With all the depressing climate news out there, it’s sometimes hard to see progress. The Climate Conversation cuts through the noise and presents you with relevant climate change solutions happening on the Hill and in communities around the United States.
Twice a month, join Environmental and Energy Study Institute staff members as they interview environmental, energy, and policy experts on practical, on-the-ground work that communities, companies, and governments are doing to address climate change.
Whether you want to learn more about the solutions to climate change, are an expert in environmental issues, or are a policy professional, this podcast is for you.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
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.
This week, Dan and Sydney discussed the key takeaways from the fourth Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the 2-hour briefing into just 20 minutes. Perfect for people who missed the briefing but still want to catch up with it on the go!
A coordinated approach between sectors is the only way to say goodbye to carbon emissions for good. This week, Dan and Syd met with the leaders of the Decarbonization Dialogue, which convened experts from three different sectors to develop policy recommendations for economy-wide and equitable decarbonization.
In 2018, 36 million tons of plastic was produced in the United States. But where does this plastic end up? And is it all recyclable? These are the questions Dan and Sydney explored in this week’s episode -- with help from award-winning reporter and producer, Emma Schwartz. Schwartz and her team worked extensively on this topic for their recent Frontline film, Plastic Wars.
This week, Dan and Sydney discussed the key takeaways from the third Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the 2-hour briefing into just 20 minutes. Perfect for people who missed the briefing but still want to catch up with it on the go!
Throughout Women’s History Month, EESI is committed to highlighting trailblazing women in the climate, energy, and environmental fields. This week, Sydney and guest host, Anna, sat down with global hydropower leader (and EESI board member) Linda Church-Ciocci to discuss her career in clean energy and thoughts on the future.
This episode reflected on EESI’s most recent Congressional Climate Camp! Dan and Sydney brought in a special guest to review the briefing and featured key takeaways from each speaker, condensing the 2-hour briefing into just 20 minutes. Perfect for people who missed the briefing but still want to catch up with it on the go!
This week, we examined how climate change is impacting the Arctic. To tackle this topic, we sat down with Rick Thoman, editor of the 2020 Arctic Report Card and Alaska Climate Specialist with the International Arctic Research Center, and discussed his work in Alaska, the findings of the annual Arctic Report Card, and what these findings mean for the future of the region.
Following the debut of EESI’s most recent briefing series, Congressional Climate Camp, Dan and Sydney discussed the key takeaways from the briefing, condensing the 2-hour briefing into just 24 minutes. This episode is perfect for people who missed the briefing but still want to catch up with it on the go!
This week, Dan and Sydney sat down with Dr. Saleem H. Ali, member of the UN International Resource Panel, Distinguished Professor of Energy and Environment at the University of Delaware, and Senior Fellow at Columbia University to discuss the recently released UN Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report. Dr. Ali has been very involved with the emissions gap reports, so EESI wanted to discuss the role of the report, what the report's findings are, and why the report is important for policymaker...
Happy New Year! This week, Dan and Sydney looked back at 2020 through the experiences of our interns! We invited three 2020 interns back to EESI to give listeners a sneak peek into the inner workings of our organization. Our guests, Uma, Abby, and Karen, reflected on the work they did at EESI and how this work translated into their careers. If you are interested in joining EESI as an intern, please apply at eesi.org/about/internships
This week, Dan and Sydney invited E&E News climate reporter Jean Chemnick to the show to discuss what the Biden transition to the White House means for the future of climate action and policy. We spoke with Jean about the current state of Biden’s climate administration, the general outlook on climate policy for the next four years, and what a Biden administration might tackle first.
In this episode, Dan and Sydney sit down with NASA scientist Dr. Fay Collier and EESI Senior Policy Fellow Jeff Overton to discuss the latest in aviation technology and how the aviation industry is working to combat rising emissions. Join us to see what climate solutions are in place and how the industry is planning to adapt for the future.
In its first episode, The Climate Conversation explores EESI's "A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities" report, detailing how various U.S. coastal communities are tackling climate change impacts. Guests Anna McGinn and Amber Todoroff discuss the report's six guiding principles, community-led adaptation, cultural heritage integration, and the need for federal policy on climate migration and nature-based solutions. The episode emphasizes the report's unique, community-informed approach and its practical utility for policymakers.