Resources Radio is a weekly podcast by Resources for the Future. Each week we talk to leading experts about climate change, electricity, ecosystems, and more, making the latest research accessible to everyone.
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Flooded with New Information: Who Pays When Flood Risk Is Revealed?, with Jesse Gourevitch
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 ⢠Duration 29:26
In this episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Jesse Gourevitch, a new Resources for the Future fellow, about how flood-risk information affects US housing markets. Discussing an upcoming report, Gourevitch outlines changes in property sale prices and buyer characteristics following revisions to federal flood maps and updates to state requirements for disclosing flood risk to homebuyers. He and his coauthor have found that property sale prices are lower when properties are mapped into a designated flood zone or become subject to disclosure requirements. For lower-income homeowners, the declines in property value are larger than high-income homeowners relative to annual income. Following these changes to flood maps, homebuyers in flood-prone areas tend to have higher incomes and are less likely to be Black or Hispanic. Gourevitch discusses what these findings could mean for disparities in flood exposure across different socioeconomic groups.
References and recommendations:
âWho Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Serviceâ edited by Michael Lewis; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/788713/who-is-government-by-edited-by-michael-lewis/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Can Oil-Dependent Countries Prepare for an Energy Transition, with Andrea Furnaro and Patrick Heller
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 ⢠Duration 33:10
In this episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Andrea Furnaro and Patrick Heller from the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Drawing from a recent report, Furnaro and Heller lay out a five-step framework for how national oil companies (NOCs) can navigate an impending energy transition. Together, they contend that a business-as-usual approach is not a neutral option for these companies and their respective countries. Instead, NOCs must define national policy goals, assess transition risks and opportunities, establish a strategic direction beyond oil and gas, strengthen institutional governance, and ensure a just transition and responsible exit for workers and communities. Examples from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Denmark illustrate how different NOCs can weigh diversification opportunities and adapt strategies to their unique national circumstances and organizational, technical, and economic capacities.
References and recommendations:
âNational Oil Company Transformation: Strategic Choices for an Uncertain Energy Futureâ by Andrea Furnaro, Giovanni Tagliani, Patrick Heller, Ana Carolina GonzĂĄlez Espinosa, Tengi George-Ikoli, Fernanda Ballesteros, Nicola Woodroffe; https://resourcegovernance.org/publications/national-oil-company-transformation
âFacing the Futureâ by Andrea Furnaro and David Manley; https://resourcegovernance.org/publications/facing-future-what-national-oil-companies-say-about-energy-transition
âJaneâ documentary film; https://films.nationalgeographic.com/jane-the-movie
âThe Secret Agentâ film; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27847051/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Inequality in Weather Forecasts Around the World, with Jeff Shrader
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 ⢠Duration 31:32
This week, host Margaret Walls investigates the world of weather forecasting with Jeffrey Shrader, an associate professor at Columbia University whose recent research examines inequalities in forecast accuracy among countries across the globe. While the accuracy of weather forecasts has improved steadily over the past few decades, low-income countries experience notably less reliability in their local and regional weather predictions. Shrader explains how factors such as topography and proximity to the tropics impact the ability to get a read on the weather, while lack of investment in weather-observing infrastructure exacerbates such inequalities. In the course of breaking down his findings, Shrader gives an overview of the public-private partnership behind US weather forecasting (including how the context and outcomes may be poised to shift with recent policy proposals) as well as the changes that national and global leaders can implement to improve the complex weather forecasting system.
References and recommendations:
âGlobal Inequalities in Weather Forecastsâ by Manuel Linsenmeier and Jeffrey Shrader; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-77630-w
âWeather Forecasts Become More Important for Reducing Mortality as the Climate Warmsâ by Jeffrey G. Shrader, Stephan Thies, Laura Bakkensen, Manuel Linsenmeier, and Derek Lemoine; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2523372123
âOn the Impossibility of Informationally Efficient Marketsâ by Sanford J. Grossman and Joseph E. Stiglitz; https://www.jstor.org/stable/1805228
âPrincess Mononokeâ film; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mononoke
âAll the Worldâ by Liz Garton Scanlon; https://parents.simonandschuster.com/9781481431217
âBalanced Weatherâ blog from Alan Gerard; https://balancedweather.com/author/wxinms1/
âBalanced Weatherâ substack from Alan Gerard; https://substack.com/@balancedweather
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Mapping Electricity Prices Across the Country, with Zehra Khan and Lauren Sidner
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 ⢠Duration 35:03
In this episode of the podcast, host Kristin Hayes invites Zehra Khan and Lauren Sidner to discuss their work on the Electricity Price Hub, a collaboration that involves Heatmap News, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Clean Economy Project. The Hub visualizes national, state-level, and regional electricity pricesâa feat that previously has been elusive due to the fragmentation of data across many sources. By putting prices in comparison for ZIP codes across the country, Khan, Sidner, and their colleagues are able to illuminate broad nationwide trends and the differences among states and regions when it comes to changing electricity prices and key drivers of that change. They discuss the role of data centers in electricity rate increases; whatâs behind the notable price spike in Washington, DC; considerations for state regulators and policymakers; and more.
References and recommendations:
âHow to Fix the Fastest-Rising Electricity Prices in the U.S.â by Zehra Khan, Lauren Sidner, and Steven Berit; https://heatmap.news/ideas/pepco-exelon-prices
Electricity Price Hub data tool from Heatmap News, MIT, and CleanEcon; https://electricity.heatmap.news/
âThe Affordability and Climate Agendas Run Through State Regulators. Itâs Time to Rethink Their Roles.â by Arjun Krishnaswami and Megan Husted; https://fas.org/publication/rethinking-state-regulators-climate/
The Kyoichiro Kaga series of mystery novels by Keigo Higashino; https://us.macmillan.com/series/thekyoichirokagaseries
âA Bad, Bad Placeâ by Frances Crawford; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803124/a-bad-bad-place-by-frances-crawford/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Does Experience with Extreme Weather Affect Views on Climate Change?, with Gabrielle Wong-Parodi
Monday, August 31, 2026 ⢠Duration 30:05
This week, host Daniel Raimi brings Gabrielle Wong-Parodi on the podcast to discuss how people connect climate change to their personal experiences with extreme weather eventsâand whether these experiences impact their willingness to take action. As a social scientist at Stanford University with a psychology background, Wong-Parodi offers a glimpse into the complicated, and often unpredictable, path between experiencing a consequence of climate change and deciding to contribute to solutions. Research has shown that extreme weather events can lead to increased desire to take adaptation measures (like making homes more resilient) and mitigation actions (like purchasing electric vehicles or solar panels). However, translating these cognitive responses to behavior isnât always straightforward; Wong-Parodi explains how psychological biases and political affiliation can affect the actions that result from observed attitudinal trends.
References and recommendations:
âPersonal experiences matter for climate actionâ by Gabrielle Wong-Parodi; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02640-x
âHouseholdsâ Perceived Personal Risk and Responses in a Multihazard Environmentâ by Michael K. Lindell and Seong Nam Hwang; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2008.01032.x
âThe effects of weather experiences on climate change attitudes and behaviorsâ by Matthew Ryan Sisco; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877343521001160
âExperience of extreme weather affects climate change mitigation and adaptation responsesâ by Christina Demski, Stuart Capstick, Nick Pidgeon, Robert Gennaro Sposato, and Alexa Spence; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355377/
âAll That Breathesâ documentary; https://www.allthatbreathes.com/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Geologic Hydrogen: Could the Smallest Molecule Power the Whole World?, with Ishan Sharma
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 ⢠Duration 34:20
This week, host Daniel Raimi brings Ishan Sharma on the podcast to discuss the beginnings of the geologic hydrogen industry. Sharma, director and founder of a fund at Renaissance Philanthropy that seeks to grow hydrogen into a competitive energy provider, draws upon the trajectories of sectors such as oil and gasâand newer additions, like geothermal energyâto argue that with enough investment, the abundant hydrogen gas trapped beneath the Earthâs surface could be a major player in the energy game. As hydrogen is a natural output of common chemical reactions, such as the interaction of iron and water, thereâs no shortage of the resource; the issue is how to find it. While interest in geologic hydrogen is ramping up, the industry faces feasibility issues related to incomplete public information, lack of understanding about the subsurface world, and regulatory voidsâhowever, Sharma believes this low-carbon source has a bright future.
References and recommendations:
Chimaera Fund; https://www.renaissancephilanthropy.org/chimaera-fund
âDesigning a Life That Mattersâ episode of the âHidden Brainâ podcast; https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/designing-a-life-that-matters/
âOdd Lotsâ podcast from Bloomberg; https://www.bloomberg.com/oddlots
âMinistry for the Futureâ book; https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kim-stanley-robinson/the-ministry-for-the-future/9780316300162/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
From Coal to Clean: The Future of Energy in Utah, with Sara Baldwin-Griffin
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 ⢠Duration 33:50
In this episode, host Kristin Hayes invites Sara Baldwin-Griffin to give her perspective on Utahâs growing renewable energy sectorâa product of the stateâs abundant resources, increasing energy demand, and collaborative policy landscape. Baldwin-Griffin, as chief executive officer of Utah Clean Energy, is supporting the industryâs boom as solar, wind, geothermal, and battery power have grown from less than 5 percent to approximately 20 percent of Utahâs energy generation within just two decades. Not only do sustainable sources of energy offer solutions for affordability and reliability issues, which have been exacerbated by the stateâs emerging data center projects, but renewable energy can inject vitality back into struggling local economies. Baldwin-Griffin elaborates on the factors that have led to Utahâs clean-energy success so far, including bipartisan support and community engagement, and speculates on next steps to increase renewable energy adoption across the Western United States.
References and recommendations:
Utah Clean Energy; https://utahcleanenergy.org/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
One Cityâs Unique Approach to the Energy Transition, with Shoshannah Lenski
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 ⢠Duration 31:08
This week, host Daniel Raimi welcomes Shoshannah Lenski, executive director of the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a municipal energy utility that is fully powered by renewable sources, optional for residents, and supplemental to the existing electricity grid. Over the past few months, the SEU has been installing solar energy systems in households to scale back dependence on carbon-intensive infrastructure, focusing on underserved communities that historically have lacked reliable, affordable electricity. Providing renewable energy as a public utilityâwith no up-front costs to residentsâoffers creative solutions for problems such as stress on the electric grid due to data center build-out, low access to renewable energy for property renters, and repealed federal assistance for solar installations. Lenski walks through the SEUâs ambitious next steps, including constructing neighborhood-scale geothermal systems that provide heating and cooling, and building âmicrogridsâ of interconnected sites that share the energy generated by their solar systems.
References and recommendations:
Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility; https://www.a2gov.org/sustainable-energy-utility/
âThe Ice at the End of the Worldâ by Jon Gertner; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/239762/the-ice-at-the-end-of-the-world-by-jon-gertner/
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
Creating Wildfire-Resilient Communities, with Mark Brown and Jason Brooks
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 ⢠Duration 35:12
In this weekâs episode, host Margaret Walls brings Mark Brown and Jason Brooks on the podcast to discuss their work facilitating fire-resilience efforts among the residents of Marin County, California. As the executive officer of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authorityâthe agency tasked with coordinating the countyâs fire-prevention activitiesâBrown relies on data and strategies created by Fire Aside, a software company co-founded by Brooks. Together, the pair have contributed to an evolution in how the county approaches fire mitigation and response, promoting collaboration among homeowners, local fire services, and insurers. Brown and Brooks relate key takeaways from five years of their public-private partnership, including how to effectively advocate for behavior change, enable homeowners to improve their insurance plans, and unite communities to protect one another against the growing threat of wildfire.
References and recommendations:
Fire Safe Marin; https://firesafemarin.org/
Fire Aside; https://www.fireaside.com/
âThe British Are Comingâ by Rick Atkinson; https://rickatkinson.com/british-are-coming/
âThe Death of Expertiseâ by Tom Nichols; https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-death-of-expertise-9780197763834
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
America at 250: A History of Energy Transitions in the United States, with Liz Moyer
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 ⢠Duration 31:53
This week, host Kristin Hayes invites Liz Moyer on the podcast to break down the history of US energy use in commemoration of the countryâs 250th year of independence. Moyer is an associate professor at the University of Chicago, and along with research collaborators, she created an animated Sankey diagramâa chart that quantifies and depicts the flow of volume from one stage or category (in this case, different energy sources) to another (economic sectors in which the energy is used)âto visualize the evolution of US energy over time. In this episode, Moyer explains the mechanisms behind past US energy transitions, from the expansion of railroads in the 1860s to the oil crisis of the 1970s, and provides insights on the current energy transition toward electricity.
References and recommendations:
âUS Energy History Visualizationâ by Robert Suits, Nathan Matteson, and Elisabeth Moyer; https://us-sankey.rcc.uchicago.edu/
âEnergy Transitions in US History, 1800â2019â by Robert Suits, Nathan Matteson, and Elisabeth Moyer; https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dcfad0e4b0eaff5e0068bf/t/5fbeba6ffa04221c71019ccc/1606335091993/Suits_Matteson_Moyer_2020_Energy_Transitions.pdf
âCharting the evolution of U.S. energy since 1800âfrom horsepower to renewablesâ by Rob Mitchum; https://news.uchicago.edu/story/charting-evolution-us-energy-1800-horsepower-renewables
âInfrastructure: A Guide to the Industrial Landscapeâ by Brian Hayes; https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393349832
Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/
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