Podcasts about energy study institute

A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast. Sponsored by: Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study Institute 2022 was a record-breaking year for investment in the energy transition and the deployment of renewable power, battery storage, and sustainable transportation according to the eleventh edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released on March 1 and is available to download for free at www.bcse.org/factbook. The Factbook provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the American energy transformation, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas. The eleventh edition of the Factbook provides new data and analysis about the performance of clean energy sectors by tracking year-on-year as well as long-term trends within the U.S. energy economy. Designed for a broad audience—from the energy professional, to the public policymaker, to the curious student—the Factbook offers an insightful and in-depth look at economics, market and investment dynamics, and technology trends.

A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast. Sponsored by: Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Environmental and Energy Study Institute 2022 was a record-breaking year for investment in the energy transition and the deployment of renewable power, battery storage, and sustainable transportation according to the eleventh edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The Factbook, published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released on March 1 and is available to download for free at www.bcse.org/factbook. The Factbook provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the American energy transformation, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas. The eleventh edition of the Factbook provides new data and analysis about the performance of clean energy sectors by tracking year-on-year as well as long-term trends within the U.S. energy economy. Designed for a broad audience—from the energy professional, to the public policymaker, to the curious student—the Factbook offers an insightful and in-depth look at economics, market and investment dynamics, and technology trends.

This episode is a collaboration with The Climate Conversation podcast, which is produced by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). Hosts Dan Bresette and Emma Johnson interviewed Keefe Keeley, Savanna Institute's executive director, and Tucker Gretebeck, an organic dairy farmer, about how they got into agroforestry and what they're hoping to see in this year's Farm Bill. You can learn more and listen to the full episode at EESI's website, www.eesi.org.

Inflation, energy and real estate Inflation has moved rapidly from overlooked to top-of-mind this year. For the past eight months, many different types of price movements have received significant attention among economists, central bankers and real estate owners and occupiers. Global supply chain bottlenecks and pandemic-related fiscal and monetary stimulus have all contributed to price instability. More recently, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a particularly troubling cause of energy price volatility, especially in Europe. Many countries are transitioning their energy grids to more renewable sources, but a full transition could take several decades. Fossil fuels supply about 77% of the world's energy, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (see p. 7). The chaotic collision of inflation and energy shortages – particularly in Europe – has decision-makers scrambling as winter approaches. The disruption of Russian natural gas flows to Europe prompted delegates of the European Union to discuss solutions and to wean itself from Russian gas. Some are promoting a common price cap on all gas imports, while others believe this will limit supply, further stressing consumers and businesses. As winter approaches, strategic reserves in Europe are at full storage capacity (see p. 45 Gas Storage), so an immediate crisis has likely been averted. However, it remains unclear how these reserves will be replenished once they are depleted. Our analysis of this rapidly-changing situation in Europe can be found on p. 9 of this month's deck. Energy inflation is also impacting lease agreements between real estate owners and occupiers. Green Street Advisors recently noted that on average, energy costs to either the owner or tenant equals roughly 6% of total rent or USD ~$2.00 psf in both the US and EU. But with energy costs having risen sharply, the question becomes: who bears the cost? In North America, most commercial leases are triple net, with tenants responsible for utilities, taxes, maintenance, and insurance. Triple net leases are also prevalent among retail properties in the US and Canada, but Canada also has gross, semi-gross or base-year leases which are indexed to CPI inflation. While tenants pay directly for their energy usage, owners are not fully off the hook as they bear responsibility for vacant spaces. Owners can also mitigate cost risk through guaranteed maximum price contracts for certain utilities. Leases in the UK are also generally on a net basis. However, to counter rising prices, tenants have been renegotiating rents based on total occupancy cost, thus the property owner becomes responsible for any costs that exceed a threshold. In this regard, UK tenants have been increasingly seeking different lease structures that are effectively gross in nature, with shorter lease terms (see p. 10). On the European continent, most commercial leases are fully indexed to inflation annually. Larger retail tenancies such as grocers often have bargaining power and can negotiate an index cap or lower indexation levels. But even with indexation, tenants are becoming more sensitive to utility costs and are negotiating for increases to be capped. In Japan and China, fixed-term leases typically put the burden of paying higher utility costs on the tenant, but landlords must be careful to keep total occupancy costs under control or a downward reset to the base rent could be the only way to get a tenant to renew. Despite progress in transitioning energy grids to renewables in many countries, the world remains largely dependent on fossil fuels to provide the power to heat and cool buildings. Rising energy prices are testing the tenant-landlord relationship and the balance of power is rapidly shifting in favor of tenants, especially in weaker sectors like mall retail and offices.

With all the depressing climate news out there, it's sometimes hard to see progress. The Climate Conversation cuts through the noise and presents you with relevant climate change solutions happening on the Hill and in communities around the United States. Twice a month, join Environmental and Energy Study Institute staff members as they interview environmental, energy, and policy experts on practical, on-the-ground work that communities, companies, and governments are doing to address climate change. Whether you want to learn more about the solutions to climate change, are an expert in environmental issues, or are a policy professional, this podcast is for you.

Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow Find out more about the briefings in this series below: Oct 08 Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development Oct 15 Momentum on Climate Adaptation Oct 20 The Role of International Climate Finance Oct 22 The Negotiations: What’s on the Table Nov 18 Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to explore cross-cutting challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution—facing the United States and countries around the world, and how policymakers are finding and implementing solutions to these challenges. This briefing kicks off EESI’s Congressional briefing series, What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26. To sign up for the briefings in the series, visit www.eesi.org/1021cop26. Distinguished Speakers: Sir Robert Watson, lead author of the U.N. Environment Programme’s report Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies, will discuss the current and projected changes in climate and biodiversity and share the range of solutions that emerge when these issues are considered together in policy design and implementation. He is the former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Former U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will discuss the opportunity presented by the upcoming U.N. climate change conference (COP26) and will dive into ways governments and leaders can take meaningful action on climate change globally—an urgent need underscored by the findings of the Making Peace with Nature report. Ms. Figueres is a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-presenter of climate podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis. Co-moderated by Daniel Bresette, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and Rosina Bierbaum, Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan; School of Public Policy, University of Maryland. This briefing is part of a series made possible by our partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

Our live webcasts will be streamed at www.eesi.org/livecast What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26: Briefing Series on the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow Find out more about the briefings in this series below: Oct 08 Creating Policies, Coalitions, and Actions for Global Sustainable Development Oct 15 Momentum on Climate Adaptation Oct 20 The Role of International Climate Finance Oct 22 The Negotiations: What's on the Table Nov 18 Recap of COP26: Key Outcomes and What Comes Next The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to join us for a briefing to explore cross-cutting challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution—facing the United States and countries around the world, and how policymakers are finding and implementing solutions to these challenges. This briefing kicks off EESI's Congressional briefing series, What Congress Needs to Know in the Lead Up to COP26. To sign up for the briefings in the series, visit www.eesi.org/1021cop26. Distinguished Speakers: Sir Robert Watson, lead author of the U.N. Environment Programme's report Making Peace with Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies, will discuss the current and projected changes in climate and biodiversity and share the range of solutions that emerge when these issues are considered together in policy design and implementation. He is the former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and former chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Former U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will discuss the opportunity presented by the upcoming U.N. climate change conference (COP26) and will dive into ways governments and leaders can take meaningful action on climate change globally—an urgent need underscored by the findings of the Making Peace with Nature report. Ms. Figueres is a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-presenter of climate podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis. Co-moderated by Daniel Bresette, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and Rosina Bierbaum, Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan; School of Public Policy, University of Maryland. This briefing is part of a series made possible by our partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.

This episode features someone who is passionate about creating real political change as it pertains to the environment, Amber Lee Todoroff. Amber is a policy associate at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute where she creates a biweekly policy newsletter, develops Congressional briefings, works on programmatic efforts with Congressional staffers and policy professionals, and creates fact sheets, reports, and articles on environmental policy for distribution to a Congressional audience. Amber can be best reached on LinkedIn here.EESIIf you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a review wherever you're listening from? It takes less than 60 seconds and it makes a big difference in growing the show. I love reading what you have to share about the show!Follow Aspiring Altruists:LinkedIn InstagramFacebookMusic: Spark of Inspiration by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.comIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It takes less than 60 seconds and it makes a big difference in helping others hear this valuable resource.Follow Aspiring Altruists:LinkedInFacebookMusic: Spark of Inspiration by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on projected climate change impacts on U.S. security and national interests in the coming decades. How will climate impacts affect geopolitics, infrastructure, and security environments in a world with a 2-degree Celsius rise in average global temperature? How about a 4-degree rise? The briefing will showcase the Center for Climate and Security’s Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change report, a product of the National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change. The report is a comprehensive look at the wide-ranging security impacts of climate change across all six geographic U.S. Combatant Commands, under two scenarios of future warming (a 1-2°C rise in temperatures, and a 2-4°C rise). Authored by a diverse group of U.S. national security and intelligence experts, this report offers both regional and international threat assessments for climate change, and recommendations for the way forward in addressing the looming global challenge.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on projected climate change impacts on U.S. security and national interests in the coming decades. How will climate impacts affect geopolitics, infrastructure, and security environments in a world with a 2-degree Celsius rise in average global temperature? How about a 4-degree rise? The briefing will showcase the Center for Climate and Security’s Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change report, a product of the National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change. The report is a comprehensive look at the wide-ranging security impacts of climate change across all six geographic U.S. Combatant Commands, under two scenarios of future warming (a 1-2°C rise in temperatures, and a 2-4°C rise). Authored by a diverse group of U.S. national security and intelligence experts, this report offers both regional and international threat assessments for climate change, and recommendations for the way forward in addressing the looming global challenge.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:30 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on projected climate change impacts on U.S. security and national interests in the coming decades. How will climate impacts affect geopolitics, infrastructure, and security environments in a world with a 2-degree Celsius rise in average global temperature? How about a 4-degree rise? The briefing will showcase the Center for Climate and Security's Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change report, a product of the National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change. The report is a comprehensive look at the wide-ranging security impacts of climate change across all six geographic U.S. Combatant Commands, under two scenarios of future warming (a 1-2°C rise in temperatures, and a 2-4°C rise). Authored by a diverse group of U.S. national security and intelligence experts, this report offers both regional and international threat assessments for climate change, and recommendations for the way forward in addressing the looming global challenge.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in — Seating on a first come, first served basis. A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to join us for the 2019 Climate and National Security Forum: A Climate Security Plan for America. This year’s forum will focus on the risks that climate change presents to U.S. military bases and operations, and on the launch of the Climate and Security Advisory Group’s Climate Security Plan for America, which calls on the U.S. President to recognize climate change as a vital national security threat and issue a National Strategy to fulfill a “responsibility to prepare for and prevent” that threat.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in — Seating on a first come, first served basis. A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to join us for the 2019 Climate and National Security Forum: A Climate Security Plan for America. This year’s forum will focus on the risks that climate change presents to U.S. military bases and operations, and on the launch of the Climate and Security Advisory Group’s Climate Security Plan for America, which calls on the U.S. President to recognize climate change as a vital national security threat and issue a National Strategy to fulfill a “responsibility to prepare for and prevent” that threat.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in — Seating on a first come, first served basis. A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Center for Climate and Security, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to join us for the 2019 Climate and National Security Forum: A Climate Security Plan for America. This year's forum will focus on the risks that climate change presents to U.S. military bases and operations, and on the launch of the Climate and Security Advisory Group's Climate Security Plan for America, which calls on the U.S. President to recognize climate change as a vital national security threat and issue a National Strategy to fulfill a “responsibility to prepare for and prevent” that threat.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Center for Climate and Security invite you to a briefing on the relationship between military facilities and their neighboring civilian communities, and on the urgent need to make their shared infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and other threats. Our panel of experts will examine holistic approaches to protecting and maintaining supply chains, housing, transportation, utilities, and other fixtures necessary for communities to thrive and for military installations to maintain mission readiness. The briefing will also explore regional examples of these challenges and how local governments and Department of Defense (DOD) officials are working together to devise solutions.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Center for Climate and Security invite you to a briefing on the relationship between military facilities and their neighboring civilian communities, and on the urgent need to make their shared infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and other threats. Our panel of experts will examine holistic approaches to protecting and maintaining supply chains, housing, transportation, utilities, and other fixtures necessary for communities to thrive and for military installations to maintain mission readiness. The briefing will also explore regional examples of these challenges and how local governments and Department of Defense (DOD) officials are working together to devise solutions.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Center for Climate and Security invite you to a briefing on the relationship between military facilities and their neighboring civilian communities, and on the urgent need to make their shared infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and other threats. Our panel of experts will examine holistic approaches to protecting and maintaining supply chains, housing, transportation, utilities, and other fixtures necessary for communities to thrive and for military installations to maintain mission readiness. The briefing will also explore regional examples of these challenges and how local governments and Department of Defense (DOD) officials are working together to devise solutions.

When can/can't you blame your problems on Ambien? Who in the NFL will stand up & sit down during the National Anthem? Hear more (along with references to old pop songs from Gwen Stefani, Owl City & John Mayer) in this weeks episode! Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is dedicated to promoting sustainable societies. Their primary goal is to accelerate the transition to a new, low-emissions economy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy. Learn more: https://www.wedandwoke.com/blog/eesi 

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Novim Group, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to a briefing discussing a new report on the environmental and societal impacts of the Administration’s proposed climate and environmental research program cuts for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Congress must act on funding the remainder of FY 2018 by March 23. Given that the Administration’s FY 2019 proposed climate and environmental cuts are quite similar to those in the FY2018 budget, the briefing will also highlight the similarities and differences between these two budgets. The briefing's speakers, who helped author the Novim report, will give an overview of its findings and conclusions.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Novim Group, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to a briefing discussing a new report on the environmental and societal impacts of the Administration’s proposed climate and environmental research program cuts for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Congress must act on funding the remainder of FY 2018 by March 23. Given that the Administration’s FY 2019 proposed climate and environmental cuts are quite similar to those in the FY2018 budget, the briefing will also highlight the similarities and differences between these two budgets. The briefing's speakers, who helped author the Novim report, will give an overview of its findings and conclusions.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Novim Group, in partnership with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, invites you to a briefing discussing a new report on the environmental and societal impacts of the Administration's proposed climate and environmental research program cuts for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Congress must act on funding the remainder of FY 2018 by March 23. Given that the Administration's FY 2019 proposed climate and environmental cuts are quite similar to those in the FY2018 budget, the briefing will also highlight the similarities and differences between these two budgets. The briefing's speakers, who helped author the Novim report, will give an overview of its findings and conclusions.

Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to attend a lunch briefing on the 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, will give an overview presentation of the 2018 Factbook findings. A moderated panel of industry experts will discuss the findings and policy implications for the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors.

Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to attend a lunch briefing on the 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, will give an overview presentation of the 2018 Factbook findings. A moderated panel of industry experts will discuss the findings and policy implications for the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors.

Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to attend a lunch briefing on the 2018 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, will give an overview presentation of the 2018 Factbook findings. A moderated panel of industry experts will discuss the findings and policy implications for the energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy sectors.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on the widespread, substantial, and long-lasting benefits of investment in electric transmission. The briefing will showcase two London Economics International studies – one study quantifies the future benefits of transmission investment based on two hypothetical projects, the second dispels many of the myths that deter and delay transmission investment. Expanding and upgrading the grid will make it more resilient and deliver increased economic, environmental, and consumer benefits in the billions of dollars over its useful life, according to WIRES. And yet, investment in new regional and interregional electric transmission has been incremental and subject to elaborate and expensive planning and permitting requirements that can easily last a decade. This panel will discuss why transmission should be a major component of the infrastructure conversation and how the economic and societal benefits from a robust high-voltage grid are so important.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on the widespread, substantial, and long-lasting benefits of investment in electric transmission. The briefing will showcase two London Economics International studies – one study quantifies the future benefits of transmission investment based on two hypothetical projects, the second dispels many of the myths that deter and delay transmission investment. Expanding and upgrading the grid will make it more resilient and deliver increased economic, environmental, and consumer benefits in the billions of dollars over its useful life, according to WIRES. And yet, investment in new regional and interregional electric transmission has been incremental and subject to elaborate and expensive planning and permitting requirements that can easily last a decade. This panel will discuss why transmission should be a major component of the infrastructure conversation and how the economic and societal benefits from a robust high-voltage grid are so important.

Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on the widespread, substantial, and long-lasting benefits of investment in electric transmission. The briefing will showcase two London Economics International studies – one study quantifies the future benefits of transmission investment based on two hypothetical projects, the second dispels many of the myths that deter and delay transmission investment. Expanding and upgrading the grid will make it more resilient and deliver increased economic, environmental, and consumer benefits in the billions of dollars over its useful life, according to WIRES. And yet, investment in new regional and interregional electric transmission has been incremental and subject to elaborate and expensive planning and permitting requirements that can easily last a decade. This panel will discuss why transmission should be a major component of the infrastructure conversation and how the economic and societal benefits from a robust high-voltage grid are so important.

What’s the latest in environmental policy? We’re taking a break from this month's green business theme to give you the scoop from a real Washington insider. Planet Forward host Frank Sesno interviews Carol Werner, Executive Director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute about the who and how in environmental policy when Congress returns next week.

This podcast features Scott Shuford, AICP, Planning and Development Director of Onslow County, North Carolina, Suzanne Rynne, AICP, Manager of APA's Green Communities Research Center, and Jan Mueller, Senior Policy Associate with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the three coauthors of PAS report 558, Planning for a New Energy and Climate Future. Listen as they discuss the various regional effects of climate change, different approaches to mitigation and adaptation, and how different communities are reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while exploring ways to increase renewable energy opportunities.

Aired 01/13/09 CHRISTOPHER FLAVIN is President of the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington-based international research organization focused on energy, resource and environmental issues. Worldwatch is recognized around the world for its pathbreaking work on the global connections between economic, social, and environmental trends. Chris has spent his career at Worldwatch where he previously served as Senior Vice President and Vice President for Research. Chris is co-author of three books on energy, including Power Surge: Guide to the Coming Energy Revolution, which anticipated many of the changes now under way in world energy markets. Chris is a regular co-author of the Institute's annual State of the World report, which has been published in 36 languages. He has participated in several historic international conferences, including the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the Climate Change Conference in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. Chris is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and serves as a board member of the Climate Institute and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan. He is on the advisory boards of the American Council on Renewable Energy, and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. He is also a member of the Greentech Innovation Network, an initiative of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. TEN KEY CHALLENGES (Excerpted from The Perfect Storm by CHRISTOPHER FLAVIN and Robert Engelman, Chapter One of STATE OF THE WORLD 2009, A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society.) Ten challenges must be met in order to create the world of zero net greenhouse gas emissions that will be needed to achieve climate stability. Thinking Long-term Human beings have evolved to be very good at focusing on an immediate threat-whether it is wild animals the first humans faced on the plains of Africa or the financial panic that gripped the world in late 2008. Climate change is a uniquely long-range problem: its effects appear gradual on a human time scale, and the worst effects will likely be visited on people not yet alive. To solve this problem, we must embrace the future as our responsibility and consider the impact of today's decisions on future generations. Just as Egyptians built pyramids and Europeans built cathedrals to last millennia, we need to start acting as if the future of the planet matters beyond our own short lives. Innovation The world needs to develop and disseminate technologies that maximize the production and use of carbon-free energy while minimizing cost and optimizing convenience. (Convenience matters: the ease of transporting, storing, and using carbon-based fuels is among their attractions, not captured in price alone.) An effective climate pact will offer incentives that accelerate technological development and ensure that renewable energy and other low-emission technologies are deployed in all countries regardless of ability to pay the costs. We need to dramatically increase the efficiency with which we use carbon-based energy and lower release into the atmosphere of land-based CO2, methane, nitrogen oxides, and greenhouse gases stemming from cooling and various industrial processes. The opportunities for quick and inexpensive emissions reductions remain vast and mostly untapped. Population It is essential to reopen the global dialogue on human population and promote policies and programs that can help slow and eventually reverse its growth by making sure that all women are able to decide for themselves whether and when to have children. A comprehensive climate agreement would acknowledge both the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations and the long-term contribution that slower growth and a smaller world population can play in reducing future emissions under an equitable climate framework. And it should renew the commitment that the world's nations made in 1994 to address population not by pressuring parents to have fewer or more children than they want but by meeting the family planning, health, and educational needs of women. Changing Lifestyles The world's climate cannot be saved by technology alone. The way we live will have to change as well-and the longer we wait the larger the needed sacrifices will be. In the United States, the inexorable increase in the size of homes and vehicles that has marked the past few decades has been a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and the main reason that U.S. emission are double those of other industrial countries. Lifestyle changes will be needed, some of which seem unattractive today. But in the end, the things we may need to learn to live without - oversized cars and houses, status-based consumption, easy and cheap world travel, meat with every meal, disposable everything - are not necessities or in most cases what makes people happy. The oldest among us and many of our ancestors willingly accepted such sacrifices as necessary in times of war. This is no war, but it may be such a time. Healing Land We need to reverse the flow of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from destroyed or degraded forests and land. Soil and vegetation can serve as powerful net removers of the atmosphere's carbon and greenhouse gases. Under the right management, soil alone could absorb each year an estimated 13 percent of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions. To the extent we can make the land into a more effective "sink" for these gases we can emit modest levels essential for human development and wellbeing. Like efficiency, however, an active sink eventually faces diminishing returns. And any sink needs to be secured with "drain stoppers" to prevent easy return of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere when conditions change. Strong Institutions "Good governance" can be a cliché-until someone needs it to survive. The final months of 2008 laid painfully bare the dangerous imbalance between a freewheeling global economy and a regulatory system that is a patchwork of disparate national systems. And if there was ever a global phenomenon, the climate is it. In fact it is not hard to imagine the climate problem driving a political evolution toward global governance over the long term, but given the public resistance to that idea the next most effective climate-regulating mechanism will be the strength and effectiveness of the United Nations, multilateral banks, and major national governments. New institutions and new funds will be needed, but it could take a major public awakening or a dramatically deteriorating climate to overcome the obstacles to inventing and establishing them. The Equity Imperative A climate agreement that can endure and succeed will find mechanisms for sharing the burden of costs and potential discomforts. Per capita fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the United States are almost five times those in Mexico and more than 20 times the levels in most of sub-Sahara. An effective climate agreement will acknowledge the past co-optation of Earth's greenhouse-gas absorbing capacity by the wealthiest and most industrialized countries and the corresponding need to reserve most of what little absorbing capacity is left for countries in development. Most people live in such countries, and they bear little responsibility for causing this problem -though it is worth recalling that a small but growing share of their populations already have large carbon footprints. Economic Stability In the fall of 2008 the global economy foundered, raising the obvious question: can a world heading into hard economic times add to its burdens the costs of switching from fossil to renewable fuels or managing precious land for carbon sequestration? Any climate agreement built on an assumption of global prosperity is doomed to failure. And as growing and increasingly affluent populations demand more of the resources of a finite planet, we may have to balance the future of climate against present realities of hunger, poverty, and disease. A robust international climate regime will need to design mechanisms that will operate consistently in anemic as well as booming economic times. And a strong pact will be built on principles and innovations that acknowledge and accommodate the problem of cost - while building in monitoring techniques to ensure that efficiency is not achieved at the expense of effective and enduring emission cuts and adaptation efforts. Political Stability A world distracted by major wars or outbreaks of terrorism will not be able to stay focused on the more distant future. And just such a focus is needed to prevent future changes in climate and adapt to the ones already occurring. A climate pact could encourage preemptive action to diminish insecurity caused or exacerbated by climate change. But unless nations can find ways to defuse violent conflict and minimize the chance that terrorism will distract and disrupt societies, climate change prevention and adaptation (along with development itself) will take a back seat. On the bright side, negotiating an effective climate agreement offers countries an opportunity, if they will only seize it, to practice peace, to look beyond the narrowness of the interests within their borders at their dependence on the rest of the world, to see humanity as a single vulnerable species rather than a collection of nations locked in pointless and perpetual competition. Mobilizing for Change As fear of climate change has grown in recent years, so has political action. But opponents of action have repeatedly pointed to the vast costs of reducing emissions. At a time of serious economic problems, the power of that argument is growing, and some of those who are persuaded are going straight from denial to despair. The most effective response to both of those reactions is, in the words of Common Cause founder John Gardner, to see global warming as "breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems." Solving the climate problem will create the largest wave of new industries and jobs the world has seen in decades. Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in the United States are among those that have devoted enormous efforts to attracting new energy industries - with a glancing reference to climate change and a major focus on creating new jobs to revive "rustbelt" economies. In November 2009, the world faces a test. Will the roughly 200 national governments that meet in Copenhagen to forge a new climate agreement come up with a new protocol that provides both vision and a roadmap, accelerating action around the globe? The challenges are many: Will the global financial crisis and conflict in the Middle East distract world leaders? Will the new US president have time to bring his country back into a leadership position? Will the global North-South divide that has marked climate talks in recent years be overcome? Climate change is not a discrete issue to be addressed apart from all the others. The global economy fundamentally drives climate change, and economic strategies will need to be revised if the climate is ever to be stabilized - and if we are to satisfy the human needs that the global economy is ultimately intended to meet. We cannot afford to have the Copenhagen climate conference fail. The outcome of this meeting will be written in the world's history books - and in the lasting composition of our common atmosphere. ----------------------------------------------------- WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE delivers the insights and ideas that empower decision makers to create an environmentally sustainable society that meets human needs. Worldwatch focuses on the 21st-century challenges of climate change, resource degradation, population growth, and poverty by developing and disseminating solid data and innovative strategies for achieving a sustainable society. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org