Ten Across Conversations

A new and sobering report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the impacts of our warming climate are even worse and scarier than previously thought. This has prompted a barrage of doomsday-like headlines that could make even the most optimistic observers feel overwhelmed and discouraged. There is no doubt the time is now for action, but how can journalists help to effectively shift the narrative to inspire needed change as opposed to denial and hopelessness?

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter chats with Los Angeles Times energy and climate reporter Sammy Roth about his recent article entitled “Getting Personal About Climate Change Made Me a Better Reporter” and how his personal journey informs his compelling reporting.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Read and subscribe to Sammy’s newsletter: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-02-03/getting-personal-about-climate-change-made-me-a-better-reporter-boiling-point

Two recent scientific reports paint different pictures of America’s water situation regarding climate change. An article published in Nature Climate Change found that the current megadrought in the western U.S. is the driest in the last 1,200 years. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that it expects sea levels to rise by one foot by 2050, affecting the Gulf Coast Region most severely.

While drought and sea level rise stand in contrast to one another, human caused climate change is the primary driver of both conditions. What do they have in common and how can we work together to find real solutions?

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter speaks with accomplished water experts Brenda Burman and Justin Ehrenwerth about the commonalities between drought and sea level rise and the surprising ways in which cooperation offers a path to a resilient future.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Resources:

Nature Climate Change article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01290-z

NOAA report: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/sealevelrise/sealevelrise-tech-report.html

Guest bios:

Brenda Burman is Executive Strategy Advisor at the Central Arizona Project. With more than 25 years of experience working in Western water, she was the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 2017 to 2021, the first woman to hold that position. She also held leadership roles at the Salt River Project, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and The Nature Conservancy.

Justin Ehrenwerth is President and CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf. He previously was Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and served as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce. Before that, he was Assistant Counsel to the President leading Deepwater Horizon litigation for the White House.

Water is one of the most critical issues of our time. Whether it’s flood risk on the Gulf Coast or megadrought in the Western United States, both situations are becoming increasingly dire in light of rapid climate change. How should we talk about our current water challenges to provide clarity and inspire change?

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to esteemed hydrologist and water communicator Jay Famiglietti about the our current water crisis, what needs to be done, and why effective and compelling communication is so essential to building a more resilient future.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Listen to Jay Famiglietti’s podcast at www.whataboutwater.org or search What About Water? in your preferred podcast app.

Often referred to as the silent killer, extreme heat is one of the most pervasive bi-products of human caused climate change with vulnerable populations being the most impacted. Much research and study has been done to surface the immense challenges extreme heat presents, but what still needs to be done to address these critical issues and how do we best communicate it to have an impact?

Join Ten Across founder Duke Reiter as he talks to heat and resilience experts Kathy Baughman McLeod and David Hondula about their innovative programs and strategies to combat this global crisis including ways to better communicate the urgency, support, and resources needed to adapt to a warming world.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Kathy Baughman McLeod is currently Senior Vice President and Director of the Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. She previously worked at Bank of America as a Global Environmental and Social Risk Executive and was a managing director of Climate Risk and Resilience at the Nature Conservancy.

David Hondula was recently appointed as Director of the Office Heat Response and Mitigation for the City of Phoenix, Arizona. He comes to the city as an associate professor of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University, where he has worked to understand risks and vulnerabilities associated with heat for over a decade.

The results of the COP26 summit were mixed to many who were following the negotiations. Topic experts and activists showed up in force, calling attention to the inadequacy of the commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact. Meanwhile, the private sector made big promises to facilitate the energy transition and slash emissions. But what was the overarching narrative?

Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to Dr. Esther Obonyo and Dr. Christopher Boone who attended the conference to help us detangle this question and learn more about their first-hand experience and hear their big takeaways.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference came to a close in mid-November, the world looked on with a sense of unease and muted optimism when 197 countries signed the Glasgow Climate Pact. While the agreement staves off the worst climate impacts, many countries and activist groups consider it too little, too late. But is it?

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to journalist and author Jeff Goodell about his years of experience covering climate change, thoughts on results from COP26, and finding hope in an increasingly grim world.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

As the machine of Manifest Destiny churned west in the late 1800's, John Wesley Powell dedicated his life to understanding the region’s complexities, fueling his passionate warnings to the U.S. Congress that the stories of a verdant Eden had little basis in fact. Were these lands to be settled with European-style sedentary agriculture, he urged that one would need to proceed with extreme caution as there “was not sufficient water to irrigate all this arid land.”

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to historian and author John F. Ross about Powell’s prophetic work and perilous adventures as an explorer and ardent scientist—what he knew to be true about America’s drought prone region, why nobody listened, and what can still be learned today.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

The U.S. Interstate 10 corridor has a notable history of executing impressive feats of infrastructure, contributing to the region’s urban and economic growth. But the very systems of roads, bridges, and dams that made modern life possible sometimes ignored and even harmed low-income and marginalized communities. What can the past teach us as the U.S. looks to embark on a new era of infrastructure renewal?

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to environmental historian Char Miller about the catastrophic 1921 flood in San Antonio and how it led to an environmental movement that is still active today. His latest book West Side Rising is available now.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a visceral demonstration of how the entire world responds to a global emergency, providing insightful parallels into how we can learn to address the compounding crises of climate change.

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter speaks with climate change expert Alice Hill about her most recent book, The Fight for Climate After COVID-19. In it, she offers thoughtful solutions and multifaceted approaches to adapting to a warming world.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Resilience is a primary function of any thriving city. No where do we see this challenge most evident than across the U.S. I-10 corridor. Whether it’s the impacts of mega drought and extreme heat in the west or hurricanes and massive floods in the east, the cities along the U.S. I-10 have had to anticipate and respond to unprecedented challenges caused by rapid climate change including failing infrastructure, poverty, public health, and affordable housing.

In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks to Nicole Ferrini, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of El Paso, Texas, and Abena Ojetayo, Director of Housing and Community Resilience for the City of Tallahassee, Florida about how to build resilient communities for today’s big challenges and in anticipation for the future.

For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.