Episode 22: Varun Sivaram

On this podcast, Thomas Byrne, CEO of CleanCapital, sits down with Varun Sivaram, a thought leader in the clean energy space. This podcast discusses the bestseller’s new book “Taming the Sun”, which outlines the current clean energy landscape, and the advances needed to unleash it.

Besides being a writer, Varun Sivaram is a physicist and Chief Technology Officer at ReNew Power Ventures, a multibillion-dollar renewable energy firm. He is also a senior research scholar at Columbia University, a board member for the Stanford University Energy and Environment Institutes, and an editorial board member for the journal “Global Transitions”. Previously, Varun was a professor at Georgetown University and is a Rhodes and a Truman Scholar. Dr. Sivaram holds a degree from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from St. John’s College, Oxford University.

Transcript

Bosei - Mama Club -final- -complets-

The setlist was divided into three acts, mirroring the stages of a child’s departure:

I was there that night. I still have my flashlight. I don’t listen to their music every day anymore—and that’s exactly how Chie would want it. But sometimes, on a lonely Tuesday, I’ll put on “Okaeri no Aizu” and let the first piano note wash over me. And for three minutes, I am not an adult with bills and grief. I am a child, coming home, and someone is glad to see me. Bosei Mama Club -Final- -Complets-

In the weeks since, the internet has been flooded with tributes, bootleg recordings, and think-pieces. Some argue that the “Complete” subtitle was a marketing gimmick. But most understand its true meaning. In a culture obsessed with endless sequels, reboots, and “graduations” that lead to solo careers, Bosei Mama Club did something radical: they chose a true ending. Not a hiatus. Not a “we’ll be back if we feel like it.” A narrative conclusion. The setlist was divided into three acts, mirroring

The members have all moved on. Chie opened a small second-hand bookstore in Nagano. Rin became a licensed family therapist. The youngest, Miko (the “Baby Mama”), is now a solo folk singer, her first album titled “Empty Nest Blues.” But sometimes, on a lonely Tuesday, I’ll put

They performed their final new song, written specifically for this night: The lyrics were a gut-punch of gratitude and finality: “I held your hand until you could walk alone / I sang your name until you found your own tone / Now the house is quiet, but the silence is not cold / Because a mother’s story is never uncontrolled / It is complete.” Midway through, all five members knelt at the edge of the stage and bowed—not a theatrical idol bow, but a deep, prolonged dogeza of thanks. The audience, in response, did not cheer. They bowed back. A silent sea of 500 people, foreheads nearly touching the floor, honoring the end. Part IV: The Aftermath – What “Complete” Means The final image of the night was not a curtain call or an encore. Instead, the members walked off the stage one by one, each turning at the exit to blow a kiss. Then, the house lights came up. No voiceover. No “see you soon.” Just a projector screen displaying the words: “Bosei Mama Club -Final- -Complete- Thank You for Growing Up.”

– This was the curveball. The group donned leather jackets over their floral aprons and performed a punk-rock medley. “You thought we were only soft?” shouted member Rin (the “Cool Mama”). “A mother’s love is also a mother’s fury!” They played a chaotic, glorious cover of The Blue Hearts’ “Linda Linda” —off-key, laughing, and utterly alive.

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