America Adapts - The Climate Change Podcast

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Cameron Adams, a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, in the office of Senator Chris Coons (Democrat) of Delaware. Cam is the primary author of a new bi-partisan bill that would create a position of Chief Resilience Officer, who would be responsible for developing a National Adaptation Plan. Cam shares the history of the legislation; why Congress should work with the Executive Branch on adaptation issues; its prospects for passage; the details of the legislation and his own experiences as an adaptation professional. Topics discussed: Why pass an adaptation bill? Do we need a national adaptation plan? Roles and responsibilities of a future Chief Resilience Officer Most climate policy is focused on mitigation Very few organizations providing expertise to Congress on the issue of adaptation. This needs to change. How a national adaptation plan would integrate the national climate assessment. What is policy durability? And why is it important for climate adapt

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Laurie Schoeman, the National Director for Climate Risk Reduction and Resilience at Enterprise Community Partners. We discuss:  affordable housing and climate change; standardizing resilience in building codes; what’s problematic about the subject of managed retreat; Resilience21; and a new, important FEMA housing policy change. Topics discussed: Affordable housing and climate change. Resilience should be as well understood by the public as Energy star in regard to energy efficiency. Standardizing resilience in building codes. What’s problematic about the subject of managed retreat. Resilience21 – What is it and what does it do? How to distribute climate funding in an equitable way. Learn about FEMA’s recent policy decision regarding long term housing. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts @LaurieJNYC @EnterpriseNow Donate to America A

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Alizé Carrère, a National Geographic Explorer, filmmaker, and PhD student researching and documenting human adaptations to environmental change. Alizé discuses her four part adaptation series she did with PBS. We also discuss her doctoral research on “climatopias”, the forward-looking plans that architects, designers and futurists are drawing up in response to imminent environmental change. Doug and Alizé discuss how the adaptation sector needs dreamers and big thinkers. Topics discussed: PBS takes a crack at telling local adaptation stories Local adaptation examples in Kentucky, Vanuatu, India and Bangladesh What is a ‘climatopia’? Relationship between transformational adaptation and climatopias. The role of social cohesion in climatopias. The adaptation sector needs more dreamers and visionaries to help create inspiring narratives. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Facebook and Twitter: https://www.face

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Cal Inman, founder of ClimateCheck, an online real estate climate risk data tool, that identifies current risk exposure to climate impacts such as drought, floods and sea level rise. Cal shares why climate data is so important to the real estate sector in helping consumers make climate smart decisions on home buying. We also ground truth the ClimateCheck tool on two vastly different home locations to see what their future impacts will be. Topics discussed: What is ClimateCheck and how does it work. How large real estate listers like Redfin and Zillow are integrating climate impacts into their database of homes. How the real estate sector is evolving to consider climate impacts. Home level case study of how ClimateCheck works. Why is climate data so important for the real estate sector? Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Sign up to be a guest on Cimpatico Studios! cimpatico.tv Facebook and Twitter: https:/

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts the CEO and President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Manish Bapna. Doug and Manish talk about how NRDC is addressing climate change, specially focusing on their approach to resilience and adaptation planning. Manish shares his vision on how domestic and international adaptation approaches can learn from each other and an update on their legislative approach to adaptation funding. Topics covered: Integrating international and domestic adaptation planning. How COP26 approached resilience Legislative opportunities for resilience NRDC’s legal approach Why NRDC was an early adopter of resilience in their climate change approach. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Sign up to be a guest on Cimpatico Studios! cimpatico.tv Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts @NRDC @RobMooreNRDC @ManishBapnaNRDC Donate to America Adapts Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Androi

The hosts of a new climate adaptation podcast, Resilience: The Global Adaptation Podcast, join the show to talk about international adaptation. Elizabeth Bernhardt and Marcus Neild, from the United Nations’ Environment Program, discuss the origins of the podcast and why there’s a need to tell more international adaptation stories. Also joining is Laura Schifter of the Aspen Institute who gives an update on the climate curricula initiative, K12 Climate Action. They’ve just released a new report and we’ll hear the status of climate curricula in the country. A great episode, have a listen! Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Sign up to be a guest on Cimpatico Studios! cimpatico.tv Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts @laschifter12 @AspenInstitute @K12ClimateAct @UNEP Donate to America Adapts Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Android Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and

In the second of a two part series of America Adapts, Doug Parsons and Tulane Professor,  Dr. Jesse Keenan  complete their assessment of the Federal Climate Adaptation Plans.  Jesse discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the remaining federal agencies’ plans. We also discuss National Adaptation Plans and the need for the United States to have one. Currently the U.S. is the only G20 country without a national plan. The first episode in this series is available here. Topics and Adaptation Plans covered: General Service Administration Dept of the Interior Dept. of Justice Dept. of Labor NASA Social Security Administration Dept. of Transportation Dept. of Veterans Affairs Dept. of Treasury Executive Order 14030 Dept. of State PREPARE – President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience ($3 Billion collar press release, not much else.). National Adaptation Plan (and the U.S.’s glaring lack of having one). Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Sign up to be a gu

In the latest episode of America Adapts, Doug Parsons and Tulane Professor,  Dr. Jesse Keenan assess the newly released federal climate adaptation plans.  Jesse does a deep dive and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of 10 of the adaptation plans. This is the first part of a two part series, with the rest of the departments and agencies covered in the second episode. We also discuss maladaptation and what role the National Climate Assessment plays in adaptation planning across the nation. If you wanted to learn what the federal government is up to on climate adaptation, this episode is your go to resource. Have a listen!  Topics and Adaptation Plans covered: Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense U.S. Army Corps Department of Education Department of Energy Dept. of Health and Human Services U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Dept. of Homeland Security Dept. of Housing and Urban Development Responding to maladaptation Strengths and Weaknesses of the National Climate Asse

In the second of a two part series with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Risk Center, we take a deep dive on risk and floods and helping communities find financial resilience as impacts escalate with a warming climate. Returning to the podcast is Dr. Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton Risk center who gives context to what this two-part series is all about. Then joining me is Joe Rossi, Joe Flood Insurance; Rob Moore, Director of the Water and Climate Team at NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Josh Lippert, and finally Samantha Medlock, Senior Counsel for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in the US Congress. We are going to learn about flooding and risk with a special emphasis on the mid-Atlantic region and the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia! Experts Interviewed: ·         Dr. Carolyn Kousky - Executive Director, Wharton Risk Center   ·         Joe Rossi – Joe Flood Insurance ·         Rob Moore - Director of the Water and Climate Team at NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense

In the second of a two part series, we learn how science and adaptation planning work to help the Coskata-Coatue Haulover Wildlife Refuge on Nantucket Island adapt to climate change. The podcast is joined by The Trustees of Reservations, a coastal conservation group in Massachusetts, and the Nantucket Conservation Foundation to learn how they are managing the refuge for future climate impacts. Experts discuss: the ecology of the refuge; collaborating with local community members on adaptation planning; evolving their conservation strategies to integrate adaptation and why they are hopeful for the future of the refuge.  Don’t forget to listen to the first episode in the series! Guests in this episode: Karen Beattie: Director of Science and Stewardship at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation Shea Fee: Southeast Coastal Ecologist for the Trustees of Reservations. Cecil Barron Jensen: Executive Director of ReMain Nantucket and the primary sponsor of the Envision Resilience Nantucket Jennifer Karberg: Research

In this episode, Doug Parsons talks with returning guest Alice Hill about her new book, The Fight for Climate After Covid-19. We discuss what inspired her to write the book; how her experiences working on climate change and biodefense during the Obama Presidency informed her thinking; why we need a national adaptation plan; the critical need for political leadership in confronting crises like covid and climate change; and why we should ‘marry’ climate mitigation in adaptation.   Topics covered: What lessons can we learn from Covid-19th in dealing with climate change? We need a national adaptation plan. Why political leadership is absolutely critical in dealing with big issues. We need to ‘marry’ adaptation and mitigation and have them work together…when possible. Learning about the adaptation profession and what advice Alice can offer professionals in this space. Alice’s experiences in the Obama White House and how that informs her adaptation work today. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on

In the first of a two part series with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Risk Center, we take a deep dive on flood risk and helping communities find financial resilience as impacts escalate with a warming climate. Returning to the podcast is Dr. Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton Risk Center who gives context to what this two-part series is all about. Then joining me is John Miller of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Reese May, the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at SBP, and finally Julia Rockwell, the manager of the adaptation program for the City of Philadelphia’s Water Department. We are going to learn about flood risk with a special emphasis on the mid-Atlantic region and the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia! Experts Interviewed: ·         Dr. Carolyn Kousky - Executive Director at the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania ·         Reese May - Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at SBP   ·         John Miller - Mitigation Liason

Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Brandon Collins, an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and the lead scientist at Berkeley Forests. As wildfires rage in the Western U.S., why are some areas more prone to out of control fires than others?  Brandon explains the ecology of western forests and some of the management options to mitigate against these extreme events. We also discuss the growing impact of climate change on these catastrophic fires and why the land management of a hundred years ago is making it harder for these landscapes to adapt to climate change. Topics covered: Some fires permanently damage the ability of the forest to grow back. What’s the climate signal in present day wildfires? Can we use controlled burns to avoid the largest, most catastrophic fires? What happens to the land post fire? Are fire impacted forests transitioning into new ecosystems? We need year-round fire crews to prescribe burn in the winter. How emerging infrastructure funding in Congress can help in managing fires. Bonus conversation wi

Doug Parsons talks with Dr. V. Kelly Turner, an Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Geography at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Doug and Kelly discuss: the need to create governance and regulation around extreme heat; decoupling disaster heatwave response to long term planning for it; how can social media amplify disaster messaging; the pros and cons of cool pavements and should we name heat waves. And we also hear about some innovative street art using reflecting paint! Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Topics discussed in this episode: Unintended consequences on using cool pavements in LA. How to we address climate and thermal equity in urban planning? Making heat “visible” to people so they prioritize addressing it. Cool surfaces and art in Los Angeles We need to form a governance structure around dealing with extreme heat (like we do with air and water). Should we regulate heat like a pollutant. We are not framing the threat of heat properly. Ch

America Adapts joins with the Sky Island Alliance to discover conservation in the desert southwest. Learn about the unique Sky Island ecosystems along the U.S., Mexico border. Hear about the unique biodiversity in the region; how the landscape is adapting to climate change and the negative impacts of the border wall on wildlife and the ecology of the region. You will hear from experts on the challenges facing the Sky Islands and the opportunities and challenges of cross-border conservation. Staff and board members from the Sky Island Alliance will share conservation programs and why they think the region is so special. Doug joins SIA staff in a visit to the border wall to learn all about these issues. Have a listen! What are Sky Islands? Conservation on an international border. An on site visit to the infamous border wall along the U.S./Mexican border. What has been the impact of the Border Wall on wildlife. How is the Sky Island ecosystem adapting to climate change. What is happening to the spring resources

Doug Parsons talks history and the ecology of the Coskata-Coatue Haulover Wildlife Refuge on Nantucket Island with The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s first and Massachusetts’ largest preservation and conservation nonprofit, and the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.  This is the first of a two part series focusing on climate adaptation in the Refuge. Doug talks with experts, historians, donors and residents of Nantucket Island, hearing what makes this place so ecologically unique and important to the island. We also hear about some early steps to adapt the Refuge to climate change. Topics covered: What is the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge on Nantucket Island. Learn about the partnership between the Trustees of Reservations and the Nantucket Conservation Foundation to manage the refuge. Learn the history of the Refuge. How the Refuge is utilized and valued by local residents and tourists to the island. How climate change will impact the long-term viability of the Refuge. What is the ecology of the R

Doug talks extreme heat with Dr. Ladd Keith, Assistant Professor in Planning and Chair of Sustainable Built Environments at the University of Arizona. Ladd and Doug discuss the media coverage of the recent pacific northwest heat wave; is naming heat waves a bad idea; will extreme heat be included in managed retreat discussions; Miami’s new Chief Heat officer; the challenge of tying mortalities to heat events; thermal equity; air conditioning shaming and much more. Topics covered: Media coverage of the Pacific Northwest heat wave. Is naming heat waves a dumb idea? What is “thermal equity” and what does that mean for air conditioners? Why vilifying air condition is a climate justice issue. Cities staffing up with heat related expertise. New heat projects for urban planning. Should extreme heat be talked about in the context of managed retreat? Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! America Adapts now has a newsletter! See first issue here. Follow here! D

Doug Parsons hosts Alex Harris, a climate reporter with the Miami Herald. Alex, the only reporter dedicated to climate change in the entire southeast, shares what it’s like covering climate change in the Miami region. We discuss the importance of local media for adaptation; using the latest science as a reporter; the mega projects Miami is considering to halt flooding and sea level rise; how a nearly decade old Rolling Stone article on climate change still haunts local officials; what happened to the Florida Chief Resilience Officer and why it’s so hard to stop using polluting septic tanks in Miami. Topics covered: Being the first climate reporter in the southeast United States Why local media coverage of climate change is so critical. And will adaptation help drive new interest in local media coverage. The challenges of covering private sector adaptation stakeholders. Embedding climate change into topic coverage. Climate justice and equity in the Miami region. Learn how every 5 years, local scientists mak

In episode 139 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts two leading adaptation thinkers, Dr. Susanne Moser and Dr. Linda Shi and we discuss a new article they published Transformative Climate Adaptation in the United States: Trends and Prospects. Learn what it is and how it can influence climate equity and justice issues. We also discuss if democratic governments are the best model for transformative adaptation and is the Biden administration prioritizing resilience planning. Also, in a bonus conversation, Judge Alice Hill returns to the podcast to discuss how climate change is not properly included in economic risk planning. Try to imagine a much different world where transformative adaptation can happen. Learn the story behind the articles’ publication and how it was rejected in the first journal it was submitted to. Is Democracy the right political model to accomplish transformative adaptation? Is there a role for authoritarian regimes? Is the Green New Deal capable of driving transformative change? How tra

In episode 138 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons is highlighting two new adaptation books, Moving to Higher Ground, Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward by legendary sea level rise expert John Englander and a Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation, edited by Dr. Carolyn Kousky at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. We’ll take a sneak peak in these books that are focusing on coastal adaptation and sea level rise. Learn what inspired the authors to write each book and how each brings new, important ideas in this emerging field of adaptation. Brief introduction to the Book “Moving to Higher Ground.” John Englander’s history working on sea level rise. Why the book is structured the way it is, for the public and practitioners. What we can learn from the Titanic story. The origins of the book, “Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation.” Background on all the contributors to the book. Carolyn Kousky’s motivation for writing a book on coastal management. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on you