What do Al Gore, Matt Damon, and a trash-compacting robot have in common? You’ll find that out and more on today’s episode of Temperature Check, Grist’s weekly podcast on climate, race, and culture.
Host Andrew Simon and co-host Justin Worland kick-start the episode with a conversation on clean energy, the stock market, and solar farms. Later on, guest Kristal Hansley joins Simon to talk about her company, WeSolar, and test her film knowledge in a high-stakes pop quiz.
Host Andrew Simon is Grist’s director of leadership programming and founding editor of the Grist 50, an annual list of emerging climate and justice leaders. Previously a senior editor at Fast Company and ESPN, Andrew is also the author of Racing While Black: How an African-American Stock Car Team Made Its Mark on NASCAR.
Co-host Justin Worland is a senior correspondent at Time covering energy, environment, and climate.
Guest Kristal Hansley is the founder and CEO of WeSolar, where she brings affordable and accessible community solar energy to under-resourced communities and assists commercial properties with energy efficiency. Previously, Hansley was the director of government and community relations for Neighborhood Sun, a leading community-solar enterprise in Maryland. In this role, Kristal helped thousands of low-to-moderate-income families save hundreds annually on their electricity bills.
Before transitioning to the sustainability industry, Hansley was a Capitol Hill staffer. She worked for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Representative Eleanor Homes Norton. Hansley sits on the steering committee for Baltimore’s Peoples Climate Movement, on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Baptist Aged Home, on the Board of Directors for Dads United Organization, and on the Board of Directors for Freedom Advocates Celebrating Ex Offenders, Inc.
Kristal is a classically trained pianist, opera singer, and a proud dog mom to her mini poodle, Jade.
You can listen to the fourth episode of Temperature Check on Grist, and subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will drop weekly.
Useful links from the episode:
Justin Worland, “2020 Is Our Last, Best Chance to Save the Planet,” Time, July 9, 2020.
