Hey there, Earthlings. Did you miss Ayana and Alex, your beloved How to Save a Planet co-hosts? Well, they reunited on Ayana’s new podcast, What If We Get It Right?, cracking up about how they met, reminiscing about the old show, and discussing Alex Blumberg’s new clean energy startup. (Alex, Ayana is so proud of you!) So, today we’re sharing an episode of What If We Get It Right? – a show about climate solutions, about what we need to do to address the climate crisis, and how to make those things happen — from changing laws, to electrifying buildings, to improving fashion and media. Each week an expert guest joins host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to break it down, delightfully, and help us all envision what getting right on climate looks like, so we can reel that vision into reality.

If you liked How to Save a Planet, this show is definitely for you. Check out the back catalog and follow, then sign up for the What If We Get It Right? Substack newsletter for updates and bonus content. 

Reunited and it feels so good. Earthlings, let’s get into it.

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In the coming years, we'll need millions of batteries: batteries to store renewable electricity and power a massive fleet of electric vehicles. But those batteries will require certain metals, and those metals have to be mined. And the mining industry can be a mess, sometimes associated with deforestation, child labor, and deadly floods of toxic waste. Is there a better way? Today we journey to the bottom of the ocean to find out. Along the way, we discover a massive government conspiracy and meet an adorable octopus.

Calls to Action:

Keep up to date on deep-sea mining news with the Deep-Sea Mining Observer.

Learn more about calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining with the Deep-Sea Mining Science Statement.

Check out the Ocean Forum's Ocean Justice Platform (shout-out to our former co-host, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson!)

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Have you ever wondered if you were on the right side of an argument about climate change? Or just want to understand what everyday climate battles are worth fighting? A panel of expert climate judges take on the infamous Reddit thread ‘Am I The A**hole’ to issue judgments on climate-themed dilemmas. Along the way, we debate the ethics of roommate spats, office politics, baby showers and personal finances.

Guests: Rollie Williams

Calls to Action

Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

This episode was produced by Janae Morris. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Anna Ladd, Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz, and Daniel Ackerman. Our supervising producer is Matt Shilts. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Janae Morris. Sound design and mixing by Hansdale Hsu with original music by Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Our fact checker for this episode is James Gaines. Special thx to Climate ethicist William Lynn. Thanks to all of you for listening. See you next week!

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Today we’re sharing an episode of The Carbon Copy, a climate change podcast produced by Canary Media. The topic is extremely timely: heat waves. This summer saw extreme heat blanketing almost every region of the northern hemisphere. And these heat waves aren’t just uncomfortable or inconvenient. They’re deadly. In most years, extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather-related disaster. This episode asks: how can we better prepare for these heat waves? Some of the answers are surprisingly simple–and they could help address problems beyond extreme heat.

Check out the rest of the series on Spotify or CanaryMedia.com.

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It’s How to Save a Planet’s second birthday! To celebrate, we’re sharing stories of climate action taken by our very own listeners. We'll hear from a listener who ran for an unexpected office, a grandmother who helped save her county’s recycling program, a mom who was inspired to launch a whole new business, and a group of students who took on one of the biggest oil companies in the world – and won. 

Calls to Action:

• Do your climate action Venn diagram! You can find a template and other resources here. Send us pictures of your Venn diagram – and when you take action, tell us about that too!

Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Anna Ladd and Janae Morris. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz, and Daniel Ackerman. Our supervising producer is Matt Shilts. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Janae Morris. Sound design and mixing by Hansdale Hsu with original music from Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Our fact checker for this episode was Claudia Geib. Special thanks to Sarah Seidschlag and Soham Ray.

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America loves its lawns. Altogether, grass lawns in the U.S. cover an area the size of Georgia. So, what does that mean for the climate? And can we do better? To find out, we’re joined by lawn expert and social ecologist Dr. Peter Groffman. He shares some surprising findings from his 20 years studying lawns and the people who tend them. Plus, we address one listener's pet peeve: artificial turf. And we share tips on how to make your yard as climate-friendly as possible.

Calls to Action:

1. Check out the Guide to Passing Wildlife-Friendly Property Maintenance Ordinances from the National Wildlife Federation.

2. Ready to tear out your grass lawn? Your state’s university extension service or a local non-profit probably have tips. See examples here from Maryland and Colorado.

Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Daniel Ackerman. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Anna Ladd, and Rachel Waldholz. Our supervising producer is Matt Shilts. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Janae Morris. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Our fact checker for this episode was Claudia Geib. Special thanks to Dr. Cristina Milesi.

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In recent years more and more people from Central America have tried to emigrate north to Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Many leave home not because they want to, but because they have to: Droughts, brought on by climate change, have forced many to choose between staying home – and risking starvation – or migrating. But a different way of farming could change that calculus. We look at how climate change is driving immigration, and how climate smart agriculture could help families stay on their land.

Learn more about the work that Catholic Relief Services is doing on climate smart ag.

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Today we’re sharing an episode of Catalyst, a podcast hosted by Shayle Kann and produced by Canary Media. The topic is a controversial one: solar geoengineering — the idea that we can quickly cool the planet by blocking a small amount of sunlight from reaching Earth. Doing so could have uncertain ripple effects throughout the world’s ecosystems, so very few climate scientists advocate solar geoengineering. Still, learning about these ideas reminds us, for better or worse, how much power we humans have to radically reshape life on Earth. This episode dives into the science and ethics of it all.

Check out the rest of the series on Spotify or canarymedia.com

Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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Work. School. The grocery store. We all need to get somewhere. But how we get there has huge implications for the climate. In the United States, transportation - mainly from cars - makes up roughly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. It's true, Electric vehicles help reduce emissions. But experts say that to truly give the climate (and humanity) a chance, we need fewer people reliant on cars of any kind. And that means using alternatives like mass transit, walking, and bicycles. But for a long time in the United States, cycling has gotten a bad rep. They're seen as toys and recreation - not transportation. So, we take a look at how cycling developed its dorky reputation. And, then, we counter it with some propaganda of our own. Because bicycling is not just better for the planet, it's fun, and freeing, and accessible for way more people than you might think. 

If you like Peter's jingle from the episode, you can download it here.

Guests

Calls to Action:

Further Reading and Listening

If you take an action we recommend in one of our episodes, do us a favor and tell us about it! We’d love to hear how it went. Record a short voice memo on your phone and send it to us via our Listener Mail Form.  We might use it in an upcoming episode. You can find all the actions we’ve recommended on our show here!

How to Save a Planet is a Spotify original podcast and Gimlet production. It's hosted by Alex Blumberg, and this week by me, Kendra Pierre-Louis. This episode was produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis. The rest of our reporting and producing team includesDaniel Ackerman, Anna Ladd, and Rachel Waldholz. Our supervising producer is Matt Shilts. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Janae Morris. Sound design and mixing by Hansdale Hsu(“she”)with original music by Peter Leonard, and Emma Munger. Our fact checker this episode is James Gaines. 

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Well, wow. Congress is on the verge of passing the most ambitious climate legislation in U.S. history! Don’t be fooled by its name: the Inflation Reduction Act is a massive investment in clean energy and climate initiatives, aimed at boosting the transition to a low-carbon economy. It also includes some profound compromises. So we called up the smartest climate experts and activists we know to break down this plan – what’s good, what’s not and what’s next? 

Guests: 

Calls to Action:

Further Reading & Listening:

Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Rachel Waldholz. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Anna Ladd and Daniel Ackerman. Our supervising producer is Matt Shilts. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Janae Morris. Sound design and mixing by Hansdale Hsu and Peter Leonard with original music by Peter Leonard, Catherine Anderson, and Emma Munger. Our fact checker this episode is Claudia Geib. 

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