Resources Radio - Resources for the Future

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Shedding Light on Rural Energy Access, with Subhrendu Pattanayak Jun 16, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Professor Subhrendu Pattanayak of Duke University. Over the last several years, Subhrendu has literally trekked the Himalayas to do research on how to provide access to electricity for communities in hard-to-reach places. Daniel and Subhrendu talk about what policy and market factors might make it easier to expand energy access, and Subhrendu explains how dynamics within these communities can affect the likelihood of small-scale electricity projects to succeed or fail. References and recommendations: "Earth" by Lil Dicky; (explicit) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuN_WvF1to "Power to the Poor" by Morgan D. Bazilian; https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/africa/2015-02-16/power-poor "Reducing Risk for Private Investment in Off-Grid Energy" by Oliver Waissbein; https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2018/Reducing_risk_for_private_investment_in_off_grid_energy.html "Energizing Finance 2017" Sustainable Energy for All; https://www.seforall.org/interventions/energizing-finance/energizing-finance-2017 "Energizing Finance 2018" Sustainable Energy for All; https://www.seforall.org/interventions/energizing-finance/energizing-finance-2018 "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/43157/the-lorax-by-dr-seuss/9780394823379/

Refined Coal: The Billion-Dollar Subsidy You've Never Heard Of, with Brian Prest Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF postdoctoral fellow Brian Prest about a little-known topic: refined coal. Brian and coauthor Alan Krupnick have published a new RFF working paper that takes a close look at a $1-billion-a-year federal subsidy for refined coal. So, what is refined coal? What's the purpose of the subsidy? And does the subsidy deliver? References and recommendations: "How Clean is Refined Coal?" by Brian C. Prest and Alan Krupnick; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/how-clean-is-refined-coal/ "The Last Lobster: Boom or Bust for Maine's Greatest Fishery" by Christopher White; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250080851

The Money Behind Wind Power, with Jay Bartlett Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Jay Bartlett—a research associate at RFF—about his recent work on wind energy development. Jay explains how wind projects actually get built, i.e., how developers raise money for their projects and who they sell their electricity to. Daniel and Jay also discuss how state and federal policies shape these markets, and how the coming changes in the policy landscape are likely to affect future wind development. References and recommendations: "Reducing Risk in Merchant Wind and Solar Projects through Financial Hedges" by Jay Bartlett; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/reducing-risk-merchant-wind-and-solar-projects-through-financial-hedges/ "News of the World" by Paulette Jiles; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817493-news-of-the-world "The Son" by Philipp Meyer; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16240761-the-son "Our Planet;" www.netflix.com/title/80049832

Biodiversity, Food Security, and Sustainability, with Sue Lieberman May 27, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Dr. Sue Lieberman, vice president for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society. They discuss a major new report that synthesizes the literature on the global state of biodiversity. The report warns about a variety of risks, including species extinction, habitat degradation, food insecurity, and much more. Sue describes the scale of some of these risks, and shares her views on how policymakers can respond to prevent them. References and recommendations: IPBES Summary; https://www.ipbes.net/news/ipbes-global-assessment-preview "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41552709-the-uninhabitable-earth "Our Planet;" https://www.netflix.com/title/80049832 "Why the Guardian is Changing the Language it Uses about the Environment;" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/17/why-the-guardian-is-changing-the-language-it-uses-about-the-environment

How the Trump Administration's ACE Rule Affects Emissions, with Amelia Keyes May 21, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF Research Associate Amelia Keyes about her recent research on the Trump administration's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule. Amelia and several colleagues have estimated the effect of the rule on emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide, finding that ACE could actually increase these emissions rather than reduce them. References and recommendations: "Mapping America’s Wicked Weather and Deadly Disasters"; https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/mapping-disasters/?utm_term=.db65dd6f46e3 "Mothers of Invention"; https://www.mothersofinvention.online/

New Mexico's Path to a Low-Carbon Future, with NM Cabinet Secretary Sarah Propst May 12, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Sarah Propst, the Cabinet Secretary of the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department for the state of New Mexico. New Mexico recently enacted legislation to transition to 100 percent zero carbon electricity by the year 2050, and to provide transition assistance to workers and communities affected by the changing energy landscape. Daniel and Sarah discuss how the bill was developed, how much it's going to cost, and what other steps New Mexico is taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. References and recommendations: "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" by Steve Brusatte; https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/steve-brusatte/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dinosaurs/9781509830091

Sen. Whitehouse Dives in on a Carbon Fee and Ocean Pollution May 07, 2019

Show notes

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) about the reintroduction of the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act. Sponsored by the senator and several colleagues, the legislation would impose a carbon fee on fossil fuels, starting at $52 per metric ton of CO2 emitted. They also discuss the challenges facing our planet’s oceans—a topic of great importance to the senator from the Ocean State. Top of the Stack: "Our Planet"; https://www.netflix.com/title/80049832

A Master Plan for Protecting Louisiana's Coast, with Denise Reed Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Dr. Denise Reed, an internationally recognized expert in coastal marsh sustainability and the role of human activities in modifying coastal systems. They discuss Louisiana's coastal master plan, on which Denise has be an adviser to state officials leading the plan development. This ambitious, long-term planning process has grown even more important in the face of rising sea levels. References and recommendations: Richard Campanella books on New Orleans; http://www.richcampanella.com/index.php "Do Renewable Portfolio Standards Deliver?" by Michael Greenstone and Ishan Nath; https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/do-renewable-portfolio-standards-deliver/

Exploring the Resource Curse and Enhancing Energy Access, with Todd Moss Apr 21, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Dr. Todd Moss, Executive Director of the Energy for Growth Hub. Todd has worked for years at the intersection of energy and economic development, with a focus on developing economies in Africa and elsewhere. They cover two major topics: avoiding the so-called "oil curse" in the nation of Guyana, and supporting economic growth in the developing world by improving energy access for businesses and industries. References and recommendations: "Amity and Prosperity" by Eliza Griswold; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374103118 "Rising" by Elizabeth Rush; https://milkweed.org/book/rising IEA Report on Air Conditioners; https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2018/may/air-conditioning-use-emerges-as-one-of-the-key-drivers-of-global-electricity-dema.html

Can We Price Carbon?, with Barry Rabe of the University Of Michigan Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Professor Barry Rabe of the University of Michigan about his new book, "Can We Price Carbon?" Barry shares his insights on some of the real-world challenges for implementing policies that price carbon, and describes some of the key features that might help make them stick. They talk about how experience from previous efforts to price carbon can inform discussions on the Green New Deal, and much more. References and recommendations: "Can We Price Carbon?" by Barry G. Rabe; https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/can-we-price-carbon Senate Bill 181: Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations; https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-181 Elections in Canada; https://twitter.com/ElectionsCan_E?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor "Blood Oil" by Leif Wenar; http://www.wenar.info/books#new-page

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