People Places Planet – Details, episodes & analysis

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People Places Planet

Environmental Law Institute

Business

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 211

Welcome to People Places Planet, ELI's leading environmental podcast. We talk to leading experts across sectors who share their solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Tune in for the latest environmental law, policy, and governance developments.

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https://www.eli.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp
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https://www.bdlaw.com/
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https://www.eli.org/podcasts
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-backer-29a0801b1/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafjrodriguez
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Score global : 83%

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Predicting Future Pathways: Understanding Climate Scenarios

Season 9 · Episode 5

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Duration 21:14

How do scientists predict what the climate could look like decades, or even centuries, from now? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana sits down with John Doherty, Science and Policy Analyst at ELI, to unpack emissions scenarios: what they are, how they inform climate models, and why they matter for decision-making and planning.

From Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) to the latest generation of emissions scenarios, the conversation explores how scientists model possible climate futures based on different assumptions about energy use, population, economic growth, and other factors. We also discuss why these scenarios evolve over time, what the latest updates reveal about potential future warming, and how these projections inform climate policy. If you’ve ever wondered what lies behind projections of global warming or sea-level rise, this episode breaks down the science and assumptions that help inform our view of the planet’s future.

To learn more, explore these resources:

Timestamps:

02:30 – What Are Emissions Scenarios?

06:55 – How Scientists Use Emissions Scenarios

09:10 – Why Emissions Scenarios Change Over Time

10:15 – What’s New in the Revised Scenarios?

13:00 – What the New Scenarios Mean for Climate Projections

15:53 – Climate Science, Public Criticism, and Misrepresentation

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Too Hot to Handle? Rethinking Extreme Heat Risk

Season 9 · Episode 4

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 31:15

What makes heat extreme, and who is really at risk? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana speaks with Ashley Ward, Director of Duke University’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub, about why extreme heat is one of the most dangerous and underestimated hazards facing communities across the United States —and why responding to it requires thinking beyond temperature alone.

From increasingly warm nights and rising cooling costs to strains on energy, agriculture, and infrastructure, the conversation explores why heat is more than a weather event and just how far its risks extend. Dr. Ward challenges common assumptions about who is really at risk, why hot nights and cumulative exposure matter, and whether air conditioning is enough to keep people safe. She also examines the current policy landscape, including growing state and local action, gaps in federal coordination, and the need for stronger collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities. This episode provides a broader understanding of extreme heat as a cross-cutting, growing risk that touches nearly every part of daily life.

Timestamps:
02:24 — What Makes Heat “Extreme”?
04:09 — Why Extreme Heat Is So Dangerous
08:22 — Who Is Most Vulnerable to Heat?
10:15 — Why Hot Nights Matter
12:20 — Beyond Air Conditioning
14:37 — Is the Heat Index Enough?
18:49 — Heat Policy in the United States
24:40 — The Private Sector’s Role in Heat Resilience
28:29 — What Individuals and Communities Can Do

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Lunch Trays to Landfills: Reducing Food Waste in K–12 Schools

Season 9 · Episode 3

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 42:27

Every day, schools serve millions of meals to students — but what happens to the food that doesn't get eaten? From unopened milk cartons to fruits and vegetables that end up in the trash, food waste is a complex challenge for schools, with significant environmental, economic, and social implications.

In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana is joined by Linda Breggin (Environmental Law Institute), Elaine Fiore (WRAP Americas and the Food Conservation Alliance), Tara Thomas (The School Superintendents Association), and Nadia Davis (School Nutrition Association) to explore where food waste comes from in K–12 schools, why it matters, and what schools and policymakers can do to reduce it.

The conversation examines some of the practical challenges schools face in reducing food waste, including limited funding and staffing, nutrition requirements, infrastructure constraints, and student preferences. The episode also highlights ELI and NRDC’s Model State Law on Reducing Food Waste in K–12 Public Schools, which provides a framework for states to adopt policies that help schools prevent and reduce food waste. The guests discuss strategies included in the model law, including taking a closer look at milk waste and its potential solutions, such as offering lactose-free and shelf-stable milk.

As Food Waste Prevention Week approaches, the conversation highlights the many opportunities to reduce food waste, as well as the importance of giving schools the resources and support they need to put those solutions into practice.

Timestamps:

05:37 — The Environmental, Social, and Economic Costs of Food Waste

12:03 — The Growing Conversation Around Food Waste

17:01 — The Challenges of Reducing Food Waste

20:10 — Who Makes the Decisions? Understanding School Governance

Freshwater and Marine Tenure 101: Who Gets to Use and Manage Water and Ocean Resources

Season 9 · Episode 2

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 49:59

Water is essential to so much of life—from food and livelihoods to culture and ecosystems—but who has the right to access and use it? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana is joined by ELI Senior Attorneys Jessica Troell and Sofia O’Connor for a "Freshwater and Marine Tenure 101.” They explain what freshwater and marine tenure are, why they matter, and how they shape the ways communities access, use, and manage water and ocean resources.

Jessica and Sofia break down the systems that govern freshwater and marine tenure, from national laws to customary and Indigenous practices, and explore why secure tenure matters for Indigenous peoples, small-scale fishers, women, and other communities. They discuss how insecure tenure can leave communities vulnerable to competing demands, environmental degradation, and other large-scale activities.

The conversation also examines gaps in existing legal frameworks, including fragmented laws, limited recognition of customary and Indigenous rights, and permitting systems that may not work for communities. Finally, Jessica and Sofia explore promising approaches to strengthening freshwater and marine tenure and share examples from ELI’s work around the world.

To learn more about ELI’s work, explore the resources below:

Protecting the Right to Participate: Aarhus & Escazú

Season 9 · Episode 1

Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 49:57

What does it take to give people a meaningful voice in environmental decision-making? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana, joined by ELI Senior Attorney Kristine Perry, explore two landmark regional instruments: the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement.)

They’re joined by Jonas Ebbesson (Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre) and Patricia Madrigal Cordero (Chair of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance of the Escazú Agreement).

The conversation begins with the origins of the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement. Both instruments are based on three main pillars: access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice. The guests unpack what those rights look like in practice and how the two instruments have influenced one another over time.

The discussion then turns to implementation and compliance, drawing on Jonas and Patricia’s experience serving on the Aarhus and Escazú compliance committees. They discuss how these bodies work, the challenge of building trust with governments while holding them accountable, and some of the successes and challenges of putting environmental rights into practice. The episode also explores the recognition of environmental defenders, including the Escazú Agreement's explicit protections for defenders and the protections that have evolved under the Aarhus Convention.

This episode is part of a series of episodes related to ELI's work on environmental and land defenders. To watch the other episodes, see below:

Next Generation Geothermal: Closing the Finance & Regulatory Gap (Pt 2)

Season 8 · Episode 24

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 42:40

Does next generation geothermal have the capital and regulatory certainty to scale? In part two of this two-part series, host Sebastian Duque Rios continues the conversation on geothermal energy, turning to the financing and policy side of the equation with a panel of experts: Caroline de Bossart (Grantham Foundation), Drew Nelson (Project InnerSpace), and Susannah Dibble (Environmental Law Institute).

The conversation first digs into the challenges of financing geothermal energy. The panel unpacks the unique risk profile of geothermal projects (front-loaded drilling costs, resource uncertainty, and the absence of standardized data) and how emerging tools could unlock institutional lending and insurance the way similar frameworks have for oil and gas. They also explore the regulatory patchwork shaping geothermal's growth state by state, from Texas and Colorado's bipartisan legislative wins to the Mountain West Coalition's push for coordinated permitting and financing reform, and what an ideal legal and regulatory environment — one built to keep pace with fast-moving technology — could look like.

Along the way, the panel covers permitting timelines, water rights and reinjection issues, and where organizations like ELI can help close the remaining research and policy gaps. It's a wide-ranging look at what stands between geothermal and the capital it needs to scale, and the policy moves that could unlock it.

For more information, see part one of this two-part series and ELI's webinars on The Future of Geothermal:

Financing geothermal: why capital is lagging behind ()

Next Generation Geothermal: The Technologies Driving the Momentum (Pt 1)

Season 8 · Episode 23

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 25:51

Geothermal energy is having a moment. As demand for reliable, always-on power grows alongside data centers and electrification, new drilling technologies are unlocking geothermal's potential far beyond its traditional strongholds in California, Nevada, and Iceland. In part one of this two-part series, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Tom Lutken, science fellow at the Environmental Law Institute, for a primer on how geothermal energy actually works — and what's changing.

We break down the science behind geothermal electricity generation, the difference between direct-use applications and power generation, and next-generation technologies like enhanced geothermal systems, advanced geothermal systems, and super-hot rock geothermal that are expanding where geothermal can be developed. The conversation also covers drilling costs, potential risks, and innovative approaches aimed at solving geothermal's biggest cost barrier.

The episode closes with a preview of the regulatory landscape shaping geothermal's growth with Susannah Dibble, staff attorney at ELI. From the decades-old Geothermal Steam Act to the state-level legislation now playing catch-up with the technology, we highlight some of the major financing, legal, and policy questions surrounding geothermal that merit further analysis. The second part of this series digs deeper into these issues with a full panel of experts.

For more information, see ELI's webinars on The Future of Geothermal:

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Forever Chemicals, State Solutions: New Mexico's PFAS Playbook

Season 8 · Episode 22

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • Duration 49:20

Forever chemicals are everywhere — in your carpet, your cookware, your cosmetics, and increasingly, your drinking water. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have been building up in our environment, our water, and our bodies for decades. And while federal regulatory momentum on forever chemicals is stalling, states are moving in the opposite direction. In this episode of People Places Planet, we sit down with Secretary Jim Kenney, General Counsel Zachary Ogaz, and Assistant General Counsel Greg Smithkier from the New Mexico Environment Department to break down what PFAS are, why they're so difficult to eliminate, and what state-level action actually looks like in practice.

They walk us through New Mexico's multi-pronged PFAS strategy: listing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) as a hazardous waste, phasing out PFAS-containing consumer products, and implementing the country's first-ever consumer product labeling icon for intentionally added PFAS. They also discuss the state's ongoing litigation against the Department of Defense over PFAS contamination at Cannon Air Force Base.

New Mexico has emerged as a national leader on PFAS action, and this conversation reveals exactly how — and why it matters for every state. With EPA rolling back MCLs and retreating from class-based regulation, the episode raises a broader question: can a patchwork of state policies produce national standards? And, at what cost to states already stretched thin on resources and scientific capacity?

Also, be sure to check out ELI's recent report Current Trends in Toxics Litigation for more information on PFAS litigation trends.

What are PFAS, what risks do they pose, and where can they be found? (01:38)
PFAS regulation at the State and Federal level (10:13)
New Mexico's PFAS playbook: hazardous waste listing, phase-outs, and labeling (14:42)
Litigation and the Cannon Air Force Base case (26:46)
New Mexico's PFAS conversation in DC (35:11)
What's next: federal science, state capacity, and closing thoughts (40:06)

Designing for the Future: Circular Strategies Reshaping Fashion and Textiles

Season 8 · Episode 21

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Duration 57:34

The fashion and textiles industry accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, and generates 92 million tons of waste each year — yet only 1% of textiles are recycled back into new products. In this episode, we sit down with three leading experts to unpack one of the most resource-intensive industries on the planet and explore what a genuinely circular textiles sector could look like.

We're joined by Mark Sumner, Head of Textiles at WRAP; Sarah Morley, Strategic Engagement Manager at WRAP Americas; and Linda Breggin, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law Institute. Together, we trace the full lifecycle of a garment from field to landfill, examine fast fashion as a consumer behavior rather than just a retail phenomenon, and explore how circular design, durability standards, voluntary industry agreements, and policy intervention are beginning to reshape the system.

Whether you're working in sustainability, environmental policy, waste reduction, or supply chain management, this episode offers both the big-picture framework and the on-the-ground insights you need to understand where the textiles industry is headed — and what it will take to get there. See WRAP's website for more information.

Introduction: The Environmental Footprint of the Fashion and Textiles Industry (02:37)
Lifecycle of a Garment: Hotspots, Impacts, and Intervention Points (03:47)
Circular Design in Practice: The Pillars of a More Sustainable Textiles Industry (11:05)
Changing Consumer Behavior (21:34)
The UK Textiles Pact and the Durability Accelerator: Industry Collaboration in Action (29:49)
WRAP's US Expansion: Landscape Review, Gaps, and the Road Ahead (45:14)
The Role of State and Local Governments (48:33)
Concluding Thoughts (54:43)

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TSCA, Explained

Season 8 · Episode 20

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 • Duration 57:31

The Toxic Substances Control Act is the cornerstone of chemical regulation in the United States — but for most of its existence, it was widely considered unenforceable. In this episode of People, Places, Planet's Explained series, host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Lynn Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, and Bob Sussman, former senior EPA official and Principal at Sussman & Associates, to break down TSCA from the ground up.

Together, they walk through the foundational building blocks of the law — what chemicals TSCA covers, how Sections 4, 5, and 6 govern testing, new chemical pre-market review, and existing chemical risk evaluation, and why the "unreasonable risk" standard at the heart of the statute proved so difficult to apply in practice. They also trace how the 1991 Corrosion Proof Fittings decision paralyzed EPA's regulatory authority for a generation, and what the 2016 Lautenberg Act fundamentally changed.

Lynn and Bob are co-chairs of the TSCA Reform 10 Years Later conference, taking place June 10th at George Washington University — a free, hybrid event covering risk evaluation, risk management, new chemicals, and the legislative road ahead. The annual conference is co-sponsored by ELI, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Register here to attend in-person or via livestream. For those who wish to attend in-person, please registration will close on June 9, 2026, or when capacity is reached.

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People Places Planet – Details, episodes & analysis

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People Places Planet – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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