EcoTalk

Powering the planet

Powering the planet (pdf) is the title of the inaugural speech given by Nathan Lewis at the California Clean Innovation Conference. At this point we don't have a recording.

Lester Brown: Ethanol is NOT the Answer

Earth Policy Institute President (and author of Plan B: 2.0) Lester Brown reacts to the effects of climate change now infecting the cover of Time Magazine, and his thoughts on Ethanol being number one on their list of tools to fight global warming: "What we're beginning to see is a realization that ethanol is not the answer, despite the ethanol euphoria that one sees and feels here in Washington." LISTEN (12 min)

Solar + Business= Debate

Today's EcoTalk featured a compelling debate on long and short term viability of Solar Power. Severin Bornstein, Director of the University of California Energy Institute, says that although solar shows long-term promise , it requires more research and development before it's ready for prime time. On the other hand, JP Ross, Policy Director for the Vote Solar Initiative, takes the egg to Bornstein's chicken, citing increased use and demand as the engines that will drive technological innovation. But these two explain everything better than I can.
Listen for yourself! PART ONE (11 min)  PART TWO (7 min)

TXU Buyout Makes Utility Greener

Good news! NRDC's Climate Center Director David Hawkins tells Betsy how the two private equity firms who are in talks to buy energy giant TXU wanted to talk to Environmental Defense and NRDC about how they could satisfy rising public opposition to proposed coal power plants in Texas.
This is a major victory for grassroots organizing, and the blueprint is clear: citizens make themselves heard in the streets, online, on the air, and in their state capitols; public opposition brings stock prices down; corporations are then forced to meet environmental groups at the bargaining table. Americans, you helped save the air you breathe! LISTEN (11 min)

The 18 Second challenge: Change A Bulb, Change Everything

Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Good Will Hunting, and An Inconvenient Truth Producer Lawrence Bender stops by to talk about his 21st nomination for an Academy Award, and why his global warming movie was more controversial than the ultra-violent flicks he's made in the past. Lawrence is also one of the prime movers and shakers behind the 18 Seconds campaign to get people to set aside 18 seconds of their time to screw in a Compact Flourescent Lightbulb, the gateway drug that will get them hooked on energy conservation: "Naturally you're gonna feel good. So you start to think, 'What else can I do?'"  PART ONE (11 min)  PART TWO (7 min)

Suzzi Paynter & Texas Baptists vs. TXU & Coal-fired Power Plants

Director of the 2.3 million-strong Texas Baptist Christian Life Commision, Suzzi Paynter tells Betsy how, more than anything recent like An Inconvenient Truth, her denomination's efforts to protect Texas from TXU's 18 planned coal-fired power plants is the natural articulation of a faith that requires its faithful to act as stewards of all creation. LISTEN (11 min)

Lisa Margonelli: Oil on the Brain

An antidote to sometimes wonkish energy books, Lisa Margonelli's Oil on the Brain takes the reader from Margonelli's local gas station to an Iranian oil platform in a refreshing up-close and personal style. Here she sits down with Betsy to highlight some of her most revealing journeys. LISTEN (10 min)

Jeff Barrie: Kilowatt Ours

Film maker Jeff Barrie talks about Kilowatt Ours,a plan to reenergize America.
LISTEN (10 min)

Frank O'Donnell on the State of the Union: Cars, Coal, and Corn

EcoTalk's very own Clean Air Correspondent Frank O'Donnell waxes funny and fiery on President Bush's State of the Union speech: "He's starting to talk the talk, but he's a long way from walking the walk. He's tip-toeing in the right direction, but he is not coming forward with any plan at all to actually limit emissions related to global warming." LISTEN (11 min)

ExxonMobil: Manufacturing Uncertainty

Freelance Environmental Journalist Seth Shulman was commisioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists to write a report on the tactics ExxonMobil uses to encourage public skepticism of the dangers posed by climate change. Today the Union of Concerned Scientists released his report titled Smoke, Mirrors, and Hot Air: How Exxon Mobil Uses Big Tobacco's Tactics to Manufacture Uncertainty on Climate Science.  LISTEN (11 min)

Vinod Khosla and Craig Lewis debate Ethanol

Sun Microsystems co-founder and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla backs Ethanol. Craig Lewis of RightCycle Enterprises says "Ethanol is not a smart energy solution." Hear both sides here: LISTEN (8 min)

Daniel Kammen: China takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

As Berkeley Professor Daniel Kammen tells Betsy, it's great that the Chinese government is considering a tax on industrial polluters. Less great, though, is that a coal-fired power plant opens there every ten days. As for the Republic of Texas.... LISTEN (11 MIN)

EU plus Six sign Nuclear Fusion Pact

Yesterday the EU and six other countries announced plans to build a 13 billion dollar Nuclear Fusion reactor in southern France. Fusion technology is far, far from proven (and it's a little unnerving anytime you see the words 'experimental' and 'reactor' together), but if delivered, such a reactor would use no fossil fuels. Anna Aurelio of US Public Interest Research Group offers her take on the pros and cons. LISTEN (11 min)

Craig Morris: Energy Switch, Proven Solutions For A Renewable Future

Energy (of the non-fossilized variety) is a recurring theme here on EcoTalk, but we rarely have a guest as well-versed in all types of renewable energy as Craig Morris. His new book, Energy Switch, makes very useful comparisons between practical, workable models in Germany, and what we need to do right here in the US of A. LISTEN (12 min)

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn: Energy Efficiency as National Defense

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn iluminates the security threats posed by our dependence on oil, and that military personnel want renewable energy and fuel-efficient vehicles. LISTEN (11 min)

Slick Politics: How the oil industry has spent millions to keep California dependent on oil

Emily Rusch of the California Public Interest Research Group shares the finding of its new report: Slick Politics: How the oil industry has spent millions to keep California dependent on oil. It appears that record profits will lead to yet more influence in Washington, and more cynical opposition to rational policies to lead us into a sustainable future. LISTEN (11 min)

Shawnee Hoover: If the US is addicted to Oil, Bush just hired the dealer.

The Bush Administration, in yet another inspired choice, has put former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond in charge of charting the nation's energy future. ExposeExxon's Shawnee Hoover says that's like putting Jack Abramoff in charge of cleaning up politics.
LISTEN (18 min)

Terry Tamminen: Lives per Gallon, the True Cost of our Oil Addiction

Former California State Environmental Advisor Terry Tamminen talks about greening Arnold, the propositions that will keep California at the forefront of sustainable governance, and his forthcoming book Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of our Oil Addiction.
LISTEN (18 min)

John Podesta: Dangers and Opportunities of the Global Energy Crisis

President of the Center for American Progress and former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta calls for citizen, investor, and government action to confront a global energy crisis.
LISTEN

Don 'Quixote' Rumsfeld vs. the Windmills

Sierra Club staff attorney Kristen Henry explains why the Club has filed a lawsuit against the Department Of Defense.
LISTEN (12 min)

From Sierra Magazine: The Low-Carbon Diet

Seth Zuckerman explains in Sierra Magazine about his Low Carbon Diet: From gas gluttony to fuel fitness in three weeks.
LISTEN (12 min)

Go and See An Inconvenient Truth!

NRDC's Daniel Hinerfeld presents An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore and co-producer Laurie David. LISTEN (8 min)
More up to date information in the blog. You can also read the book.

100+MPG

Shana Weber reflects on an ongoing disinformation campaign by the Competitive Institute and Felix Kramer, Founder of CalCars talks  about Plug-In-Hybrids.

LISTEN (7:50 min)

More information on Hybridcars.com

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Meet the coal cow-boy

Montana Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer is in favor of using his state's abundant coal reserves in an environment friendly way. Are synthetic fuels part of the solution to reduce global warming? NRDC's Dave Hawkins chips in. LISTEN (12 min)

James Speth about global warming

James Speth, Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and author of Red Sky at Morning, America and the Crisis of the Global Evironment (2004), joined us in studio to talk about global warming and his call for action in a recent letter to the Editor of the NY Times.

LISTEN (part 1: 11 min)
LISTEN (part 2: 7 min)

Sun's cool threads

Greg Papadopoulos, Executive VP and Chief Technology Officer for
Sun Microsystems discusses Sun's Eco-Responsibility Initiative and the new "cool threads technology" that saves energy and space . Listen (10 min)

1000 barrels a second (part 2)

Peter Tertzakian, energy economist and author of a just released book, A Thousand Barrels A Second – The Coming of the Oil Break Point and the Challenges Facing An Energy Dependent World continues his discussion with Betsy about how to get our society into fuel detox.  Listen (7 min).
Betsy also mentioned Richard Heinberg's "The Party's Over". His mot recent book is "Power Down".

1000 barrels a second

Commentary on this week’s State of the Union is provided by Peter Tertzakian, energy economist and author of a just released book, A Thousand Barrels A Second – The Coming of the Oil Break Point and the Challenges Facing An Energy Dependent World. Listen (3 min)

A renewable energy plan for Hawaii

We'll then take a carbon-free trip to Hawaii and learn about plans underway to make the 50th state first in comprehensive development and use of renewable energy (the islands get a lot of sun power!). We'll get the story direct from Kyle Datta, with the Rocky Mountain Institute , which helped inspire the Aloha State's Republican governor to go green! Listen (7 min)

Top Ecostories of 2005 and green-tinted films

Before 2005 becomes just another bad memory we'll do a quick rewind and name the Top Five Environmental Stories Of The Year with David Roberts, Assistant Editor for our favorite green news website, Grist magazine.

Listen (10 min)

Then on to some better news with Amy Warren, of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency - she'll tell us about a model anti-idling program getting revved up in the Seattle area. Idling tidbits to keep in mind:
On average, a single vehicle dropping off and picking up kids at one school puts three pounds of pollution into the air per month.
Vehicle idling consumes 1/2 to 1 gallon of fuel per hour. Put another way, idling = ZERO mpg. It is more efficient to turn off and restart your car than it is to idle for more than 30 seconds.
Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.  Children's asthma symptoms increase as a result of car exhaust.

Also contributing to this segment is EcoTalk's co-producer Shana Weber talking about commercial truck idling, the new laws in place and new technology that makes it easier to turn those big engines off at night and still stay comfortable in the cab.
Listen (7 min)

Our second half will focus on films with a green tint...first, The End of Suburbia with Julian Darley, founder and director of the Post-Carbon Institute - this DVD is playing at house parties across America and driving housewives to abandon their SUVs en masse (we wish).

Listen (11 min)

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The second film in the EcoTalk spotlight is Syriana. NRDC's Daniel Hinerfeld  critique this geo-political thriller, starring George Clooney. It is a project of Participants production, a different type of producer. The movie is also an opportunity to participate in the Oil Change campaign to reduce our dependance on oil, inspired by the film and organized by NRDC and the Sierra Club.
Listen (7 min)

LISTEN to the whole show (37 min)

 

Oil Vey

So just what WAS accomplished at the U.N. Climate Change conference in Montreal?
We'll find out from New York Times environment reporter, Andrew Revkin.  Andy also lends his voice and musical talent (who knew?) to this week's theme s
song...Liberated Carbon...by his band Uncle Wade.  Listen (11 min)

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Paul Rogers, science reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, will join us for an update on what California is doing to combat global warming while the Bush administration fiddles away.  Listen (7 min)

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In our second half we'll hear  Daniel Nepstad,  senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center and founder of the Amazon Institute of Ecological Research in Brazil, will join us to talk about a devastating drought unfolding in the Brazilian rainforest, most likely the result of climate disruption.  Listen (12 min)

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Last, but not least, Jerome Ringo, new president of the Apollo Alliance , will weigh in on this week's announcement by the Energy Department that the price of oil will continue to rise steadily (surprise!) and so the U.S. must turn to "renewables, like coal and nuclear". Oy to the world.  Listen (7 min)

Arctic refuge and clean vehicles

We'll start by a few moments from the celebration in San Francisco of 35 years of environmental advocacy by NRDC, including a few words by MC Robert Redford. Listen (3 min)

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