Ten Across Conversations

Whether humid or arid, summer heat indexes from Southern California to Florida have become increasingly fatal when people lack access to air conditioning or some form of cooling. Last year in Arizona's Maricopa County, alone, almost 25% of the more than 600 heat-related deaths were people who had been sheltered indoors, but with broken or insufficient air conditioning.    

Most AC units are still highly energy inefficient and can be prohibitively expensive to use. What’s more, most also rely on chemical refrigerants that are atmospheric pollutants. The resulting energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions contribute to a feedback loop, further warming the planet and our region.  

In 2022, Ten Across began partnering with Clean Cooling Collaborative, an initiative of the ClimateWorks Foundation, on a regional student competition seeking environmentally friendly cooling solutions for underserved populations along Interstate 10. Over 700 colleges and universities throughout the Ten Across region were invited to submit engineering, design, policy, health or finance innovations that could increase access to low-carbon, artificial cooling.   

Five finalist teams advanced through a rigorous application and stakeholder engagement process to participate in an online fast-pitch event this past March. Their proposed solutions were each adjudicated by a panel of five heat resilience experts in front of a live online audience of supporters and peers. The student teams with their faculty and community partners all took home grants of varying sizes to support continued development of their experience in climate innovation.  

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter narrates and explores the rationale, process, and outcomes of the inaugural 10X Prize, featuring perspectives from the competition sponsor, two jurors, a student competitor and their community partner.  

Relevant links and resources:  

Learn more about the competition and our sponsor:

10X Prize website  

cleancoolingcollaborative.org  

Learn more about heat resilience or the urban heat island effect:   

“What Some of the Hottest Cities on The 10 Are Doing to Address Deadly Heat”

“10X Heat Series: Covering Climate Change as It Unfolds with Jeff Goodell”  

Learn more about cooling associated emissions:  

“10X Heat Series: Solving the Cooling Paradox” (with Ankit Kalanki)
 
“Rethinking How We Cool Buildings with Dr. Alexandra Rempel and Christiana Moss”

Many scholars, energy experts, and federal politicians agree the U.S. electric grid is antiquated and increasingly ineffective at meeting the demands of the 21st century. Power demand over time, or “load growth,” has reached historic heights with the expansion of artificial intelligence, electric vehicle ownership, and American manufacturing. As a result, utilities like Arizona Public Service have warned they may run out of transmission capacity by the end of the decade.  

Real and imagined climate-fueled energy disasters such as 2021’s Winter Storm Uri or a recent hypothetical model of a summertime blackout scenario in Phoenix, have heightened our awareness of grid-related risks. Whether the focus is climate adaptation or mitigation, our success depends on an increased and secure energy supply.    

Michael Skelly, founder and CEO of Grid United, U.S. wind energy pioneer, and the protagonist of the 2019 book Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy, first recognized and began addressing this dilemma decades ago.  

Through more than 10 years of developing wind projects, Michael encountered firsthand the limits of renewable energy potential within the existing grid. Solar and wind are intermittent and regionally specific energy resources. Current infrastructure does not allow pathways for these abundant and inexpensive supplies to reach the entirety of the nation. His company Grid United is hoping to change that, with strategic grid-to-grid transmission development projects.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Michael Skelly discuss an emerging joint effort between the public and private sectors to revolutionize transmission planning and development and realize the U.S. electric grid of tomorrow.  

Relevant links and resources: 

 “FERC Issues Order No. 1920 To Accelerate Regional Transmission Planning” (Inside Energy & Environment, 2024)  

“UK and Denmark launch Viking Link underwater cable project” (Euro News, 2024)  

“What Will We Do With Our Free Power?” (The New York Times, 2024)   

“Why the U.S. Electric Grid Isn’t Ready for the Energy Transition” (The New York Times, 2023)

“Explained: Why perovskites could take solar cells to new heights” (MIT News, 2022)

In this episode, Ten Across Conversations revisits a 2022 interview with Arizona State University Professor of Practice David Orr to coincide with the release of Orr’s new book Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation and his recent two-day symposium at ASU covering related topics. Ten Across founder and executive director Duke Reiter helped author this book along with 21 other leading scholars, public intellectuals and political leaders, including ASU President Michael Crow.  

On August 27th and 28th, seven of the book’s co-authors gathered with ASU graduate students and national experts in law, international politics and communications to share insights into how democracy must evolve to meet the demands of a changing climate. The event was keynoted by a conversation between Orr and Crow on the role of universities in advancing democracy and our understanding of the planet. You can read more about that discussion here.  

On the concluding day, Reiter and a panel of five postgraduate students of geographical sciences, urban design and architecture discussed how the building sector—and the public demand and policies that guide it—need to be more attuned to extreme heat and resource depletion worldwide. The discussants agreed that while technical solutions may already exist, the political will to implement them is often lagging.  

The intersection of American democracy and climate change is a compelling and urgent topic. Listen in as Duke Reiter and David Orr reflect on the need to strengthen political discourse and creativity so that future climate deadlines can be met with more meaningful action.  

Relevant links and resources:  

The Oberlin Project website  

“Heat Pumps for Peace and Freedom” (The Crucial Years, February 2022)

 “Real Knowing: John Wesley Powell’s Prophetic Vision for the American West” (Ten Across Conversations, November 2021)  

Democracy Unchained (Orr, et al., 2020)  

Dangerous Years (Orr, 2018)

Extreme heat poses the greatest risk of all climate hazards in the Ten Across region today. Heat is estimated by the National Weather Service to be two times deadlier than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.  

New research published this week based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows a 117% increase in U.S. heat-related deaths over the last 24 years. Unprecedented heat conditions ground flights and rescue helicopters and compromise roads, bridges, and rail systems, while demand for cooling strains energy grids.  

The change in temperature puts millions of people at heightened risk and exacerbates existing health vulnerability, especially given that cities are still lacking sufficient response systems, infrastructure and access to federal disaster aid.  

These risks continue to be illuminated this summer, which is on track to be the second hottest since record-keeping began in the mid-1800s—surpassed only by last year’s temperatures. This July, parts of Los Angeles County experienced unprecedented daily highs and a record number of consecutive days over 110 degrees. San Antonio beat its highest previous heat index value, set last year, in early June of this year.  

Rising heat has limited activity and endangered the health of residents of the South and Southwest, and has been moving northward into other regions of the U.S. As places throughout the U.S. struggle to plan for harmful temperatures, Ten Across cities are at the forefront in developing a framework and resources for effective responses.  

Leaders like Marta Segura, chief heat officer and director of Climate Emergency Mobilization for the City of Los Angeles, and Doug Melnick, San Antonio’s chief sustainability officer, are among the nation’s first class of public officials dedicated to heat mitigation.  

Listen in as Rae Ulrich, senior director for Ten Across and facilitator of the Ten Across Resilience Officers Network, talks with Marta and Doug about the strategies their cities are testing and implementing to protect residents from heat, and how collaboration above and beyond city limits can improve resilience for all.    

News clips included in the episode intro courtesy of: 
Reuters
KTLA 5 News
KVIA ABC-7 News  

Related links:  

“Can chief heat officers protect US cities from extreme heat?” (Grist, August 6, 2024)  

“Becerra says extreme heat emerging as a ‘public health crisis’” (The Hill, August 8, 2024)

The role of mayor is uniquely important in U.S. government, as an elected arguably closest to the results of governance in the everyday lives of constituents. Considering the influential power of cities in innovation, economic growth and sustainable development, mayors are also often required to navigate politics and publicity at national and international levels—even as they rise above political polarization and focus on practical solutions for the wellbeing of their communities.  

Over the past decade, the City of Mesa, like several of its mid- to large-sized peers throughout the Ten Across region, has been remarkable for its ongoing growth and transformation. Complexities of climate change, natural resources, and both domestic and international migration notwithstanding, Mesa has attracted billions of dollars in private sector investments and has outgrown Miami, FL, and Atlanta, GA, in population size.  

Mayor John Giles has led Mesa since 2014, and in his current, final term as mayor, has redoubled his work to further the city’s national visibility and appeal as an affordable, livable hub for recreation and economic opportunity.  

At least as noteworthy, however, may be Mayor Giles’s ability to defy political partisanship—as evidenced most recently by the national news of his endorsement, as a Republican, of Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Mesa Mayor John Giles reflect on the mayor’s ten years of service and his hand in Mesa’s transformation from a humble desert suburb into a burgeoning tech and climate innovation hub.  

*Note this episode was recorded prior to Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.  

Related 10X podcasts and links:  

Mayor John Giles 2024 State of the City

Decarbonizing Our Transportation System with Gabe Klein & Michael Berube  

Future Cities: How Mayors Are Leading U.S. Progress with Clarence Anthony  

“Opinion: There’s no ‘invasion’ at our southern border. I know. I design ports of entry” (Arizona Republic, May 24, 2024)

In a hotter world, places like Phoenix, Arizona, will continue to present the rest of the nation with captivating examples of the potential—or limits—of human ingenuity, collaboration and political will. The Atlantic, with its July/August 2024 cover story, goes so far as to suggest that Phoenix provides a particularly important view of the future of American civilization.  

In more than 20,000 words—the second-longest story the magazine has printed in the last 40 years—ten chapters and an epilogue describe the recent growth and political stratification of one of the nation’s more environmentally threated cities today. Its author, staff writer George Packer, seems equally inspired and alarmed throughout by the readiness of the metro's residents and leaders to face the challenges ahead.  

Mr. Packer’s analysis complements the work of Ten Across stakeholders positioning Phoenix and its neighboring I-10 cities at the center of such nationally important conversations. Because these southernmost major metros find themselves on the frontlines of intense changes in the U.S., their experiences of anticipating, mitigating and adapting to the future offer valuable insight at a uniquely polarizing time for the country at large.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with author George Packer about his provocative profile of Phoenix and about key themes from his latest book, Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.  

Read George’s article:  

“The Valley: Searching for the future in the most American city” (The Atlantic, July/August 2024)  

Check out our other podcasts on Phoenix growth and sustainability this year:  

Understanding Arizona’s Past Present, and Future with Tom Zoellner  

Local Experts Answer: Why Are People Still Moving to Phoenix?

In the first days of his term, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, introducing the Justice40 initiative and setting important climate priorities for the nation. Built upon principals of the U.S. environmental justice movement begun by Dr. Robert Bullard four decades prior, Justice40 set a goal that 40% the overall benefits of federal climate and affordable housing investments must flow to historically disadvantaged communities.  

As with any ambitious government spending plan, Justice40 has been subject to scrutiny of the administration’s ability to deliver on its intentions. Since January of 2024, the initiative has faced criticisms for its difficult grant application process and inconsistent tracking of where associated benefits and dollars are touching ground in the U.S.  

Other developments over the summer of 2024 have also undermined public confidence in Justice40. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of the Chevron doctrine with its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision introduced doubts by eliminating a forty-year-old precedent of deferring to agency interpretations of ambiguous federal laws. President Biden’s subsequent withdrawal from the presidential race in July has added to the uncertain outlook.  

With Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, it remains to be seen whether Justice40 in its current form will carry over among a new administration’s priorities.  

Environmental justice will remain a critical focus for many Ten Across communities whether Justice40 is renewed or not. And though there may be room for improvement, the initiative increased federal support where it has long been needed most and drew national attention to important climate and equity issues.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with Chitra Kumar, a former director in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, about her observations of renewed vigor for environmental justice across federal agencies and the internal culture shift that resulted from the work of the Justice40 Initiative.  

*Note: In this discussion, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool is sometimes referred to by its acronym, “CJEST.”*  

Articles/resources referenced in this discussion:   
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool  

“Strengthening Justice40” (Chitra Kumar, The Equation, April 25, 2024)  

“Why the White House’s Justice40 is an Important Tool to Build On” (Chitra Kumar, The Equation, April 25, 2024)

Ten Across makes the future visible through examinations of communities in the southernmost U.S., which are often on the front lines of climate change. This applies especially to the engineering, design and politics surrounding intersections of our built and natural environments—where the development of more resilient and equitable infrastructure has proven to be an important theme.  
 
Ten Across Conversations with Dr. Robert Bullard and Megan Kimble have offered a thorough look at the impacts of interstate highways on human health. However, we've rarely had the opportunity to explore another trade-off often demanded by these structures—one with tremendous implications for the future.  

According to environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, no human activity kills more animals than driving does. Collisions with vehicles have been responsible for a loss of 60% of the world's animal population since 1970, Ben reports. Further, human infrastructure has massively disrupted wild animals’ habitats, health, and abilities to migrate for food and reproduction. Salmon and other migratory fish populations, for one newsworthy example, have rapidly declined due to the effects of mega-dams, culverts, chemicals from car tires, and rising heat from carbon emissions.  

Biodiversity is essential to the systems that support life on Earth, and its decline contributes to worsening cycles that threaten ecological, climate and agricultural systems—as well as human health and wellbeing. But there is cause for hope: research provided by road ecologists—including many working along the I-10 transect—is beginning to inform selective redesigns of roadway infrastructure in ways that will protect wildlife.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and author Ben Goldfarb discuss this extraordinary field—its mission, observations of human and animal behavior, and ideals for the future. Together they discover a vision of design that is inclusive of the natural world and may help us both to reach our climate targets and maintain the beauty of the native environment.

When Henry Ford streamlined vehicle manufacturing in the 1920s, he vaulted the U.S. to its status as a global economic leader. Soon after, the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and its establishment of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) affirmed private automobiles as Americans’ preferred method of travel. Federal and state departments of transportation have since dedicated vast sums of money and public land to roadway projects and maintenance, and comparatively little to public transit or housing development.  

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) represents the largest surge in federal transit funding ($20.5 billion) to date, but it is still small compared to the additional $118 billion allocated by Congress to keep the HTF solvent. A similar budget pattern appears at the state and local levels with an average 6% of general funding going toward highways and roads, compared to the 2% spent on housing and urban development, according to the Urban Institute.  

Now, a growing coalition of freeway fighters is pushing back against the nation’s largely unquestioned prioritization of roads, claiming that this paving of the nation to support vehicle travel has come at the expense of human and environmental wellbeing. They further point to evidence that the expansion of highways does little to address congestion or route efficiency for drivers.   

This is particularly true in Texas, a state at the heart of Megan Kimble’s new book City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways. Here, widening of the I-10 from eight to 22 lanes through a busy part of Houston came at a cost of $2.8 billion and 20 city blocks’ worth of existing and potential development. Though the project aimed to address congestion, it actually increased rush hour travel times by 33%.  

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and author Megan Kimble explore the history of community and economic trade-offs in our ever-expanding network of Texas and U.S. roads-- why it becomes more difficult to sustain and what alternatives there may be for the future.

The administrative and financial costs of disaster recovery have increased in recent years, exacerbated by the changing climate. The 122 separate billion-dollar disasters occurring between 2016 and 2022 in the U.S. represented more than $1 trillion in damages and claimed 5,000 lives. A significant portion of that expense was incurred by seven Category 4 and 5 hurricanes that made landfall in the Ten Across region or along the Atlantic Coast. 
 
Yet this figure doesn’t begin to encapsulate the full range of climate-related losses in the U.S., nor the less visible but steadily accumulating costs of adapting infrastructure to withstand more frequent and destructive weather events.  
 
Federal legislation has moved toward addressing these potential risks to the built enviornment, human health, and the economy. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act represent the largest surge in climate action funding in U.S. history. Combined, they account for a trillion dollars of investments over ten years. The funding incentivizes all sectors to build climate security by scaling up the clean energy economy and redressing environmental and economic injustices, past and present.   
 
Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Xavier de Souza Briggs, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro and member of the Biden-Harris transition team, discuss the strategy behind these dollars and what gaps remain to be addressed to ensure greater climate resilience and equity within this corridor and the nation.  

Articles/sources referenced in this podcast:  
“Community Development in the Critical Climate Decade” (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2024, Briggs and Donovan)  

“America is witnessing the birth of a new industrial policy. Here’s how to make sure it benefits workers and entrepreneurs across the country, not just a handful of superstar urban regions” (Fortune Magazine, September 2022, Briggs and Muro)  

 “Arizona Voters’ Agenda: Voters Want to Protect Environment, Addressing Forest Fires and Air Quality Among Priorities” (Center for the Future of Arizona, June 2022)

 “A More Democratic Federalism?” (Democracy Fall 2021 issue, Briggs and Rogers)  

The Geography of Opportunity: Race and Housing Choice in Metropolitan America (2005) by Xavier de Souza Briggs