With the Trump administration cutting energy innovation and climate change initiatives, and saying that the states can pick up the slack, it’s a good time to re-air our enlightening episode with a woman on the front lines of a state leading the way: Catherine Williams of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MCEC). From solar energy… Continue reading States Innovating Energy – Catherine Williams, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
With Congress poised to review President Trump’s proposal to cut the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31%, it’s important to look at what the EPA does. One of the coolest EPA programs is the Small Business Innovation Grant (SBIR) program that provides much-needed seed funds to very early stage start-ups. Listen to… Continue reading Funding Eco-Start-ups – April Richards, EPA SBIR Program
With the Trump administration having pulled out of the historic Paris Climate Accord, we thought it a good time to re-air our fascinating episode with the woman on the front lines of implementing that accord: Rachel Kyte, CEO of the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All Programme.
Kyte articulates the impetus for the Paris Climate Accord in the first place – and how it can be implemented. It’s a fine dance of diplomacy, technology, science, negotiation, creative business and financial modeling, and entrenched positions – with human survival in the balance.
If you’ve ever been interested in growing food, or in advancing it on a campus or in your community, listen to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson’s interview with a master: George Mason University Greenhouse Manager Donielle “Doni” Nolan. Take notes!
Maybe you have a great idea or new app you developed that you’re itching to bring to life. Maybe you have a friend who does… Or, maybe you’re an entrepreneur who is running out of funds and fears not being able to continue. If this rings a bell, listen up. This podcast provides vital information about a federal grant program you can apply for. There’s no guarantee you’ll be approved, but you certainly won’t get it if you do not apply. It’s called the Small Business Innovation Research – or SBIR – grants (or STTRs). About half a dozen federal agencies offer them, all with different criteria. The SBIR program we’re talking about today is from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has an open agenda, focused on the potential of the technology to make a big positive societal impact if it succeeds.
The U.S. infrastructure is literally crumbling beneath our feet and wheels. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave it a D+ in 2017. Cars are falling into sink holes from roads that literally sink, or falling into the water when a bridge collapses. Water pipes are breaking and leaking toxins into our drinking water. Subways… Continue reading 21st Century Infrastructure – Kelly Carnes, TechVision21
With so much innovation in the energy sector, the rapid expansion of renewable energy, development of a “smart grid” and the Internet of Things technologies, the utilities have to evolve too. And, without dropping any service to anyone, ever.
So, what’s a utility to do to survive – and to thrive? Enter Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power in Vermont, who was chosen as one of Fast Company’s most innovative people. She’s turning the business model of a utility on its head, and retains the support of her board because she’s succeeding in every way – customer service ratings in the 90%s and generating sold financial results. How? Listen up.
Every new presidential administration brings a transition to new priorities – this time, it’s a radical shift into uncertainty. Clean energy and climate-related spending is being cut across the board in the new president’s budget. But Congress has yet to finalize it and advocates for clean energy and climate issues are flexing their muscles. What… Continue reading Opportunities in Government Chaos – Kelly Carnes, TechVision21
We hear about the ravages of climate change, but how exactly does the climate change and why? It’s good to go back to the basics, especially for those of us who don’t remember our first physics class…..so we went to a master of physics… Listen to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson’s engaging discussion with… Continue reading Physics of Climate Change – Lawrence Krauss, Renowned Physicist, Best-selling Author
ARPA-E, the innovation arm of the Department of Energy plays a pivotal role in nurturing promising new energy-related technologies that will improve our lives and reduce our costs and carbon footprints, including through increased use of renewable energy sources. A fundamental challenge to increasing the use of renewable energy is the intermittency issue – the… Continue reading Appliance Power! – Paul Hines, Packetized Energy & Univ. of Vermont, ARPA-E
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