Sustainable North Florida

Record-breaking heat in the summer has become the new normal - and urban areas are on the frontlines. To adapt we need to develop new strategies to beat the heat when it's at its worst.

Our guest today is Dr. Adam Rosenblatt. Adam was one of the leaders of an urban heat study conducted in Jacksonville to understand which parts of the city are the most vulnerable. This information is being used to guide future urban planning decisions.

We also cover the basics of climate change. Adam is a great communicator, and I think that he does a pretty good job of explaining the science in a way that is easy to understand, but also very pragmatic. Even if you are already familiar with the science of climate change, it's worth a listen - you might pick up a few ideas that will help you in your own climate conversations with friends and family.

Get Connected:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrosenblatt/

Helpful Links:
Interactive Heat Map of Jacksonville
Climate Perceptions by County
Clean Air Northeast Florida Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Today we are focusing on an organization in Florida that is making an impact both locally and internationally. Through service projects and sustainability education, BLUE missions connects families in Latin America to clean, fresh water while inspiring local youth to help lead the way to a water secure future. Join us as we speak with Chief Experience Officer Leslie Ramos about the water crisis, and what you can do to help. Every drop counts!

RESOURCES
https://www.bluemissions.org/

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Join us as we chat with Sarah Salvatore, Farm Director of Eartha's Farm and Market, part of the Clara White Mission. Learn about the background of this important Jacksonville institution, and how the Farm is using regenerative agriculture to nourish and support the community members in this historic neighborhood.

https://www.clarawhitemission.org/earthas-farm-market

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Today's guest is Trey Ford, Supervisor for the Duval County Soil and Water Conservation District. He covers the many programs that they have going on to encourage farming, uban argiculture and communtiy engagement. He also discusses his work with Eartha's Farm and Market.

RELATED LINKS:
https://www.duvalsoilandwater.com/
https://www.clarawhitemission.org/earthas-farm-market
https://www.instagram.com/treysolo7/?hl=en

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

In this episode we speak with Nathaniel Rodefer about the Jacksonville Climate Coalition. Nathaniel is Vice-Curator of the Global Shapers, and is also on the Steering for the Climate Coalition. 

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Today we're talking about a topic that everyone in our audience will certainly be familiar with.....And That. Is.

 Heat.  This weekend, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Goodell will be in town to discuss his book, The Heat Will Kill You First. The downtown main library will be hosting an interview with the author at 2 p. m. on Saturday, May 18th.  This event is co-sponsored by the St. John's Riverkeeper and the Jacksonville Climate Coalition. It's free and open to the public.

So given that we have this high-profile author coming to town, we thought it would be good to talk about heat in Jacksonville.  Those of you that have been with us for a while might remember that we talked about urban heat earlier this year with Dr. Adam Rosenblatt. If you missed it, it's worth a listen here.

Adam did a great job of explaining the science behind why areas such as downtown are up to 20 degrees hotter than areas like San Marco on any given day.  Today, we're going to focus on the health impact of living in a hotter world, specifically in hotter cities. Jacksonville experienced record breaking heat last summer, and the trend is only going to continue over time. 

So the question is: How do we protect ourselves and our neighbors in the face of this new normal? My guest today, Dr. Laureen Husband, is going to help us answer those questions.

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Our guest today is Dr. Logan Cross, who leads Renew Jax.

Renew Jax is a campaign to get the City of Jackonsville, FL to commit to running on 100% clean energy by 2050. This might seem like a tall order, but it is one within reach. In fact, 13 other cities in the state of Florida have already committed to running on 100% clean energy by 2050 or earlier!

Join us as we learn about what it will take for Jacksonville to make the shift - including what we need from JEA, our mayor, our city council members and - most importantly - our citizens.

RESOURCES:
New Power Generation Sources in 2024 (hint: gas is only 4%!!)
Jacksonville Climate Coalition
Renew Jax Campaign
Sierra Club of Northeast Florida

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is a regional organization focused on transforming the way we produce and consume energy in the Southeast. As a leading voice for energy policy in our region, this non-profit organization promotes responsible and equitable energy choices to ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast.

In this episode, Cary Ritzler and Dory Larsen sat down with us to discuss what it will take to transition to a clean energy economy, and how you can take advantage of federal tax incentives to make your home more energy efficient and make it easier to switch to an electric vehicle.

RESOURCES
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy website
New Clean Vehicle Credit
Used Clean Vehicle Credit
Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit
Making the case for managed charging
Why EVs have lower emissions even when your utility uses fossil fuels
Emissions Calculator
EVs lower utility bills for all

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Our guest is Jessica Tittl Nielsen, co-founder of Cordelia Biosciences which is developing ocean-safe chemicals for use in various industries, including cosmetics and personal care products.  They're also developing a novel manufacturing process which requires no petrochemicals. 

Cordelia is a rising star in the Gainesville startup community - and we do mean that literally. They won the Rising Star Start-up Award last year.  Here's my conversation with co-founder Jessica Tittl-Nielsen.

​Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cordeliabio/
https://cordeliabio.com/

Jessica's LinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicatittl/

Jacksonville Climate Coalition

No poverty.  Zero hunger.  Gender equality. Clean water and sanitation.  These are just a few of the United Nation's 17 sustainable development goals - also known as SDGs.

The SDGs are a blueprint for a more resilient, peaceful, and inclusive feature. Together, they set out a framework to tackle the world's most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges. But they're not just words on paper -they're used to guide actions in academia, government, non-profits and even private businesses. 

Climate First Bank is a great local example.  If you check out their website, you'll see that their business currently focuses on four of the SDGs:

#7: Affordable and Clean Energy
#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
#13: Climate Action
#17: Partnerships for the Goals 

Today, we're learning how the SDGs came to be with Dr. Jeff Chamberlain. Dr. Chamberlain leads an honors course at UNF, where he teaches his students how to put the SDGs into practice.

RESOURCES:
List of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
2023 SDG Progress Report

CONTACTS:
Dr. Chamberlain's LinkedIn Profile: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chamberlain-unf/

Jacksonville Climate Coalition