S5 Ep1: Season 5, Episode 1: Fight the Powers That Be

In 2020, the world banded together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in 2021, the world continues to change, and we seem to be progressing forward. In turn, the spotlight shifts to another great calamity: climate change. The environmental crisis has made headlines with the Biden administration making climate mitigation and renewable energy top priorities. 

 

With these advancements, researchers, corporations, innovators, and activists around the world are being tasked to follow suit. To stay united and take on another challenge: the transition to clean energy. But what does that entail exactly? How does a shift to renewables affect the average American household? 

 

Scientists and engineers are hard at work creating systems that run efficiently, withstand various constraints, and won’t pollute the air. However, as this episode of Connect the Dots explains, it's also important to look at how we implement these new innovations in a way that’s equitable and purposeful to all. 

Joining host Rob Verchick in this episode are:

• Flozell Daniels, Jr., CEO and President of the Foundation for Louisiana 
• Lawrence Early, an engineering graduate at Yale University 
• Wendy Gao, an environmental activist and student at the University of Virginia 
• Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director of People for Community Recovery in Chicago 
• Hannah Wiseman, CPR Member Scholar and professor at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Institutes of Energy and the Environment at Penn State University