In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Dr. Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director at City of Ann Arbor, working with all city operations, residents, businesses, the University of Michigan, nonprofits, and others to make Ann Arbor one of the most sustainable and equitable cities in America. 

Dr. Stults has dedicated 20 years of focus and national level expertise on urban resilience and climate change in an array of roles, prior to joining the City. She has worked on adaptation to climate change since 2004, as the Climate Director at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and as a consultant to philanthropic organizations. Missy holds dual PhDs from the University of Michigan in urban & regional planning and natural resources & the environment. She also has her Masters in Climate and Society from Columbia University, and undergraduate degrees in Marine Biology and Environmental Science from the University of New England.

She and Ted focus their conversation around some big and recent news out of the City: 79% of Ann Arbor voters voted to form a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU). An SEU is another form of utility, rooted in energy efficiency, activated locally, and intended to be an accelerated pathway for the community to promote clean energy to meet its 2030 climate commitment. Ann Arbor's SEU is an opt-in, supplemental community-owned energy utility that will provide energy from local solar and battery storage systems. It will also implement networked geothermal systems beginning with a 232-home project in a low income neighborhood, also serving a public school and community center. Thanks to the SEU, green energy will be provided to residents and businesses through direct installations on their properties, as well as through small-scale distribution systems such as networked systems or microgrids.

Missy and Ted discuss the benefits of the City's SEU: improved energy reliability at times when the grid goes down through increased access to solar and energy storage and shared geothermal systems - all City owned, energy justice initiatives, including broad and deep access to renewable energy, and the creation of programs for low income and underserved residents, including workforce training opportunities, and the expansion of weatherization services. 

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Janet Irizarry, Founder of My Mindful Kitchen, an innovative course designed to reduce food waste, connect families, and foster sustainability. As a mindful foodie, a seasoned restaurateur and entrepreneur, and influencer, Janet combines all of her passions: food, education and course design, raising children, and protecting the environment, to teach children valuable lessons about mindfulness, sustainability, and community, while also strengthening familial bonds. 

Janet is also the Founder of Hudson Valley EATS, a bimonthly column that she started several years ago to highlight food entrepreneurs and restaurant owners in the Hudson Valley. However, during the pandemic, she shifted its focus to raise money and raise awareness for sustainability and hunger relief organizations in the area. She decided to use the platform to ensure that "Everyone EATS" in the Hudson Valley, and that has been the main focus ever since.

She and Ted dig into the My Mindful Kitchen (MMK) Method, which offers practical solutions to household food waste, addressing a critical issue contributing to climate change. Aligned with the EPA's Wasted Food Scale, Janet explains that the program focuses on preventing waste before it starts, encouraging mindful consumption, and making sustainability an easy part of everyday life. In her course, she touches on healthy eating and cooking, though the core of the program is equipping families with the tools to tackle common challenges—like overbuying, disorganization, and poor planning—and create meaningful, positive change.

Janet concludes by sharing that the course launched on January 2nd, and her goal is to help families recognize that food choices matter—not just for physical health, but also for emotional well-being, the health of others, and the planet. By fostering this awareness, families can transform unpleasant feelings about big issues like inflation, political uncertainty, and climate change into a sense of empowerment. She believes that each family and individual has the power to make a significant difference in shaping a better future.

In EcoNet News, Volume 26, Issue #12, Ted wraps and reminisces on the past 40 years of publishing his monthly newsletter in this final issue. In his farewell Net Positive, he shares and encourages his optimism in regards to the future, and his clear perspective on society – as a collective intelligence and vision – having all the solutions needed to address current environmental issues. He thanks all of the EcoNet readers for their support through the years. 

He goes on to highlight zinc-ion batteries, floatovoltaics braving through extreme weather conditions, EV charging networks deployed across the country, Wisconsin Public Service Commission approving the 1.3 GW Vista Sands Solar Farm, PG&E's $15 billion federal loan guarantee to expand clean energy, the Montana Supreme Court ruling in favor of youth, Africa's renewable electricity highway, and lithium battery record price drop.

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Matthew Halteman, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and fellow in the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, UK. He is the author of the just-released Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan, as well as Compassionate Eating as Care of Creation, and the co-editor of Philosophy Comes to Dinner: Arguments About the Ethics of Eating.

Matt has focused his career on ethical food choices, and how that all fits in with the path to sustainable living. He and Ted discuss his new book, and how he aims to shift how people view the process of going vegan, framing it as a joyful opportunity rather than an obligation. He views it as an incremental journey rather than an identity earned by perfection. 

He points out that veganism is aspirational, and something to continually strive towards. He also considers how one can live out going vegan in realistic and adaptable ways, giving advice particularly to college students. He encourages them to work towards the end goal of a vegan life, while accommodating the limitations of prepaid meal plans that may not prioritize a wide array of vegan options. He suggests these students can be preparing for more intentional dietary changes for when they have more food autonomy.

He concludes by drawing similarities between his theory of change, and EcoMotion's philosophy of "The Power of the Increment." He encourages his readers to take small steps that move them in the direction toward veganism, refusing to expect perfection or judgement when falling short based on access or circumstance, especially when there is continual striving and incremental growth in that direction.

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Charles Hua, Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines, a new nonprofit organization aiming to modernize utility regulation to accelerate affordable, reliable, and clean energy for American consumers. He is also an energy analyst who has worked at Rewiring America, DOE's Loan Programs Office, and now at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a research affiliate.

Charles wants people to pay attention to the enormous influence that public utility commissions (PUCs) have on the U.S. energy transition, and get involved with this long-neglected area, pushing for a utility regulatory system that can better serve American consumers, grow the economy, and support communities. His concern is that most states have an outdated utility regulatory system that is not prepared to tackle modern energy challenges. He also claims that there are 200 commissioners controlling the monopolistic utilities at the heart of America's electricity system, with over 200 billion dollars in utility spending.

By engaging with the people, policies, and processes needed to deliver on this agenda, PowerLines approach is to pull together a big tent coalition of people interested in public utility commission (PUC) reform, including PUC staffers themselves, state legislators, clean energy providers and customers, academics and researchers, as well as grassroots groups. They'll serve as a hub for modernizing utility regulation by bringing together these diverse stakeholders to share ideas, resources, and solutions on a path forward to effective utility regulation.

Charles and Ted dig into the problems with PUCs, discussing the unrestrained, unregulated authority over the U.S. electricity system. With the immense power and significance on the country's clean energy future, Charles highlights opportunities for reform, including the revision of statutes, the effectiveness of integrated resource plans, decarbonization, equity, and creating more latitude or space for regulators to embrace a more forward-thinking, innovation-oriented mindset.

In EcoNet News, Volume 26, Issue #11, Ted highlights his birthday trip to Vegas to see the Eagles play at the Sphere and shares his EV road tripping travelogue, hitting Zion National Park, Bryce, and Death Valley on his longest battery electric trip yet.

He also highlights Ann Arbor, Michigan creating a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), Swiss roadways, railroads, and rooftop solar, BYD topping Tesla in EV sales, squatting for bus fares in Romania, vehicle-to-home virtual power plants, and second-life batteries.

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Kameale Terry, co-founder and CEO of ChargerHelp!, a cutting-edge tech company launched in 2020 that tackles the issue of inoperable electric vehicle charging stations. Under her leadership, ChargerHelp! has raised over $21 million, amassed the nation’s largest dataset of EV service work orders, and services stations across 17 states. 

Ted and Kameale discuss her background, and early influences that drove her passion for data, technology, and community empowerment. She is a native of Los Angeles, attended Azusa Pacific College, majored in organizational leadership, and has over a decade of experience in CleanTech. She previously worked at EV Connect, where she was the Director of Programs for the EV charging station network provider. 

Kameale formed ChargerHelp! with her co-founder Evette Ellis to create a reliable EV charging infrastructure. With the mission to leverage technology to promote economic mobility within all communities, ChargerHelp! uses data to identify and provide maintenance and repair services for EV charging stations. 

Kameale's innovative approach blends real-world data, predictive analytics, and machine learning to provide industry-leading solutions to ensure EV charging reliability. She is also deeply committed to workforce development, helping to create high-paying jobs through partnerships with organizations like the Society of Automotive Engineers and the U.S. Department of Labor. Her background in operations and technology, combined with her commitment to empowering historically marginalized communities, has positioned her as a thought leader in the clean energy and mobility sectors.

In Part 3 of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic - Climate Resolve Series, Ted speaks with Jonathan Parfrey, Founder and Executive Director at Climate Resolve, LA's leading climate advocacy organization, committed to local climate solutions to reduce greenhouse gases and improve the lives of Angelenos. 

Just back from New York Climate Week, he jumps right into his highlights from all the events, sharing that it was great to see a large California contingent there. Climate Resolve hosted an event that demonstrated bouncing sunlight back into space to help curb the greenhouse effect, raising greater awareness of the radiative forcing benefits of cool surfaces.

In addition to the actions they have taken to curb the heat island effect and keep LA cool, Ted and Jonathan also discuss LADWP's dilemma (where Jonathan served as a commissioner from 2008-2013), and the tension of reaching 100% carbon free electric delivery by 2035, especially with the potential for using green hydrogen in peaker plants. They also discuss nonprofits' role in electoral campaigns, specifically Climate Resolve's stance on Proposition 4, and the best way to protect folks from heat waves.

Jonathan concludes by sharing the numerous plans that Climate Resolve has helped develop for LA, including the LA County Climate Vulnerability Assessment, the LA County Sustainability Plan, the Long Beach Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, the California Climate Adaptation Planning Guide, and the Fourth California Climate Change Assessment. He shares the difference between planning and implementation, and what his feelings are between the two approaches.

In this Convo of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Curt Johansen, a pioneer in conservation communities. He is the Development Director for Triad Communities, President of Council of Infill Builders, and has dedicated years to blending economic growth with environmental preservation. In his own words, he is advancing the art of finding balance between environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic prosperity. 

Curt and Ted dive right into his work building out Lagoon Valley, the Bay Area’s First Conservation Community, where sustainability is not just a goal but a way of life. Curt oversees all aspects of community development, which features over 700,000 square feet of office space, an organic farm, wildlife preserve, 1,015 homes consisting of fourteen neighborhoods, ranging from affordable to age-qualified and executive housing, a vibrant Town Center, numerous parks, with over 70% of the Specific Plan area conserved for open space and recreational use. 

He and Ted discuss the sustainable development principles that are at the core of the community. He emphasizes the importance of incorporating live, work, and play. He also mentions the conservation work and preservation that has been done and is unique to the community. This includes a golf course that will not only serve as a championship-level course, but will act as a fire and flood buffer for the area.

Curt shares that his design model has always been to never replicate, but to embrace change and diversity, to employ compassion for the uniqueness of each location, to honor existing demands of environmental stewardship, and employ lessons learned from others that find better methods for living sustainably on this planet. Ted concludes by commending him for deliberately creating a sustainable culture and community, and addressing all the resource issues that the Lagoon Valley faces. 

In EcoNet News, Volume 26, Issue #10, Ted highlights EcoMotion's solar work onsite in the Central Valley conducting an inspection at a massive utility-scale installation. He compares the really large with the really small, marveling at the simplicity of balcony solar in Germany. 

He also highlights Australian rooftop solar providing 50% of demand on the country’s main grid, Scandinavian heat pumps at scale, solar-based solar power, bi-directional EV charging, Home Depot purging plastics, and U.C. San Diego's requiring all students enrolled this fall and from here on to take a course on climate change.