Resources Radio

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Matt Chambers, a researcher at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems at the University of Georgia, about managing floods with nature-based solutions. Chambers discusses the history of levee systems in the United States, the challenges that the widespread use of levees have presented, and approaches to floodplain management that help restore ecosystems while improving community resilience to flooding. He also discusses the economic analysis that informs floodplain management and the evolution of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a key decisionmaker in the management of US rivers. References and recommendations: “Nature-based solutions for leveed river corridors” by Matthew L. Chambers, Charles B. van Rees, Brian P. Bledsoe, David Crane, Susana Ferreira, Damon M. Hall, Rod W. Lammers, Craig E. Landry, Donald R. Nelson, Matt Shudtz, and Burton C. Suedel; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213305423000504 “Engineering with Nature” podcast; https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/podcasts/ “The Control of Nature” by John McPhee; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374522599/thecontrolofnature “An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; https://www.beacon.org/An-Indigenous-Peoples-History-of-the-United-States-P1164.aspx “The Gift of Good Land” by Wendell Berry; https://www.counterpointpress.com/books/the-gift-of-good-land/ “The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise” by Michael Grunwald; https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Swamp/Michael-Grunwald/9780743251075

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Nafisa Lohawala, a fellow at Resources for the Future, about sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Lohawala discusses the climate impact of the aviation industry, different types of SAFs, and the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that SAFs can help achieve. Lohawala also discusses policies that support the adoption of SAFs, including international agreements and financial incentives in the United States. References and recommendations: “Alternative Fuels for Reducing the Contribution of Aviation to Climate Change” by Nafisa Lohawala, Michael A. Toman, and Emily Joiner; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/alternative-fuels-for-reducing-the-contribution-of-aviation-to-climate-change/ “Promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Considerations for Policymakers” by Nafisa Lohawala; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/promoting-sustainable-aviation-fuels-considerations-for-policymakers “Supporting Policies for Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Key Areas for Further Research” by Nafisa Lohawla and Michael A. Toman; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/supporting-policies-for-sustainable-aviation-fuels-key-areas-for-further-research “Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me)” by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/mistakes-were-made-but-not-by-me-third-edition-carol-tavriselliot-aronson?variant=40825034276898 “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks/

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Seanicaa Edwards Herron, founder and executive director of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation, about challenges facing Black farmers in the United States. Herron discusses historical and systemic barriers that Black farmers have encountered, and continue to encounter, in the US agricultural industry. Their conversation covers access to land, capital, and markets; the importance of government programs that are tailored to support Black farmers; and the mission of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation to bridge gaps in the agricultural industry between Black farmers and the markets that Black farmers tap to sell their products. References and recommendations: “Minority Food Producers in the Climate Transition” webinar from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/events/environmental-justice-series/minority-producers-in-the-climate-transition/ Exposure event series from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/topics/environmental-justice/exposure-2024/ Season 3 of “The Heist” podcast; https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/the-heist/theheist-season3/ “Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land” film; https://gaininggroundthefilm.com/

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Pat Layton, director of the Wood Utilization + Design Institute at Clemson University, about the resurgence in constructing buildings with wood and, in particular, with mass timber. Layton discusses the development and adoption of mass timber in the United States, along with the environmental and architectural benefits of integrating mass timber into construction projects. Layton also discusses the manufacturing process for mass timber and the fire resistance and structural strength of the material compared to more mainstream building materials, such as steel and concrete. References and recommendations: Woodworks map of mass timber projects; https://www.woodworks.org/resources/mapping-mass-timber/ Mass Timber Business Case Studies; https://www.woodworks.org/resources/mass-timber-business-case-studies/ Cost comparisons of building with mass timber vs other materials; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIcr0R3w9ZQ Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center, a building created with mass timber; https://www.thinkwood.com/construction-projects/andy-quattlebaum-outdoor-education-center Building projects that use wood and mass timber as the main material; https://www.woodworks.org/award-gallery/