In this special episode of America Adapts (256), host Doug Parsons brings together leading voices from journalism, filmmaking, philanthropy, research, and climate practice to explore one of the biggest challenges facing climate adaptation: how do we communicate it? These conversations, sparked by a communications panel at the National Adaptation Forum, examine why adaptation remains "the greatest story never told," how to connect with audiences beyond the adaptation community, and what it will take to build a stronger culture of climate resilience. Along the way, an unexpected communications framework begins to emerge, with each guest offering a distinct principle for making adaptation more visible, relatable, and actionable. The conversations also point to an often-overlooked challenge: communications must be funded, prioritized, and approached with the same creativity and innovation we bring to adaptation itself. This episode was generously supported by the CO2 Foundation, whose commitment to advancing climate adaptation communications helped make these conversations possible.
Go Deeper: We turned this conversation into a concise Policy Brief that captures the episode's key insights, practical recommendations, and implications for adaptation policy. Download it here.
New! Download the companion Meeting-in-a-Box—a ready-to-use facilitation guide that distills the episode's key insights into a one-hour discussion designed to help your team turn ideas into action.
Experts in this Episode:
Karen Wolfgang – Executive Director of the CO2 Foundation - Transcript
Olga Loginova - Documentary Filmmaker and Podcaster - Transcript
Beth Gibbons – Director, Resiliency Office, Washtenaw County - Transcript
Shaun Martin - Director of Adaptation, WWF-US - Transcript
Pearl Marvell - Yale Climate Connections, Editora de YCC en español - Transcript
Dr. Deb L. Morrison - Learning Scientist focused on climate adaptation and Lead Author for the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report on Climate Information and Services - Transcript
Memorable Quotes from This Episode
Doug Parsons, America Adapts "Does adaptation have an awareness problem, a language problem, or an identity problem?
Karen Wolfgang, CO2 Foundation "We need to tell a similar story—that there's something worth adapting for."
Shaun Martin, World Wildlife Fund "People hear what they want to hear—not necessarily what I want them to hear, which is the adaptation story."
Olga Loginova, Filmmaker & Journalist "I love people. And I'm fascinated with the stories that people tell."
Pearl Marvell, Yale Climate Connections "One of the best things you can do when it comes to climate change and climate action is just to start a conversation about it."
Dr. Deb Morrison, University of Washington "Just speaking to people about your message is, in fact, not communication."
Beth Gibbons, Washtenaw County Resiliency Office "You're not leading with adaptation. You're leading with what people locally care about, but you're bringing the adaptation story into that topic."
Panel Communication Framework
1. Communications is Critical Infrastructure (Doug Parsons) Adaptation only scales if successful ideas are communicated, shared, and put into action. 2. Actionable Knowledge Transfer (Karen Wolfgang) Share what works—and what doesn't—so communities can learn faster and adaptation can spread. 3. Keep Adaptation Visible (Shaun Martin) Don't let adaptation disappear inside conservation, disasters, AI, or other compelling narratives. 4. Tell Human Stories (Olga Loginova) People connect with people, trust, identity, and lived experience—not reports.5. Know Your Audience (Pearl Marvel) Different audiences require different messages, framing, platforms, and storytellers. 6. Co-Produce Communication (Dr. Deb L. Morrison) Build understanding with communities, not just messages for communities. 7. Treat Communications Strategically (Beth Gibbons) Meet people where they are, work with trusted partners, and make communications part of every adaptation effort—not an afterthought.
Key Themes Covered in This Episode
- Why Climate Adaptation May Be the Greatest Story Never Told
- Building Climate Adaptation Through Better Communications
- Knowledge Transfer as the Key to Scaling Adaptation
- The Power of Human Stories and Community Voices
- Knowing Your Audience and Communicating with Purpose
- Why Communications Should Be Core Adaptation Infrastructure
- Funding, Innovation, and the Future of Climate Adaptation Communications
For Educators & Students
- Climate Adaptation Communications
- Science Communication & Public Engagement
- Environmental Journalism & Storytelling
- Community Engagement & Co-Production
- Adaptation Planning & Knowledge Transfer
- Strategic Communications for Climate Action
- Philanthropy, Funding & Scaling Adaptation
Who Should Listen to This Episode
- Climate Adaptation & Resilience Professionals
- Climate Communicators & Journalists
- Grantmakers & Philanthropic Leaders
- Government & NGO Climate Practitioners
- Researchers, Academics & Students
- Community Engagement & Outreach Professionals
- Anyone Working to Scale Climate Adaptation
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Links in this episode:
National Adaptation Forum https://www.nationaladaptationforum.org/
Yale Climate Connections https://yaleclimateconnections.org/
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