Resources Radio - Resources for the Future

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Sensing Air Pollution Exposure in New York City Schools, with Beia Spiller Jul 09, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Beia Spiller, who recently joined Resources for the Future (RFF) as a fellow and the director of RFF’s Transportation Program; she’s also a member of the board of directors at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. Spiller and Raimi discuss the historical context and current policies related to air pollution exposure in New York City, particularly for schools in the Bronx. They also talk about how community-engaged research produces new knowledge, can inform policymaking, and can benefit the communities that are involved in the work. References and recommendations: PurpleAir sensors that measure air quality data; https://www2.purpleair.com/ “Prehistoric Planet” television series; https://tv.apple.com/us/show/prehistoric-planet/umc.cmc.4lh4bmztauvkooqz400akxav

Imagine Our Future Planet, from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

For this week’s episode, we’re mixing things up a bit by introducing not just an individual guest or two, but an entirely new podcast series for our listeners to consider. Just a few weeks ago, one of Resources for the Future’s closest partner organizations in Europe, the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, launched its own podcast series called “Foresight: Deep into the Future Planet.” We’re pleased to share the first episode of the new podcast with you, in the spirit of solidarity with our fellow scholars and in service of our mission to introduce listeners to a range of perspectives on issues related to our planet. Our regular “Resources Radio” programming will return next week. This first episode of the “Deep into the Future Planet” podcast investigates the future of climate change, acknowledging that the planet is being shaped by today’s ideas, solutions, and decisions. Host Elisabetta Tola features the perspectives of two guests: Carolina Aragón, an artist and assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and journalist Alex Steffen. Aragón and Steffen discuss how to intellectually, physically, and emotionally understand the environmental changes fueled by climate change; how to consider probabilities rather than predictions; and more.

Bridging the Divide Between Energy and Climate Models, with Michael Craig Jun 24, 2022

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In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Michael Craig, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan who studies energy systems. Craig and Raimi discuss a recent study coauthored by Craig that explores how energy models can better incorporate variations in weather and climate and why an exchange of data between energy and climate modelers is crucial to helping keep the lights on. Craig outlines a research agenda that describes near-term and long-term steps to bridge the divide between energy and climate models; he also shares advice for interdisciplinary collaboration. References and recommendations: “Overcoming the disconnect between energy system and climate modeling” by Michael T. Craig, Jan Wohland, Lauren P. Steep, Alexander Kies, Bryn Pickering, Hannah C. Bloomfield, Jethro Browell, Matteo De Felice, Chris J. Dent, Adrien Deroubaix, Felix Frischmuth, Paula L. M. Gonzalez, Aleksander Grochowicz, Katharina Gruber, Philipp Härtel, Martin Kittel, Leander Kotzur, Inga Labuhn, Julie K. Lundquist, Noah Pflugradt, Karin van der Wiel, Marianne Zeyringer, and David J. Brayshaw; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2542435122002379 NextGenEC at the University of Reading; https://research.reading.ac.uk/met-energy/ “Downscaling Techniques for High-Resolution Climate Projections: From Global Change to Local Impacts” by Rao Kotamarthi, Katharine Hayhoe, Linda O. Mearns, Donald Wuebbles, Jennifer Jacobs, and Jennifer Jurado; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/downscaling-techniques-for-highresolution-climate-projections/C261452F6DECC0372077B7533414CD95 “The Making of the Atomic Bomb” by Richard Rhodes; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Making-of-the-Atomic-Bomb/Richard-Rhodes/9781451677614

The Future of Energy Storage, with Dick Schmalensee Jun 20, 2022

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In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Dick Schmalensee, a professor emeritus of the MIT Sloan School of Management and a former chair of the board of directors at Resources for the Future. Schmalensee and Raimi cover the takeaways from a recent study on the future of energy storage that Schmalensee coauthored, along with related insights and implications for current and future policy. They discuss the role of energy storage in a net-zero-emissions electricity system, the strengths and weaknesses of key energy storage technologies, and what these technologies might cost. References and recommendations: “The Future of Energy Storage” by Robert Armstrong, Yet-Ming Chiang, Howard Gruenspecht, Fikile Brushett, John Deutch, Seiji Engelkemier, Emre Gençer, Robert Jaffe, Paul Joskow, Dharik Mallapragada, Elsa Olivetti, Richard Schmalensee, Robert Stoner, Chi-Jen Yang, Bjorn Brandtzaeg, Patrick Brown, Kevin Huang, Johannes Pfeifenberger, Francis O’Sullivan, Yang Shao-Horn, Meia Alsup, Andres Badel, Marc Barbar, Weiran Gao, Drake Hernandez, Cristian Junge, Thaneer Malai Narayanan, Kara Rodby, and Cathy Wang; https://energy.mit.edu/research/future-of-energy-storage/ “As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces an ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’” by Christopher Flavelle; https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/climate/salt-lake-city-climate-disaster.html “A durable US climate strategy … or a house of cards?” by Richard Richels, Benjamin Santer, Henry Jacoby, and Gary Yohe; https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/06/a-durable-u-s-climate-strategy-or-a-house-of-cards/

Nudging Behavior Toward Climate Solutions, with Elke Weber Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Elke Weber, a social psychology professor at Princeton University who studies how people make choices. Weber and Raimi discuss how people’s choices matter for climate change; the ways that companies, governments, and society shape decisions on energy use and civic engagement; how those decisions get incorporated into policy analysis; and more. References and recommendations: Project Drawdown; https://drawdown.org/ “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” edited by Paul Hawken; https://drawdown.org/the-book “Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters” by Eric Johnson; https://theelementsofchoice.com/ “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson; https://www.allwecansave.earth/anthology

Driving Toward Justice: Transportation and Equity, with Regan Patterson Jun 05, 2022

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In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Regan Patterson, an incoming assistant professor at UCLA who recently completed a fellowship as a Transportation Equity Research Fellow at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Patterson describes how the US transportation system has led to environmental injustice and inequitable access to mobility services. She and Raimi talk about how this situation came to be; potential policy solutions; and how cities, states, and the federal government can address these issues moving forward. References and recommendations: “Gender, Climate and Transport in the United States” by Regan Patterson from the Women’s Environment and Development Organization; https://wedo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WEDO_PolicyBriefonTransport_July15.pdf “Dangerous by Design 2021” by Smart Growth America; https://smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design/ “Carbon trading, co-pollutants, and environmental equity: Evidence from California’s cap-and-trade program (2011–2015)” by Lara Cushing, Dan Blaustein-Rejto, Madeline Wander, Manuel Pastor, James Sadd, Allen Zhu, and Rachel Morello-Frosch; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002604 Black in Environment; https://www.blackinenviron.org/ “Black Like Plastic” short film; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ta-IaB8Y0I

Houston, We Have an Opportunity: The Future of Energy, with Bobby Tudor May 30, 2022

Show notes

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Bobby Tudor, the chair of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative and the founder and former CEO of the Houston-based investment and merchant bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. In his new role with the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, Tudor focuses on how Houston can take the lead in the energy transition away from fossil fuels. He and Raimi talk about the history of Houston, how oil and gas came to play such a big part in the city’s economy, the strengths that the current energy incumbents can leverage in a transition to net-zero emissions, what Houston’s economy might look like in 20 or 30 years, and what roadblocks could stand in the way. References and recommendations: “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” by Bill Gates; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/633968/how-to-avoid-a-climate-disaster-by-bill-gates/ “Once-Oil-Dependent Texas Economy to Keep Growing as Renewable Energy Expands” by Christopher Slijk and Keith R. Phillips; https://www.dallasfed.org/research/swe/2021/swe2103/swe2103b.aspx

70 Years of RFF: Looking Ahead with Young Economists at Resources for the Future May 23, 2022

Show notes

This week’s episode is the final installment of a three-part series that celebrates the 70th anniversary of Resources for the Future (RFF). In this episode, 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: “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://www.aldoleopold.org/store/a-sand-county-almanac/ “Severance” television series; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/

70 Years of RFF: A Day in the Life at Resources for the Future, with RFF staff May 17, 2022

Show notes

This week’s episode is the second in a three-part series that celebrates the 70th anniversary of Resources for the Future (RFF). First and foremost, RFF is a research organization—which means that it’s typically the researchers who are the focus of the work and attention at RFF. But on one fateful day, “Resources Radio” podcast hosts Kristin Hayes and Daniel Raimi did something pretty different from their usual podcast routine: they gave listeners a flavor of what RFF looks like today, across the spectrum of the organization. A lot happens behind the scenes at RFF, and many fantastic contributors help get the work done. This quite spontaneous episode involved wandering from office to office, tapping people on the shoulder to hear their thoughts, with precious little advance notice. This episode showcases diverse voices that speak to the various ways people at RFF contribute to the organization’s mission.

70 Years of RFF: The Legacy of Resources for the Future, with Ray Kopp and Kerry Smith May 08, 2022

Show notes

This week’s episode is the first in a three-part series that celebrates the 70th anniversary of Resources for the Future (RFF). Over that time span, RFF has had a significant impact on the fields of environmental economics and policy. In this episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Ray Kopp, RFF’s recently retired vice president for research and policy engagement, and Kerry Smith, an RFF university fellow (who also happened to be Ray Kopp’s graduate school advisor). Kopp continues to lead the organization’s Comprehensive Climate Strategies Program. Kopp, Smith, and Hayes discuss the 70-year history and legacy of RFF, the real-world impacts of its research, and how the act of conducting research itself has changed through the decades. They take a trip down RFF memory lane to explore how the world of environmental economics has evolved over the past 70 years—and how RFF has helped shape that evolution. References and recommendations: “Scarcity and Growth: The Economics of Natural Resource Availability” by Harold J. Barnett and Chandler Morse; https://www.routledge.com/Scarcity-and-Growth-The-Economics-of-Natural-Resource-Availability/Barnett-Morse/p/book/9781617260315 “Air Pollution and Human Health” by Lester B. Lave and Eugene P. Seskin; https://www.routledge.com/Air-Pollution-and-Human-Health/Lave-Seskin/p/book/9781617260582 Marchant calculator; https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_690723 “The Voltage Effect” by John A. List; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672117/the-voltage-effect-by-john-a-list/ “Big Data for Twenty-First-Century Economic Statistics” edited by Katharine G. Abraham, Ron S. Jarmin, Brian C. Moyer, and Matthew D. Shapiro; https://www.nber.org/books-and-chapters/big-data-twenty-first-century-economic-statistics “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari; https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/ “The Food Lab” by J. Kenji López-Alt; https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393081084

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