Dr. Jonathan Male, Director of the BioEnergy Technologies Office with the U.S. Department of Energy in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about his passion for bioenergy and bioplastics, the circular bioeconomy, and a designer approach to plastic. In their discussion, Denny and Dr. Male talk about why sustainability is so important andhow young people can get involved to carry on the work that’s already being done. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Biobased Radio

The Circular Bioeconomy

Student delegates from across the Unites States participating in the Consortium for Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Education (CABLE) share their findings of food ingredients that are frequently made from petroleum. Biobased technologies are now producing Vanilin, Stevia, Xylitol, and Rosemary extract. These compounds are compared to their petroleum counterpart using the sustainability framework of people, profit, and planet. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Food Ingredients and the Advanced Bioeconomy

Reduced travel miles due to COVID-19 restrictions and a glut of cheap oil have adversely impacted the corn ethanol industry. North Dakota State University CABLE Delegate, Elysia Taniguchi and her mentor, Dr. David Ripplinger discuss these challenges with Ron Lamberty, Senior Vice-President for the American Coalition for Ethanol. Learn about the many reasons why independent fuel stations use market ethanol in their gasoline products, various policy considerations to help grow the industry, and opportunities for export of this environmentally superior transportation fuel. This podcast is Elysia’s outreach project for the Consortium for Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Education. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Recent Challenges in the Ethanol Industry

Steve Csonka, Executive Director for CAAFI, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about alternative aviation fuels. If you’ve flown through LAX in the last couple years, chances are you’ve flown on a plane utilizing some amount of alternative fuels. Throughout the episode, Steve leads Denny through how alternative aviation fuels are already being integrated into the market and where the industry is headed. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Alternative Aviation Fuels

Dana Breed, Director of Applied Packaging Research, and Ben Jordan, Senior Director of Environmental Policy, join host, Denny Hall, to talk about what it’s like being the world’s largest user of bioplastics and the partnerships they’ve built that contribute to a more sustainable future.In their discussion, Dana and Ben talk about their advice for young people who are seeking career pathways in sustainability, the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance, and what that little green leaf on the Dasani bottle means. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

The World's Largest User of Bioplastics with Coca-Cola

A bit different than Biobased Radio’s usual 1-on-1 interviews, this episode contains the story of how a chance encounter led to the creation and development of a sustainable, soy-based shingle reviver. Host, Denny Hall, talks with Mike Feazel, CEO of RoofMaxx, Barry McGraw of the Ohio Soybean Council, and Ram Lalgudi, formerly of Battelle, about their roles in the creation of this soy-based success story. Mike Feazel had been in the roofing business for years when he felt the quality of shingles started to go downhill. In an attempt to combat that trend and prevent homeowners from replacing their roofs more often, Mike had a chance encounter that led him to working with Barry McGraw and Ram Lalgudi to create RoofMaxx. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

A Soy-Based Success Story

Debbie Mielewski, Technical Leader of Plastics Research for Ford, joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about sustainable materials and making plastics less of a problem for the Earth. They’ll talk about zero-waste production plants, using dandelions to make rubber, and Henry Ford’s soy-plastic car. With Ford about to release their 2019 public strategy on sustainable materials, it’s the perfect time to visit with Debbie about all that the company to contribute to a more sustainable future. Through partnerships with the World Wildlife Fund and Jose Cuervo, Ford is continuously researching alternate ways to build cars. Debbie gives us a peak under the hood at what’s to come. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Sustainable Materials with Ford

Aaron Wilson, Senior Research Associate with the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at Ohio State, talks with host, Denny Hall, about climate change. Denny and Aaron talk about the three pathways of action, the race against time to recover clues from our past climate, and the science behind the move, The Day After Tomorrow. Aaron first fell in love with weather as a kid in Florida. Now, working in the oldest research institute at Ohio State, he talks about how we can reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere, the difference between weather and climate, and the important role farmers play in climate change. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Climate Change with Ohio State University Extension

Doug Mazeffa is the Product Sustainability Manager at Sherwin Williams. He joins Biobased Radio host, Denny Hall, to paint a picture of what it’s like to be a sustainability professional in a chemical industry. Denny and Doug will talk about sci-fi paint shield, coatings that spiders can’t stick to, and being paid to watch paint dry. When it really comes down to it, as Doug puts it, paint is really just rocks, water, and glue. Most listeners may know Sherwin Williams for their paints, but they also provide coatings you find on Coca-Cola cans and your cell phone. Sherwin Williams is working to make all their paints and coatings more sustainable and Doug tells us how they’re going about it. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Sustainability In A Chemical Industry

Joe Jankowski, Green PE Commercial Manager at Braskem America, joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about bioplastics. They talk about the “I’m Green” logo, curbside recycling vs store takeback, and sustainability partnerships with Lego and Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. Braskem is a company of Brazilian origin that operates in the chemical and petrochemical sectors with 41 industrial units in Brazil, the USA, Germany, and Mexico. Joe talks about the role of bioplastics in today’s world, especially with the increasing news coverage of plastics and large brand partnerships between companies trying to reduce plastic waste. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Bioplastics

Joel Stone, President of ConVergInce Advisers and Executive Vice President of Lee Enterprises, the world’s premier bioeconomy consulting group. Denny and Joel discuss necessary investments within the bioeconomy ranging from monetary investments to feedstocks and human development. Many things have led us to where we are in the emerging bioeconomy from the biofuels boom to feedstocks of the future and Joel has been there the whole way. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Investments in the Bioeconomy

Dave Schwantes, is the Founder & CEO of B4 Branding, providing consulting and marketing strategies for clients in multiple sectors. Denny and Dave discuss buying biobased products from the consumer’s perspective and how the demand for biobased products has grown. It’s been a long journey for biobased products, but the demand grows day-by-day. Data and analytics show that more consumers are going to their local stores looking for products made from increasingly more sustainable sources. That’s a huge win! While there is a lot ot celebrate for how far these products have come, there’s still a long way to go. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Buying Biobased

Don Scott, Director of Sustainability at the National Biodiesel Board, joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about a substitute for diesel fuel, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and the food vs fuel debate. In this episode, Denny talks to Don about what biodiesel made from vegetable oil and animal fats, the biodiesel process, and what kind of biodiesel blend is available at retailers around the country. Most retailers already sell diesel fuel that is up to 5% biobased. 5% is an achievement in itself, but there’s a long way to go to reducing emissions and promoting sustainability. A key debate in the production of biodiesel is food vs fuel. Should we devoting time and resources to producing biofuels that can be spent producing food? Don helps us break down key points and demonstrates why this argument isn’t as contemptuous as it seems. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

BioFuels

Jim Lane is the Editor & Publisher of BioFuels Digest, the world’s most widely read biofuels daily. Jim joins host, Denny Hall, to talk about the most exciting new companies in the bioeconomy. Listen in as Jim and Denny discuss body armor made from spider silk, biobased surfboards, and the real story behind the movie “21”. Jim is well-versed in many facets of the bioeconomy and he displays his wealth of knowledge on the subject. During the discussion, Denny talks about CABLE, the Consortium for Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Education. CABLE is a project led by Denny at The Ohio State University that puts 20 students at 20 different universities through a year of leadership development in the bioeconomy. If you want to read more about CABLE, check out the website at u.osu.edu/cable. You can subscribe to BioFuels Digest by visiting their website at biofuelsdigest.com. Each day you’ll get the latest news and information about the bioeconomy delivered right to your inbox. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Emerging Technologies In The Bioeconomy

Brad Rogers is the Packaging Department Senior Manager with PepsiCo. He joins Biobased Radio host, Denny Hall, to talk about sustainability in packaging. A lot goes in to making your Lays and Fritos snack bags more sustainable. Denny and Brad will discuss a noisy launch of Sun Chips, the ideal characteristics of a snack bag, and the 37th largest economy in the world. Designing a snack bag can be challenging. It needs to be durable, environmentally-friendly, and attractive to the eye. Brad clues us in on the thought process that goes into each layer of a snack bag. Yes, snack bags have layers. 10-15 layers, actually! Hear about PepsiCo’s plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and their plan to decrease stadium waste not just in America, but around the world. Music is Beyond The Line from Bensound.com

Sustainability in Packaging

Biobased Radio is a podcast promoting a more sustainable future through conversations with industry, university, and environmentalists. You’ll hear conversations around what it means to be biobased and how industry, universities, and activists are shaping our world for years to come.