#sustainability
93 episodes
#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.
#4393: Should You Repair or Sell Your Old Car?
How to decide whether to fix your aging car or sell it, using real Israeli market numbers.
#4286: How Print Reading Changes Your Brain vs. Google News
Print readers understand news better. Here's what the research says about how the medium shapes your comprehension.
#4233: How Old Planes Get Safer With Age
Why a 30-year-old cargo plane may be safer than a new passenger jet — and what that teaches us about sustainability.
#4102: Can Pine Furniture Survive Outdoors?
Why coating pine for outdoor use often makes things worse — and what actually works.
#4035: Why Buying Used Feels Broken
Why second-hand markets fail buyers and sellers — and how the circular economy’s UX problem hurts sustainability.
#3997: Do People Actually Like Living in Jerusalem's Towers?
New data shows high-rise residents report 12% lower life satisfaction. The real story is who suffers most—and why.
#3963: The Eurobox Dilemma: Best Available vs. Good
Is durable plastic a genuine sustainability win or just slower waste? A deep dive into Euroboxes, supply chains, and material lock-in.
#3937: The Third Pedal's Last Mile
Manual transmissions are vanishing fast. Here's what's driving the decline and what it means for drivers who still want three pedals.
#3866: What's Actually Inside Your Plastic Storage Bin?
Two bins can both say "polypropylene" — one lasts two years, the other two decades. Here's why.
#3783: The Ice Cream Algorithm: How Ben & Jerry's Engineers Flavor
Inside the melt rate index, cocoa butter barriers, and supply chain decisions shaping Ben & Jerry's 2026 lineup.
#3685: Ruling Pens, Grease Pencils, and the Case for Better Old Tech
Why a 400-year-old drafting tool outperforms modern alternatives, and how to spot genuinely superior antiques.
#3660: From Tweak to Revolution: Fixing Capitalism
A spectrum of proposals from better disclosure to degrowth — mapping every idea for fixing or replacing capitalism.
#3659: Late-Stage Capitalism vs Post-Capitalism: What Do These Terms Actually Mean?
Late-stage capitalism" is a mood, not a prediction. We break down where these terms come from and what they actually mean.
#3606: The Secret World of Dumpster Diving
What people really find in dumpsters—from $4,000 espresso machines to historical love letters.