Solve for X: Innovations to Change the World

Climate change is putting many of the foods we love at risk. Add in rapid population growth — the planet will be home to 9.7 billion people by 2050 — and it’s clear we need to reimagine how we feed ourselves. As food security expert Leonore Newman says, “we are running short on planet.” But is society ready for replacement proteins and lab-grown meats? Whether it’s cell-grown salmon or chili lime crickets, the plate of the future is going to look a little bit different. In this episode of Solve for X, we discuss the revolution in what we eat — and why it’s as much about technology as it is about safeguarding our planet’s future.Featured in this episode:Lenore Newman, director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, is an expert in food security and technology and holds a UFV Research Chair in Food and Agriculture Innovation.Preeti Simran Sethi teaches sustainable food systems at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. She’s also the author of an award-winning book on agrobiodiversity, Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love.Journalist and author Larissa Zimberoff explores the evolving relationship between food and technology in her work. Her book, Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley’s Mission to Change What We Eat, delves into the transformations in our diets and the startups driving this shift.Darren Goldin is a co-founder of Entomo Farms, an insect-based farming company that produces cricket flour, cricket powder and insect protein. He’s also the vice president of farming operations, overseeing the three barns on Entomo’s property.Further Reading:Protein shakeup: Are crickets and lab-grown meat the future of food?The foods humans ate into extinctionHow to grow fish from stem cellsOur global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity lossThe future of food: What will you be eating in 2050?Lab-Grown Meat Approved for Sale: What You Need to Know Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

From Wi-Fi to power stations, roads to pipelines, our infrastructure is stressed. Built for a climate that no longer exists, our systems are failing at an increasing pace. But to fix what’s broken goes beyond structural repair — we also need to address the inequities baked into our infrastructural systems and injustices from past developments. Amid these challenges, we have the chance to reimagine the future of infrastructure for a better world. On this episode of Solve for X, we sit down with Deb Chachra, author of the new book How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World, to rediscover the hidden beauty of infrastructure and how we can harness the collective power these systems bring to our lives. Featured in this episode:Deb Chachra, professor of engineering at Olin College and author of How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World. Her work spans across multiple disciplines, including engineering education, gender issues, materials science and the intersection of technology and culture.Further Reading:It’s time for a radical rethink on Canada’s infrastructure planningHow changes in building infrastructure can truly combat climate changeHow infrastructure has historically promoted inequalityNew report finds costs of climate change impacts often underestimatedThree Infrastructure Issues To Solve In 2023 Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

The future of the automobile is electric. Yet the surge in electric vehicles raises critical concerns regarding battery creation, disposal and recycling. What will happen once all those cars reach the end of the road? In this episode of Solve for X, we address the environmental footprint of EV batteries, confront the challenges posed by the existing regulatory landscape and highlight opportunities for second-life applications. It turns out that batteries are capable of more than you might expect, and can teach us a lot about how to design for the future.Featured in this episode:Andy Latham is the founder and CEO of Salvage Wire, an auto recycling consultancy based in the United Kingdom. As an automotive engineer and entrepreneur, he teaches auto salvagers how to safely handle EV batteries, aiming to promote advancements in auto recycling globally.Jessica Dunn is a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Her research looks at the potential of recycling and repurposing of lithium-ion batteries.Claus Eckbo is the owner and director of God’s Pocket Resort, an off-grid scuba lodge in British Columbia that uses repurposed EV batteries for both energy generation and storage.Edward Chiang is the co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy. The company’s  innovative solution converts electric vehicle batteries into sustainable energy storage systems for microgrid, commercial and industrial customers.Further Reading:Canada is pouring billions of dollars into the electric vehicle industryCars Are Going Electric. What Happens to the Used Batteries?Guiding Principles for EV Battery Recycling PolicyGod’s Pocket Scuba Diving Resort Goes Green with Moment EnergyHow old electric car batteries could power the future Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

This episode explores the challenges and impact of wastewater treatment, including the accumulation of pollutants and the need for stronger regulations. It also discusses the obstacles faced by wastewater treatment plants in implementing changes, the societal discomfort around discussing wastewater, and the environmental consequences of flushing medication. The speaker shares amusing anecdotes and highlights Mars' sponsorship and support programs.

The next pandemic — it’s a question of when not if. Climate change is shifting the patterns of how and where diseases spread, and our insatiable love of travel means that viruses are now showing up in places they’ve never been before. Forecasting future outbreaks is becoming increasingly complex. But as infectious disease specialist Kamran Khan explains, this is where AI can help. Machine learning algorithms can detect patterns in data, model risk and project outcomes — and unlike humans they can work 24 hours a day. In this episode of Solve for X, host Manjula Selvarajah sits down with Khan to explore the connections between infectious disease and climate change — and how we can best harness the technology to help us prepare.Featured in this episode:Kamran Khan is an infectious disease physician and founder and CEO of BlueDot, a startup that has created a tool that maps the spread of infectious diseases. BlueDot’s AI software uses natural language processing to interpret global health outbreak reports, integrating this data with flight patterns, demographic statistics, and human verification processes to alert and monitor disease risks worldwide.Further Reading:My Prediction: We’re due for another global health emergencyOver half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate changeThis AI will help us get ahead of the next pandemicFrom Gateways to Sentinels: How Airports Can Use Detection to Control InfectionAn AI Epidemiologist Sent the First Warnings of the Wuhan Virus Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

Explore the potential of ocean alkalinity enhancement to combat climate change. Learn about the threat of ocean acidification and its impact on ecosystems. Discover different methods of adding alkaline materials to the ocean and how it can restore salmon habitats. Understand the complexities of ocean carbon uptake and the need for public perception. Get updates on the field trial in Halifax Harbor and the urgency for climate action.

Solve for X is your window on the future. Each episode, journalist Manjula Selvarajah goes behind the hype and headlines to make sense of how new technologies are reshaping our world. Can we predict the next pandemic? What if we geoengineer the oceans to stop climate change? Could robots help preserve wildlife? Find answers to these questions and more in the new series of Solve for X.Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS. All episodes were produced by Ellen Payne Smith. Gab Harpelle is our mix engineer, Lara Torvi and Heather O’Brien are the associate producers. David Paterson is the senior editor. Mack Swain composed the theme song and all the music in our series. Kathryn Hayward is the executive producer.MaRS helps entrepreneurs looking to scale solutions in climate tech, health and software. We offer targeted support through our Capital and Growth Acceleration programs. We want to hear from you — drop us a line to share your ideas, questions and feedback. Email us at media@marsdd.com, and to learn more visit us at marsdd.com. Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

Jessica F. Green was among 400 Canadian climate scientists who called for the government to scrap a proposed tax credit for carbon capture last year, claiming it would underwrite the oil and gas industry. Yet policy is a key component to a successful transition away from fossil fuels — and we need regulation. In this special episode of Solve for X, the University of Toronto political scientist and environment professor sits down with host Manjula Selvarajah to discuss her research into climate policy and the impact of carbon pricing. Featured in this episode:Jessica F. Green is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and is cross-appointed at the School of Environment. With extensive research in political science, public policy and environmental studies, Green focuses on the politics of decarbonization, transnational private regulation, the interactions between public and private regulation. She is also a published author, blogger and recipient of multiple awards including “best book” from the ISA and the Emerging Young Scholar Award from APSA’s Science Technology and Environmental Policy Section.Further reading: How research can shift our approach to climate changeTaxpayers should not foot the bill for carbon captureDoes carbon pricing reduce emissions? A review of ex-post analysesHierarchy in Regime Complexes: Understanding Authority in Antarctic GovernanceUsing Earnings Calls to Understand the Political Behavior of Major PollutersFollow the Money: How Reforming Tax and Trade Rules Can Fight Climate ChangeThe Mission from MaRS initiative was created to help scale carbon reducing innovations by working to remove the barriers to adopting new technology. Mission from MaRS thanks its founding partners, HSBC, Trottier Family Foundation, RBC Tech for Nature and Thistledown Foundation. It has also received generous support from Peter Gilgan Foundation, BDC, EDC and Mitsubishi Corporation Americas. Learn more about the program at missionfrommars.ca. Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

What will it take to get to a world where we have all the energy we need — without the emissions, smog and other climate impacts? The shift requires a rapid draw-down on carbon-based fuels and the use of energy storage technologies. And while lithium batteries have been instrumental in the transition, supply chain and sustainability issues are of increasing concern. We need to think beyond the battery. In this episode, we’re looking into how new materials might get us one step closer in the on-going transition to a clean energy future. From using AI to speed up discovery to developing the applications of a shape-shifting metal alloy, we explore the emerging technologies that will help us harness clean energy.Featured in this episode:Molly Wood is the managing director at a venture capital firm called Launch. A former technology and business journalist, she specializes in funding climate solutions. Alán Aspuru-Guzik, a professor of chemistry and computer science at the University of Toronto, works at the interface of AI, chemistry and material science. He is working to speed up the discovery of molecules and materials to address climate change through “self-driving laboratories.”Ibraheem Khan is the founder and CEO of Extract Energy. He’s developing a heat engine that captures low-grade waste heat using the properties of a smart metal alloy and his patented Multiple Memory Material technology. Further reading: A sustainable future: How materials science can make the planet cleanerAlán Aspuru-Guzik is reimagining the discovery of materialsEstimating the global waste heat potentialDear policymakers: to decarbonise, you need flow batteriesThe Renewable-Energy Revolution Will Need Renewable StorageThe Mission from MaRS initiative was created to help scale carbon reducing innovations by working to remove the barriers to adopting new technology. Mission from MaRS thanks its founding partners, HSBC, Trottier Family Foundation, RBC Tech for Nature and Thistledown Foundation. It has also received generous support from Peter Gilgan Foundation, BDC, EDC and Mitsubishi Corporation Americas. Learn more about the program at missionfrommars.ca. Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com. 

Humans generate an incredible amount of trash. In Canada alone, 35 million tonnes of food is wasted every year. That’s a lot of energy spent growing, processing, packaging and delivering food that ultimately goes uneaten — and all that waste creates a lot of greenhouse gases. To fix the climate, we have to redefine our relationship with waste; that means doing more with what we already produce. In this episode, we head up into space to see how astronauts deal with their waste, travel to a facility to learn how food scraps are being transformed into biogas and explore how the concept of circularity could help us manage our resources better. It’s time to face the waste. Featured in this episode:Marc Garneau is a former astronaut and current Member of Parliament. During his space career, he logged nearly 700 hours in orbit, learning firsthand the value of maximizing resources and repurposing waste.Annie Meier, a chemical engineer and principal investigator at NASA, is the team lead on a trash-to-gas project called OSCAR (Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor), a technology that provides a new way of managing waste in space.Tammara Soma is an assistant professor at SFU and research director at The Food Systems Lab. As a food systems and waste expert, she researches the impact food waste has on the climate as well as solutions that could help bring greater circularity to the food system.Brandon Moffatt is the co-founder and vice president of StormFisher Hydrogen, a company focused on utilizing waste streams to create better uses for waste products. One of those areas: food-waste diversion. He walks us through the process of transforming organic waste to sources of energy.Chris Bataille is an independent consultant and applied policy researcher, working for Columbia University, Simon Fraser University and IDDRE in Paris. Focusing on industrial decarbonization and the low-carbon transition, Chris speaks to the role of biogas in climate strategy.Further reading: Canada Throws Out Half the Food It Produces. What If We Ate It Instead?Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissionsYour Trash Is Emitting Methane In The Landfill. Here's Why It Matters For The ClimateExpanded London biogas company now nation's largest food-waste diversion plantTeam Prepares OSCAR Technology for Suborbital Flight Test | NASAThe Mission from MaRS initiative was created to help scale carbon reducing innovations by working to remove the barriers to adopting new technology. Mission from MaRS thanks its founding partners, HSBC, Trottier Family Foundation, RBC Tech for Nature and Thistledown Foundation. It has also received generous support from Peter Gilgan Foundation, BDC, EDC and Mitsubishi Corporation Americas. Learn more about the program at missionfrommars.ca. Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com.