”Bite-size Climate Tech" is your go-to source for easy-to-digest content on the latest and most cutting-edge climate technology and topics of the day. With around 5min per per episode, this podcast is for non-engineers and everyday people like myself, to peak into the incredible world of climate tech.
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October 13, 2026Episode 1021 min
The Fertilizer We Flush Away | Margaret Lumley, Roca Water
Why do we make nitrogen fertilizer, let some of its value end up in wastewater, spend effort removing it, and then manufacture more? Margaret Lumley, Founder & CEO of Roca Water, joins Bite-Size Climate Tech to explain how battery-inspired electrodes can selectively recover ammonium from wastewater. Together we follow nitrogen through food and water systems, search for an eight-year-old-friendly soup analogy, and explore why resource recovery might make commercial sense for wastewater operators. Margaret also shares what growing up with California droughts and later experiencing Wisconsin floods taught her about water and climate. Recorded on 6 August 2026. Company milestones are discussed as they stood at recording. Bite-Size Climate Tech makes complex climate solutions simple, human, and engaging.Support Season 5:https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech/supportLearn more about Bite-Size Climate Tech:https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-techProduced by Day Zero Production
September 29, 2026Episode 919 min
CO₂ to Ethylene with Alex Ip, CERT Systems
What do bananas, shampoo bottles, clothes and aviation fuel have in common? Ethylene. It is one of industry’s most useful building-block molecules, and today it is largely made from fossil feedstocks. In this episode of Bite-Size Climate Tech, I speak with Alex Ip, Co-founder & CEO of CERT Systems, about a different route: using CO₂, water and electricity to make ethylene through direct CO₂ electrolysis. Alex explains the science with Lego blocks and an “electrolyser sandwich,” then we get into the Season 5 question: why could this be good business? We talk about why making the same drop-in molecule matters for existing industrial processes, modular production, moving from lab proof towards commercial demonstration, the pathway towards cost competitiveness, and what winning Tencent CarbonX could unlock for CERT. And underneath all of it is a bigger idea: future generations shouldn’t have to give up useful materials, mobility or quality of life to solve climate change. The challenge is finding a better way to make them. 🎙️ Bite-Size Climate Tech Season 5: Climate Tech Is Just Good Business Learn more about CERT Systems: https://co2cert.com/ Explore Bite-Size Climate Tech: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech Support Season 5: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech/support
September 15, 2026Episode 817 min
What If Hempcrete Poured Like Pancake Batter? | Bison Biocomposites
Brineworks: From “Magic Box” to Upgraded Suit | CO₂ + H₂ for E-Fuels
What if the climate mission stays the same, but the technology gets a better suit? In this episode, Lydia catches up with Joe Perryman from Brineworks to unpack how the company evolved from its earlier ocean-based concept into a land-based system built around a closed saltwater loop. Brineworks now produces two key feedstocks for synthetic fuels: sustainable CO₂ and green hydrogen . But this conversation is about more than one company’s technical upgrade. It is also about a broader shift in climate tech: from “we should do this because it’s sustainable” to “it’s sustainable, and it can increasingly make sense as good business too.” We cover: why Brineworks moved away from the ocean-based setup how the land-based system works in plain English the closed-loop saltwater design why CO₂ + H₂ matters for e-fuels where Brineworks sits in the value chain and why cheap, intermittent renewables change the economics As Joe puts it: “It’s sustainable, so we’re gonna do it because it’s the right thing… but it’s also now just getting very cheap.” Explore more: Brineworks: brineworks.tech Bite-Size Climate Tech / Day Zero Production: dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech Visual note: The CLI animated sequences are simplified educational illustrations based on Joe’s explanation. They are not engineering schematics or literal representations of Brineworks’ exact hardware or process configuration.
August 12, 2026Episode 616 min
How Climate Tech Gets Out of the Lab | Prof. Vikram Yadav
Most Bite-Size Climate Tech episodes start with one technology. This conversation became something much bigger. Professor Vikram Yadav happened to be in London, the weather cooperated, and we recorded one of those rare in-person BSCT episodes. We start with intelligent bioprocessing and a deceptively simple question: when does a scientific invention actually become innovation? From there, we explore why climate technologies need to be designed for scale from the beginning, why commercial reality matters alongside scientific performance, and why scientists should be bold enough to ask how their inventions might fail. We also talk about how to bring more talented people into climate work, Vikram’s journey from chemical engineering and oil & gas into biotechnology, the book that helped him see biology as a tool for planetary-scale problems, and why he remains optimistic about the next generation. Vikram is a professor at the University of British Columbia and Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer of Tydra Labs. One idea became the spine of the conversation: There is a difference between invention and innovation. A breakthrough only becomes innovation when it works in the real world, at scale. Recorded in London, May 2026. Season 5: Climate Tech Is Just Good Business. #ClimateTech #Bioprocessing #Innovation #ScienceCommunication
July 24, 2026Episode 516 min
Can Cement Be Made With 85% Less CO₂ at the Same Cost? | Erin Bobicki, CURA
Cement’s hidden CO₂ problem begins inside the rock itself. Much of cement’s emissions does not come only from the fuel burned in a kiln. The CO₂ is chemically locked inside limestone. Dr. Erin R. Bobicki, co-founder and CEO of CURA, joins Lydia Chen to explain how the company aims to separate that CO₂ before the limestone enters the cement kiln. Using the familiar reaction between vinegar and chalk, Erin breaks down CURA’s electrochemical pre-calcination process: electricity produces acid and base, the acid releases a concentrated stream of CO₂ from limestone, and the remaining calcium can still be used to make cement. They explore: • Why cleaner kiln fuel cannot solve cement’s full emissions problem • How CURA captures CO₂ before the kiln • The volcano experiment that makes the chemistry understandable • CURA’s pathway from laboratory work to paid pilot and commercial deployment • How carbon pricing is changing the economics of cement • The northern Labrador experience that deepened Erin’s commitment to climate • Why the cheapest option must also become the greenest option CURA says its process could reduce cement-production emissions by up to 85% and manage the carbon at cost parity with conventional cement manufacturing. But the final thought that stayed with Lydia was more personal. Erin has six children, and they are already excited about the technology and the mission behind it. As Erin put it: “The next generation is already on it.” Since this conversation was recorded, CURA has announced that its 5 kg/day mini-pilot is operational: https://curaclimate.com/press/curas-mini-pilot-is-operational Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c-ggbzQILno Learn more about CURA: https://curaclimate.com/ Explore Bite-Size Climate Tech: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech Support Season 5: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech/support Figures, commercial claims, and deployment plans reflect CURA’s statements at the time of recording. Selected visual explanations were created with AI-assisted animation and are intended as conceptual illustrations, not engineering schematics.
July 6, 2026Episode 418 min
The Protein Shake for Batteries? How LiRA Restores Lithium-Ion Packs | BSCT S5E4
Alex Ivanenko is back on Bite-Size Climate Tech. He first joined the show in Season 2 to talk about HyWatts and hydrogen reversible fuel cells. This time, he returns with a new company, The Lithium Company, and a new idea: LIRA, the Lithium Inventory Refill Agent. The simplest version? A protein shake for batteries. In this conversation, Alex explains why some lithium-ion batteries may not be structurally dead, but depleted. We talk about active lithium inventory, battery restoration, the difference between recycling, repurposing, and restoring, and why this could become a good-business answer to replacement pressure. We also talk about validation, commercialization, and why Alex keeps building in energy: because better, cheaper, more effective energy technologies can improve quality of life and expand access to electricity. This is an early-stage story, but it captures the heart of Season 5: climate tech is just good business when it solves a real problem. Note: Some visual explainers in the video version are AI-assisted and illustrative only. They are not technical demonstrations, validated test results, or performance guarantees.
June 16, 2026Episode 319 min
Can We Grow Oil From Algae? Ian Hu of Phycobloom
Algae already make oil. The hard part is getting them to share it. In this episode of Bite-Size Climate Tech, Lydia speaks with Ian Hu, CTO and co-founder of Phycobloom, a synthetic biology company engineering microalgae to release oil while staying alive. Ian explains why crude oil originally came from ancient photosynthetic life, why traditional algae oil production was so energy-intensive, and how Phycobloom is exploring a different approach: teaching algae to release oil into their surroundings without destroying the cell. The conversation covers algae 1.0, DNA as an instruction manual, synthetic biology, the “Monsters, Inc. 2.0” analogy, sustainable aviation fuel, energy security, techno-economics, and why climate startups need to think beyond the science from day one. We also discuss Phycobloom’s internal techno-economic analysis, which suggests their approach could reduce production cost compared with conventional algae oil production by around 70 percent. This is early-stage science, but it points to a big question: could living systems become a better way to make the carbon-based fuels and materials that electrification cannot easily replace? Bite-Size Climate Tech Season 5 is about why climate tech is just good business. Note for video viewers: selected B-roll and animations in the video version are AI-assisted and used as educational explainers. The interview and company context are real. Learn more about Phycobloom: https://www.phycobloom.com/ Support Bite-Size Climate Tech Season 5: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech/support
May 28, 2026Episode 215 min
Can CO₂ Become Food? Arborea’s BioSolar Leaf Explained
Giving EV Batteries an NthLife™ with Samsar Resources
What happens to an EV battery after it stops powering a car? In the opening episode of Bite-Size Climate Tech Season 5, Lydia speaks with Guillermo Garcia, President and CEO of Samsar Resources, about battery circularity, reuse, and the company’s NthLife™ approach. Samsar designs, inspects, and repurposes batteries so they can keep creating value across new applications instead of being discarded too early. We talk about why battery reuse is not just good for the planet, but also good business, how to explain the idea through a Toy Story analogy, and what it takes for climate technology to move from lab to market. This episode kicks off Season 5’s new theme: Climate Tech Is Just Good Business. Bite-Size Climate Tech makes complex climate solutions simple, human, and engaging. Learn more about Samsar Resources: https://www.samsarresources.com/ Support Season 5: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech/support Learn more about Bite-Size Climate Tech: https://www.dayzeroproduction.com/bite-size-climate-tech Hosted by Lydia Chen Produced by Day Zero Production
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