Resources Radio

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Jonathan Jennings, a meteorologist at the Utah Division of Water Resources and president of the Weather Modification Association. Jennings’s work focuses on cloud seeding, a technology that can reduce hail and increase rainfall or snowfall by introducing chemicals into clouds, yielding more water for agriculture, aquifers, and bodies of water. Jennings outlines the chemistry and physics behind cloud seeding, how much additional precipitation the technology can elicit from clouds, and the scale at which cloud seeding is used. He also speaks to public concerns about modifying weather and shares insights on how experts can better communicate the goals, methods, and impacts of this technology to the public. References and recommendations: “Economic Impacts of Cloud Seeding on Agricultural Crops in North Dakota” by Dean Bangsund and Nancy Hodur; https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/291806 “A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Texas Weather Modification Activities Resulting in an Additional One Inch of Rainfall Across a Region” by Jason L. Johnson; https://perma.cc/ERJ6-HGLZ “Bitter Waters: The Struggles of the Pecos River” by Patrick Dearen; https://www.oupress.com/9780806152011/bitter-waters/

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Brian Kennedy, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. Kennedy focuses on science and society research, studying public attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about science—including energy and environmental issues. Kennedy and a coauthor released survey results about US public opinion on climate change and related issues at the end of 2024. Kennedy discusses how the survey was conducted and shares his insights on the survey’s findings, such as differences in public attitudes toward the clean energy transition; how partisanship is a powerful predictor of views on climate change, climate policy, and even perceptions of extreme weather events; and points of overlap at which Democrats and Republicans share support for certain climate and environmental policies and objectives. References and recommendations: “How Americans View Climate Change and Policies to Address the Issue” by Brian Kennedy and Alec Tyson; https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/12/09/how-americans-view-climate-change-and-policies-to-address-the-issue/ “What the data says about Americans’ views of climate change” by Alec Tyson, Cary Funk, and Brian Kennedy; https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/ “Climate Insights” survey series from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/climateinsights/ “Religious Landscape Study” from Pew Research Center; https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/ “Surveying American Public Opinion on Climate Change, with Jon Krosnick” podcast episode from Resources Radio; https://www.resources.org/resources-radio/surveying-american-public-opinion-on-climate-change-with-jon-krosnick/

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Laura Grant, an associate professor at Claremont McKenna College. Many environmental nonprofit groups have been working to influence policy, but relatively little research has demonstrated how the efforts of these groups shape policy outcomes, and how some groups may support, catalyze, or even substitute for government action. In this episode of Resources Radio, Grant discusses new research that aims to better understand the work of environmental nonprofits, including various methods that environmental groups use to advance progress on key environmental issues, from headline-grabbing protests to litigation and research. References and recommendations: “The Roles of Environmental Groups in Economics” by Laura Grant and Christian Langpap; https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/730902 “Orwell’s Roses” by Rebecca Solnit; http://rebeccasolnit.net/book/orwells-roses/

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Emily Theokritoff, a research associate at Imperial College London. Theokritoff specializes in climate damage attribution—the emerging science of connecting human activity and climate change to extreme weather events. Theokritoff breaks down this evolving field of study, how research that attributes extreme weather events to climate change is conducted, the challenges posed by a lack of historical data in parts of the world, and how scientists deal with uncertainty in determining the causes of past and future events. She also shares her perspective on how scientists in the field of extreme weather attribution are adapting research and communication methods to provide the public with faster, clearer insights in the face of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events. References and recommendations: “Mapped: How climate change affects extreme weather around the world” from Carbon Brief; https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/attribution-studies/index.html

Daniel Poneman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy, dives into the evolving landscape of nuclear energy. He discusses the rising demand for electricity driven by artificial intelligence and the increased viability of nuclear power as a clean energy source. Poneman highlights the revival of historical projects like Three Mile Island, examines modern safety advancements, and addresses public perception shifts. The economic factors influencing the nuclear sector's future are also explored.

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Ann Eisenberg, a professor and research director at the West Virginia University College of Law, about economic challenges facing rural communities in the United States. Eisenberg explains how rural economies that develop around single industries, such as coal or steel, become vulnerable to decline when macroeconomic and societal changes weaken or displace local industries. Eisenberg also discusses examples of successful economic diversification and revitalization; what strategies can be used to support rural communities that are facing economic hardship, including federal policy; and why policies that have strengthened rural economies have bolstered broader national economic stability, as well. References and recommendations: “Reviving Rural America: Toward Policies for Resilience” by Ann M. Eisenberg; https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/reviving-rural-america/E4BEF197D38D1340C3792C635ADF2FE8 “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/demon-copperhead-barbara-kingsolver

In this week’s episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Aaron Cosbey, a senior associate at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, about the future of climate policy in Canada. The newly elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, Mark Carney, has replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister and likely will face Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, in a general election. Cosbey discusses the consequences of these election outcomes for a controversial policy that taxes Canadians for consuming fossil fuels—though this policy also issues rebates of equivalent value, or more, to most Canadians. Cosbey also discusses how the Liberal and Conservative Parties differ in their views on carbon pricing, why the fuel tax on consumers is no longer politically viable, and what emissions-reduction policies Carney may support if the Liberal Party wins a general election. References and recommendations: “The New Abolitionism” by Chris Hayes; https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/new-abolitionism/

In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Resources for the Future Fellow Brian C. Prest about the effects of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. As the world’s leading exporter of LNG, the United States has been ramping up capacity to produce and transport LNG to meet global demand. Prest describes how this increasing trend affects domestic oil and gas prices and the extent to which the federal government influences the production of oil and gas. He also discusses the global and domestic effects of increasing LNG production and exports on emissions, including which kinds of energy US LNG exports are substituting or displacing in other countries, variation in methane emissions across different sites of gas production, and the social cost of these methane emissions. References and recommendations: “Where Does the Marginal Methane Molecule Come From? Implications of LNG Exports for US Natural Gas Supply and Methane Emissions” by Brian C. Prest; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/where-does-the-marginal-methane-molecule-come-from-implications-of-lng-exports-for-us-natural-gas-supply-and-methane-emissions/ “The greenhouse gas footprint of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported from the United States” by Robert W. Howarth; https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ese3.1934 “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/

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls speaks with Carolyn Kousky, associate vice president for economics and policy at Environmental Defense Fund, about the instability of markets for homeowners insurance, especially in states that are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Kousky and Walls explore the key drivers of this instability, including the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, insurance costs, and consequent strain on insurers that must pay more substantial claims. Kousky discusses challenges in the accessibility and affordability of homeowners insurance, along with policy interventions that can support equitable responses to extreme weather events and improve resilience following future disasters. Kousky also introduces her new nonprofit, Insurance for Good, which aims to bridge gaps between research and practice in terms of this affordability, equity, and resilience. References and recommendations: Insurance for Good; https://www.insuranceforgood.org/ “Wildfire Insurance Availability as a Risk Signal” by Xuesong You, Carolyn Kousky, and Ajita Atreya; https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5017469 “Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense” by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/saul-perlmutter-phd/third-millennium-thinking/9780316438308/ “Change: How to Make Big Things Happen” by Damon Centola; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/damon-centola/change/9781549152092/

In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Resources for the Future (RFF) Fellow Yanjun (Penny) Liao about the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, a bipartisan federal law that was first passed in the 1980s. The law is designed to curb development in coastal areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather events and to protect coastal environments. Liao and Walls discuss the effects of the law, including reductions in the amount of development on coastal lands, the amount of federal funding saved by the government through a reduced need for disaster response as a result, and increases in property-tax revenues for counties in designated coastal areas. References and recommendations: “Geeking Out on Geography: Mapping the Effects of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act” by Alexandra Thompson; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/geeking-out-on-geography-mapping-the-effects-of-the-coastal-barrier-resources-act/ “Removing Development Incentives in Risky Areas Promotes Climate Adaptation” by Hannah Druckenmiller, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Sophie Pesek, Margaret Walls, and Shan Zhang; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/removing-development-incentives-in-risky-areas-promotes-climate-adaptation/ “Can Removing Development Subsidies Promote Adaptation? The Coastal Barrier Resources System as a Natural Experiment” by Hannah Druckenmiller, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Sophie Pesek, Margaret Walls, and Shan Zhang; https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/working-papers/can-removing-development-subsidies-promote-adaptation “Managed Retreat and Flood Recovery: The Local Economic Impacts of a Buyout and Acquisition Program” by Wei Guo, Yanjun (Penny) Liao, and Qing Miao; https://www.rff.org/publications/working-papers/flood-recovery-local-economic-impacts-of-buyout-and-acquisition-hurricane-sandy-new-york/ “Making a Market for Acts of God: The Practice of Risk Trading in the Global Reinsurance Industry” by Paula Jarzabkowski, Rebecca Bednarek, and Paul Spee; https://global.oup.com/academic/product/making-a-market-for-acts-of-god-9780199664764