In this episode the podcast hosts continue their mini series "Master of". In this series, they present and speak on the capstone work each presented as part of their graduation requirements for their MA in Sustainable Energy program from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

In this third episode, Sheida details her thesis on “Enhancing Power Resilience in Southern California Amidst Wildfire Threat: A Comprehensive Analysis of Microgrid Integration Viability in San Bernardino County.” In her research, she simulated RE plus projects in two different communities with various socioeconomic specification in order to find whether there is an economy of scale threshold where the DER makes financial and economic sense based on parameters such as the critical load factor, the size of the resident pool, and the amount of land available for a solar PV array project. The findings of her research will inform policy-making in their efforts to mitigate the impacts of wildfire-related outages and enhance community resilience.

In this episode, our podcast hosts continue the mini series "Master of" where we dive deep into our capstones we presented to graduate from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

In this second mini-series episode, Abigail Hunter - Master of Aluminum, shares with us information on aluminum and its role in the clean energy transition. Exploring the narrative of a renewable transition, Abigail challenges listeners to understand that the transition away from a fossil fuel economy is really a transition to a minerals economy. The renewable industry needs critical minerals, such as aluminum, as do many other industries and use cases including (but not limited to) cars, buildings, and airplanes. However, to create aluminum a large amount of energy must be consumed, thus entering a paradox where critical minerals must be balanced as a fuel source in the transition. Listen in as Abigail shares insights regarding policy and market considerations as this complex topic is explored.

The hosts of the Hopkins Green Tea are thrilled to introduce our audience to one of the professors at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Jonas Nahm. Professor Nahm focuses research at the intersection of climate policy, environmental politics, and economic and industrial policy. He looks especially at the clean energy transition and the domestic and international politics that are changing in response to this market transition as we push for decarbonization to address climate change. On this episode, we speak with professor Nahm on these topics in relation to the supply chain considerations. What does it look like when a globalized economy works to domesticate manufacturing processes? How can we operate in this space with the urgency climate change demands of us? Join in on the conversation, and let us know what you learned from our professor, Jonas Nahm.

In this episode, our podcast hosts return after taking May off to finish their capstones and graduate from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with their Master of Arts in Sustainable Energy. Over the next few months, each host will share more information regarding her capstone with the Green Tea audience, in a mini series called "Master of:".

In this first episode Amythest Devlin, who last year shared with the audience her passion for the intersection of climate change and the built environment, talks with Sheida and Leonie about her capstone on the topic. This episode explores how policy interactions in metropolitan cities play a large role in helping address systemic implications of racist and discriminatory housing policies. What role to these policy creators have in addressing these concerns, and more importantly; How can we address systemic inequalities as we move towards a Just Energy Transition?

This episode is part 2 of our March 23rd episode, "The view from the global climate arena". We continue our conversation with Jesse Young, SAIS alum and Senior Advisor to the Chair at the U.S. Export-Import Bank. We deepen our conversation around technology leapfrogging, how to incentivize reducing dependency on fossil fuels, and work collaboratively to address climate change by mobilizing climate finance. Additionally, we dig into equity considerations in this space globally and ask Jesse to speak on what the hidden wins on the climate were in 2022. If you missed the first part of our conversation with Jesse, give it a listen as well!

In this episode, a fellow SAIS alum, Jesse Young, joins us to talk about international climate governance. With the most recent literature from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) that was published this week, it's apparent that we are in an all hands on deck situation. Climate change is a capital intensive and complex problem to solve, and international collaboration is one of the only ways we can access the tools needed. Jesse lets the podcast hosts toss some hard questions his way including the role he played in the Paris Climate Agreement, the validity of the US role in international climate governance, and just where does all this money come from? This episode is a 2-part series, with the second half of our conversation with Jesse launching next month.

The sustainability world is filled with quippy titles that are hard to understand and use correctly. What is greenwashing? How is it different from impact washing? Have you even heard of green hushing? After two episodes of lauding climate policy advancement, this episode of the Hopkins Green Tea serves up a healthy dose of skepticism! Tune in as our hosts dive into the layers of greenwashing with our special guest, Dori Dana-Haeri, an entrepreneur and seed investor in green technologies. 

In this months episode of the Hopkins Green Tea, our hosts lead us through the second conversation regarding the historical climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Joined by their first guest speaker, @Abigail Hopper, hosts Abigail Hunter and Sheida Hooshmandi take a deeper look into how the IRA will impact the solar industry specifically. Abigail Hopper provides critical insights on this element of the energy transition through her capacity as President and CEO of the @Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The conversation explores how tax incentives, especially those available for projects in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, will play a role in an entire economic transition related to renewable energy production in the US. Listen in as our hosts inspect this legislation on episode 3 of The Hopkins Green Tea, “More IRA - Making Power Moves”.

In the second episode of The Hopkins Green Tea, our hosts begin navigating the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Leonie and Abigail lead listeners through a background of the historic and game changing legislation, while Sheida and Amythest add additional perspectives on the future implications of the IRA. The quadruplet recalls what was a turbulent 2022 that has pushed energy security, environmental justice and climate change to the front of legislative minds. Tune in to hear how this group takes on this complex subject in The Hopkins Green Tea episode 2, “Dashing Through the IRA”.

In the inaugural episode of The Hopkins Green Tea, our hosts talk through the podcast's goals, format, and origins. Amythest, Sheida, Abigail, and Leonie all share the unique experiences that brought them to Johns Hopkins SAIS to study sustainable energy. From pivoting a finance career to producing documentaries on pollution to narrowing in on building decarbonization, the hosts’ diverse backgrounds and interests mirror the vast scope of sustainable energy. Tune in to hear how these topics and more will be tackled in The Hopkins Green Tea.