Methane-Tracking Satellites, Vegan Pots de Crème & The Mom Test
+ a few tips on conducting user interviews (#62).
💥 Methane-Tracking Satellites
Slashing methane emissions is key to slow global warming.
Methane has 80X the global warming potential of CO2 in its first 20 years, and today accounts for 30% of warming from human activities.
Sexy technologies like Direct Air Capture (DAC) and Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) are gaining funding and attention. However, halting climate change should start with source reduction rather than carbon sequestration. It’s easier to prevent emissions than to recapture them after the fact.
PS: if carbon capture is new to you, check out BRB #8: Carbon Capture, Pan-Fried Dumplings & Drawdown
Right now, we need to focus our efforts on hitting the ‘emergency breaks’ to prevent emissions.
This graph by the Project Drawdown team illustrates a sequence of strategic priorities. Source reduction will be 76% of the work towards “Net Zero,” while new technologies will achieve the remaining 4% from hard-to-decarbonize industries after nature-based removal.
For the reasons mentioned above, one of the priorities for source reduction is methane. In the U.S., the oil and gas industry emitted at least 13 million tons of methane per year as of 2018, 60% higher than EPA estimates at the time.
However, the challenge isn’t knowing that leaks are happening but where they are occurring. This is why the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) launched the MethaneSAT satellite in March.
MethaneSAT can measure and calculate methane emissions from space to identify point sources with abnormally high emissions.
It was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this March and now orbits the Earth 15 times per day to monitor oil and gas regions. Cameras, computer vision, and algorithms on-board were developed from a collaboration between Google Cloud, Harvard, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Early data is already identifying high-emitting sites so that regulators and operators can prioritize mitigation accordingly. One area in the Permian Basin in West Texas was found to emit 91,000 kg/hr 🤯
Real-time methane reductions from MethaneSAT could happen very quickly. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 70% of methane emissions from oil and gas can be achieved with technologies available today, with two-thirds at no net cost.
MethaneSAT is identifying that half of methane emissions seem to be coming from pipeline leaks or smaller wells. I’m optimistic new data will enable swift action to stopp such leaks as soon as possible.
However, one significant source of methane emissions seems to be missing from MethaneSAT’s scope: livestock 🐮. Industrial feedlots from cows and other livestock produce 31% of global methane emissions, nearly on par with oil and gas in the US.
Given that feedlots are almost point sources, it would seem feasible for them to be included. Perhaps researchers did not consider methane reductions from livestock to be as actionable, even though in some US states industrial feedlots emit more methane than oil and gas fields.
In any case, the conclusion is this: both the oil & gas industry and our food system need to prioritize slashing methane emissions. To slow global warming fast, low-tech solutions we can apply now will have greater impact than high-tech solutions that will be ready in a few decades.
What I’m reading this week:
We need to talk about Trader Joe’s (Taste Cooking)
The Caribbean Is Drowning In Seaweed, But Entrepreneurs Are Saving It (Forbes)
Hay grown for cattle consumes nearly half the water drawn from Colorado River, study finds (LA Times)
Vow becomes third company to launch cultivated meat, but it isn’t starting with chicken nuggets… (AgFunder News)
🥘 Recipe: Vegan Pot de Crème
You deserve a mid-week treat – indulge in some guilt-free chocolatey goodness.
This is my vegan spin on Thomas Keller’s pot de crème, a rich French dessert traditionally made with dark chocolate, egg yolks, and heavy whipping cream.
This version does without the egg and dairy while retaining a creamy mouthfeel. Scroll down for the recipe.
PS: If you make it, please send pictures! :)
📚 Book: The Mom Test
One of the most devastating wastes of time and resources is building something that no one wants.
The Mom Test by Robert Fitzpatrick could help prevent that with the right customer discovery approach from the start.
Despite the simple title and cover, this book is a treasure trove of advice to frame the right mindsets and questions to validate start-up ideas before building them.
If you’ve ever run a new idea by a loved one, they may encourage you that you’re onto something. Or if you ask a potential customer, they may respond with neutral statements that rarely reflect commitment.
Individuals can only offer their opinion: only the market will know if your idea is a good one. So how can you learn from your target customers when they might be lying to you?
Learning to ask the right questions is a vital skillset for any entrepreneur, intrapreneur, or design thinker. This is especially relevant for new food products or climate solutions, when dealing with behaviors that may be deeply cultural, nostalgic, or entrenched.
This 130-page book teems with great advice. Here are a few of my favorite tips:
Learn about the process to scan for pain points:
E.g. “Can you walk me through the step-by-step process of how you do X?”
Focus on understanding and digging deeper:
E.g.: “How come?” (this sounds a bit less judgmental than ‘why’?)
E.g.: Use ‘mirroring’ by repeating the last few words of the user’s answer so they elaborate. You’d be shocked how much more information comes out.
Ask the ‘Does-this-problem-matter’ questions:
E.g. “What are the 3 big things you’re trying to fix or improve right now?” or “How are you currently addressing this?”
Avoid leading questions and Yes/No questions:
E.g. instead of asking “Do you have this problem with X?”, ask “Can you describe your experience with X?”
Keep it casual:
E.g. take advantage of in-person serendipitous encounters, make it a conversation more so than an interview, and avoid formalities like “how would you rate X on a scale of 1-5?”
At the end of the day, interviews only go so far. Gathering more metrics with in-market validation like landing pages, ads, A/B testing, or in-store trials offer more insights. For CPG, I have even heard of some founders putting sample products on shelf to see if someone tries to buy it at checkout.
In-market observations like ethnographies are also highly valuable. I like keeping this quote in mind:
“What people say, what people do, and what people say they do are entirely different things.” -Margaret Mead
A few favorite quotes as food for thought:
“It boils down to this: you aren’t allowed to tell them what their problem is, and in return, they aren’t allowed to tell you what to build. They own the problem, you own the solution.”
“You’re searching for the truth, not trying to be right. And you want to do it as quickly and cheaply as possible. Learning that your beliefs are wrong is frustrating, but it’s progress… You want the truth, not a gold star.”
“The only thing people love talking about more than themselves is their problems. By taking an interest in the problems and minutia of their day, you’re already more interesting than 99% of the people they’ve ever met.”
Thank you for reading – BRB next week ✌️
🥘 Recipe: Vegan Pot de Crème
Recipe adapted from: Thomas Keller, Masterclass
Ingredients (4 portions)
190 grams vegan dark chocolate finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
220 grams oat milk
100 grams TJ’s Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative
20g flour
15 grams granulated sugar
1 gram kosher salt
100 grams of TJ’s Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative, for whipped cream
Instructions (30 minutes)
Use a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate into a bowl and set it aside to use as garnish. Place 100g of TJ’s cream alternative in the freezer.
Bring the milk and cream alternative to a small simmer in a medium saucepot over medium-low heat. Add in the sugar and salt and stir.
Remove from heat and add in the flour, whisking until incorporated.
Add back to heat and cook this mixture until an instant-read thermometer reads 85ºC. A clean line should be left behind when you run your finger through the custard on the back of a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes.
As soon as the custard reaches the proper temperature, remove the saucepot from the heat, and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk the mixture, taking care to reach the corners of the saucepot, until all the chocolate is melted and evenly dispersed. The end result should resemble a pudding.
Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until it is homogenous, light, and aerated, and the chocolate is emulsified. The color of the mixture will lighten up from the blending.
Transfer the custard to a measuring cup with a spout, and divide the custard among ramekins, small glass jars, or classic “pots.” Take care to pour the custard evenly into the containers, then give the containers a slight tap against a towel-lined counter to ensure an even layer.
Remove the cream alternative from the freezer and whisk by hand or with an electric whisk until forming soft peaks. Add a spoonful on top of the chocolate custard and garnish with the chocolate shavings.
About Me
Hi there! My name is Nathan Paumier – I’m an avid reader, food enthusiast, and climate optimist.
BRB w/ Nathan P, your 5-min weekly dose of information to inspire climate action. I started this newsletter after frequent questions on food tech, reading recommendations, and my secret recipes.
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