Infinite Earth Radio – weekly conversations with leaders building smarter, more sustainable, and equitable communities – Details, episodes & analysis

Urban Resilience Series – our modern food system

Kevin D. Walker grew up farming and has seen almost every facet of agriculture firsthand, working in agribusiness, at the US Department of Agriculture, overseas with international nonprofits, and as a professor at Michigan State University. He has served on committees with the National Academies Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, and as a consultant to foreign governments and the World Trade Organization.

The Grand Food Bargain and the Mindless Drive for More (Publication Date: March 26, 2019) provides a powerful look at the global consequences of America’s modern food system. In it, Kevin D. Walker combines a lifetime of food system experience with pivotal research to craft a sweeping history of our relationship with food. The result is a stunning indictment of a system that prioritizes volume over nutrition, low costs over livable wages, and blinds consumers to harmful effects ranging from polluted rivers and food waste to obesity and disappearing species.

Resources:

The Grand Food Bargain and the Mindless Drive for More by Kevin D. Walker

Island Press Urban Resilience Project

Download the Island Press Urban Resilience Project’s new, free e-book Resilience Matters: Strengthening Communities in an Era of Upheaval

Adaptation and Livable Communities Series – adaptation and the national climate assessment

Robert Lempert is a principal researcher at the RAND Corporation and Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition. His research focuses on risk management and decision-making under conditions of deep uncertainty, with an emphasis on climate change, energy, and the environment.

Lempert is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a chapter lead for the US National Climate Assessment and for the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He was the Inaugural EADS Distinguished Visitor in Energy and Environment at the American Academy in Berlin and the inaugural president of the Society for Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty. A professor of policy analysis in the Pardee RAND Graduate School, Lempert is an author of the book Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Longer-Term Policy Analysis.

Lempert received his Ph.D. in applied physics and S.M. in applied physics and science policy from Harvard University.

Kemble currently lives in Midtown Sacramento.

Resources:

Local Government Commission 

Smart Growth and Livable Communities Series – building relationships and keeping rural communities rural

Kim Dolbow Vann brings more than 20 years of experience and dedication to economic development and the improvement of rural life. As USDA Rural Development State Director, Vann oversees a $6.7 billion portfolio, more than 40 programs and 18 offices resulting in average annual investments of $1 billion into rural California. Previously, Vann spent eleven years as a Colusa County Supervisor representing the first district. During her tenure she served as the chair of Rural County Representatives of California, and led the charge on all federal and state issues that affect the state’s rural counties. In addition, from 2016-2017 Vann served as the chair of Sites Reservoir Joint Powers Authority, leading the new public private partnership in creating an above-ground water storage facility in rural Colusa County.

Resources:

United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development – California

Find California Rural Development on Twitter @CaliforniaRD

Local Government Commission 

What’s Driving the Affordability Problem

[01:53] Mike shares how to register for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

[02:04] Mike describes the Infinite Earth Lab program and how to sign up for the waiting list.

[03:00] Jeff Bellisario is introduced.

[03:21] Shannon Peloquin is introduced.

[03:51] Jeff reflects on what he finds so compelling about community development.

[06:06] Shannon shares how affordable housing and community development motivate her.

[07:49] Jeff and Shannon share how significant the affordability problem is in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[11:25] Jeff addresses the drivers of the affordability problem.

[13:13] Shannon gives her perspective of what’s driving the affordability problem.

[14:13] Jeff discusses the population of San Francisco and job growth in that area.

[16:26] Shannon shares her thoughts of what San Francisco needs to do to alleviate the housing affordability crisis.

[18:39] Jeff weighs in with his opinion of what San Francisco needs to do.

[19:52] Shannon discusses financial incentives to create commercial development.

[22:46] Jeff adds his thoughts to the discussion of financial incentives.

[23:30] Shannon describes what’s currently being done in the San Francisco Bay Area to create housing.

[24:24] Shannon mentions if there have been any housing-shortage studies done in the Bay Area.

[25:19] Jeff contributes to the topic of housing-shortage studies.

[26:20] Shannon identifies what needs to happen to make progress on the affordable housing issue.

[28:19] Jeff tells his thoughts on what needs to happen to make progress on the affordable housing issue.

GUESTS/ORGANIZATIONS

Jeff Bellisario is a Research Manager for the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. He supports a wide range of Institute research through project management, research design, and analysis. His research interests lie at the intersection of community development and finance, and his past projects include analyses of Bay Area housing programs, public-private partnerships for infrastructure, and the economic impacts of transportation investments. Prior to joining the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, Jeff worked in Chicago in various portfolio management and investment analysis positions for John Hancock Financial Services and State Farm. Jeff holds an MPP degree from the UC-Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He enjoys long runs through the hills of the East Bay and cheering on his favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute is a public-private partnership of business, labor, government and higher education, that works to support the economic vitality and competitiveness of California and the Bay Area. Its work builds on the twenty-year record of fact-based economic analysis and policy leadership of the Bay Area Economic Forum, which merged with the Bay Area Council in January 2008. The Bay Area Council and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) are the Institute’s leading institutional partners. The Economic Institute also supports and manages the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC), a partnership of Northern California’s leading scientific research institutions and laboratories.Through its economic and policy research and partnerships, the Economic Institute addresses major issues impacting the competitiveness, economic development and quality of life of the region and the state, including infrastructure, globalization, science and technology, and governance. Its Board of Trustees, which oversees the development of its products and initiatives, is composed of leaders representing business, labor, government, higher education, science and technology, philanthropy and the...

Leaving a Lasting, Tangible Impact

[01:44] Mike shares how to register for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

[01:54] Mike tells how to register for the FREE Equitable Development training from Infinite Earth Academy. Find the registration link in the Resources section below!

[02:31] Kate Meis is introduced.

[02:53] Kate expresses what she is most excited about for this year’s New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

[06:24] Kate conveys the time frame for the projects to be done in St. Louis.

[07:01] Kate mentions some of the key topics of the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

[09:05] Kate identifies some challenges of continuing the momentum towards smarter, more sustainable communities.

[12:49] Mike discusses environmental policies and the effects of moving to a carbon-neutral economy.

[14:26] Kate comments about what smart growth looks like.

[16:04] Kate describes her thoughts on what she sees are the most promising developments impacting smarter and more sustainable communities.

[19:43] Mike mentions the arrival of self-driving cars and trucks and that driving is one of the biggest employers in the U.S.

[22:35] Kate weighs in on the topic of job automation.

[23:46] Mike replies about how we shouldn’t be afraid of technology.

[24:34] Kate responds that we should rethink what change means for our education system and workforce training.

[25:31] Kate relates what the change in administrations might mean for smart growth and sustainability efforts.

[32:00] Mike talks about the high demand for walkable, smart-growth communities and about the shifting economics of energy markets.

[33:04] Kate agrees about the market momentum.

[33:54] Mike tells how to register for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in St. Louis.

Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.

For over 35 years LGC has connected cutting-edge leaders from across the nation. Together they are advancing transformative policies and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable communities. LGC works to build livable communities and local leadership by connecting leaders via innovative programs and network opportunities, advancing policies through participation at the local and state level, and implementing solutions as a technical assistance provider and advisor to local jurisdictions. With roots in California and a national reputation, LGC offers inspiration, information, and partnership for local and regional champions dedicated to building thriving communities that integrate civic engagement with environmental, social and economic priorities.

“This year I’m really looking forward to having a tangible impact in the community we’re going to be in in St. Louis. So, in the past we’ve gone, we’ve had a great few days, we’ve done local tours, we’ve engaged our local partners through a local advisory committee, and we’ve made some great partnerships and some great connections, but we had never really utilized all these experts we’re bringing together across the nation to leave a lasting impact in our host city. So that’s our priority this year.”

“We will also be working with some art organizations in three neighborhoods to provide some technical assistance and in critical areas that they identify, and then also working with some local youth to build and install three large,...

Advancing Racial, Social, and Environmental Equality

[01:23] Mike announces the Infinite Earth Lab training program.

[02:44] Mike explains this episode of Infinite Earth Radio.

[03:11] Robert Garcia is introduced.

[04:07] Robert explains when he realized fighting for civil rights would be his life’s work.

[05:37] Robert describes the victory of the Bus Riders Union versus the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

[07:51] Robert shares why Title VI of the Civil Rights Act is an important tool in the battle for environmental justice.

[12:24] If those who receive federal funding violate the agreement of Title VI, what can the federal government do?

[16:19] Robert explains why The City Project is focused on equal access to natural resources.

[21:00] Robert discusses his efforts to restore the Los Angeles River.

[25:07] Robert shares what it was like for The City Project to be involved in creating new national monuments.

[28:47] How will the communities with newly restored natural areas going to benefit from the investment and the restoration and not become displaced?

[33:33] Robert shares one change that would lead to smarter, more sustainable, and more equitable communities.

[33:59] Robert describes the action that listeners can take to help build a more equitable and sustainable future.

[34:19] Robert explains what California, our national parks, our natural resources and monuments look like 30 years from now.

GUEST

Robert García is a civil rights attorney who engages, educates, and empowers communities to seek equal access to public and natural resources. He is the Founding Director and Counsel of The City Project, a non-profit legal and policy advocacy organization in Los Angeles, California. Robert graduated from Stanford University and Stanford Law School and is an Assistant Professor at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Robert has extensive experience in public policy, legal advocacy, mediation, and litigation involving complex social justice, civil rights, human health, environmental, education, and criminal justice matters. He has influenced the investment of over $43 billion in underserved communities, working at the intersection of equal justice, public health, and the built environment. He served as chairman of the Citizens’ School Bond Oversight Committee for five years, helping raise over $27 billion to build new, and modernize existing, public schools as centers of their communities in Los Angeles. He has helped communities create and preserve great urban parks and preserve access to beaches and trails. He has helped diversify support for and access to state resource bonds, with unprecedented levels of support among communities of color and low-income communities, and billions of dollars for urban parks. He served on the Development Team for the National Park Service Healthy Parks, Healthy People Community Engagement eGuide.

Robert served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund. He received the President’s Award from the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice for helping release Geronimo Pratt, the former Black Panther leader, from prison after 27 years for a crime he did not commit. He represented people on Death Row in Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Stanford Law School called him a “civil rights giant” and Stanford Magazine “an inspiration.” Robert served on the Justice and Peace Commission for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles under Cardinal Roger Mahony. He is an immigrant who came to the U.S. from Guatemala at age four.

Mr. Garcia’s Publications

The City Project, a non-profit legal and policy...

How High-Wage Jobs Affect Affordable Housing

[01:22] Mike announces the Infinite Earth Lab training program.

[02:52] Mike explains this episode of Infinite Earth Radio.

[03:25] Dr. Chris Benner is introduced.

[04:23] Chris shares his background and what draws him to issues of economic and social equity and inclusion.

[06:40] Chris gives the importance of education for disadvantaged populations for our economic future.

[07:09] Chris explains a study of job growth in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[09:54] Chris gives information about the next study and how people can get access to it.

[10:34] Chris shares the report findings of a lack of housing affordability is causing displacement of residents and long commutes.

[12:53] Chris explains the report data of a significant number of low-wage jobs are being created but no new affordable housing units are being created.

[15:04] What are the policy implications? What can we do to fix this problem of no new affordable housing?

[18:18] Do you see any indication that there’s a movement to create inclusionary zoning or some kind of development incentives to create more affordable housing?

[19:54] Are San Franciscans changing how they think of themselves since the city’s character seems to be changing and it now seems to be a city that people can’t afford to live in?

[21:52] Chris explains, within a regional context, how residents are needed to have the basis for the sales tax to buy goods.

[23:15] Chris shares how he was made aware of the dynamic of people in poor communities who are shopping in other places that are benefiting from the tax dollars being spent there.

[24:28] Mike brings up the fact, and Chris agrees, that the poor pay more in regard to commuting time, cost of commuting, and quality-of-life and economic implications.

[26:20] Chris explains how the job, inequality, and political crises play out in the context of housing affordability and the overall quality of life in the Bay Area.

[30:14] Chris shares where people can go to learn more about his work.

[31:14] Chris provides one change that would lead to smarter, more sustainable, and more equitable communities.

[32:26] Chris explains the action that listeners can take to help build a more equitable and sustainable future.

[33:24] Chris shares what the world looks like 30 years from now.

GUEST BIO

Dr. Chris Benner is the Dorothy E. Everett Chair in Global Information and Social Entrepreneurship, Director of the Everett Program for Digital Tools for Social Innovation, and Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the relationships between technological change, regional development, and structures of economic opportunity, focusing on regional labor markets and the transformation of work and employment patterns. He is the author of multiple books including Just Growth: Inclusion and Prosperity in America’s Metropolitan Regions, co-authored with Manuel Pastor (Professor of Sociology and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California), which helps uncover the processes, policies and institutional arrangements that help explain how certain regions around the country have been able to consistently link prosperity and inclusion. His most recent book, also co-authored with Manuel Pastor is titled Equity, Growth, and Community: What the Nation Can Learn from America’s Metro Areas. Benner’s work has also included providing research assistance to a range of organizations promoting equity and expanded opportunity, including the Coalition on Regional Equity (Sacramento), Working Partnerships USA (San Jose), the California Labor Federation, and the Congress of South African Trade Unions among others. He received his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University...

The Story of Turkey Creek: Self-Determination and Resilient Communities

[01:46] Derrick Evans is introduced.

[01:55] Derrick shares his background, which led to the Turkey Creek Community Initiatives.

[14:46] Derrick reflects on what it felt like when he first moved to Boston and what kept him there.

[22:31] Derrick talks about the impact of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita on Gulfport and on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

[31:59] Is the Gulf Coast Fund what Derrick meant by resilient communities?

[32:48] Derrick discusses his definition of climate change.

[36:03] Derrick agrees that people in Gulf Coast communities saw the climate changing.

[37:34] Derrick describes the documentary film “Come Hell or High Water” and mentions the impact it’s had on Turkey Creek.

[43:43] Derrick tells about the things that communities can do to make themselves better prepared to withstand or recover from climate impacts.

[46:35] If environmental-protection responsibility gets pushed back to the states, what will that mean in terms of work with Gulf Coast communities around resilience and Mississippi DEQ? Are there good working relationships there?

[49:08] Derrick adds his closing thoughts.

[56:06] Derrick provides one change that would lead to more resilient, more sustainable, and more equitable communities.

[56:31] Derrick states the action that listeners can take to help build a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.

[56:43] Derrick shares what resilient Gulf Coast communities look like 30 years from now.

Derrick Christopher Evans is the director of Turkey Creek Community Initiatives and a managing advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health. Since 2001 he has worked to help protect and revitalize his coastal Mississippi community and sister communities throughout the region. Prior to that he taught civil rights history at Boston College and social studies in the Boston Public Schools.

“My community went from being entirely undeveloped—swamplands—to being sort of a pastoral, forested, agricultural type of thing where people were subsistence farmers and fishermen to a community that was the site of multiple coastal timber-industry employments and facilities.”

“This is what, pretty much, TCCI’s m.o. has always been was to recognize the very long list of community ailments and challenges, turn those into an equally long, if not longer, list of possible prescriptions or remedies, including things that we had never thought of before, like coastal ecological restoration, which now is bearing fruit nearly twenty years later; historic preservation; even looking at a historic longstanding, uncleaned, EPA-toxic cleanup site and saying, you know what, that’s a historic site as well as a headache. Let’s use some creative visioning to frame this in such a way that it makes our circle bigger. When you have that list of possible solutions, it attracts from within the community and from without the community potential contributors to the problems that need to be solved.”

“I had a teacher once—the greatest teacher I ever had—who told me that is was no accident that the overwhelming majority of the most impactful ‘spokespeople’ for the race—the black race—historically, like, Frederick Douglass, Dr. DuBois, even Louis Farrakhan, and so forth and so on, had spent formative time and years in and around Boston, Massachusetts.”

“I remember when Hurricane Katrina hit, and my first thought was that this event is either going to…finish off Turkey Creek and its sister communities or open a door for their survival and transformation, particularly as the most not only impacted but instructive places on what not to do again.”

“We’re not resigned to injustice, we’re not resigned to the structuring of...

How Climate Change is Impacting Low-Income Communities

[01:56] Rachel Cleetus is introduced.

[02:20] Rachel shares her background.

[02:54] Rachel mentions what motivates her to do the work that she does.

[03:44] Rachel defines the term “climate change.”

[05:13] Rachel describes “climate equity” and “climate justice.”

[06:38] Rachel differentiates between climate equity and climate justice.

[07:46] Rachel explains the concept and some of the major findings in the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)’s “Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Rising Seas” report (find the report in the Resources below!).

[11:05] Rachel tells us about the case studies mentioned in the report, specifically Dorchester County in Maryland.

[13:57] Rachel shares where people can go to learn more about the report.

[14:55] Rachel shares what the phrase “resilient communities” means to her.

[16:52] Rachel explains some of the biggest barriers to enabling vulnerable communities to become more resilient in the face of climate-related disasters, and what preventative measures people can take.

[21:10] Rachel gives her thoughts on how other areas in the world impacted by weather can be more resilient with support from the U.S. and other neighboring nations.

[24:14] Rachel conveys what communities and local governments can do to make themselves better prepared to withstand or recover from climate impacts.

[28:57] Rachel provides one change that would lead to more resilient, more sustainable, and more equitable communities.

[29:19] Rachel states the action listeners can take to help build a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.

[30:03] Rachel shares what our coastal communities will look like 30 years from now.

Rachel Cleetus is the lead economist and climate policy manager with the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). She designs and advocates for effective global warming policies at the federal, regional, state, and international levels. These policies include market -based approaches (such as cap-and-trade programs) and complementary, sector-based approaches (such as efficiency, renewable energy, and clean technology research and development). She also analyzes the economic costs of inaction on climate change.

Prior to joining UCS, Dr. Cleetus worked as a consultant for the World Wildlife Fund, performing policy-focused research on the links between sustainable development, trade, and ecosystems in Asia and Africa. She also worked for Tellus Institute in the energy and environment program, under the mentorship of Steve Bernow. Dr. Cleetus holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in economics from Duke University and a B.S. in economics from West Virginia University.

The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

Learn More about Rachel and the Union of Concerned Scientists

“For me, climate change is one of the biggest threats we face as humanity, and it’s touching every aspect of our life. It’s not just an environmental problem; it is an economic problem, it’s a social problem, it’s a justice issue, because the impacts are already playing out around the world, and they are disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income communities. So, for me, this work has always been about how do we make a better future for our kids and grandkids, and how do we do it in a way that’s inclusive, that brings people in to work towards a common...

One Year of Spurring Innovation for the Future of Sustainability and Equity

[01:19] Kate Meis is introduced.

[02:04] Kate reflects on her feelings of how the podcast has been doing over the past year.

[03:04] Mike adds to the conversation with his own perspective of the podcast.

[03:33] Kate explains how she sees the recent election impacting sustainability and equity efforts.

[07:46] Mike comments how he thinks sustainability efforts will play out over the next four years.

[08:49] Kate mentions what advocates are paying attention to in the sustainability space.

[10:49] Kate talks about the membership survey.

[14:10] Mike shares his thoughts about the survey results.

[15:55] Kate speaks about some of the themes found in the survey results.

[18:24] Mike mentions what he learned from the survey.

[19:29] Kate tells of the split between urban and rural areas that she saw in the election.

[21:18] Mike conveys that the suburban and rural voters feel disrespected by the urban voters.

[22:02] Kate shares what’s being done to foster more innovation and progress at the local level.

[23:38] Mike describes what’s coming up for “Infinite Earth Radio”.

[27:37] Kate adds her thoughts on an upcoming plan for “Infinite Earth Radio”.

[27:58] Kate shares some words of encouragement.

Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments, a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts, and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’ s degree from California State University, Sonoma.

For over 35 years LGC has connected cutting-edge leaders from across the nation. Together they are advancing transformative policies and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable communities. LGC works to build livable communities and local leadership by connecting leaders via innovative programs and network opportunities, advancing policies through participation at the local and state level, and implementing solutions as a technical assistance provider and advisor to local jurisdictions. With roots in California and a national reputation, LGC offers inspiration, information, and partnership for local and regional champions dedicated to building thriving communities that integrate civic engagement with environmental, social and economic priorities.

“Our mission, really, is to get the word out about great projects and policies that can be scaled and implemented in communities across the nation, with the goal of improving those communities, making them more livable and sustainable, so to be able to reach the number of folks we’ve reached through these podcasts has been really rewarding.”

“…the next four years will really determine whether or not we’re able to deliver on the Paris Agreement, so the next four years are going to be critical. So that is why we’re concerned about the signals we’re getting from the administration, but that said, climate-change leadership has always happened at the subnational level, so at the level of cities, regions, and states.”

“No matter what happens with the new administration, we are seeing strong signals that states are going to continue to lead, that cities are going to continue to lead…We are seeing leadership continue, and that’s going to be critical moving forward.”

Sign up to attend the FREE training – Equitable Development in Practice– Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at [1:30] Eastern