean energy is a bright spot, even though it’s also lost 600,000 jobs in this crisis. Listen to this fascinating discussion with Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) on Green Connections Radio podcast on how a silver lining in this crisis may be the critical clean energy innovation coming out of it.

Ecopsychology? A Decision-Making Model – Tabitha Jayne, Coaching With Nature

Could combining how nature functions (such as how a rose easily blooms), with the systems in professional coaching help us achieve more of our potential? Tabitha Jayne says it worked for her after personal tragedy, so she created the “Coaching With Nature” program to help others too. Listen to Tabi describe this novel coaching program and why she says it works, complete with an understanding of “ecopsychology,” in this enlightening interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.

Driving Medical Innovation – Dr. Maria Freire, President, the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health

As COVID-19 spreads across the world and every country is aching for treatments and vaccines to stop it, listen to Joan’s conversation with a remarkable innovator tackling some of the toughest medical challenges. Dr. Maria Freire is President of the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and she developed a unique structure for expediting medical innovations. What can we learn from her? This interview was conducted before the coronavirus pandemic but Dr. Freire’s methodology is relevant to address it.

Advancing Women in STEM – Telle Whitney, Diversity Expert, Founder, Largest Women in Tech Conference

“The companies that have really made a commitment to creating change, they look at the ways promotions are decided, because often it’s very ad hoc….and consciously or unconsciously, the managers, who are primarily men, just don’t see the characteristics (in women) that they believe you need in order to advance.” Telle Whitney on Green Connections Radio podcast. Pursuing a career in STEM requires investing many years in education and dedication, so why do women leave these fields so often? How can we attract, retain and promote more women in STEM into leadership? Listen to Telle Whitney, diversity expert, former long-time CEO of the Anita Borg Institute and founder of the famed Grace Hopper Conference in this insightful interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson. She provides valuable career advice too.

Energy Innovation Needs Women – Katie Mehnert, Pink Petro

“Your biggest challenge is your biggest opportunity. Get people into the system so they can change the culture and the industry to clean energy” – Katie Mehnert on Green Connections Radio podcast.
At the 2020 World Economic Forum where global leaders across industry gather in Davos, Switzerland every January, climate change took “center stage,” as The New York Times headline put it. A key topic of debate was the conundrum of providing clean energy to everyone on the planet and it is abundantly clear much more rapid innovation is needed, including of the oil and gas sector. But how?
Listen to Katie Mehnert, who spent 20 years in the oil and gas sector and remains devoted to it, in this surprisingly candid interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with Joan Michelson. Katie passionately lays out the urgent need for the sector to innovate and why bringing more women into the industry is key. Katie left a job in Big Oil that she loved to start Pink Petro to get more women into energy industry leadership.

Why Place Matters – Stacy Jupiter, MacArthur “Genius” Winner 2019

As world leaders and climate leaders, scientists and activists gather to address solutions to the climate crisis, Dr. Stacy Jupiter has a novel perspective on what communities need to address in those climate resilience plans – and in driving change.  She just won a MacArthur “Genius” award for it. Listen to Stacy explain to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson why our sense of a place and its culture are just as vital to our well-being as clean water and food, especially in many countries like Melanesia, where she is currently working.

Tips for Winning Against the Odds – Tracy Edwards, “Maiden” Documentary

Imagine deciding to take on captaining the first all-female crew in the world’s most dangerous round-the-world boat race with very, very limited experience. That’s what then 24-year old Tracy Edwards did. And. She. Won. The two most dangerous legs of the six-leg race. The new documentary, “Maiden” about it is truly extraordinary, with original footage from the actual race.
Listen to this truly fascinating and entertaining interview with Tracy about how she did it and what we can all learn from her transformation from novice to history-maker.

“Sustainable” Cleaning Products – Kay Gebhardt, Seventh Generation

“Science can do amazing things and answer questions for us,” she told me, “but then we can use that knowledge to do this in a responsible way or in an irresponsible way….Science is good to have. Then, what are you going to use it for and how do you do it responsibly?” Kay Gebhardt on… Continue reading “Sustainable” Cleaning Products – Kay Gebhardt, Seventh Generation

How to Get More Women STEM Leaders  – Heather Metcalf, Assn. of Women in Science

“Research has repeatedly demonstrated that diverse teams, especially in leadership, outperform homogenous teams in innovation, research quality, decision-making, and complex thinking and bolster their organization’s financial success,” according to the new AWIS research. Yet, the statistics on women in leadership are pathetic, especially in STEM. Here are tips.