A large part of the City of Austin’s Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions goals will be met by its municipally owned electric utility called Austin Energy. As a forward thinking utility, Austin Energy periodically updates its strategies to reach Net-Zero in the “Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan”. The last plan was published in 2017, and a new updated version will be out before the end of 2019. We discussed the goals, and plans with Austin Energy folks and community activists. Our guests were:

Erika Bierschbach, Vice President, Energy Market Operations and Resource Planning, at Austin Energy.

Al Braden, Resource Planning Working Group, appointed by the Electric Utility Commission of Austin.

Phoebe Romero, Program Coordinator, Office of Sustainability, City of Austin.

On October 15, 2019 Huston-Tillotson University (HT) will host the sixth annual Building Green Justice Forum, this year focusing on “Potential through Place.” The modern environmental justice movement understands that our fates are linked to the places we live and work, and that for people of color those places often are ignored, under-resourced, and overly burdened with polluted air, water, and soil. Yet these places also are home to the environmental justice community’s pride, strength, and motivation.

Our guests were Karen Magid, Ph.D, Director of Sustainability and STEM, and Dr. Amanda Masino, Ph.D, Professor of Biology and HT.

We also spoke with Parc Smith, CEO of American Youthworks, Austin, Texas about their innovative youth training programs. They have two primary education and career training programs, YouthBuild Austin and our Conservation Corps. They provide the building blocks for learning and engagement that young people can build upon as they grow into adulthood.

On October 15, 2019 Huston-Tillotson University (HT) will host the sixth annual Building Green Justice Forum, this year focusing on “Potential through Place.” The modern environmental justice movement understands that our fates are linked to the places we live and work, and that for people of color those places often are ignored, under-resourced, and overly burdened with polluted air, water, and soil. Yet these places also are home to the environmental justice community’s pride, strength, and motivation.

Our guests were Karen Magid, Ph.D, Director of Sustainability and STEM, and Dr. Amanda Masino, Ph.D, Professor of Biology and HT.

We also spoke with Parc Smith, CEO of American Youthworks, Austin, Texas about their innovative youth training programs. They have two primary education and career training programs, YouthBuild Austin and our Conservation Corps. They provide the building blocks for learning and engagement that young people can build upon as they grow into adulthood.

We spoke with representatives from People United for Mobility Action (PUMA), a new organization in Austin dedicated to transforming Austin into a community where every person has access to safe, affordable, and convenient choices to get around and meet their daily needs. PUMA facilitates accessible ways for people to learn about and be engaged with mobility planning in our region through community organizing, building local capacity, and supporting existing and future mobility efforts. Our guests on Shades of Green were David Foster and Yasmine Smith to discuss the PUMA initiatives.

Today on shades of green we have our first of a new series called “Shades of Green Flares”. We highlight innovators in the clean energy industry and share their stories.

Our first episode is a Solar Flare with Amanda Bybee. She shares her story about founding the Clean Energy Credit Union (CECU), a first-of-its-kind financial institution dedicated to providing affordable financing for clean energy products and services, such as electric vehicle purchases, home energy efficiency projects or solar installations.

More about Amanda Bybee:

As an innovative forward thinker, Amanda worked as a “Jill-of-all-trades” at Austin-based Meridian Solar. Amanda started her solar career in 2003, promoting renewable energy as the coordinator of Texas Public Citizen’s Solar Austin Campaign."

Our special guest on Shades of Green was journalist and author, Russell Gold. We talked about his recently published book ”Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy”

Russell Gold is from Austin, Texas and he has reported on energy regularly in The Wall Street Journal since 2002. His coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was honored with a Gerald Loeb Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The author of two books: The Boom and Superpower.

We spoke with local high school organizer Matthew Kim about the Climate Change strike and what was planned for September 20, 2019 in Austin. It is all part of a world wide protest and strike to raise awareness of the issues associated with climate change. Matthew Kim is a 16-year old climate activist and organizer hoping to inspire others to join the movement and stop climate change, and promote changes in our local, state and federal government to meet the challenge.

Shades of Green Sept 19 2019 - Kim - 9:20:19, 1.01 PM by Podcasts

Our guests on Shades of Green addressed the question: Can access to solar power provide social and financial justice? What programs are being implemented to empower our community members of color and low income?

Our guests were:

Kaiba White - President of the local non-profit Solar Austin

Kenneth Thompson – Former member of the Austin African American Resource Advisory Commission

Rebecca Brenneman – City of Austin Resource Management Commission

Food Waste: some innovative ways that local businesses and nonprofits are helping to reduce waste and feed people, all at the same time.

Our guests were:

1. Tyler Markham - Central Texas Food Bank

2. Lisa Barden - Executive Director Keep Austin Fed

3. Angie Seto - Angie's Discount Grocery

The Central Texas Food Bank and Keep Austin Fed have teamed up to run the Middle Mile program, which allows volunteers to pick up food from small/medium retailers, restaurants, hotels, farms, caterers, and similar businesses—perfectly good food that might otherwise go to waste—so it can help feed our neighbors in need.

Angie's Discount Grocery is a new grocery store in Round Rock Texas that sells salvaged groceries at a discounted price.