HEAL Utah Podcast

Matt chats with Shawn about the work he does as the Research Director for the Utah Foundation, a local think-tank. Shawn talked about his journey to work at the foundation, which included a stint in Kazakhstan. He described the Utah Priorities Project which asked voters this year what their top policy priorities are, such as healthcare and air quality. Matt and Shawn then drill down deeper on how Utahns think about a few environmental issues, including air quality and water. Lastly, they talked about the nonpartisan research seeks to influence the political process. For more information about the Utah Foundation, you can visit their website, their Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Matt has an informative chat with Peter, founder and CEO emeritus of Black Diamond, focusing on the relationship between outdoor recreation companies and environmental activism. Peter talks about the company’s history, why Black Diamond moved to Utah, and how he has fought to leverage the outdoor industry’s influence to help protect Utah’s natural environment. They conclude by talking about Bears Ears, and Peter’s work to urge President Obama to declare the region a National Monument. To learn more about Black Diamond’s environmental efforts, visit the sustainability section of their website.

Our first ever business guest joins Matt on the podcast to discuss the growing sandwich chain’s unique social mission. Sam, the Director of Community Engagement at Even Stevens, talks about the origins of the company’s idea to help local nonprofits that are fighting food insecurity. He and Matt chat about other companies moving in this direction, such as Tom’s Shoes, and Sam describes exactly how Even Stevens so far has donated more than half a million sandwiches to people in need in Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Lastly, they talk about the nonprofits Even Stevens partners with, the company’s ambitions and their tasty menu! For more information about the company, their locations and mission, visit their Website and their Facebook page.

Matt has a lively chat with Vicki, who has led Salt Lake’s impressive sustainability efforts for the past eight years. They talk about Vicki’s path to her job and the city’s recent announcement that it had reached an agreement with Rocky Mountain Power to generate 100 percent of Salt Lake City’s electricity needs from renewable sources by 2032. They also discuss what Salt Lake can do to reduce air pollution, focusing on buildings emissions and local transit. To learn more about all the city’s great efforts, check out SLCgreen’s website and Facebook and Twitter feeds.

In a very special edition of the podcast, Matt chats with Dr. Mann–HEAL’s Spring Breakfast speaker in 2014 and one of the nation’s most respected climate change scientists. They discuss his new book, The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy, and his unique collaboration with celebrated political cartoonist Tom Toles. They also chat about how climate change denialism has shifted, about the Paris Agreement and the role that climate change has played (or rather not played) in this year’s Presidential race. For more about Dr. Mann and his work, check out his website, his excellent Twitter feed and, of course, the website for his compelling new book, the Madhouse Effect.

Michael, HEAL’s Policy Associate, who manages our coal and renewables work, joins the podcast to talk about a very important issue that has played out the past few weeks: How Provo is making rooftop solar policy! He chats with Matt about the growth of solar and about how Provo Energy and the Provo Council only heard one side of the story. They also discuss the council’s recent vote, how it will harm solar and finally speculate (rightfully, it turns out) that Provo might be reconsidering its decision! Lastly, they talk about the BIG fight yet to come, when Rocky Mountain will soon seek to slap various fees on solar power. To help HEAL defend solar, sign up for our Citizen Activist Program. And if you own rooftop solar, let us know! We’ll send you special updates.

Derek, a SLC councilmember and a prominent local business owner, chats with Matt about a range of critical issues: They discuss how Laziz, a local Mideastern food producer and soon-to-be deli which Derek owns with his husband, tries to be sustainable. They talked about how city policies can drive clean air improvements, particularly via encouraging dense, walkable neighborhoods such as the Granary, where Laziz (and HEAL) are located. And they talked about the recent announcements about how Salt Lake City is trying to deal with its homelessness crisis. For more information, check out the SLC Council’s Web site and Derek’s Facebook page.

Matt flies solo and dives deep on three recent HEAL Utah victories, offering some context and detail to explain the significance of each. First, he talks about Navitus, a proposed waste-to-energy facility that Sandy City officials are now backing away from. Second, he describes the collapse of the Oakland coal terminal proposal. (Those two victories described more here.) Lastly, he explains the importance of a recent federal court ruling that will allow HEAL’s lawsuit against Rocky Mountain Power for its coal ash handling practices at its Huntington plant to move forward. Hey, folks, if you like what you’re hearing and you listen to the podcast via iTunes, please take a moment and “rate” and “comment” on the podcast here. That’ll help more people discover us!

On this week’s episode, Zach from Utah Rivers Council and Matt chat about a few relevant issues effecting Utah’s waterways. First they chat about the recent algae blooms that have shut down rivers and lakes and raised concerns about how climate change is affecting our state. Secondly, they talk about Cache County and their upcoming vote on whether to form a regional water district, as documented in a recent City Weekly cover story. For more information about Utah Rivers, visit their website.

Matt chats with Miller, an engineer with the Utah Division of Water Resources, and Ault, the Sovereign Lands Program Manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, about the health of the Great Salt Lake and the challenges this critical body of water faces. They discuss the factors that are drying up the lake and what the lake would look like without human intervention. Matt also asks these two experts about the brine shrimp industry, how the Great Salt Lake’s diminishment might effect local air quality and the recent Antelope Island fire. For more information about the Great Salt Lake, check out a key state management plan, the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council, the many resources on the website of Friends of the Great Salt Lake, a state geological website, and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands site.