Show notes
As biodiversity faces mounting risk from the explosion of H5N1 bird flu and climate change, can investing in nature-focused startups unlock new ways to safeguard our planet’s species and ecosystems?On this episode of Climate on the Edge we’re joined by Tom Quigley, who discusses his unique journey from conservation biology to technology and eventually becoming a venture capitalist focusing on biodiversity. His experiences in field conservation then tech startups shaped his understanding of leveraging technology for conservation challenges. The conversation explores concepts of ecosystem services, biodiversity measurement, land-use change, and the interplay between technology and nature. Quigley emphasizes nature's resilience, existing initiatives for biodiversity protection, and the future of nature tech. He also shares personal reflections from his career working to support nature, and how he hopes to see much more of the finance world join the trend of investing in “nature-tech”. 02:19 From Conservationist to Tech Enthusiast07:51 Challenges and Opportunities in Nature Tech11:41 Understanding Biodiversity and Its Importance18:31 The Economic Value of Ecosystem Services25:47 Complexity of Measuring Biodiversity30:10 Nature as Humanity's Defense Against Climate Disaster32:20 The Role of Mangroves in Storm Protection33:24 Key Drivers of Biodiversity Loss36:49 Understanding Zoonotic Diseases42:12 Hopeful Solutions and Nature's Resilience46:06 The Future of Nature Tech and Biodiversity Investments54:56 Optimism for the FutureEpisode ResourcesSuperorganismTheir blogBook Review on ‘Legibility’Bat Fungus Leads to Population Loss‘Terrifying’ Article on H5N1’s Effect on BiodiversityWWF ReportSharkwater DocumentaryLeave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts ⭐️For more about the show and more information about episodes, visit Climate on the Edge.Follow us on X and Linkedin.Supported by emrgnce - innovative minds exploring climate’s next frontier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
