#sustainability
107 episodes
#5538: One Pot, 120 Curries: How BIR Kitchens Work
A single pot of onion base gravy is why a 120-item curry menu reaches your table in ten minutes — and why it might work at home too.
#5433: Thermostats, Thermal Mass, and the Buildings That Fight Back
A thermostat is a sensor, a set point, and a switch — until thermal mass, bad models, and sustainability mandates get involved.
#5291: The 100-Hour Bus to Lima
From a $225 Rio-to-Lima marathon to a $24,000 guided expedition, the world's longest bus rides are a study in slow-travel misery.
#5194: Designing Buildings to Age Beautifully
Copper turns green, lime plaster hardens, concrete just stains. What if architects designed for year 100 instead of day one?
#4903: Can You Really Sew Your Own Shorts?
What it actually takes — in time, money, and skill — to make a pair of shorts from scratch.
#4883: Can We Cool Buildings Without Making People Miserable?
Why broken AC at Athens airport reveals a policy knot between sustainability and human suffering.
#4872: Can Tourism Save a City or Only Hollow It Out?
Jerusalem risks becoming a two-tier city. Barcelona and Kyoto show a better path.
#4867: Greenland's Coldest Inhabited Place: How 646 People Survive
Qaanaaq, Greenland, endures weeks below -40°C. How do 646 people survive the planet's most consistently lethal cold?
#4821: Workwear Face-Off: Carhartt vs Dickies in the Heat
Which tough pants survive summer? We break down duck canvas vs ripstop blends.
#4771: The Nine Dials That Tell Us If Earth Is Still Working
Six of nine planetary boundaries are already crossed. Here's what the dashboard says about our safe operating space.
#4768: The Horsebarn Hill Formula: Why One Farm Becomes Iconic
Five ingredients turn a working dairy farm into a regional icon. Most overlooked sites are just one ingredient away.
#4734: Hi-Vis Fashion: Workwear Trend or Safety Risk?
Are fluorescent shirts from Carhartt and Fruit of the Loom democratizing safety gear or just borrowing the look?
#4724: 18 Clothes That Last Decades
How many pants, shorts, and shirts does a guy actually need? We do the math.
#4716: Connecticut's Real Cultural DNA: Austerity or Sturdiness?
Is Connecticut's frugality a joyless austerity or a functional sturdiness? We untangle the Puritan and Yankee threads.
#4649: Why Open Source Heroes Can't Afford Rent
The code running the internet is maintained by people earning a dollar a year. Why does the market fail to reward our digital commons?
#4583: Structural Stone: The Building Material That Lasts 500 Years
Stone buildings outlast concrete by centuries — and engineers are bringing it back with post-tensioning and CNC cutting.
#4553: Solar Window Films: Cool Your Rental Without Breaking Glass
Modern window films block 97% of infrared heat while staying clear. Here's how they work and which to choose for a rental.
#4512: Steel vs Aluminum vs Plastic: The Real Sustainability Story
Steel, aluminum, and plastic compared on carbon footprint, recyclability, and real-world lifespan. The answers might surprise you.
#4510: What All Plastics Actually Have in Common
Plastics aren't a single material. Their chemistry determines if they fragment, leach, or truly break down.
#4509: Wood in 2026: Forests, Species, and Sustainability
Global forests are still shrinking, but the story is more complex than deforestation headlines suggest.
#4506: The Forty-Year Storage Bin
Industrial HDPE containers built for decades of reuse, and the real environmental math behind plastic vs. metal.
#4490: Right to Repair: History, Hype, and Hard Limits
From John Deere tractors to iPhone batteries — the real history, genuine commitments, and where repair advocates overreach.
#4484: Cooling Cities Without Cooking the Planet
Paris district cooling, passive design, and whether we can stay cold without climate guilt.
#4407: How We Know Pension Funds Manage $56 Trillion
A deep dive into how pension funds became the world's largest capital pool and the hidden assumptions behind the numbers.