Episode 40: Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal with Alex Barron and Aaron Strong

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Alexander Barron (left) and Aaron Strong (right)

Guests:
Alexander Barron, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Policy
Smith College
LinkedIn | Bio

Aaron Strong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Hamilton College
LinkedIn | Bio

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability at Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode we interview two professors and researchers discussing a recently published paper in the peer-reviewed journal One Earth entitled: “Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal: Lessons for institutional climate action from U.S. Higher education.” You’ll hear lead author Alex Barron of Smith College and co-author Aaron Strong from Hamilton College discuss their study of U.S. schools that have announced that they have achieved carbon neutrality. This work was co-authored with Maya Domeshek and Lucy Metz (recent Smith College graduates who worked on the paper) and Laura Drauker (formerly of Amherst College, now at the Boston-based non-profit Ceres), and reflects feedback and input from many other sustainability practitioners.

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Episode 38: The Political Economy of Higher Ed with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou

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Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou

Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou

Guest:
Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou
Energy Systems Strategist -
SMITHGROUP

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode, we talk with with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou, Energy Systems Strategist at SmithGroup. The discussion focuses on what higher education can expect from federal, state and local governments in the near term, but also a broader discussion about the politics and business model of higher ed. itself.  She both challenges conventional ideas and paints a compelling vision for a sustainable future for higher education and the communities in which they operate.

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Episode 35: The Eco Performance Office with Ron Herbst

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Ron Herbst, Vice President, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Ron Herbst, Vice President, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Guests:
Ron Herbst
Vice President, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

What can a higher education institution learn from an international bank? In this episode, we talk to Brailsford & Dunlavey’s own Ron Herbst, whose long and varied career in energy eventually led him to work with Deutsche Bank establishing and managing their Eco Performance Management Office (PMO.) An EcoPMO is a team that coordinates all of the functions needed to achieve an organization’s sustainability goals.

As the son of a blue-collar inventor, Ron felt drawn to the energy and sustainability world from a young age and wanted to be what he calls a “building energy efficiency doctor.”

Ron discusses his time at Deutsche with Dave how he applies what he learned about balancing institutional needs with sustainability goals to colleges and universities. In addition, we also discuss how to balance the needs of various institution stakeholders in order to reach those goals.

Resources:

  • The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): https://www.aashe.org/

  • US Department of Energy - Better Buildings Partnership: https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/challenge

  • Second Nature: https://secondnature.org/

  • Rocky Mountain Institute: https://rmi.org/our-work/buildings/

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Episode 34: GeoMicroDistrict: an alternative future for Natural Gas - HEET

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Zeyneb Magavi, Co-Executive Director of HEET and Audrey Schulman, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of HEET

Zeyneb Magavi, Co-Executive Director of HEET and Audrey Schulman, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of HEET

Guests:
Zeyneb Magavi
Co-Executive Director, HEET

Audrey Schulman
Co-founder and Co-Executive Director, HEET

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Co-executive directors of the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), Zeyneb Magavi and Audrey Schulman both entered the climate change fight as mothers concerned for the futures of their children. In this episode, they share the history of their work on fixing super-emitting natural gas leaks in their neighborhood and across the state of Massachusetts. They tell the story of building relationships with natural gas utility executives to make a meaningful reduction in GHG emissions which led to the next major challenge: What is the future of a natural gas systemin a world that needs to eliminate the use of fossil fuels? We discuss HEET’s role in developing the GeoMicroDistrict, a neighborhood-scale renewable energy network for heating and cooling buildings. They explain the technology but also how its alternative business model offers a cost-effective path forward for our utility companies and their workers as we replace our aging natural gas infrastructure.

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Episode 25: Losing Steam - Carleton College’s Energy Transition

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Martha Larson, Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability at Carleton College

Martha Larson, Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability at Carleton College

Guests:

Martha Larson
Campus Energy and Sustainability Manager, Carleton College

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Principal, Fovea, LLC

Carleton College has been getting into hot water — but in the best way possible. 

Listen to this episode to hear Martha Larson, Carleton’s manager of campus energy and sustainability, discuss the college’s process for replacing its 20th century steam system with a geothermal-based district energy system. The new system will allow the campus to use heat pumps and the earth’s consistent 50 degree Fahrenheit temperature to help regulate heating and cooling on campus more efficiently. Larson dives into the physics that make the system work, the planning and approval process for the project, and how the new system will help Carleton meet its future sustainability goals in a discussion with host Dave Karlsgodt.

Resources:

  • Carleton College’s Utility Master Plan: go.carleton.edu/geothermal

    • Go here for more charts and graphs, photos, FAQs, project updates and more

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Episode Transcript:

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Episode 25: Losing Steam: Carleton College's Energy Transition - Transcript