Resources Radio

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) about the reintroduction of the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act. Sponsored by the senator and several colleagues, the legislation would impose a carbon fee on fossil fuels, starting at $52 per metric ton of CO2 emitted. They also discuss the challenges facing our planet’s oceans—a topic of great importance to the senator from the...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Dr. Denise Reed, an internationally recognized expert in coastal marsh sustainability and the role of human activities in modifying coastal systems. They discuss Louisiana's coastal master plan, on which Denise has be an adviser to state officials leading the plan development. This ambitious, long-term planning process has grown even more important in the face of risi...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Dr. Todd Moss, Executive Director of the Energy for Growth Hub. Todd has worked for years at the intersection of energy and economic development, with a focus on developing economies in Africa and elsewhere. They cover two major topics: avoiding the so-called "oil curse" in the nation of Guyana, and supporting economic growth in the developing world by improving energy...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Professor Barry Rabe of the University of Michigan about his new book, "Can We Price Carbon?" Barry shares his insights on some of the real-world challenges for implementing policies that price carbon, and describes some of the key features that might help make them stick. They talk about how experience from previous efforts to price carbon can inform discussions on th...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with RFF Vice President for Land, Water, and Nature Ann M. Bartuska about the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation, so Daniel and Ann discuss some key topics related to land conservation and agricultural research. Ann shares her expertise on those topics, along with the connection between the Farm Bill and forest management, climate change, meatless ha...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Greg Nemet, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Nelson Institute's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. They discuss the future of carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere, with a particular focus on negative emissions technologies. References and recommendations: "How Solar Energy B...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Arvind Ravikumar, assistant professor of Energy Engineering at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania. They discuss methane emissions from oil and natural gas systems, their effect on climate change, new technologies, which can detect and reduce those emissions, and what governments are doing to encourage the deployment of those new technologie...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Dr. Christian Flachsland, head of the Governance Working Group at Germany's Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, and an assistant professor for Climate and Energy Governance at the Hertie School of Governance. They discuss the ongoing carbon pricing debate in Germany, the EU Emissions Trading System (EUETS), and ways to make these policies...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Kim Elena Ionescu, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association. They discuss how coffee producers are likely to be affected by climate change, how they might adapt, and what resources are available to help them make decisions. They also talk about the role that consumers play in this discussion. References and recommendations made by Kim Elena Ione...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Dr. Sarah Mills, senior project manager at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. Sarah and colleagues recently published a study looking at how people perceive the positive and negative impacts of wind energy development. We'll talk about what the study found, what the implications are for state and...

Hosts Kristin Hayes and Daniel Raimi team up to interview Phil Sharp, former Indiana congressman, former president of RFF, and current non-resident fellow at the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy. They ask Phil to share his thoughts on the Green New Deal—the ambitious set of proposals aimed at tackling climate change, inequality, and more. Phil gives his take on the pros and cons of the appr...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Daniel Raimi, host of Resources Radio and a senior research associate at RFF. They discuss Daniel's latest research on the oil and gas industry and his new paper, "The Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Increased US Oil and Gas Production." References and recommendations made by Daniel Raimi: "The Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Increased US Oil and Gas Production" by Daniel Raimi;...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Massimo Tavoni, the director of the RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment and an associate professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. They discuss integrated assessment models, what they are, how they're used in studying climate change, and why they matter for decisionmaking. References and recommendations ma...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Matt Lepore of Adamantine Energy about oil and gas development in Colorado. They'll discuss the controversies surrounding development, how the state has responded, and whether it's done a good enough job. They'll also talk about the results of the statewide election, in which Colorado voters rejected a proposal that would have dramatically restricted new oil and gas de...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Dr. Robert Kopp—Director of the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, a professor at Rutgers University, and co-director at the Climate Impact Lab—about sea level rise. They discuss the latest update on how a changing climate will affect sea levels, and where the major uncertainties lie. Daniel will also ask Robert how he responds when people ask...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Gilbert Metcalf, the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service, a Professor of Economics, and Graduate Program Director at Tufts University's Department of Economics. They discuss his new book, "Paying for Pollution: Why a Carbon Tax is Good for America," why he thinks that a carbon tax is the smartest way to deal with the problem of climate change, an...

Host Kristin Hayes talks with Margaret Walls, a senior fellow at Resources for the Future about her work on the economics of national parks and other public lands, including ways to address ongoing funding needs and overcrowding. They also discuss some of the recent concerns related to national parks and the government shutdown. References and recommendations made by Margaret Walls: "The Hour of L...

Host Daniel Raimi talks with Meghan O’Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, about her recent book "Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America's Power." They discuss energy independence, the US-China relationship, energy ties between Europe and Russia, and much more. References and...

Host Daniel Raimi and Joshua Blonz, a postdoctoral fellow at RFF, talk about his recent research on an energy efficiency program in California, the “principal-agent problem,” and what that means for policymaking on energy efficiency and much more. References and recommendations made by Joshua Blonz: "The Welfare Costs of Misaligned Incentives: Energy Inefficiency and the Principal-Agent Problem" b...

Host Daniel Raimi and RFF's Alan Krupnick and Daniel Sullivan discuss their recent study using satellite data to better measure air pollution in the United States, what the implications are for public health, and how policymakers might respond. References and recommendations made by Alan and Daniel: "Using Satellite Data to Fill the Gaps in the US Air Pollution Monitoring Network" by Daniel Sulliv...

Host Kristin Hayes and Matthew Nisbet, a professor of communication, public policy, and urban affairs at Northeastern University, discuss effective communications related to complex social problems such as climate change and political polarization. References and recommendations made by Matthew Nisbet: Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy by Siva Vaidhyanathan; ht...

Host Daniel Raimi and Dr. Fran Moore of UC Davis talk about the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture, what a recent study authored by Moore and colleagues found, and what these findings mean for estimating the social cost of carbon. References and recommendations made by Fran Moore: "New Science of Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture Implies Higher Social Cost of Carbon" by Frances...

Host Daniel Raimi and RFF Fellow Matthew Wibbenmeyer discuss the recent fires in California, looking not only their causes but also how to mitigate their risk. References and recommendations made by Matthew Wibbenmeyer: The Relationship between Trees and Human Health: Evidence from the Spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, a US Forest Service Study by Geoffrey Donovan et al. https://www.fs.usda.gov/tre...