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

Episode 24: Sustainable Food Systems at UNC-Chapel Hill

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Laura Mindlin, Claire Lorch, and Scott Myers of UNC-Chapel Hill

Laura Mindlin, Claire Lorch, and Scott Myers of UNC-Chapel Hill

Guests:

Claire Lorch
Garden Manager and Education Coordinator, Carolina Campus Community Garden

Laura Mindlin
Coordinator, Edible Campus UNC

Scott Myers
Director of Auxiliary Services, UNC-Chapel Hill

Host: Kaia Findlay
Podcast and Communications Manager, Campus Energy and Sustainability Podcast

Feeding a campus is no small task. Tackling sustainability in that campus’ food system -- a system that encompasses the growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption and disposal of food -- isn’t either.

In this episode, the Campus Energy and Sustainability Podcast’s new manager, Kaia Findlay, explores what makes food systems sustainable at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with three interviewees, each working with a different food-related organization on campus: Laura Mindlin, coordinator for Edible Campus UNC; Claire Lorch, garden manager and education coordinator for the Carolina Campus Community Garden; and Scott Myers, director of auxiliary services for UNC. The interviewees discuss the role their organization plays in the food system on campus and their efforts in sustainability, and as a group they reveal how the campus has addressed a variety of food-related issues and challenges.

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Episode 24: Sustainable Food Systems at UNC-Chapel Hill - Transcript

Episode 23: Social Justice and Sustainability - with Mary Annaïse Heglar

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Mary Annaïse Heglar, director of publications at the National Resources Defense Council, & Nick McCreary, sustainability coordinator at Indiana State University

Mary Annaïse Heglar, director of publications at the National Resources Defense Council, & Nick McCreary, sustainability coordinator at Indiana State University

Guest: Mary Annaïse Heglar
Director of Publications, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Guest Host: Nicholas McCreary
Sustainability Coordinator, Indiana State University

Turn off lights when you’re not using them. Take shorter showers. Bike to work. These three actions are all recommendations for people trying to make sustainable decisions. But why not also volunteer for a human rights organizations, or go to a protest?

In this episode, guest host Nicholas McCreary, sustainability coordinator for Indiana State University, talks with Mary Annaïse Heglar, director of publications at the National Resources Defense Council, about why it’s important to move sustainability conversations beyond recycling and conserving water and into the realm of social justice. They discuss the similarities between the roots of climate change and racial injustice, climate change disproportionately impacts minority communities and how the climate movement can move forward by embracing a climate justice approach.

We hope this episode will challenge you to think about why climate issues exist and deeper your understanding of the social pillar of sustainability.

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Episode 23: Social Justice and Sustainability - Transcript

Episode 22: Renewable Fuels Drive Education and an Artistic Revolution in Jackson County

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Timm Muth, Director of the Jackson County Green Energy Park

Timm Muth, Director of the Jackson County Green Energy Park

Guests:

Timm Muth
Director, Jackson County Green Energy Park
Dillsboro, North Carolina

Host: Sarah Barr
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In this episode, we’ll travel to rural Dillsboro, North Carolina nestled in the southern Appalachian Mountains, where a small county landfill and a passionate engineer are transforming the community’s perspective on waste. They’re using methane to power the Jackson County Green Energy Park, an arts facility offering glassblowing, metalworking, and ceramics classes and studio spaces. From reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to revitalizing heritage arts and stimulating tourism, to offering educational opportunities for children, college students, and even retirees, the Jackson County Green Energy Park is truly a centerpiece of its community. Join myself and guest Timm Muth this episode as we explore a variety of ways small communities and college campuses can make the most their waste resources, simultaneously achieving environmental, educational, and social equity goals.

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Episode 22: Renewable Fuels Drive Education and an Artistic Revolution in Jackson County - Transcript

Episode 21: Institutionalizing Sustainability for Real Change - Live at CHESC 2019

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(top) Jillian Buckholz, Mackenzie Crigger (bottom) Nurit Katz, Joseph Fullerton

(top) Jillian Buckholz, Mackenzie Crigger
(bottom) Nurit Katz, Joseph Fullerton

Guests:

Jillian Buckholz
Director of Sustainability
California State University — East Bay
Mackenzie Crigger
Energy Conservation and Sustainability Manager
Chapman University
Nurit Katz
Chief Sustainability Officer
University of California — Los Angeles
Joseph Fullerton
Energy and Sustainability Manager
San Mateo County Community College District

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Principal, Fovea, LLC

Production Assistant: Kaia Findlay
Intern, Campus Energy and Sustainability Podcast

In this episode, you'll hear a live recording of a panel discussion at the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, which took place earlier this summer at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  It was great to be back at this conference again. Regular listens may remember Episode 13 which we recorded at CHESC in 2018. While that episode focused on Aggressive Climate Action,  this year, we focused on the idea of institutionalizing sustainability. We tried to deconstruct some of the tactics, traits and tricks that our panelists, who are all rock star sustainability professionals, use to move beyond running pilot projects and underfunded awareness campaigns to leveraging the full power of the world-class institutions that they work within.

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Episode Transcript:

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Episode 21: Institutionalizing Sustainability for Real Change - Live at CHESC 2019 - Transcript