People Places Planet

Geothermal energy is having a moment. As demand for reliable, always-on power grows alongside data centers and electrification, new drilling technologies are unlocking geothermal's potential far beyond its traditional strongholds in California, Nevada, and Iceland. In part one of this two-part series, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Tom Lutken, science fellow at the Environmental Law Institute, for a primer on how geothermal energy actually works — and what's changing.

We break down the science behind geothermal electricity generation, the difference between direct-use applications and power generation, and next-generation technologies like enhanced geothermal systems, advanced geothermal systems, an...

Forever chemicals are everywhere — in your carpet, your cookware, your cosmetics, and increasingly, your drinking water. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have been building up in our environment, our water, and our bodies for decades. And while federal regulatory momentum on forever chemicals is stalling, states are moving in the opposite direction. In this episode of People Places Planet, we sit down with Secretary Jim Kenney, General Counsel Zachary Ogaz, and Assistant General Counsel Greg Smithkier from the New Mexico Environment Department to break down what PFAS are, why they're so difficult to eliminate, and what state-level action actually looks...

The fashion and textiles industry accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, and generates 92 million tons of waste each year — yet only 1% of textiles are recycled back into new products. In this episode, we sit down with three leading experts to unpack one of the most resource-intensive industries on the planet and explore what a genuinely circular textiles sector could look like.

We're joined by Mark Sumner, Head of Textiles at WRAP; Sarah Morley, Strategic Engagement Manager at WRAP Americas; and Linda Breggin, Senior Attorney at the Environmental La...

The Toxic Substances Control Act is the cornerstone of chemical regulation in the United States — but for most of its existence, it was widely considered unenforceable. In this episode of People, Places, Planet's Explained series, host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Lynn Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, and Bob Sussman, former senior EPA official and Principal at Sussman & Associates, to break down TSCA from the ground up.

Together, they walk through the foundational building blocks of the law — what chemicals TSCA covers, how Sections 4, 5, and 6 govern testing, new chemical pre-market review, and existing chemi...

After the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision stripped back federal Clean Water Act protections, local governments found themselves on the frontlines of wetland conservation — and many have more tools available to them than they realize. In this special American Wetlands Month episode, host Sebastian Duque Rios talks with wetland policy experts and on-the-ground practitioners about what local action looks like in practice.

ELI Senior Attorney Amy Reed introduces the Environmental Law Institute's newly published Local Wetland Protection Playbook — a practical guide to regulatory and non-regulatory strategies for municipalities, landowners, and community advocates. Then we hear two case...

Fifty-six years ago, the first Earth Day helped spark a generation of landmark environmental legislation — and the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) was born from that same moment. On this Earth Day 2026, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with ELI President Jordan Diamond and Senior Attorney Jay Austin to trace the arc of environmental law from that founding era to the compounding crises of today.

Together, they reflect on how statutes like NEPA and the Clean Air Act were designed with more foresight than we often credit them for, why adaptive management is baked into the DNA of en...

Environmental and land defenders in Brazil face some of the highest rates of violence in the world, yet most attacks are never investigated, and fewer still result in prosecution. In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with Kristine Perry, staff attorney at ELI, and Amael Notini, ELI's in-country partner in Brazil and legislative consultant to the Brazilian Federal Senate, about the systemic forces driving violence against defenders and what accountability could look like.

Together, they explore how Brazil's legacy of land inequality, weak rural state capacity, and a deeply entrenched culture of...

Ahead of our eighth season, here's a preview of what's to come in People, Places, Planet, a bi-weekly podcast from the Environmental Law Institute. From climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and public health, environmental law is at the center of the biggest challenges of our time.

"How do we make the law work for people, places, and the planet?"

This podcast brings you in-depth conversations with experts with leading experts, breaking down the foundations of environmental law and diving into the cutting-edge issues reshaping our world. Whether you're an environmental professional or someone...

Can states hold pesticide companies accountable — or does federal law preempt? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Patti Goldman, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice, and Cecilia Diedrich, Staff Attorney at ELI, to unpack one of the most consequential environmental law cases of the Supreme Court's current session: Monsanto v. Darnell.

At its core, this case asks whether federal pesticide law — the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) — preempts state-based failure-to-warn claims, potentially shielding pesticide manufacturers like Monsanto from liability for harms caused by products like Roundup (glyphosate). With or...

What does a truly just energy transition look like — and who gets to define it? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with Nadia Ahmad (Barry University School of Law) and Danielle Stokes (University of Richmond School of Law), collaborators on the Just Energy Transitions and Place (JET Place) project, a multi-institutional research initiative examining how place, land use law, and community governance shape who bears the burdens and who captures the benefits of America's shift to clean energy. Drawing on fieldwork across Florida, Louisiana, Kansas, and Pennsylvania, they make the case that de...

What does equity look like in ocean governance? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with Yoshitaka Ota of Ocean Nexus and Randall Abate, ELI Visiting Scholar, about the emerging concept of ocean equity—and why centering social justice is essential to the future of marine conservation and ocean law.

From marine protected areas and small-scale fisheries to deep sea mining, marine geoengineering, and the rights of nature movement, the conversation explores how traditional environmental governance frameworks have often failed to address systemic marginalization in coastal and Indigenous communities. Drawing on...

Is environmental law entering a new era—one defined not just by regulation and litigation, but also by implementation, incentives, and private-public partnerships?

In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Roger Martella (Chief Corporate Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at GE Vernova), Mike Vandenbergh (Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University), and Linda Breggin (Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law Institute) to examine how climate and environmental governance is evolving amid political gridlock and regulatory uncertainty.

Building on Martella’s 2024 law review article, the panel traces three eras of environmental law...

As artificial intelligence drives unprecedented growth in electricity demand, data centers are rapidly becoming some of the largest—and most consequential—loads on the U.S. power grid. Utilities that haven’t seen meaningful load growth in decades now face mounting interconnection backlogs, rising costs, and growing concerns about reliability, emissions, and equity.

In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Dalia Patino-Echeverri of Duke University and Aroon Vijaykar of Emerald AI to explore whether load flexibility offers a way forward. They examine how data centers and AI stress...

From the food we eat to the parks, farms, and neighborhoods around us, pesticide policy quietly shapes everyday life in the United States.

In this installment of our Explained series on the nation’s foundational environmental laws, we turn to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, better known as FIFRA. Host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by Dr. Jennifer Sass of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Keith Matthews of Matthews Law LLC to unpack how pesticides are regulated in the United States, why FIFRA was created, and how it has evolved from a consumer protection st...

As 2025 comes to a close, People, Places, Planet takes stock of a year of profound change in environmental law—and looks ahead to the legal and policy questions that will shape 2026. Host Sebastian Duque Rios draws on insights from ELI convenings with leading scholars, practitioners, scientists, and policymakers to unpack how courts, agencies, and governments are redefining environmental authority and accountability.

The episode covers key U.S. Supreme Court decisions and previews cases to watch in the upcoming term, explores sweeping changes to NEPA and administrative law, and examines the growing treatment of climate change as a le...

This is a special edition episode in Spanish with our Colombian partner on ELI's Environmental Defenders Database project. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our Vibrant Environment blog for an English summary of the episode, or listen to our last episode in February on this topic, "Environmental Defenders: On the Front Lines of Conservation".

Los defensores ambientales desempeñan un papel fundamental en la protección de los ecosistemas del mundo, pero cada año cientos de defensores son amenazados, detenidos, y asesinados. Esta realidad destaca la necesidad urgente de contar con mayores garantías, dato...

Environmental justice continues to evolve as states respond to shifting federal priorities and community needs. New Jersey has emerged as a leader, integrating equity considerations into core environmental programs, supported by its landmark 2020 EJ law and a long-standing emphasis on strong environmental protections.

In this episode, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette joins Beveridge & Diamond’s Hilary Jacobs and Justin Smith to discuss how the state is operationalizing EJ, measuring progress, and adapting to the major changes in federal policy and funding with the new Administration. Commissioner LaTourette outlines how New Jersey incorporates environmental ju...

At a time when species across the country face mounting pressures, the Endangered Species Act remains one of the most powerful—and contested—tools we have to protect them. In this installment of our Explained series, host Sebastian Duque Rios is joined by three experts whose careers span law, policy, and conservation science: Patrick Parenteau (Vermont Law & Graduate School), Jake Li (Defenders of Wildlife), and David Wilcove (Princeton University).

Together, they break down how the ESA works, why it was created, and the real-world threats species face today. The conversation explores key provisions of the Act—from listin...

As climate change reshapes our oceans, fish populations are shifting across borders and into new territories, creating ripple effects for food security, livelihoods, and international relations. These changes are intensifying pressure on governments and coastal communities—and, in some cases, fueling tension and conflict at sea. In this episode of People Places Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with Johan Bergenas, Senior Vice President for Oceans at the World Wildlife Fund-US, and Sofia O’Connor, Director of the Environmental Law Institute’s Ocean Program, about the complex links between marine conservation, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and international securi...

As the first U.S city to implement a congestion pricing program, New York City has begun charging vehicles entering high-traffic areas of Manhattan a toll. With this initiative, NYC is testing what could be a consequential urban policy for transportation and climate at the municipal level. Ten months into the program, what have we learned?

In this episode of People Places Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks about congestion pricing with Robert Puentes, Vice President and Director of Brookings Metro; Rachel Weinberger, Vice President for Research Strategy and the Peter W. Herman Chair for Transportation at...

What does it mean to “indigenize” international law—and why does it matter for the environment?

In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with legal scholars Jonathan Liljeblad, Kristen Carpenter, and Margaret Palaghicon Von Rotz about how Indigenous peoples are reshaping international legal thought. Together, they explore the concept of Indigenous legal orders—living systems of law that exist alongside and often in tension with state-based international law—and their growing influence in environmental governance. From the Ifugao people’s stewardship of the Philippines’ rice terraces to the Yurok Tribe’s river restorati...

What is the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), and how has it shaped the way America manages its forests? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios talks with forest law experts Susan Jane Brown, attorney with Silvix Resources and adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, and Martin Nie, Director of the Bolle Center for People and Forests at the University of Montana. Together, they unpack NFMA’s history, purpose, and lasting impact. From the clear-cutting controversies that spurred its creation to its unique role in regulating the federal government, NFMA has reshaped forest management th...

Since 1989, the National Wetlands Awards have honored leaders who protect, restore, and steward America’s wetlands. In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios sits down with the 2025 awardees: Simone Maloz, campaign director of Restore the Mississippi River Delta (00:59); Mike Rolband, Director of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (17:16); and Wyatt Penfold, a fourth-generation farmer from Idaho’s Teton Valley (32:24). Together, they share stories of coastal restoration in Louisiana, advances in wetland regulation and permitting in Virginia, and collaborative water management in Idaho. Their work highlights how wetlands preserve culture, protect communities, and provide ecological resilience—and why...

In this special episode of People Places Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with Ben Grumbles, president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), and state environmental leaders James Kenney (New Mexico Environment Department), Chris Wells (Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality), and Leah Feldon (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality). The conversation marks the recognition of ECOS and Ben as the recipients of the Environmental Law Institute’s 2025 Environmental Achievement Award, honoring their commitment to bipartisan collaboration and science-based environmental governance.

Together, they explore how states are leading the way on today’s most pressing challenges—from ensuri...

Plastic packaging is everywhere—from grocery store shelves to e-commerce deliveries—and it’s one of the largest contributors to global plastic waste. In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Caroline DeLoach (Atlantic Packaging), Daniel Zlatnik (CalRecycle), and Dacie Meng (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). Together, they unpack the complexities of the packaging market, the developments reshaping it, and the promise of a circular economy.

The conversation explores the environmental, social, and health impacts of the way packaging is produced, used, and disposed of, the role of extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws in shifti...

Environmental law is complex, technical, and often inaccessible to the very people it’s meant to protect. In this special episode of People, Places, Planet, host Dara Albrecht sits down with members of the ELI podcast team—Associate Vice President of Communications Nick Collins, Communications Associate Maya Sokoloff, and Research Associate and incoming host Sebastian Duque—for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities of making complex legal and scientific information accessible in a noisy, fast-paced digital world.

Together, they unpack why communicating environmental law and policy is so difficult and why getting it right matters more t...

What is CERCLA, and why does it matter for environmental law and justice? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Dara Albrecht sits down with environmental law veterans Mike McLaughlin, Sam Boxerman, and Jack Raffetto to unpack the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act—better known as Superfund. From the law’s dramatic origins in the wake of toxic disasters like Love Canal to its far-reaching liability framework and complex cleanup process, this episode explains how CERCLA works, who’s held accountable, and how it continues to evolve. You’ll hear about EPA enforcement strategies, the role of commu...

If you're interested in purchasing Adapting to High Level Warming: Law, Governance, and Equity, please visit ELI's website for more information.

What happens when climate projections exceed our current legal frameworks and planning models? In this episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht explores the provocative premise behind Adapting to High Level Warming, the fifth volume in the Environmental Law Collaborative’s book series published by ELI Press. Joined by editors Katrina Kuh and Shannon Roesler, as well as chapter authors Sarah Fox and Kevin Lynch, the conversation delves into how legal scholars are grappling with th...

Wetlands play a critical role in protecting communities from climate change, but restoring and sustaining them in a shifting climate is no easy task. In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Dara Albrecht examines the impact of climate change on wetland sites through the lens of compensatory mitigation, a process through which developers offset permitted impacts to wetlands and streams by funding or conducting ecological restoration elsewhere, and how, if at all, mitigation practitioners are responding to ensure climate resiliency in their projects.

Guests Dr. Meghan Halabisky, Dave Groves, and Karen Johnson bring different p...

In this special ELPAR edition of People, Places, Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by guest co-hosts Linda Breggin and Mara Pusic to explore one of this year’s top Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review (ELPAR) articles: “A Contractual Relationship with Environmental Justice,” authored by Professor Seema Kakade. Joined by guests Maia Hutt of the Southern Environmental Law Center and Shanika Amarakoon of Eastern Research Group, this episode dives into the potential of corporate-community agreements as a tool for environmental justice.

Professor Kakade lays out a bold proposal for environmental nonprofits to establish transactional legal p...

In this episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Jeffrey Peterson, environmental policy expert and author of A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas. Together, they unpack the science behind sea level rise, its regional impacts, and the urgent challenges it poses for coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

The conversation explores the key drivers of sea level rise, regional vulnerabilities across the U.S., and the growing risks tied to accelerating climate change. Peterson also dives into the legal and policy dimensions of adaptation, discussing land u...

In this installment of the People Places Planet Explained Series, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Robin Rotman, Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri, and Camille Pannu, Associate Professor at Columbia Law School and Director of the Environmental and Climate Justice Clinic, to break down the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)—the cornerstone law protecting America's drinking water.

The conversation covers SDWA’s origins, its regulatory reach over public water systems, and the emerging challenges tied to small system compliance, contaminants like PFAS, and growing infrastructure needs. Rotman and Pannu explain key concepts such as ma...

In this special episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht and ELI Senior Attorney Linda Breggin take us to Nashville for Food Waste Prevention Week, where local leaders across sectors are driving innovative efforts to reduce food waste. With nearly one-third of U.S. food going uneaten each year—impacting the environment, economy, and communities—this conversation showcases how one city is tackling the challenge head-on.

Linda speaks with four inspiring guests whose work spans K-12 education, higher ed, hospitality, and professional sports:

Nutritious food in schools is essential for student health, academic success, and a more sustainable future. In this episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Linda Breggin, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, along with Nancy Weiss, a chef and former Director of Food Services at Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Audrey Sanchez, Executive Director of Balanced, a nonprofit working to improve public health through healthier food environments. Together, they explore how thoughtful school food policies and plant-based menu innovations can improve student wellness while supporting environmental goals. The episode highlights local success...

Each year, around one billion birds die from collisions with buildings in the United States—an alarming but preventable crisis driven by modern glass architecture. In this episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Viveca Morris of Yale Law School, Dan Piselli of FXCollaborative Architects, and Christine Sheppard of the American Bird Conservancy to explore the scope of the problem and the innovative solutions taking flight. The conversation highlights how science, design, and public policy are coming together to reduce bird-building collisions, with a focus on local laws in cities like New York and San Fr...

Environmental defenders play a critical role in safeguarding natural resources and advocating for human rights, yet they face severe threats—including harassment, violence, and even murder. In this episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht is joined by ELI staff attorney, Kristine Perry, to discuss the challenges environmental defenders encounter worldwide. They explore the staggering risks defenders face, gaps in legal enforcement, and how intersecting identities and extractive industries heighten these dangers.

The episode also introduces ELI’s new platform to track the prosecution and enforcement of crimes against environmental defenders. Kristine explains how the p...

Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture, yet their populations face mounting threats from climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use. In this episode of People Places Planet, Rebecca Riley, Managing Director of Food and Agriculture at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Saff Killingsworth, an Endangered Species Conservation Biologist at the Xerces Society, join host Dara Albrecht to explore how legal frameworks and science intersect to address these challenges. They discuss legislative milestones like New York’s Birds and Bees Protection Act, the role of extinction risk assessments, and how scientific research on pollinator behavior an...

In this special update episode of People Places Planet, host Dara Albrecht revisits the landmark youth-led climate case, Held v. State of Montana, after the Montana Supreme Court's ruling in December 2024. Building on the original September 2023 episode, ELI Senior Attorney and Director of the Climate Judiciary Project Helene Krasnoff joins returning ELI Staff Attorney Jarryd Page in conversation with Dara to discuss the Montana Supreme Court's recent decision affirming the trial court’s ruling in favor of the youth plaintiffs. The episode explores the legal significance of the ruling, how Montana agencies are beginning to incorporate climate considerations into en...

The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) plays a crucial role in managing U.S.-Mexico border water resources, overseeing treaties that impact millions of people. In this episode of People Places Planet, Commissioner Maria Elena Giner, a civil engineer and veteran in border environmental issues, joins host Dara Albrecht to discuss the IBWC's efforts to address challenges like water scarcity, infrastructure needs, and binational cooperation. They explore groundbreaking agreements like Minute 331, which brings greater predictability to water deliveries from Mexico, and the IBWC's strategies for building climate resilience. This episode provides insight into how legal frameworks, technical expertise...

Data centers supporting artificial intelligence consume staggering amounts of electricity, with their energy demands projected to potentially account for up to 10% of total U.S. electricity consumption by 2030—posing both challenges and opportunities for clean energy goals. In this episode of People Places Planet, Jed Anderson, CEO and founder of EnviroAI, and Bob Sussman, a seasoned environmental lawyer and former senior EPA official, join host Dara Albrecht to explore the intersection of AI and the environment. They discuss how AI is transforming environmental protection, from enabling real-time regulatory improvements to empowering under-resourced communities. The conversation also examines the risks po...