How Solar Power Could Change Everything - Lee Buck | #69

I don't think people fully understand how incredible solar power has gotten—and what it would mean for the future of our planet (and species) if we pursued an aggressive solar effort.

Today's guest, Lee Buck, explains what solar futures might hold—and why we should be doing everything we can to bring them about.

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I had the good fortune to meet Lee last summer in Maine while my partner was in residency at Reach Projects in Blue Hill. It’s a really lovely community of people up there, and Lee is an esteemed member, a great host, and grills a mean burger to boot—and we quickly bonded over both our commitment to climate-related work and our background in tech.

Lee’s perspective on climate progress (or lack thereof) stems from his work as an investor and philanthropist, which gives him a unique view into what’s afoot in ClimateTech, as well as the struggles that startups and even more established companies face in implementing effective responses under current social, cultural, political, and economic conditions. It’s a perspective I haven’t yet had the chance to feature on the show, so I’m glad Lee agreed to sit down with me.

You’ll also hear his reflections on solar power, on what Silicon Valley felt like during the dot-com boom, and his advocacy for Apple vs. Android products, and much more.

BIO: Leonard Buck is an investor and philanthropist focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change.

He previously supported the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem as an early-stage investor, mentor, and board member. He has served on dozens of boards, including NC IDEA, CED, and the UNC Board of Visitors, and was a Blackstone Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Earlier in his career, Buck founded a succession of software companies that partnered with leading technology firms such as Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems. He also contributed to early internet standards through a working group of the W3C.

Buck lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, with his wife, Libby.

CREDITS: This podcast is produced & edited by Adam Labrie & me, Jesse Damiani. Adam Labrie also edited the video version, which is available on YouTube.

Find more episodes of Urgent Futures at: youtube.com/@UrgentFutures.

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