Infrastructure law: High-speed internet is as essential as water and electricity

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act designates broadband internet access as an essential service and targets billions of dollars to close the digital divide.

Hernán Galperin, Associate Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism • conversation
Nov. 17, 2021 ~9 min

Bridges, bike lanes, electric car chargers and more: 5 essential reads on the infrastructure bill

What will the US$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill pay for? Here are some of the things it will help build, fix or remove.

Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation • conversation
Nov. 8, 2021 ~7 min


Unlike the US, Europe is setting ambitious targets for producing more organic food

An expert on organic agriculture argues that the US is missing an economic and environmental opportunity by not working to scale up organic production.

Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University • conversation
Nov. 3, 2021 ~9 min

Biden calls for a big expansion of offshore wind – here's how officials decide where the turbines may go

The Biden administration is proposing a big increase in offshore wind power. A former state official explains how regulators find the best sites and balance competing interests.

David Cash, Distinguished Fellow, Sustainable Solutions Lab, University of Massachusetts Boston • conversation
Oct. 19, 2021 ~8 min

Biden restores protection for national monuments Trump shrank: 5 essential reads

The Biden administration is restoring full protection to three national monuments that President Trump sought to cut down drastically.

Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation • conversation
Oct. 8, 2021 ~9 min

Puerto Rico has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build a clean energy grid – but FEMA plans to spend $9.4 billion on fossil fuel infrastructure instead

Four years after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico, federal money to rebuild its electricity system is finally about to flow. But it may not deliver what islanders want.

Rachel Stevens, Professor of Law & Staff Attorney, Vermont Law School • conversation
Oct. 4, 2021 ~8 min

Who pays and who benefits from a massive expansion of solar power?

President Biden’s proposed solar power expansion would cost $350 billion in federal support over the coming decade. An energy expert explains where that money would come from and who it would help.

Felix Mormann, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University • conversation
Sept. 30, 2021 ~9 min

Biden's pandemic plan overlooks mask mandates and vulnerable populations

President Biden outlined a six-point strategy to confront the pandemic. But two public health scholars believe it would work better with help from states.

Alexandra Skinner, Research Fellow of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University • conversation
Sept. 10, 2021 ~6 min


Biden's proposed tenfold increase in solar power would remake the US electricity system

A decade ago, solar power was a tiny sliver of the US energy supply. Today it’s expanding rapidly – and the Biden administration wants to make it much, much bigger.

Joshua D. Rhodes, Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin • conversation
Sept. 10, 2021 ~9 min

Removing urban highways can improve neighborhoods blighted by decades of racist policies

Two urban policy experts explain why taking down highways that have isolated low-income and minority neighborhoods for decades is an important part of the pending infrastructure bill.

Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University • conversation
Sept. 7, 2021 ~9 min

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