Resources Radio

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Angela Parker, an assistant professor at the University of Denver and member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Cree Tribes. Parker recently published a book on the history of the Three Affiliated Tribes—the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara—who live on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. This land, situated along the Missouri River, became the site of the Garrison Dam, a project built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s and 1950s that flooded parts of the reservation and forced roughly 90 percent of the Native population to relocate to higher ground. Parker discusses the cultural and ecological significance of the Missouri River to the Three Affiliated Tribes, the efforts of community members to resist the dam's construction, and the lasting negative impacts of the dam. References and recommendations: “Damming the Reservation: Tribal Sovereignty and Activism at Fort Berthold” by Angela K. Parker; https://www.oupress.com/9780806194615/damming-the-reservation/ Image of George Gillette signing a contract for the sale of Fort Berthold land; https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/indian-weeps-at-land-sale-washington-dc-george-gillette-news-photo/515360260 “The Effects of Dams on Tribal Lands, with Heather Randell” episode of the Resources Radio podcast; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/the-effects-of-dams-on-tribal-lands-with-heather-randell/ “The Pitt” television show; https://www.max.com/shows/pitt-2024/e6e7bad9-d48d-4434-b334-7c651ffc4bdf “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250391230/carelesspeople/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Jonathan Jennings, a meteorologist at the Utah Division of Water Resources and president of the Weather Modification Association. Jennings's work focuses on cloud seeding, a technology that can reduce hail and increase rainfall or snowfall by introducing chemicals into clouds, yielding more water for agriculture, aquifers, and bodies of water. Jennings outlines the chemistry and physics behind cloud seeding, how much additional precipitation the technology can elicit from clouds, and the scale at which cloud seeding is used. He also speaks to public concerns about modifying weather and shares insights on how experts can better communicate the goals, methods, and impacts of this technology to the public. References and recommendations: “Economic Impacts of Cloud Seeding on Agricultural Crops in North Dakota” by Dean Bangsund and Nancy Hodur; https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/291806 “A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Texas Weather Modification Activities Resulting in an Additional One Inch of Rainfall Across a Region” by Jason L. Johnson; https://perma.cc/ERJ6-HGLZ “Bitter Waters: The Struggles of the Pecos River” by Patrick Dearen; https://www.oupress.com/9780806152011/bitter-waters/

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Brian Kennedy, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. Kennedy focuses on science and society research, studying public attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about science—including energy and environmental issues. Kennedy and a coauthor released survey results about US public opinion on climate change and related issues at the end of 2024. Kennedy discusses how the survey was conducted and shares his insights on the survey's findings, such as differences in public attitudes toward the clean energy transition; how partisanship is a powerful predictor of views on climate change, climate policy, and even perceptions of extreme weather events; and points of overlap at which Democrats and Republicans share support for certain climate and environmental policies and objectives. References and recommendations: “How Americans View Climate Change and Policies to Address the Issue” by Brian Kennedy and Alec Tyson; https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/12/09/how-americans-view-climate-change-and-policies-to-address-the-issue/ “What the data says about Americans' views of climate change” by Alec Tyson, Cary Funk, and Brian Kennedy; https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/ “Climate Insights” survey series from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/climateinsights/ “Religious Landscape Study” from Pew Research Center; https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/ “Surveying American Public Opinion on Climate Change, with Jon Krosnick” podcast episode from Resources Radio; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/surveying-american-public-opinion-on-climate-change-with-jon-krosnick/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Laura Grant, an associate professor at Claremont McKenna College. Many environmental nonprofit groups have been working to influence policy, but relatively little research has demonstrated how the efforts of these groups shape policy outcomes, and how some groups may support, catalyze, or even substitute for government action. In this episode of Resources Radio, Grant discusses new research that aims to better understand the work of environmental nonprofits, including various methods that environmental groups use to advance progress on key environmental issues, from headline-grabbing protests to litigation and research. References and recommendations: “The Roles of Environmental Groups in Economics” by Laura Grant and Christian Langpap; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/730902 “Orwell's Roses” by Rebecca Solnit; http://rebeccasolnit.net/book/orwells-roses/

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Emily Theokritoff, a research associate at Imperial College London. Theokritoff specializes in climate damage attribution—the emerging science of connecting human activity and climate change to extreme weather events. Theokritoff breaks down this evolving field of study, how research that attributes extreme weather events to climate change is conducted, the challenges posed by a lack of historical data in parts of the world, and how scientists deal with uncertainty in determining the causes of past and future events. She also shares her perspective on how scientists in the field of extreme weather attribution are adapting research and communication methods to provide the public with faster, clearer insights in the face of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events. References and recommendations: “Mapped: How climate change affects extreme weather around the world” from Carbon Brief; https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/attribution-studies/index.html

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Daniel Poneman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy, about the role of nuclear energy in meeting increasing demands for electricity. As the use of artificial intelligence grows, so does demand for electricity, raising questions about which energy sources can provide reliable, clean, consistent power. Poneman discusses whether nuclear energy is a viable option, how the safety and performance of nuclear technology have evolved, and why some retired nuclear power plants are being revived—including the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, where a reactor meltdown caused by equipment malfunctions occurred 46 years ago as of last Friday. Poneman also describes what challenges the nuclear energy industry is facing, barriers to wider adoption of nuclear energy, and how public perception of nuclear energy has shifted over time. References and recommendations: “Double Jeopardy: Combating Nuclear Terror and Climate Change” by Daniel Poneman; https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262546669/double-jeopardy/ “Washington: A Life” by Ron Chernow; https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/ron-chernow “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Team-of-Rivals/Doris-Kearns-Goodwin/9780743270755 “Speed of Heat” album by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter; https://open.spotify.com/album/6t5FAhdwvsYFRejUTRAzVZ Henry M. Paulson Jr.'s writings about biodiversity; https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/30/opinion/animal-extinction.html

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ann Eisenberg, a professor and research director at the West Virginia University College of Law, about economic challenges facing rural communities in the United States. Eisenberg explains how rural economies that develop around single industries, such as coal or steel, become vulnerable to decline when macroeconomic and societal changes weaken or displace local industries. Eisenberg also discusses examples of successful economic diversification and revitalization; what strategies can be used to support rural communities that are facing economic hardship, including federal policy; and why policies that have strengthened rural economies have bolstered broader national economic stability, as well. References and recommendations: “Reviving Rural America: Toward Policies for Resilience” by Ann M. Eisenberg; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/reviving-rural-america/E4BEF197D38D1340C3792C635ADF2FE8 “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/demon-copperhead-barbara-kingsolver

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Aaron Cosbey, a senior associate at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, about the future of climate policy in Canada. The newly elected leader of Canada's Liberal Party, Mark Carney, has replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister and likely will face Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada's Conservative Party, in a general election. Cosbey discusses the consequences of these election outcomes for a controversial policy that taxes Canadians for consuming fossil fuels—though this policy also issues rebates of equivalent value, or more, to most Canadians. Cosbey also discusses how the Liberal and Conservative Parties differ in their views on carbon pricing, why the fuel tax on consumers is no longer politically viable, and what emissions-reduction policies Carney may support if the Liberal Party wins a general election. References and recommendations: “The New Abolitionism” by Chris Hayes; https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/new-abolitionism/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Resources for the Future Fellow Brian C. Prest about the effects of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. As the world's leading exporter of LNG, the United States has been ramping up capacity to produce and transport LNG to meet global demand. Prest describes how this increasing trend affects domestic oil and gas prices and the extent to which the federal government influences the production of oil and gas. He also discusses the global and domestic effects of increasing LNG production and exports on emissions, including which kinds of energy US LNG exports are substituting or displacing in other countries, variation in methane emissions across different sites of gas production, and the social cost of these methane emissions. References and recommendations: “Where Does the Marginal Methane Molecule Come From? Implications of LNG Exports for US Natural Gas Supply and Methane Emissions” by Brian C. Prest; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/where-does-the-marginal-methane-molecule-come-from-implications-of-lng-exports-for-us-natural-gas-supply-and-methane-emissions/ “The greenhouse gas footprint of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported from the United States” by Robert W. Howarth; https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ese3.1934 “Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet” by Hannah Ritchie; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hannah-ritchie/not-the-end-of-the-world/9780316536752/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls speaks with Carolyn Kousky, associate vice president for economics and policy at Environmental Defense Fund, about the instability of markets for homeowners insurance, especially in states that are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Kousky and Walls explore the key drivers of this instability, including the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, insurance costs, and consequent strain on insurers that must pay more substantial claims. Kousky discusses challenges in the accessibility and affordability of homeowners insurance, along with policy interventions that can support equitable responses to extreme weather events and improve resilience following future disasters. Kousky also introduces her new nonprofit, Insurance for Good, which aims to bridge gaps between research and practice in terms of this affordability, equity, and resilience. References and recommendations: Insurance for Good; https://www.insuranceforgood.org/ “Wildfire Insurance Availability as a Risk Signal” by Xuesong You, Carolyn Kousky, and Ajita Atreya; https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5017469 “Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense” by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/saul-perlmutter-phd/third-millennium-thinking/9780316438308/ “Change: How to Make Big Things Happen” by Damon Centola; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/damon-centola/change/9781549152092/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Resources for the Future (RFF) Fellow Yanjun (Penny) Liao about the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, a bipartisan federal law that was first passed in the 1980s. The law is designed to curb development in coastal areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather events and to protect coastal environments. Liao and Walls discuss the effects of the law, including reductions in the amount of development on coastal lands, the amount of federal funding saved by the government through a reduced need for disaster response as a result, and increases in property-tax revenues for counties in designated coastal areas. References and recommendations: “Geeking Out on Geography: Mapping the Effects of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act” by Alexandra Thompson; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/geeking-out-on-geography-mapping-the-effects-of-the-coastal-barrier-resources-act/ “Removing Development Incentives in Risky Areas Promotes Climate Adaptation” by Hannah Druckenmiller, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Sophie Pesek, Margaret Walls, and Shan Zhang; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/removing-development-incentives-in-risky-areas-promotes-climate-adaptation/ “Can Removing Development Subsidies Promote Adaptation? The Coastal Barrier Resources System as a Natural Experiment” by Hannah Druckenmiller, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Sophie Pesek, Margaret Walls, and Shan Zhang; https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/working-papers/can-removing-development-subsidies-promote-adaptation “Managed Retreat and Flood Recovery: The Local Economic Impacts of a Buyout and Acquisition Program” by Wei Guo, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, and Qing Miao; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/flood-recovery-local-economic-impacts-of-buyout-and-acquisition-hurricane-sandy-new-york/ “Making a Market for Acts of God: The Practice of Risk Trading in the Global Reinsurance Industry” by Paula Jarzabkowski, Rebecca Bednarek, and Paul Spee; https://global.oup.com/academic/product/making-a-market-for-acts-of-god-9780199664764

Producer's Note: The following episode of the podcast was recorded prior to the 2024 presidential election. In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Holly Buck, an associate professor at the University of Buffalo and climate justice fellow at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University. Buck shares insights from interviews with 100 experts, government officials, and members of the public across diverse industries and regions of the United States about strategies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Buck also discusses the broader energy transition, the effect of the federal policies related to this transition, and the challenges that communities face in implementing lower-carbon technologies. References and recommendations: “100 Conversations on Carbon Removal, Decarbonization, and Desired Futures” by Holly Jean Buck and Travis Young; https://www.decarb.social/ “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America” by Alec MacGillis; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374159276/fulfillment

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Jenya Kahn-Lang, a fellow at Resources for the Future, about electricity prices in markets where private companies determine the costs for customers. Kahn-Lang explains why households in the same utility service area may pay different prices for the same amount of electricity, why customers may be unaware that they're paying excessively high prices, and why low-income communities and communities of color often face higher prices for power. References and recommendations: “Competing for (In)attention: Price Discrimination in Residential Electricity Markets” by Jenya Kahn-Lang; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IClpnaf3gVy3X94YWhLtSSTMWKTzi16K/view CirclesX lawsuit; https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/winter-storm-uri-2021-texas-market-manipulation-lawsuit-circlesx-electric-grid/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Akhil Rao, a professor of economics at Middlebury College, about the use and management of Earth's orbit. Rao outlines the significant increase in the number of objects orbiting the Earth in recent decades, challenges caused by this accumulation, and governance of the various layers of Earth's orbit by countries and international organizations. Rao and Raimi also discuss the management of space as a resource, which is the subject of Rao's current research on space sustainability technologies. References and recommendations: “The Earth Transformed: An Untold History” by Peter Frankopan; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635264/the-earth-transformed-by-peter-frankopan/ “Building a Ruin: The Cold War Politics of Soviet Economic Reform” by Yakov Feygin; https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674240995

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Resources for the Future (RFF) scholars Yanjun (Penny) Liao, David Wear, and Matthew Wibbenmeyer about the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, California. They discuss the factors that exacerbated the wildfires, measures that homeowners and communities can take to mitigate wildfire risk and damage, the negative health effects of wildfire smoke, and the evolving landscape in California for insurance that covers wildfires. They also talk about federal responses to the wildfires and recommend organizations that are helping affected communities in Los Angeles and accepting donations. References and recommendations: “From Catastrophe to Caution: The Effect of Wildfires on Community Hazard Mitigation Investments” by Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Simon Sølvsten, and Zachary Whitlock; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/from-catastrophe-to-caution-the-effect-of-wildfires-on-community-hazard-mitigation-investments/ “Insurance Availability and Affordability under Increasing Wildfire Risk in California” by Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Margaret A. Walls, Matthew Wibbenmeyer, and Sophie Pesek; https://www.rff.org/publications/issue-briefs/insurance-availability-and-affordability-under-increasing-wildfire-risk-in-california/ “Changing Hazards, Exposure, and Vulnerability in the Conterminous United States, 2020–2070” by David N. Wear, Travis Warziniack, Claire O'Dea, and John Coulston; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/changing-hazards-exposure-and-vulnerability-in-the-conterminous-united-states-20202070/ California Community Foundation; https://www.calfund.org/ World Central Kitchen; https://wck.org/ Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation; https://supportlafd.org/ Grassroots Wildland Firefighters; https://www.grassrootswildlandfirefighters.com/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Sanya Carley, a professor and faculty director at the University of Pennsylvania and a university fellow at Resources for the Future, about energy poverty in the United States. Carley discusses the problem of utility disconnections, which occurs when a utility turns off a household's water, electricity, or heat; the potentially risky strategies that households employ to avoid shutoffs by reducing energy consumption and costs; the groups that are most vulnerable to disconnection; and potential improvements to government programs that help low-income households pay utility bills. References and recommendations: “Behavioral and financial coping strategies among energy-insecure households” by Sanya Carley, Michelle Graff, David M. Konisky, and Trevor Memmott; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2205356119 “Assessing demographic vulnerability and weather impacts on utility disconnections in California” by Trevor Memmott, David M. Konisky, and Sanya Carley; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53913-y “Which households are energy insecure? An empirical analysis of race, housing conditions, and energy burdens in the United States” by Michelle Graff, Sanya Carley, David M. Konisky, and Trevor Memmott; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629621002371 Utility Disconnections Dashboard; https://energyjustice.indiana.edu/disconnection-dashboard/index.html “The incidence of extreme economic stress: Evidence from utility disconnections” by Steve Cicala; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272721000979 “High temperatures and electricity disconnections for low-income homes in California” by Alan Barreca, R. Jisung Park, and Paul Stainier; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-022-01134-2 “Minnesota's energy paradox: Household energy insecurity in the face of racial and economic disparities” by Bhavin Pradhan and Gabriel Chan; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040619024000587 “The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-night-watchman-louise-erdrich

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Brent Sohngen, a professor at the Ohio State University and a university fellow at Resources for the Future, about the intersecting forces that are helping curb and reverse deforestation in Latin America. Sohngen discusses the origins of his research on forests in Latin America; the relationship between economic conditions, technological innovations, and the health of forests in Latin American countries; how property rights and community ownership can motivate effective stewardship of forests; and ongoing efforts to protect forests in Latin America and across the world. References and recommendations: “Reversing Deforestation: How Market Forces and Local Ownership Are Saving Forests in Latin America” by Brent Sohngen and Douglas Southgate; https://www.sup.org/books/politics/reversing-deforestation “A Wild Idea” by Jonathan Franklin; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/a-wild-idea-jonathan-franklin “The Overstory” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Karen Palmer, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) and director of RFF's Electric Power Program; Kevin Rennert, a fellow at RFF and director of RFF's Federal Climate Policy Initiative; and Margaret Walls, a senior fellow at RFF and director of RFF's Climate Risks and Resilience Program. Palmer, Rennert, and Walls offer insights on notable stories in energy and the environment in 2024, including an intense Atlantic hurricane season and emerging narratives around climate policymaking in all three branches of government. They also look ahead to developments to watch in environmental and energy policy in 2025. References and recommendations: “Storm Watch Series: Weather Volatility in the United States” on the Common Resources blog; https://www.resources.org/special-series-weather-volatility-in-the-united-states/ “Brave the Wild River” by Melissa L. Sevigny; https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393868234 “Troublesome Rising: A Thousand-Year Flood in Eastern Kentucky” edited by Melissa Helton; https://www.kentuckypress.com/9781950564439/troublesome-rising/ “Shift Key” podcast; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-key-with-robinson-meyer-and-jesse-jenkins/id1728932037 “Alone on the Ice” by David Roberts; https://wwnorton.com/books/Alone-on-the-Ice/ “Landman” television series; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14186672/ “Boomtown” podcast; https://www.texasmonthly.com/podcasts/series/boomtown/

This week's episode is the final rerun from the Resources Radio archive that we'll air during our December break. We'll return with a new episode next week; in the meantime, enjoy this one and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Daniel Raimi talks with David Hawkins, director of climate policy in the Climate & Clean Energy Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a member of the board of directors at Resources for the Future. Hawkins has decades of experience working on energy and climate policy issues in NGOs and government. He walks us through the past 60 years of federal climate policy in the United States; helps us understand the scientific, political, and economic drivers that have shaped policy decisions from the 1960s all the way up through today, including a reflection on the Trump years; and takes a look ahead to the next four years under a new administration. References and recommendations: "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer; https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass "Coffeeland" by Augustine Sedgewick; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316748/coffeeland-by-augustine-sedgewick/

We're rebroadcasting another episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of December. This week's episode is a throwback to the final installment of a three-part series that celebrated the 70th anniversary of Resources for the Future (RFF), back in 2022. We'll return with new episodes in the new year; in the meantime, enjoy this one and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Daniel Raimi looks toward the future of RFF, as seen through the eyes of the organization's talented and dedicated research analysts and associates. RFF's research analysts gather and analyze data, review published studies, help write papers and reports, and do it all with dedication and enthusiasm. They're an essential part of the organization's research. In this episode, Raimi talks with RFF Research Analysts Emily Joiner, Sophie Pesek, Nicholas Roy, and Steven Witkin, along with Senior Research Associate and Geographic Information Systems Coordinator Alexandra Thompson. While these young scholars share how they first got interested in environmental economics, they mostly focus on the future by lending insights about the topics they think RFF scholars will be working on in 20 or 30 years—and what role they see for themselves in that future. References and recommendations: “70 Years of RFF: A Day in the Life at Resources for the Future, with RFF Staff” Resources Radio podcast episode; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/70-years-of-rff-a-day-in-the-life-at-resources-for-the-future-with-rff-staff/ “70 Years of RFF: The Legacy of Resources for the Future, with Ray Kopp and Kerry Smith” Resources Radio podcast episode; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/70-years-of-rff-the-legacy-of-resources-for-the-future-with-ray-kopp-and-kerry-smith/ “Chesapeake” by James A. Michener; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114052/chesapeake-by-james-a-michener/ “Alaska” by James A. Michener; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114041/alaska-by-james-a-michener/ “Hawaii” by James A. Michener; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114063/hawaii-by-james-a-michener/ “Caribbean” by James A. Michener; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114048/caribbean-by-james-a-michener/ “Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future” by Elizabeth Kolbert; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/617060/under-a-white-sky-by-elizabeth-kolbert/ “The Age of Revolution: 1789–1848” by Eric Hobsbawm; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/80964/the-age-of-revolution-1749-1848-by-eric-hobsbawm/ “Rip It Up and Start Again” by Simon Reynolds; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/291130/rip-it-up-and-start-again-by-simon-reynolds/ “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sand_County_Almanac “Severance” television series; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/

This week, we're rebroadcasting an episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of December. We'll be back with new episodes in the new year; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Margaret Walls talks with economists Maximilian Auffhammer, Paul J. Ferraro, and John Whitehead. All three guests are recent recipients of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) Fellows Award. The AERE Fellows Program recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of environmental and resource economics, including research, mentorship, service in the AERE community, and policy advising. Auffhammer, Ferraro, and Whitehead reflect on their careers, discuss winning the award, and offer insights into the current state of environmental and resource economics and the evolution of the field. References and recommendations: Association of Environmental and Resource Economists; https://www.aere.org/ Berkeley/Sloan Summer School in Environmental and Energy Economics; https://www.auffhammer.com/summer-school “Pricing the Priceless: A History of Environmental Economics” by Spencer Banzhaf; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/pricing-the-priceless/417AAD8A445E8B64BAD6BC201D2F2163 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.; https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll22/id/2681/

In this week's episode rerun, host Daniel Raimi talks with Kim Stanley Robinson, acclaimed author of many books, most recently “The Ministry for the Future.” Robinson's books vividly illustrate some of the most devastating potential consequences of climate change, but that's not all they do—the books also offer innovation and optimism, imagining the ways in which we can prevent some of the worst impacts of climate change and adapt to the impacts that are unavoidable. Robinson discusses his recent visit to COP26 and his views on climate economics, modern monetary theory, space opera, and more. We're rebroadcasting this episode from the Resources Radio archive while the podcast team is on a break through the rest of December. We'll be back with new episodes in the new year; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. References and recommendations: “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-ministry-for-the-future/9780316300162/ “The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes” by Zachary D. Carter; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/563378/the-price-of-peace-by-zachary-d-carter/ “Improving Discounting in the Social Cost of Carbon” by Brian Prest, William Pizer, and Richard Newell; https://www.resources.org/archives/improving-discounting-in-the-social-cost-of-carbon/ “Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist” by Kate Raworth; https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/doughnut-economics-paperback/ The concept of “carbon currency” by Delton Chen; https://globalcarbonreward.org/carbon-currency/ “Hypothesis for a Risk Cost of Carbon: Revising the Externalities and Ethics of Climate Change” by Delton B. Chen, Joel van der Beek, and Jonathan Cloud; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-03152-7_8 “Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet” by David Attenborough and Johan Rockström; https://www.netflix.com/title/81336476

This week, we're rebroadcasting an episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of December. We'll be back with new episodes in the new year; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Kristin Hayes talks with Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) who coauthored a journal article with RFF scholars Alexandra Thompson and Tyler Treakle about the role of the public in detecting invasive species. Pointing to a recent incident in which a member of the public spotted an Asian giant hornet in Washington State, Epanchin-Niell describes how more than a quarter of detections of invasive species—and possibly more—stem from these citizen scientists. Recognizing the essential role of the public, policymakers can make it easier to alert authorities about the presence of unusual species. References and recommendations: “Public contributions to early detection of new invasive pests” by Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Alexandra L. Thompson, and Tyler Treakle; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/public-contributions-to-early-detection-of-new-invasive-pests/ “Hidden Brain” podcast; https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain “The Endangereds” by Philippe Cousteau and Austin Aslan; https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/childrens-the-endangereds

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Matt Chambers, a researcher at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems at the University of Georgia, about managing floods with nature-based solutions. Chambers discusses the history of levee systems in the United States, the challenges that the widespread use of levees have presented, and approaches to floodplain management that help restore ecosystems while improving community resilience to flooding. He also discusses the economic analysis that informs floodplain management and the evolution of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a key decisionmaker in the management of US rivers. References and recommendations: “Nature-based solutions for leveed river corridors” by Matthew L. Chambers, Charles B. van Rees, Brian P. Bledsoe, David Crane, Susana Ferreira, Damon M. Hall, Rod W. Lammers, Craig E. Landry, Donald R. Nelson, Matt Shudtz, and Burton C. Suedel; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213305423000504 “Engineering with Nature” podcast; https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/podcasts/ “The Control of Nature” by John McPhee; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374522599/thecontrolofnature “An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; https://www.beacon.org/An-Indigenous-Peoples-History-of-the-United-States-P1164.aspx “The Gift of Good Land” by Wendell Berry; https://www.counterpointpress.com/books/the-gift-of-good-land/ “The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise” by Michael Grunwald; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Swamp/Michael-Grunwald/9780743251075

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Nafisa Lohawala, a fellow at Resources for the Future, about sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Lohawala discusses the climate impact of the aviation industry, different types of SAFs, and the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that SAFs can help achieve. Lohawala also discusses policies that support the adoption of SAFs, including international agreements and financial incentives in the United States. References and recommendations: “Alternative Fuels for Reducing the Contribution of Aviation to Climate Change” by Nafisa Lohawala, Michael A. Toman, and Emily Joiner; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/alternative-fuels-for-reducing-the-contribution-of-aviation-to-climate-change/ “Promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Considerations for Policymakers” by Nafisa Lohawala; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/promoting-sustainable-aviation-fuels-considerations-for-policymakers “Supporting Policies for Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Key Areas for Further Research” by Nafisa Lohawla and Michael A. Toman; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/supporting-policies-for-sustainable-aviation-fuels-key-areas-for-further-research “Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/mistakes-were-made-but-not-by-me-third-edition-carol-tavriselliot-aronson?variant=40825034276898 “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Seanicaa Edwards Herron, founder and executive director of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation, about challenges facing Black farmers in the United States. Herron discusses historical and systemic barriers that Black farmers have encountered, and continue to encounter, in the US agricultural industry. Their conversation covers access to land, capital, and markets; the importance of government programs that are tailored to support Black farmers; and the mission of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation to bridge gaps in the agricultural industry between Black farmers and the markets that Black farmers tap to sell their products. References and recommendations: “Minority Food Producers in the Climate Transition” webinar from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/events/environmental-justice-series/minority-producers-in-the-climate-transition/ Exposure event series from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/topics/environmental-justice/exposure-2024/ Season 3 of “The Heist” podcast; https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/the-heist/theheist-season3/ “Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land” film; https://gaininggroundthefilm.com/

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Pat Layton, director of the Wood Utilization + Design Institute at Clemson University, about the resurgence in constructing buildings with wood and, in particular, with mass timber. Layton discusses the development and adoption of mass timber in the United States, along with the environmental and architectural benefits of integrating mass timber into construction projects. Layton also discusses the manufacturing process for mass timber and the fire resistance and structural strength of the material compared to more mainstream building materials, such as steel and concrete. References and recommendations: Woodworks map of mass timber projects; https://www.woodworks.org/resources/mapping-mass-timber/ Mass Timber Business Case Studies; https://www.woodworks.org/resources/mass-timber-business-case-studies/ Cost comparisons of building with mass timber vs other materials; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIcr0R3w9ZQ Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center, a building created with mass timber; https://www.thinkwood.com/construction-projects/andy-quattlebaum-outdoor-education-center Building projects that use wood and mass timber as the main material; https://www.woodworks.org/award-gallery/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Stephen Jarvis, an assistant professor at the London School of Economics, about local opposition—often called “NIMBYism,” or Not In My Backyard—to renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom and the cost this opposition adds to the clean energy transition. Jarvis discusses the permitting process for renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom, how the local impacts of these projects often outweigh broader societal benefits in the permitting process, and potential solutions to better align local and societal interests for a more efficient and equitable clean energy transition. References and recommendations: “The Economic Costs of NIMBYism: Evidence from Renewable Energy Projects” by Stephen Jarvis, https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/732801 “Wilding” by Isabella Tree; https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/isabella-tree/wilding/9781509805105 “The Overstory” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/ “Playground” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/playground/ “Extraction/Abstraction” by Edward Burtynski; https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/bookstore-inventory/extraction-abstraction-2024

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Maura Allaire, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, about access to wastewater infrastructure in the United States. Allaire discusses the widespread lack of access to centralized wastewater services; the high failure rates of septic systems, which often serve as substitutes for centralized wastewater systems; and the public health risks that are associated with inadequate wastewater treatment. Allaire also discusses how climate change exacerbates these issues and the importance of regional planning for addressing disparities in access to wastewater infrastructure. References and recommendations: “The Sum of Us” by Heather McGhee; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564989/the-sum-of-us-by-heather-mcghee/ “Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirty Secret” by Catherine Coleman Flowers; https://thenewpress.com/books/waste

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Jesse Buchsbaum, a new research fellow at Resources for the Future, about how consumers respond to changes in electricity prices. Buchsbaum discusses the responsiveness of electricity consumers to prices in the short and long term, the role of pricing in driving long-term changes in consumption habits and investments in electric appliances, the importance of pricing for effective policymaking, and differences in the sensitivity of consumers to price changes depending on income. References and recommendations: “Are consumers more responsive to prices in the long run? Evidence from electricity markets” by Jesse Buchsbaum; https://jesse-buchsbaum.com/files/job_market_paper.pdf “How Long 'Til Black Future Month?” by N. K. Jemisin; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/n-k-jemisin/how-long-til-black-future-month/9780316491341/ “The Fifth Season” by N. K. Jemisin; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/n-k-jemisin/the-fifth-season/9780316229296/ “Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/675683/poverty-by-america-by-matthew-desmond/

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Jon Krosnick, a professor at Stanford University and a university fellow at Resources for the Future, about the views held by Americans on climate change and climate policies. Krosnick discusses the latest results from the Climate Insights project, which has gauged American public opinion on climate change since 1997; the preferences of Americans for specific climate policies; the views held by Americans about environmental justice; and public demand for federal climate action. References and recommendations: “Climate Insights 2024” report by Jon Krosnick et al; Surveys of Consumers from the University of Michigan; http://www.sca.isr.umich.edu/ “Is Gen Z less supportive of Israel? We don't know. Recent polls can't be trusted” by Ellen Konar, Jon Krosnick, and Joe Wlos; https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/israel-american-support-poll-19484618.php

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Holly Caggiano, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, and Sara Constantino, an assistant professor at Stanford University, about the preferences of local residents and elected officials for large-scale energy projects in Pennsylvania. Caggiano and Constantino discuss factors that influence public support for renewable energy projects and the occasional misalignment between the perceived preferences and actual preferences of constituents from the perspective of their local elected officials. References and recommendations: “Community benefits can build bipartisan support for large-scale energy infrastructure” by Holly Caggiano, Sara M. Constantino, Chris Greig, and Elke U. Weber; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01585-9 “The People's Republic of Valerie, Living Room Edition” by Kristen Kosmas; https://53rdstatepress.org/Kosmas-The-People-s-Republic-of-Valerie-Living-Room-Edition “Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor” by Rob Nixon; https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674072343 “Long Problems: Climate Change and the Challenge of Governing Across Time” by Thomas Hale Jr.; https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691238128/long-problems “The Overstory” by Richard Powers; https://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/ Climate & Community Institute reports; https://climateandcommunity.org/research/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Andrew Waxman, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, about carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), a technology that involves the capture and storage or reuse of carbon dioxide. Waxman discusses the application of CCUS technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and industrial facilities; the importance of the technology for achieving emissions-reduction goals; and the potential effects of the technology on local air pollution, particularly in communities along the US Gulf Coast. References and recommendations: “What are the likely air pollution impacts of carbon capture and storage?” by Andrew Waxman, HR Huber-Rodriquez, and Sheila M. Olmstead; https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4590320 “Special Report on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage: CCUS in Clean Energy Transitions” from the International Energy Agency; https://www.iea.org/reports/ccus-in-clean-energy-transitions “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways” by Megan Kimble; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711708/city-limits-by-megan-kimble/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Amanda Giang, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, about considering equity in computational models of systems that are at the interface of people and the environment. Giang discusses the steps involved in adapting the models; weighing the benefits of granular, individualized data against considerations of personal privacy; the limitations of modeling and quantitative analysis; and the challenges of communicating with decisionmakers about the complexity and uncertainty of model results. References and recommendations: “Equity and modeling in sustainability science: Examples and opportunities throughout the process” by Amanda Giang, Morgan R. Edwards, Sarah M. Fletcher, Rivkah Gardner-Frolick, Rowenna Gryba, Jean-Denis Mathias, Camille Venier-Cambron, John M. Anderies, Emily Berglund, Sanya Carley, Jacob Shimkus Erickson, Emily Grubert, Antonia Hadjimichael, Jason Hill, Erin Mayfield, Destenie Nock, Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok, Rebecca K. Saari, Mateo Samudio Lezcano, Afreen Siddiqi, Jennifer B. Skerker, and Christopher W. Tessum; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215688121 “Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands” by Kate Beaton; https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/ducks/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Catherine Hausman, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, about the costs of not building new electricity transmission lines, particularly in the Midwestern United States. Hausman discusses the benefits of additional electricity transmission for consumer electricity prices, emissions reductions, and electrification of the economy; the companies that may gain or lose revenue if more transmission is built; and how companies that stand to lose revenue from more transmission are preventing the construction of new transmission. References and recommendations: “Power Flows: Transmission Lines, Allocative Efficiency, and Corporate Profits” by Catherine Hausman; https://www.nber.org/papers/w32091 “Transmission Impossible? Prospects for Decarbonizing the US Grid” by Lucas W. Davis, Catherine Hausman, and Nancy L. Rose; https://www.nber.org/papers/w31377 “Dog Man” books; https://pilkey.com/series/dog-man “Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York” by Francis Spufford; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Golden-Hill/Francis-Spufford/9781501163883 “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611060/project-hail-mary-by-andy-weir/

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Daniel Farber, a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, about Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a Supreme Court case decided earlier this summer that overturned decades of precedent set under a 1984 case that itself led to a legal principle, or doctrine, that people call the Chevron deference. The Chevron deference is a long-standing legal precedent that required courts to defer to the application of laws as interpreted by government agencies if the relevant statute was ambiguous and if the interpretation made by the agency was reasonable. Farber discusses the history of the Chevron deference, the legal arguments that the current Supreme Court justices asserted in the decision that overturned Chevron, and the implications of this decision for future environmental regulation and policymaking. References and recommendations: “The Regulatory Review” blog; https://www.theregreview.org/ “Legal Planet” blog; https://legal-planet.org/

This week, we're rebroadcasting an episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of August. We'll be back in September with new episodes; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Margaret Walls talks with John D. Leshy, an emeritus professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, about the history of public lands in the United States. Leshy discusses the legislation that enabled the creation and conservation of public lands, common myths about public lands, and how the government may open up public lands for mining or clean energy projects in the future. References and recommendations: “Our Common Ground: A History of America's Public Lands” by John D. Leshy; https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300235784/our-common-ground/ “The Mining Law: A Study in Perpetual Motion” by John D. Leshy; https://www.routledge.com/The-Mining-Law-A-Study-in-Perpetual-Motion/Leshy/p/book/9781138951877 “End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals” by Ross D. E. MacPhee; https://wwnorton.com/books/End-of-the-Megafauna/

This week, we're rebroadcasting an episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of August. We'll be back in September with new episodes; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Kristin Hayes talks with Jason Samenow, weather editor for the Washington Post and one of the leaders of the Post's Capital Weather Gang. They discuss the intersection of climate change and weather, with a particular focus on how meteorologists communicate with the public about climate change in a scientifically rigorous way and how that communication has evolved alongside climate science. Samenow and Hayes also talk about the increasing number of extreme weather events that have been occurring both globally and in the Washington, DC, area. References and recommendations: Climate Central; https://www.climatecentral.org/ World Weather Attribution; https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/ Penn State Weather Camps; https://weather-camp.outreach.psu.edu/ Lenticular clouds; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud Mammatus clouds; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_cloud Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds; https://scied.ucar.edu/image/kelvin-helmholtz-clouds Snowmageddon 2010; https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/02/05/remembering-s-snowmageddon-images-scenes/ Eye on the Tropics newsletter by Michael Lowry; https://michaelrlowry.substack.com/ “The Weather” song by Lawrence; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9TYHOARDFI

This week, we're rebroadcasting an episode from the Resources Radio archive while the team is on a break through the rest of August. We'll be back in September with new episodes; in the meantime, enjoy this throwback and poke around the archive at Resources.org for more topics you might be interested in. In this week's episode rerun, host Daniel Raimi talks with Kelly T. Sanders, an associate professor at the University of Southern California. With her coauthors, Sanders published a series of studies on air-conditioning use in southern California, with a focus on who does (and does not) have access to cooling on hot days. This work, which touches on issues of energy and environmental justice, has big implications for managing climate change in the decades to come. References and recommendations: “Utilizing smart-meter data to project impacts of urban warming on residential electricity use for vulnerable populations in Southern California” by Mo Chen, George A. Ban-Weiss, and Kelly T. Sanders; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab6fbe/meta “Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities” by Vaclav Smil; https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/growth “These Truths: A History of the United States” by Jill Lepore; https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393357424

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with David Spence, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, about Spence's new book, “Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the US Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship,” which was released today. Spence discusses reasons that climate and energy have become such divisive topics in US politics, including the partisan state of Congress and the modern media environment, and strategies to help build support among voters for climate action and temper polarization across the political spectrum. References and recommendations: “Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the US Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship” by David B. Spence; https://climateofcontempt.com/ “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World” by Katharine Hayhoe; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Saving-Us/Katharine-Hayhoe/9781982143848 Deep canvassing idea from Joshua Kalla and David Broockman; https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/06/26/want-to-persuade-an-opponent-try-listening-berkeley-scholar-says/ “The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea” by Jack E. Davis; https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/jack-e-davis

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Caroline Noblet, an associate professor at the University of Maine, about the risks and negative impacts of forever chemicals on the environment and human health. “Forever chemicals” refer to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are a group of synthetic chemicals with extremely durable chemical bonds that have become dangerously common in water systems, consumer goods, agricultural production, and manufacturing facilities. Because PFAS chemical bonds do not break down easily, forever chemicals stick around for long periods of time. Noblet discusses policy solutions to decrease existing water contamination due to forever chemicals and limit future exposure to these chemicals, while accounting for geographic and economic differences across communities; new rules mandating the testing of public water systems for certain PFAS chemicals; and the economic implications of efforts to clean up and reduce exposure to forever chemicals. References and recommendations: “Dark Waters” film; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/ “Natural Capital” by Dieter Helm; https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300219371/natural-capital/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Amy Bowers Cordalis, cofounder and principal of Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, about efforts to remove four dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon. Cordalis discusses her experience growing up on the Klamath River as a member of the Yurok Tribe, the ecological damage to the Klamath River Basin and the Yurok Tribe that has been caused by the dams and nearby agricultural production, and the process that led to the removal of the dams. References and recommendations: “Undammed” video with Amy Bowers Cordalis; https://www.patagonia.com/stories/undammed/video-148718.html “Treaty Justice” by Charles Wilkinson; https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295752723/treaty-justice/ “The Water Remembers” by Amy Bowers Cordalis; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/amy-bowers-cordalis/the-water-remembers/9780316568951

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Chiara Lo Prete, an associate professor of energy economics at Penn State University, about the design of electricity markets in the United States. Lo Prete discusses the differences among electricity markets in different regions of the country; efforts to ensure that electric utilities can meet demand for electricity under adverse conditions, such as extreme weather events; and new designs of electricity markets that aim to accommodate both growing demand for electricity and the further integration of renewable energy resources into the US electric grid. References and recommendations: “Time for a Market Upgrade? A Review of Wholesale Electricity Market Designs for the Future” by Chiara Lo Prete, Karen Palmer, and Molly Robertson; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/review-of-wholesale-electricity-market-designs-for-the-future/ “Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy” by Russell Gold; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Superpower/Russell-Gold/9781501163593 “4 3 2 1” by Paul Auster; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250618801/4-3-2-1

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Casey Wichman, an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and university fellow at Resources for the Future, about the influence of social media on the popularity of national parks. Wichman estimates in a recent study that more exposure of a national park on social media increases visits to that park. He discusses people's relationships with national parks in a digital age; the effects of increased visitation on persistent issues in national parks, such as overcrowding and underfunding; and the potential boost in revenue that social media exposure can provide to national parks. References and recommendations: “Social Media Influences National Park Visitation” by Casey Wichman; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/social-media-influences-national-park-visitation/ “A New Study Finds Crowds at National Parks May Be Due to Social Media” by Wes Siler in “Outside” magazine; https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/national-parks-social-media/ “Do National Monuments Help or Hinder Local Economies?” episode of the “Resources Radio” podcast; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/do-national-monuments-help-or-hinder-local-economies-margaret-walls/ “Outside” magazine; https://www.outsideonline.com/ “Mountain Gazette” magazine; https://mountaingazette.com/ “The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse” by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/559535/the-wolf-the-duck-and-the-mouse-by-mac-barnett-illustrated-by-jon-klassen/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls sits in on the annual conference of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists to talk with Jill Caviglia-Harris, a professor at Salisbury University, about her work teaching and mentoring early-career scholars in the field of environmental economics. Caviglia-Harris discusses her approach to teaching and mentorship, efforts to facilitate diverse perspectives in environmental economics by building diverse cohorts of scholars, and the importance of collective leadership methods in these types of inclusive programs. References and recommendations: “The six dimensions of collective leadership that advance sustainability objectives: rethinking what it means to be an academic leader” by Jill Caviglia-Harris, Karen E. Hodges, Brian Helmuth, Elena M. Bennett, Kathleen Galvin, Margaret Krebs, Karen Lips, Meg Lowman, Lisa A. Schulte, and Edward A. G. Schuur; https://ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss3/art9/ “Looking at Environmental and Natural Resource Economics through the Lens of Racial Equity” by Amy Ando, Titus Awokuse, Jimena González Ramírez, Sumeet Gulati, Sarah Jacobson, Dale Manning, Samuel Stolper, and Matt Fleck; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/looking-at-environmental-and-natural-resource-economics-through-the-lens-of-racial-equity/ “Systemic Racism in Environmental Economics” podcast episode from Resources Radio; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/systemic-racism-in-environmental-economics-with-jimena-gonzalez-ramirez-and-sarah-jacobson/ “Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Systemic Racism” by Amy Ando, Titus Awokuse, Nathan W. Chan, Jimena González Ramírez, Sumeet Gulati, Matthew G. Interis, Sarah Jacobson, Dale T. Manning, and Samuel Stolper; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/environmental-and-natural-resource-economics-and-systemic-racism/ “Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Systemic Racism” by Amy W. Ando, Titus O. Awokuse, Nathan W. Chan, Jimena González-Ramírez, Sumeet Gulati, Matthew G. Interis, Sarah Jacobson, Dale T. Manning, and Samuel Stolper; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/727693 “Thinking Like an Economist” by Elizabeth Popp Berman; https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691167381/thinking-like-an-economist

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls sits in on the annual conference of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists to talk with Daniel Phaneuf, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, about Phaneuf's work on estimating the value of outdoor spaces for recreation. Phaneuf discusses methods for estimating the value of nonmarket goods (e.g., outdoor recreation sites) and the influence of environmental conditions, like water quality, on people's choices regarding the use of outdoor recreation sites. Phaneuf also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of locational cell phone data and the implications of this data for future estimates of the value of outdoor recreation sites. References and recommendations: “Best Practices for Implementing Recreation Demand Models” by Frank Lupi, Daniel J. Phaneuf, and Roger H. von Haefen; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1093/reep/reaa007 Author Arthur C. Brooks at the “Atlantic” magazine; https://www.theatlantic.com/author/arthur-c-brooks/ “Harvard's Arthur C. Brooks on the Secrets to Happiness at Work” from Harvard Business Review; https://hbr.org/2023/09/harvards-arthur-c-brooks-on-the-secrets-to-happiness-at-work

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes sits in on the annual conference of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists to talk with Sandra Aguilar-Gomez, an assistant professor of economics at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, about Aguilar-Gomez's work on heat-induced overcrowding in hospitals in Mexico. They discuss the effect of heat on human health, the stress that high temperatures exert on the Mexican public health-care system, and the impact of overcrowded hospitals on patient outcomes. Aguilar-Gomez also shares strategies for bolstering the emergency preparedness of hospitals, such as improving communication between hospitals and encouraging people to take preventative measures during periods of extreme heat. References and recommendations: Sandra Aguilar-Gomez homepage; https://sandraaguilargomez.com/ “Babbage” podcast; https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/babbage-from-the-economist/id508376907 “How to Save the Planet” podcast; https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with economists Maximilian Auffhammer, Paul J. Ferraro, and John Whitehead. All three guests are recent recipients of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) Fellows Award. The AERE Fellows Program recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of environmental and resource economics, including research, mentorship, service in the AERE community, and policy advising. Auffhammer, Ferraro, and Whitehead reflect on their careers, discuss winning the award, and offer insights into the current state of environmental and resource economics and the evolution of the field. References and recommendations: Association of Environmental and Resource Economists; https://www.aere.org/ Berkeley/Sloan Summer School in Environmental and Energy Economics; https://www.auffhammer.com/summer-school “Pricing the Priceless: A History of Environmental Economics” by Spencer Banzhaf; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/pricing-the-priceless/417AAD8A445E8B64BAD6BC201D2F2163 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.; https://digitalcollections.libraries.ua.edu/digital/collection/p17336coll22/id/2681/

In this week's episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Lynne Lewis, currently a professor of economics at Bates College and an incoming professor of agricultural and resource economics at Colorado State University, about brown bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska. Lewis discusses the fan base for the brown bear population in Katmai, which is connected to the Fat Bear Week tournament held every October; surveys that indicate the amount of money people would be willing to pay to protect the brown bears in Katmai; the relationship between an animal's perceived individuality and the value people place on the conservation of that animal or its local population; and potential problems associated with visitors overcrowding Katmai and other national parks in the United States. References and recommendations: “Getting to know you: individual animals, wildlife webcams, and willingness to pay for brown bear preservation” by Leslie Richardson and Lynne Lewis; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajae.12249 “The charisma premium: Iconic individuals and wildlife values” by Christopher Costello, Lynne Lewis, John Lynham, and Leslie Richardson; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0095069623000906 Live cam of brown bears at Katmai National Park in Alaska; https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls “The Bears of Brooks Falls: Wildlife and Survival on Alaska's Brooks River” by Michael Fitz; https://wwnorton.com/books/9781682685105 “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music” by Dave Grohl; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-storyteller-dave-grohl

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Stefano De Clara, head of secretariat at the International Carbon Action Partnership, about the continued development of emissions trading systems around the world in 2024. Emissions trading systems (ETSs) are market-based policies that set a cap on total greenhouse gas emissions or on a ratio of emissions to output (e.g., of generated electricity or manufactured steel). A limited number of emissions permits are auctioned or distributed in carbon markets, and emitters can then trade these permits within the market. De Clara discusses global trends in the development of carbon markets and trading systems, including innovative policy designs, and highlights emissions trading systems in the European Union, China, Latin America, Indonesia, and Canada. References and recommendations: “Emissions Trading Worldwide: 2024 ICAP Status Report” from the International Carbon Action Partnership; https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/publications/emissions-trading-worldwide-2024-icap-status-report “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson; https://www.rachelcarson.org/silent-spring

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Kristin Hayes, senior director for research and policy engagement at Resources for the Future, about her experience at the wheel of an electric vehicle (EV). This episode continues a multipart series on EVs, which covers the most practical matters that EV users need to know. In this fourth episode of the series, Hayes discusses her experience with charging stations on a recent long-distance road trip, the comparison between the fuel costs of driving an EV versus a hybrid or internal combustion engine vehicle, and possible research questions about the future of uptake and infrastructure for EVs in the United States. This is the final episode in our series on EVs. As you listen, please still feel free to let us know if we've missed any questions that you're curious about; we may address those in a future podcast episode or blog post. Next week, the podcast will return to our normally scheduled programming, which explores all aspects of environmental economics. ----- Related episodes in this series: Demystifying Electric Vehicle Ownership, with Sebastian Blanco; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/demystifying-electric-vehicle-ownership-with-sebastian-blanco Innovations in Electric Vehicle Batteries, with Micah Ziegler; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/innovations-in-electric-vehicle-batteries-with-micah-ziegler Expanding Access to Electric Vehicle Chargers, with Kimathi Boothe; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/expanding-access-to-electric-vehicle-chargers-with-kimathi-boothe Electric Road Trip: The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicle Ownership, with Kristin Hayes; https://soundcloud.com/resourcesradio/electric-road-trip-the-pros-and-cons-of-electric-vehicle-ownership-with-kristin-hayes ----- References and recommendations: “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks/