Perspectives on Sustainable Development

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Lithium batteries are in nearly everything we own. I have six or seven in my shed for lawn equipment and power tools. Then we also have the much larger versions that power electric vehicles. If any of those get damaged or puncture, as often happens during end-of-life processes at waste yards, these things burn like propane torches with water having little to no effect. The fires burn hot and burn for a long time, exposing the public nearby to a toxic mix of emissions. It is also a large public safety issue.

My guests this week are trying to do something about this. Assemblyman Bill Moen (NJ-5th District) and John Thomas (Managing Partner, Recycling and Waste Solutions) believe that there is no one magic bullet for this problem. It's too complex. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules hold some promise but are tricky since most of these batteries are made overseas. Education and recycling incentives are also critical, but historically, recycling programs have largely had trouble realizing their full potential. But interestingly, I learned during this discussion that dogs are amazing at identifying these batteries, so we have that going for us. 

All kidding aside, until we can divert much more of these batteries from the general waste streams, these fires will continue to get worse. I applaud Assm Moen and John for trying to lean into this topic and affect some positive change. It will save lives. 

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I was raised Catholic and am proud to have had six years of Jesuit education at Georgetown Prep and Loyola University in Chicago. One of the things that really hit home with me during that time was trying to be a "man for others", trying to make the most of my time on this planet to have a positive impact. 

My guests this week share that desire and dedicate their time toward improving environmental justice, climate, and public health impacts in overburdened communities. Reverand Brian Sauder is the President and CEO of Faith in Place, a non-profit organization cultivating a powerful multifaith movement working for environmental justice through connection, education, and advocacy in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Dr. Elizabeth Cerceo is Director of Climate Health at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University and Associate Program Director of Internal Medicine at Cooper University Healthcare. 

As Pope Francis states in Laudato Si, “We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

This was a great discussion. I hope you all enjoy. 

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Guests

Miguel Morevac, Clean Rides Network, Campaign Manager

Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans, Inc. 

The transportation sector is critical for our economy. We need to get to work, goods need to move freely, and there has always been something inherently American about the ability to get in your car and see the country. But there also many areas for improvement. The transportation sector accounts for roughly 40% of particulate matter emissions in most states. This is critical since elevated PM emissions directly lead to pulmonary and cardiovascular problems. The interstate highway systems were also built through eminent domain, often bisecting poor communities and erasing some of their history and culture. 

My guests this week are working toward better options and maximizing impacts whether at the micro levels (community) or macro (large infrastructure projects). The built environment is hard to untangle, and transportation is an unfortunate example of tragedy of the commons since its impacts are massed cumulatively but our decisions and views in this area are often individual. 

This was a great discussion and the energy and passion that Miguel and Sara have for these topics was palpable. Enjoy, and be sure to read the episode notes for useful resources from the episode.

Episode Notes:

Here's an AP article describing the Clean RIDES Network.
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I've been taking my son on annual trips to DC for the last 4-5 years. I toured the Capitol for the first time when I was around his age and was absolutely enthralled. Thank you to Senator Andy Kim's office for helping to arrange a tour for us last month. It was the first time that I have been back in the building since before January 6th. As we walked through, I kept smiling when my son would ask questions and just couldn't help but think about the fragile nature of democracy. They call it the bedrock of our society for a reason.

This episode highlights the work of Gary Lucks, JD, CPEA (Partner, Bay Law Group), as part of my Impactful Authors Series. In his new book, We are the Power to Win the Future, Gary writes of the need to protect our fundamental systems and how ideally that can act as a unifying message instead of a divisive one. This is not a red issue or a blue issue; it's a critical systems issue. I'm tired of all the hate, division, and distrust. It's time to come together. Paraphrasing something Gary said during our talk, regulatory compliance work is premised on trust in the system and certainty...both have been waning in recent years.

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Diamond Spratling and I have been friends and colleagues now for 4-5 years. Another colleague recommended her for a climate justice panel that I was putting together at the time, and needless to say, I am glad he did. Diamond is the proud founder and executive director of Girl Plus Environment, the national nonprofit that has raised over $800,000 to ensure Black and Brown women+ are leading climate and environmental policies, decisions, and innovative solutions. 

She is also the author of Sage Sails the World, a children's book series following 7-year-old Sage and her dog Benji as they explore Earth’s wonders, uncover climate challenges, and inspire young readers to become environmental stewards. 

It is critically important that children of all races believe that they can be anything that they want to be in life, that they can achieve their dreams if they work hard enough. I tell a quick story early in this episode of taking my daughter to Target for Barbies, and a woman passing us in the aisle scoffing at why there needs to be a black soccer player Barbie. Little girls will see that Barbie and see it as a possible option for them. I love Diamond's idea for the Sage series because it instills hope in young people and tells them that not only can they travel the world, but they can also help positively impact one of the greatest challenges of our time, climate change. 

Well done Diamond. I bought my daughter this book, and she loves it. 

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I have had a text thread going with two good friends of mine, who also happen to be enviro-nerds, for the last few years. We use it to bounce ideas off each other, vent about stuff, and generally just find new and creative ways to give each other a hard time. That text thread will never see the light of day, but it did give me an idea. Thought bubble - Wouldn't it be fun to have Mike Showalter (Partner, Arent Fox Schiff) and Joe Pere (Managing Director, OMS Group) on for an episode with no pre-approved bullets, no script whatsoever, and no filters? I have to admit, the combination of morbid curiosity and "oh this is going to be fun" made me do it.

Their disclaimers were longer than CVS receipts, but in the end, this turned into largely a serious discussion. We started off discussing how drugs and alcohol have historically been a problem in the legal and consulting fields, and that thankfully we have all seen improvements in recent years. We also discussed how long-term planning and advisory has shifted with federal changes by the current administration. 

I always have fun talking with these two, and although I would normally never admit it, I often walk away learning something. 

Enjoy. I know I did.

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I used to always start my climate or EJ talks with a photo of my children to reinforce the point that they are why I am so passionate about my work. I want to help establish the most sustainable, healthy, and economically viable environment for them that we possibly can. I'd expect that most parents would relate to that goal. Yet long term planning and sustainability programs are often brushed aside. Children have no real voice in the matter. Similarly, residents in overburdened areas may often feel like they have no voice as their concerns may go seemingly unheard. Finally, wildlife itself, although critical to our survival, has no voice in the planning and policy processes (though a few recent court cases are changing this a bit).

My guest for this episode, Professor Randall Abate, addresses these issues and more in the second edition of his book Climate Change and the Voiceless. I'm not sure if it was the topics we discussed, or the fact that we both have deep Jersey ties, but I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you will as well. 

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I am born and raised in New Jersey. Growing up we used to visit the Shore multiple times a year. Belmar was my beach. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated our state. After the storm passed, as I was volunteering in Belmar to literally pickup pieces of the boardwalk that had washed into residential yards ten blocks away, the importance of climate work came into focus for me. Storms happen, but the rate at which they happen, and their rate of intensification are both increasing; as are inland flooding, cloud burst events, so-called sunny day flooding, and combined sewer overflows. Much of our built system is quite old, and much of the new stuff is being built without regard for cumulative effects. 

My guests for this episode are Nick Angarone (Chief Resilience Office, NJDEP) and Amy Chester (Director, Rebuild by Design). A few days prior to recording this episode, New Jersey announced a 1-year pause on the Protecting Against Climate Threats: Resilient Environments and Landscapes (NJ PACT REAL) Rules. The rules would require developers and property owners to incorporate various risk minimization steps to factor in the likelihood of adverse future impacts. If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend you look into Amy's flood modeling work. It is eye opening stuff. I know many people in support of the REAL rules, and likely as many against them. But no matter which side of the argument you fall on, I hope that you can look at the risks objectively and then come to the table with suggestions. The status quo isn't working. I will always support those looking for answers to the hard questions. Great discussion, I hope you all enjoy. 

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There is a palpable fear spreading across the country, the fear of data centers and their potential impacts to our society and environment. Before we start, it is important to note that data centers are not a new thing, hyperscale data centers (>100MW) are new, as are large learning models (LLMs). Much has been written on their energy use, their water use, potential climate impacts, air impacts, impacts to our workforce, impacts to local farmers and food supplies, and the potential for a technological renaissance that alters how we live our lives. A day or two before we recorded this episode Governor Sherrill (NJ) had just proposed "guardrails" for data center development in the state. If you recall, I have been suggesting the same for a few months. Hyperlocal moratoriums have popped up all over the country. Each location has to decide for themselves, but I'd hope that they do so based on the most current and objective data possible. These are nuanced cases and developers are innovating and investing in the sector at an incredible pace. There is also the argument that to understand the benefits of development, you not only have to look at their footprint, but also their "handprint", or how they will make our lives less environmentally impactful. I'd suggest that will only happen if safeguards on usage are added to provide at least a minimum amount of processing time to energy and environmental questions, or social impact issues. 

For this episode, I chose to focus mostly on the energy and water issues. My guests are Jeffrey Davis (Principal, Integral Consulting) and Abraham Silverman (Research Scholar, The Johns Hopkins University). The three of us try hard to not take a position on data centers but provide as much technical information as possible to support others in their planning processes. Towards the end of the episode, we also discuss a project that I am developing at Rutgers University to create a policy toolkit that focuses on building better guardrails. 

We cover a lot on this one and thank you to my editing team for getting this episode finished in just a few days. 

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The 25th Amendment has been in the news quite a lot over the last decade. For how often it has been brought up, do you really know what it says, or the potential implications it has? My guest this week, Rebecca Lubot, PhD, is a friend who recently wrote a compelling book on the topic, Keeping a Finger on the Button: Presidential Continuity and the Nuclear Age. Rebecca and I know each other from policy work in New Jersey where she is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Sustainable Business Network.

To quote David Greenberg, "The Twenty-Fifth Amendment has once again returned to the center of our political debates. Rebecca Lubot has delivered an authoritative, original, detailed account of how this vital part of the Constitution came into being - and how it continues to play out in our politics today. Keeping a Finger on the Button sheds needed light on presidential power in an era of global tension and democratic crisis." 

Her research is impeccable, her topics timely, and her objective tone is critical. Sound management and understanding of nuance is critical. Rebecca gave us an important read that somehow succinctly weaves together many storylines.

Enjoy.

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