Tag Archives: Green Jobs

Rahwa Ghirmatzion: Green Buffalo Soldier

What’s a great way to lift up an impoverished population within a struggling city where utility bills can cost twice as much as rent itself? Local, engaged clean energy efforts. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to the Deputy Director of PUSH Buffalo, Rahwa Ghirmatzion, about the work that her organization is doing to create jobs and ramp up energy efficiency in the third poorest major city in the U.S. Ghirmatzion tells us about how her organization got its start, how its model has evolved and how PUSH Buffalo is trying to meet rising demands for its services in the face of looming EPA cuts.

Green For All: Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins

livestream-logoPhaedraEllisLamkinsPolitical opponents of the green movement have been depressingly successful not only in attacking the facts that underpin the struggle, but in knocking down some of its most eloquent and powerful figures, relegating to the margins what should be a universal concern: a healthy world that can be sustained into the future.

Our guest today on Sea Change Radio is Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, one of those eloquent and powerful figures. In spite of personal attacks from those who would silence her, Ms. Ellis-Lamkins perseveres in the fight to nurture a green economy that helps to empower traditionally disenfranchised communities.

Picking up where Van Jones left off, Ms. Ellis-Lamkins is the chief executive officer of Green for All, which works to promote the green economy through policy advocacy, networking, engagement of the business community, and by mentoring a new generation of environmentalists of color. She talks about the challenges of breaking into a field dominated by white, middle-class men, how issues of urban poverty and the environment are inextricably tied, and what needs to happen to change the “makers and takers” narrative that pits ideological rhetoric against our shared need for global health.

Van Jones: A Conversation With America’s Green Jobs Guru

This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise speaks with one of the leader’s of a new generation of environmentalists, Van Jones. Jones is the founder of Green For All, an organization that advocates for green-worker training, in addition to two social justice organizations,  the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change.

The author of  the New York Times Bestseller, The Green Collar Economy, Jones served under President Barack Obama as the Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation , and in 2009 was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. Jones is currently a senior fellow at the Center For American Progress, where he leads their Green Opportunity Initiative and is a visiting fellow at Princeton University.

Sea Change Radio talks with Jones about helping make the green jobs movement relevant for all people, identifying the problems with the process and his thoughts on the tactics of those working against progress.

Keeping PACE: A discussion with the founder of the Property Assessed Clean Energy program

This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. PACE is an innovative financing model that helps local governments create green jobs, dramatically reduce carbon emissions and save property owners money on their utility bills. We speak with President of Renewable Funding, Cisco Devries, the founder of the PACE program. We also get additional perspectives into the PACE program from two green energy entrepreneurs whose businesses have benefited greatly from California’s adoption of PACE, Steve Malloy of YoUtilBill and Matt Golden of Recurve.

A Hybrid Model: Co-op and Nonprofits Launch Energy Efficiency Company

Sea Change Radio Radio Co-Hosts Bill Baue and Kelsey Flynn talk to Tom Rossmassler, CEO of Energia, an innovative new energy efficiency company founded by two nonprofits — Nuestras Raices and Nueva Esparanza — and Co-op Power, a consumer cooperative.  And Kelsey profiles the Roots Up Green Jobs program, run by Nuestras Raices and Co-op Power, which will train workers for Energia.
Read the show transcript

The Next Generation in Green Jobs and Energy Efficiency (ReBroadcast)

Energy efficiency and retrofits are in the news.  This week, the Obama Administration released it Recovery through Retrofits report. National Resources Defense Council Building Energy Policy Manager Lane Burt applauded the report’s findings that “retrofitting homes and developing a residential energy efficiency industry can save money, slash carbon emissions, and create jobs right now.” Here in the Pioneer Valley where we produce Sea Change Radio, the Western Mass Green Consortium is sponsoring Project Retrofit to promote deep energy retrofits.  And Sea Change Co-Host Bill Baue was busy these past few weeks editing a report due out soon from Ceres on how investors can support energy efficiency in their real estate portfolios.

AdinMaynardThis week, we dig into the Sea Change archives for a show featuring an interview Baue conducted with Adin Maynard, Director of Operations at Cozy Home Performance, about the company’s participation in the Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income homeowners and its move into deep energy retrofits for mid- and upper-income homeowners.

Read the show transcript

ViewPoint: Van Jones–First Victim of Far Right Fight Against Climate Policy?

FrancescaRheannonVanJones

Co-Host Francesca Rheannon brings us the Sea Change ViewPoint that digs deeper into the controversy behind Van Jones‘ resignation as Special Advisor on Green Jobs for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Read the show transcript

A Summer of Sea Change Radio

Labor Day’s come and gone, and the leaves are starting to turn color here in New England, so we at Sea Change are highlighting some of our summer programming.  We focused a lot on sustainable agriculture, economic alternativesgreen jobs, and the climate crisis.  Check out some of our summer shows below.

Read the show transcript

Urban Agriculture: Sprouting Farms on Rooftops and Empty Lots

Ippy3Alice

Sea Change Radio returns for a second week’s coverage of the 35th Annual Conference of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA.) Sea Change Co-Host Bill Baue speaks with Gardening the Community (GtC) Director Ippy Amatul-Wadud and her sister Qamaria about this project of NOFA Massachusetts that teaches youth about organic farming in the city.  And he also speaks with Top Sprouts co-founders Alice Leung and Akshay Kolte about their startup company that puts greenhouses atop downtown buildings.

Read the show transcript

The Next Generation in Green Jobs and Energy Efficiency

PatriciaMossAdinMaynard

Sea Change Radio explores on-the-ground work in green collar jobs and energy efficiency retrofits.  Francesca Rheannon speaks with Patricia Moss, Project Manager of  Groundwork Springfield, and the Green Team of teens and young adults working in green jobs.  And Bill Baue speaks with Adin Maynard, Director of Operations at Cozy Home Performance, about the company’s participation in the Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income homeowners and its move into deep energy retrofits for mid- and upper-income homeowners.

Read the show transcript