Best Chris Whitehead Senior Environmental Justice Consultant Podcasts (2025)

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S2 E13 - Water Wants to Go Where It's Always Gone 58:00

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7d ago58:00

58:00

Send us a text Somehow people still underestimate the impact of water on our lives. We don't think about it a lot, and often take it for granted, unless there is a problem. It is fundamental to our natural systems and public health, as well as recreation, cultural heritage, religions, and now unfortunately many climate-related detriments. Storms ar…

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S2 E12: Water Purification and Management: From Bivalves to Billion Dollar Projects 53:43

21d ago53:43

53:43

Send us a text Water management will be one of the critical issues of the 21rst Century. Between increased volatility in weather events, climate driven droughts, and historical cleanups...well that's plenty to keep us all busy. Now add data center proliferation and nearly unprecedented water demands. Challenging to say the least. My guests this wee…

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S2 E11: Climate Policy: Bottom Line, The Longer We Wait, The More It Will Cost 52:07

1M ago52:07

52:07

Send us a text We're back!!! What I thought was just going to be a quick break for the summer as I planned a conference, ended up being more of an endeavor as I then had to deal with a fried hard drive, being laid off, and starting my own consulting company. Oh, also during this period, I went to NYC Climate Week. This episode was recorded a few da…

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S2 E10: EJ Icons: Decades of Protecting Community and Public Health 48:39

4M ago48:39

48:39

Send us a text About four years ago I was giving a talk in Ohio and someone in the crowd asked me, "EJ just kind of sprang up, where did it come from, how did this start?" At first I was pretty taken back by the comment since the environmental justice movement began around the time I was born, but this gentleman simply had not heard about it until …

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S2 E9 - Policy Development: Protecting Public Health and Economic Opportunity 55:30

4M ago55:30

55:30

Send us a text There's a common fallacy out there that public policy that is protective of public health is likely bad for bottom lines. That could not be further from the truth. Sound policy is protective but in a sustainable way that also promotes economic growth. For this episode, who better to talk about taking on complex policy development, th…

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S2 E8 - We Live in Systems Not Silos: How Changes in the Arctic Impact the World 58:37

5M ago58:37

58:37

Send us a text It feels appropriate that this episode is posting in the middle of a heat wave in much of the United States, with four straight days of heat index readings at or above 110F. While we were planning for the episode a glacier in Europe gave way, burying the town of Blatten, Switzerland. Our world is warming, and that has many difficult …

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S2: E7 - Shaping Policy for Sustainable Decarbonization 59:38

6M ago59:38

59:38

Send us a text I almost decided to name this episode, "so this is why we can't have nice things." On our last episode, Doug Houseman and Mark Jacobson showed us what's possible albeit challenging from a technical perspective. This episode Eric Beightel (Federal Strategy Director, Environmental Science Associates) and Josh Kaplowitz (Senior Counsel,…

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Season 2 - Episode 6 - Decarbonizing our Energy Sector: Challenges and Opportunities 59:33

6M ago59:33

59:33

Send us a text For a project to be sustainable it must factor in the economic, social, and environmental impacts of its scope before its built, in order to minimize any detrimental impacts and maximize benefits. But backing up another step, for a project to be built at all, it must first have a handle on associated logistical constraints and how th…

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S2 - E5 - Solid Waste Management: Challenges, Technology, and Environmental Impact 59:34

7M ago59:34

59:34

Send us a text In 2018 the US processed roughly 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), or 4.9 pounds/person per day, which equates to an increase of 93% from 1980. Of that amount, 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million composted. In 2021 the US recycled 58.6 million tons of metals, iron, steel. These figures have only increased ov…

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S2 - E4 - Environmental Advocacy Across Generations 58:11

7M ago58:11

58:11

Send us a text I start every EJ or climate talk that I give with a photo of my children. They are the reason why I am so passionate about all of this, they are why I do this work. The same can be said for many of those in environmental advocacy; over time it becomes a family affair, and we often see children joining efforts that their parents have …

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Season 2 - Episode 3 - Climate Impacts and Rising Insurance Costs 44:42

8M ago44:42

44:42

Send us a text Climate change impacts are mounting across the world, and it has been difficult to watch. From cloud bursts, to drought, to stronger hurricanes, and longer heat waves, the economic and public health impacts are mounting and costing us all a lot more. The 2025 California wildfires alone are estimated to have cost $250B. How do insuran…

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Season 2 - Episode 2 - Environmental Justice: Dignity Rights, Disparities, and Outlook 54:26

9M ago54:26

54:26

Send us a text This week Chris was joined by James May (Distinguished Professor of Law, Washburn University) and Dana Johnson (Chief Movement Advisor, Strategic Movement Collective, LLC). The topic for this episode is environmental justice and dignity rights. Taping this made us think of the golden rule, you know the one that most of us learn aroun…

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Season 2 - Episode 1 - Climate Change: Impact Trends, Social Tipping Points, and Climate Anxiety 1:00:52

9M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

Send us a text Season 2!!! As with last year, we are starting this season on climate change. There is no bigger issue that we discuss on these podcasts. The risks are real, the costs of impacts mounting, and our time for action is dwindling to avert surpassing tipping points that will do irrevocable harm. This is not a political issue, and it does …

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Season 1 Finale - Food Insecurity: A Major Global Issue with Inspiring Local Solutions 1:30:16

1y ago1:30:16

1:30:16

Send us a text Yes, we did a 90 minute Season finale. You will thank me later. I dedicated this episode to my mom, Lois Whitehead, who sadly passed away earlier this year from leukemia. During her professional career, for a time, she worked for a nonprofit in Trenton, NJ that addressed food insecurity issues and helped people get back on their feet…

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Episode 17: Financing Decarbonization: From startups to critical support infrastructure 57:01

1y ago57:01

57:01

Send us a text No matter what your climate goals look like, where your project is located, or who is in office at the time, your project will not happen if the financing is not in order. Projects have to make money, and have to usually incur levels of risk through development. Whether a clean energy startup or billion dollar offshore wind developer…

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Episode 16: Community Air Monitoring Networks 57:09

1y ago57:09

57:09

Send us a text One of the topics that I have been asked about most over the last few years from community members is how they can get their own community air monitoring. Many are concerned over possible contamination in their air, and want to see improvements. As we often say, their lived experiences are the ultimate screening tool. They know if th…

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Episode 15 - The Critical Need to Modernize the Grid 49:07

1y ago49:07

49:07

Send us a text Anyone who has listened to past episodes likely knows that I am an offshore wind (OSW) energy advocate. I am a renewable energy advocate, and I am an advocate for smart answers to complex problems. There is no better example than the need to urgently modernize our transmission systems. My guests for this week, are Theodore Paradise (…

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Episode 14 - EJ in Chicago: Leaders, Allies, and Zoning Changes 1:00:18

1y ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Send us a text Environmental Justice communities are diverse collections of perspectives, concerns, and drivers. No two are identical, but there are some common themes that most share. Love of their culture, protection of their communities and children, and concern that our planning systems have not historically taken their views into equal account…

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Episode 13 - Planning in Practice: Equity and Sustainability in Modern Cities 58:42

1y ago58:42

58:42

Send us a text For this episode Chris was joined by Rebecca Karp (CEO and Founder) and Ali-Sutherland Brown (Principal) from Karp Strategies. Chris recalls, "I first met Rebecca through the offshore wind space a few years ago when we were both presenting at the International Partnering Forum (IPF) event in Atlantic City, NJ. I was immediately struc…

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Episode 12 - Air Impacts of Wildfire 58:01

1y ago58:01

58:01

Send us a text For this episode Chris was joined by Sarah Henderson (Scientific Director, British Columbia Centers for Disease Control) and Christine Wiedinmyer (Associate Director of Science at Cires at the University of Colorado Boulder). Chris went heavy on the graphics and visuals during his intro this time because wildfire is such a visceral i…

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Episode 11 - Challenges Facing Industrial Decarbonization and the Imperative to Act 58:24

1y ago58:24

58:24

Send us a text For this episode, Chris was joined by two colleagues to continue a discussion that the three of them started over breakfast in Minneapolis earlier this year. Michael Jung, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Modern Hydrogen, and Madeline Urbish, Orsted Head of Public Affairs for the Americas Region, both live these issues every day…

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Episode 10 - Chevron Deference, Good Neighbor, and SCOTUS Embracing Administrative Law 46:57

1+ y ago46:57

46:57

Send us a text The Supreme Court in the US (SCOTUS) ended their last term with an absolute flurry of important environmental cases that focused on the role of administrative law in managing these issues. I nearly became an environmental layer eons ago before I went into consulting. I work with them often and was fortunate this episode to sit down w…

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Episode 9 - ESG: Critical Concepts in Risk Mitigation and Environmental Stewardship 56:22

1+ y ago56:22

56:22

Send us a text ESG is a hot button issue for some, but executives see it as a risk mitigation and environmental stewardship question. Cut back all of the noise and fundamental questions remain on how climate change impacts will affect business and its relationship with local communities. Few are more well-versed in these issues than Matthew Sekol (…

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Episode 8 - The Cleanest Electron is the One You Don't Use 45:47

1+ y ago45:47

45:47

Send us a text For this episode Chris was joined by Department of Energy expert Kelly Crawford and Dr. Tony Reames (University of Michigan and formerly of DOE). Kelly and Tony are pretty much as good as it gets on energy justice topics, and their decades of experience and passion for the issues shine through in this episode. We discuss new DOE prog…

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Episode 7 - Building Decarbonization, Sustainable Sourcing, and Decades of Project Management 59:57

1+ y ago59:57

59:57

Send us a text For this episode Chris was joined by Eugene McGrane (Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield) and John Thomas (President, The Mount Group and the CDRA) to discuss building decarbonization and sustainability in the construction industry. We started there but the discussion took a turn and then focused on how to effectively co…

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Episode 6 - On the Shoulders of Giants: National EJ Leaders and Those Who Paved the Way 58:21

1+ y ago58:21

58:21

Send us a text For this episode Chris was joined by Jeremy Orr (Director of Litigation and Advocacy Partnerships, Earthjustice) and Sean Moriarty (Director of Strategic Regulatory Affairs, Archer Public Affairs). Both men are leaders in their states on EJ and environmental topics, and helped advance critical legislation that is now shaping the disc…

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Episode 5 - The Big Apple: Transportation, Climate Change, and EJ Impacts 1:11:53

1+ y ago1:11:53

1:11:53

Send us a text Chris Whitehead sits down with Rebecca Bratspies, a professor at CUNY School of Law where she runs the Center for Urban Environmental Reform, and Thomas Abdallah, the Vice President of Environmental Services at MTA Construction and Development Agency. Their work surrounding sustainable transportation development is crucial to the lar…

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Episode 4 - Energy Justice: Cost, Reliability, and What Gives Us Hope 54:44

1+ y ago54:44

54:44

Send us a text For this episode we are joined by Abby Watson (President and Co-Founder of The Groundwire Group) and Professor Raphael Heffron (University of Pau and Adour Countries (France)) to discuss energy justice. Abby and Raphael are well-known for their innovative thought leadership on energy issues. Our discussion started around objective re…

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Episode 3 - "Environmental Economics and Policy Development: It's a Long Process" 59:12

1+ y ago59:12

59:12

Send us a text In our first two episodes we covered climate change and environmental justice issues. I hope they filled you with a sense of wanting to do something about it. The "doing something about it" on a policy end takes time, and having a sound economic model (or models) included is imperative. Join us for a fun discussion with Dr. Ken Richa…

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Episode 2 - "Environmental Justice: No It's Not Just Going Away Next Year" 48:25

1+ y ago48:25

48:25

Send us a text Environmental justice work has become my passion. After working technically in air quality for over 16 years, and projecting the potential impact of the New Jersey EJ Law, I began to see EJ issues almost everywhere I looked. The data is clear and so is the lived experiences of citizens living in overburdened communities, which act as…

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Episode 1 - Climate Change: Tipping Points, Security and Supply Chain Implications 1:10:57

1+ y ago1:10:57

1:10:57

Send us a text Chris Whitehead sits down with Andy Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist from Idaho National Labs and Marisol Maddox (Sr Artic Analyst from the Woodrow Wilson Institute. Topics covered: Climate change tipping points, health impacts, climate justice, national security and supply chain implications, and infrastructure. Andy and Marisol's ti…

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Podcast Launch - Call to Action 3:22

1+ y ago3:22

3:22

Send us a text Hosted by Chris Whitehead. Climate change and environmental justice are two of the largest drivers in environmental regulation and sustainable development. This podcast will bring together subject matter experts on major topics to discuss these issues and how we potentially avoid major problems going forward. The first episode will b…

Chris Whitehead Senior Environmental Justice Consultant Podcasts

101
Perspectives on Sustainable Development

Chris Whitehead, Senior Environmental Justice Consultant

1
S2 E13 - Water Wants to Go Where It's Always Gone 58:00

1
S2 E12: Water Purification and Management: From Bivalves to Billion Dollar Projects 53:43

1
S2 E11: Climate Policy: Bottom Line, The Longer We Wait, The More It Will Cost 52:07

1
S2 E10: EJ Icons: Decades of Protecting Community and Public Health 48:39

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S2 E9 - Policy Development: Protecting Public Health and Economic Opportunity 55:30

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S2 E8 - We Live in Systems Not Silos: How Changes in the Arctic Impact the World 58:37

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S2: E7 - Shaping Policy for Sustainable Decarbonization 59:38

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Season 2 - Episode 6 - Decarbonizing our Energy Sector: Challenges and Opportunities 59:33

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S2 - E5 - Solid Waste Management: Challenges, Technology, and Environmental Impact 59:34

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S2 - E4 - Environmental Advocacy Across Generations 58:11

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Season 2 - Episode 3 - Climate Impacts and Rising Insurance Costs 44:42

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Season 2 - Episode 2 - Environmental Justice: Dignity Rights, Disparities, and Outlook 54:26

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Season 2 - Episode 1 - Climate Change: Impact Trends, Social Tipping Points, and Climate Anxiety 1:00:52

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Season 1 Finale - Food Insecurity: A Major Global Issue with Inspiring Local Solutions 1:30:16

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Episode 17: Financing Decarbonization: From startups to critical support infrastructure 57:01

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Episode 16: Community Air Monitoring Networks 57:09

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Episode 15 - The Critical Need to Modernize the Grid 49:07

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Episode 14 - EJ in Chicago: Leaders, Allies, and Zoning Changes 1:00:18

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Episode 13 - Planning in Practice: Equity and Sustainability in Modern Cities 58:42

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Episode 12 - Air Impacts of Wildfire 58:01

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Episode 11 - Challenges Facing Industrial Decarbonization and the Imperative to Act 58:24

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Episode 10 - Chevron Deference, Good Neighbor, and SCOTUS Embracing Administrative Law 46:57

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Episode 9 - ESG: Critical Concepts in Risk Mitigation and Environmental Stewardship 56:22

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Episode 8 - The Cleanest Electron is the One You Don't Use 45:47

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Episode 7 - Building Decarbonization, Sustainable Sourcing, and Decades of Project Management 59:57

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Episode 6 - On the Shoulders of Giants: National EJ Leaders and Those Who Paved the Way 58:21

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Episode 5 - The Big Apple: Transportation, Climate Change, and EJ Impacts 1:11:53

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Episode 4 - Energy Justice: Cost, Reliability, and What Gives Us Hope 54:44

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Episode 3 - "Environmental Economics and Policy Development: It's a Long Process" 59:12

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Episode 2 - "Environmental Justice: No It's Not Just Going Away Next Year" 48:25

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Episode 1 - Climate Change: Tipping Points, Security and Supply Chain Implications 1:10:57

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Podcast Launch - Call to Action 3:22