In This Climate

In our first episode covering this season's Australian bushfires, we speak with Arabella Douglas. She is a traditional owner who belongs to the Currie family of the Yugambeh and Bundjalung nations near the Gold Coast of Australia. She also researches behavioral economics and social impact investing at Griffith University.

As we entered 2020 and fires swelled, swallowing towns and protected bush, Arabella helped organize a fundraiser to help spread First Nations fire knowledge and land lore, which has protected patches of land this season and for thousands of years.

As cities viable for hosting the Winter Olympics dwindle, ski resorts face shorter seasons, and climbers work with less predictable terrain, the winter sports industry acts as a key site influencing climate policy.

2:00 - Auden Schendler of Aspen Skiing Company and Protect Our Winters

14:15 - Allen Hershkowitz of Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI)

In the new year, we're returning to our first episode, "How the Arctic caught fire." But this time, we focus in on the Gwich'in perspective. Edward Alexander, co-chair of the Gwich'in Council International, tells us how he and those around him are working with the Arctic Council to exchange information and resources in support of a collaborative and resilient Arctic future.

From the peaks of the Appalachians to a wave of Belgian plantations and the Louisiana shoreline, we explore how the age-old holiday tradition of tree decoration intertwines with the environment.

1:45 - holiday trees in Bloomington

6:45 - Al Eernisse of Greene County Trees on farming today

12:00 - Lauren Wood of Virginia Commonwealth University on the fate of the Fraser fir

19:30 - story about bird assemblages on Christmas tree plantations, featuring Robin Gailly of Liège University

23:45 - Karen Zraick of The New York Times on the real vs. artificial debate

30:30 - Bev Banks of E&E News on recycling trees to save the wetlands

When so many of us feel responsible for and powerless against climate change, it can be difficult to assess which actions are effective. In this episode, associate producer Jacob Einstein speaks with Chelsea Campbell about the environmental app she developed and explores the relationship between individual and collective action in the fight against climate change.

What does a Tesla have to do with red mud and white seaweed in Indonesia? What stands in the way of solid state batteries? How can you tell what's really powering your electric vehicle? In this episode, we work through trends and complications in the technology that could deliver transportation powered by renewable energy.

3:30 - Greg Less of the University of Michigan Energy Institute's Battery Lab

14:30 - Ian Morse with a story about nickel mining in Indonesia

The In This Climate team is thankful for a lot this year. Since our first episode at the beginning of September, we've covered wildfires as they relate to the Arctic, air quality, and wine. We've explored birds and coffee and a little bit of the intersection. We've featured stories about communities standing up for their health and talked with experts about topics ranging from hurricane communications to environmentally sustainable beer brewing. In this episode, we walk back through it all. Enjoy the walk? Wish it were different? Please, let us know!

As climate changes, so do pieces of culture. Pieces like car ownership, outdoor sports, and the drinks we share. This is the final episode in our beverage series, and it's all about coffee. We follow guests to Colombia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica to learn about the systems preventing coffee farmers from building climate resilience and possibilities for improvement.

In this episode:

James Harper of the Filter Stories podcast

Jessica Eise of the Purdue University Brian Lamb School of Communication

Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee Cooperative

As climate changes, so do pieces of culture. Pieces like car ownership, outdoor sports, and the drinks we share. This is the final episode in our beverage series, and it's all about coffee. We follow guests to Colombia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica to learn about the systems preventing coffee farmers from building climate resilience and possibilities for improvement.

In this episode:

James Harper of the Filter Stories podcast

Jessica Eise of the Purdue University Brian Lamb School of Communication

Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee Cooperative

As climate changes, so do pieces of culture. Pieces like car ownership, outdoor sports, and the drinks we share. This is the second episode in our beverage series, and it's all about wine. We start at a vineyard and winery in California, take a look at the growing wine industry in China, go back to 2003's Europe, and finally return to the present day with challenges and opportunities in resilience.

3:30 - Matt Brain of Chamisal Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California

13:15 - Yingkun Hou of Southern Illinois University Carbondale

23:15 - Robert Pincus of University of Colorado Boulder

30:30 - Iñaki García de Cortázar-Atauri of the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Avignon, France