Brewing can be environmentally intense. It makes use of agricultural products – which themselves can be environmentally intense – water and energy. And it produces waste: spent grain, dirty water and carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. But many small breweries see themselves as part of their communities and are therefore acutely aware of the impact they are having.
In this episode of the All About Beer Podcast, we take a look at how breweries are reducing their environmental impact. We only have one Earth, so let’s raise a glass to it.
Amy George
Amy George is founder and President of Earthly Labs, the leading provider of carbon capture technology solutions for small scale sources. Earthly Labs is a division of Chart Industries, a 150 year-old leader in industrial equipment with a mission to power the “nexus of clean” – clean water, clean air, clean energy, clean food and beverage. Earthly Labs ® provides CiCi ®carbon capture hardware, software and services to capture and monitor CO2 from small scale emissions sources, like craft breweries.
For the past 20 years, George has delivered environmental impact through her entrepreneurial leadership at diverse ventures – from artificial intelligence software that reduced industrial emissions to local farmers markets to reusable food storage that reduced waste in landfills.
Featured in Forbes, CNN and Wine Spectator, her products have been awarded “Top 100 Green Products for the World.” George holds two patents with 17 pending. She has an MBA with a focus in entrepreneurship and environmental management from The University of Texas at Austin and is a mom of two boys, who are her inspiration.
Karen Lawson
Karen Lawson is a graduate of the University of Vermont, with a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Psychology was obtained at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. After graduation, Karen had a 20 year career in Vermont state Government in Corrections and transitional housing.
Karen worked part-time for a number of years with Lawson’s Finest before joining full time in 2017. Currently Karen oversees the company’s values-based Social Impact Program which works to support thriving communities. The Program features five initiatives focused on cultivating a people-first work place, charitable giving for local communities, greening the planet and bringing people together to play and innovate.
Karen is responsible for shaping and guiding the mission-based initiatives of Lawson’s Finest to create the greatest possible social impact, acts as a steward for corporate responsibility, and brings company values to life for staff, fans, community and the environment to create a lasting legacy.
In her spare time, Karen enjoys doing Pilates, reading, relishing the Vermont summer and enjoying adventures with her husband, two daughters and rescue dog.
This Episode is Sponsored by:
Estrella Galicia is an independent, family-owned brewery in northwest Spain, founded in 1906. Estrella Galicia Cerveza Especial, a world class lager is brewed with the finest malt and locally cultivated Galician hops in a state-of-the-art facility in A Coruna. Recognized around the world for quality and exceptional character. Estrella Galicia is “A beer like no other.”
Looking for an easy hop sourcing experience? Yakima Valley Hops offers the finest quality hops from right here in our Valley and premium growing regions around the world. Get the hops you need when you need them, with ultra-fast shipping and awesome customer service. With a full line of liquid hop products and all your favorite varieties, no contracts are needed to brew with the best. Shop now at YakimaValleyHops.com.
Don Tse
Living near seven malthouses, Don Tse is a freelance beer and malt writer and consultant known globally as The Don of Beer. He has been active in craft beer for over 25 years and has famously sampled and written tasting notes on almost 27,000 different beers. He is the co-host of the All About Beer podcast. Don has also written for magazines and presented on beer in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ukraine and Singapore. Nobody in those countries thinks his jokes are funny.
Em Sauter
Em Sauter is an Advanced Cicerone®, cartoonist, author, beer reviewer, international beer judge and public speaker who runs the award winning website Pints and Panels, which focuses on visual beer education. Her first book "Beer is for Everyone! (of Drinking Age)" was published in 2017 by One Peace Books. Her second book "Hooray for Craft Beer!" was released in April 2022 with Brewers Publications. Em is also co-host of the All About Beer Podcast. She lives in New England with her husband Matt and two cats- Milbo and The Geen.