Resources Radio - Resources for the Future

Latest Episodes:

Do National Monuments Help or Hinder Local Economies?, with Margaret Walls Mar 23, 2020

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This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF senior fellow Margaret Walls. Along with coauthors Patrick Lee and Matthew Ashenfarb, Walls published a study last week on the economic impacts that result from the establishment of national monuments. The study looks at how the designation of a national monument affects businesses and employment in the surrounding area. While some have argued that monuments stifle economic activity by making land off-limits to extractive activities like oil and gas drilling, others argue that national monuments generate growth in other industries, such as tourism. In their new study, Walls and colleagues provide answers. References and recommendations: "National monuments and economic growth in the American West" by Margaret Walls, Patrick Lee, and Matthew Ashenfarb; https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/12/eaay8523 "Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/323685/cadillac-desert-by-marc-reisner/ "The Source" by Martin Doyle; https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Source "Nuclear explained: Where our uranium comes from" by the US Energy Information Administration; https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/where-our-uranium-comes-from.php

Oil Markets in the Time of COVID-19, with Amy Myers Jaffe Mar 15, 2020

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This week, host Kristin Hayes talks with Amy Myers Jaffe about what has been unfolding in world oil markets over the past week, as the coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread and radically impact human lives and the global economy. Jaffe is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment and director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a leading expert on global energy policy, geopolitical risk, energy, and sustainability.

Managing Flood Risk under Climate Change, with Carolyn Kousky Mar 07, 2020

Show notes

This week, host Kristin Hayes talks with Carolyn Kousky, the executive director of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Kousky is a university fellow at Resources for a future and was a fellow at RFF for a number of years. Kousky's research has examined multiple aspects of disaster insurance markets, the National Flood Insurance Program, federal disaster aid and response, and policy responses to potential changes in extreme events with climate change. In this episode, Hayes and Kousky discuss resilience to natural disasters such as flooding and wildfire, whether the current US system of funding for that resilience is working (and for whom), and what other options for responding to natural disasters the United States might want to consider. References and recommendations: "Insuring Nature" by Carolyn Kousky and Sarah E. Light; https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3481896 "The Cure for Catastrophe" by Robert Muir-Wood; https://oneworld-publications.com/the-cure-for-catastrophe-hb.html

The Economics of Environmental Justice, with Samuel Stolper and Catherine Hausman Mar 01, 2020

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This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Catherine Hausman and Samuel Stolper of the University of Michigan about a new working paper they’ve coauthored, called "Inequality, Information Failures, and Air Pollution." Catie and Sam take an economics lens to the problem of environmental justice and identify a new and important channel through which these problems can arise: the role of information. References and recommendations: "Inequality, Information Failures, and Air Pollution: by Catherine Hausman and Samuel Stolper; https://www.nber.org/papers/w26682 "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/43028/hop-on-pop-by-hop-on-pop/ "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin; https://www.ursulakleguin.com/dispossessed

Which Climate Path Are We On?, with Zeke Hausfather Feb 24, 2020

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This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Zeke Hausfather, director of climate and energy at the Breakthrough Institute. Hausfather discusses the past, present, and future of global greenhouse gas emissions, the emissions trajectory that the world is currently on, how that pathway looks different from some of the worst-case scenarios that researchers have used in the past, and the crucial uncertainties that remain when it comes to estimating future global warming under any given emissions pathway. References and recommendations: "The End of Nature" by Bill McKibben; http://billmckibben.com/end-of-nature.html "Explainer: Nine 'tipping points' that could be triggered by climate change" by Robert McSweeney; https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-nine-tipping-points-that-could-be-triggered-by-climate-change The "Broken Earth" trilogy by NK Jemisin; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/articles/n-k-jemisin-broken-earth-trilogy-books-in-order/ "Endless Night at -50 Degrees: A Look at Life on an Icebreaker" by Henry Fountain; https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/climate/mosiac-mission-arctic-climate-change-photos.html "Wild storms and shifting ice: Two explorers talk about Arctic life" by Henry Fountain and Esther Horvath; https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/travel-news/sns-nyt-wild-storms-shifting-ice-explorers-talk-arctic-life-20200209-pj2n6kbceraolkjed5wfg364bq-story.html

On the Job with Florida’s First Chief Resilience Officer, Julia Nesheiwat Feb 16, 2020

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This week, host Kristin Hayes talks with Julia Nesheiwat, the first chief resilience officer for the state of Florida. Nesheiwat elaborates on how she’s helping support Florida’s climate resiliency efforts by coordinating across communities and organizations across the state and cutting the red tape that tends to stall environmental efforts related to climate change response. Nesheiwat has served in combat with the US Army; she earned her PhD from Tokyo Institute of Technology, MA from Georgetown University, and BA from Stetson University in Florida. She has lectured on the geopolitics of energy, climate, and technology at the US Naval Postgraduate School, Stanford University, and the University of California, San Diego. Fittingly for the Florida resident, Nesheiwat likes to go stand-up paddleboarding and surfing. References and recommendations: "Master the Disaster" from FM Global; https://www.fmglobal.com/insights-and-impacts/2019/master-the-disaster "The Geography of Risk" by Gilbert M. Gaul; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374160807

Going Deeper on NEPA, with J.B. Ruhl Feb 09, 2020

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In this episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with J.B. Ruhl, a professor at Vanderbilt University Law School who specializes in environmental, natural resources, and property law. Ruhl provides an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the landmark law that permits lawsuits against federal agencies for any actions that are perceived to affect the quality of the environment. Drawing from his years practicing environmental law, Ruhl explains how NEPA lawsuits are especially complex—involving statutes, court opinions, and recent regulatory changes that are often at odds. He also discusses the implications of a proposed rule change by the Trump administration that could limit the types of litigation that can be pursued under NEPA. References and recommendations: "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond; https://wwnorton.com/books/Guns-Germs-and-Steel/ "Boomtown" podcast; https://www.texasmonthly.com/boomtown/

Extra! Extra! Listen All About It: A Conversation with Energy and Climate Journalist Amy Harder Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Amy Harder, national energy and climate change reporter at Axios. Harder's reporting includes exclusive scoops and analyses of national and global trends. Previously, she covered similar issues for the Wall Street Journal and National Journal. Harder also was the inaugural journalism fellow for the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute in 2018. Harder has been a longtime friend of RFF and has participated as a moderator in several RFF events. You may have followed her work on shale gas development, carbon pricing, and so many of the other topics of interest in today’s energy and climate policy conversations. Here, Harder discusses how she thinks about environmental journalism—and journalism in general—in this day and age. References and recommendations: RFF's Global Energy Outlook tool; https://www.rff.org/geo/ Wall Street Journal reporter Russell Gold's climate reporting; https://twitter.com/russellgold "See how global warming has changed since your childhood" by Tim Leslie, Joshua Byrd, and Nathan Hoad; https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-06/how-climate-change-has-impacted-your-life/11766018

Green Growth That Works: Discussing Ecosystem Services, with Lisa Mandle Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Lisa Mandle, lead scientist at the Natural Capital Project, based at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Lisa is the co-editor of a new book called "Green Growth That Works: Natural Capital Policy and Finance Mechanisms from around the World." The book presents a range of fascinating case studies from around the world, all centered around the tools that governments and others can use to protect and enhance ecosystem services. Raimi and Mandle discuss some of those cases, including New York’s famously unfiltered water, preservation of wetlands, and stormwater management in Washington, DC. References and recommendations: "Green Growth That Works: Natural Capital Policy and Finance Mechanisms Around the World" by Lisa Ann Mandle, Zhiyun Ouyang, James Edwin Salzman, and Gretchen Cara Daily; https://islandpress.org/books/green-growth-works (offer code "GROWTH" provides a discount) "Everyone wants to Instagram the world's most beautiful canyon. Should they?" by Rebecca Jennings; https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/7/11/20686194/antelope-canyon-instagram-page-arizona-navajo "Ice on Fire" documentary; https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/ice-on-fire

40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, with Daniel Esty Jan 19, 2020

Show notes

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Daniel Esty, a professor at Yale University and a member of the board of directors at Resources for the Future (RFF). Dan talks about a new book he edited, "A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future." As its title suggests, the book covers a wide range of topics. Raimi and Esty's conversation focuses on an essay that Esty wrote, which outlines how to design environmental policy in a way that fosters innovation and new technologies. They also touch on the role of finance and politics in shaping environmental outcomes. References and recommendations: "A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future" edited by Daniel C. Esty; https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300246247/better-planet Hearing on "Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for Economy-Wide Deep Decarbonization" with Daniel C. Esty, Noah Kaufman, David K. Gattie, and Tim Profeta; https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hearing-on-building-a-100-percent-clean-economy-solutions-for-economy "Decarbonizing Space Heating with Air Source Heat Pumps" by Noah Kaufman, David Sandalow, Clotilde Rossi di Schio, and Jake Higdon; https://energypolicy.columbia.edu/research/report/decarbonizing-space-heating-air-source-heat-pumps

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