Climate Correction™ Podcast

Today's episode features an informed conversation about the Inflation Reduction Act with Dr. Frances Colón, Senior Director of International Climate Policy for the Center for American Progress.

Recorded April 2023

Inflation Reduction Act Overview

· The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (poorly named but our big climate plan!) has $369 billion in funding for climate and clean energy, making it the largest investment for the clean energy transition in U.S. history.

o (IRA Helps tame rising inflation by lowering the cost of energy, prescription drugs, and health insurance, and by raising the federal revenue required to both pay for these programs and reduce the federal budget deficit.)

· The IRA aims to build a 21st-century economy by leveraging federal tax dollars to generate $1.7 trillion in investments over the next ten years.

· It includes more than 20 new or modified tax incentives and tens of billions of dollars in grant and loan programs to supercharge our transition to a clean energy economy – creating jobs, lowering energy costs for everyday Americans, and tackling climate change by reducing emissions.

· The IRA is a strong industrial policy and would finally provide the means for America to take control of our own clean energy future–one that does not rely on imports, but instead fosters a homegrown, robust clean energy manufacturing sector. It directly invests tens of billions of dollars–and encourages billions more in investment–to build out domestic clean energy manufacturing capabilities.

· The IRA is projected to achieve historic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, setting the US on course to meet President Biden's goal of reducing US GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 relative to 2005 levels. It will also achieve historic reductions in local pollutants, improving public health across the country. The US ceased being an international climate leader when President Trump had the US leave the Paris Agreement, and now with President Biden's return and with a promising plan to fulfill our emission goals, the US can once again become a leader on the international stage.

Family and Household Savings

The massive investments that the IRA makes in energy-efficient infrastructure and technology will lead to significant savings for Americans.

· Save the average household up to $1,000 per year through reduced energy costs.

· Tax credits and rebates for energy-efficient appliances which could create savings of at least $350 per year.

· Savings of up to $2,600 per vehicle per year in reduced maintenance and fuel costs are supported by tax credits for electric vehicles.

Targeted Investment in Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities

The IRA includes roughly $60 billion in funding to uplift underserved communities and address environmental injustice.

· Disadvantaged communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden from pollution. A person of color is more than three times as likely to be breathing some of the most polluted air in the US than a white person.

· Of the $60 billion, a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will channel at least $15 billion to environmental justice and disadvantaged communities to increase renewable energy deployment, local jobs, and resilience to extreme weather and climate impacts and to decrease pollution in overburdened communities and there will be $3 billion in Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants to support pollution reduction and climate resilience in EJ communities.

Jobs

The IRA has started the US clean energy economy, creating thousands of jobs. Some quick numbers of the numbers of jobs already announced and projected for the future:

· Since the IRA passage, private companies have announced $64 billion in new investments in clean energy.

· 32% of all EV-related jobs announced since 2015 were announced in the 6 months immediately following the passage of the IRA.

· 101,036 new clean energy jobs were announced between August 16, 2022, and January 31, 2023.

· Opportunity for up to 2.3 million new jobs if IRA investments are complimented by strong federal policy.

· Tax credits in the IRA increase job quality in the renewable energy sector by incentivizing employers to meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.

Coastal Resilience

The IRA invests in climate and coastal resilience, as well as fortifies flood infrastructure to mitigate the impact of sea level rise and extreme weather events. This is particularly crucial for coastal communities, including those in Florida, who have already experienced significant damage from hurricanes and are at risk of losing properties and livelihoods due to rising sea levels.

· The IRA includes $2.6 billion in funding NOAA for coastal restoration.

· Additionally, there will be $500 million for grants through the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act of 2020

Today, we are joined by Dr. Meenakshi Chabba, Ecosystem and Resilience Scientist at the Everglades Foundation. She will be discussing her advanced knowledge of Everglades ecosystem science and resilience planning for South Florida's natural and built environment. She is particularly passionate about how restoration efforts in the Everglades and decision-making around them can impact ecological and economic outcomes across the ecosystem.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Meenakshi was a Research Analyst with the USAID-funded Disaster Risk and Resilience in the Americas Program at Florida International University's (FIU) Extreme Events Institute, where she performed economic evaluations of approximately 20 USAID risk reduction projects and was the program's lead science writer. Meenakshi's research has contributed to the fields of financial decision-making in risk management, valuation of ecosystem services in policymaking, and the inclusion of sustainability, economic efficiency, and social equity in resilience planning for climate change. Meenakshi has also taught Biology and Ecology at the undergraduate and high school levels. Meenakshi earned a Ph.D. in Earth Systems Science from FIU, a master's degree in environmental studies from FIU, and a master's in Zoology from the University of Delhi.

In this episode, you will discover that the Everglades is much more than just a natural habitat for over 2,000 animal species. The Everglades also provides drinking water to over 40% of Florida's population and plays a crucial role in the state's economy. It is also one of our greatest tools in mitigating the effects of climate change and sea-level rise in this most vulnerable area of the country.

So, let's dive in with The Everglades Foundation.

LINKS:

https://www.evergladesfoundation.org/

https://www.evergladesliteracy.org/

IG: @evergladesfoundation

Climate change is affecting the foods we love and need for their nutritional value, including some of Florida's favorites such as the Cuban Sandwich, fried gator bites, key lime pie, and the Rum Runner. Using foods and drinks like these is an exceptional way to tell the climate change story and get the attention of everyone. After all, we all eat to live.

Rising temperatures, how, when, and where precipitation falls, and even the air, which now has 50% more carbon dioxide than in the past, are affecting the availability, flavor, price, and nutritional quality of our food. And getting them to our table is getting more complicated as transportation routes face new risks. The changes happening to our food are unlimited, as are the stories to tell. What is being done to keep our favorites and staples on the menu and what we can all do to tackle the grand challenge of climate change will be discussed.

Michael P Hoffmann, Author and Professor Emeritus at Cornell, joins us to tell the story of climate change as seen through its effects on the food we eat. His message is science-based, and if you want to hear more after today's episode, check out his Ted Talk - TEDx, Climate Change: It's Time to Raise Our Voices; or consider buying his book, Our Changing Menu: Climate Change and the Foods We Love and Need.

Links from this episode:

• Ted X Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIeU001iYTo

• Cornell University Press ordering info and where the discount code (09SAVE) can be used-- https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501754623/our-changing-menu/

• Info about the eCornell Climate Change leadership course can be found here - https://ecornell.cornell.edu/courses/leadership-and-strategic-management/climate-change-leadership/. And this discount code can be shared widely - CORNELL100.

This session from the Climate Correction™ Live event features Luis Tineo, Program Manager of the Climate Change Group for the World Bank. In this session, Luis answers the question, "Does climate change matter for development?" His work seeks to understand how the risks associated with climate change will affect poverty, prosperity, and equity in developing countries.

In this episode, you will learn the financial risks related to climate change, the measures to reduce those risks - as well as their underlying causes, and how we can work towards achieving a carbon-neutral economy that benefits all.

For more information on our work, visit here: www.volofoundation.org

VoLo Foundation welcomes you to Climate Correction™ Conference 2023! Our Emcee John Morales gets us started. Ashley Van Stone, Sustainability Manager City of Orlando offers a warm welcome to 200+ attendees. VoLo Foundation's Trustees and Founders, David S. Vogel and Thais Lopez Vogel, welcome everyone and remind us of the Foundation's mission and vision. Dawn Shirreffs, Florida Director of Environmental Defense Fund gives a briefing that discusses how the Inflation Reduction Act can contribute to both local and global efforts and address climate change.

Historically, Florida has been slow to transition to clean energy, seemingly captive to the clout of utilities and the fossil fuel industry. But with solar costs dropping and federal dollars on the way, hear the latest about where the Sunshine State is on capturing cost-effective energy efficiency, solar, battery storage, and how we stack up on electrifying transportation.

Speakers

Susan Glickman

Policy & Program Consultant, Florida Clinicians For Climate Action

Named to Florida Trend's Inaugural 500 Business Most Influential Business Leaders, Susan is with the Florida Clinicians for Climate Action - educating medical professionals on the health harms of climate change. She is a consultant to ReThink Energy Florida on The Upper Limit Project and Alianza for Progress on strategies to curb waste – a driver of climate change. She served as Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE's) Florida Director from 2013 to 2021. A native of Florida, Susan has worked over two decades with many national organizations such as Natural Resources Defense Council, The Climate Group, Ceres, Our Children's Trust, Center for Climate Integrity, Advanced Energy Economy, Union of Concerned Scientists and Environmental Defense Fund. Susan also developed and directed The Florida Business Network for a Clean Energy Economy, a coalition of business leaders working together to advance the clean energy economy. Susan was Founding Chair of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. She was a Volunteer Florida Commissioner – having served under both Governors Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. Susan is on the Board of the Solar & Energy Loan Fund (SELF), a community development finance institution that provides affordable financing for weatherization and solar improvements. Susan is on the Steering Committee of the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative and co-chairs the Heat & Health Task Force.

Steve Rutherford

Founder and President, Tampa Bay Solar

He's been a liberator of people, be it in the sands of Iraq or the rooftops of Tampa. And for the last few years, it's clear, he's still at it, freeing people from things that are larger than themselves. The only difference now is he is directly helping Americans, "here" at home. It's been a long road to "here", Tampa, but somehow the mission remained the same – helping people and freeing them. Steve also makes it very clear that he is willing to help his fellow military brothers and sisters by hiring veterans whenever possible. He knows what it's like to come home. He's served with honor, for over twenty-two years with the Navy SEALs. Integrity and honor are deeply woven into the wiring of Steve, and that flows into everything that he does. Character like this is hard to find, and you can be assured he takes every opportunity to serve you with the diligence and integrity he's lived with for most of his life. Steve leverages his extensive knowledge and background when working with Solar Systems. And his lifelong passion for all things electrical shines with each new client and each new project. Steve brings so much experience to the Solar Industry, and to new customers as well. It's easy to see why Tampa Bay Solar's future is very bright, now if we can just figure out a way to harness that! Seriously though, you can find Steve on rooftops helping the installation crew and inspecting each job to guarantee your new solar energy system is installed to his high standards.

Ann Vanek-Dasovich

Chief Business Development Officer, Solar And Energy Loan Fund (SELF)

Local governments in the Southeast face numerous challenges and barriers to advancing their sustainability and climate action priorities. This session will specifically focus on how SSDN is helping local governments build internal capacity to achieve climate-related goals, including participating in state-level policy forums and accessing federal funding to resource these activities. Southeast Sustainability Directors Network is a peer-to-peer network connecting over 100 local and tribal governments with the goal to accelerate, scale, and implement sustainability best practices throughout the Southeast region. SSDN speakers will include Ann Livingston (Director of Policy) who will discuss building the capacity of local government to meet climate and energy goals as well as engage with state and federal partners and Michael Dexter (Director of the SSDN's Multimedia Environmental Finance Center) who will discuss federal funding opportunities and technical assistance offerings to help resource local governments to achieve climate priorities.

Speakers

Michael Dexter

Southeast Sustainability Director's Network

Michael is the Director of the Multimedia Environmental Finance Center, a pilot program of the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network. SSDN's EFC helps local governments and the communities they represent in the Southeast have the opportunity and support to access and be awarded funding to advance sustainability and resilience efforts. He provides technical assistance to members to access and apply for federal funding, liaises with federal agencies, and connects local governments with key partners who provide additional support under the Center's umbrella. Prior to being with SSDN, he worked within local, state, and federal government including at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to oversee a $1.2 billion annual grant program, coordinate agency-wide climate change adaptation efforts, and support disaster preparedness and emergency response efforts.

Ann Livingston

Director, State Policy Program, Southeast Sustainability Directors Network

Ann has consistently taken an entrepreneurial approach to developing and implementing leading-edge solutions to sustainability issues facing communities, regions, and states since earning both a Juris Doctorate and an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Environment, Policy and Society from the University of Colorado in 2000. She has served as the Land Use Attorney for Environment Colorado; Director, Center for Communities by Design at the AIA National Chapter; Boulder County Sustainability Coordinator; Program Manager for State and Local Engagement at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), Principal Planner in Sustainability for Fort Lauderdale; and as a Climate Advisor for the City of St. Petersburg, FL prior to joining the SSDN team as Policy Director. Ann has worked collaboratively with multiple levels of government, utilities, the private sector (including technology firms, trade allies, and financial institutions), advocacy groups, Federal Laboratories, the US Department of Energy, and state energy offices among others. She has served on the City of Boulder and Xcel Energy Task Force (focused on municipalization and alternative partnership options), as President of the Colorado Green Building Guild, as Vice-President of the Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center Board of Directors, and on numerous other advisory boards and work groups. Ann was named as a Person of the Year by the Boulder Weekly (2009), Sustainability Champion (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2010), and Forty Under Forty by the Boulder County Business Report (2010). Ann is a 5th generation native Floridian—her love of natural Florida inspired her to pursue a career in sustainability and remains a source of motivation today.

As Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida, the majority of the residents at Babcock Ranch chose to shelter in place. The resilient design of their town was about to be put to the ultimate test. Despite massive devastation in surrounding communities – damage at Babcock Ranch was minimal. Residents never lost power. They never lost water. They never lost internet. And luck had nothing to do with it. Babcock Ranch has factored storm safety into all development decisions to create a town that is resilient by design.

Speakers

Jennifer Languell

President/Owner, Trifecta

For more than 25 years, Dr. Jennifer Languell has championed the implementation of green building and sustainable development principles within the construction industry. She is called upon by leading builders and developers to help them develop strategies to achieve their sustainability and resilience goals by creating more resource-efficient, healthy and durable projects. For her work, Dr. Languell and Trifecta have received numerous awards from government and industry organizations such as the Urban Land Institute, National Association of Home Builders, Center for Sustainable Florida, and the Florida Green Building Coalition. Her knowledge and leadership in the area of sustainability have made her a sought-after subject matter expert for the media in outlets such as BusinessWeek, CNN Headline News, HGTV, NPR and CNBC. Dr. Languell was also selected as a technical advisor and star for the Discovery Channel's environmental series Discovery Project Earth. Dr. Languell serves in leadership roles with many non-profit organizations that are involved with green building and sustainability. She is Certified Woman Owned Business, Certified Residential Contractor CRC#1330049, a past President of the Florida Green Building Coalition., a LEED Accredited Professional, USGBC Green Rater, Class 1 Certified Energy Rater, NAHB Verifier, Certified Green Professional, Certifying Agent with the Florida Green Building Coalition and she currently serves as the chair of the board for Babcock Neighborhood Schools.

Lucienne Pears

Vice President of Economic & Business Development, Kitson Babcock, LLC.

In her role as Vice President of Economic & Business development, Lucienne strives to create a sustainable economy in Babcock Ranch. She grew up in rural upstate New York, graduated from Salisbury University on Maryland's eastern shore studying environmental science and urban planning. Living in SW Florida since 2002, Lucienne spent nearly a decade consulting on land development projects. In 2009 Lucienne shifted her focus to economic development, committed to improving the lives and opportunities of residents. During her years in Charlotte County's EDO, Lucienne was recognized twice (2017 & 2018) as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America by Consultant Connect, a consortium of site selection consultants, economic developers, and industry CEOs. She has also been honored as a Person to Watch by Florida Trend magazine. Under Lucienne's leadership, the EDO secured several key commitments: the sale of Murdock Village, over $2 billion in capital investment in Charlotte County, and over $3.2 million in grant funding for infrastructure improvements to support economic development. Since joining Kitson & Partners in 2018, Lucienne has been a key teammate in attracting projects and funding to Babcock Ranch, including securing $7M in funding from the FL legislature for the construction of a regional emergency shelter. In addition to attracting primary employers to create jobs in keeping with he Babcock Ranch vision for sustainability, Lucienne also works to support and grow the existing business community and focuses on long-term strategies to keep Babcock Ranch at the cutting edge of Innovation.

Reducing food waste is increasingly being recognized as an effective and non-controversial solution to reduce GHG emissions; ease pressure on land and water ecosystems used for food production; and alleviate global food insecurity. WWF's national Food Waste Warriors program has landed in Orlando, and aims to inspire local K-12 students to take the lead in developing a more circular food system.

Speakers

Alex Nichols-Vinueza, Manager of Food Waste Programs, WWF

Alex supports the US Food Waste team's portfolio of projects at WWF, including work with the agricultural, grocery retail, hospitality and food service sectors. He is the team lead for the Food Waste Warrior program, which empowers students and teachers to learn about the food system by measuring and reducing their schools' food waste. He has recently helped to lead a coalition of environmental NGOs to develop a policy action plan for Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to reduce US food loss & waste by 50% by 2030. He previously spent 12 years in project and partner management across tech, government, and sustainability consulting in Colombia, the US, and Central America.

Shannon Maganiezin, Press, PR & Podcast Director, VoLo Foundation

Shannon is a world-class and seasoned climate communications professional. After bringing VoLo online through web and social media strategy, she led the creation of VoLo Climate News and is now host of Climate Correction Podcast. With a deep understanding of human psychology and detailed organization her work is cutting-edge, moving and effective. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Science dual degree in Psychology and Sociology from Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Experiences, Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future for All.

Wendy Oliver, Program Director VoLo Foundation

Daniel Gibson, Regional Vice President - Miami, Allegany Franciscan Ministries

Andi Allen, State Director, Best Buddies

Andi Allen is the State Director of Best Buddies in Florida where she works with a team of 41 employees to enhance the lives of those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities through programs focused on developing one-to-one friendships, integrated employment opportunities, inclusive living and leadership development. Ms. Allen manages all facets of State development and operations, placing an emphasis on quality programmatic delivery, fiscal sustainability, mission expansion and diversifying funding sources. Through the efforts of Ms. Allen, generous donors and staff partners, Best Buddies in Florida successfully supports 251 jobs participants, 325 school friendship chapters and over 10,000 total participants spanning 26 counties and 120 cities throughout the State of Florida.