The Climate Conversation

Welcome to Season 10 of The Climate Conversation! Daniel and Alison recorded today’s episode from Capitol Hill with Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California’s 37th Congressional District, part of Los Angeles County. Rep. Kamlager-Dove spoke about her work promoting a circular economy through the Slow Fashion Caucus, which she co-chairs, and the bipartisan Recommerce Caucus.

Today’s episode of EESI’s podcast is showcasing a brand new EESI resource, Rapid Readouts. Things are happening faster than ever, and you need information quickly. These 30-minute, interactive Readouts will bring you what you need to know, when you need to know it. Our first Rapid Readout took place on Friday and explored the benefits of ENERGY STAR.

Climate change has thrown the sports world a massive curveball. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events pose a threat to athletes in all seasons and settings, from mountain skiers to ocean surfers. Sport ecologist Madeleine Orr joined Daniel and Alison on The Climate Conversation to talk about her book, Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport. She also shared tactics for the industry to protect athletes and fans while reducing its environmental impact.
 
Show notes:
Talking about “The Octopus in the Parking Garage” with Rob Verchick (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/6.1-talking-about-the-octopus-in-the-parking-garage-with-rob-verchick 
Political Climate: Author Jay Hakes on the History of Climate Change Science in the White House (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/8.6-political-climate-author-jay-hakes-on-the-history-of-climate-change-science-in-the-white-house

Home insurance is one of those things you need to have and hope to never need. But as risk from climate disasters increases, many homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain an affordable policy. This is especially true in the American West, where wildfires are creating more uncertainty than insurance companies are willing to cover, forcing many homeowners to enroll in state-run insurance plans. Daniel and Alison sit down with Dr. Lisa Dale, director of the Climate and Society Masters program at the Columbia Climate School, for a conversation about how policymakers can help communities navigate the insurance crisis as it relates to wildfires.
Show notes:
Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050625insurance 
Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction (Headwaters Economics report): https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/missing-the-mark-wildfire/ 
All Fired up for Innovation in Wildfire Risk Analysis (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.6-all-fired-up-for-innovation-in-wildfire-risk-analysis 
Living with Climate Change: Wildfires (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061322climatechange 
Rethinking Tourism in the Wake of West Maui’s Wildfires (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/rethinking-tourism-in-the-wake-of-west-mauis-wildfires 

For residents of former and current mining communities (especially in Appalachia, the Midwest, and the Mountain West), abandoned mines are a familiar—and often dangerous—aspect of the local landscape. Unreclaimed abandoned mines and infrastructure can leak acid drainage, pollute groundwater, or collapse unexpectedly. Guests Kevin Zedack and Matt Hepler (both from Appalachian Voices) sit down with Daniel and EESI’s newest communications associate, Hannah Wilson-Black, to explain how cleaning up these sites can safeguard ecosystems and human health while providing new economic development opportunities in coal communities.
 
Show notes:
Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment (Appalachian Voices resource): https://skytruth.org/mtr-data-files/ 
Plugging Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Provides Climate and Jobs Benefits (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/plugging-orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-provides-climate-and-jobs-benefits 
Unlocking Rural Economies: Farm Bill Investments in Rural America (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052423farmbill 

With the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, there is a lot of uncertainty about what U.S. climate diplomacy will look like under the current administration. But despite challenges at the national level, many state governments are poised to continue making progress on global climate action. This new dynamic is already playing out in response to ocean acidification. Daniel and Alison sat down with Jessie Turner, executive director of the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (OA Alliance), to explore the landscape—or seascape—of subnational climate diplomacy.
 
Show notes:
Exploring the Policy Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/091224cdr 
En-shoring a Better Future for Coastal Ecosystems and Communities (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/8.1-en-shoring-a-better-future-for-coastal-ecosystems-and-communities 
A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities (report): https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/a-resilient-future-for-coastal-communities 
Making Waves: The Importance of Oceans at COP28 (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/making-waves-the-importance-of-oceans-at-cop28
EESI Resources for the 2024 U.N. Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29 resources): https://www.eesi.org/cop29-resources

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Earthshots Initiative set technical and financial goals for key clean energy challenges, growing to a portfolio of eight “shots” for technologies like hydrogen, long duration storage, and more. Today’s episode features one of the leaders who helped catapult the Earthshots at DOE, Dr. Geraldine “Geri” Richmond, who served as the agency’s Under Secretary for Science and Innovation during the Biden-Harris Administration. Geri sat down with co-hosts Daniel and Alison to share her vision for public-private partnerships to continue advancing the Earthshots, and her insights on women in STEM and international scientific cooperation.
 
Show notes:
Charting the Path: An Energy Earthshots Initiative Report (DOE report): https://www.energy.gov/eere/charting-path-energy-earthshots-initiative-report 
Energy Earthshots: The Frontier of Climate Innovation (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/020124doe 
Maximizing the Climate Benefits of Hydrogen (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060123hydrogen 
Inside DOE’s Newest Office on Artificial Intelligence (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.8-inside-does-newest-office-on-artificial-intelligence
How the Department of Energy is Catapulting Clean Energy Innovation to Commercial Liftoff (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/6.4-how-the-department-of-energy-is-catapulting-clean-energy-innovation-to-commercial-liftoff

Welcome to Season 9 of The Climate Conversation podcast! How many issues can you think of that 94% of U.S. voters agree on? Probably not very many. But a poll commissioned by U.S. Nature4Climate in 2024 revealed that 94% of voters across the United States support the expansion of natural climate solutions—actions that reduce emissions and increase carbon storage in forests, farms, grasslands, and wetlands—in public policy. To kick off the new season of EESI’s podcast, co-hosts Daniel Bresette and Alison Davis sit down with the bipartisan pollsters who led the survey, Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Dave Metz of FM3 Research.
 
Show notes:
Growth in Support for Natural Climate Solutions (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/growth-in-support-for-natural-climate-solutions 
Maximizing the Impact of Natural Climate Solutions (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061124nature 
Cities Leading the Way on Nature-Based Solutions (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/052324cities 
New Guide Helps Decision-Makers Adopt Natural Climate Solutions (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/new-guide-helps-decision-makers-adopt-natural-climate-solutions 
Public Polling on Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/020923camp 

As 2024 draws to a close, many people are wondering what to expect from the next Congress and presidential administration on climate change. But sometimes, the best way to look forward is to look back. Co-hosts Daniel Bresette and Alison Davis sit down with Jay Hakes, author of The Presidents and the Planet: Climate Change Science and Politics from Eisenhower to Bush, for a discussion about the intersection of climate science and political processes in the White House.
 
Show notes:
EESI at 40: Claudine Schneider Reflects on the Necessity of Communication in Climate Politics: https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/eesi-at-40-claudine-schneider-reflects-on-the-necessity-of-communication-in-climate-politics
EESI Welcomes Two Energy Leaders to Its Board of Directors: https://www.eesi.org/press-releases/view/eesi-welcomes-two-energy-leaders-to-its-board-of-directors

Atmospheric satellite data can provide key information about climate change, including measurements related to the ozone layer, air quality, methane, and more. In today's episode, Dr. Pieternel Levelt, a scientist and associate director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, joins Daniel and Alison to talk about satellite instruments like OMI (the Ozone Monitoring Instrument) and TROPOMI (the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument). These instruments provide essential data to scientists and policymakers all over the globe.