It’s easy to get caught up thinking about national energy and environmental policies and programs as the ultimate mechanisms for initiating change. We hyper-analyze every word in Obama’s State of the Union and different groups cry foul, while others proclaim victory. In this media-saturated world we live in, we sometimes forget about many of the promising local changes that are taking place. Volunteers, city governments, and local non-profits are out there making a difference, especially here in the Bay Area. On today’s show, we focus on effective sustainability initiatives  with Dr. Tanja Srebotnjak of the Ecologic Institute, and the episode is titled, “A Day in the Life of a Bay Area Environmental Think Tank”. We’ll also be joined by frequent contributor and panelist, Matt Chalmers.

Make sure to listen from 6-7 PM (PST) on Thursday! Our regular reminder: we’re on 90.1FM in the Bay Area, or online at kzsulive.stanford.edu. Thanks for listening!

The sixth episode of Green Grid Radio’s second season will be, “Ecovillages: Sustainable, Cooperative Lifestyles that Really Work,” and will feature Stanford University alum Tony Sirna. Tony lived in Synergy, a co-op house at Stanford, as an undergrad, and after graduating decided to take the principles of community living and implement them in the real world by founding Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeastern Missouri. Dancing Rabbit, now a thriving intentional community of about 70 people, allows members to live ecologically sound lives and provides an example of an alternative way of living as a community. We will also welcome current Stanford students and co-op residents Hannah Rich and Aliza Gazek as panelists on the show, to discuss our interview with Tony and to comment on how cooperative living has impacted their views on sustainability and community.

So tune on in Thursday from 6-7 PM (PST) to 90.1FM in the Bay Area, or online at kzsulive.stanford.edu. Thanks for listening!

The fifth episode of Green Grid Radio’s second season will be, “Powerhouse: How Video Games Can Produce Serious Energy Efficiency,” and will feature Stanford University Department of Communication PhD candidates, James Scarborough and James J. Cummings. The two study how behavioral psychology and social motivations can influence behavioral change, with a specific focus on energy efficiency. Scarborough and Cummings have been involved in the Stanford ARPA-E Initiative project, specifically working on the video game Powerhouse, which is designed to help players and the broader population have fun while learning about energy efficient behaviors in their homes. This is Green Grid Radio’s first episode on energy efficiency, and the first to feature two long-form interviews!

Jim Cummings stopped by the studio to talk about the Powerhouse video game.

Make sure to tune in Thursday to 90.1FM (in the Bay Area) from 6-7 PM (PST) or online at kzsulive.stanford.edu. This will be another fantastic episode Thanks for listening!

This Thursday, make sure to tune in to our fourth episode this season. It is titled, “Grid Flexibility: Challenges and Opportunities with Bringing Renewables onto the Grid,” and will feature Professor Mark O’Malley from the Electricity Research Centre and University College Dublin. Electrical Engineering Professor O’Malley dropped by the studio before his Energy Seminar in January to speak about grid flexibility, what that even means in the first place, and some of the challenges and opportunities with increasing renewables from a grid perspective. We will also be joined by Larsen Plano, a student in Civil & Environmental Engineering who is transitioning into the utility world at Pacific Gas & Electric.

Join us from 6-7 PM (PST) at kzsulive.stanford.edu, or if you live in the SF Bay Area, 90.1FM on the dial. We hope you find it to be a great addition to our episode list. Thanks for listening!