Podcasts about abell foundation

We're excited to announce that the Superpowers for Good show is now available for streaming on television via e360tv. Download the e360tv app on your Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV device to enjoy the show on your big-screen TV. The app is also available for mobile devices. That said, I'm embarrassed to report that the new workflow got me a bit discombobulated, and I neglected to upload the audio for the podcast here! So, I'm sending it again with the audio. Please forgive me.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Lynn: I will share something that a friend of mine said when I was on a walk with her. I was telling her what I thought her superpower was, and she came back to me and said, “Well, I think your superpower, Lynn, is that you…” How did she phrase it? I can't remember how she phrased it, but she said basically, “You have the guts to try things that you have no business trying, that you set your mind on something, and you'll go out, and you'll just make it happen.” I guess the short answer to your question would be it is just sort of the guts to–what's the Yiddish word? The chutzpah. I'm not Jewish, but I love that word.Solar can be expensive and difficult to install on your rooftop, especially for households in low-income communities with older buildings. Renters are typically excluded from the option to add rooftop solar. The Community Action Fund, a nonprofit, steps into this gap in hopes of allowing everyone to save money on their energy bills and lighten their carbon footprint.Founder and CEO Lynn Heller says, “Living in Baltimore City, I regularly witnessed lots and lots of poverty. So, I was trying to figure out, all right, how do we create a very scalable model for low-income household access to clean energy? The world is transitioning to clean energy. Let's not leave out huge swaths of the population.”Under Lynn's leadership, the nonprofit has attracted a diverse funding strategy, including a tranche of crowdfunding raised via the FINRA-registered portal Raise Green. Everyone is eligible to invest–even I invested!The funding round was successful, exceeding the target cap of $370,000.To make this happen, Lynn uses her superpower: chutzpah.AI Episode Summary* Devin Thorpe is interviewing Lynn Heller, CEO of the Climate Access Fund.* The Climate Access Fund is a nonprofit green bank that focuses on providing low-income households with access to clean energy, particularly through community solar projects.* Community solar allows households to sign up for solar power from a project located elsewhere, such as a large tract of land or a rooftop, and receive a discount on their electricity bill.* The Henderson Hopkins School project in Baltimore is a community solar project that will provide a 25% discount on electricity bills for low-income households in the neighborhood.* The project is unique because it is entirely for low-income households, it has co-benefits such as job training programs and educational components, and the nonprofit owns a portion of the solar asset to share dividends with subscribers.* The Climate Access Fund has raised around $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign on Raise Green.* The fund initially hoped to give low-income families the opportunity to invest directly in the project but faced challenges due to mistrust from previous bad experiences with third-party electricity providers.* Lynn Heller sees her superpower as having the guts to try things that others may not feel confident in attempting.* She is proud of where the Climate Access Fund has come and its ability to carve out a niche in the industry.* Lynn advises others to listen and learn from different perspectives, collaborate with well-meaning experts, and align themselves with a team to collectively foster innovation and confidence.How to Develop Chutzpah As a SuperpowerLynn sees the progress at The Climate Access Fund as evidence of the power of having the guts to try something you have no business doing. She explained:I'm proud of where the Climate Access Fund has gotten today. We have a long way to go, in that we are we have been a startup nonprofit in a startup industry, so it's kind of a double startup, which, I have to be honest, has been difficult at times. We've had to be very nimble as the community solar market has evolved over the last five to seven years in Maryland. We have been very involved with some of the legislative efforts and in advocacy and also, at the Public Service Commission level, the regulations. I'm very proud that last year I originated A law–a bill that passed that session in Annapolis in the state legislature that increased the benefits to low-income households through community solar. So, there are certain tasks that I'm proud of. But I would say overall, I'm proud of the fact that we have been able to carve out a niche for ourselves, again as a startup in a startup industry.Lynn sees two essential aspects to building chutzpah:First is the self-confidence to keep trying when you inevitably encounter challenges. Say, “All right. Well, that didn't work. But let's try this. That didn't work. So, let's try this.”The second is to be inclusive. Build a diverse team that includes people with different skills, perspectives and abilities to take risks. “The best thing folks can do is to listen to other people and learn from other people,” Lynn says. Building a team builds confidence.Following Lynn's example and advice can strengthen your confidence, potentially turning it into the sort of chutzpah that can become a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Guest-Provided ProfileLynn Heller (she/her):Founder, CEO, Climate Access FundAbout Climate Access Fund: The Climate Access Fund (CAF) is a statewide nonprofit green bank based in Baltimore, Maryland. CAF leverages public and philanthropic capital to drive private investment into the low-income residential energy market. CAF's goal is to substantially reduce the energy burden of low-income households through access to offsite, or “community,” solar.  CAF offers financial incentives to solar developers who provide attractive savings to low-income subscribers, and it develops projects in historically disinvested communities through community-based partnerships. By demonstrating that affordable solar power can be successfully financed and deployed, CAF is helping to bring an equitable clean energy market to scale in Maryland and beyond. Website: climateaccessfund.orgOther URL: vimeo.com/682058145Biographical Information: Lynn Heller is the Founder and CEO of the Climate Access Fund, a nonprofit green bank focused on expanding clean energy access in disinvested communities. Lynn has previously served as Vice President of the Abell Foundation, worked as a strategic planning and management consultant, and led start-ups in refugee resettlement, microenterprise lending, voter education, and election monitoring in the U.S. and overseas. Lynn is Board Chair of the MD League of Conservation Voters and past member of the MD Commission on Climate Change and the Baltimore Sustainability Commission. Lynn earned degrees from Princeton University and the Harvard Kennedy School and loves spending time with her husband, three kids and dogs.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lynn-heller-22932131/Join us for the SuperCrowdHour with Lea Bouhelier-Gatreau of KingsCrowd as she explains how you can start investing for impact with just $100 on August 16 at 1:00 Eastern/10 Pacific. Register at half-price here.Léa is a Sr. Investment Analyst at KingsCrowd who writes the company's impact investing monthly article, providing investors with the best impact investing deals and market insights. She previously worked for Stanford's accelerator, StartX, and led the first award-winning study on the Malawian startup ecosystem. She holds a degree in Anthropology from France and is currently enrolled in the UC Davis MBA program. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at devinthorpe.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Michael Nestor, Ph.D., is Board Director, of the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable ( GUIRR - https://www.nationalacademies.org/guirr/about ), within the Policy and Global Affairs Division, at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The GUIRR is charged with improving the research enterprise of the United States by successfully resolving the cross-sectoral issues that prevent the U.S. research enterprise from reaching its full potential. This mission is achieved by convening senior-most representatives from government, universities, and industry to frame the critical issues, followed – when appropriate – by the execution of activities designed to address specific cross-sectoral impediments to achieving a healthy, vibrant research enterprise. GUIRR provides a unique forum for dialogue among top government, university and industry leaders of the national science and technology enterprise. Prior to this role at NAS, Dr. Nestor was a Scientific Engagement Lead at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS in Washington, D.C. where he was responsible for external scientific engagement with regional academic research institutions, start-ups, investment partners, and portfolio management, sourcing and evaluating innovative companies with the aim to foster a productive life science ecosystem and bring value to the pipeline of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. Dr. Nestor received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from The University of Maryland, School of Medicine, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and The New York Stem Cell Foundation, where he was also a Staff Scientist. He was also an NIH Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) Fellow at Rutgers University, focused on teaching in minority-serving institutions and helping increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in science. Dr. Nestor was also Director of Neural Stem Cell Research at The Hussman Institute for Autism where he led his own lab studying autism by creating brain organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells. His lab developed a multiplexed high-throughput CRISPR and drug-screening platform. Dr. Nestor also served as Co-Chair of the Neural Stem Cell Working Group at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine and as a venture advisor to the UM Momentum Fund and the Abell Foundation. Further, he was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Office of Science at The Department of Energy (DOE). At the DOE, he was focused on synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and biosecurity initiatives. He also launched his own human stem cell consulting company, Synapstem. Dr. Nestor's book, "Anticipatory Ethics and The Use of CRISPR in Humans" was published in 2022. Support the show

The Maryland General Assembly wrapped up its annual 90-day legislative session at midnight on Monday. The tradition was altered this year by pandemic safety protocols, such as masks and video-only legislative hearings. The clerk announced at 11:59 pm: “Thank you Mr. President. I move that the Senate of Maryland stand adjourned, Sine Die!”  Senate President Bill Ferguson said: “Without objection, so ordered!   Stay safe. Wear your mask. Get thee vaccine.” In terms of environmental legislation, the session was a mixture of failure and success.  A major, groundbreaking piece of climate legislation – the Climate Change Solutions Now Act of 2021 – collapsed in last-minute disagreements between Democratic committee chairs in the House and Senate. However, lawmakers passed legislation that will ensure continued funding for maintaining mass transit in Maryland, despite threats of sharp cuts from the Hogan Administration. Other bills that passed will require the state to plan better for increased rainfall caused by climate change; and ban the intentional releases of balloons, which litter the Chesapeake Bay. State Delegate Brooke Lierman, a Democrat from Baltimore, was a sponsor of the mass transit funding bill.  “I think it was a pretty big session for the environment,” Lierman said.  “I think especially given  the understanding of the intersection of environmental sustainability and public health; and given that we have been spending this whole year thinking about public health, and ensuring that people live in healthy communities, people understood the importance of passing many of these environmental bills.” The biggest clashes came over the Climate Change Solutions Now bill.  A strong version of the legislation was introduced by State Senator Paul Pinsky, a Democrat from Prince George's County and chair of the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. Pinsky's bill passed the Senate by vote of 34 to 11. The legislation would have required the state to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030; achieve net zero emissions by 2045; and require large new buildings and some new schools to adopt energy efficiency and clean energy requirements. However, in the House, state Delegate Kumar Barve of Montgomery Country, chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, and allies, thought Pinsky's bill went too far. They wanted more modest pollution reduction targets, and opposed the mandates for real estate developers and schools. Senator Pinsky said he was frustrated after negotiations between the Senate and House broke down. “Unfortunately, when the House got around to paying attention to it, they stripped about 75 percent of the bill out, and they sent it back to us,” Pinsky said. “And we didn't receive it until Saturday, with two days left in the session. So I just don't think there was the urgency or the interest in passing legislation that pushed the envelope, which Maryland, a very vulnerable state, needs.” Delegate Barve did not respond to a request for an interview for this program.  But the vice chairman of the House environment committee, State Delegate Dana Stein of Baltimore County, said he was disappointed because he also wanted a strong climate bill. But Stein said a silver lining was that two important parts of the climate bill – mandating that the state plant five million trees and buy only electric buses to reduce greenhouse gas pollution – were pulled out and passed separately.  “If you clean the bus system, electrify it, you are really going to make the air – especially in urban areas – much better,” Stein said. Maybe the political climate for climate legislation will warm next year. …………………. The Environment in Focus is independently owned and distributed by Environment in Focus Radio to WYPR and other stations. The program is sponsored by the Abell Foundation. The views expressed are solely Tom Pelton's. You can contact him at pelton.tom@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We sat down and chatted with Sally J. Scott, Program Director of UMBC's Graduate Program in Community Leadership. We spoke about her recent contribution in a report she co-authored with Seema Iyer of the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore titled Overcoming Barriers to Home Ownership in Baltimore City. Summary of the ReportThe report initially came out of a question that we were asked by the Abell Foundation, which was, “Could we help more people become homeowners in Baltimore if they had access to more flexible loans and better incentives, such as closing cost assistance?” And that seems like a straightforward question. But as we dug into it and we looked at the local data and the national data, we realized that those proposed solutions would not be enough. There are much deeper issues at work limiting people's homeownership opportunities in Baltimore. And that's particularly true in the black community. We learned that decades of systemic racism, as well as the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, have created barriers to homeownership in the black community in Baltimore. To address those would require much more systemic and far-reaching solutions than simply better loans and better incentives.We hope you enjoy this episode! To learn more about UMBC's Graduate Program in Community Leadership, visit: https://professionalprograms.umbc.edu/community-leadership/SUBSCRIBE! Please subscribe to our channel to receive the latest podcasts as they publish.Connect with us:Twitter: https://twitter.com/UMBC_DPSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/UMBCProfessionalGradProgramsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UMBCDivisionofProfessionalStudies 

Should Maryland establish a public bank? State Delegate Stephanie Smith of Baltimore City is proposing a task force to explore the idea. She’s driven by how the pandemic brought economic disparities to the surface. How would a public bank work? Could one help close the wealth gap? Read the 2019 Abell Foundation report about municipal banking here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As President-Elect Biden assembles his new administration, one candidate being considered for a top environmental position, perhaps director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, is Mustafa Santiago Ali. Ali worked for 24 years at the Environmental Protection Agency and was its senior advisor for environmental justice. He was a founding member of EPA's Office of Environmental Justice, which is dedicated to reducing pollution in minority and lower-income communities, including those in Baltimore. After working for EPA most of his life – he started there as a student intern -- Ali quit in March of 2017 after the new Trump Administration tried to eliminate the Office of Environmental Justice. It was part of Trump's general hostility toward government programs, especially those that would help urban areas and people of color. Here's Mustafa Ali: "I saw what the new administration was going to do by not honoring science, by eliminating programs that were critical for front-line communities in protecting their lives and their health.  And I knew that I couldn't be part of that.” Eventually, Congress blocked Trump from killing the EPA Office of Environmental Justice. “They were trying to eliminate it,” Ali said. “But because there was so much attention from folks across the country, including some from myself, they were not able to eliminate that office. But it was moved, and taken down the food chain, so to speak….so that it would be less effective.” In the same way, the U.S. Congress -- including Democrats and Republicans alike -- blocked Trump from slashing EPA's budget and zeroing out spending on programs like the Chesapeake Bay cleanup. Instead, the Trump Administration diminished and weakened the environmental justice program. So Ali left EPA. Instead, he helped lead a group called the Hip Hop Caucus, a national non-profit organization that connects the hip-hop community to efforts to create positive change. He then became a vice president at the National Wildlife Federation, working to focus that organization on not just protecting grey wolves and other endangered animals, but also on fighting for lower-income communities and helping them move from surviving to thriving. Looking to the future and the Biden Administration, Ali said he would recommend that the new administration start treating the covid pandemic as a social justice issue. “Covid is one of those tragic situations where if we learn the lessons, we can build the right infrastructure to really protect folks,” Ali said. “We got about 25 million people living in medically-underserved areas, in physician deserts.  And we all know we've got 80 million people uninsured and underinsured.  And Covid feeds off of long-term medical conditions.” So expanding health care and health services –including in cities like Baltimore-- could help tackle the terrible public health environment that is making the pandemic so deadly, especially for minority and poor communities. “Most folks don't know that we've got 100,000 people dying prematurely from air pollution every year in our country,” Ali said. “That's more than all those dying from gun violence, more than all those dying from car crashes, and a number of other tragic situations.” The new administration will have many crises to solve all at the same time  – including vaccine distribution, a recession, and climate change. But increasing federal investments in urban and minority neighborhoods, as well as poor rural areas ,could address the unfairness and injustice that fester like ignored wounds beneath America's skin, threatening our country's survival. …………………………………….. The Environment in Focus is independently owned and distributed by Environment in Focus Radio to WYPR and other stations. The program is sponsored by the Abell Foundation. The views expressed are solely Tom Pelton's. You can contact him at pelton.tom@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And now, a conversation about housing in Baltimore City. A new Abell Foundation report examined why the rate of homeownership in Baltimore has fallen over the last decade, and the barriers for homeownership, particularly in communities of color. That report's co-author, UMBC researcher Sally Scott, joins Tom. Another Abell report looks at who is leaving Baltimore, and who’s moving in, and examines perceptions of gentrification. Alan Mallach did that study. He is a senior fellow at the Center for Community Progress in Washington DC, and he also joins us. Jody Landers is also here. He was commissioned by a network of neighborhood organizations called Healthy Neighborhoods to do a market survey of home sales in so-called “middle neighborhoods.”

As water bottles break down and fleece jackets shed fibers in the washing machine, small pieces of plastic enter the ecosystem. What threat does this pollutant pose to the environment? Bay Journal reporter Whitney Pipkin is the author of a recent Abell Foundation report on microplastics. She describes how this debris impacts marine life and steps can we take to reduce plastic pollution.

Why is it that 40% of Baltimore residents lack broadband access to the internet? In a city where red-lining in housing has a long history, has red-lining moved from the street to the internet? We begin with Dr. John Horrigan. He’s the author of a new report for the Abell Foundation that describes the impact of Baltimore’s Digital Divide on low-income city residents. Dr. Horrigan is a senior fellow at the Technology Policy Institute. Then, Chrissie Powell and Andrew Coy join the conversation. Powell is the Baltimore site director of Byte Back, Inc., a tech-inclusion nonprofit that offers free technical skills classes for adult learners. Coy is the executive director of the Digital Harbor Foundation, which teaches coding and other computer and tech skills to K-12 students. They are both leaders of the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition, which includes about 50 groups that are working together to reduce our city’s Digital Divide.

Thousands of low-income families are making it through the pandemic without a computer or reliable Internet access. For students, that means distance learning without a screen big enough to see or a keyboard big enough to type. For adults who have lost their jobs, it means it’s hard to apply for work or unemployment. John Horrigan recaps the Abell Foundation report he wrote on the digital divide in Baltimore. Then, education advocate Rebecca Yenawine on keeping families connected, and high-school teacher Franca Muller Paz on the inequity of the gap. Learn more about the Teachers' Democracy Project here. Read the letter of demands written by SOMOS - Students Organizing a Multicultural & Open Society - here.

Every month close to 200 people in Maryland die from a drug overdose--mostly the opioid fentanyl. The toll is especially stubborn in Baltimore. The Abell Foundation commissioned Natanya Robinowitz, executive director of Charm City Care Connection, to probe what Baltimore can learn from how Barcelona, Spain, combats addiction--a comprehensive network of care, including spaces where people can use illicit drugs under medical monitoring. She's joined by Aura Ruig , founder and leader of Metzineres, a women-only harm reduction center in Barcelona for women who use drugs and who have survived violence. Plus, Nina Feldman, health reporter for WHYY, tells us how the first safe-injection site in the U.S. may open in Philadelphia.

Last month, the Labor Department reported a national unemployment rate of 3.5%, the lowest it’s been in 50 years. The unemployment rate is only one metric by which the job market can be evaluated, and many point to its inherent flaws, but the reality for many employers is that filling jobs with skilled workers is harder than it used to be. One estimate has it that there are nearly 70 million available jobs nationally.There are more than 30 workforce development organizations in the Baltimore metro area. Today on Midday, a look at some of those programs, and a conversation with three experts in the employment field about what can be done to scale-up the effective ones, so that more people can be trained for jobs that are in demand, and that pay well.Linda Dworak is the Director of the Baltimore Workforce Funders Collaborative (a member of the Maryland Philanthropy Network) and the author of a report being published this week by the Abell Foundation that suggests ways some of these programs can be expanded to serve more than the 2,700 people currently involved in job training programs…We’re also joined by two people whose organizations offer workforce training.Mike Posko is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. He directs Habitat's HabiCorps program, which trains previously incarcerated individuals in carpentry and construction management;And Tiffani Truss is the Director of Training Services at the Jane-Addams Resource Corporation (JARC), which offers job training in manufacturing.This conversation was live-streamed on WYPR's Facebook Page. Watch the video here; the segment runs from 0:00 to 39:55 on the video stream.Speaking of workforce development: there will be a special event later this week (on Thursday October 24 -- at 4:00pm) at the Peabody Heights Brewery, an initiative called GOOD BUSINESS WORKS will be launched. It’s a collaboration by Baltimore business leaders, workforce experts, and nonprofits who are recognizing businesses that are creating jobs and maintaining equitable and inclusive workplaces. For more information on the event, click here.Another program note about an event in which Tom Hall will be participating tomorrow night (October 23) at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. It’s another in the Great Talk series. The topic tomorrow night is “Baltimore: Not Just an American City: What Baltimore Means, Beyond the Headlines.”The panel will include Andre Davis, the Baltimore City Solicitor, Trif Alatzas, the Publisher and Editor in Chief of the Baltimore Sun, and Thibault Manekin, the co-founder of Seawall Development. Tom Hall will be the moderator. The conversation will begin at 7:00pm. Tickets for individual talks in the series are $15, and can be purchased online or at the door. For details on the event, click here.

Why does Baltimore City have a separate government from Baltimore County? Some people think it would it make more sense to combine those two jurisdictions. Some don't, of course, but it’s an idea that has been bandied about for more than 70 years.A new report by the Abell Foundation is intended to revive the conversation about a consolidated regional government in the Baltimore metropolitan area. It’s called “Combining Forces,” and it includes case studies of three examples of metropolitan consolidation that did go forward-- in Nashville, TN, Indianapolis, IN and Louisville, KY. Jeff Wachter is the primary author of the Abell report. He is a researcher who specializes in the development of American cities and suburbs. Klaus Philipsen is an architect who writes and lectures widely about urban design, architecture, preservation and transportation issues.

The Abell Foundation’s report on the mergers of city and county governments in Nashville, Louisville, and Indianapolis. We talk with the report’s author Jeff Wachter about where these mergers succeed, fall short and why some local leaders are intrigued about the potential of a similar arrangement in the Baltimore region. We also dig into regional ...

Maryland deregulated its energy markets in 1999. The aim was to create a decentralized free market for private electricity and natural gas suppliers who would offer customers a choice: stay with the Standard Offer Services provided by the utility companies -- Baltimore Gas ---- Electric and Pepco (which are now the same company) -- or switch to a third-party supplier who could offer a range of residential services and -- supposedly -- stable and competitive energy prices. More than a hundred companies have jumped into that market over the past 20 years, and roughly 20% of Maryland utility customers made the switch. That’s about a half a million people. The Abell Foundation commissioned a study last year to find out whether or not those people who did switch energy suppliers have gotten a good deal. The co-authors of the Abell Foundation report join Tom today. On the line from his office in Takoma Park, is Dr. Arjun Makhijani. He’s the president of the non-profit Takoma Park, Maryland-based Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. He’s written extensively on commercial energy systems, conservation, and the transition to renewable energy sources.And with us in the studio is Laurel Peltier, who writes about business and environmental issues on her Website, greenlaurel.com. She also covers the environment for the Baltimore FishBowl. Later, we're joined by Rachael Neill. She is the director of programs at GEDCO-CARES, a non-profit agency based in Baltimore that helps low-income residents cope with rising utility bills.

Today a conversation about juvenile crime in Baltimore City. Recent headlines about juvenile crime being ----out of control---- seem to capture—and fuel—the perception that juvenile crime is indeed on the rise in Baltimore. As is so often the case, though, the reality is a bit more complicated.Researchers at the Abell Foundation set about collecting and analyzing the available data on juvenile crime and arrests in the city to form a clear picture. The result is a new report called ----Fact Check: A Survey of Available Data on Juvenile Crime in Baltimore City.---- The report finds that overall, juvenile arrests are down in the city -- and down dramatically between 2012 and 2017. But the report also finds that juvenile arrests for violent crimes are up. It also asks: What happens when these juveniles are charged in adult court, compared with juveniles whose cases end up in juvenile court? How often do these youth reoffend? And why is there so little publicly available data related to juvenile violent crime, and what should be done about that?Today, the authors of this new report join Tom in Studio A. Sheryl Goldstein is vice president of the Abell Foundation. Katherine McMullen is an analyst and executive assistant to Abell’s senior vice president.

Are Maryland farmers and Baltimore entrepreneurs missing a big economic opportunity by not growing and processing hemp for the commercial market? A report commissioned by the Abell Foundation concludes that hemp-marijuana confusion, along with a federal prohibition, form obstacles to a new branch of environmentally-friendly agriculture that could augment the income of Maryland farmers and spawn new businesses. Kentucky has already moved forward with growing hemp, despite the federal ban against the fibrous cannabis. Rona Kobell, reporter for the Chesapeake Bay Journal, joins Dan to talk about hemp’s potential. She wrote the Abell report. "Hemp offers opportunities for new products, good jobs, wellness, an improved environment and healthier soils," the report says. "It can help farmers diversify and keep their land in agriculture. It can jump start entrepreneurs who want to build businesses that process and transport hemp. And it can keep more Baltimore college graduates in the city to pursue careers in botanicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing."Links:http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-fine-hemp-marijuana-legalize-20140626-story.htmlhttp://www.abell.org/publications/hope-hemp-misunderstood-plant-prepares-its-comebackhttp://bittersoutherner.com/kentucky-hemp/#.WQB22lPyvow

ORIGINS is celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a one on one conversation between Chef Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore and Rona Kobell, an environmental reporter. Rona Kobell is a reporter for the Chesapeake Bay Journal. She also was co-producer and co-host with Dan Rodricks of Midday on the Bay, a monthly public affairs show on WYPR in Baltimore that ran for more than five years. She blogs daily and breaks news at www.bayjournal.com and maintains an active Bay Journal presence on Facebook. A former Baltimore Sun reporter, she has also contributed to Grist, Slate, Modern Farmer, Columbia Journalism Review, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Undark, and Chesapeake Bay magazine. She was recently the main writer for an agriculture pollution report produced by the Abell Foundation, the solo writer on a second report about hemp. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and was a 2008-2009 Knight-Wallace Fellow at the university. She dreams of writing a book about oyster aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.