The Young Ike Project

Climate Future Makers is a new monthly series from The Young Ike Project spotlighting people actively building real-world climate solutions. The goal is to move beyond the doom-and-denial cycle that often defines environmental discourse and instead tell the stories of builders, innovators, and leaders shaping a more sustainable future right now.Our first guest is Bill Brady, a veteran industrial executive turned climate entrepreneur. After decades leading global chemical businesses, Brady shifted his career toward solving large-scale environmental problems and has since helped launch ventures in clean fuels, low-carbon cement, and sustainable agriculture.In this episode, we explore Brady’s latest venture, Kula Bio, which is developing biologically based nitrogen fertilizer as an alternative to the century-old Haber-Bosch process. We discuss how synthetic fertilizer helped feed the modern world, but also contributes heavily to greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and soil degradation. Brady explains how Kula’s technology uses naturally occurring microbes to deliver nitrogen in a cleaner, more regenerative way.We also dive into the realities of climate entrepreneurship—breaking into markets long controlled by established industry players. Brady closes with a broader vision for the future: that the nexus between energy and technology will define the next century and beyond.

Carrie Jennings is the Research and Policy Director at the Freshwater Society and a geologist by training. She’s one of Minnesota’s leading voices on groundwater and water policy. A past guest from last season, we’re thrilled to have her back on the podcast.In this episode, we talk about the rise of hyperscale data centers and what they could mean for water in Minnesota and across the Great Lakes region. Jennings explains why groundwater is often misunderstood as “infinite,” how data centers can function like adding a new small city’s worth of demand to the edge of a metro-center.We also dig into the governance problem: non-disclosure agreements, limited public data on actual water use, and how municipal hookups can effectively let data centers “jump the line” during scarcity—despite statutory water-use priorities. Jennings closes by outlining where Minnesota’s system is breaking down and what it would take to build clearer rules before the next wave of high-volume water users arrives.This is apart of The Young Ike’s Live Series. To find a Podclub event near you or start your own, visit: theyoungike.org/podclubThis is apart of The Young Ike’s Live Series. To find a Podclub event near you or start your own, visit: theyoungike.org/podclubFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyoungike/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Young-IKE-61579184976598/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-young-ike/

This episode is a special break from our current season on data centers and the environmental trade-offs of the AI infrastructure buildout. Instead, we return to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for a clear-eyed, one-year-in assessment of what has actually changed under the second Trump administration. When I first spoke with Becky Rom just before the 2024 election, much of the conversation was shaped by uncertainty. A year later, a lot has changed. Or has it?Recorded on January 21st—the morning the House voted on H.J. Res. 140—this conversation walks through the concrete policy mechanics behind the fight to undo federal protections for the Boundary Waters: the 20-year mining withdrawal, the Congressional Review Act, and what’s at stake if Congress succeeds. Rom, National Chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, explains what change is tangible versus symbolic, how federal and state protections intersect, and why this moment feels both like a culmination of the past year—and another critical chapter in the decades-long battle over America’s most visited wilderness.Articles Mentioned: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/02/11/an-ely-group-agrees-on-the-value-of-the-boundary-waters-but-they-cant-agree-on-mining?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.themeateater.com/conservation/public-lands-and-waters/protecting-the-boundary-waters-is-a-test-of-leadership-for-americas-publicLearn more about SAVE at: savetheboundarywaters.orgFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyoungike/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Young-IKE-61579184976598/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-young-ike/

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we live, work, and communicate—but the digital world runs on physical infrastructure. This season of The Young Ike explores the rapid expansion of data centers across the United States and the environmental, economic, and civic trade-offs that come with them.As demand for AI and cloud computing explodes, data centers are popping up in communities large and small, reshaping local energy grids, water systems, and land use plans. They bring investment, tax revenue, and jobs—but also raise serious questions about sustainability, transparency, and long-term environmental goals.This season is not about AI chatbots themselves, but about the infrastructure underneath them—and how communities, policymakers, environmental advocates, and industry are responding.Featured Voices This Season:Across this season, Griffith speaks with five guests approaching the data center buildout from different perspectives:- Kathryn Hoffman, CEO of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, on legal and regulatory challenges surrounding data center development- Carrie Jennings, Research and Policy Director at Freshwater, on groundwater use, water governance gaps, and the hidden risks of data center development. - Senator Nick Frentz, Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate Committee, on balancing economic development, energy policy, and climate goals in the data center boom- Gary Brown, grassroots organizer and Izaak Walton League member, on local resistance movements and community-level organizing- Andrew Odlyzko, technology historian at the University of Minnesota, on financial manias, infrastructure booms, and historical parallels to today’s data center surgeAn industry perspective was actively sought for this season but could not be secured. That commitment—to engaging all sides of complex environmental issues—remains central to The Young Ike and will continue in future seasons.How This Season Works:Episodes will be released weekly over the next four to five weeks. Listeners are encouraged to follow along and participate in Podclubs—community-led discussion groups modeled after book clubs—designed to take these conversations off podcasts, off algorithms, and into the real world.To find a Podclub event near you or start your own, visit:theyoungike.org/podclub

Kathy Zeman has seen agriculture from every angle: growing up on a dairy farm, working in animal genetics and feed, and now running Simple Harvest Farm, her 20-acre certified organic, direct-to-consumer farm in Minnesota. Today, she also leads the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, representing more than 10,000 local food vendors across the state.In this episode, Kathy helps us unravel the tangled web of industrial farming, policy, and local food. We talk about how agricultural policy—from crop insurance to the Farm Bill—has systematically favored Big Ag and commodity crops while leaving local food farmers underfunded and unsupported. Kathy shares how these inequities ripple through our food system, shaping not only what we eat but also how we treat our soil, our water, and our rural communities.Kathy lays out her vision for building resilient local food systems through practical, unglamorous solutions: commercial kitchens in town halls, shared food storage and transport, micro-insurance programs for small farmers, and policies that level the playing field between industrial agriculture and the “little ag” food farmers. Support Kathy’s farm: https://simpleharvestfarm.com/Join the conversation: 🎟 Live Event (Aug 28): Sign up here 🌐 Website: theyoungike.org 📷 Instagram:@theyoungike 📧 Contact us: griffith@theyoungike.org 🤝 Support our partner:Minnesota Valley IWLACall to Action:If you enjoyed this episode, please add the show to your library, download it, share it with a friend, and leave a review. It’s a small thing that makes a huge difference in helping us grow and keep these conversations going.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is one of the most pristine natural landscapes in the United States—but its future is at risk. Becky Rom, national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, joins The Young IKE to discuss the fight against mining near the Boundary Waters, the legal and political battles over Minnesota’s mineral resources, and why conservation is more urgent now than ever.Rom shares insights on how conservation efforts have evolved, the push-and-pull between economic development and environmental protection, and how everyday citizens can take action to preserve and protect the nature we love.Guest Information:Guest Name: Becky RomBio: Becky Rom is a lifelong conservationist and the national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, leading efforts to protect the BWCAW from sulfide-ore mining and environmental degradation. With decades of advocacy experience, she has been instrumental in shaping policy and legal strategies to safeguard public lands.Links:🔹 Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters – https://www.savetheboundarywaters.orgEpisode Outline:🔹 Why the Boundary Waters Matter – The ecological, cultural, and recreational significance of the BWCA.🔹 Mining Threats & Environmental Risks – How proposed sulfide-ore mining projects could devastate the region’s fragile ecosystem.🔹 The Legal & Political Fight – The state and federal policies shaping the future of the Boundary Waters.🔹 Balancing Conservation & Economic Interests – Impact of mining on local economies and tourism. 🔹 How You Can Help – The role of grassroots advocacy and public engagement in protecting public lands.Episode Sponsor:🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible. Learn more at iwlamnvalley.orgHost & Show Info:Host Name: Griffith PughPodcast Website: www.theyoungike.orgCommunity & Calls to Action:📩 Contact the host: griffith@theyoungike.orgHelp Us Grow:📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike⭐ Rate & Review on Apple or Spotify 📢 Share this episode with a friend!

In order to transition to green energy, we need to build infrastructure—but to build that infrastructure, we must mine for critical minerals. Journalist and author Ernest Scheyder, a senior correspondent for Reuters, joins The Young IKE to discuss his National Book Award-longlisted book, The War Below, and the hidden costs of the modern mining boom.We explore the economic, political, and environmental trade-offs behind mining, why rare earths are the oil of the 21st century, and how we can transition to clean energy without repeating the mistakes of the past.Guest Information:Guest Name: Ernest ScheyderBio: Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent at Reuters, covering the green energy transition and the critical minerals industry. His book, The War Below, was longlisted for the National Book Award and explores the untold stories behind mineral extraction. Links:🔹 Order The War Below – HERE🔹 Ernest Scheyder, Reuters– HEREEpisode Outline:🔹 The New Oil? – Why rare earth minerals are the driving force behind 21st-century geopolitics.🔹 Too Special to Mine? – The debate over mining in protected lands like the Boundary Waters and Indigenous territories.🔹 Supply Chains & The Global Economy – How the pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in the mineral supply chain.🔹 Responsible Mining & Transparency – The rise of certification programs, ethical sourcing, and corporate accountability.🔹 What Comes Next? – How government policy, industry standards, and public awareness can shape a more sustainable future.Episode Sponsor:🎙️ The Young Ike is bringing these conversations into the real world with live, quarterly community dialogues. Thank you to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the IWLA for making this possible. Learn more at iwlamnvalley.orgHost & Show Info:Host Name: Griffith PughPodcast Website: www.theyoungike.orgCommunity & Calls to Action:📩 Contact the host: griffith@theyoungike.orgHelp Us Grow:📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungike⭐ Rate & Review on Apple or Spotify 📢 Share this episode with a friend!

🎤 TYI Live Event in March 2025! The Young IKE is bringing these conversations into the real world with live quarterly community dialogues. Stay tuned… Follow us on Instagram: @theyoungikeVisit our website: www.theyoungike.orgThank You to the Minnesota Valley Chapter of IWLA. Learn more at: iwlamnvalley.org