HAPPY PLANET

Happy Planet Wednesday! This week's guest, Elizabeth (Liz) Muller is Co-Founder of Deep Isolation. While living in France, was impressed by France's nuclear power program, which provides nearly 70% of the country's power, with zero carbon emissions. The problem was, and it still is, the waste.  Today, over 490,000 metric tons of nuclear waste is located in above ground temporary storage. And no spent nuclear fuel anywhere in the world has yet been placed in a permanent repository. We just keep producing more nuclear waste without an agreed upon long term storage solution.When Liz returned to the United States, she wanted to see the US grow its nuclear power footprint, but not before solving the increasingly critical nuclear waste problem. So, with the help of her physicist father, that is what she set out to do.  Whether you're for or against nuclear power - or somewhere in between - I think you will find this story compelling. It certainly challenged some of my assumptions and gave me a lot to think about. And, if Deep Isolation works, they will be a Unicorn many, many times over. Listen on Apple , Spotify, YouTube, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts! I'd like to thank our sponsors:Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bold Ocean Ventures have partnered to create a mission-driven venture capital fund, supporting the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses.Startup Marin Skincare has rocketed thanks to products made with Maine-lobster-derived glycoprotein that work on eczema and dry skin. Former guest on our show and co-Founder Patrick Breeding is offering listeners a 20% discount on their skincare products. Type HAPPYPLANET into the coupon code field!Spark No. 9, ensures that companies - and startups - have successful product launches by testing their products online. Remove the guesswork before you launch!Promotional and program partners include Oceanovation, Investable Oceans and Bright Tide.Elizabeth MullerDeep IsolationSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday!  With all of the good work that oysters can do for the planet, filtering water, preventing erosion, reducing acidification, mitigating storm surge and more, entrepreneur George Birch wanted to see if an oyster living in the water doing all of those good deeds could be more valuable in terms of dollars or euros than an oyster on your plate.  George's business is called Oyster Heaven and with the help of European credit programs, he is proving his thesis. The euros are starting to roll in from corporations. Oyster farmers everywhere might want to take a close look or even team up. His story is a good one. I'd like to thank our sponsors: Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bold Ocean Ventures have partnered to create a mission-driven venture capital fund, supporting the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses. Startup Marin Skincare has rocketed thanks to products made with Maine-lobster-derived glycoprotein that work on eczema and dry skin. Former guest on our show and co-Founder Patrick Breeding is offering listeners a 20% discount on their skincare products. Type HAPPY PLANET into the coupon code field! Spark No. 9, ensures that companies - and startups - have successful product launches by testing their products online. Remove the guesswork before you launch! Promotional and program partners include Oceanovation, Investable Oceans and Bright Tide.Listen on Apple , Spotify, YouTube, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts!Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

We are kicking off the season with the unstoppable Brian Skerry.  Brian is a world renown photojournalist and film producer specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. He has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition no less than ELEVEN TIMES. He is a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow and author of a dozen books.Brian’s 2021 book, Secrets of the Whales, was released by National Geographic as part of a multi-platform project that included an Emmy Award winning 4-part documentary film series directed by none other than James Cameron. In this episode we discuss:Why were you drawn to the ocean as a subject?Tell me about your entrepreneurial journey frpm entepreneurial journey from kid wiht a camera to getting his first photo published in his 30s to the meteoric rise to become National Geographic phtographer.  When did you pivot to focus from showing us the cool animals - to showing us the changes in their environment and becoming a voice for them. Why is telling the story of the sea such an important mission - and why now?How has the ocean environment changed since you started? Are these changes statistics or are they palpable and if so in what ways.Tell me one of the most beautiful underwater creatures you’ve seen - and how is it affected by changes.Have you ever had a scary underwater experience? How do the sea creatures react to you? - There are increasing numbers of people in the ocean as well as on it. How do we balance the desire for people to explore and become champions of the ocean through experience with the desire to protect the ocean?How has technology impacted way you work?There are so many issues facing the ocean right now. We talk about pollution, overfishing, carbon emissions, biodiversity, warming water etc. What do you think is the most vital issue facing the ocean? What should entrepreneurs be focusing on?There is growing attention on the water - do you think we are focused on the right issues? How do you hope to shape that conversation?If you weren’t a photographer of the sea, what would you be taking photos of?What are you working on now that we should be looking out for.Are you optimistic about the future and our ability to stay ahead of climate pressures?Any advice for nature focused entrepreneurs or artists today?THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS and PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS:Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bold Ocean Ventures have partnered to create a mission-driven venture capital fund, supporting the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses.Startup Marin Skincare has rocketed thanks to products made with Maine-lobster-derived glycoprotein that work on eczema and dry skin. Former guest on our show and co-Founder Patrick Breeding is offering listeners a 20Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday ! Before I introduce our guest today I want to thank you for your support over the past year. Because, yes, today’s podcast concludes our first year of programming! To celebrate we venture into Africa. We will be speaking with Klaartje (Klara) Scarde the Co-Founder of Mwani Zanzibar, a seaweed based cosmetics company based in Zanzibar, Tanzania. I would have loved to do this podcast on site!Klaartje left her banking job in London to fully embrace the seaweed revolution. Her company seeks to have economic, environmental and social  impacts in Zanzibar. Their high end product line is sourced from local seaweed and formulated by Zanzibaris - and it will soon be available online in the US and Europe.Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.And a note to listeners, we are going to take a couple weeks off to regroup and prepare for Season 2!SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute and Spark No.9.I’d also like to thank our promotional partners:Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. As always, thank you for your support! https://mwanizanzibar.com/Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday! This week we are joined by Vincent Doumeizel, a French native from Burgundy who is Director of the Food Program for Lloyd's Register Foundation as well as an expert on everything seaweed. Vincent has spearheaded the Global Seaweed Coalition, which "is a global partnership established to support the safety and sustainability of the seaweed industry as it scales up and to unite a fragmented market through a unified vision and goals."Most recently Vincent published the book, The Seaweed Revolution.Vincent called in from Climate Week in New York City to chat with Happy Planet,  and provide a foundation for understanding the potential impact of this sustainable sea-plant on our planet’s future.Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-planet/id1652024063Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6xwXGCGhtWkcUNVU5y8BCI?si=ca4ad1bdbcae4ad9Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xOTg5MDAyLnJzcw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwic8o3AwZ38AhVGJGIAHXF9CXAQ9sEGegQIARACSPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute and Spark No. 9.I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. OCEANOVATION is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation.  Vincent DoumeizelThe Seaweed RevolutionSafe Seaweed CoalitionSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday ! We are headed to Iceland today to meet Thor Sigfusson the Founder of Iceland Ocean Cluster, an innovation hub he founded in 2011 to focus on marine startups. Since then Ocean Clusters have been popping up around the world, including the New England Ocean Cluster right here in Portland, Maine. It’s a real delight to have Thor on the show as he has been at the forefront of what is now a quite sizeable ocean innovation movement. Thor is also the author of several books including one that is hot off the press: 100% Fish.  His aim is to render fishing more sustainable by making sure we use every part of it. Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Spark No.9, and NONESUCH a made-to-order luxury apparel brand that offers a curated array of fish leathers, wool, and other noble and sustainable fabrics for clients to select from.I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. 100% FISH by Thor SigfussonIceland Ocean ClusterCodlandSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday ! We've talked quite a bit about renewable energy on this podcast and we've also looked at old technologies that are coming back, often with a modern twist. Our guest today is starting a business that checks both of those boxes.Miles Keeney-Ritchie, founder of Aloft, aims to reduce ocean transportation carbon emissions by installing their automated fiberglass sails on ships and ferries to take some of the burden off the engine and reduce fuel consumption. Thanks to an event organized by Sea Ahead, our bluetech accelerator and investment friends in Boston, I have personally seen their demo size sail and I must say it does capture the imagination. Miles hopes it can capture market share!Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. Miles Keeney-RitchieAloftSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Today, we are hopping over the Atlantic to speak with Louise Skajem and Aura Murillo, two young, UK-based women designers who are innovating in a marine area I never imagined I would discuss on this show: funerary services. These young women are full of life and will challenge everything you have ever come to believe about funeral directors.Their company, the aptly named Resting Reefs, proposes to use human ashes, mix them with oyster shell powder, which is very high in calcium carbonate and a wonderful ocean anti-acidification agent, and transform them into what they call underwater urns. These are beautiful sculptures used to create artificial living reefs installed along coastlines.Rather than simply spreading ashes in the ocean, as many people do, creating a resting reef gives family and friends a sense of permanence, a reef to visit where marine life will grow and prosper.In this podcast, you will hear a reference to aquamation. This is an alternative process to cremation that is preferred by Louise and Aura since it uses five times less energy than fire and reduces a funeral's emissions of greenhouse gases by about thirty-five percent.While neither Louise nor Aura are originally from the UK, they say it's a great place to start a business right now, and their type of business in particular may be well positioned to benefit from being in the United Kingdom as 75 percent of the UK population opts for cremation. And after two years of keeping ashes at home, people usually look for something special to do with them. These women might just be on to something....Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNResting ReefAura MurilloLouise SkajemFacebookInstagramSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

You may recognize today’s guest from episode 5. We’re here with Bernard Hidier, the French expat living in Maine who co-founded Finsulate the non-toxic antifouling solution that looks like velvet and mimics a sea urchin. Bernard is back with us because somehow he has managed to co-found and co-manage more than one company at the same time. “Kids do not try this at home!” If you remember, Bernard is originally from Brittany France and that is where KarrGreen hails from. Karrgreen is a biofuel company transforming agricultural waste into fuel for cars. With a growing footprint of filling stations in France, KarrGreen’s success does make one wonder why we are digging up lithium for batteries when our abundant agricultural waste could be used instead. For Bernard, the corporate structure is as important - and innovative - as the fuel itself. KarrGreen focuses on building local communities, making both its clients and suppliers vested stakeholders. Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. KarrGreenFinsulateBernard HidierNew England Ocean ClustersFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

We are going to kick off the fall season with a chat with Dan Watson, the UK-based founder and CEO of a fisheries startup called SafetyNet. I first met Dan through Harry Wright’s accelerator Bright Tide, where I am an advisor. Then I wound up on his mentor team for another accelerator run by Boston-based Sea Ahead. I can’t wait to see where our paths next cross!One of Dan’s most talked about solutions is designed to prevent bycatch. Bycatch refers to unwanted fish that are inadvertently caught in commercial fishing traps. It’s estimated that $1billion of unwanted fish are thrown away each year. Not to mention disruptions to the marine ecosystems. So solving this problem could provide a great benefit to the planet.SafetyNet’s bycatch solution is based on research Dan dug up from the 70s and involves simply shining different coloured lights into the water as you fish in order to attract and repel different species. This is just the tip of the iceberg of SafetyNet is up to. Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Fashion and smelly seaweed may seem like an odd pair but one company in North Carolina is spinning them together - quite literally!Our guest is Laura Hayes and she is the Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager at Keel Labs. Keel Labs makes a natural silky yarn that is composed of about 70% kelp! While they are not the first to try to make fashion fibers out of seaweed, when it comes to seaweed usage and natural ingredients, I haven't heard of anyone coming close to their success. The market seems pretty excited about the product as well. They are VC backed, having raised 13M in a series A and their limited production is already overbooked. Trust that I’ve tried to get my hands on some!We are going to take a break for the rest of August but we will be back in September with an incredible fall lineup. Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. As always, thank you for your support! Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday !We are travelling to South America this week !Our guest, Daniela Allerbon, is CEO of Aquit, a company specializing in natural proteins that can be used to replace antibiotics in fish farming. Aquit was founded by researchers in Chile and Daniela recently joined the team as CEO from Buenos Aires, Argentina.We learn a lot about antibiotics and fish farming in this podcast, but we also get a fascinating window into the startup ecosystem in South America and strategies that  companies outside of the US can use to gain entry into the US market.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship.I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups.Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation.Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday ! Our guest today is Jeremy McKane, Founder of Ocean Currency Network whose mission is to create an ocean map with real-time ocean data. The goal is to map 30% of the ocean by 2030. Sound ambitious? It is. But as Jeremy say in the podcast, if we can’t see the problems, we can’t fix them. Getting real time data will give us the information we need to find solutions.Jeremy kicks off this interview with a reference to the Tragedy of the Commons. Commons refers to shared resources such as land or the ocean. And the tragedy of the commons is the theory that if people share a finite resource they will tend to over use it, thus ruining it for all. While that might sound depressing - and it is - my conversation with Jeremy is definitely not! So tune in!Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a fast-growing hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Today we are going to dig into seafood with our guest Jennifer Bushman. She’s going to help us better understand how the bounty of the ocean fits into our diets as well as our national food security plan and a healthier planet. Jennifer Bushman is a sustainable seafood expert, communicator, and strategist who has been championing ethical aquaculture for more than two decades. She has been on a mission to transform the food system, preserve the oceans, nourish the world’s ever-growing population, and offset carbon emissions. Among her many initiatives, she co-founded Fed by Blue, a science-based communications initiative, designed to provide knowledge and materials to help protect and participate in a responsible blue food system. In 2024, Fed by Blue will be launching A four-part documentary series called Hope in the Water. Keep your eyes peeled and remember, you heard it here first!Jennifer BushmanFed By BlueSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

This podcast marks our 30th episode which seems like something to celebrate! So thank you for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing here, please spread the word. We have traveled the world together on this podcast, but today’s guest is located right here where I am, in the great state of Maine!Stuart Davies joins us today to speak about ORPC or the Ocean Renewable Power Company. ORPC is building modular, eco-friendly hydropower units fit for rivers and oceans.  Unlike wind or sun, hydropower is not dependent on a specific set of circumstances, like sun or wind, to perform. As such it has the advantage of being able to provide a steady stream of power to its users or the grid. And the market is giving ORPC a green light.It was a real honour to speak to Stuart and hear about this company’s growth trajectory. I think you will enjoy this podcast.Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. They made a huge splash in The Hague last week - and we are very proud to be part of their ecosystem.Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Happy Planet Wednesday ! Many of you, especially those who love the Caribbean, are aware of what is now called the sargassum belt, a 5,000 mile long belt of floating sargassum seaweed mass that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico all of the way to Africa, hitting the South East coast of the United States along the way.In normal doses, sargassum is a healthy macro algae that provides a habitat for sea life and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere. But an overabundance began in 2011 and has escalated to an ecological crisis for the affected area. This is a massive blow to the local marine ecosystem not to mention to the human one that depends on tourism and fishing in the area.Over the past few years I’ve met a number of entrepreneurs who are focused on solving the problem. And today we are going to speak to Edward Shao of ProjectQRSargasso who is in the early stages of building a company that seeks to harvest this seaweed in order to produce three very different products from it: fertilizer for our gardens, a substrate for coral reefs, and hydrogen to fuel our homes.This ambitious project was born of a simple desire to save the ecosystem. Like many of the entrepreneurs we’ve heard on Happy Planet, with Edward business is mission first.Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.SPONSORS & PARTNERSMany thanks to Maine Technology Institute, Maine Venture Fund and Spark No.9 for their sponsorship. I’d also like to thank our promotional partners. Investable Oceans is a US-based angel platform specializing in ocean-related startups. Oceanovation is a hub for entrepreneurs and investors in blue-tech innovation. Good luck to them in The Hague this week!Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

The fashion industry is at odds with the survival of our planet. Ten percent of total global carbon emissions derive from the fashion industry, as much as the whole European Union. The industry is polluting our rivers, streams, and oceans. Meanwhile some 80% of our discarded textiles are either incinerated or wind up in trash heaps each year, usually in places like Ghana which are fast becoming dumps for the North. But clothes bring us protection, safety, and, well, joy. We can’t live without them and we don’t want to. So what can we do about it? Our guest this week is Runa Ray, a Fashion Environmentalist determined to make the fashion industry more sustainable. Runa is a Paris-trained designer who cut her teeth at Dior and John Galliano. She eventually broke off on her own to forge a new path. Today Runa is a well known in the fashion industry. She uses seaweed to create more sustainable fashion designs through her own brand and works with groups like the United Nations to promote sustainable fashion practices. Runa is in high demand and we are very lucky to have her.Just a reminder, you can listen to Happy Planet pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, or by following one of these links:  Apple , Spotify, Google, or our website.And a special thanks to Maine Technology Institute and Spark No. 9 for sponsoring our podcast.Support the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

You may recall that in Episode 12 we spoke about hydrogen fuel cell stacks. It was a very popular episode so I wanted to dig into the theme a bit more. As such, today we’re going to dig into green hydrogen itself.Just a reminder that GREEN hydrogen is hydrogen derived from a renewable-energy powered electrolysis process that splits water molecules, H20, into their components H2, hydrogen and O, oxygen. One of the challenges of creating green hydrogen is the water source. Historically, for this to work, a very clean and pure source of water has been required. And this is not just expensive to procure, but it also uses our precious and increasingly scarce fresh water resources that may have a higher use case, like drinking water. This problem has garnered a lot of interest from researchers. Our guest today is one such researcher. And he made global news when he discovered a reliable method for creating green hydrogen using a water source that covers 70% of the planet: seawater. Nasir Mahmood is the Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University in Australia. We are incredibly lucky to have him here today.Nasir MahmoodRMIT UniversitySupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

As I think you know by now, I believe technology can solve most things - but sometimes the right tech just can’t come fast enough, and in the meantime, the most innovative tool at our disposal may be good old fashioned dialogue. Such is the case in Maine where a dwindling population of the large and lumbering North Atlantic Right Whale has pitted lobster fishers and environmentalists against each other. The environmentalists say gear entanglements are largely responsible for the spiralling population which they say risks extinction. The Maine lobster fishers say the numbers show they aren’t to blame for mortalities, and most are loath to adopt current "ropeless" gear citing its expense and lack of proven effectiveness. The polemic threatens Maine’s whole lobster industry which, by the way, contributes 1.5 billion dollars to Maine’s annual economy. Both sides have now sued NOAA, the US agency that oversees fisheries management.  One side says the proposed rule changes are overreaching, the other side says they aren’t broad enough.  NOAA, by law, has to convene all parties and attempt to develop consensus recommendations to save the whales. Our next guest has been mediating the difficult work of that group.David Plumb of the Consensus Building institute grew up in Maine and  in honour of the recent Mother’s Day holiday,  I should add that he originally learned his mediating craft by taking a class from his mother. Since then he has worked as a professional mediator all around the world. Today David has the unique, and perhaps unenviable, position of working as the mediator between all of these parties. For us this is an opportunity to better understand what’s at stake and what are the tools available to create both a happier fishery and whale population on the planet.As you will hear in the podcast, the current congressional ruling pushes changes down the road for several years, while providing for upwards of 50M in annual grant opportunities to innovate solutions. For all of you innovators out there, here are some links about this opportunity:https://www.maine.gov/dmr/news/fri-12232022-1200-message-commissioner-keliher-federal-budget-package-includes-pause-whaleDavid PlumbConsensus Building InstituteSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com

Our guest today is Benjamin Sorkin, Founder of Flux Marine, a Rhode Island-based company innovating electric outboard motors.I was invited to visit Ben’s shop back in January following a conference organized by the Blue Venture Forum. I was impressed by what I saw. Ben and his team have taken electric propulsion technology a long way from when I first looked for an electric outboard for my oyster farm back in 2010. Needless to say at that point, I didn’t find a solution that fit my needs. Judging from the clients' boats I saw they have outfitted, Flux Marine seems to be - and pardon the pun - hydroplaning towards the future. Benjamin SorkinFlux MarineSupport the showFacebookInstagramAbigail Carroll LinkedINHappy Planet LinkedINTwitterListen on:APPLEYouTubeSPOTIFYwww.happyplanetpodcast.com