Yale Clean Energy Future

In our sixth, and final, episode of the rural energy series, we talk to organizers, entrepreneurs, and scholars to understand how energy has shaped rural western reservations and how tribal nations are taking back power, both figuratively and literally. Our guest for this episode are Jessica Keetso, organizer at Tó Nizhóní Ání, Chéri Smith, founder of Indigenized Energy Initiative, and Kathie Brosemer, a PhD candidate and Environmental Program Manager for the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and if you’ve enjoyed our first series, please leave ratings and comments to help us with future content.

Our fifth episode covers fossil fuel production in rural Western public lands and what alternative revenue sources states that currently rely on extraction royalties could seek. We bring back Dr. Justin Farrell to discuss his home-state of Wyoming, and we introduce Josh Axelrod from NRDC, as well as Julia Stuble from The Wilderness Society.

Join us as we walk through key concepts in environmental justice with Dr. Gerald Torres. He helps us understand how different parts of justice interact and play out in the clean energy space.

In our third episode, we are joined by Shalanda Baker and Bryan Garcia to introduce energy justice. We touch on some of the major energy justice themes from the generation of energy to its use in our homes and lives.

The rural United States has produced the nation’s energy through the extraction of fossil fuel for over a century. What has this practice of extraction and consumption meant for communities, and how can we find meaningful replacements for the fossil fuel industry in rural America? In our second episode, we look at how the Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating the demise of the fossil fuel industry, and how this clean energy transition can bring benefits to rural communities if we use stimulus money to create more jobs. Dr. Laura Bozzi, Governor Phil Bredesen, and Adele Ferranti all contribute to our understanding of an equitable transition for rural communities in this episode.

The rural United States has produced the nation’s energy through the extraction of fossil fuel for over a century. What has this practice of extraction and consumption meant for communities, and how can we find meaningful replacements for the fossil fuel industry in rural America? In our first episode, we talk about the impacts of coal on rural communities and how the pandemic has exacerbated these health effects. We also explain how the cultural significance and long history of the fossil fuel industry has been manipulated to artificially inflate coal’s popularity. Our guests this episode are Yale professors Dr. Laura Bozzi, Dr. Justin Farrell, and Dr. Rob Klee.

Our podcast was created with the idea that information about the clean energy transition should be in the hands of the public. We believe that if executed with equity and inclusivity at its core, the clean energy transition can play a key role in achieving justice, prosperity, and human dignity for all. Given the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic and recent transition of U.S. presidential power, we talk about the impacts of the pandemic on the clean energy transition as well as the opportunities to “Build Back Better.” At the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale [CBEY], our mission when it comes to clean energy, is to inspire and educate interdisciplinary leaders to accelerate the deployment and financing of clean energy. This podcast is one of the many tools in our toolbox to foster greater dialogue, educate the general public on energy, justice, and the transition, and a great excuse for us to keep learning from experts at Yale and beyond. So come learn with us this season as we talk to experts, unpack studies, and figure out how to create a just, equitable, and clean energy future. Please contact us at [email protected] for questions, comments, and feedback!