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by Environmental Law Institute
Welcome to People Places Planet, ELI's leading environmental podcast. We talk to leading experts across sectors who share their solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Tune in for the latest environmental law, policy, and governance developments.
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- 2 weeks ago21 min
Predicting Future Pathways: Understanding Climate Scenarios
How do scientists predict what the climate could look like decades, or even centuries, from now? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana sits down with John Doherty, Science and Policy Analyst at ELI, to unpack climate emissions scenarios: what they are, how they inform climate models, and why they matter for decision-making and planning. From Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) to the latest generation of emissions scenarios, the conversation explores how scientists model possible climate futures based on different assumptions about energy use, population, economic growth, and other factors. We also discuss why these scenarios evolve over time, what the latest updates reveal about potential future warming, and how these projections inform climate policy. If you’ve ever wondered what lies behind projections of global warming or sea-level rise, this episode breaks down the science and assumptions that help inform our view of the planet’s future. To learn more, explore these resources: What New Emissions Data Means for Climate Explainer: The CMIP7 emissions scenarios – and how they explore future climate change The Worst Case Is Still on the Table Timestamps: 02:30 – What Are Emissions Scenarios? 06:55 – How Scientists Use Emissions Scenarios 09:10 – Why Emissions Scenarios Change Over Time 10:15 – What’s New in the Revised Scenarios? 13:00 – What the New Scenarios Mean for Climate Projections 15:53 – Climate Science, Public Criticism, and Misrepresentation ★ Support this podcast ★
- Oct 7, 202631 min
Too Hot to Handle? Rethinking Extreme Heat Risk
What makes heat extreme, and who is really at risk? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana speaks with Ashley Ward, Director of Duke University’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub, about why extreme heat is one of the most dangerous and underestimated hazards facing communities across the United States —and why responding to it requires thinking beyond temperature alone. From increasingly warm nights and rising cooling costs to strains on energy, agriculture, and infrastructure, the conversation explores why heat is more than a weather event and just how far its risks extend. Dr. Ward challenges common assumptions about who is really at risk, why hot nights and cumulative exposure matter, and whether air conditioning is enough to keep people safe. She also examines the current policy landscape, including growing state and local action, gaps in federal coordination, and the need for stronger collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities. This episode provides a broader understanding of extreme heat as a cross-cutting, growing risk that touches nearly every part of daily life. Timestamps: 02:24 — What Makes Heat “Extreme”? 04:09 — Why Extreme Heat Is So Dangerous 08:22 — Who Is Most Vulnerable to Heat? 10:15 — Why Hot Nights Matter 12:20 — Beyond Air Conditioning 14:37 — Is the Heat Index Enough? 18:49 — Heat Policy in the United States 24:40 — The Private Sector’s Role in Heat Resilience 28:29 — What Individuals and Communities Can Do ★ Support this podcast ★
- Sep 23, 202642 min
Lunch Trays to Landfills: Reducing Food Waste in K–12 Schools
Every day, schools serve millions of meals to students — but what happens to the food that doesn't get eaten? From unopened milk cartons to fruits and vegetables that end up in the trash, food waste is a complex challenge for schools, with significant environmental, economic, and social implications. In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana is joined by Linda Breggin (Environmental Law Institute), Elaine Fiore (WRAP Americas and the Food Conservation Alliance), Tara Thomas (School Superintendents Association), and Nadia Davis (School Nutrition Association) to explore where food waste comes from in K–12 schools, why it matters, and what schools and policymakers can do to reduce it. The conversation examines some of the practical challenges schools face in reducing food waste, including limited funding and staffing, nutrition requirements, infrastructure constraints, and student preferences. The episode also highlights ELI and NRDC’s Model State Law on Reducing Food Waste in K–12 Public Schools, which provides a framework for states to adopt policies that help schools prevent and reduce food waste. The guests discuss strategies included in the model law, including taking a closer look at milk waste and its potential solutions, such as offering lactose-free and shelf-stable milk. As Food Waste Prevention Week approaches, the conversation highlights the many opportunities to reduce food waste, as well as the importance of giving schools the resources and support they need to put those solutions into practice. Timestamps: 05:37 — The Environmental, Social, and Economic Costs of Food Waste 12:03 — The Growing Conversation Around Food Waste 17:01 — The Challenges of Reducing Food Waste 20:10 — Who Makes the Decisions? Understanding School Governance 27:22 — ELI’s Model State Law on Reducing Food Waste in K–12 Public Schools 32:42 — Tackling Milk Waste 37:32 — Where Policy Can Make a Difference 40:16 — Food Waste Prevention Week ★ Support this podcast ★
- Sep 9, 202649 min
Freshwater and Marine Tenure 101: Who Gets to Use and Manage Water and Ocean Resources
Water is essential to so much of life—from food and livelihoods to culture and ecosystems—but who has the right to access and use it? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana is joined by ELI Senior Attorneys Jessica Troell and Sofia O’Connor for a "Freshwater and Marine Tenure 101.” They explain what freshwater and marine tenure are, why they matter, and how they shape the ways communities access, use, and manage water and ocean resources. Jessica and Sofia break down the systems that govern freshwater and marine tenure, from national laws to customary and Indigenous practices, and explore why secure tenure matters for Indigenous peoples, small-scale fishers, women, and other communities. They discuss how insecure tenure can leave communities vulnerable to competing demands, environmental degradation, and other large-scale activities. The conversation also examines gaps in existing legal frameworks, including fragmented laws, limited recognition of customary and Indigenous rights, and permitting systems that may not work for communities. Finally, Jessica and Sofia explore promising approaches to strengthening freshwater and marine tenure and share examples from ELI’s work around the world. To learn more about ELI’s work, explore the resources below: Whose Water? A Comparative Analysis of National Laws and Regulations Recognizing Indigenous Peoples’, Afro-descendants’, and Local Communities’ Water Tenure Legal recognition of customary water tenure in Sub-Saharan Africa: unpacking the land-water nexus Law and Governance Toolkit for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Best Regulatory Practices Legal Guide to Enabling & Strengthening Coastal Fisheries Co-Management in the Pacific Timestamps: What Is Water Tenure? Why Does Secure Water Tenure Matter? Recognizing Customary and Indigenous Water Rights How Water Tenure Is Governed Gaps in Water Tenure Governance Strengthening Freshwater and Marine Tenure ★ Support this podcast ★
- Aug 27, 202649 min
Protecting the Right to Participate: Aarhus & Escazú
What does it take to give people a meaningful voice in environmental decision-making? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana, joined by ELI Senior Attorney Kristine Perry, explore two landmark regional instruments: the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement.) They’re joined by Jonas Ebbesson (Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre) and Patricia Madrigal Cordero (Chair of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance of the Escazú Agreement). The conversation begins with the origins of the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement. Both instruments are based on three main pillars: access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice. The guests unpack what those rights look like in practice and how the two instruments have influenced one another over time. The discussion then turns to implementation and compliance, drawing on Jonas and Patricia’s experience serving on the Aarhus and Escazú compliance committees. They discuss how these bodies work, the challenge of building trust with governments while holding them accountable, and some of the successes and challenges of putting environmental rights into practice. The episode also explores the recognition of environmental defenders, including the Escazú Agreement's explicit protections for defenders and the protections that have evolved under the Aarhus Convention. This episode is part of a series of episodes related to ELI's work on environmental and land defenders. To watch the other episodes, see below: Land Rights, Impunity, and the Fight to Protect Brazil's Environmental and Land Defenders Defensores ambientales: hacia la rendición de cuentas en Colombia Environmental Defenders: On the Frontlines of Conservation Timestamps:The Origins of Aarhus and Escazú What Rights Do Aarhus and Escazú Protect? From Rights to Reality: Aarhus and Escazú in Practice Aarhus and Escazú: Similarities and Differences Compliance, Implementation, and Accountability Protecting Environmental Defenders The Path Forward ★ Support this podcast ★
- Jul 29, 202642 min
Next Generation Geothermal: Closing the Finance & Regulatory Gap (Pt 2)
Does next generation geothermal have the capital and regulatory certainty to scale? In part two of this two-part series, host Sebastian Duque Rios continues the conversation on geothermal energy, turning to the financing and policy side of the equation with a panel of experts: Caroline de Bossart (Grantham Foundation), Drew Nelson (Project InnerSpace), and Susannah Dibble (Environmental Law Institute). The conversation first digs into the challenges of financing geothermal energy. The panel unpacks the unique risk profile of geothermal projects (front-loaded drilling costs, resource uncertainty, and the absence of standardized data) and how emerging tools could unlock institutional lending and insurance the way similar frameworks have for oil and gas. They also explore the regulatory patchwork shaping geothermal's growth state by state, from Texas and Colorado's bipartisan legislative wins to the Mountain West Coalition's push for coordinated permitting and financing reform, and what an ideal legal and regulatory environment — one built to keep pace with fast-moving technology — could look like. Along the way, the panel covers permitting timelines, water rights and reinjection issues, and where organizations like ELI can help close the remaining research and policy gaps. It's a wide-ranging look at what stands between geothermal and the capital it needs to scale, and the policy moves that could unlock it.For more information, see part one of this two-part series and ELI's webinars on The Future of Geothermal:Power GenerationHeating and Cooling of BuildingsFinancing geothermal: why capital is lagging behind Building a regulatory environment that unlocks investment State-by-state: geothermal's regulatory patchwork Water law as a case study Concluding thoughts & what to watch for as geothermal scales ★ Support this podcast ★
- Jul 15, 202625 min
Next Generation Geothermal: The Technologies Driving the Momentum
Geothermal energy is having a moment. As demand for reliable, always-on power grows alongside data centers and electrification, new drilling technologies are unlocking geothermal's potential far beyond its traditional strongholds in California, Nevada, and Iceland. In part one of this two-part series, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Tom Lutken, science fellow at the Environmental Law Institute, for a primer on how geothermal energy actually works — and what's changing.We break down the science behind geothermal electricity generation, the difference between direct-use applications and power generation, and next-generation technologies like enhanced geothermal systems, advanced geothermal systems, and super-hot rock geothermal that are expanding where geothermal can be developed. The conversation also covers drilling costs, potential risks, and innovative approaches aimed at solving geothermal's biggest cost barrier.The episode closes with a preview of the regulatory landscape shaping geothermal's growth with Susannah Dibble, staff attorney at ELI. From the decades-old Geothermal Steam Act to the state-level legislation now playing catch-up with the technology, we highlight some of the major financing, legal, and policy questions surrounding geothermal that merit further analysis. The second part of this series digs deeper into these issues with a full panel of experts. ★ Support this podcast ★
- Jun 17, 202649 min
Forever Chemicals, State Solutions: New Mexico's PFAS Playbook
Forever chemicals are everywhere — in your carpet, your cookware, your cosmetics, and increasingly, your drinking water. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have been building up in our environment, our water, and our bodies for decades. And while federal regulatory momentum on forever chemicals is stalling, states are moving in the opposite direction. In this episode of People Places Planet, we sit down with Secretary Jim Kenney, General Counsel Zachary Ogaz, and Assistant General Counsel Greg Smithkier from the New Mexico Environment Department to break down what PFAS are, why they're so difficult to eliminate, and what state-level action actually looks like in practice.They walk us through New Mexico's multi-pronged PFAS strategy: listing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) as a hazardous waste, phasing out PFAS-containing consumer products, and implementing the country's first-ever consumer product labeling icon for intentionally added PFAS. They also discuss the state's ongoing litigation against the Department of Defense over PFAS contamination at Cannon Air Force Base.New Mexico has emerged as a national leader on PFAS action, and this conversation reveals exactly how — and why it matters for every state. With EPA rolling back MCLs and retreating from class-based regulation, the episode raises a broader question: can a patchwork of state policies produce national standards? And, at what cost to states already stretched thin on resources and scientific capacity?Also, be sure to check out ELI's recent report Current Trends in Toxics Litigation for more information on PFAS litigation trends.What are PFAS, what risks do they pose, and where can they be found? PFAS regulation at the State and Federal level New Mexico's PFAS playbook: hazardous waste listing, phase-outs, and labeling Litigation and the Cannon Air Force Base case New Mexico's PFAS conversation in DC What's next: federal science, state capacity, and closing thoughts ★ Support this podcast ★
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About People Places Planet
Welcome to People Places Planet, ELI's leading environmental podcast. We talk to leading experts across sectors who share their solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Tune in for the latest environmental law, policy, and governance developments.
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