Episode 35: Mission Impossible
It was a late-career epiphany that led “wacky genius” Pat Brown to abandon his academic career and commit himself to fighting global warming and biodiversity collapse. He did it, against all odds, by developing a surprising product: the revolutionary and delicious plant-based Impossible Burger.
Pat Brown is a preeminent biochemist and Stanford professor with a most impressive resume. He pioneered research into the AIDS virus, invented DNA imaging tools, and helped revolutionize open access to scientific research. Then, well into his successful career, he took a sabbatical “to figure out what was the most important thing I could do to make the best possible world?”
After coming to the conclusion that the impact of animal agriculture on climate change and biodiversity loss was unacceptable, Pat decided to do something about it. He ditched his lab and began working on the creation of the Impossible Burger: a plant-based meat alternative that uses 96% less land, 87% less fresh water, and generates 89% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional beef burgers. Through groundbreaking science and unwavering commitment, Pat’s work has not only transformed the culinary landscape, it is providing real hope for a more sustainable and ethical food system.
Now, having proven that plant-based meat can compete with animal products on the open market, Pat is jumping ahead to the next big question: What’s the best way to use the land that can be freed up from raising cows and other livestock? On a thousand acres in Arkansas owned by the Impossible Foundation, Pat and fellow scientist, Michael Eisen are boots-deep into a real-world case study on turning carbon-emitting cattle ranches into carbon-capturing forests that also promote biodiversity. They call it the Carbon Ranch.
