The Climate Conversation

The Great Lakes is an incredibly diverse and important region, providing millions with water, contributing billions for the economy, and supporting the continuation of Indigenous lifeways for the approximately 20 tribal nations with land within the basin. But climate change and other environmental threats could upend all of that. Dan and Emma learn about the federally-funded climate resilience work happening in the region that could help protect this valuable area.

This week, Dan and guest host Susan, sat down with Lukas Haynes of the David Rockefeller Fund to discuss how grant-awarding foundations can help power climate solutions. The David Rockefeller Fund recently joined the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, one of the first U.S. foundations to do so, in an effort to drive decarbonization and inspire other asset owners to do the same.

Rural Broadband may not seem like a climate issue, but as more and more devices are connected to the internet, from smart thermostats to water heaters, that need to be balanced on the electric grid, having access to broadband is critical. Dan and Emma take listeners to the San Juan Islands in Washington State to learn why installing broadband there was so difficult but so necessary to support residents and strengthen communities.

This week, Dan and Syd spoke with American businessman, environmental engineer, and retired three-star general, Jeffrey Talley, about how the military’s perspective towards climate change has evolved over time as well as how the business sector is taking strides for a decarbonized future.

From North Carolina to Chicago to DC, hear how standardizing the steps to resilience will help communities withstand a changing climate. Dan and Sydney explore the complexities of resilience planning in different parts of the U.S. and uncover how communities are utilizing the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit to keep people safe.

Season 2 of The Climate Conversation will debut in September! In this short episode, we tell you what to expect from the new season and all about the topics we are going to explore. If you haven’t yet, subscribe!

For our final episode in Season 1, we wanted to take a minute (or twenty) to introduce you to our newest team members, Savannah Bertrand and Emma Johnson! Emma and Savannah both joined EESI in the spring and are bringing an immense amount of expertise to our communications and policy teams. Listen to learn what brought them both to EESI and what gets them up in the morning!

Every year, natural disasters destroy communities, leaving people without vital resources like food and shelter. And climate change is only making these disasters more frequent and severe. Join us this week with NRDC Senior Policy Analyst Anna Weber, as we explore how the establishment of a National Disaster Safety Board could help nationalize disaster planning and preparedness, saving lives and money.

What are the major challenges for Congressional lawmakers and their staff in drafting and passing reconciliation bills? And why does it matter for climate policy? This week, Dan and Sydney thought through those questions and more by recapping the key takeaways from our BONUS Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the briefing into just 15 minutes.

The United States discards 80 billion pounds of food, or 30 to 40 percent of its food supply, every year. This wasted food ends up in landfills, taking up space and producing harmful greenhouse gases. So, what should be done to curb this crisis? This week, Syd and Dan spoke with Josh Enderle, a compost and recycling educator, to discuss different ways communities can cut their food waste.