Resources Radio - Resources for the Future

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Not a Shore Thing: Challenges in US Offshore Wind Development, with Ben Storrow Nov 13, 2023

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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

Systemic Racism in Environmental Economics, with Jimena González Ramírez and Sarah Jacobson Nov 06, 2023

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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

Oil Development in Native America, with Angela Parker Oct 30, 2023

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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/

When Freshwater Gets Salty, with Becky Epanchin-Niell Oct 24, 2023

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In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Becky Epanchin-Niell, an associate professor at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future. Epanchin-Niell discusses how climate change and human land and water use have accelerated the frequency and extent of saltwater intrusion, which is saltwater contamination in freshwater rivers, soils, and aquifers. Epanchin-Niell and Walls also talk about the implications of saltwater intrusion for coastal ecosystems, drinking water, and the agricultural sector. Epanchin-Niell’s recent research examines how saltwater intrusion affects agricultural practices on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. References and recommendations: “The Spread and Cost of Saltwater Intrusion in the US Mid-Atlantic” by Pinki Mondal, Matthew Walter, Jarrod Miller, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Keryn Gedan, Vishruta Yawatkar, Elizabeth Nguyen, and Katherine L. Tully; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/the-spread-and-cost-of-saltwater-intrusion-in-the-us-mid-atlantic/ “Coastal agricultural land use response to sea level rise and saltwater intrusion” by Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Alexandra Thompson, Xianru Han, Jessica Post, Jarrod Miller, David Newburn, Keryn Gedan, and Kate Tully; https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/agsaaea22/335970.htm "The Invisible Flood: The Chemistry, Ecology, and Social Implications of Coastal Saltwater Intrusion" by Kate Tully, Keryn Gedan, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Aaron Strong, Emily S. Bernhardt, Todd BenDor, Molly Mitchell, John Kominoski, Thomas E. Jordan, Scott C. Neubauer, and Nathaniel B Weston; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/invisible-flood-chemistry-ecology-and-social-implications-coastal-saltwater-intrusion/ “Two Degrees” by Alan Gratz; https://www.alangratz.com/writing/two-degrees/

The US Wildfire Workforce, with Emily Browne Oct 16, 2023

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In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Emily Browne, who has worked on wildfire prevention and suppression in Alaska with the US National Park Service. On September 27, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission released a report with recommendations for addressing the challenges that are associated with wildfire in the United States. Browne discusses some of these recommendations, the day-to-day life of working on wildfire mitigation in the wilderness, various wildfire-mitigation strategies, the experience of working with an all-female fire crew, and the gender disparity in the US firefighting workforce. References and recommendations: “On Fire: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission” from the US Department of Agriculture Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission; https://www.usda.gov/topics/disaster-resource-center/wildland-fire/commission USAJOBS website; https://www.usajobs.gov/ “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer; https://milkweed.org/book/braiding-sweetgrass “The Big Burn” by Timothy Egan; https://www.timothyeganbooks.com/the-big-burn

Bottom-Up Solutions for Fossil Fuel Communities, with Alexander Gazmararian and Dustin Tingley Oct 09, 2023

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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/

Cutting the Queue and Emissions in the US Power Sector, with Will Gorman Oct 02, 2023

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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

Learning How to Mitigate Heat in Schools, with V. Kelly Turner Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with V. Kelly Turner, an associate professor at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles, about the impacts of heat on students in US schools. Heat not only affects the body but also has implications for children’s behavior and learning outcomes. Turner also discusses architectural and landscape design choices and technology that can mitigate hot temperatures on school grounds, funding sources for improving school infrastructure, and issues of equity in allocating such resources to schools. References and recommendations: The Los Angeles Living Schoolyards Coalition; https://www.lalivingschoolyards.org/ “Green schoolyards for Los Angeles: The smart policy solution for equity, health, and climate resilience” from the Trust for Public Land; https://www.tpl.org/green-schoolyards-los-angeles “The Heat Will Kill You First” by Jeff Goodell; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jeff-goodell/the-heat-will-kill-you-first/9780316497572/

Climate Policy and Environmental Justice in New York, with Victoria Sanders and Molly Robertson Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Victoria Sanders and Molly Robertson. Sanders is a research analyst at the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, and Robertson works at Resources for the Future as a research associate. They discuss a recent report that Sanders and Robertson have published alongside coauthors about the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a 2019 law in New York State that aims to achieve net-zero emissions and specifies that at least 35 percent of the benefits should go toward disadvantaged communities. Sanders and Robertson describe the role of environmental justice communities and advocacy groups in the development and implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, options for implementing the law, and how these implementation options are projected to affect greenhouse gas emissions and air quality in specific communities. References and recommendations: “Prioritizing Justice in New York State Climate Policy: Cleaner Air for Disadvantaged Communities?” by Alan Krupnick, Molly Robertson, Wesley Look, Eddie Bautista, Victoria Sanders, Eunice Ko, Dan Shawhan, Joshua Linn, Miguel Jaller, Narasimha Rao, Miguel Poblete Cazenave, Yang Zhang, Kai Chen, and Pin Wang; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/environmental-justice-communities-new-york-state-climate-policy-clcpa/ “Broken Ground” podcast; https://brokengroundpodcast.org/ “Never Out of Season: How Having the Food We Want When We Want It Threatens Our Food Supply and Our Future” by Rob Dunn; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rob-dunn/never-out-of-season/9780316260695

European Perspectives on the Inflation Reduction Act, with Milan Elkerbout Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Milan Elkerbout about how the European Union has responded to the Inflation Reduction Act. Elkerbout will join Resources for the Future as a fellow in October, transitioning from his role as head of the climate policy programme at the Centre for European Policy Studies. Elkerbout discusses the ongoing conversation about the Inflation Reduction Act among EU policymakers, climate policies that the European Union has proposed since the passage of the US law, and global trends in industrial and trade policy. This conversation with Hayes and Elkerbout comes on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, which became law in August 2022. References and recommendations: “The New Economics of Industrial Policy” by Réka Juhász, Nathan Lane, and Dani Rodrik; https://drodrik.scholar.harvard.edu/publications/new-economics-industrial-policy

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