Episódios
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In this season's final episode, Rob is joined by producer Maggie Dewane to look back at the season's climate wins. Together they consider common themes and througlines, lessons learned, and how similar successes might be achieved elsewhere.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
Navajo Power is generating clean energy projects on tribal lands and maximizing the economic benefits for those communities through localized solar power. Unlike many companies, it continues to support households with maintenance and troubleshooting long after solar installation.
In this episode, host Rob Verhick speaks to Brett Isaac, co-founder of Navajo Power, and learns about what motivated him to join the clean energy movement, why Navajo Power is an exemplary model of solar energy, and what it's like to be on President Biden's Export Council.
NOTE: The audio quality in this episode may make it difficult for hard of hearing audiences to listen. We apologize for any inconvenience or difficulty.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
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Maine is the first state to require utility companies to include assessment of environmental, equity, and environmental justice impacts in grid planning. That was just one provision of a climate law that passed Maine’s state legislature with bipartisan support.
In this episode, Rob speaks to State Senator Stacy Brenner and Jack Shapiro of Natural Resources Council of Maine to learn about the law, why it’s an example for other states, and how it garnered broad support.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
In this season of Connect the Dots, Rob explores environmental justice and climate wins across the country and how we can replicate those successes elsewhere.
This episode digs into a community win in North Carolina: community-based solar solutions. But what does that mean exactly? And can it make energy more affordable to everyone?
Rob is joined by Ajulo Othow, founder and CEO of EnerWealth Solutions, as well as Board Member to the Center for Progressive Reform. Ajulo describes energy justice, the power behind solar energy, and what’s standing in the way of broader community solar uptake.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
When middle schooler Adah Crandall of Portland, Oregon noticed the impact her school's proximity to a busy freeway was having on some of her classmates, she took action. She and her classmates started an Environmental Justice Club, began protesting outside of government buildings, and lobbied against the freeway's proposed expansion.
Today as a high schooler, Adah shares with Rob what went into her experience and her continued motivation and hopes for future generations.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
In this season of Connect the Dots, Rob explores environmental justice and climate wins across the country and how we can replicate those successes elsewhere.
This episode digs into a legislative win in Maryland: the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. What goes into successful policymaking? Spoiler alert: It's not just lawmakers.
Rob is joined by Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Progressive Reform Katlyn Schmitt, who talks about the efforts to pass the Climate Solutions Now Act and how the bill positions Maryland as a national leader in climate action planning.
Connect the Dots is brought to you by the Center for Progressive Reform. Learn more at www.progressivereform.org
Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen and consider leaving us a review! It will help us to reach more listeners like you who want to connect the dots on today's most pressing issues.
This podcast is supported in part by:
The College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans
Arlie W. Schardt Fund for Climate Justice
Special thanks to:
Our producer, Maggie Dewane, and our editor, Courtney Garcia, as well as musical artist Lobo Loco, who makes their work available to us through a Creative Commons license. -
In the final episode of Season 6, Connect the Dots host Rob Verchick and his guests talk about climate migration.
Climate refugees can come from anywhere: from cities and suburbia to some of the remotest places on Earth. They may have jobs dictated by the weather. If it’s too hot or dry, they’re relocating to find new employment. Some may have lost their homes to extreme weather events and can’t afford to rebuild. In a few worst-case scenarios, entire communities are having to evacuate due to sea level rise, shore erosion, wildfire destruction, or loss of industry.
The World Bank estimates there could be as many as 216 million climate migrants by 2050, including 105 million in Africa, 89 million in south and east Asia, and 17 million in Latin America. Frequent droughts and floods caused by the crisis are displacing people from their communities, and they’re doing so at an alarming rate. Strikingly, the world is not ready for this migration.
Addressing this problem, Rob and his guests consider crucial questions, including: Where should these populations go? How do we support their needs? What policies should national, state, and local governments put in place to ensure a smooth, just transition process for climate refugees?
Guests in this episode include:
Matt Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California and the author of Adapting to Climate Change (Yale University Press 2021)
Rachel Cleetus, policy director at the Union for Concerned Scientists
Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London -
In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore how climate change is impacting our health.
When we consider the climate crisis, our attention often gravitates toward extreme weather. We worry about wildfires burning our homes and hurricanes ripping down powerlines. There’s another side of the story, however — our health. From how we feel after a long run to the ability of our bodies to ward off illness, the environment makes a difference.
Climate disruption invades our neighborhoods, and some are hit harder than others. Poor air quality results in unsafe living conditions and can lead to illnesses like asthma or even cancer. Extreme heat makes it hard for kids to play outside. Flooding and wildfires spread debris, bacteria, and toxic chemicals. Warmer temperatures prompt insects to migrate north, carrying infectious diseases to new areas. And that’s only the beginning.
Guests in this episode include:
Howard Frumkin, senior vice president with the Trust for Public Land and a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health
Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London
Carter Mathes, professor at Rutgers University and long-time resident of East Orange, New Jersey -
Hey listeners! You might have heard an earlier version of this episode, but due to technology issues, we noticed some audio errors in our post-production. We've since removed that version and uploaded this episode. Thanks for your understanding! Enjoy, and thank you for listening.
In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore industry sectors and jobs that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as well as the potential for significant job creation in technology, infrastructure, adaptation, mitigation, and the just transition to a clean, carbon-free economy.
Over the past year, we’ve watched millions of people lose their jobs, take pay cuts, even seek new career paths due to the cascading effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was — and still is — a tough time to make a living.
There are close parallels between this public health crisis and the climate crisis, and the job market sits directly in the center of the two. Certain business sectors are more vulnerable than others to climate disruption. On the other hand, there’s a wide range of new jobs being established to support technology and infrastructure, and there’s newfound interest in climate adaptation and mitigation.
So, in the face of these dual global crises, the question is: Who is hiring?
Guests in this episode include:
Dr. Kimberley Miner, scientist and systems engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California
Lowell Chandler, Montana renewable energy attorney
Valerie Mueller, assistant professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University
Renata Brillinger, co-founder and executive director of the California Climate and Agriculture Network
Sean Hecht, Co-Executive Director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, professor and and co-director of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic at UCLA School of Law -
In this episode of CPR’s Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests explore how parents, families, and communities are adapting their lifestyles to the realities of climate change.
Our lives revolve around the weather: what we wear, where our kids play after school, where we go on vacation, what hobbies we partake in, and where we choose to live and work. Even what foods are available are often weather-dependent.
With the climate crisis, the weather is changing dramatically, and our lives will likely follow suit. Last summer for example, 1 in 3 Americans were affected by climate-related disasters. Heat waves are on the rise, and 300 million people live under heat stress conditions.
Due to uncertainty and ominous conditions, some couples are opting not to have children. The thought of parenting brings more stress than in the past. What world will young people inherit? What lives will they lead? How soon will our lives be irrevocably changed by climate change? Rob and his guests explore these questions and more.
Guests in this episode include:Dr. Kimberley Miner, scientist and systems engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California Lowell Chandler, a Montana renewable energy attorney Kristy Dahl, senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists Christian Møller-Holst, founder and CEO of Goodwings -
In Season 6 of CPR's Connect the Dots podcast, we’re discussing climate resiliency — that is, our ability to handle the stresses caused by climate disruption and adapt to changing conditions. The crisis may be stark, but there are solutions and pathways to a viable, sustainable future.
Kicking off the season, host Rob Verchick digs into resiliency, real estate, and how climate change is beginning to impact people's decisions on where to live — or move.
For years, scientists and environmental activists have warned that many of America’s most beloved cities are going to sink. Climate models predict how sea level rise will destroy places like Miami and New Orleans. Meanwhile, out West, wildfires are ravaging towns along the coast and spewing clouds of smoke inland.
Our neighborhoods are drowning, burning, and running dry. Few places seem safe from the sting of climate change, especially because weather events don’t discriminate by status or income. All this begs the question: Where should we all be living? Join Rob and his guests as they seek to answer this question and discuss climate resiliency solutions.
Rob is joined by:Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin Philip Mulder, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of BusinessMatt Kahn, Provost Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California and the author of Adapting to Climate ChangeSean Hecht, CPR Member Scholar and Evan Frankel Professor of Policy and Practice at UCLA School of Law -
CPR’s Connect the Dots has been distilling complex policy issues for listeners for five seasons. In Season 6, coming early 2022, we’ll explore climate resiliency—that is, our ability to handle the stresses caused by climate disruption and adapt to changing conditions. The crisis may be stark, but there are ways we can create viable systems that look towards the future.
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President Biden put climate policy front and center on his campaigning platform and wasted no time in pushing his agenda when he took office. The president has proposed $14 billion in spending on initiatives to fight the crisis in the nation’s 2022 budget, and he has appointed cabinet officials with informed backgrounds to offer guidance. He’s also altered tax incentives to favor clean energy over fossil fuels and promised to spur a job revolution that will protect workers in this sector. But the U.S. is operated by three branches of government and federal powers are limited. It’s often the case that the "real work" is done on state and local levels. So, how do those plans coalesce with national strategy? Some states may take a different approach or "drive" a little slower, others prefer the fast lane — how does it all add up?
In this episode of CPR's Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick explores energy policy at different levels of government and who's leading the way in the clean energy journey.
Joining Rob Verchick in this episode are:
Alice Kaswan, CPR Board Member and professor and associate dean at the University of San FranciscoHannah Wiseman, CPR Member Scholar and professor at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State UniversityLaura Zapata, founder and CEO of Clearloop Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO and President of the Foundation for LouisianaWendy Gao, an environmental activist and co-founder of the youth environmental nonprofit, Earth Uprising -
A couple weeks ago, Elon Musk hosted Saturday Night Live, a gig typically reserved for A-list movie stars, Grammy Award winners, and stand-up legends. But Musk has risen to fame through his electric vehicle and clean energy company Tesla. Musk and Tesla have become a social, political, and cultural force in our country, driving an interest in environmental business, investing, and innovation. Through his company, Musk has put renewable energy on the map. His creations may be notoriously expensive, exclusive, and well beyond the reach of many Americans, but the movement he’s leading is growing. And mainstream investors are starting to put money behind it. When it comes to innovation and clean energy, there’s a wide range of players building new technology and sourcing terrains to scale renewables. Funding for those projects comes from a host of financiers, from banks to private equity firms to, perhaps, everyday consumers. In this episode of Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick and his guests discuss the fiscal complexities of successfully transitioning to renewable energy and achieving energy justice. They note that the newfound drive to do so results from a dedicated consortium of political agendas, business prerogatives, and consumer demand. When the stakes get high, supply moves fast, and hopefully, it moves forward to a clean, equitable energy future for us all.
Joining host Rob Verchick in this episode are:
Lawrence Early, engineering graduate at Yale UniversityPete Hellwig, co-founder of AtmosAlice Kaswan, CPR Board Member and professor and associate dean at the University of San FranciscoHannah Wiseman, CPR Member Scholar and professor at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State UniversityLaura Zapata, founder and CEO of Clearloop -
Companies using fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal are facing heavy pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. If they don't, they could get hit with financial penalties or be completely shut down. In response, these corporations have come up with a treatment of sorts — it's called carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS for short. The idea is that the industry can continue operating as it always has, but as a caveat, it will install a system to strip carbon from emissions. The carbon will be funneled through pipelines deep into the ground, where it will be buried forever. As a result, plants can keep running, businesses rally on as usual, there's less pollution in the air, everyone wins. Right? Not exactly. As Connect the Dots host Rob Verchick and his guests discuss in this episode, CCS is not nearly comprehensive enough to reduce emissions at a level and rate necessary to make a difference. Also, the logistics are complex and questionable, and the whole process could end up burning more energy than it saves. Should we really be using a strategy that relies on fossil fuels when there are better alternatives available? Are we banking on the "old way" instead of trying something new? Rob and his guests discuss these questions and more.
Joining host Rob Verchick in this episode are: Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO and President of the Foundation for LouisianaAlice Kaswan, CPR Board Member and professor and associate dean at the University of San FranciscoAlex Kolker, associate professor for the Louisiana Universities Marine ConsortiumKaren Sokol, CPR Member Scholar and associate professor of law at Loyola University in New OrleansHannah Wiseman, CPR Member Scholar and professor at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State University -
In 2020, the world banded together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in 2021, the world continues to change, and we seem to be progressing forward. In turn, the spotlight shifts to another great calamity: climate change. The environmental crisis has made headlines with the Biden administration making climate mitigation and renewable energy top priorities. With these advancements, researchers, corporations, innovators, and activists around the world are being tasked to follow suit. To stay united and take on another challenge: the transition to clean energy. But what does that entail exactly? How does a shift to renewables affect the average American household? Scientists and engineers are hard at work creating systems that run efficiently, withstand various constraints, and won’t pollute the air. However, as this episode of Connect the Dots explains, it's also important to look at how we implement these new innovations in a way that’s equitable and purposeful to all.
Joining host Rob Verchick in this episode are:Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO and President of the Foundation for Louisiana Lawrence Early, an engineering graduate at Yale University Wendy Gao, an environmental activist and student at the University of Virginia Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director of People for Community Recovery in Chicago Hannah Wiseman, CPR Member Scholar and professor at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State University -
In this episode of Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick discusses one of the more perplexing challenges facing those working to mitigate climate disruption: industrial workers, the people laboring in factories, farms, coal mines, and other businesses directly affecting or affected by the climate crisis.
On the one hand, industrial workers need jobs. They depend on these jobs to feed their families and support themselves. On the other hand, they’re suffering because of it. So is our planet. The industrial worker tends to work long hours under harsh conditions. Many struggle to make ends meet. Due to climate breakdown, these working conditions and spaces have become grave. They’re hot, toxic, and frequently unregulated. Going to work can be unbearable at times, and as a result, not only livelihoods but lives are at stake. The conflict of the industrial worker presents a tough duality: an appeal to restore health and salvage the Earth versus the need to sustain a living. Can both be achieved? The answer is yes, with some caveats and conditions. Listen now to find out more. Joining Rob in this episode are:Neza Xiuhtecutli, Research Coordinator for the Farmworkers Association of FloridaLeslie Fields, Senior Director of Environmental Justice and Healthy Communities at the Sierra ClubMaxine Burkett, Member Scholar of Center for Progressive Reform and Professor of Law at the University of HawaiiVicki Arroyo, Executive Director of the Georgetown Climate CenterDr. Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University -
In this episode of Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick explores the ways the climate crisis drives raging wildfires like the ones that have scorched the western United States, killing dozens of people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses. Joining him are firefighter Sam Perkins, Vicki Arroyo of the Georgetown Climate Center, and Cinthia Moore of Moms Clean Air Force.
As of mid-October, unprecedented blazes have destroyed more than 4.1 million acres across California, with firefighters facing up to 40 new blazes across the state on extreme days. Further north, in Oregon, wildfires ruined two cities, killed 23 people, and demolished 600 homes and 100 commercial buildings in September alone. The same month in Washington, a canyon fire torched 76,000 acres, shutting down a major highway, burning several homes to the ground, and causing hundreds of families to evacuate. There’ve been nearly 100 known wildfires in the West since April, and the scorecard is still in play.
Wildfires are the latest cataclysm amplified by climate disruption, burning rapidly and haphazardly across the western part of this nation, along with countries around the world. And unfortunately, many of us are in the line of fire. -
In this episode of Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick talks about how the climate crisis hurts children – and presents ideas for possible solutions. He's joined by CPR Member Scholar Maxine Burkett, Sierra Club Senior Director of Environmental Justice and Healthy Communities Leslie Fields, mother and NRDC advocate Gina Ramirez, mother and Moms Clean Air Force member Leah Barbor, and Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University. If you're a parent, you know the value of a backyard playdate or afternoon outing in the park. Fresh air, a space to run wild and free, open terrain with nothing to knock over or stain. Your kids can explore, and perhaps you can get a moment of respite, as well. Unfortunately, outdoor learning and fun isn’t a reality for many families. These days, in neighborhoods around the country, pollution fogs the air, heat penetrates spaces and surfaces, and a deadly alchemy of the two results in terrible contamination. In some parts of our country, sending the kids outside can be dangerous, even deadly. Due to the impacts of the climate crisis, children are getting sicker, heavier, and less mobile. They may be forced to stay inside, avoid exercise, or eat poor-quality foods. In more catastrophic instances, they’re losing their childhoods to destructive natural disasters. Either way, the physical and mental consequences of the climate crisis have long-term effects on their futures – and the future of our planet.
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In this episode of Connect the Dots, host Rob Verchick talks climate migration with CPR Member Scholar Maxine Burkett, NRDC advocate and third-generation Mexican-American Gina Ramirez, and Aaron Bernstein, Interim Director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard University. Imagine a world where an afternoon thunderstorm floods your basement with sewage and industrial pollutants. You come to dread the rain. Summer spaces that used to be dedicated to water balloon fights and bike rides become venues for wildfires and hurricanes. A hard day’s work leads to an even harder battle with disease. It all may sound like a nightmare, but then again, it doesn’t compare to the situation your family previously faced, starving and fending off violence when your livelihood was destroyed by drought. These are some of the realities encountered by climate change migrants around the country. The planet is getting hotter, drier, wetter, and weirder. And marginalized groups of many types are in the bull’s eye.
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