COVID-19 Transforming Energy – Lisa Jacobson, Business Council for Sustainable Energy

We could not get through this pandemic – or run our national or global economies – without energy. Literally. Energy kept hospitals taking care of patients, kept essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies open, kept first responders equipped to respond and transport patients to medical care and communities.  Yet, the energy sector is reeling under the weight of this pandemic, with travel at a complete standstill and offices and businesses shuttered. Yet, clean energy is a bright spot, even though it’s also lost 600,000 jobs in this crisis. Listen to this fascinating discussion with Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) on Green Connections Radio podcast on how a silver lining in this crisis may be the critical clean energy innovation coming out of it.

Is Your Office COVID19-Safe? – Rachel Gutter, Int’l Well Building Institute

As we prepare to return to our offices, schools, coworking spaces, and houses of worship, while the coronavirus still swirls around us, there are steps building managers, employers, administrators and employees – each of us – can take to make sure we and our colleagues are safe from COVID-19.
The International Well Building Institute has developed standards and ratings to determine how safe and “healthy” our spaces are, and adapted them with advice from a COVID-19 Task Force of 540+ top experts for the pandemic. To find out about those standards and get practical tips we each use, listen to this enlightening interview with Rachel Gutter, president of the Institute on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.

Tips for Winning Against the Odds – Tracy Edwards, “Maiden” Documentary

Imagine deciding to take on captaining the first all-female crew in the world’s most dangerous round-the-world boat race with very, very limited experience. That’s what then 24-year old Tracy Edwards did. And. She. Won. The two most dangerous legs of the six-leg race. The new documentary, “Maiden” about it is truly extraordinary, with original footage from the actual race.
Listen to this truly fascinating and entertaining interview with Tracy about how she did it and what we can all learn from her transformation from novice to history-maker.

Adapting to Climate Change – Beth Gibbons, Adaptation Professionals

Local leaders are managing the very real devastation to their communities and economies caused by extreme weather events, while much-needed resources from the federal government are tied up in political wrangling over whether climate change is real.  
The people on the ground dealing with these effects are called “adaptation professionals,” so Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson went to them to find out what’s happening on the ground. Listen to her startling conversation with Beth Gibbons, Executive Director of Adaptation Professionals for great insights on all sides of this life-threatening, economy-threatening, polarizing issue.

Decision Making In 7 Steps – Nardia Haigh, Scenario Planning book author

The only thing certain is uncertainty – in our careers, our businesses, in preparing your community for the impact of climate change, or in our personal lives. So, how do we possibly prepare? Dr. Nardia Haigh suggests using scenario planning, a methodology she described in seven steps to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson in this enlightening interview, that we can apply to any decisions, as she did in her new book, Scenario Planning for Climate Change. She helps her students at the University of Massachusetts Boston apply it to their career decisions too.

Sustainability & Profitability – Suzanne Fallender, Sustainability Director, Intel

What if corporations took their responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint and as corporate citizens seriously and integrated it into their corporate strategies? That’s exactly what Suzanne Fallender, Director of Sustainability at Intel told Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson they are doing. From reducing energy and water use, eliminating the use of conflict minerals, to finding ways to recycle or reuse almost every by-product or waste material, she said Intel is leading industry. Listen to how they do it – profitably!

Electric Vehicle Obstacles – Bonnie Datta, Siemens Regulatory Affairs & Market Development

There’s a lot of buzz about electric vehicles (EVs), but adoption is still slow. Why? Bonnie Datta of Siemens told Joan Michelson of Green Connections Radio that much of the blame goes to regulators and utilities. Listen to this fascinating interview for why and great career advice too.

Climate Resilience Action – Kathy Baughman McLeod, Atlantic Council

With 6 extreme weather events costing over $1 billion each in 2019 already (as of early July), we know we need to adapt to this new normal caused by climate change. But how? A new The Resilience Center is embracing this challenge, with a goal of reaching one billion people with resilience solutions by 2030.. So, where do we start? Listen to this Kathy Baughman McLeod, the inaugural director of this new center, the Adrienne Arscht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, explain it in this enlightening conversation with Green Connections Radio podcast host Joan Michelson.

Driving Eco-Innovation in Industrial Products – Rasha Hasaneen, Ingersoll Rand

As record heats spread across the U.S. (and the globe), air conditioning systems and the power systems they depend upon are getting a workout.  These HVAC systems – heating, cooling and ventilation – “account for approximately 50 percent of energy consumption in the average home” and about 39% of energy use in commercial buildings in the U.S., and they last for 10-15 years,  By the time you read this, there’s another new technology, and there’s a pressing demand for more eco-conscious systems. So, how do you juggle these competing demands and keep your talented team engaged?  Listen…

“Genius” Scientist Shares Her Secrets for New Ideas – Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University

“To me, creativity is the ability to connect, in often unexpected ways, observations or experiences or skills from completely different realms,” Ingrid Daubechies on Green Connections Radio The next time you send a photo to someone from your smartphone, and it asks you for which size to send, you’ll think about that decision differently after… Continue reading “Genius” Scientist Shares Her Secrets for New Ideas – Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University