Returning champions Meg, Logan, and Aurora discuss local ballot initiatives across the U.S. including carbon emissions fees in Washington, proactive water pollution prevention in Montana, fish protections in Alaska, a Floridian combo bill that intertwines vaping and off-shore drilling, and more! As an added bonus, the crew unveils their Halloween costumes for this year—and Aurora’s is quite chilling.
Also, Logan conducts his first interview with Chris Bowman, a graduate student at Michigan. Check out more details below:
Over the summer, Chris Bowman served as an intern for the Rocky Mountain Institute, a prestigious Colorado-based nonprofit that brands itself as a ‘think-and-do’ tank. There, he got plugged-into distribution grid work with solar energy cooperatives, of which there are just under 1,000 in the U.S. Specifically, Bowman focused his efforts on expanding and hastening the transition to renewable energy via market forces.
This fall, Bowman is back at Michigan continuing his graduate education as a proud, “Erber.” The Erb Institute is a dual-degree program through which students earn an MBA from the Ross School of Business as well as a master’s from the School for Environment and Sustainability over the course of three years. Bowman joined the program to gain a deeper understanding of the business, economics, and politics that set the stage for renewable energy markets to perform successfully. He speaks with fervor regarding the broadening transition to photovoltaics and renewables as our host Logan investigates a wide spectrum of topics, from front-of-the-meter generation to greater moral imperatives.
The temperature rises in the studio as Climate Blue experts Sam Basile and Tim Arvan give their hot takes on the recent IPCC report. Basile, a founder and former director of Climate Blue, is now a PhD candidate in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Arvan is the current director of Climate Blue and an ambitious student in the Program in the Environment and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics departments. Climate Blue is a student organization at the University of Michigan that sends an observer delegation to the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC-COP) climate talks.
A significant news item brought to the table by co-host Logan is a surprising environmental commitment made by University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel. Listen as Bella, Logan, Ed and Heena take a closer look!
On Friday, hosts Ed, Bella, and Logan interviewed John Barrie and Monika Goforth in an effort to “shed some light” on the inner machinations of the Mayan Power and Light Program (MPL). The MPL co-founders discuss the origins and motivations for creating the program, which include a desire to contribute to the green economy and create businesses within small communities in Guatemala. Breaks from the show feature Aurora and Tex’s top picks for solar-themed songs.
Want more information? Students who would like to get involved in these projects can volunteer to join them in Detroit or look into opportunities to travel to Guatemala with the team. Check out them out at apptechdesign.org.
Co-hosts Audrey and Heena sat down with artist, educator, activist, and “The POOP Project” creator Shawn Shafner and University of Michigan Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Nancy Love. The two are experts in recycling waste, specifically the “waste” produced by our bodies.
We caught Shawn in the middle of his Assume the Thronetour. He’s been on the road preaching body (and bathroom) positivity. Professor Love caught us up on her and Audrey’s urine-derived fertilizers project. If you’re on the UM campus, the project is accepting donations in the GG Brown building.
