In this conversation, Mike Smith interviews Russ Stoddard, the founder of Oliver Russell and Unit of Impact, about the importance of living your values in business and the role of green business certification programs like B Corp. They discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the need for businesses to prioritize environmental and social impact. Russ shares his personal journey in climate action and the challenges of making a meaningful impact. He emphasizes the importance of stakeholder activism and rejecting the status quo of shareholder primacy. Russ also mentions his book, 'Rise Up: How to Build a Socially Conscious Business,' which provides a template for building a business with social and environmental impact.

To kick off this episode, your host, Mike Smith, explores the intersection of forest, fire, and climate, thinking about how natural disasters shape our opinions on climate. He discusses his personal experience with wildfires and the role of climate change in exacerbating fire risks. He also touches on the history of wildfire suppression and the need for forest management practices.

Next, he welcomes his guest, Dylan Jones of Highland Outdoors, and they discuss the importance of storytelling in raising awareness about the environment and the unique beauty of West Virginia. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for collective action and shared values to address the challenges of climate change. They cover various themes related to climate change and its impact on West Virginia, including the emotional connection to forests, the increased threats of flooding and drought, the need for consensus and engagement across political spectrums, the role of small businesses in addressing climate change, the resurgence of print media, and the importance of central Appalachia in the fight against climate change.

In this episode of The Climate Dad, Mike Smith – CEO of Aclymate – dives into various issues, ranging from what scope emissions are to the interconnectedness of development and carbon emissions. Mike will also give a breakdown of the role of renewable energy in decarbonizing our economy. He will cover issues like the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever bill to set limits on emissions from U.S. power plants, and how despite being rejected by Congress, the plan has achieved many of its goals.

Mike is then joined by Jennifer Blossom Beddingfield, the Director of Human Resources and Sustainability at Xavier Creative House. They discuss the importance of sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry and the journey of Xavier Creative House toward becoming a B Corp. Mike and Jennifer emphasize the idea of shared responsibility in the context of climate change, and the need for collective efforts to drive meaningful action. Jennifer also highlights the role of Human Resources in driving sustainability and the importance of education to empower individuals to make climate-informed decisions.