Most sustainability strategies don’t fail because of bad technology.
They fail because of things leaders can’t see.

Season 2 of Clear Haze Exchange explores the hidden systems, decisions, and assumptions that shape building performance, workplace outcomes, and long-term value.

This season goes beyond dashboards and checklists to focus on clarity, alignment, leadership, and the invisible forces that determine whether sustainability efforts succeed or stall.

🎧 Season 2 launches March 3rd, 2026.

If the green building movement wants to grow, it has to start early. In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood talks with Julia Pooler, founder of the Carbon Zero Youth Initiative (CZYI) and author of the children’s book “Buildy Green: It Takes a Team, a Better Building Story.”

Julia explains why youth outreach isn’t just “future workforce development”, kids can influence decisions today at home, in schools, and in communities. She shares why the best “tool” to spark curiosity is often the building you’re already standing in, and how professionals can make youth engagement easier than they expect using simple tours, scavenger-hunt style questions, and hands-on activities.

You’ll also hear how Buildy Green highlights the people behind better buildings, engineers, architects, trades, life cycle analysts, and more, so kids can understand that sustainability is a team effort.

Key topics:

• Why youth outreach matters right now (not 20 years from now)
• Easy ways to explain buildings to kids (HVAC vents, walls, materials)
• How kids naturally understand reuse, deconstruction, and materials life cycles
• The story behind Buildy Green and the outreach tools that come with it
• Free, ready-to-use resources for professionals who want to get involved

Links / CTAs:

• Learn more + free resources: https://www.carbonzeroyouth.org/
• Follow Julia Pooler: Julia Pooler | LinkedIn

Mechanical engineer turned sustainability leader Kristy Walson (Principal, Branch Pattern; LEED Fellow) joins Clear Haze Exchange to break down decarbonization in plain language. We talk operational carbon, embodied carbon, and refrigerants, why energy modeling matters, how to start with utility data, and why lease language can block building upgrades. Kristy also shares lessons from her Rebuild 2024 talk and the industry effort behind MEP 2040.

What you’ll learn:

• Why decarbonization doesn’t always cost more—and often saves over time
• The “three carbons”: operational, embodied, refrigerants (and how they map to scope 1–3)
• How to use utility bills, work orders, and simple data to find quick wins
• Where energy modeling helps owners make better decisions
• Why green leases matter for big buildings and portfolios
• Setting goals early—and holding the team to them

Guest: Kristy Walson — Principal at Branch Pattern, LEED Fellow; focuses on energy modeling, net-zero strategy, and whole-life carbon.
Host: Marcus Hazelwood, CEM — Principal at EA Energy Solutions; host of Clear Haze Exchange.

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Greg Kwak, Vice President of Business & Product Development at Diversified Biotech, a Massachusetts-based company leading the charge toward sustainable lab consumables.

Greg shares how PlanetSafe, their plant-based alternative to traditional lab plastics, is reshaping research and healthcare through science-driven sustainability. The two discuss how innovation, transparency, and equity all play a role in making labs more sustainable — without sacrificing performance.

What you’ll learn:

• How Diversified Biotech turned sugarcane into a plant-based replacement for single-use plastics
• Why “scope 3 emissions” matter for research and healthcare facilities
• How sustainable manufacturing reduces carbon impact by up to 90 percent
• Why true sustainability also means equity for the people producing the materials
• What circularity and “sustainably scalable” design mean for the future of science

This episode of Clear Haze Exchange is extra special—Marcus sits down with his sister Janelle Ball, founder and CEO of BC Educators and host of That’s Derm Good Podcast.

Janelle helps dermatology practices across the country get patients the right treatments faster. She shares how she built her company, how patient access works behind the scenes, and why education and empathy drive real impact.

The two talk about:

• Growing up in a family of nine and what it taught them about leadership
• How energy efficiency and patient access share common ground
• The importance of education and advocacy in both industries
• Building a business, balancing family, and keeping passion alive

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, host Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Dr. Eric Woodroof, founder of Profitable Green Solutions and creator of multiple industry certifications, including programs under the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

Dr. Woodroof has trained thousands of Certified Energy Managers (CEMs) around the world—including Marcus himself—and shares decades of insights on how to make energy efficiency both financially rewarding and environmentally impactful.

From personal solar investments delivering 15% returns to how cities can unlock capital through performance contracting, this conversation breaks down what makes sustainability work in practice. The two explore topics like:

• Why “following the money” can accelerate decarbonization
• Common misconceptions about energy performance contracts
• How language, AI, and simplicity drive better communication in energy projects
• Lessons learned from training professionals across six continents
• Leadership, policy, and leading by example in the global race toward carbon neutrality

More Information: Profitable Green Solutions | Energy Efficiency Training

Key Quote:

Labs use 3–10× more energy than offices. Marcus talks with Alison Farmer, Labs2Zero Program Director at I2SL, about the Lab Benchmarking Tool (energy & emissions scores) and the AIM Report—an automated scoping audit to prioritize projects. How labs can cut carbon now, why community matters, and what’s next with analytics and commissioning.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:29 Who is Alison & I2SL
01:54 Why labs are uniquely complex
10:08 What is Labs2Zero
14:14 Benchmarking: energy & emissions scores
21:52 AIM Report: automated scoping audit
32:55 Benefits for facility teams
35:55 Portfolio planning & climate goals
37:14 The I2SL community
39:45 First steps for labs
40:37 The future: analytics & commissioning

Resources
• I2SL – Labs2Zero & Lab Benchmarking Tool (LBT)
• AIM Report (via LBT)
• I2SL Conference (Dallas, Oct 20–22)

On this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with architect, author, and environmental advocate Kalpana Sutaria to explore the intersection of design, policy, and climate action. Drawing on her upbringing in India, decades of work in Austin, and her book Cooling Our Environment, Kalpana shares how passive design strategies, community engagement, and thoughtful policy can cool buildings, lower emissions, and create healthier cities. From lessons learned on public projects to her volunteer work with Citizens Climate Lobby, Kalpana makes a compelling case for action—and for telling stories that reach both the heart and the mind.

Find Kalpanas' book "Cooling Our Environment" at her website here: K. Sutaria
Link to her book on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/6NFAjGt