City Climate Corner

Oct 22 2024 76 ep. 38 mins 18
City Climate Corner Podcast artwork

Explores how small and mid-sized cities are tackling climate change and moving toward an equitable and sustainable future. Co-hosted by Abby Finis and Larry Kraft.

  Government  Society & Culture
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Crookston MN: Rural community energy transition

Oct 22 2024 54 mins  
Crookston is a 7000+ person community in the northwest corner of Minnesota that has big ambitions to improve the life of its residents by leveraging the clean energy transition. We interview City Council Member Tim Lenard, Exec. Director of Crookston Housing Development Karie Kirshbaum, Exec. Director of NW MN Regional Sustainable Development Program Shannon Stassen, and John Vaugh

Equity in Energy

Sep 13 2024 51 mins  
The negative impacts of the fossil-fuel based energy system and policies have disproportionately harmed and burdened low-income and BIPOC communities. As we transition to a clean energy economy, how do we make sure that what we put in place is equitable and just? We interview Michelle Vigen Ralston, Principal and Founder at Common Spark Consulting, about the work her team does with

Youngstown OH: Electric bike share

Jun 04 2024 47 mins  
YoGo BikeShare is launching a new e-bike micro-mobility platform in Youngstown, a city of about 60,000 in population. We interview YoGo President Ronnel Elkins and VP of Operations Corey Patrick, and learn about their vision, the obstacles they've faced, and how the service will address the first and last mile problem of public transportation.

Maine: Heat Pumps Everywhere!

May 07 2024 52 mins  
There's a heat pump revolution happening in Maine. Already over 100,000 of the 600,000 homes in Maine have heat pumps, and their plan is to be over 300,000 by 2027. One out of every 14 heat pumps in the U.S. is going to Maine, though it is only 0.42% of the US's population. We talk to Andy Meyer, Senior Program Manager at Efficiency Maine, to learn how they've done it, and how it's

Lincoln NE: Comprehensive Climate Action in the Heartland

Apr 04 2024 45 mins  
Lincoln Nebraska may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of climate action, but maybe it should be. We interview Kim Morrow, Chief Sustainability Officer for Lincoln, about some exciting city programs, including EV infrastructure, an innovative approach to Rental Rehabilitation using Tax Increment Financing (TIF), heat pump rebates, and biochar as well as their

Geothermal power & groundwater

Mar 05 2024 39 mins  
There's a lot of exciting things happening in the world of geothermal power. We explore geothermal in general and examine a novel approach leveraging groundwater to substantially reduce the footprint needed. We interview Darcy Solutions CTO Dan King about how their technology is being used by some cities to provide carbon free heating and cooling.

2023 Year in Review

Jan 31 2024 19 mins  
Abby, Larry, and Isaiah review 2023 and talk about what's coming in 2024.

Duluth MN: Cold Climate Action

Dec 19 2023 43 mins  
On the shores of Lake Superior, Duluth has received publicity as a "climate proof city" though faces distinct challenges with its cold weather climate. With grants, they are pursuing exciting approaches to creating a geothermal district heating system from their waste water treatment plant and separately, creating resilience in their building stock with solar plus storage and micro

LaGrange GA: Attacking energy burden with SOUL

Dec 05 2023 44 mins  
Groundswell's exciting SOUL (Save On Utilities Long term) program is rolling out right now in LaGrange, GA. SOUL is a Pay As You Save model that reduces utility bills by improving home energy efficiency, without upfront costs. It prioritizes households with lower incomes and high energy burdens. We interview Nicole Sonderegger of Groundswell and Leon Childs of Groundswell and a Cit

Morris MN: A Climate Smart Municipality

Oct 25 2023 47 mins  
Morris is a small community in conservative western Minnesota that is doing groundbreaking sustainability work. Inspired by students at the University of MN Morris and a partnership with Saerbeck Germany as part of a unique "Climate Smart Municipalities" program, local leaders have come up with "The Morris Model" that guides the community's efforts. We interview former City Manager