How to Build a Circular Economy: Living Systems & Bridging the Political Divide with BILL SHIREMAN

Today on the Business in Society and One Planet podcast, Mia Funk and Bruce Piasecki welcome Bill Shireman, a pragmatic idealist, policy innovator, and the President of Solution Citizen. As the curator of the EarthX Congress of Conferences and the driving force behind Circle America, Bill has spent over three decades at the intersection of commerce and conservation.

In this episode, Bill breaks down his philosophy of shifting from an outdated "machine economy" built on extraction to a thriving "living systems" economy that mimics nature's circularity. He shares incredible stories from his early days negotiating the landmark California Bottle Bill, detailing how he secretly allied with supposed corporate enemies like Bill Coors to craft legislation that worked for both businesses and the environment.

Bill also explores how extreme political polarization—between the "woke" left and the "MAGA" right—hinders progress, urging listeners to step outside their tribes and find shared values with their opponents. Furthermore, he details his innovative run for California's Board of Equalization, outlining his vision to radically overhaul the tax system by penalizing negatives like pollution and waste, rather than taxing prosperity like income and payroll. Tune in to discover why the future of sustainability is not just technological, but fundamentally civilizational.