Tag Archives: green technology

Solar Power To The People

Solar power is an essential part of the green technology revolution, a movement that has the potential to create jobs that are good for the community and the environment. But when we think about who’s actually benefitting from solar right now, it tends to be mid-to-upper income individuals and households. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to two women whose organizations are creating templates to make solar power an equitable component of a carbon-free tomorrow.

First, we hear from Erica Mackie, the co-founder of GRID Alternatives, a non-profit solar installer that focuses on getting solar electricity to low income families. Then, host Alex Wise speaks with Jeanine Cotter, the CEO of Luminalt, a San Francisco-based solar installer that hires much of its workforce through local community based organizations. Both women envision a solar industry that benefits a wider swath of the community and offers working people a fair living wage.

Red Lights on the Road to Green Innovation

In the first half of the 21st Century, discussions about the future of energy abound. Engineers are in hot pursuit of new technologies that will provide green, inexpensive energy. But how new are they really?

This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio is Alexis Madrigal, whose new book, Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology, unearths a number of green technologies that emerged in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Despite their promise, these early attempts to use solar water heating, electric cars, and wind power fell flat. This week on Sea Change Radio, find out about these innovations and learn why Alexis Madrigal remains optimistic despite America’s history of false starts.