Shows
Energy Changemakers PodcastLess Waste, More Productivity: An Economist’s Take on Our Energy DilemmaIn this episode of Energy Changemakers, host Elisa Wood sits down with renowned energy economist Skip Laitner to explore the surprising ways our “stuff” — from food waste to excess parking lots — is shaping our energy use, economy, and environment. Drawing from his decades of work at the EPA, ACEEE, and beyond, Skip reframes the energy conversation from simply producing more to using resources more productively.Using vivid, household-level examples, Skip reveals how the sheer mass of human-made materials now likely outweighs all living biomass on Earth — and why that matters for energy demand. He discusses:How househ...
2025-08-2028 min
The Carbon ConnectionClimate Reality - Using Our Big Brains to Take Climate Action, Part 1SUMMARYIn this episode of The Carbon Connection, we begin to explore the first episode of a three-part series addressing climate, climate action, and climate solutions. Part one of this series features a conversation with Gina Murphy-Darling, founder of Mrs. Green's World, and economist John A. "Skip" Laitner. They discuss the world economy, human activity, the cost of climate change, and what is possible when people work collaboratively.Mrs. Green's WorldClimate Reality podcastThe Carbon AlmanacExplore more links between issues and actions at Connect-the-Dots by The Carbon...
2022-11-011h 02
Mrs. Green's World PodcastGetting Our Big Brains in Gear: Rebuilding Our TomorrowTitle of Episode: Getting Our Big Brains in Gear: Rebuilding Our Tomorrow Guest: Skip Laitner, Energy and Resource Economist, Economic and Human Dimensions Research Associates, Immediate Past-President Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) Impact Earth: Climate Reality, Episode 3, In this episode, Skip Laitner, Energy and Resource Economist, illustrates how our current global experience […]
2020-08-2549 min
Mrs. Green's World PodcastImpact Earth: Climate Reality, Episode 2Impact Earth: Climate Reality, Episode 2 John A. “Skip” Laitner, Energy and Resource Economist, Economic and Human Dimensions Research Associates Getting Connected and Investing in a Sustainable Future Post COVID-19, John A. “Skip” Laitner is an international resource economist who leads a team of consultants, the Economic and Human Dimensions Research Associates based in Tucson, […]
2020-05-1943 min
Energy GangAre We Measuring Energy Use All Wrong?We measure energy use with a commodity-based approach -- monitoring electrons, therms and gallons. But is there a better way to gauge the efficiency of the economy?
Energy Economist Skip Laitner has been exploring a new method based on measuring "exergy," which shows that America's economy is only 14 percent efficient. And he says it's getting less efficient every year.
In this week's show, we'll talk with Laitner about why measuring usable energy is better for understanding economic productivity. And we'll ask: how do we apply it to the real world?
Later in the program, we'll discuss the state of the...
2015-06-0548 min
Humanities LecturesCentre for Sustainability: The Economic Imperative of Energy EfficiencyJohn A. “Skip” Laitner is a resource economist based in Tucson, Arizona. In this talk, Skip looks at the constraint imposed on the global economy by the inefficient use of energy. He discusses ways to improve the current level of efficiency and how the next generation of efficiency improvements will move away from device efficiency to system, infrastructure and social optimization. 10 March 2014
2014-03-2400 minHumanities LecturesCentre for Sustainability: The Economic Imperative of Energy EfficiencyJohn A. “Skip” Laitner is a resource economist based in Tucson, Arizona. In this talk, Skip looks at the constraint imposed on the global economy by the inefficient use of energy. He discusses ways to improve the current level of efficiency and how the next generation of efficiency improvements will move away from device efficiency to system, infrastructure and social optimization. 10 March 2014
2014-03-2400 min