The Sweaty Penguin

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26. Ventilation Nov 27, 2020

Show notes

To help prevent the indoor spread of coronavirus, buildings around the world have been checking up on their ventilation systems, often for the first time in a while. And unfortunately, many will find old, poorly designed, or otherwise inefficient HVAC systems that waste energy and money. Today, we’ll cover how many ventilation systems are inefficient, why they’re important for preserving indoor air quality, and how we can improve them, both small and large scale. With special guest Dr. Michael Gevelber: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Boston University.

This episode is part of a four-episode series made possible by the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant from BU Sustainability and Innovate@BU.

25. Carbon Neutrality Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

When organizations and governments create climate plans, they often contain the same phrase: carbon neutral. And carbon neutrality is a major piece of mitigating climate change. But carbon neutrality plans regularly fail to act quickly on more feasible short-term objectives, offset the amount of carbon they intend to, and actually count every single source of emissions. Today, we’ll discuss some of the issues associated with carbon neutrality, and how plans can sidestep them moving forward to create the most positive impact possible. With special guest Dennis Carlberg, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment and Associate Vice President of University Sustainability at Boston University.

This episode is part of a four-episode series made possible by the Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant from BU Sustainability and Innovate@BU.

Bonus: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Yellowstone Hot Springs Nov 13, 2020

Show notes

As promised, the bipartisan discussion bonus episodes are here! Today, Ethan sits down with episode 1’s Christian Alberga and Matt Grottkau to hear their first impressions and find some common ground on episode 20: “Economic Recovery from Coronavirus.” Plus, some environmental news and yet another update on the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant.

24. Organic and Fair Trade Certifications Nov 06, 2020

Show notes

Certifications such as organic and fair trade are great ways to quickly inform consumers that a product they want to buy was made at a high environmental and ethical standard and give producers meeting those standards an edge in the market… that is, if the certifications use proper, well-enforced criteria, producers can actually obtain the certification, and consumers actually know what the labels mean. Today, we break down some of the challenges facing certification schemes, as well as some specific issues with organic and fair trade, and ponder how these programs could improve. With special guest Dr. Graeme Auld: Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University in Canada and author of “Constructing Private Governance: The Rise and Evolution of Forest, Coffee, and Fisheries Certification.”

23. Old-Growth Forests Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Old-growth forests provide a lot of services that are unique from their younger counterparts, from increased carbon storage capabilities to homes for several endangered species. And on Wednesday, the United States announced the rollback of a rule preventing commercial logging and road construction in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, opening up 9.3 million acres of land in the United States’ largest carbon sink to logging and development. Unfortunately, the Tongass is one of many old-growth forests facing these types of threats. Today, we’ll cover why old-growth forests are important, what issues they face, and where we can go from here. With special guest Dr. Michael Dietze: Associate Professor of Earth & Environment at Boston University.

22. Light Pollution Oct 23, 2020

Show notes

We often hear about light pollution preventing us from seeing the night sky, but it is responsible for so much more, from massive economic costs to catastrophic human health impacts to disrupting mating and migrations of birds, frogs, and insects to causing the deaths of baby sea turtles. Today, we break down why light pollution causes all these issues, and discuss some ideas for how to mitigate them. With special guest Dr. Douglas Arion: Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Donald D. Hedberg Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Carthage College.

21. ADHD Oct 16, 2020

Show notes

October is ADHD Awareness Month, and in addition to genetic and biological causes, ADHD is partly caused by toxins in the environment such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene), lead, and mercury, which all have distinct impacts on brain functionality. Today, we’ll break down why these neurotoxins contribute to ADHD, why ADHD costs the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year, how ADHD hits low income and minority communities the hardest, and some ways we can address these issues. With special guest Dr. Luz Claudio: Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and the Chief of the Division of International Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Bonus: Annoying Orange Jr. Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

In the final episode of season 1, Ethan sits down with The Sweaty Penguin Researchers Olivia, Megan, and Dain to discuss the most recent four episodes and their reflections on the season. After that, he chats with the Producers Shannon, Frank, and Caroline to recap season 1 and preview season 2, which begins next week on Friday, 10/16. We’ve also got some new environmental news, and some updates on the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant in Danbury, CT. It’s a jam-packed bonus episode today, so don’t miss it!

20. Economic Recovery from Coronavirus Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

The coronavirus plunged the world deep into an economic recession, and to recover from a recession, governments typically start spending a lot of money. Where that money goes has a lasting effect on the economy and the environment, and historically, due to investments in fossil fuels, neither the environmental nor economic impacts of these stimulus packages have been stellar. Today, we take a look at a couple of the missteps in the economic recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, and then examine some policy ideas that might create a stronger, more sustainable recovery this time. With special guest Dr. Jennifer Allan: Lecturer in International Relations at Cardiff University in Wales.

19. Mercury Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

John Oliver seems quite taken by Danbury, Connecticut’s history as the Hat City, but hatmaking came at a price: the mercury used to make felt for hats caused mercury poisoning. The resulting tremors were even nicknamed “the Danbury shakes.” But while Connecticut banned mercury for hatmaking, the mercury previously emitted never actually left the environment, and new sources of mercury such coal plants and artisanal and small-scale gold mines are still putting new mercury into the atmosphere, leading to catastrophic environmental, economic, and human health impacts. Today, we break down why we’re exposed to mercury, what effects it has, and how we can improve. With special guest Dr. Noelle Eckley Selin: Associate Professor of Data, Systems, and Society and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the co-author of “Mercury Stories: Understanding Sustainability through a Volatile Element” which comes out on October 20th.

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