Leading the way to a sustainable future—one in which energy and other resources are used in ways that assure that they will be available to future generations—the City University of New York has launched a weekly half-hour radio show and podcast called “Sustainable Times.” It is available anytime at CUNY iTunes U (http://cuny.edu/itunesu), as well as on CUNY’s campus radio stations and www.cuny.edu/podcast, where you can subscribe to receive new episodes.
    Each show features interviews with researchers, leaders from business, government and the academic community, as well as green artists who champion sustainability and promote energy independence across CUNY and around the world.
    They discuss topics ranging from economic and workforce development to energy, research, policy, health and entertainment. Recent shows featured:
· Dr. Rohit Aggarwala, director of New York City’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, on plans for a greener New York.
· Dr. Robert Paaswell, director of CUNY’s Transportation Research Center, on alternative technologies for transportation.
· Ira Dorfman of Emission Solutions on switching from diesel powered delivery trucks to those that run on natural gas.
· Mark Aubry of Smith Electric Vehicles on the advantages of electric commercial trucks.
· Small business owner Ed Taylor on the city’s first all-electric delivery truck.
· Bronx Community College president Carolyn Williams on the “green collar” workforce.
· Major event producer Chris Wangro on how to make concerts and other events green.
· Lisa Shpritz of Bank of America on building an energy-efficient office tower with recyclable materials.
· CUNY chief operating officer Ron Spalter on how CUNY is making the change to sustainability.
    Each show kicks off with a snapshot of sustainability news and ends with an action tip that you can follow. Music from a variety of “green artists” is incorporated throughout the show, including MZ, Wet Pain, Will Hawkins, Peggy Atwood, David Grubs, Emily Zuzik, Scott Krokoff, Guster, and the granddaddy of them all, Pete Seeger .
    Sustainable Times is a production of The City University of New York. In 2007 CUNY, the nation’s largest urban university, accepted the city’s PlaNYC Universities Challenge to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% in 10 years. CUNY already is one of the top 10 US universities in its use of energy from renewable sources and is dedicated to investing the resources necessary to construct, retrofit and maintain more sustainable facilities. CUNY is incorporating sustainability into the University’s fabric by integrating it into procurement decisions and the curriculum, and by supporting research and partnerships with civic and business leaders.
   Executive producers of “Sustainable Times” are Jay Hershenson, Senior Vice Chancellor for University Relations, and Tria Case, University Director of Sustainability. The senior editor is Brooklyn College Assistant Professor Mark Boutros. The news anchor is Dawn Spicer, and Laurie Reilly is the producer and host.