Resources Radio Resources for the Future

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Micah Ziegler, an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, about the science, policy, and economics behind electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This episode continues a multipart series on EVs, which covers some of the most practical matters that EV users need to know. In this second episode of the series, Ziegler discusses the history of the development of EV batteries (which might be longer than you think), the materials that are used in batteries, and technological advancements that have improved battery efficiency over the past century. Ziegler also highlights policy tools that may be especially effective at reducing the costs of clean energy technologies such as EV batteries. Future episodes will dive deeper on charging stations and road trips—stay tuned for those. And as you listen, please let us know if we’ve missed any questions that you’re curious about; we may address those in a future podcast episode or blog post. And if you’d rather not spin your wheels on this topic, then tune back in after a few weeks, when we’ll return to our normally scheduled programming, which covers all kinds of matters related to environmental economics.

References and recommendations:

“Re-examining rates of lithium-ion battery technology improvement and cost decline” by Micah S. Ziegler and Jessika E. Trancik; https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ee/d0ee02681f

“Determinants of lithium-ion battery technology cost decline” by Micah S. Ziegler, Juhyun Song, and Jessika E. Trancik; https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/ee/d1ee01313k

“Evaluating the causes of cost reduction in photovoltaic modules” by Goksin Kavlak, James McNerney, and Jessika E. Trancik; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421518305196?via%3Dihub

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301943/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-by-eric-carle/

“All the World” by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/All-the-World/Liz-Garton-Scanlon/9781481431217

“Energy Firms, Green Groups and Others Reach Deal on Solar Farms” by Ivan Penn; https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/business/energy-environment/solar-farm-agreement.html

“Americans don’t hate living near solar and wind farms as much as you might think” by Allyson Chiu, Emily Guskin, and Scott Clement; https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/10/03/solar-panels-wind-turbines-nimby/

“Demand for minerals sparks fear of mining abuses on Indigenous peoples’ lands” by Julia Simon; https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1226125617/demand-for-minerals-sparks-fear-of-mining-abuses-on-indigenous-peoples-lands

“The U.S. is expanding CO2 pipelines. One poisoned town wants you to know its story” by Julia Simon; https://www.npr.org/2023/05/21/1172679786/carbon-capture-carbon-dioxide-pipeline

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Sebastian Blanco, editor-in-chief at SAE Media Group and a journalist on the automotive and vehicle-technology beat. This episode jump-starts a multipart series on electric vehicles (EVs), including the most practical matters that EV users need to know. In this first episode of the series, Blanco discusses the foundations of EV ownership. He covers different EV makes and models, the logistics of charging EVs at home and on the road, pro tips for locating charging stations through smartphone apps and other resources, and insights on EV maintenance based on his experience. Future episodes dive deeper on battery technology, charging stations, and driver experience. Listen in and stay tuned for those additional episodes in this series! Please let us know if we’ve missed any questions that you’re curious about; we may address those in a future podcast episode or blog post. And if you’re not interested in EV-ery detail, then tune back in after a few weeks, when we’ll return to our normally scheduled programming, which covers all kinds of topics in environmental economics.

References and recommendations:

PlugShare app for electric vehicle charging infrastructure; https://www.plugshare.com/

Flo app for electric vehicle charging infrastructure; https://www.flo.com/products/software/flo-mobile-app/

Alternative Fuels Data Center from the US Department of Energy; https://afdc.energy.gov/

“Transport Evolved” YouTube series; https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved

“State of Charge” YouTube series; https://www.youtube.com/StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Travis Roach, an associate professor and director of the Central Policy Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma, about how the prevalence of air pollution may increase the incidence of fatal traffic accidents in the United States. Roach discusses the characteristics of airborne particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in diameter or less, which is air pollution known as PM2.5; the sources of PM2.5, including coal- and natural gas–fired power plants, vehicle tailpipe emissions, and wildfire smoke; the negative effects of PM2.5 exposure on physical health and cognitive functioning; and policies and technologies that can help reduce public exposure to PM2.5.

References and recommendations:

“Negative Externalities of Temporary Reductions in Cognition: Evidence from Particulate Matter Pollution and Fatal Car Crashes” by Anne M. Burton and Travis Roach; https://annemburton.com/pages/working_papers/Burton_Roach_Pollution.pdf

PurpleAir sensors and maps that measure air-quality data

“Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design” by Benjamin Vogt; https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p086779

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Fernando Vidal, a postdoctoral researcher at the Polymat research institute in Spain, about technological and policy options to create a more sustainable plastics economy. Vidal discusses the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle of plastics, changes to the chemical makeup and recycling of plastics that could reduce the impact of plastics on communities and the environment, and international efforts to reduce the negative impacts of the plastics economy. Vidal shares recommendations for a more sustainable plastics economy from an article that he coauthored, which recently was published in the journal “Nature.”

References and recommendations:

“Designing a circular carbon and plastics economy for a sustainable future” by Fernando Vidal, Eva R. van der Marel, Ryan W. F. Kerr, Caitlin McElroy, Nadia Schroeder, Celia Mitchell, Gloria Rosetto, Thomas T. D. Chen, Richard M. Bailey, Cameron Hepburn, Catherine Redgwell, and Charlotte K. Williams; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06939-z

“Nudes in Nature” photography exhibit by Laura Aguilar at the Phoenix Art Museum; https://phxart.org/exhibition/laura-aguilar/

Photographer Laura Aguilar; https://www.lauraaguilarphotography.com/

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Brad Harris, the director of government affairs at Resources for the Future, about the increasing demand for electricity in the United States. Harris discusses the main sources of this surge in electricity demand, also known as load growth; the challenges that load growth poses to goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that have been set by utilities and the United States; and tools available to utilities and policymakers that can help meet growing demand and mitigate the effects of load growth on ratepayers and emissions.

References and recommendations:

“Harlan County, USA” documentary; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_County,_USA

“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” documentary; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron:_The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_Room

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Lisa Rennels, a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, about a class of synthetic industrial chemicals used in air-conditioners, refrigerators, and other technologies: hydrofluorocarbons. Rennels discusses the proliferation of these chemicals in recent decades, the cost of hydrofluorocarbon emissions to society, the feedback loop between global warming and increased use of these chemicals for air-conditioning, and global efforts to reduce the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons.

References and recommendations:

“The social costs of hydrofluorocarbons and the benefits from their expedited phase-down” by Tammy Tan, Lisa Rennels, and Bryan Parthum; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01898-9

“Comprehensive Evidence Implies a Higher Social Cost of CO₂” by Kevin Rennert, Frank Errickson, Brian C. Prest, Lisa Rennels, Richard G. Newell, William Pizer, Cora Kingdon, Jordan Wingenroth, Roger Cooke, Bryan Parthum, David Smith, Kevin Cromar, Delavane Diaz, Frances C. Moore, Ulrich K. Müller, Richard J. Plevin, Adrian E. Raftery, Hana Ševčíková, Hannah Sheets, James Stock, Tammy Tan, Mark Watson, Tony E. Wong, and David Anthoff; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/comprehensive-evidence-implies-a-higher-social-cost-of-co2/

“The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear” by Paul Rogat Loeb; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/paul-rogat-loeb/the-impossible-will-take-a-little-while/9780465038589

“Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet” by Hannah Ritchie; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hannah-ritchie/not-the-end-of-the-world/9780316536752/

“Are we the last generation—or the first sustainable one?” TED Talk by Hannah Ritchie; https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_ritchie_are_we_the_last_generation_or_the_first_sustainable_one

“The High Sierra: A Love Story” by Kim Stanley Robinson; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-high-sierra/9780316306812