How to Save a Planet

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How to Save a Planet episodes

October 29, 2021The Small Island Nations that Got Big Action on Climate
In 2015, the landmark Paris Agreement was adopted. For the first time, nearly every country on Earth pledged to cut carbon emissions to tackle climate change. But in the years since, emissions have continued to rise. Now, an estimated 25,000 people are descending on Glasgow, Scotland for COP26, to hammer out the next steps after the Paris Agreement, and it’s fair to ask...do these climate talks even matter? We argue that yes, they do – and to show you how, we tell an incredible story: How small island nations took on the world’s biggest powers over climate change, and won – changing the world in the process.
Guests: Former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed; Dr. James Fletcher, Former Saint Lucia Minister of Sustainable Development; Prof. Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD); Dean Bialek, COP26 Climate Champions Team
Calls to Action
Call Congress! Right now, the lawmakers are debating whether to pass what could be the most consequential climate legislation in U.S. history.. Scientists have warned that to keep warming below 1.5 °C, the world needs to cut carbon emissions 45% below 2010 levels by 2030. Congress is currently considering legislation that’s (mostly!) in line with those goals – but lawmakers face pressure to water it down. If you’ve ever thought about calling your member of Congress, now is the time! Not sure how? You can find contact information for your representatives and ideas for simple scripts to help you call at Call4Climate.com
This article from the Guardian has more information on what’s currently in the climate package (but keep an eye on the news – it’s changing all the time!). You can find the full breakdown from the White House here.
For more tips on calling your representatives (and to hear Alex and Ayana model how to do it!) check out our episode, Is Biden’s Jobs Plan a ‘Skinny Green New Deal’?
Check out the Global Day of Action during COP26. Want to make your voice heard during COP26? Check out the Global Day of Action on Nov. 6, with events and rallies all over the world.

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 with help from Hannah Chinn. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis and Anna Ladd. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Our fact checker this episode was Claudia Geib. Special thanks to Ian Fry and Bill Hare and to Mark Hertsgaard of Covering Climate Now.
UPDATE 11/02/21: An earlier version of this episode incorrectly stated that in the 30 years since the UN first began negotiating on climate change, we have emitted more greenhouse gases than in all of human history before that. It should state that in the 30 years since the UN first began negotiating on climate change, we have emitted more carbon dioxide (from fossil fuels and industry) than in all the years before that. The episode has been updated.

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54 min
October 21, 2021Sheep + Solar, A Love Story
We all know that a key part of addressing climate change involves getting off fossil fuels. But renewable energies, such as solar energy, are not without costs. One key cost? It uses a lot of land. We take a look at one creative solution to this problem – mixing solar panels with agriculture. And we are not at all sheepish about the role of one very adorable four legged animal.
Guests: Judy St. Leger, Keith Hevnor, Lexie Hain, Byron Kominek

Calls to Action
If you are a sheep grazer looking to get into solar, or a solar developer in search of a good shepherd, check out the American Solar Grazing Association’s website for resources.
You can learn about the blueberry work that Lily Calderwood from the University of Maine is working on here, and theUniversity of Massachusetts Extension's program work with cranberry and solar panels here.
Judy St. Leger's farm is Dutch Barn Farm, Lexie Hain's solar grazing business is Agrovoltaic Solutions, the solar company that Keith Hevnor works for is Nexamp, Byron Kominek's is Jack's Solar Garden. If you're in Colorado, you can arrange to tour Jack's Solar Garden.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced funding for a new to optimized design for “agrivoltaic” systems. It's a four year project that you can learn more about here

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 Kendra Pierre-Louis. Our producers are Anna Ladd, Rachel Waldholz and Hannah Chinn. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman and Katelyn Bogucki. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music by Peter Leonard, Catherine Anderson, and Emma Munger. Our fact checker this episode is James Gaines.

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35 min
October 21, 2021 Reintroducing How to Save a Planet!
Climate change. We know. It can feel too overwhelming. But what if there was a show about climate change that left you feeling... energized? One so filled with possibility that you actually wanted to listen? Join us, journalist Alex Blumberg and a crew of climate nerds, as we bring you smart, inspiring stories about the mess we're in and how we can get ourselves out of it.
Check out our Calls to Action archive here for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
How to Save a Planet is reported and produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz and Anna Ladd, with additional help from Hannah Chinn. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Peter Leonard and Emma Munger.

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4 min
October 14, 2021Environmentalist Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Says The Outdoors Is for Everyone
It's no secret How to Save a Planet is a pro-nature podcast, and that’s not just because we like the mountains, or because trees suck carbon out of the atmosphere: outdoors experiences can also be an important way to build the climate movement. But not everyone feels welcome or safe in the outdoors. Environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia is on a mission to change that. Her goal: bring more queer people into the outdoors (and into the climate movement.)
Guests: Wyn Wiley (Pattie Gonia)
Calls to Action
There are tons of activists, educators, and meetup groups working to diversify the outdoors. Check out all the groups listed on Melanin Basecamp, the activists and influencers from Diversify Outdoors, this list of LGBTQ+ outdoors leaders and organizations, and map of LGBTQ+ outdoors meetup groups. Maybe you’ll find someone to go on a hike with!
Check out the Job Board that Pattie put together – if you’re a queer person looking for work in the outdoors, you can add yourself to the list, and if you’re hiring for outdoors workers, you can put the job posting there!
Draw your Climate Action Venn Diagram – what are you good at? What is the work that needs doing? What brings you joy? Pattie’s work is a great example of finding a climate action unique to you at the center of that venn diagram. If you’re not sure what this is, check out our episode Is Your Carbon Footprint BS?
And finally...go outside! Touch grass! Send us pictures if you do.

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. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz, and Hannah Chinn. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Emma Munger. Our fact checker for this episode was Claudia Geib.

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33 min
October 07, 2021How TV Weathercasters Went From Climate Skeptics to Champions
Nearly every night on local news stations across the country, Americans hear scientists talking about the weather…the local broadcast meteorologist, giving the weather report. But for years, those weather reports omitted one crucial element: the impact of climate change. In fact, many broadcast meteorologists were openly skeptical of climate change -- and spread that skepticism to their viewers. In today’s episode, we look at the decade-long campaign to convince weathercasters that climate change is real and turn the local TV news into a source for climate education.
Guests: John Morales, Greg Fishel and Ed Maibach
Calls to action:
Show some love to broadcast meteorologists — tweet at them when you see they are talking about climate change and ask them to do more of it! And if they AREN’T talking about climate change, encourage them to join their colleagues.
Check out the free climate reporting masterclass taught by meteorologist Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd. He’s former president of the American Meteorological Society, and host of the TV show and podcast, Weather Geeks. In the class, you’ll learn to understand the difference between weather and climate and how current science attributes extreme weather events to climate change.

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 Lauren Silverman. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Rachel Walzholz, Kendra Pierre-Louis, and Anna Ladd. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. 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.

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40 min
September 30, 2021 Presenting: Windfall
Offshore wind’s potential in the United States — both as a renewable resource and as a job creation tool — is enormous. But the sector’s current reality is tiny. There are just seven wind turbines operating off the coast of the US. The few attempts to build large scale wind farms on par with those in Europe have run into long delays. And yet, now, after decades of political gridlock, the U.S. is picking up speed on plans to install thousands of wind turbines off the Atlantic coast. The story of this exciting turning point is being told by our friends at the podcast Outside/In from New Hampshire Public Radio. We’re sharing the first episode of their series, Windfall, which looks at the early stages of what it's like to build a massive new green energy industry.
Check out the rest of Windfall, from Outside/In on Spotify or wherever you listen

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31 min
September 23, 2021We Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis Without Gender Equality. We’ll Prove It To You.
Take a look at many of the spaces where climate-related decisions are being made — from government to business to media — and you'll notice a numbers problem. Despite being roughly half the people on the planet, women rarely have equal representation in critical climate decision-making spaces. This isn’t just bad for women — it’s bad for everyone. This week, How To Save A Planet co-host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson teams up with A Matter Of Degrees co-host Dr. Katharine Wilkinson for a deep dive into the data to show how gender inequality in climate leadership can not only deepen the harmful impacts of climate change but can also make it harder, if not impossible, to make urgently needed policy changes. We’ll also speak with someone who has seen firsthand how, when women do lead on climate, it can transform an entire nation.
Guests: Christina Ergas, Anne Karpf, and Wanjira Mathai
Calls to Action
Elevate the work and the threats facing environmental defenders. Normally, we would caution against being a social media activist. But many of these leaders are at risk because of corporate interests and power, and the threats fly under the radar. Amplifying the risks they are facing can actually make a real difference. Global Witness is one organization you can check out to see what risks they are facing and how to draw attention to them, while the news outlet MongaBay has an ongoing series on what they call, "Endangered Environmentalists."
Vote for Women. Or if you are a woman, consider running for office yourself. Dr. Christina Ergas reminded us that support for women climate leaders should extend to the ballot box, to voting for women, especially women of color, in all sorts of races from city councils to state legislatures to Capitol Hill and the White House. If you're considering running for office, there are several groups that want to help you!
Emily's List (one of the oldest organizations focused on helping Democratic women and non-binary people fun for office)
She Should Run (which helps women regardless of political affiliation)
Higher Heights (focused on helping Black Women run for office)
Matriarch (focused on helping progressive women run for office)
She the People (focused on helping women of color run for office)
Run For Something (focused on helping young, diverse, progressive people, regardless of gender, run for office)
Dr. Anne Karpf reminded us to make sure that we’re engaging in collective action – which is far more effective than individual gestures. She recommended campaigns like EarthJustice’s Clean Air campaign, and the #PaidToPollute campaign that’s taking on the British government – the very same government who’ll be hosting COP26 in a couple of months – to get them to stop subsidizing oil and gas production.
Stay informed with the Women's Environmental Development Organization’s Gender Climate Tracker. They even have an app. So if this episode left wanting to know more about the intersection between gender and climate, it's an easy way to have easy access to the latest information on this critical topic.
Check out Christina Ergas’ book Surviving Collapse: Building Community toward Radical Sustainability.

How to Save a Planet is hosted by Alex Blumberg and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz and Anna Ladd. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Sam Bair and Peter Leonard with original music from Emma Munger and Peter Leonard.
A Matter of Degrees is hosted by Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and Dr. Leah Stokes. Stephen Lacey is our Executive Editor. Jaime Kaiser and Dalvin Aboagye are our producers. Sean Marquand is our composer and sound engineer.
This episode was fact checked by James Gaines.

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1 hr 5 min
September 16, 2021How We Got our Grid and How We Get a Better One
Wind and solar are now some of the cheapest ways to make electricity. So, what’s standing in the way of using more of these renewable energies? One of the biggest barriers is something all around us that we rarely notice – our electricity grid. Not just the wires and technology that make up the grid, but also the people and institutions that run it. In this episode we talk with anthropologist Gretchen Bakke, author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and our Energy Future, about how we got our grid, and how we get a better one.

Guests: Gretchen Bakke, anthropologist and author of The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and our Energy Future

Call to Action
The infrastructure bill has $73 billion proposed to update our electricity grid so that it will be ready for more renewable energy. Let your legislators know that you think it’s important! Visit call4climate.com for more information and a script to help you with the call.
Learn More
Check out Gretchen Bakke’s book The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and our Energy Future – here’s an excerpt
Check out the Edison Tech Center’s tour through the history of light
Read this article on the War of the Currents between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla
Read this report on grid resilience in the transition to renewables
Read this post to learn more about microgrids

Greetings Earthlings, Ayana here.
Big, melancholy news: Next week will be my last week co-hosting How to Save a Planet. [weeping emoji] Gosh will I miss this show and this crew of ace folks who make it.
Over the past few months, you might have noticed Alex hosting more episodes solo while I was away working on other projects. Turns out I’m a human not a robot, and that I can’t do everything all at once –speaking of not sustainable! Alas. So after one glorious year of co-hosting, it’s time for me to write the solo book I failed to write last year, and (while we have a window of opportunity for federal policy change) to spend more time nerding out on ocean climate policy work with Urban Ocean Lab. (Shoutout to our Blue New Deal episode, my second favorite!) So stay tuned while I go hibernate, emerging periodically to make it rain policy memos.
Most importantly, the show must and will go on! Alex, Kendra, Rachel, Anna, Caitlin, Lauren, Peter and the rest of the team will keep bringing you deep takes, spicy climate facts, and charmingly awkward moments.
Tune in next week for my grand finale as co-host – about why gender equality is critical to addressing the climate crisis. Hellooooo All We Can Save and guest co-host Dr. Katharine Wilkinson. Also, I hear there’s a montage of some of the most absurd things I’ve said on mic over the last year…
Shoutout to Alex for being like “Yeah, sure, person I just met, I’ll create a climate podcast with you, ya weirdo. Let’s take this convo to the whiteboard.”
Thank you, each of you, for listening. Y’all warm my weary heart. And definitely keep listening because I still have access to the spreadsheet with all the plans for future episodes, and let me tell you, there is some extremely good content coming your way.
I miss you already! xo
Ayana

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41 min
September 09, 2021Should We Go Nuclear?
When it comes to nuclear energy, many people have strong opinions. Some say that if you're not on board with nuclear energy, then you aren't serious about addressing the climate crisis. Nuclear, after all, produces a lot of electricity and doesn't emit greenhouse gases while making energy.
Others say that nuclear power tries to solve an illness with more of the disease. They say that nuclear energy, like fossil fuels, is a product of old thinking that ignores the full suite of its environmental impact - the persistence of nuclear waste, and the harm caused by mining for materials, like uranium, that power nuclear energy plants.
In this episode, we wade into the debate. We look at the history of nuclear energy, how it became so polarized, and whether it holds the promise to get us off fossil fuels now, when we most need to. This episode originally aired in December of 2020.

Calls to Action
If you want to be part of reaching the 100% clean energy by 2035 goal for the US, there are lots of organizations working toward this. If you want to join those efforts, here are a few that you might want to consider.
If you're a college student, for example, you might get involved with Environment America's 100 Renewable Campus campaign and try to push your school to go renewable.
The Sierra Club has a broader campaign called Ready For 100, to help you encourage your community to go renewable.
Similarly, in Minnesota, the local 350.org Chapter has the 100% Campaign. Your local 350.org chapter may have a similar program – it's worth checking out.
If you can't find a campaign near you, consider starting your own. The Climate Access Network has a toolkit on starting your own 100 percent renewable campaign (joining is required).
Check out our Calls to Action archive here for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. And if you take any of the actions we recommend, tell us about it! Send us your voice message, ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. We might use it in an upcoming episode. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Rachel Waldholz, Anna Ladd and Felix Poon. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our senior producer is Lauren Silverman. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music by Emma Munger.

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46 min
September 02, 2021The Unexpected Idea to Get Coal off the Grid
One of the most effective ways to fight climate change is to quit using coal to generate electricity. And while coal-fired power plants are closing at record rates, many are scheduled to remain operational for years to come - even if remaining open doesn’t make economic sense. How To Save A Planet co-host Alex Blumberg teams up with A Matter Of Degrees co-host Leah Stokes for an episode about an unexpected idea to get all this coal off the grid - an idea even utilities can get behind. And we meet a man in Kansas who has devoted his entire career to making that transition happen.
Guests: Ashok Gupta, a Senior Energy economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council and Jason Klindt, the Senior Director of Government Affairs for Evergy.
Calls to action:
Pick up your phone and call4climate.com right now. It's a pretty straightforward (and potentially quite powerful) thing that all of our listeners can do. So, call your representative and say ‘hey, I want this clean electricity standard and I want this climate bill to pass!’ There’s a sample script online and it takes just a few minutes. As Alex has said, now is the time: “We have this potentially historic piece of legislation in front of us, it is this generation’s sort of clean water act or clean air act. It could be the thing that sets us on course for the next many decades.”

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.
How to Save a Planet is hosted by Alex Blumberg and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz and Anna Ladd. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Emma Munger and Peter Leonard.
A Matter of Degrees is hosted by Dr. Leah Stokes and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson. Stephen Lacey is our Executive Editor. Jaime Kaiser and Dalvin Aboagye are our producers. Sean Marquand is our composer and sound engineer.
This episode was fact checked by Claudia Geib. Additional help fact-checking from Michael O’Boyle and Ben Serrurier.

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46 min

About How to Save a Planet

From the publisher's feed

Climate change. We know. It can feel too overwhelming. But what if there was a show about climate change that left you feeling... energized? One so filled with possibility that you actually wanted to listen? Join us, journalist Alex Blumberg and a crew of climate nerds, as we bring you smart, inspiring stories about the mess we're in and how we can get ourselves out of it.