SUBSTANCE  
Stories about the stuff that shapes our world.

You find the podcast on these channels:

Latest Episode: CO₂ 

CO₂ is one of the gases most closely linked to global warming, but it is also deeply embedded in how modern industry and cities function. In this episode of SUBSTANCE, host Joe Hanson explores what it will take to reduce emissions in two places that matter enormously for the climate: industrial production and urban design. 

Dr. Christoph Jäkel, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at BASF, explains how their Verbund-approach connects production processes so that heat and by-products from one plant can be used in another, helping to save resources and lower the company’s carbon footprint. One example is BASF’s new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China, which is designed to run on renewable electricity.

Urban planner Professor Steffen Lehmann argues that cities can play a crucial role in lowering CO₂ emissions if they are designed to be denser and greener. He explains why compact, polycentric cities have a lower carbon footprint than sprawling urban regions and discusses how urban planning choices such as more tree cover, better cycling infrastructure, and mixed-use neighborhoods can make cities both more climate-friendly and more livable.

Listen now!

Our guest: Dr. Christoph Jäkel

Christoph Jäkel is Vice President Corporate Sustainability at BASF. He studied chemistry and earned his doctorate at the University of Bonn, Germany. After his time as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University in the United States, Jäkel joined BASF in 2002. He has held various roles in strategic planning, business development, and sales across multiple regions. 

Our guest: Professor Steffen Lehmann

Steffen Lehmann is a professor of architecture and urbanism at the University of Nevada, USA and the Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. He is a visionary architect, educator, scientist, author, and strategic entrepreneur. For many years he held the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Urban Development in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Lehmann is the author of 24 books and over 500 research publications. He is founding partner of the interdisciplinary design firm si_architecture + urban design, based in Dubai, Barcelona, and Las Vegas. Lehmann has a PhD in Architecture and Urbanism from TU Berlin, Germany and an engineering Diploma from Mainz University of Applied Science, Germany.

Our host: Joe Hanson, PhD 

Joe Hanson is an internationally recognized science communicator. Before working in science media and education, he researched genetic engineering and cancer biology, obtaining a PhD in biology from the University of Texas.

He is the creator, host, and head writer of Be Smart, a YouTube science education show with more than 5 million subscribers on YouTube.
Hanson has won Webby and Telly Awards and the Kavli Science Journalism Award for his work. 

Get to know our guests & experts