On the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady talks with Charlie Sellars, author of “What We Can Do, a Climate Optimist Guide to Sustainable Living” and a director of sustainability at Microsoft.
Topics include:
• Why “crisis language” can burn people out, and how Sellars frames “pragmatic” climate optimism. (“crisis language kind of burns people out”; “The optimism language is a pragmatic language.”)
• Carbon accounting basics and early carbon footprint labels in food. (“we’re kind of at day one of carbon accounting”; “Sweet Green will actually put the, uh, carbon footprint of your meal”)
• Life cycle assessment and the “make it, move it, use it, lose it” framework. (“It’s called lifecycle assessment”; “make it, move it, use it, lose it framework.”)
• Right to repair, product longevity, and the power of buying signals and reviews. (“right to repair movement”; “voting with their, uh, their wallets”; “leaving a positive review”)
• Clean energy debates on nuclear, solar barriers, and how AI is driving data center energy demand. (“discouraging nuclear power generation”; “preventing people and companies from installing solar panels”; “what they’re used for is now ai”; “AI obviously takes a lot of energy.”)
00:00 What is Climate Optimism?
02:58 Meet Charlie Sers: Author & Climate Leader
07:09 Rethinking Climate Crisis & Overthinking Data
12:49 Life Cycle Assessment: Make It, Move It, Use It, Lose It
18:05 The Importance of Repairability & Product Longevity
20:25 Top Individual Actions for Climate Impact
24:16 How Personal Choices Signal Change
29:36 Every Job Can Support Sustainability
38:50 Networking, Careers, and Sustainable Impact
44:46 Clean Energy, Solar, and Systemic Change
50:53 The Energy Transition: Challenges and Realities
58:00 The Future: Global Trends and Reasons for Hope
01:01:38 Final Thoughts: The Power of Free Markets & Optimism
01:03:29 Thank You & Episode Wrap-Up
