Earth Refuge: Faces

In this week's interview, correspondent Ole ter Wey talks to climate activist Grace Fong about the importance of climate education. Drawing on her very personal experiences with the impacts of climate change in her home country of Fiji, Grace Fong provides insights into what led her to work for Climate Science, an international organization that promotes comprehensive and accessible climate education for children and young adults around the world.

In this interview, correspondent Polly Nash talks to fire fighter Cami Schafer about one of the many frightening effects of climate change; the ever-growing threat of wildfires around the world. Last year California was hit by the Dixie Fire, the largest single forest fire in the state’s history. Burning for four months, the Dixie Fire destroyed over a thousand buildings and devastated entire towns. Cami Schafer, who was fighting this fire alongside her colleagues, gives insights into her daily work, her struggles and most importantly, what kept her sane and motivated during the demanding operation.

What role can mitigation and adaptation play in preventing climate migration? What barriers exist to the implementation of long term strategies?

In this interview, Correspondent Laura Corrigan and Hellen Dawo discuss adaptation and mitigation as responses to the climate crisis. Hellen is a PhD researcher and educator at the Centre for Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Campus Fryslan, University of Groningen. Currently her work is focused on the development of sustainable business models for protected nature areas.

In this interview, Jordan Hartzell provides an overview of the work The Farmlink Project does to redirect food waste and serve food insecure communities. Jordan speaks to how working with this organisation has changed how she thinks about food systems and networks. The extensive contributions of food waste to the climate crisis have helped Jordan and her team urge the importance of changing consumption and buying processes in the US. Jordan provides insights into the recent transformations within the organisation in order to adapt and better serve communities affected by intensifying weather events, such as in Texas and Louisiana.

In this interview, Correspondent Ole Ter Wey and Meteorologist Mauna Eria speak about the adverse impacts of extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels in the small-island nation of Kiribati. Together, they explore the concepts of "Migration with Dignity", implying a need for making preparations for the inevitable, and "Resilience", a movement towards building a future on the Kiribati Islands. But local adaptation and mitigation efforts aren't enough, Mauna Eria urges the international community to take action by reducing their own carbon emissions and help in the mitigation of perhaps the greatest crisis of our era. 

In this interview, Dr. Donald Kingsbury dives into his research on energy transitions and carbon capitalism with Earth Refuge Correspondent Samantha Quadros. Dr. Kingsbury saw how his community, located in the rust belt of the United States, was being affected by economic restructuring and NAFTA, which inspired him to look more closely into the social, cultural and political structures that facilitate resource extraction in Latin America. During his time in Venezuela working with social movements, he came to realise how deep the extraction of resources, ie. oil, underwrites political economy and social identity. Adopting lithium and water extraction as an example, Dr. Kingsbury explores the nuanced intersections between climate change, displacement and inequalities in the extraction sphere.

A public interest lawyer and entrepreneur who has worked in DC and throughout Asia, Rebecca founded @MavenWomen to meet an unmet market need for additional socially conscious options for professional women's attire, and went on to found the recently launched @The.Fashion.Connection (FTS) to "move the needle" in the global garment industry through product creation and partnership, consumer education, and advocacy. This year, FTS is highlighting the links between the impacts of fast fashion and human trafficking. During this interview, she discusses the vulnerability of the - largely female - fast fashion workforce, the modern day slavery landscape, and the overlaps between fast fashion, human trafficking, and climate justice.

In this interview, Dr Anna Oltman, researcher and lecturer at University College London, talks about human rights and the politics of refugees and asylum with Nikoleta Vasileva. She explains the key terms relating to migration and some common misconceptions in the Global North and society as a whole. She sheds light on the policy of deterrence that States adopt to discourage migration and how it affects refugees. Finally, Dr Oltman touches upon the role of gender and sexual orientation in asylum applications, as well as on some key takeaways from her research to benefit activists and displaced people alike.

In this episode, Yumna speaks with Stephanie from @shakeuptheestab - a youth-led non-profit promoting climate justice & political action in what is currently called Canada - as part of their Earth Week interview series. They discuss what climate migration is, what climate justice means, and the projects that Earth Refuge is carrying out to address this crisis and find legal protections for impacted communities.

In this episode, Jon and Martha, a family living in Sonoma County, California, share their experience with wildfire and a drying climate. From running a natural wine label to raising a newborn son, they have faced unique climate challenges. They speak about stories of evacuation, a changing community, and their personal question of migration.