THINK ACT REGENERATE is a podcast by Leigh Baker of ThinkActRegenerate which explores the wealth of regenerative design solutions happening on the ground in Australia and New Zealand, as well as around the world.
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18 recent
November 27, 202429 min
INSIGHT | Using BIOMIMICRY to find regenerative business opportunities
Humans have been copying nature for millenia - but we gave it a back seat at the start of the Industrial Revolution. Now it's back - and offering a wealth of regenerative innovation opportunities for products, processes and systems design.
Nature's "superpower" is to create solutions at room temperature, using renewable resources and renewable energy.
In this episode, host Leigh Baker of Think Act Regenerate discusses how Biomimicry-based design can be used to uncover smart regenerative business opportunities.
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-using-biomimicry-to-find-regenerative-business-opportunities/#text
CREDITS
Original music composed for the show by Ian Hopkinson of HopkinsonCreative.com – used with permission.
LINKS
Resources
AskNature solutions library: asknature.org
Bioneers Action Hub: bioneers.org
Biomimicry Toolbox: https://toolbox.biomimicry.org/methods/define/
Economics of Biomimicry:
https://infomineo.com/sustainable-development/bioinspired-innovation-harnessing-natures-wisdom/
ThinkActRegenerate INSIGHTS: https://thinkactregenerate.com/INSIGHTS/
Regenerative Thinking in Action: https://thinkactregenerate.com/program/
Examples
Bardee (black soldier fly): https://www.bardee.com/collections/all
Fungi Solutions: https://www.fungisolutions.com.au/
Interface Factory as Forest:
https://trellis.net/article/inside-interfaces-bold-new-mission-achieve-climate-take-back/
Kalundborg Symbiosis Industrial Estate: https://www.symbiosis.dk/en/
Mycellium (mushroom) products: https://myceliuminspired.com/products
Samsara (enzymatic plastic recycling):
https://www.samsaraeco.com/
SugarCrete:
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/innovative-thinking/researchers-transform-sugarcane-by-product-into-slabs-and-bricks-22-03-2024/
Zeoform:
https://zeoform.com/zeoboard
October 9, 202439 min
INTERVIEW | Solar entrepreneur Andy McCarthy discussing the next BIG renewable energy opportunity
Andy McCarthy - founder of Gippsland Solar in 2010 - has told his renewable energy business story (so far) in his recent autobiography HERE COMES THE SUN.
I caught up with Andy at the start of October to discuss what he’s learned and where he sees the next big openings in renewable energy opportunity.
FULL TRANSCRIPT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/interview-solar-entrepreneur-andy-mccarthy-on-the-next-big-renewable-energy-opportunity/#text
LINKS:
Books
HERE COMES THE SUN: https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Andy-McCarthy-Here-Comes-the-Sun-9781923046337
CROSSING THE CHASM: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers https://www.harpercollins.com/products/crossing-the-chasm-3rd-edition-geoffrey-a-moore?variant=32130444066850
Other links
Recent Think Act Regenerate PODCAST interview on battery as a service: https://thinkactregenerate.com/interview-exploring-battery-as-a-service-opportunities-with-eliot-energy/
FREE Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insights
August 30, 202447 min
INSIGHT | How to uncover regenerative Service Flip opportunities
Service and value tools for finding business opportunity have been developing for decades - both in mainstream business and sustainability circles.
In Circular Economy circles, they talk about The Service Flip - but there's a much wider toolkit on offer.
"Regenerative business service and value design is not about finding a better or lower cost solution to the existing problem of an industry. It's about redefining the problem itself." Adapted from Blue Ocean Strategy
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-how-to-uncover-regenerative-service-flip-opportunities/#text
RESOURCE LINKS
FREE Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS - introductory email series: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insights/
Think Act Regenerate Service Thinking Resources: https://thinkactregenerate.com/product-as-a-service-paas-stories-sources-and-resources/
Circular Design Guide: https://www.circulardesignguide.com/post/service-flip
The Service Economy by Walter Stahel: https://www.globe-eu.org/wp-content/uploads/THE_PERFORMANCE_ECONOMY1.pdf
EXAMPLES
Aspect Legal SME advisory: https://www.aspectlegal.com.au/lawyerline-sme/
Bristol Siddeley "Power by the Hour": https://www.nexsys.co.uk/knowledge-hub/servitization-jargon-buster/
Lighting services by Signify: https://trellis.net/article/how-philips-became-pioneer-circularity-service/ and https://www.circularx.eu/en/cases/40/signify-light-as-a-service
MUD Jeans as a service: https://mudjeans.com/pages/sustainability-mud-jeans
Rare bird as a service: https://reasonstobecheerful.world/farmers-protect-rare-red-fronted-macaws-bolivia/
Supermarket solar as a service: https://www.smartease.com.au/solar-panels-supermarket-iga/https://www.smartease.com.au/solar-panels-supermarket-iga/
Vogue review of clothing services: https://www.vogue.com/article/clothing-rental-subscription
August 7, 202434 min
INTERVIEW | Exploring "battery as a service" opportunities with ELIoT Energy
In this episode, host Leigh Baker of Think Act Regenerate talks with David Hauser about innovative Melbourne battery-as-a-service startup ELIoT Energy - and the multiple benefits their business model offers customers, the hospitality industry, environment and community.
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/interview-exploring-battery-as-a-service-opportunities-with-eliot-energy/#text
LINKS
ELIoT Energy website: https://eliot-energy.com/
10 key regenerative perspectives on regenerative business opportunity: https://thinkactregenerate.com/regenerative-design-insights/
FREE Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insights/
CREDITS
Original music composed for the show by Ian Hopkinson of HopkinsonCreative.com – used with permission.
May 22, 202434 min
INSIGHT | The radical efficiency opportunities of CIRCULAR systems
This podcast episode summarises the third of the Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series on regenerative innovation -and the rich smorgasbord of business and career opportunities it offers.
Circular Economy principles have been a driver of regenerative business growth over the last 1-2 decades - and proving increasingly profitable. A lot of people have heard the term - but think of it as "something about better recycling".
However, assuming that the circular economy is just about better recycling is like assuming that all you can do with a smartphone is make voice calls - because it's called a phone.
This podcast episode explores the full scope of Circular Economy design, with examples from over two decades of real world business innovation.
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-the-radical-efficiency-opportunities-of-circular-systems/#text
CREDITS
Original music composed for the show by Ian Hopkinson of HopkinsonCreative.com – used with permission.
LINKS
General resources
The Australian Circular Economy Hub: https://acehub.org.au/
The Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Case Studies and Examples: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/examples
The Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s CIRCULAR DESIGN GUIDE: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-design-guide/overview
The full Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insights/
Examples
Bananas – from food waste to food in Australia: https://thinkactregenerate.com/dried-bananas-food-vodka/
Banoffee Leather: https://banofileather.com/
Bateup Green Chair: https://www.bateupconsulting.com.au/greenchair
Canyon Solar in supermarket carparks: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/solar-carparks-offer-renewable-solution-for-supermarkets-and-cheap-ev-charging/
Caterpillar remanufacturing: https://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/sustainability/remanufacturing.html
Close the Loop (R) Australia: https://www.closetheloop.com.au/about-us/
Close the Loop® road surfacing:https://www.closetheloop.com.au/tonerplas-in-the-award-winning-m80-ring-road-upgrade/https://roadsonline.com.au/from-plastic-to-pavement-with-close-the-loop/
EU Unsold Clothing Destruction Ban: https://english.aawsat.com/fashion/4711286-eu-approves-ban-destruction-unsold-clothing
Framework Computers: https://frame.work/au/en
Interface early years BUSINESS LESSONS FROM A RADICAL INDUSTRIALIST: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781429997164/businesslessonsfromaradicalindustrialist
Interface reuse and upcycling: https://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/sustainability/remanufacturing.html
Kua Coffee: https://kuacoffee.co/about
Rohner upholstery textiles: https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2007/02/article_0002.html
April 25, 202438 min
INSIGHT | Levelling up to design for REGENERATION
One of the core propositions of Think Act Regenerate is that today’s regenerative design thinking enables a rich smorgasbord of smarter, faster, funner win/win/win solutions that go WAY beyond 20th century “sustainability” and “efficiency”.
What IS regenerative thinking?
To me, it’s a new place to stand – because we can’t solve 20th century problems with 20th century thinking.
Here’s my take on what regeneration is about and why it has a strong business focus, illustrated with a heap of examples.
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-levelling-up-to-design-for-regeneration/#text
LINKS
Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series: http://thinkactregenerate.com/insights
Think Act Regenerate INSIGHT on OPPORTUNITY https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-a-world-of-business-and-career-opportunity/
Books and general links
BUSINESS LESSONS FROM A RADICAL INDUSTRIALIST https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781429997164/businesslessonsfromaradicalindustrialist
REGENERATION: https://regeneration.org/the-book
THE DEEP GREEN PROFIT HANDBOOK https://thinkactregenerate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DeepGreenProfit.pdf
Michael Porter: “Why business can be good at solving social problems” https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_porter_why_business_can_be_good_at_solving_social_problems.html
Project Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/solutions
Examples:
Precious metals being recovered from ewaste using the whey https://rpra.ca/the-hub/researchers-extract-gold-from-e-waste-using-a-cheese-byproduct/
Farmer upcycling excess produce https://thinkactregenerate.com/dried-bananas-food-vodka/
AMP upcycling skyscraper https://thinkactregenerate.com/upcycling-commercial-buildings-circular-economy-at-a-whole-new-scale/
Sundrop farms, using solar energy and seawater to grow tomatoes in the desert: https://www.sundropfarms.com/
Interface flooring, utilising land-fill methane to power a factory https://www.greenbiz.com/article/interface-flooring-powers-plant-using-landfill-emissions
Farmers installing solar panels to protect their crops and power their on-farm equipment
https://ceat.org.au/the-benefits-of-agrivoltaics-in-agriculture/
A Riverina renewable energy coop building a community solar garden https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au/content/australias-first-community-solar-garden-becomes-a-reality
Kua Coffee, utilising a social enterprise structure to serve its growers in Kenya https://kuacoffee.co/learn/why-does-kua-have-a-foundation-and-a-company
An Indian company making a vegetable-based “Leather” from banana waste: https://banofileather.com/
Plastic-free coffee pods utilising algae-based material to protect the coffee https://www.fastcompany.com/91056402/how-keurig-finally-made-a-coffee-pod-with-no-plastic
Waste processing powered by Black Soldier Fly for food waste: https://goterra.au/food-waste-management/
HarperCollins use design to reduce paper cost and save trees https://www.fastcompany.com/91071102/harper-collins-made-a-tiny-tweak-to-its-book-design-and-has-saved-thousands-of-trees-as-a-result
Totally Renewable Yackandandah – from solar panels to energy retailer https://totallyrenewableyack.org.au/
Melbourne business turns toner cartridge waste into road
surfacing material and vegetable garden modules: https://roadsonline.com.au/the-proof-is-in-the-pavement-with-close-the-loop/
WA farmer is using biochar and dung beetles to reduce operating costs, increase production :
https://www.wantfa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WANTFA_NF_Summer2015_Biochar-002.pdfA family-run building company in NSW building super-efficient housing that sells itself https://thefifthestate.com.au/columns/news-from-the-front-desk/news-from-the-front-desk-issue-no-231/
March 22, 202418 min
INSIGHT | A world of business and career OPPORTUNITY
A surprising number of people look at “sustainability” and “the environment” as onerous obligations instead of seeing it as a rich smorgasbord of business and career opportunity.
So they miss out on the wealth of commercial solutions coming to market – many of which are already scaling globally.
In the first of 10 Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS, we explore the scope and scale of today’s opportunities and identify some starting resources.
FULL TEXT: https://thinkactregenerate.com/insight-a-world-of-business-and-career-opportunity/#text
LINKS
The Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series: thinkactregenerate.com/insights
Project Drawdown’s solutions catalogue: drawdown.org/solutions
Ellen Macarthur Foundation for the Circular Economy: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
Circular Design Guide: circulardesignguide.com
Project Regeneration’s Action Nexus: regeneration.org/nexus
Planning worksheet download of “An Ikigai for regenerative solutionists”: thinkactregenerate.com/an-ikigai-for-regenerative-solutionists
CREDITS
Original music composed for the show by Ian Hopkinson of HopkinsonCreative.com - used with permission.
February 6, 202411 min
TRANSITION | From Regenomics to Think Act Regenerate
I began this podcast as an exploration of the wealth of regenerative solutions scaling globally today that just about anyone can be part of. It was initially part of the Climactic podcast family, so it had a focus on climate issues.
However, my passion has always been design for regeneration and accelerating the spread of today's rich smorgasbord of commercial, actionable solutions.
Going forward, Think Act Regenerate will explore the design principles as well as the individual solutions being actioned by entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs and innovators around the world.
CREDITS:
Original music by Ian Hopkinson of Hopkinson Creative
LINKS:
Think Act Regenerate INSIGHTS email series
April 4, 202313 min
SECTORS | HVAC, Kigali and industry-based climate solutions
The impact of industry-supported climate solutions is not well recognised. The US ratification of the Kigali Accord is one such example - which passed the US Senate with bipartisan support in late 2022. It was a solution supported by the HVAC-R industry and lobbied for by the industry - and is expected to reduce warming in 2100 by 0.35 to 0.5 degrees Centigrade.
The most powerful place you can take climate action may well be in your own industry. For example, the computer games industry has a powerful role to play - one outlined by Project Drawdown's A DRAWDOWN-ALIGNED FRAMEWORK FOR THE GAMING INDUSTRY.
The more you know about today's wealth of regenerative business solutions, the better your chances of being a powerful change agent.
LINKS
A Drawdown-Aligned Framework for the Gaming Industry: https://drawdown.org/publications/a-drawdown-aligned-framework-for-the-gaming-industry
"The US Senate ratifies international climate agreement in bipartisan vote" by Tim Treuer in The Waggle: https://mailchi.mp/regeneration.org/the-waggle-issue-27-hoflhgby6e?e=33eee9b47f
"The Senate ratified a climate change treaty with rare strong bipartisan support" NPR September 2022:
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/22/1124590392/the-senate-ratified-a-climate-change-treaty-with-rare-strong-bipartisan-support
Original music by Ian Hopkinson of hopkinsoncreative.com
August 16, 202230 min
PRINCIPLES | Climate Solutions and Drawdown Down Under
ReGenOmics Down Under is a podcast by Leigh Baker of Balance3 exploring the wealth of climate solutions happening on the ground in Australia and New Zealand, as well as around the world.
This episode explores what the human race already knows about how to reverse global warming – starting with the commercial, scaling solutions modelled and ranked by the independent not-for-profit Project Drawdown in 2017 (and updated in 2020)
Project Drawdown’s findings include:
We CAN reverse global warming – even if we just use the quantifiable, multi-benefit commercial solutions that WE ALREADY HAVE and are already scaling.
NONE of the 80 solutions require further policy change from national governments (while it would help, all the solutions ARE commercial and ARE scaling)
79 of the solutions are multi-benefit solutions that make the world BETTER (the only harmful solution of significance was nuclear).
The 80 solutions are WHOLE-OF-ECONOMY solutions that go way beyond electriciy generation and transport to include food, agriculture, construction, education, health and materials.
The high-potential new solutions that they didn’t have numbers for are likely to be every bit as powerful and even more regenerative than what we have now.
The list of 80 commercial, quantified Drawdown solutions can a bit overwhelming, and each one only gets 2 pages of explanation.
So in this episode we dive in to a couple and see how they’re happening in Australia, with examples from two past Climactic episodes.
Tropical forest regeneration
Insulation
Forest regeneration ranked #5 and #12 on the original Drawdown top 80. And here’s an example of what a small group of concerned Australian researchers created, told by Jess Panegyres from The Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network
Insulation ranked #21 on the original Drawdown list. We explore the action that one Perth insulation installer began back while Drawdown was still doing their modelling.
Drawdown only modelled solutions where they could find a robust, peer-reviewed data sets – so there are many, many more powerful, existing solutions that aren’t that well-measured yet – from vortex water processing to cellulose-based building materials.
So it’s more useful to think of Drawdown as a guide book of highlights rather than a definitive encyclopedia.
We live in a world where most of the mainstream media coverage on climate action is focused on either:
high-level action where big government and big business do big things; OR
low-level actions about consumers using less or spending more on expensive alternatives.
That’s barely beginning of the story. Those two themes like the pastry layers on a vanilla slice – necessary, but not the main event. There’s actually a wealth of accessible action when you get out and start looking for problems that need solving and the opportunities they create.
Solving the challenges we face has created a quiet design revolution – the development of systems and processes that regenerate communities and ecosystems. It’s a whole lot easier to see the best, multi-benefit solutions when you understand the straightforward principles regenerative design.
Re-gen-omics Down Under explores the solutions happening and the thinking behind them – so if you’re interested in solutions, learn to find your action opportunities and listen to your gut.
LINKS
Paul Hawken, founder of Project Drawdown, speaking on Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTLtrt6OIE
Key pages from Project Drawdown's website (where their open-source finding are published):
Their current list of evidence-based solutions https://drawdown.org/solutions
Their downloadable updates https://drawdown.org/drawdown-review
The Climactic Live episode BZE - Fight for Planet A Panel for the forest regeneration story https://www.climactic.fm/show/climactic/climactic-live-bze-fight-for-planet-
Original music by Hopkinson Creative
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