Podcast appearances and mentions of daniel raimi

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 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 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 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/

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 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 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/

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

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 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 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/

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 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/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Travis Roach, an associate professor and director of the Central Policy Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma, about how the prevalence of air pollution may increase the incidence of fatal traffic accidents in the United States. Roach discusses the characteristics of airborne particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in diameter or less, which is air pollution known as PM2.5; the sources of PM2.5, including coal- and natural gas–fired power plants, vehicle tailpipe emissions, and wildfire smoke; the negative effects of PM2.5 exposure on physical health and cognitive functioning; and policies and technologies that can help reduce public exposure to PM2.5. References and recommendations: “Negative Externalities of Temporary Reductions in Cognition: Evidence from Particulate Matter Pollution and Fatal Car Crashes” by Anne M. Burton and Travis Roach; https://annemburton.com/pages/working_papers/Burton_Roach_Pollution.pdf PurpleAir sensors and maps that measure air-quality data “Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design” by Benjamin Vogt; https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p086779

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Brad Harris, the director of government affairs at Resources for the Future, about the increasing demand for electricity in the United States. Harris discusses the main sources of this surge in electricity demand, also known as load growth; the challenges that load growth poses to goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that have been set by utilities and the United States; and tools available to utilities and policymakers that can help meet growing demand and mitigate the effects of load growth on ratepayers and emissions. References and recommendations: “Harlan County, USA” documentary; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County,_USA “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” documentary; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron:_The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_Room

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Lisa Rennels, a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, about a class of synthetic industrial chemicals used in air-conditioners, refrigerators, and other technologies: hydrofluorocarbons. Rennels discusses the proliferation of these chemicals in recent decades, the cost of hydrofluorocarbon emissions to society, the feedback loop between global warming and increased use of these chemicals for air-conditioning, and global efforts to reduce the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons. References and recommendations: “The social costs of hydrofluorocarbons and the benefits from their expedited phase-down” by Tammy Tan, Lisa Rennels, and Bryan Parthum; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01898-9 “Comprehensive Evidence Implies a Higher Social Cost of CO₂” by Kevin Rennert, Frank Errickson, Brian C. Prest, Lisa Rennels, Richard G. Newell, William Pizer, Cora Kingdon, Jordan Wingenroth, Roger Cooke, Bryan Parthum, David Smith, Kevin Cromar, Delavane Diaz, Frances C. Moore, Ulrich K. Müller, Richard J. Plevin, Adrian E. Raftery, Hana Ševčíková, Hannah Sheets, James Stock, Tammy Tan, Mark Watson, Tony E. Wong, and David Anthoff; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/comprehensive-evidence-implies-a-higher-social-cost-of-co2/ “The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear” by Paul Rogat Loeb; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/paul-rogat-loeb/the-impossible-will-take-a-little-while/9780465038589 “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/ “Are we the last generation—or the first sustainable one?” TED Talk by Hannah Ritchie; https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_ritchie_are_we_the_last_generation_or_the_first_sustainable_one “The High Sierra: A Love Story” by Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-high-sierra/9780316306812

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Susan F. Tierney, a senior advisor at Analysis Group and chair of the board of directors at Resources for the Future, about the future of fossil fuels in the United States. Tierney discusses the challenges of meeting climate goals while maintaining energy security, the importance of making energy accessible to citizens, and how to support communities and states that historically have depended on the coal and oil and gas industries for jobs and public revenue. References and recommendations: “Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions” by Stephen W. Pacala, Danielle Deane-Ryan, Alexandra Fazeli, Julia H. Haggerty, Chris T. Hendrickson, Roxanne Johnson, Timothy C. Lieuwen, Vivian E. Loftness, Carlos E. Martín, Michael A. Méndez, Clark A. Miller, Jonathan A. Patz, Keith Paustian, William Pizer, Ed Rightor, Patricia Romero-Lankao, Devashree Saha, Kelly Sims Gallagher, Susan F. Tierney, and William Walker; https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25931/interactive/ “Community Engagement for an Equitable Energy Transition, with Julia Haggerty” from “Resources Radio”; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/community-engagement-for-an-equitable-energy-transition-with-julia-haggerty/ “Our Homes and Our Climate, with Carlos Martín” from “Resources Radio”; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/our-homes-and-our-climate-with-carlos-martin/ “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese; https://www.abrahamverghese.org/the-covenant-of-water/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Simon Greenhill (PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley) and Hannah Druckenmiller (university fellow at Resources for the Future and assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology). Along with other coauthors, Greenhill and Druckenmiller recently published an article in the journal Science that uses a new machine learning model to predict which waterways are regulated under the Clean Water Act according to different definitions of what the Clean Water Act calls “waters of the United States.” Greenhill and Druckenmiller discuss the differences in regulation when considering a broader or narrower interpretation of waters of the United States, along with the implications for wetland protection, clean water, and flood mitigation. References and recommendations: “Machine learning predicts which rivers, streams, and wetlands the Clean Water Act regulates” by Simon Greenhill, Hannah Druckenmiller, Sherrie Wang, David A. Keiser, Manuela Girotto, Jason K. Moore, Nobuhiro Yamaguchi, Alberto Todeschini, and Joseph S. Shapiro; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/machine-learning-predicts-which-rivers-streams-and-wetlands-the-clean-water-act-regulates/ Clean Water Act regulation map; https://simondgreenhill.github.io/wotus-map/ Clean Water Act regulation map explainer video by Simon Greenhill; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkhz5gVUo2w&ab “Wetlands, Flooding, and the Clean Water Act” by Charles A. Taylor and Hannah Druckenmiller; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/wetlands-flooding-and-the-clean-water-act/ “The Hungry Tide” by Amitav Ghosh; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-hungry-tide-amitav-ghosh “The High Sierra: A Love Story” by Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-high-sierra/9780316306812/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ben Cahill, a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about the Biden administration's recent decision to pause approvals on the construction of new facilities that export liquefied natural gas. Cahill discusses the history of natural gas production in the United States and arguments for and against increasing US exports of natural gas, including considerations of energy security in nations that are allies of the United States, national and global climate goals, and environmental justice. References and recommendations: “Escaping the Resource Curse” edited by Macartan Humphreys, Jeffrey D. Sachs, and Joseph E. Stiglitz; https://cup.columbia.edu/book/escaping-the-resource-curse/9780231141963 “The Nutmeg's Curse” by Amitav Ghosh; https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo125517349.html

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Fran Moore, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis, about what it's like to serve as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Moore discusses the function of the CEA within the executive branch of the federal government, the range of economic expertise within the CEA, and how economists can improve the utility and relevance of their research for policymaking. References and recommendations: Frontiers of Benefit-Cost Analysis from the US Office of Management and Budget; https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-regulatory-affairs/frontiers-of-benefit-cost-analysis/ “A Progress Report on Climate-Energy-Macro Modeling,” containing a memo on tools to support the management of near-term macroeconomic and financial climate risks, from the Council of Economic Advisors; https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2023/12/22/a-progress-report-on-climate-energy-macro-modeling/ “Losing Earth: A Recent History” by Nathaniel Rich; https://www.mcdbooks.com/losing-earth/ “If Women Counted: A New Feminist Economics” by Marilyn Waring; https://www.marilynwaring.com/publications/if-women-counted.asp “The Economist's View of the World and the Quest for Well-Being” by Steven E. Rhoads; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/economists-view-of-the-world/ABF1A4B73AA084CB909A3FF498153F16#fndtn-information

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Julia Haggerty, an associate professor at Montana State University and university fellow at Resources for the Future, about engaging the public in the US energy transition. Haggerty discusses public engagement in the context of US efforts to decarbonize, the opportunity presented by a transition to clean energy in terms of reducing inequities in the United States, the importance of public trust in government action, and ongoing efforts to ensure that communities take action toward decarbonization. References and recommendations: “Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions” by Stephen W. Pacala, Danielle Deane-Ryan, Alexandra Fazeli, Julia H. Haggerty, Chris T. Hendrickson, Roxanne Johnson, Timothy C. Lieuwen, Vivian E. Loftness, Carlos E. Martín, Michael A. Méndez, Clark A. Miller, Jonathan A. Patz, Keith Paustian, William Pizer, Ed Rightor, Patricia Romero-Lankao, Devashree Saha, Kelly Sims Gallagher, Susan F. Tierney, and William Walker; https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25931/interactive/ “City Hall” film by Frederick Wiseman; https://www.pbs.org/show/city-hall/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Bernie Bastien-Olvera, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Diego, about the benefits of ecosystems for humans and the global economy. Bastien-Olvera discusses the types of benefits that ecosystems provide, methods that economists use to estimate these benefits, how climate change is shifting ecosystems and biomes geographically, and why these shifts may have a relatively larger impact on nations in the Global South. References and recommendations: “Unequal climate impacts on global values of natural capital” by B. A. Bastien-Olvera, M. N. Conte, X. Dong, T. Briceno, D. Batker, J. Emmerling, M. Tavoni, F. Granella, and F. C. Moore; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06769-z “The Biggest Little Farm” movie; https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/ “Planeteando de Pelicula” podcast; https://planeteando.org/series/planeteando-de-pelicula/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi reviews developments in energy and environmental policy in 2023 and previews potential developments in 2024 with Karen Palmer, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future, and Joseph Majkut, director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Palmer and Majkut discuss reforms that could speed up the construction of energy infrastructure, the increasing prevalence of trade policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the intersection of US goals for decarbonization and foreign policy, and notable developments in policy at the state and local levels. 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/ “The Big Dig” podcast; https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the-big-dig

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ann Wolverton, a senior research economist at the US Environmental Protection Agency, about how the agency incorporates environmental justice in its rulemaking and its analysis of agency regulations. Wolverton discusses the history of accounting for environmental justice at federal agencies, how the availability and granularity of data affect this ability to evaluate environmental justice outcomes, and how formally considering environmental justice can inform federal regulations. References and recommendations: “Environmental Justice Analysis for EPA Rulemakings: Opportunities and Challenges” by Ann Wolverton; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/724721 “EPA Draft Revision of Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis” public comment period; https://www.epa.gov/environmental-economics/epa-draft-revision-technical-guidance-assessing-environmental-justice “Toms River” by Dan Fagin; https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/dan-fagin

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Isaac Opper, an economist at the Rand Corporation and professor at the Pardee Rand Graduate School, about how natural disasters can affect education outcomes for students and the resulting stock of skills in the US labor force. Opper discusses the relationship between education and skills in the US labor force, which is known as human capital; how natural disasters can disrupt education for students; and how school administrators and policymakers could mitigate learning losses that result from natural disasters. References and recommendations: “The effect of natural disasters on human capital in the United States” by Isaac M. Opper, R. Jisung Park, and Lucas Husted; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01610-z “The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World” by Andrea Wulf; https://penguinrandomhousehighereducation.com/book/?isbn=9780345806291

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with David Wear, a nonresident senior fellow and director of the Land Use, Forestry, and Agriculture Program at Resources for the Future, about the ability of US forests to remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Wear discusses how US forests fit into emissions-reduction efforts, different approaches for estimating the amount of carbon dioxide that US forests can sequester, the implications of using different modeling approaches in designing policy, and the potential of afforestation and forest protection as carbon offsets. References and recommendations: “Land Use Change, No-Net-Loss Policies, and Effects on Carbon Dioxide Removals” by David N. Wear and Matthew Wibbenmeyer; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/land-use-change-no-net-loss-policies-and-effects-on-carbon-dioxide-removals/ “Managing Wildfires to Combat Climate Change” episode of Resources Radio with David Wear; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/managing-wildfires-to-combat-climate-change-with-david-wear/ “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold; https://www.aldoleopold.org/about/aldo-leopold/sand-county-almanac/ “The American West as Living Space” by Wallace Stegner; https://press.umich.edu/Books/T/The-American-West-as-Living-Space “The Great Cash-for-Carbon Hustle” by Heidi Blake; https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/23/the-great-cash-for-carbon-hustle

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ben Storrow, a reporter with E&E News, about recent challenges for the offshore wind industry. Storrow discusses state and federal goals for offshore wind development; how factors related to inflation, supply chains, installation capacity, and tax rules can create obstacles for wind projects; and methods for pushing offshore wind projects through these obstacles and toward successful development. References and recommendations: “What is an ‘Energy Community'? Understanding the Effects of the Inflation Reduction Act” event hosted by Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/events/rff-live/what-is-an-energy-community/ “Dune” series of books by Frank Herbert; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/AU8/dune

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Jimena González Ramírez, an associate professor at Manhattan College, and Sarah Jacobson, a professor at Williams College. González Ramírez and Jacobson discuss some ways that systemic racism can unintentionally permeate research in the field of environmental and natural resource economics. They consider how historically racist policies and practices can affect research data and analysis and, in turn, produce findings which may render outcomes that discriminate. Specifically, the scholars identify several contributing issues: the prioritization of cost-effectiveness; inattention to procedural justice; abstraction from social and historical context; and a focus on problems that are easier, rather than more important, to solve. A recent Common Resources article by González Ramírez, Jacobson, and other coauthors delves into even more of the details that their conversation here doesn't cover. References and recommendations: “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/ “Achieving environmental justice: A cross-national analysis” by Karen Bell; https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qgzvd “Sensing Air Pollution Exposure in New York City Schools, with Beia Spiller” podcast episode; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/sensing-air-pollution-exposure-in-new-york-city-schools-with-beia-spiller/ Work on waste sanitation infrastructure from Catherine Coleman Flowers; https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2020/catherine-coleman-flowers “An Immense World” by Ed Yong; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/616914/an-immense-world-by-ed-yong/ “Solito: A Memoir” by Javier Zamora; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705626/solito-by-javier-zamora/ “Can we talk to whales?” by Elizabeth Kolbert; https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/09/11/can-we-talk-to-whales

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Angela Parker, an assistant professor at the University of Denver, about oil and gas production on Native American reservations. Parker discusses the history of oil production on Native American lands, the environmental and economic effects of this production, Native American perceptions of the oil and gas industry, and the current state of the industry on Native American lands. Parker and Raimi also talk about the historical exploitation of oil and gas–producing Native nations and the history behind the new film “Killers of the Flower Moon.” “The Prize” documentary series; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278873/ “Reservation Dogs” television series; https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/reservation-dogs “Sex Education” television show; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7767422/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Alexander Gazmararian, a doctoral candidate at Princeton University, and Dustin Tingley, a professor at Harvard University. They discuss how a national transition to a clean energy system may affect communities with economies that historically have depended on fossil fuel production; the moral, economic, and political reasons for the US government to oversee a energy transition in these communities; and how a bottom-up approach to policy could help facilitate the transition. References and recommendations: “Uncertain Futures: How to Unlock the Climate Impasse” by Alexander F. Gazmararian and Dustin Tingley; https://www.uncertainfuturesbook.com/ “Can Federal Efforts Help Build Economic Resilience in New Mexico's Oil and Gas Communities?” by Daniel Raimi and Zachary Whitlock; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/economic-resilience-new-mexico-oil-and-gas-communities-energy-transition/ “The Fight to Save the Town” by Michelle Wilde Anderson; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Fight-to-Save-the-Town/Michelle-Wilde-Anderson/9781501195990 “How We Survive” podcast; https://www.marketplace.org/collection/using-tech-to-adapt-to-climate-change/ “White Gold” episode of the “How We Survive” podcast; https://www.marketplace.org/shows/how-we-survive/white-gold/ Heatmap News; https://heatmap.news/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Will Gorman, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, about the interconnection queue. The interconnection queue is the waiting list for developers that hope to connect power plants to the electric grid; regulators must first study the potential effects of connecting a plant to the grid before moving forward with a project. Gorman discusses the reasons for recent growth in queue wait times, the costs that are associated with connecting a new power plant to the grid, a new federal regulation that aims to improve the interconnection queue, and additional reforms that could speed up the process of connecting new power plants to the grid. References and recommendations: “Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements” from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/fact-sheet-improvements-generator-interconnection-procedures-and-agreements “Queued Up: Characteristics of Power Plants Seeking Transmission Interconnection” by Joe Rand, Will Gorman, Seongeun Jeong, Fredrich Kahrl, Julie Mulvaney Kemp, Ben Paulos, Dana Robson, Jo Seel, and Ryan Wiser; https://emp.lbl.gov/queues “Generator Interconnection Costs to the Transmission System” by Jo Seel, Will Gorman, Fredrich Kahrl, Julie Mulvaney Kemp, Dev Millstein, Joe Rand, and Ryan Wiser; https://emp.lbl.gov/interconnection_costs “Beyond FERC Order 2023: Considerations on Deep Interconnection Reform” by Tyler H. Norris; https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications/beyond-ferc-order-2023-considerations-deep-interconnection-reform “Energy at the Movies” television program; http://energyatthemovies.com/about/ “The Art of Energy Efficiency” by Arthur H. Rosenfeld; https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.energy.24.1.33 The “Parable” book series by Octavia E. Butler; https://www.octaviabutler.com/parableseries

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Eric Kort, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, about methane emissions from the US oil and gas industry. Kort discusses the emissions that occur during the extraction of oil and gas at onshore and offshore facilities, aerial methods of measuring these emissions and identifying methane leaks, and the increasing concentration of methane in the atmosphere. References and recommendations: “Excess methane emissions from shallow water platforms elevate the carbon intensity of US Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production” by Alan M. Gorchov Negron, Eric A. Kort, Yuanlei Chen, Adam R. Brandt, Mackenzie L. Smith, Genevieve Plant, Alana K. Ayasse, Stefan Schwietzke, Daniel Zavala-Araiza, Catherine Hausman, and Ángel F. Adames-Corraliza; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2215275120 “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” by Oliver Jeffers; https://www.oliverjeffers.com/here-we-are

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Resources for the Future (RFF) Research Associate Maya Domeshek and Senior Research Analyst Nicholas Roy about the Inflation Reduction Act and the emissions reductions that the law could achieve, according to projections from various energy models in an analysis they published recently in “Science” magazine. Domeshek and Roy discuss the projections; the law's potential costs, benefits, and effects on electricity prices; the differences among the models in their analysis; the caveats of economic models; and how decisionmakers can use the modeling results to improve policy. References and recommendations: “Emissions and energy impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act” by John Bistline, Geoffrey Blanford, Maxwell Brown, Dallas Burtraw, Maya Domeshek, Jamil Farbes, Allen Fawcett, Anne Hamilton, Jesse Jenkins, Ryan Jones, Ben King, Hannah Kolus, Joh, Larsen, Amanda Levin, Megan Mahajan, Cara Marcy, Erin Mayfield, James McFarland, Haewon McJeon, Robbie Orvis, Neha Patankar, Kevin Rennert, Christopher Roney, Nicholas Roy, Greg Schivley, Daniel Steinberg, Nadejda Victor, Shelley Wenzel, John Weyant, Ryan Wiser, Mei Yuan, and Alicia Zhao; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/emissions-and-energy-impacts-of-the-inflation-reduction-act/ “Beyond Clean Energy: The Financial Incidence and Health Effects of the IRA” by Nicholas Roy, Maya Domeshek, Dallas Burtraw, Karen Palmer, Kevin Rennert, Jhih-Shyang Shih, and Seth Villanueva; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/beyond-clean-energy-the-financial-incidence-and-health-effects-of-the-ira/ “The 45V Hydrogen Tax Credit: Considerations for US Treasury Guidance” RFF Live event; https://www.rff.org/events/rff-live/the-45v-hydrogen-tax-credit-considerations-for-us-treasury-guidance/ “After the Flood” by Lydia Barnett; https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/11510/after-flood “Field Trip” podcast; https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/field-trip/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Shuchi Talati, founder and executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, about the potential for solar geoengineering as a tool to combat climate change. Talati discusses the science behind solar geoengineering, democratic and inclusive processes for engaging all nations in deliberation over the use of solar geoengineering, and public perception of the technology. References and recommendations: The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering; https://sgdeliberation.org/ “An Inconvenient Truth” film; https://participant.com/film/inconvenient-truth Episode 4 (“2059: Face of God”) and Episode 5 (“2059 Part II: Nightbirds”) of “Extrapolations” TV show; https://tv.apple.com/us/show/extrapolations/umc.cmc.4uoqxmxlnipm9zsc88bkjyjx4 “Climate Crisis Is on Track to Push One-Third of Humanity Out of Its Most Livable Environment” by Abrahm Lustgarten; https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-crisis-niche-migration-environment-population

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Stefano De Clara, head of secretariat at the International Carbon Action Partnership, about the development of carbon markets around the world. Carbon markets, which also are known as “emissions trading systems,” are market-based policies that set a cap on total emissions and issue a limited number of emissions permits that emitters then can trade within the market. De Clara discusses carbon markets in Europe, China, India, Nigeria, and the United States; the growth of voluntary carbon markets; and policy developments to watch in the near future. References and recommendations: “Emissions Trading Worldwide: 2023 International Carbon Action Partnership Status Report” from the International Carbon Action Partnership; https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/publications/emissions-trading-worldwide-2023-icap-status-report “The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations” by Daniel Yergin; https://www.danielyergin.com/books/thenewmap “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-ministry-for-the-future/9780316300162/ “Facing Fears and Imagining Innovation for Climate Change, with Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/facing-fears-and-imagining-innovation-for-climate-change-with-kim-stanley-robinson/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Jamie Van Nostrand, former director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at West Virginia University and current chair of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Van Nostrand discusses how the state government in West Virginia historically has supported and promoted the coal industry, how the state's support of coal has affected electricity prices for West Virginia residents, and how recent policies could influence the future of energy in West Virginia. References and recommendations: “The Coal Trap: How West Virginia Was Left Behind in the Clean Energy Revolution” by James M. Van Nostrand; https://www.thecoaltrap.com “What Is An ‘Energy Community'? Alternative Approaches for Geographically Targeted Energy Policy” by Daniel Raimi and Sophie Pesek; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/what-is-an-energy-community-alternative-approaches-for-geographically-targeted-energy-policy/ Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Nikos Zirogiannis, an assistant professor at Indiana University, about excess emissions of air pollutants—emissions that exceed the legal limits. Zirogiannis discusses some potential causes of excess emissions, the health effects of excess emissions, and the gaps in policy and data that could be addressed to help prevent these dangerous events. References and recommendations: “Excess Emissions: Environmental Impacts, Health Effects, and Policy Debate” by Alex Hollingsworth, David M. Konisky, and Nikolaos Zirogiannis; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/723885 “Residents Must Stay Indoors After Texas Chemical Fire” by Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder; https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-03-21/deer-park-texas-residents-ordered-to-stay-inside-after-chemical-fire “The Big Myth” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway; https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/big-myth-9781635573572/

In this week's episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Silvia Pianta, a junior scientist at the sister institution to Resources for the Future (RFF), the RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment. Pianta discusses the influence of social and political factors on climate and energy policymaking, how incorporating these factors into models can help inform the process of climate policymaking, and the efficacy of emissions-reduction strategies at the global and national scales. References and recommendations: “Emissions Lock-in, Capacity, and Public Opinion: How Insights from Political Science Can Inform Climate Modeling Efforts” by Silvia Pianta and Elina Brutschin; https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/5462 “On Time and Water” by Andri Snær Magnason; https://www.openletterbooks.org/products/on-time-and-water