HAPPY PLANET

Hosted by Abigail Carroll

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Can innovation, entrepreneurship and investment make the planet happier and healthier? Entrepreneur and investor Abigail Carroll thinks so. Through conversations with founders, investors, and thought leaders, in over a dozen countries and counting, Abigail shares this thought-provoking and hope-promoting world with her audience. And always with a little humour.

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June 3, 2026Episode 7946 min

Building relevancy in the climate conversation. Raney Bench, Executive Director of Mount Desert Island Historical Society

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we continue to dig into the theme of cultural institutions becoming part of the climate conversation. Maine's Mount Desert Island Historical Society has traditionally served as an agent of preservation for historical records concerning the island. But when Executive Director Raney Bench began perusing the 140 year old data records of climate, ocean and animal life on the island, she began to rethink the breadth of her organization's mission. After all, doesn’t historical preservation offer a unique opportunity to collect and share climate data? Raney’s out of the box thinking launched the wee three-staff-member organization squarely in the middle of the climate movement with a whole new set of collaborators including Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Universities of Maine and Rhode Island. Ultimately Raney launched Landscape of Change a project combining history and science to document and communicate the scope, speed, and scale of climate change on MDI. To listen, tune into Happy Planet on Apple, Spotify, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts. Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

May 13, 2026Episode 7843 min

Preservation & Climate : Historic New England tackles climate change. Joie Grandbois, Director of Sustainability

Send us Fan MailHappy Planet Wednesday!Join us as we explore the intersection of historic preservation and climate action with Joie Grandbois, Director of Sustainability at Historic New England. Discover how preserving historic buildings can contribute to sustainability, resilience, and climate education, and learn practical strategies for making historic sites more eco-friendly. keywordshistoric preservation, sustainability, climate action, historic New England, resilience, energy efficiency, climate education, embodied carbon, preservation easements, community engagement key topicsIntersection of historic preservation and climate actionEnergy efficiency upgrades in historic buildingsResilience planning for historic sitesCommunity engagement in climate initiativesInnovative sustainability strategies for preservation "Simple steps can dramatically reduce energy loss""Upgrading gutters can prevent flooding and damage""Local action drives global change"Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context02:44 Historic New England's Mission and Role04:10 Preservation and Climate Action09:51 The Value of Historic Buildings16:22 Historic House Easements and Their Significance20:16 Shifting Perspectives on Sustainability in Preservation23:22 Sustainability Initiatives Across New England26:05 Climate Action Goals and Strategies27:37 Site-Specific Climate Action Planning32:18 Communicating Climate Action to Visitors42:05 Personal Journey into Sustainability and Preservation49:37 Optimism for the Future of Climate Action resourcesHistoric New England - https://www.historicnewengland.org/Yale Climate Communication - https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/Portland History Docents Program - https://portlandhistory.org/ guest linksLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joie-grandbois/ Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

April 29, 2026Episode 7747 min

Can AI driven data save our whales? Emily Charry Tissier, Co-Founder Whale Seeker

Send us Fan MailIn my part of the world, North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species with an estimated population of fewer than 360 remaining individuals. Most of these deaths in New England and along the East coast are human-induced, overwhelmingly driven by vessel strikes and entanglement in commercial fishing gear. Over 85% of right whales are estimated to be entangled in fishing gear at least once in their lives, and whales are frequently struck by boats of all sizes.Managing this situation has been challenging for all. But could AI powered data solve the problem? Our guest today, Emily Charry Tissier thinks so. Emily is a data specialist who hails from Montreal, Canada. In this episode, she describes how her company, Whale Seeker, harnesses the power of AI to analyze captured marine mammal data, improving marine navigation, and protecting these vital and beloved animals.Emily Charry TissierWhale Seeker Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

April 15, 2026Episode 7627 min

Saving the world, one adorable salamander at a time. Jeff Parmalee, Board Member, Maine Big Night & Teaching Professor and University of New England.

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to the podcast where we celebrate innovation for our happy planet. Today we are meeting with Jeff Parmelee, Teaching Professor at the School of Biological Sciences at University of New England's College of Arts and Sciences. Jeff is an evolutionary biologist and ecologist interested in amphibians and reptiles. He teaches anatomy, physiology, and herpetology (the branch of zoology concerning reptiles and amphibians), as well as my favorite, the natural history of the Galapagos. Jeff also serves on the board of Maine Big Night, which he's here to speak about today.https://www.une.edu/people/jeffrey-parmeleehttps://mainebignight.org/ Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

March 25, 202628 min

Can American farmed seaweed finally find its market? Sam Garwin, GreenWave

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the podcast where we celebrate innovation for a happy planet. I am your host, Abigail Carroll.What is going on with American farmed seaweed? That is the question we are asking this week.We’ve heard a lot about it. For some time, everyone in the blue economy was touting its health benefits and umami flavour. Specialty seaweed food startups were getting on grocery store shelves nation-wide - and that is no small feat. It certainly is a good crop to farm as well. It's a winter crop that matures in a matter of month with no fresh water and light maintenance. (At least compared to oysters!) .But then these seaweed food companies started to shutter. If you remember Courtney Boyd Rey was on the podcast -- she told us the sad story about AKUA’s struggles. And last fall we heard from a turnaround specialist trying revive Maine’s celebrated Atlantic Sea Farms. Most recently they succumbed, as did another known seaweed food startup.So what happened and is there still a market for the seaweed we’re now cultivating along our coast? Sam Garwin from GREENWAVE is here to say she’s still an optimist. She has a hunch about what went wrong and is bullish about where the market can get it right. Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

March 11, 202630 min

Turning climate ideas into action. Will Kochtitzky, Asst. Professor, University of New England

Send us Fan Mail In the interest of Global Exchange, I have focused on having podcast guests from all over the planet. But today's guest comes from just a few miles away. Will Kochtitzky is an assistant professor at the University of New England in my hometown in Maine. Will's specialty is observing and quantifying the impacts of climate change on planet Earth. Having worked in equatorial and polar regions, as well as on some of the tallest mountains and along our changing coastlines, will, has a very broad perspective on the subject.Today he focuses on engaging and training University of New England's undergraduates to understand the consequences of climate change. He is also preparing them for work in this sector by providing them with hands-on opportunities to enhance climate resilience in their local college community. A note to listeners who are further a note to listeners who are further flung the New England: in this podcast, we speak about a series of memorable winter storms that walloped Maine's coastline a couple of years ago, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and serving as a stark reminder of the precariousness of life as we know it along our treasured coastlines. Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

February 18, 2026Episode 7329 min

Modernizing Animal Anatomy Resources to Preserve and Deepen Knowledge. Mieke Roth and Paul Schilperoord, Anitomical B.V.

Send us Fan MailHappy Planet Wednesday!Did you know that the muscle, the snail and the octopus share a common feature? The esophagus runs through the brain. Today we are traveling to the Netherlands, where we meet Mieke Roth and Paul Schilperoord of Anitomical, B.V., a company addressing an educational market with new tools to facilitate the study of animal anatomy, thanks to their intricate 3D digital renderings. Mika and Paul are starting with marine life, including mussels, sea squirts, and more, but they hope to grow their library to encompass much of the animal kingdom. Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

February 6, 2026Episode 7228 min

Citizen Scientists, a Whole Lot of Data, and a Whole Lot of Fun. Mead Kraka, REEF

Send us Fan MailIt’s Happy Planet Wednesday!Today I'm joined by Mead Krówka from REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation), a marine conservation nonprofit based in Key Largo that connects people directly to ocean protection through hands-on citizen science. You might want to become one and join one of their Field Survey trips around the world. Sounds like a good vacation to me.From tracking fish populations worldwide to leading efforts against invasive lionfish, Reef is turning everyday ocean lovers into powerful stewards of our reefs. The phenomenal amount of marine data collected is available on their searchable online database. With the help of people like you and me, Reef is shaping the future of marine conservation.https://www.reef.org/ Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

December 3, 2025Episode 7145 min

Is Biomimicry the key to sustainable industrial design? Sidney Rostan, Founder and CEO, BIOXEGY

Send us Fan MailHappy Planet Wednesday! If you've ever drawn inspiration from nature, this is the podcast for you. Our guest this week is Sidney Rostan, a Paris-based entrepreneur and biomimicry expert. If you remember from one of our first podcasts, biomimicry is the design and production of solutions that are modeled on biological entities and processes. Sidney's engineering firm, BIOXEGY, proposes industrial engineering solutions that are uniquely designed to mimic nature. He says solutions modeled after nature have many advantages, including better sustainability, and the benefit of thousands of years of nature's fine-tuning. To listen, tune into Happy Planet on Apple , Spotify, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts. Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...

November 19, 2025Episode 7048 min

Can we have a regenerative planet within a decade? Rob Avis, Co-Founder 5th Generation

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the 70th episode of Happy Planet podcast. This is the podcast where we celebrate innovation for a happy planet.This week we are traveling to Alberta, Canada to speak with Rob Avis, co-founder of 5th World, a Canadian startup focused on regenerative living. 5th World designs and builds self-sufficient homesteads, greenhouses and combined food, water, and energy systems we can live and work more synergistically with nature. Rob has powerful backers and big ambitions. Their end goal? Planetary regeneration within a generation. https://5thworld.com/ Support the showListen on Apple , Spotify, 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 ...