The Sustainable Carolina Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sustainable Carolina
We bring you to the center of the sustainability conversation at UNC-Chapel Hill as we explore the technologies, partners, and exciting happenings that make our campus sustainable. From the North Carolina Piedmont to around the world, we seek out and discuss the latest in sustainability.
"Anyone who thinks they're too small to make a difference has never met the honey bee."
Nathan Halsey, co-president of the Carolina Beekeeping Club lives by this quote. As a high school student during the pandemic, he picked up beekeeping. When he arrived to Carolina, he knew he wanted to continue his business, Halsey's Hives. But he also wanted to make an impact on campus. In this episode, he shares how he balances running a business, building awareness for beekeeping at Carolina and succeeding in academics.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
On the fourth and final bonus episode, we learn about applying research out in the real world and engaging students in the process.
First, UNC Department of Earth Marine and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Antonia Sebastian talks about her research on 100-year floodplains, urban development and the social implications of development. She also shares how her research influences the ways she engages with students at the UNC Sustainable Triangle Field Site.
Then, Research Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Public Engagement with Science Kathleen Gray encourages students interested in pursuing research to engage with faculty at Carolina. She talks about the far-reaching efforts of CPES. The group partners with municipalities to share important data and also with schools to share the power of science.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
This third bonus episode explores water.
First, we take to the skies with UNC Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences Professor Tamlin Pavelsky. Pavelsky, who serves as the freshwater science lead for NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, shares findings from the Atlantic Coast to the Yukon Delta to the Kakhovka Dam. SWOT is visualizing rivers and lakes in ways we've never seen before.
In the second half of the episode we hear from Anna Patterson, program director at the UNC Environmental Finance Center. Anna begins by sharing the challenges water utilities, especially those that are underfunded, face when trying to manage stormwater. She shares how green infrastructure can change the way we view stormwater and how utilities might go about paying for this type of infrastructure.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
This episode explores two topics in global public health from our spring Sustainability Research Symposium. Both researchers begin their conversations by sharing how our changing climate impacts their research and respective fields of study.
First, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Gillings School of Global Public Health Department of Nutrition Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Academics, shares research she's completed in Latin America and the United States. She talks about how Brazil is leading the way in incorporating sustainability into their dietary guidelines.
Then, Abhishek Bhatia, a doctoral student in the Carolina Health Informatics Program, talks about analyzing post-disaster data to understand how countries respond to humanitarian crises. He compares and contrasts the work he did in two different countries — Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and India after major flooding in 2018.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In the first of four bonus episodes this season, we have Mike Piehler and Chloe Hall's talks from our April 2024 Sustainability Research Symposium. The research presented in this episode takes place at two of the UNC Institute for the Environment's field sites. Piehler's episode looks at blue carbon storage at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences and Hall's research takes us to the Highlands Biological Station, where she studied microplastic particles in mountain streams.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
Ileana Fenwick is both a marine scientist and a data scientist. Pursuing her doctorate in the UNC Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, she searches for patterns in fisheries ecology data. Because she strongly believes that greater data transparency and inclusion will help solve the climate change puzzle, she challenges herself to share her own data and code with other scientists.
Outside of her research, Fenwick works to help other Black environmental and marine researchers feel less isolated in their work. With direction from Openscapes and a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, she leads the Pathways to Open Science Program. The remote, 6-part program brings in Black researchers and speakers to talk about data-intensive science with participants. This work is made possible through partner support from Black in Marine Science, Black Women in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Science and seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
Ella Feathers, a senior at Carolina, wears many hats in the sustainability space at Carolina. She has served on the Carolina Sustainability Council and currently co-chairs the UNC Student Government Department of Environmental Affairs. She also works as a science communicator for the Data Driven EnviroLab, led by Angel Hsu. In her episode, Ella talks about recognizing burnout, carrying a mindset of progress and showing up in the sustainability space.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
On Earth Day 2024, Chief Sustainability Officer Mike Piehler gives an update on the University's sustainability initiative, Sustainable Carolina. He walks through Carolina's Climate Action Plan, Water Plan and progress made from 2020 - 2024. This audio comes from a video, shared on the UNC Institute for the Environment's YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/HpjasYF_IaM?feature=shared
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
Between his day job and his passion projects, Will Freund gets the best of both worlds. As the community engagement specialist for Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, he leads programs for adults, teens and our youngest North Carolinians. And every April when Morehead's Science Expo rolls around, he runs the show. Freund has a natural curiosity for the world around, and it's contagious to those around him. His debut documentary explores perceptions surrounding climate change; his second gets personal, as he travels with his father to Blue Glacier in Olympic National Park.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
Julie Jacobson Vann made her way down to North Carolina to pursue her passion — and Ph.D. — in public health. She grew up in Wisconsin knowing the importance of water quality and recycling. So when she began her career at the UNC School of Nursing, it only made sense that she would incorporate environmental health and sustainability into the courses she taught. Most recently, her interest, advocacy and volunteerism led her to be named the sustainability liaison at the UNC School of Nursing.
Join us for this episode to learn about the greening of health care and why it's important we teach the next generation of health leaders about the importance of sustainability.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In this episode, Assistant Professor and Voit Gilmore Fellow Amanda DelVecchia talks about her lab's work in understanding greenhouse gas flux — the natural release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — in rivers and streams.
Then Drew Coleman, chair of the UNC Environment, Energy and Ecology (E3P) program talks about balancing Earth's ecosystems. Specifically, he talks about his partnership with the NC Collaboratory exploring how mining companies can be more sustainable in their extraction processes.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In the third of four bonus episodes, we bring you a conversation about water and air quality from two centers based out of UNC Institute for the Environment. First, Megan Lane talks about the work the Center for Public Engagement with Science is doing, especially as it has to do with water quality. Then Sarav Arunachalam, director of the Center for Environmental Modeling for Policy Development, talks about a case study his team conducted on the adoption of electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks and what that could do to improve air quality.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In the second of four summer bonus episodes, we talk with Xuewei Wang of Data Driven EnviroLab and Noah Kittner of Gillings School of Global Public Health.
The Data-Driven EnviroLab us using both large data sets and citizen science to analyze the impacts of urban heat islands within different communities. Kittner has also worked with the Data-Driven EnviroLab to think about ways to help emerging sustainability-related technologies available to households of varying socioeconomic statuses.
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Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
This is the first of our four summer bonus episodes. In this episode we hear from experts at the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems (CoFiRES) and the Environmental Finance Center (EFC). With two different lenses, they talk about infrastructure, the environment and affordability of public services.
Most of us don’t think about everything that has to happen before we flip on a light switch to turn on a light, or how we access water from the tap, but after listening to this episode, you may find yourself thinking more about these things!
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
John Richardson isn't sure his career path existed when he was in college. Inspired by his parents, who coupled environmental stewardship with municipal service in their careers, Richardson earned a master's degree in urban and regional planning. Since 2007, he's been the Town of Chapel Hill's go-to person for sustainability. In the 16 years since he's been with the town, he's nurtured a robust relationship with UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, students and staff. In the past few years, his team has transformed to a team of one to an office of three.
UNC-Chapel Hill Chief Sustainability Office Mike Piehler talks with Richardson for this town-and-gown episode of the Sustainable Carolina Podcast.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In 2022, UNC Institute for the Environment and UNC School of Law's Center for Climate, Energy, Environment & Economics (CE3) launched the Energy Transition Initiative (ETI). After just a few short months working for the ETI, Alex Hopkins became interim director. Mike Piehler guest hosts this episode of the Sustainable Carolina Podcast, in which Alex talks about strategies for engaging with policymakers and the University community. He also discusses the strengths of being housed within a University, and how he plans to bolster these strengths to help put Inflation Reduction Act dollars to good use in the energy transition.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
When Melanie Elliott graduated from Carolina, she had no idea she'd be playing a big role in one of the University's greatest challenges: achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. In this episode, she talks about tracking campus emissions, understanding the latest trends in the energy transition, and working with students to pass on knowledge (and excitement) about sustainability.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
Green roofs enhance sustainability by slowing rainwater runoff, reducing energy consumption, and more. The Carolina Drone Lab (CARDNL), housed within the UNC Institute for the Environment, is taking a closer look at Carolina's green roofs through its Islands in the Sky project. The project, made possible through the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)/Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants program, will reveal how well campus green roofs are performing. CARDNL Research Technician Peggy Mullin and EcoStudio Intern Steve Yoon ('23) join us to talk about this project and more.
CARDNL facilitates the use of drones and sensors, on campus and abroad, to further research and innovation. Though the group has its own projects, they also collaborate with researchers across campus to give them a bird's eye view of geological features, archaeological sites, and changing coastlines — just to name a few. UNC Institute for the Environment Associate Director Susan Cohen leads the lab.
Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.
In this episode, we sit down with David Gorelick, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Financial Risk in Environmental Systems (CoFiRES). Gorelick and Abigail Brewer (podcast host) begin by reflecting on their time studying abroad together on the Galápagos Islands as undergraduate students.
They discuss Gorelick's academic journey, and how, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't leave Chapel Hill. Then, they dig into a 2022 CoFiRES study that used supercomputers to model water demands and risks in the Research Triangle.
The study's findings can be applied to any place where water providers are allocating supplies to communities. This is especially important in terms of utilizing sustainable management strategies in the face of a changing climate.
About Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems (CoFiRES)
The Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems (CoFiRES) is jointly housed in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and UNC’s Institute for the Environment. The Center, led by Greg Characklis, focuses on understanding the links between financial losses and drought, hurricanes and other extreme environmental events.
About the Center for Galápagos Studies
Built on Darwin’s foundations, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito formed a strategic partnership in 2006 to address the challenges facing the Galápagos Islands. Today, the Center for Galápagos Studies coordinates Galápagos programs at the main Chapel Hill campus and all Carolina activities in the Galápagos archipelago itself. The Center also administrates the joint UNC/USFQ Galapagos Science Center, a state-of-the-art research center located on San Cristobal Island.
*Please note: This episode contains discussions around anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
Some individuals are making food choices based on carbon footprint, according to Melissa Munn-Chernoff, assistant professor for the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (CEED) at UNC-Chapel Hill. After UNC CEED Founding Director Cynthia Bulik approached Munn-Chernoff about a study to better understand the correlation between climate change and mental health, the group began the Center's Eco-Concern & Eating Behaviors Research Study. On this episode, we hear from Munn-Chernoff and two students — Baiyu Qi (UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health) and Emily Bulik-Sullivan (UNC School of Medicine).
Links Mentioned in this EpisodeUNC Mental Health Resources
Help us Understand the Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health (UNC Exchanges | June 21, 2022)
Gen Z, Millennials Stand Out for Climate Change Activism, Social Media Engagement With Issue (Pew Center | May 26, 2021)
This is how much meat and dairy hurt the climate (Vox | February 1, 2022)
Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions this century (PLOS | February 1, 2022)
In the first episode of the new season, Chief Sustainability Officer Mike Piehler talks about the collaborations and partnerships that make campus sustainability work possible. Piehler discusses the significance of the team's two recently published plans, the Climate Action Plan and the Water Plan. The episode concludes with a conversation about how students can get involved on campus tobuild and balance societal well-being, ecological integrity, and economic prosperity now and into the future.
Links mentioned in the episode:
HanesBrands Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Fox talks people, planet, and profit at the 2022 CleanTech Summit. A list of student organizations is available on our website.
I’m Vik Agabekov, the Program Manager for Sustainable Carolina and this week I am joined by our Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of the UNC Institute for the Environment, Mike Piehler.
We are going in depth on the flurry of sustainability news that happened in April and unpacking the transition to sustainable Carolina, outlining the Climate Action Plan Draft, and looking behind the scenes on the brand new Champion Sustainability Fund.
Stay tuned and hear it on the sustainable Carolina Podcast!