On this week’s Climate Break, EarthJustice’s Vice President of Litigation for Climate and Energy, Jill Tauber, discusses the role of public utilities commissions (PUCs) in shaping clean energy infrastructure, policy, and development. As states increasingly look to transition to clean energy, PUCs can help transform the energy grid to become more energy efficient, cost-effective, and renewable.
The dangers of extreme heat in an evolving climate is evident across many parts of the world, and the cities are the first to bear the most severe consequences. Rising temperatures and the inherent rigidity of concrete building structures trap heat waves within urban areas, directly threatening the health of residents and especially vulnerable populations like outdoor workers. Urban planners are seeking new solutions to help dissipate heat. We spoke with Jeff Goodell, the author of The Heat Will Kill You First, about building climate resilience in urban landscapes by creating shared Safe Hubs with air conditioning and establishing green spaces.
Public universities play a key role in combating the climate crisis, from innovation to policy. This week, we spoke to Bruce Riordan, Director of the Berkeley Climate Change Network, about how exactly public universities create and support changemakers in the climate space.
Most current energy technologies burn fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Adopting low and zero-carbon technologies is one way to reduce emissions, but barriers such as high upfront and maintenance costs have impeded the adoption of these technologies. Energy-as-a-service (EaaS) arrangements make it easier for consumers to adopt energy-efficient technology. Under these arrangements, the EaaS provider provides the customer with an energy service, such as lighting, cooling, or heating, in exchange for a recurring fee. More energy efficient technology results in a lower carbon footprint.
US legislating and policy-making often lacks input and consideration for marginalized and discriminated communities. This week, we spoke with Dr. Andrew Rumbach, a Fellow at the Urban Institute, about how involvement in climate policy can be more accessible and engaging, to these communities especially.
The law of the sea convention adopted by the UN in 1982 defines the economic and political sea boundaries critical to small island states, but the rights it guarantees are threatened by rising sea levels. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Nilufar Oral, Director of the Center for International Law at the National University of Singapore and Co-Chair of the UN’s sea level rise study group, on how vulnerable states are advocating for updated protections.
Energy is a fundamental resource. Society relies on energy in order to operate and maintain safe, healthy, and accessible lifestyles. However, in order to promote sustainability, society must invest in methods to curb excess energy consumption by increasing energy efficiency. We spoke with Mark Kresowik to learn more about the benefits of setting energy standards.
In an attempt to reduce methane emissions, California’s SB 1383 has mandated municipalities dramatically increase the amount of organic waste they compost. But responsibly composting at such a large scale takes energy. In this episode from 2022, we spoke to Chris Seney of Republic Services about how their first of its kind solar powered compost facility in Chula Vista, California, could provide a carbon emissions free way to power composting’s expansion.
We’re talking about climate change more than ever before, but these conservations can often leave people feeling scared and hopeless. Dr. Candice Horwath, Senior Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. and co-Director of the Place-Based Climate Action Network. She says there are better ways to talk about climate change and policy.
In our second episode from a 2022 series of interviews with California Air Resources Board’s Executive Officer, Dr. Steve Cliff, hear how Dr. Cliff is thinking about the challenges of building electrification and the role government can play in ensuring a just transition to energy efficient buildings.