Climate One

Human-caused climate change is fueling extreme floods, wildfires, rising seas, and record-breaking heat all around the world. At the same time, some of the most senior U.S. government officials and other powerful actors are actively defunding climate programs, dismantling research institutions, erasing decades of environmental data, and launching direct attacks on climate professionals.

This week’s episode is about what it’s like to be a climate scientist, researcher, or environmental professional trying to do meaningful work in a country with a government that increasingly doesn’t want it. Many have faced harassment, threats, or dismissal — or live in fear that their funding will be frozen or cut. How does it feel to do climate work not just in an era of climate denial, but of deliberate climate erasure? 

Episode Guests:

Rachel Rothschild,  Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Law School

Brent Efron, Senior Manager for Permitting Innovation, Environmental Policy Innovation Center

J. Timmons Roberts, Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology, Brown University

**For show notes and related links, visit ⁠climateone.org/podcasts.⁠

Highlights: 

00:00 – Intro

03:00 – Brent Efron on how he got into climate work

05:30 – Efron relates a casual date he had in DC

08:00 – Efron is contacted by Project Veritas, who plans to release a video they recorded of his comments about his work at the EPA during the date

11:00 – Hate and public backlash following his remarks, as well as the EPA

13:00 – Efron is contacted by EPA investigators and the FBI

17:30 – His new job in climate policy and how it feels to be doing that work again

21:30 – Rachel Rothschild explains climate superfund laws

25:00 – An organization uses FOIA to request Rothschild’s emails with environmental groups, then filed a lawsuit

32:00 – Personal and professional toll it has taken on her

37:00 – Needing to have threat monitoring

41:00 – How she thinks about her work as a teacher

42:30 – J. Timmons Roberts explains his work on links between offshore wind opposition groups and entities tied to fossil fuel interests

48:00 – Marzulla Law sends a letter to Brown University demanding Roberts’ work be redacted

52:30 – Universities in vulnerable position right now

58:45 – Why uncovering climate obstruction work is so important

59:45 – Climate One More Thing

***

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So much of the conversation about the climate crisis focuses on prevention. But no matter how well we succeed on that front, climate-induced disasters are already causing hundreds of billions of dollars of damage worldwide every year — not to mention destroying livelihoods and causing deaths. We're seeing those impacts today, and we need to be ready.

Adaptation does not mean giving up on trying to rein in heat-trapping pollution; it’s facing reality. The way we adapt can be creative and empowering. But what does that kind of adaptation look like? 

Episode Guests:  

Susannah Fisher, Principal Research Fellow, University College London; Author of "Sink or Swim"

Nick Mott, Multimedia Journalist; Author of “This Is Wildfire” 

Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, Director of Educational Impact, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

This episode features a field piece by David Condos, who originally reported the story for KUER in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/audio/adaptation-when-prevention-isnt-enough.

Highlights:

00:00 Intro

4:06 Susannah Fisher on her findings as a research student

7:43 Susannah Fisher on transformational changes

11:52 Susannah Fisher on the realities of climate migration

17:41 Susannah Fisher on the future of adaptation

22:47 Susannah Fisher on international cooperation

27:01 Susannah Fisher on surprising connections

30:35 Nick Mott on who is responsible for protecting your house

33:09 Nick Mott on the next level steps for protecting from wildfire

39:58 Field piece by David Condos on reusing sewage water

44:38 Tanya Gulliver-Garcia on what mutual aid is

48:20 Tanya Gulliver-Garcia on a mutual aid response to climate disasters

53:35 Climate One More Thing

***

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We know what needs to be done to ward off the worst impacts of global climate disruption: rein in heat-trapping pollution, reverse deforestation, build resilient systems. But how we do those things is the trick. Every second counts. The sooner we act, the more lives saved, the more jobs protected and the more futures secured. 

So how do we orchestrate the vast change we need in a short amount of time? World Resources Institute President Ani Dasgupta gives his honest take on the lack of progress since the Paris Agreement was signed 10 years ago — and maps a path forward.

Guests:

Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI); Author, “The New Global Possible”

Jonathan Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown

Nikhil Swaminathan, CEO, Grist

Highlights: 

00:00 – Intro

01:46 – Importance of the Paris Accords in terms of multilateralism

04:00 – Backlash to climate action 

07:00 – The market is producing the technology we need, but we also need to deploy them at scale

12:00 – How do we get companies producing the bulk of emissions to change course?

16:00 – Addressing climate disruption is a societal choice about what we value

20:40 – Why COP is essential and also disappointing and maddening

23:30 – Unpacking climate finance and why it’s so important

27:30 – Addressing justice isn’t a choice but an imperative when it comes to climate

31:00 – How to keep focused and remain optimistic in this current moment

37:00 – We have everything we need right now to solve climate change

41:00 – Project Drawdown’s analysis of what climate tools do and don’t work

45:00 – So many missed climate opportunities

52:00 – Tradeoffs of tools like batteries 

58:00 – Climate One More Thing

*****

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Today, we have a special episode to share with you from TED’s brand new podcast, Speed & Scale. Speed & Scale was created to help combat the doom and gloom that comes when thinking and learning about climate change. The hosts Anjali Grover and Ryan Panchadsaram interview experts from around the world on the measurable changes they’re making to combat the climate crisis and create a better future for the planet – and for those of us living on it. 

In this episode, Ryan and Anjali reflect on what to do about fossil gas, and they are joined by some incredible people coming up with bold solutions. The kind of solutions that save billions of dollars for energy companies – and consumers. Check out more episodes of the TED podcast Speed & Scale wherever you get your podcasts.

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For decades, hydrogen has held promise as a revolutionary tool in the clean energy transition. It can be a fuel and energy carrier, and when made with renewable energy and burned in a fuel cell, its only byproduct is water. President Biden’s administration invested billions into proposed clean hydrogen hubs. But as we’ve seen dramatic technological innovations and drastic price drops for solar and wind, lithium-ion batteries, and heat pumps — hydrogen may have gone from tomorrow’s technology to yesterday’s solution.

Experts say the best uses of green hydrogen come down to decarbonizing certain industries, like steel manufacturing and fertilizer. So where does hydrogen fit in the modern energy mix?

For show notes and related links, visit our website.

Episode Guests:

Eleanor Smith, Community Organizer, Tó Nizhóní Ání

Joe Romm, Senior Research Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media; Author, “The Hype About Hydrogen”

Hilary Lewis, Steel Director, Industrious Labs

Highlights:

00:00 - Intro

04:04 - Eleanor Smith on learning about the Tallgrass Energy project

12:21 - Eleanor Smith on how the new projects fits in historically

16:45 - Eleanor Smith on opposition to the project

22:06 - Joe Romm on the uses of hydrogen

28:50 - Joe Romm on why there is still investments made in hydrogen technology

35:15 - Joe Romm on using renewables directly vs for hydrogen production

41:00 - Joe Romm on what people need to understand about hydrogen

46:32 - Hilary Lewis on how steel is made

47:42 - Hilary Lewis on the health impacts of the steel industry

51:59 - Hilary Lewis on current green steel projects in the US

56:40 - Hilary Lewis on projects that received federal funding

***

Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠Patreon⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠Sign up today⁠.

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Legendary primatologist Jane Goodall died on October 1. In a 2024 conversation on the Climate One stage with Co-Host Greg Dalton, the indefatigable Goodall was focused on three intertwined crises: biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental inequity. Her message from that night still resonates: Vote like your children’s lives depend on it — because they do. 

Guests:

Jane Goodall, Ethologist, conservationist

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

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Finding one's voice in climate action can come in many forms. Author and activist Taylor Brorby grew up in Center, North Dakota as a fourth-generation member of a fossil-fuel family. He struggled to find his place as a young gay kid who loved art, music, nature and poetry. Over time, he turned that tension into writing that challenges the fossil fuel industry, makes space for others stuck in a broken system, and inspires a more just future. 

Suzie Hicks felt the weight of climate concerns but after college, didn’t know what to do with those feelings. After doing an internship at the New England Aquarium, they realized they could merge their love of performing with a career focused on climate. With the help of a sunflower puppet named Sprout, Suzie created a children’s show that teaches kids about climate change through a frame of possibility and hope, not doom and gloom. 

Guests:

Taylor Brorby, Activist, Author, “Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land”

Suzie Hicks, Climate Media Maker and Educator

– Intro

For show notes and related links, visit ⁠ClimateOne.org⁠.

***

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Within the federal government, science — especially climate science — has taken a beating. The Trump administration has moved from climate denial to climate erasure, firing thousands of career scientists across departments, rolling back established landmark protections, and undermining its own authority to regulate pollutants like carbon emissions. Even at the UN General Assembly, Trump referred to green energy as a “scam” and said climate science came from “stupid people.” 

But climate scientists aren’t all taking it lying down. From former EPA researchers to independent academics, many are heroically maintaining open-access databases and continuing fundamental research like the National Climate Assessment without the administration’s blessing.

Guests: 

Brandon Jones, President, American Geophysical Union

Wes Ingwersen, Lead, Cornerstone Sustainability Data Initiative

Rachel Cleetus, Senior Policy Director, Climate and Energy, Union of Concerned Scientists

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

3:23 - Brandon Jones on how the Trump administration has treated science

6:35 - Brandon Jones on what’s next for scientists who were laid off

10:58 - Brandon Jones on continuing to collect climate data  

13:18 - Wes Ingwersen on the creation of USEEIO

22:24 - Wes Ingwersen on how EPA changed when Lee Zeldin took over

31:24 - Wes Ingwersen on when EPA employees decided to speak out

37:31 - Wes Ingwersen on taking his work to Stanford 

42:28 - Rachel Cleetus on DOE climate report 

51:27 - Rachel Cleetus on agency staff cuts

60:40 - Rachel Cleetus on how the scientific community is responding 

***

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The past few years have seen a seismic shift in energy and industrial policy in the United States. Under Biden, laws like the Inflation Reduction Act led to money pouring into clean energy manufacturing and deployment. The Trump administration has reversed course, cutting off incentives in instituting massive tariffs. 

As a result, entire clean energy projects have been put on hold or even canceled. Workers who were counting on those projects now face an uncertain future. This situation forces tough questions for unions: Where do they go from here?

Guests: 

Roxanne Brown, Vice President at Large, United Steelworkers 

Lee Anderson, Director of Governmental Affairs, Utility Workers Union of America

Lara Skinner, Executive Director, Climate Jobs Institute, Cornell University

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Intro

3:46 Roxanne Brown on the origins of USW’s environmental advocacy

5:50 Roxanne Brown on the effects of climate workers are feeling today

14:25 Roxanne Brown on how energy policy has affected USW members 

18:45 Roxanne Brown on climate messaging within USW

24:16 Lee Anderson on the jobs of utility workers

25:41 Lee Anderson on how climate has affected the safety of workers

30:54 Lee Anderson on UWUA’s input on current federal policy

40:15 Lara Skinner on what sparked a worker centered agenda on climate policy

42:36 Lara Skinner on the ups and downs of Climate Jobs New York’s work

48:57 Lara Skinner on creating state based coalitions

For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.

***

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Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren’t seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture:

"The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience. 

Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like?

Guests:

Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project

Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist

Highlights:

00:00 – Intro

05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires

10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA

13:00 – Living with idea of abundance

19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy

21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston

22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs

24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims

27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities

36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai 

42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy

44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces

48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people 

55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization

59:00 – Climate One More Thing

For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

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