Make Me Smart

The clean energy economy has a NIMBY problem


Listen Later

To reach the Joe Biden administration’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, the country’s energy infrastructure needs a massive overhaul, and fast.

But many communities are not on board with the idea of a massive wind or solar farm in their area. Some counties are banning renewable energy developments before the planning can even begin.

“All those wind turbines and solar panels, and then all the transmission lines that you need to build … it has a big footprint. And that creates lots of land use conflicts,” said Ted Nordhaus, founder of The Breakthrough Institute.

On the show today, Nordhaus breaks down climate NIMBYism, the threat it poses to our green-energy economy and what it might take to keep the green transition moving forward.

In the News Fix: Work as we know it is changing. Many U.S. companies are already using ChatGPT in one way or another, and the artificial intelligence chatbot is replacing jobs. Plus, workers in Asia and Europe are going back to the office at much higher rates than American workers.

Then, we’ll hear from listeners about how later school start times have improved their family’s mornings, the debate about what to call mocktails, and why Americans keep eggs in the fridge.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

  • “Decarbonization and its Discontents” from The Breakthrough Institute
      • “Will NIMBYs sink new clean energy projects? The evidence says no – if developers listen to local concerns” from The Conversation
          • “The Environmentalists Undermining Environmentalism” from The Atlantic
              • “America needs a new environmentalism” from The Economist
                  • “Should I Learn Coding as a Second Language?” from Wired
                      • “1 in 4 companies have already replaced workers with ChatGPT” from Resume Builder
                          • “As Americans Work From Home, Europeans and Asians Head Back to the Office” from The Wall Street Journal
                              • “What’s happened to the lunch places in office neighborhoods?” from Marketplace
                                  • “Why do we refrigerate eggs and other countries don’t? from the Egg Safety Center
                                  • What have you been wrong about lately? We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question! Leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART, and your submission may be featured in a future episode.

                                    ...more
                                    View all episodesView all episodes
                                    Download on the App Store

                                    Make Me SmartBy Marketplace

                                    • 4.6
                                    • 4.6
                                    • 4.6
                                    • 4.6
                                    • 4.6

                                    4.6

                                    5,432 ratings


                                    More shows like Make Me Smart

                                    View all
                                    Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

                                    Freakonomics Radio

                                    32,246 Listeners

                                    Planet Money by NPR

                                    Planet Money

                                    30,609 Listeners

                                    The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

                                    The NPR Politics Podcast

                                    26,012 Listeners

                                    Marketplace by Marketplace

                                    Marketplace

                                    8,801 Listeners

                                    Marketplace Morning Report by Marketplace

                                    Marketplace Morning Report

                                    941 Listeners

                                    Marketplace All-in-One by Marketplace

                                    Marketplace All-in-One

                                    1,390 Listeners

                                    Marketplace Tech by Marketplace

                                    Marketplace Tech

                                    1,290 Listeners

                                    The Uncertain Hour by Marketplace

                                    The Uncertain Hour

                                    2,178 Listeners

                                    The Daily by The New York Times

                                    The Daily

                                    113,121 Listeners

                                    Up First from NPR by NPR

                                    Up First from NPR

                                    56,944 Listeners

                                    The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

                                    The Indicator from Planet Money

                                    9,556 Listeners

                                    Today, Explained by Vox

                                    Today, Explained

                                    10,331 Listeners

                                    This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

                                    This Is Uncomfortable

                                    3,620 Listeners

                                    Short Wave by NPR

                                    Short Wave

                                    6,592 Listeners

                                    Consider This from NPR by NPR

                                    Consider This from NPR

                                    6,462 Listeners

                                    Marketplace Minute by Marketplace

                                    Marketplace Minute

                                    163 Listeners

                                    Million Bazillion by Marketplace

                                    Million Bazillion

                                    2,990 Listeners

                                    How We Survive by Marketplace

                                    How We Survive

                                    1,377 Listeners

                                    Financially Inclined by Marketplace

                                    Financially Inclined

                                    90 Listeners

                                    The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

                                    The Economics of Everyday Things

                                    1,643 Listeners