Close

Green Economy Heroes Climate Podcast

Hope and inspiration in green Canadian business leaders

Don’t miss our exciting climate podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts:

– Subscribe in Google Podcasts
– Subscribe in Apple / iTunes
– Subscribe directly to the feed
– Save to your Spotify library. 
– Listen via Stitcher
– Listen via Google Play
– Follow on TuneIn
– Listen on iHeartRadio 

This is Dianne Saxe. I’m an environmental lawyer focusing on the climate crisis, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario 2015-2019 and I am the President of SaxeFacts.com. 

Since 2015, I’ve talked with hundreds of audiences across Canada about the climate crisis. A few years ago, most audiences were just learning that we have a crisis. Today, you probably already know that. Now you are more likely to be wondering, is it too late? Where can we find some hope?

So I want you to meet some amazing Canadians who are making a living building the green economy. With their passion, creativity and skill, they are helping to reduce our climate pollution, to create green jobs and to get us ready for what’s coming. 

I call them Green Economy Heroes.

Each Green Economy Hero podcast features someone you’ll enjoy getting to know. We will explore who they are, what their business are doing, and how it is making a difference. We will hear about their challenges, their successes, and their dreams. And we’ll learn their advice on how you, too, can start and build a green business.

This climate podcast is produced, with thanks, by the excellent Toronto Mike, TMDS.

I hope to post a new climate podcast each week, as well as share informative content through climate presentations. Please listen, share, and rate at your favourite podcast distributors. There is a taste of each climate interview in the table below; full episodes are available through your favourite podcast distributor. For subscribers, who help us pay the recording and posting costs at Patreon, each episode is available a week early through Patreon.

Do let me know who else you think I should interview.

Episode #GuestTitleDescriptionA taste of the interviewGuest's WebsiteDate
1Paul DowsettPlant-based homesA conversation with architect Paul Dowsett, founder of Sustainable, on his passion for better living in plant-based, energy-efficient homesPaul DowsettSustainable.to03/19/20
2Frances EdmondsChanging how Canada buys technologyA billion business decisions are made in Canada every day, rarely with the climate crisis in mind. Can HP change that?HP Sustainable ImpactHP Sustainable impact 03/26/20
3Bryan Gilvesy Cows that protect birdsAward-winning farmer, Bryan Gilvesy, tells us how planting native tall grass prairie has restored endangered birds and transformed his cattle ranchYU Ranch excerptYU Ranch04/02/20
4Stephanie McLartySecond lives for telecom equipmentStephanie tells Dianne how REfficient finds second lives for used and surplus equipment, allowing smaller telecom companies to competeREfficient teaserREfficient04/09/20
5Akhil SivanandanShowing consumers their impactAkhil tells Dianne how Green Story helps green brands grow through the right consumer information, at the right timeGreenStoryGreen Story04/16/20
6Priyanka LloydGrowing tomorrow’s Green Economy Heroes How can local business hubs grow tomorrow’s environmental champions? Priyanka chats about Green Economy Canada and the little businesses that couldGreen Economy CanadaGreen Economy Canada04/23/20
7Richard SiftonSolar subdivisionRichard tells Dianne about his new London subdivision. It is medium-density, solar-powered, fossil-free and sells shoes in the pubWest5 Solar SubdivisionWest504/30/20
8Alexandra TavasoliSolar catalyst chemistryAlex's cleantech startup uses solar catalysts invented in Toronto to turn methane and CO2 into a fundamental building block of modern chemistrySolistraSolistra05/07/20
9Michael KalmanovichEarth's General StoreMichael's labour of love for his award-winning, organic, low-waste general storeEarth's General StoreEarth's General Store05/14/20
10Tim NashSustainable investingHow Tim became a busy financial planner, helping people put their money where their heart isTim NashGood Investing05/21/20
11Dan BalabanRenewable power in AlbertaHow Dan made Greengate Power Canada's biggest renewable energy developerDan Balaban, Greengate PowerGreengate Power05/28/20
12Brandon MoffatFood waste to powerBrandon explains his passion for turning food waste into low-carbon fertilizer, electricity and natural gasBrandon MoffatStormfisher06/04/20
13Tom RandVenture capitalism for clean techEarly stage funding so that breakthrough technology companies can grow through Canada's notorious valley of deathArctern VenturesArcTern Ventures06/11/20
14Jennifer WagnerPutting carbon into concreteCarbonCure's amazing technology saves money by using CO2 to make concrete strongerCarbonCureCarbonCure06/18/20
15Trish NixonRenewable energy investment for everyoneCoPower's green bonds allow almost everyone to put the planet in their portfolioTrish Nixon, CoPowerCoPower06/25/20
16Cara ClairmanPlug’n’DrivePlug'n'Drive stokes public passion for driving electric vehicles, often by letting people try onePlug’n’DrivePlug’n’Drive 07/02/20
17Sean DrygasBullfrog Power Canada's green energy retailer, so I can heat and light my home without fossil fuelsBullfrog Power Bullfrog Power 07/09/20
18Yuill HerbertSustainability Solutions Group Workers' cooperative consulting firm that helps create decarbonized, equitable, healthy cities for everyoneSustainability Solutions GroupSustainability Solutions Group 07/16/20
19Jocelyn MolyneuxWorm farmingCollecting office food waste, and feeding it to 1,000,000 worms to make plant food Jocelyn MolyneuxWasteNot Farms07/23/20
20David RobertsCanada's first net zero bus companyHow Victoria Harbour used a 15-year contract to get a net-zero bus system for cruise passengersNet zero bus companyPacific Northwest Transportation Services07/30/20
21Mike AndradeInnovative solar technologyHow did Morgan Solar survive China's solar juggernaut, and stay Canadian?Morgan SolarMorgan Solar08/06/20
22Catherine ThornDistrict energy scaling upHow a former municipal utility is becoming a giant in cleaner heating and cooling for many buildingsCatherine Thorn of EnwaveEnwave08/13/20
23Bruce TaylorEfficiency: the best investmentFunding clean water in Africa by saving clients energy, water, resources and money hereEnviro-StewardsEnviro-Stewards08/20/20
24Shaun LoneyAki Energy: Climate benefits and reconciliationIndigenous-led green energy and efficiency social enterprise as a path to social healing and lower costsAki EnergyAki Energy08/27/20
25Mike BrighamSolarshareHow did Mike Brigham build a $60 million community-owned #solarpower cooperative, SolarShare? And why is he personally funding the used #electricvehicles incentive in Ontario?SolarshareSolarshare09/03/20
26Sarah Devika SumnauthUrban MineralsLocal-source vegan makeup startup with its first sustainability report - on hand-poured lipstickUrban MineralsUrban Minerals09/10/20
27Greg NuttallWoodland BiofuelsComing soon: the world's cheapest liquid transportation fuel, made from construction wasteWoodland BiofuelsWoodland Biofuels09/17/20
28Matt BrownPatagoniaHow a clothing firm slashes its carbon footprint and works to preserve our home planetPatagonia09/24/20