The Planet Today

Matt interviews Cristin Lyons, a Partner and Energy Practice Leader at ScottMadden. The two discuss balancing objectives and trade-offs in the clean energy transitions.

ScottMadden is one of the leading energy management consulting firms in the U.S. focused on transmission and distribution, the grid edge, generation, energy markets, rates and regulation, natural gas, and more.

Cristin oversees ScottMadden's client engagements to transform utility operations and enable the clean energy transition. Before becoming the energy practice lead for three years, she was the head of the firm's grid transformation practice.

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Matt interviews Manda Scott, author of Any Human Power, a novel that aims to craft a path through from where we are, while ensuring those that come after us inherit a planet we would be proud of.

Manda has degrees in veterinary medicine and a Masters in Regenerative Economics. Her life is oriented towards creating radical new narratives that will pave the way to the total systemic change our culture – and our world – needs.

Go visit Manda's website and her podcast Accidental Gods for more from Manda.

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Matt and Nick talk about Joe Biden ending his campaign for reelection (President Joe Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race),

Summer 2024 was the most humid summer ever (You just lived through the most humid summer on record),

An update on the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers treaty (Water treaty between Mexico and U.S. faces biggest test in 80 years),

Recyclable wind turbines potentially on the way (Turbine Blades Have Piled Up in Landfills. A Solution May Be Coming),

Carbon emissions from Canada’s wildfires (Canada wildfires last year released more carbon than several countries),

And climate change is putting runners more at risk of heatstroke (Takeaways from AP report on perils of heatstroke for runners in a warming world)!

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Matt interviews Marcy Thrash, Program Director of Project AnimalAid.

Project AnimalAid is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of animals in the U.S. and around the world by collecting veterinary equipment, technology and supplies from veterinary hospitals, human hospitals, medical equipment and supply manufacturers, zoos, other non-profit organizations and individuals.

These donated items are then distributed worldwide to veterinarians working in non-profit or non-governmental organizations devoted to animal health.

Go follow Project Animal Aid on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Matt interviews Laird Christensen, a writer, teacher, and activist focused on addressing the global climate crisis through local sustainability efforts and intentional community building.

As the pioneering Director of online Graduate Programs at Prescott College in Environmental Studies and Resilient and Sustainable Communities, he reshaped distance education, stressing practical application in students’ communities. His passion for sustainability and shaping resilient communities makes him a beacon in education and advocacy.

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Matt interviews Brett Jenks, the CEO of Rare, a nonprofit that has led environmental conservation projects for 50 years and impacted the lives of millions, helping people and nature thrive together through community-led efforts across 60 countries.

Brett was a journalist and film producer before he traveled to Costa Rica in 1992 for a government-partnered English teaching program. There, he designed an award-winning local ecotourism program for Rare and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2000.

In 2017, he was awarded the Rose-Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism.

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Matt interviews Amber Wendler, a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, an Interfaces of Global Change Fellow, and National Science Foundation GRFP Fellow.

Last year, she co-edited a book called Been Outside: Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature.

For more from Amber, check out her website or follow her on instagram.

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Matt interviews Chris Bonifati, co-host of Pets Add Life, a podcast dedicated to the pet industry. The show covers topics including pet products, pet insurance, pet safety, and trips to the vet.

Chris boasts an extensive career within the Pet Industry, notably serving as a key Trade Show organizer for APPA/Global Pet Expo.

Chris has been a guest host on The Planet Today many times between 2021-2023, but this is his first time as a guest interview.

Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link for 15% off.

Matt interviews Levar Jackson, CEO of Yogh Group, which designs sustainable technologies for the hospitality industry in partnership with Oregon State University.

Yogh Group’s technologies focus on efficient electricity, sustainable hotels, and an automated algae growth system for sustainable food, beverages, beauty products, and more.

Levar also serves as President of NEWH New York, which provides international resources for scholarships, education, business development, and excellence recognition in areas of hospitality, food service, senior living, and related fields.

Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link for 15% off. .

Matt interviews Gerald Leonard. Gerald is the Publishing Editor, CEO, and Founder of the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute and Turnberry Premiere.

Turnberry Premiere has recently partnered with Greenly, the leading carbon management platform, to help companies start their climate journey easily and affordably.

His third book, “A Symphony of Choices: How Mentorship Taught a Manager Decision-Making, Project Management and Workplace Engagement — and Saved a Concert Season,” was released in August 2023.

For more from Gerald, listen to his podcast ‎Productivity Smarts.

Listeners of The Planet Today can go to https://geraldjleonard.com/planettoday/ for project management, growth strategies, and general productivity resources put together by Gerald.

Make sure to check out our sponsor for today’s episode at Vala Alta using this link for 15% off.