When you hear “3M” you think of Post-it notes, right? Not so fast. 3M is innovating in cleantech and breaking new ground, especially in reducing carbon emissions. With the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Projects Research Agency-Energy – aka ARPA-E – on the chopping block in Trump’s budget proposal, we decided to re-air our interview with Laura Nereng… Continue reading Tackling CO2 with ARPA-E – Laura Nereng of 3M
The National Laboratories invented most of the stuff we take for granted. The technology that “put the jolt in the Chevy Volt,” for example, removed lead from use in anything soldered, improved our roofs and, yes, started the technology that became the Internet. .Listen to Dr. Karina Edmonds, Technology Transfer Coordinator for the Department of Energy — now at Google — speak about innovations from the National Laboratories that are solving our energy challenges.
Guess who’s taking serious steps to reduce their carbon footprint and partner with the local community? As the new administration seeks to cut all climate and clean energy, we thought it was a good time to re-air our interview with Rebecca R. Rubin, Founder/CEO of Marstel Day, the environmental consulting firm that’s been helping the… Continue reading Gov’t Does Climate – Rebecca Rubin, Marstel Day
With new legislation being voted on that could be a sign of what’s to come in state energy policy – aside from the mayors who are joining the climate agreement – we thought it was a good time to re-air our interview with Betsy McCorkle, head of governmental affairs at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy… Continue reading State Energy Trend? – Betsy McCorkle, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association
The Paris Accord to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is ambitious and the U.S. has agreed to reduce it’s emissions by 26 to 28 % below 2005 levels by 2025. How do we do it? With breakthrough energy innovations! Leading the charge in these breakthroughs is ARPA-E, the innovation arm of the U.S. Department of… Continue reading Funding Energy Innovations – Dr. Ellen Williams, ARPA-E, Dept of Energy
“Listen for the unexpected,” Nicole Ferrini, El Paso, Texas As the new administration seeks to cut climate change budgets nationwide, Mother Nature doesn’t wait, so local communities are left having to take action regardless of what the federal government does. So, we’re talking with folks on the front lines in our communities who are doing… Continue reading Local Resilience – Nicole Ferrini, Chief Resilience Officer, El Paso, Texas
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.
With our communities on the front lines of climate change risk – homes, businesses, schools and local economies – we are relieved that there are courageous, innovative leaders who are taking action and creating added value (with low budgets). They are using natural solutions and conservation methods that we can all learn. Meet Katharine Burgess, Director of Urban Resilience at the Urban Land Institute, as she shares her insights from working with communities on Green Connections Radio in this conversation with host Joan Michelson. You may want to forward this podcast to your mayor, Congressperson or City Manager – and take notes for your own community!
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