Energy Innovation Needs Women – Katie Mehnert, Pink Petro

“Your biggest challenge is your biggest opportunity. Get people into the system so they can change the culture and the industry to clean energy” – Katie Mehnert on Green Connections Radio podcast.
At the 2020 World Economic Forum where global leaders across industry gather in Davos, Switzerland every January, climate change took “center stage,” as The New York Times headline put it. A key topic of debate was the conundrum of providing clean energy to everyone on the planet and it is abundantly clear much more rapid innovation is needed, including of the oil and gas sector. But how?
Listen to Katie Mehnert, who spent 20 years in the oil and gas sector and remains devoted to it, in this surprisingly candid interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with Joan Michelson. Katie passionately lays out the urgent need for the sector to innovate and why bringing more women into the industry is key. Katie left a job in Big Oil that she loved to start Pink Petro to get more women into energy industry leadership.

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 as National Security Issue – Sherri Goodman, Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

With a new Secretary of Defense coming in, and an Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, it’s important to remember the national security implications of climate change. Listen to Joan Michelson’s fascinating (and a bit frightening) interview with former Deputy Secretary of Defense, and former Senior Vice President and General Counsel and Military Advisor at CNA, a top national security think tank, Sherri Goodman on how climate relates to national security.

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…

Climate Resilience – Climate Scientist Rawlings Miller on How to Prepare for Climate Change

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of some natural disasters….. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strongly recommends that pre­-incident planning be documented,” says a brand new report from the EPA. In other words: prepare for the imminent consequences of climate change-related natural disasters and extreme weather events.  But how? And, how can your community improve its infrastructure at the same time? Listen to Rawlings Miller, a climate scientist and principal in the WSP advisory firm in this information-packed interview with Joan Michelson on Green Connections Radio podcast.

Earth Day & Data Science – Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network

“It’s really about voting…Commit to the greenest candidate you can. Period. For any office. Board of supervisors. School boards. Mayors. City Councils. It’s all about politics. We’ve got the technology. We’ve got the capacity We have brilliant people, but…It’s about voting.”Kathleen Rogers on Green Connections Radio. For Earth Day’s 50th, listen to Earth Day Network president, Kathleen Rogers talk with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson about the top issues and novel ways they are engaging people today on environmental issues.

Energy from Salt? – Adrienne Little, Malta, formerly of Google X

How Focusing on Failing Helped Create Energy Storage From Molten Salt “It’s more about establishing an ecosystem of players” collaborating to make it a success. Adrienne Little Energy storage is the single largest hurdle in transitioning to a 100% renewable energy economy, because of the intermittency issues in solar and wind energy in particular, so… Continue reading Energy from Salt? – Adrienne Little, Malta, formerly of Google X

Boost Your Community’s Resilience – Karen Lightman, Exec. Director, Metro21 Smart Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon U.

“You have to start with empowering people at the local level…You’ve got to do a combination of bottom up and top down…Everything is interconnected.” Karen Lightman on Green Connections Radio A community in Pittsburgh was alarmed by the high rate of asthma and related illnesses in their children and cardiovascular diseases in their adults and… Continue reading Boost Your Community’s Resilience – Karen Lightman, Exec. Director, Metro21 Smart Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon U.