The Just Solutions Podcast

Fifteen years ago, the Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy (CEED) was founded in Minneapolis by a group of researchers, educators, and community activists to support communities, especially the most vulnerable, in ensuring their needs and realities are reflected in energy and environmental solutions.  Over the years, CEED has helped build grassroots networks and coalitions that drive strategi...

The fossil fuel industry is one of the richest in the world. As of April 2026, the top 100 oil and gas companies banked $30 million/hour while worsening the climate crisis. Yet taxpayers and consumers are bearing the costs through rising home insurance rates, utility bills, and damages from extreme weather.  Earlier this year, the Illinois Make Polluters Pay Act (SB3362) was introduced in the stat...

Between 2023 and 2026, there was a 22.3% increase in the number of local ordinances restricting clean energy development across the United States. These ordinances are a major obstacle to communities that would economically benefit the most from a clean energy transition. Federico (Fede) Holm, Ph. D., M.S., Research Scientist at the Center for Progressive Reform, joins Just Solutions to unpack why...

Deric Gruen, a Senior Fellow at Just Solutions, brings sufficiency into the energy transition conversation and explains how this approach can cultivate economic resiliency and overall well-being. In this episode, we explore the idea of consumption as it relates to climate justice, public policy, and cultural mindsets.    During more than 20 years leading visionary change in Washington State, Deric...

John Farrell, the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, gave us a breakdown of the history of utilities and how they are structured in this episode of The Just Solutions Podcast. We cover investor-owned utilities, the problem of monopolies, and how excessive utility profit rates are keeping bills high. Towards the end, we get into what we can do about this: how can we build power f...

In this episode, we joined our Senior Director of Research and Policy, Elena Krieger, PhD., at the start of the winter season. This is a time in which household energy costs peak and energy burden takes a greater toll due to increased heating. We discussed the impacts of cuts to bill assistance programs, how we can address affordability while still driving clean energy, and how strategies to syste...

In this episode, we sat down with some of the Senior Fellows at Just Solutions and asked them what, why, and how. What are you witnessing in your community as our country faces unprecedented attacks and rollback of support from the federal government? Why did we end up where we are today? And how can organizers in progressive social movements shift their strategies to build a multiracial democracy...

Towards the end of last year, we recorded several interviews that were set to be released, interviews filled with powerful insights. But then, the political and social landscape shifted dramatically. So, instead of letting those conversations remain unheard, we're bringing you a look back that leads us into the future. This episode is also a preview of both our core focuses of the upcoming season...

In this episode, we explore the environmental justice challenges facing Detroit residents and the innovative, community-led solutions tackling these issues. Our guest, Anika Goss-Foster, Chief Executive Officer of Detroit Future City—a think-and-do tank focused on land use, sustainability, community development, and economic equity in Detroit—joins us for an engaging discussion. Together, we refle...

In this episode, we unpack the results of the 2024 elections and their implications for climate policy. We are joined by Steve Phillips, a national political leader, bestselling author, and columnist. Through a race-conscious lens, Steve shares historical and current analysis of race in America, examining how we arrived at this moment, the significance of the election, and how we can reshape our s...

In this episode, we examine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its critical role in environmental justice policy. NEPA remains one of the foundational laws for environmental protection, but to fully safeguard EJ communities, it's essential that their priorities, values, and expertise shape how NEPA is implemented. We're joined by Hannah Perls, Senior Staff Attorney with the Harvard E...

In this episode, we explore the role of hydrogen energy in frontline communities of Northwest Indiana, examining the region's environmental landscape and the challenges posed by industrial pollution. We speak with Susan Thomas, Legislative & Policy Director and Press Secretary of Just Transition Northwest Indiana, about the impact of hydrogen on her community and the development of the Midwest...

In this episode, we delve into the pivotal role of community-engaged research in the environmental justice movement. We explore the insights and strategies presented in the recently released book, "Ground Truths: Community-Engaged Research for Environmental Justice," which offers a comprehensive guide for conducting impactful research and amplifying community voices. Our guest host, Zully Juarez,...

In this episode, we delve into the pre-existing economic, health, and infrastructure conditions that heighten the vulnerability of frontline communities to environmental and climate impacts. Our guests, Zully Juarez (she/her), Senior Research & Policy Analyst at Just Solutions, and Jennifer Moon (she/her), Senior Researcher at Just Solutions, provide insights into the factors that have exacerb...

In this episode, we discuss the limitations and potential drawbacks of "clean" technology in addressing climate justice, exploring how these solutions fall short without a deeper cultural and ecological reckoning. Joined by Dr. Denise Fairchild, president emeritus of Emerald Cities Collaborative and a ClimateBreakthrough 2021 Awardee, we reevaluate the role of clean technology in achieving true cl...

In this episode, we explore the significant progress of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) historic environmental justice grants. Our guests, Alexandra Gallo, Special Advisor at the EPA and a lead architect of the Community Change Grants Program, and Dr. Larissa Mark, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and IRA Staff Lead for the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, discus...

In Season 1 of the Just Solutions Podcast we covered many innovative community-created solutions and dug into technical issue like nuclear energy and carbon capture, and we explored the intersection of climate justice issues with the priorities of BIPOC, immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. We are thrilled to launch season 2 of the Just Solutions Podcast, with so many more exciting and relevant discu...

In this episode, we discuss the basics of hydrogen technology, examining how it works and its implications for environmental justice communities. We're joined by Dr. Arjun Makhijani (he/him), President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, to discuss where hydrogen technologies fit in the energy transition and the risks associated with relying too heavily on technology solutions...

In this episode, we explore the connection between climate justice and immigration, examining the specific challenges faced by immigrant communities in the face of climate disasters. We are joined by Ahmed Gaya (he/they), Director of the Climate Justice Collaborative at the National Partnership for New Americans, who breaks down key vulnerabilities for immigrant communities and how differences in...

In this episode, we analyze the intersection of 2SLGBTQI+ identity and climate justice, exploring the unique vulnerabilities and potential opportunities for policy intervention for these communities. Our guest host Idalmis Vaquero (she/her), Senior Policy Analyst at Just Solutions, speaks to Leo Goldsmith (he/they), a climate & health scientist and doctoral student at the Yale School of the En...

In this episode, we delve into the fundamentals of the electricity grid and its implications for environmental justice communities. As debates surrounding clean energy and climate change increase, understanding the grid's role becomes increasingly critical. We speak with Lew Daly, Senior Fellow at Just Solutions as he sheds light on the intersection of energy justice and grid resilience and highli...

In this episode, we delve into the critical issue of water access and safety in the U.S. and how related policies impact environmental justice communities. We are joined by Jeremy Orr, Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships at Earthjustice, who sheds light on the pressing challenges faced by BIPOC-Frontline communities in accessing safe, clean, and quality water. We discuss how existing...

As the frequency of climate disasters increases, the cumulative impacts of environmental, economic, and social problems make the burdens and effects of these disasters and the recovery process worse for Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people with lower incomes. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Cristina Muñoz de la Torre, Senior Researcher at Just Solutions, exploring the nuances of disas...

The Inflation Reduction Act's tax credit opportunities represent a significant aspect of the IRA and account for the majority of the policy's spending commitments to communities and individuals. In this episode, we speak with Sylvia Chi, Senior Policy Analyst at Just Solutions, about exactly how the tax credits and related programming impact BIPOC-Frontline EJ Communities. Join us as we examine th...

Electric vehicles play a crucial role in fostering a just transition that broadens communities' access to healthier transportation choices. However, electric vehicle policies and implementation strategies must center the needs and priorities of environmental justice communities in order to truly be equitable and effective. In this episode, we speak with Janelle London and Matthew Metz, Co-Executiv...