Climate change can be so overwhelming that sometimes you just want to hear The Good Stuff, because when you create hope you can inspire action. This podcast is all about positive action, fun chats with curious cats who are all doing their part in changing the world and our environment.
He hates the term but Mike really is a serial entrepreneur, the guy is so full of energy its infectious
He created a fit bit device for surfers that was part of a bidding war and was eventually acquired by Billabong, started a charity that has built two schools in Myanmar, created a wine brand with his best mate that was on the AFR fast 100 3 years in a row and now his new project ZeroCO, most funded Kickstarter project
Its just like the milkman but reimagined.
These guys’ are Australia’s most funded Kickstarter project and its bloody exciting.
There is such a pent up demand for people doing good things – Aussies are ready for change and ready to put their money where there heart and mouth is.
You know the biggest thing I have been taking out of all the interviews so far and this one in particular is that we if we want to change our future we really have to start by changing the stories we tell, we have to back each other and support each other. It’s so easy to go down the wormhole of negativity and click bait media.
Of course we should all be cognizant of the very real and present danger that is facing us but in order to promote action we have to be positive
An idea might not be the final solution or solve all of the problems out there but if it’s a step in the right direction let’s all get behind it.
We can all be part of making this system we are in work – by being positivity and supportive, by backing businesses that are trying to make a difference and by doing so we prove that these businesses can also be profitable, scalable and have mainstream appeal.
So my big takeaway, which was rather challenging this week given my Sydney bushfire smoke filled lungs, was be positive, its infectious and pit your money where your mouth is, change how you spend and what you buy and ask whether you need to buy at all.
As always if you love the podcast can you please review and rate us in iTunes, share it with your friends on social media and share the good news and positivity around. By telling good stores we are laying the groundwork for a good future.
I hope you enjoy the episode and would love to hear what you got out of it.
Resources
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unlikely-story-zero-co-power-perseverance-audacity-hope-mike-smith/
https://prelaunch.zeroco.com.au/
From a $60 thousand dollar grant this non profit has raised over 8million for solar installations.
Warren & Christina step you through how they started with the clean energy for eternity and grew into ClearSky Solar Investments, taking you through the history and also the mechanics of how it all works.
We also discuss;
How you can invest in solar projects,
The impact you can have as a local councilor
What power purchase agreements are
Christina is an organizational psychologist so she touches on what is needed to get society as a whole to change and tipping points. We also have great discussions on the individual impact we can all have and what it feels like to live your values.
And of course we also touch on Christina’s new passion – solar porn!
What I loved most about this was that these guys just decided that they wanted to do something and went out and found a way to do it. It feels like the kind of action we could all be capable of, it really got me moving.
It’s amazing to think that all of their projects are oversubscribed, as Warren notes, people want to put their money where it makes a difference, there is a big pent up demand for projects like this. Imagine what we could achieve if everyone who wanted to invest was able to?
I’m really intrigued to see if its possible to start a community energy grid in a big city like Sydney, getting us off the grid and sharing energy with each other is an amazing step forward. Its phenomenal to think that the 60 thousand roofs will solar panels goal that the northern beaches mayor has could already be enough to power the whole beaches area.
Would love to hear what you liked most about this episode, please jump on instagram and let me know.
Resources and Links
https://www.clearskysolar.com.au/
https://cleanenergyforeternity.net.au/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_rate_of_return
Books
Tim Flannery – The Weather Makers
In the first episode of the podcast we are joined by Founder & Sustainability Director of BioPak, Richard Fine, BioPAK is an award-winning and leading supplier of compostable single-use packaging and also happens to be a B-Corp.Richard migrated here from South Africa and he shares with us his journey to start the company, what drives him and how our world of waste and plastic is having an impact on us and our environment and what we can do about it, he also tells us why a crisis can actually be a good thing.
The major takeaways for me were: 1. Never waste a crisis, China refusing the worlds waste has resulted in real momentum and awareness locally about our waste and recycling problems, now we seize that moment for real change 2. Plastic has its place, but that place isn’t single use food packaging that has an average life/use span of 20mins 3. Find your people, you often need a yin and a yang, and like Richard I think we all need to find our ‘Gary’, someone with a complementary skillset who will drive our project forward in ways that we could never foresee.
Resources and Links
https://www.packagingcovenant.org.au/
Books
Biomimicry, by Janine M. Benyus https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/432853.Biomimicry
Cradle to Cradle:remaking the way we make things, by William McDonough, Michael Braungart https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5571.Cradle_to_Cradle