Gulf Streams

At just a year old now, we're diving into the Harris County Climate Justice Plan to understand what it is, why it matters, and how it will shape our region's future resilience and success as we weather new environmental challenges. Joining us are Lisa Lin (Harris County Office of Sustainability) and Andy Escobar (Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience). 

On today's show we sit down with Andrew Hoffman (Rice University) to discuss the way that cuts to science are impacting climate research. After that, our researcher Antara talks with two local meteorologists, Justin Stapleton (KPRC2) and Travis Herzog (ABC13) about how funding reductions impact meteorological data at the local level. 

On today's show our researcher Sarah sits down with two different practitioners working around the world to combat water scarcity. Later in the hour Dr. Chaney Hill and Sarah talk to a local wolf and wolf dog sanctuary about their work saving local animals. 

What happens when we view spaces big (acres) and small (a patio) as its own ecosystem? On today's show, we sit down with Dr. Shaun McCoshum to discuss his new book Natural Habitats and Wildlife Gardening: Inviting Nature into Your Backyard. He walks us through ways to consider our landscapes, however big or small, as part of larger ecosystems and ways to support animals and plants in our lives. Later in the hour we explore some of our favorite parks and wildlife in recurring segments of Urban Explorer and Critter Corner with Sophia.

Our researcher Antara and a guest researcher Paolo take us through a tour of Houston urban farms. Along the way we learn about the challenges of farming in a city, the rewards for community, and how local groups are working to improve their neighborhoods and footways all throughout the city. 

The US Gulf Coast faces many, often compounding, threats. On today's show, we sit down with Dr. John B. Anderson (Rice University), whose recent book Gulf Coast Demise explores the unique challenges facing the reason, how sea level rise is exacerbating risk throughout the region, and what we are doing -- and should be doing -- to address these challenges. 

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, a slow moving public health disaster followed in the form of disaster recovery: the ubiquitous FEMA trailers that were quickly utilized by rebuilding families turned out to often have extremely high levels of formaldehyde in them. Dr. Nicholas Shapiro (UCLA) spent years following these trailers to understand the impacts of living in toxic environments. His new book, Homesick, offers lessons not only in disaster recovery but for how we continue to build homes (especially amid a housing crisis) and the risks of running to the fastest, cheapest solutions. Across our conversation we discuss ways to improve indoor air quality, as well as discuss how we can ensure healthy homes going forward as we continue to meet the rising demand for houses across the country. 

On today's show, our junior researchers sit down with folks doing very different kinds of work to help protect our wildlife, natural resources, and planet. First, we speak with Nicole Rogers of Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary about their work saving wolves and wolf dogs. Then we talk to Tristan Ahtone at Grist about the importance of journalism and telling unheard stories for promoting climate awareness and protection. Finally, another in our series of urban explorer segments focused on local parks. 

Drought is increasing around the world, and with it desperate conditions for farmers and rural communities. Water shortages present major economic and political threats in the coming decades. One potential solution, much speculated on but less evidenced, is the controversial practice known as "cloud-seeding." Today we sit down with scientists and entrepreneurs to discuss how this practice is being deployed, what its effects are, and what its future might be.

Scientists agree that more electricity will be needed to power the world, and that we should use more renewable energy to meet that demand. But electrifying our world takes more minerals to build that infrastructure, especially lithium. How can industry keep up, and what are the risks and challenges in building out new mining facilities around the world? We sit down with Thea Riofrancos (Providence College) to discuss her new book, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, all about these challenges.