HEAL Utah Podcast

Vancouver-based journalist, Geoff Dembicki, joins Matt in the studio to chat about his new book, Are We Screwed? How a New Generation is Fighting to Survive Climate Change. Geoff explains he remains hopeful despite the current political moment, hostile to positive policy developments on climate change. His optimism is based, the author explains, on recent election results in Canada and the UK, in addition to the young activists he profiles in his new book. Matt asks the writer about whether he thinks climate activism must be driven by leftist economic imperatives and how he perceives the left’s tendency towards factionalism. Lastly, they discuss the climate divestment movement, a focus of the second part of Geoff’s book. For more information, check out a review of  “Are We Screwed,” visit Bloomsbury’s website and follow Geoff on Twitter.

Matt chats with Tyler Poulson, Salt Lake City’s sustainability program manager, about several key climate and energy issues including Utah Climate Week, coming up October 8-14. First, Tyler offers his take on the recent rooftop solar settlement reached between Rocky Mountain Power and other stakeholders. He then updates us about how Salt Lake City is progressing on its efforts to utilize more renewable energy. Lastly, Matt and Tyler chat about how climate policy work has evolved under the challenging administration in Washington. To send a message asking Governor Herbert to sign onto the Paris Agreement, fill out our “We Are Still In” action alert. (Share it with your networks, too: https://www.healutah.org/wearestillin) For more information about Salt Lake City’s work, visit the SLCGreen website. For more information about all of the interesting activities occurring during Utah Climate Week, visit the website of the Utah Climate Action Network. To learn about the FOUR events HEAL is hosting (or co-hosting) during climate week, check out our website!

Matt chats with Suzanne, the Board President of the Escalante & Boulder Chamber of Commerce, about the possible reduction of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. She describes how that region’s economy has been growing in recent years, as she wrote in a recent Deseret News op-ed. Suzanne, who owns and runs NEMO’S Drive-Thru in Escalante, talks about a growth in hotels, restaurants and other businesses directly linked to tourists visiting and enjoying the monument, which she believes should not be shrunk, as President Trump and Secretary Zinke appear poised to do.  She and Matt talk about whether grazing and fossil fuel extraction offer promise to the local economy and how some local leaders have shunned the promise of the monument’s economic benefits. For more information, visit the website of the Escalante & Boulder Chamber of Commerce — and visit the gorgeous Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument!

Matt chats with Michael about the historic rooftop solar agreement reached between Rocky Mountain Power, the solar industry and advocates like HEAL in late August. Michael, who worked nearly full-time on defending rooftop solar for the past nine months, describes the negotiating process that led to the recent settlement. He reviews the outcome, which has three parts. The first is for existing solar customers; the second, for those who sign up over the next three years, and, lastly, for those who acquire solar after 2020. Overall, Matt and Michael agree the agreement, while not perfect, should be seen as a positive outcome, all things considering. For more information, check out a video Michael made, news coverage in the Deseret News & Salt Lake Tribune, and for the true diehards, a link to the negotiated settlement itself.

Matt chats with Marisol Cortez, a scholar, writer and activist based in San Antonio, Texas. Since graduating from U.C. Davis with a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, Cortez has returned to Texas to advocate for climate and social justice in her hometown. Matt and Marisol discuss gentrification in San Antonio and the displacement of the Mission Trails Mobile Home Park where Matt draws similarities between housing crises in San Antonio and Salt Lake City. They also spoke about a recent presentation Marisol gave at the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment conference about “resisting burnout.” Marisol is also a co-founder of Deceleration News, an online journal that reports at the intersection of climate change and social justice. Deceleration is currently seeking contributing writers.

Matt chats about current Western environmental issues with Jonathan Thompson, an accomplished environmental journalist from southwestern Colorado. Thompson has recently reported on the battle over the Bears Ears National Monument and the coal industry in the West. Matt and Jonathan discuss the value of preserving not only the artifacts at the heart of a historic landmark, but also the landscape and physical context of a landmark, while examining Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s proposal to break up Bears Ears into several discontinuous sections. The two discuss another Trump cabinet member, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, and the myths which surround his push to defend coal-fired power sources. Finally, Matt asks Jonathan about the polarization of politics about the environment in the West and how we might engage in conversations with our friends and family across the aisle. To check out Jonathan’s writing and reporting, visit his author page at High Country News.

Ashley joins Matt in the studio to chat about the endeavors of Wasatch Community Gardens throughout the Salt Lake Valley. They discuss the mission of WCG to empower people of all ages and incomes to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food. They help refugees and women experiencing homelessness learn how to garden. Listen in to hear Matt and Ashley dissect issues surrounding locally grown food, the limiting factors in community gardening, and the future of urban growing. You can learn more or sign up to volunteer on their website.  Be sure to check out WCG’s Facebook, & Instagram, too.

Matt chats with Royal about his efforts on behalf of Salt Lake County to improve air quality and to work on climate change for the sake of public health. Royal discusses his involvement with the Utah Clean Cities Coalition to provide alternative fuel options and promote non-idling practices, as well as Salt Lake County’s measures to enforce wood burning regulations. You can report a wood-burning violation at any time, here. Finally, Matt and Royal explains an important effect of global climate change in Salt Lake County — heat stress, a growing public health concern. To find a place to cool off this summer in Salt Lake City, visit this interactive “cool zone” map. To learn more about the county health department’s work, check them out on the Web and on Facebook, Instagram, and their YouTube Channel.

Anne Mariah chats with Matt about the economic and environmental impacts of uranium milling and nuclear waste storage near Blanding, Utah. Anne Mariah describes the White Mesa Mill, the last conventional uranium mill in North America. Its nuclear waste pits, nearby residents and advocates say, pose some serious concerns regarding groundwater contamination and public health. While acknowledging White Mesa is a significant employer in San Juan County, Anne Mariah emphasizes the long-term economic value of protecting public health and the local environment.  For more information, check out news coverage of a recent march by White Mesa Concerned Community, a native-led grassroots organization. You can also learn more by watching a short film about the mill and by checking out Grand Canyon Trust on the Web, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Matt chats with Will about the successful brewery he founded nearly 25 years ago which has grown steadily and now sells its brews in 34 states. Will discusses Utah’s sometimes unusual alcohol laws. Matt and Will then talk about Uinta’s impressive commitment to environmental values, including acquiring renewable energy, installing energy efficiency measures and supporting many, many local nonprofits via donated product. Lastly, they talk about beer! For more information, check out the brewery’s Website and Twitter feed. And visit their brewhouse pub at 1722 Fremont Dr in Salt Lake City.