Carbon Conversations

• The role of biochar in a warming, post-USAID world with Dr. David Hughes

  Dr. David Hughes serves as the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Global Food Security at Penn State University, where he also holds professorships in entomology and biology. As the founder of PlantVillage, a Penn State initiative, Dr. Hughes leads efforts to enhance global food security by integrating artificial intelligence, mobile technology, and community networks. PlantVillage empowers smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and the Americas to combat pests and adapt to climate change by leveraging AI-driven tools and youth-led ground networks.Building upon this mission, Dr. Hughes established PlantVillage+, a private enterprise partially owned by Penn State. This venture aims to alleviate poverty and address climate change by offering paid services to farmers, corporations, and governments, while continuing to support public AI research. Notably, PlantVillage+ allocates 30% of its profits to workers and farmers, 10% to its charitable arm—the Village Youth Fund—and 5% to assist governments in accessing advanced technologies and AI solutions.Dr. Hughes also directs the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops, focusing on developing scalable solutions for agricultural challenges. His pioneering research on parasite-host interactions, including the renowned "zombie ant" studies, has garnered international acclaim and media attention.For those interested in exploring themes related to science, innovation, and socio-economic systems, Dr. Hughes recommends the following readings:Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Scientist-Edward-Wilson/dp/0871403773The Big Con by Mariana Mazzucato:  https://marianamazzucato.com/books/the-big-con/Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley:  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Vulture-Capitalism/Grace-Blakeley/9781982180867

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• Inevitable & Obvious - Talking carbon removal with Paul Gambill

  Paul Gambill is a pioneering entrepreneur in the carbon removal space, best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Nori, where he raised over $18 million to build one of the first carbon removal marketplaces. Under his leadership, Nori facilitated the removal of over 260,000 tonnes of CO₂ and established partnerships with major players like Bayer Crop Science.Today, Paul leads CarbonRemoval.com, a platform dedicated to reimagining carbon markets for true atmospheric impact. Through his writing on Inevitable & Obvious, he challenges prevailing market structures and advocates for scalable, resilient solutions to the climate crisis. With a systems-level perspective and hands-on experience, Paul continues to shape the future of carbon removal.

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• How Building the Future Really Works - with Mats Larsson

  Mats Larsson is the founder of Global Energy Transformation Institute. He has over 30 years’ experience as a business and management consultant, developing business strategies for companies in many different industries. He has worked with the large-scale transformation to electromobility and sustainability since 2004, leading a sequence of projects. This work has resulted in five internationally published books, starting with Global Energy Transformation, published in 2009, then The Business of Global Energy Transformation 2012, Circular Business Models 2018, Redrawing the Map of the Future 2019, and The Blind Guardians of Ignorance 2020.In Global Energy Transformation 2009 Mats launched the idea that the large-scale change to electromobility and a sustainable society will require large-scale transformation programmes. He has since then elaborated on this idea and developed strategies for various aspects of the transformations, such as the expansion of vehicle fleets and charging infrastructure, power generation and distribution, the development of training programmes for the groups of professionals that need to become involved in the change, and development of the companies and business models that will be needed. Over the years, he has supported hundreds of companies in a large number of industries with business development and growth strategies.Mats lives in southern Sweden with his wife.Book links:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Severe-Economic-Consequences-Electric-Vehicles-ebook/dp/B0CTX6KRBN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Future-Really-Works-Electromobility-What-ebook/dp/B0CFN41YBK/ref=sr_1_1?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Future-Really-Works-Electromobility-What-ebook/dp/B0CFN41YBK/ref=sr_1_1?

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• Ensuring Integrity in Carbon Markets: with Cercarbono’s Alex Saer

  Industrial Engineer and Political Scientist, Fulbright scholar for a master’s degree in Sustainable Development at the University of Maryland. More than 20 years of experience as a consultant and technical advisor in sustainability projects in the private sector. More than 3 years of wide-ranging expertise and work experience in the Colombian Ministry of Environment, designing and implementing public policies for the protection of ecosystems and the competitiveness of productive sectors, representing and advising the minister in boards, committees, and other multi stakeholder exchange forums.Key developer and designer of the Colombian National Circular Economy Strategy, and climate action instruments. Former delegate and board member in the OECD’s Environmental Policy CommitteeAs CEO of Cercarbono, he is in charge of strengthening and positioning the standard globally.Email:[email protected]

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• Talking high-tech artisan Biochar - Pawel Kuznicki, CEO, WasteX

  Pawel is a tech entrepreneur with a past experience in healthcare, fintech and e-commerce. Currently in climate tech, Pawel started WasteX in mid-2022 to tackle the climate crisis by developing biochar solutions for carbon removal and agricultural benefits. He lives in Indonesia, where most of the WasteX operations are based.Company website: https://www.wastex.io/Pawel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawelkuznicki/

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