America Adapts - The Climate Change Podcast

In episode 137 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Victoria Herrmann, the Managing Director of the Arctic Institute and a National Geographic Explorer.  We learn what is a Nat Geo Explorer; her travels with the America Eroding Edges project; the origins of Rising Tides, an organization that pairs climate experts with at risk communities and we discuss the evolving nature of adaptation professionals. Also, a bonus conversation with Judge Alice Hill where we discuss her time developing adaptation policy in the Obama White House. What is a National Geographic Explorer. Details of the America’s Eroding Edges journey around the United States. What are people saying ‘on the ground’ in climate impacted communities. How the Rising Tides organization is pairing up adaptation experts with communities in need. Who can be an ‘adapter’ when it comes to helping at risk communities. Why President Biden should appoint a “Climate Migration Coordinator”. Our America, Climate of Hope Donate to America Adapts Listen to

In episode 136 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Jeanine Dudle and Dr. Sarah Strauss of Worcester Polytechnic Institute about launching a pioneering graduate program in community climate adaptation. The three discuss the challenges of starting a new program; how they developed the curricula; what type of students would excel in their program and the growing demand for professionals with a strong adaptation background. Topics covered: The state of climate adaptation programs in higher education. The origins of Jeanine and Sarah’s interest in starting a graduate program in adaptation. The unique nature of WPI’s’ adaptation Master’s program. The challenges of starting a Master’s program in an emerging field. The types of students that will thrive in this type of program. Is there a need for adaptation graduates? What’s the job market look like? How can you apply to the program? Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! America Adapts now has a newsletter! See firs

In episode 135, California Adapts part 3,  Doug Parsons and writer/producer Randy Olson talk about their overall impressions of climate adaptation in California. Each of the experts interviewed during the journey gave scores from 1 to 10 for their opinion of how well they think the state is addressing their element of climate adaptation. The scores are presented to three of the experts for their assessment. The analysis ends with one more expert - a dissenting voice in terms of how well California is preparing for the changes in the climate that are already happening. What is “climate adaptation” and how well is California doing with it? The podcast “America Adapts” hosted by Doug Parsons has been exploring the topic of climate adaptation since 2016. In this three part special, sponsored by the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Doug takes an in-depth look at the state of California, presenting its long history of environmental leadership, current work on adaptation throughout the state, an

In episode 134, a re-release, Doug Parsons’ journeys around California exploring the five most important elements of climate adaptation for the state — fire, drought, flood, temperature and sea level rise. For each one he goes into the field with an expert. He visits the burn area of the Thomas Fire of December 2017 with a fire captain, talks about drought with the state’s “Water Czar,” standing beside the Sacramento River, hears the details of the ARkStorm Mega-flood Scenario from a climate scientist, follows an urban heat expert using a laser thermometer to measure the temperature of asphalt in Los Angeles, and visits the central coast of California to talk about sea level rise. The five sequences provide an overview of climate adaptation for the state. What is “climate adaptation” and how well is California doing with it? The podcast “America Adapts” hosted by Doug Parsons has been exploring the topic of climate adaptation since 2016. In this three part special, sponsored by the UCLA Institute of the Envir

In episode 133 of America Adapts, What is “climate adaptation” and how well is California doing with it? In this three part special, sponsored by the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Doug takes an in-depth look at the state of California, presenting it’s long history of environmental leadership, current work on adaptation throughout the state, and how California will be dealing with a changing environment in the future. In this episode, California Adapts Episode 1, consists of three main stories. Geologist Jeff Mount of UC Davis tells the epic tale of the 1861-1862 floods that washed out Sacramento, killing hundreds and forcing the temporary moment of the state capital to San Francisco. Environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. and “The Queen of Green,” longtime head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Mary Nichols tells about how the state managed to clean up the smog problem of the 1970’s, then brings us up to the present with her perspective on Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and

In episode 132 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Andrew Rumbach, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University and faculty fellow at the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center. The two discuss the similarities (and differences) between the two fields. Andrew shares research, looking at historic resources vulnerabilities to climate change and we learn the unique role mobile homes play in determining a community’s overall resistance to climate and weather threats. That and much more! Topics covered: What is hazard mitigation. How it relates (and doesn’t) to climate adaptation. Historic preservation and hazard mitigation and case studies. Research on flooding in Colorado and the risk to historic resources. Why does there appear to be a division between hazard mitigation and climate adaptation? Why does hazard mitigation ignore extreme heat? Or does it? How does emergency management fit in all this? How mobile homes are a canary in the coal mine if you’re doing ad

In episode 131 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Sherri Goodman, a Senior Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center and the Senior Strategist at the Center for Climate and Security.  We cover such topics as climate change being the ultimate national security threat multiplier. Also, we discuss some of the early climate work she did in Congress and in the executive branch; the ‘climatization of security’; emerging threats in the arctic region and how shifting political winds cam impact long term planning for climate change and national security. Topics covered: Learn about think tanks working on climate security. The early history of climate change and national security in the US government. Military involvement in Kyoto Treaty negotiations. The ‘climatization of security’ and its history. The threat of the “securitization of climate change.” What are ‘climate threat multipliers’ What are threats to US in the arctic region and how China is playing a bigger role in this region. The challenges for t

In episode 130 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Jesse Keenan of Tulane University. Jesse dissects some of the early moves on climate change policy in the Biden administration. He shares his thoughts on staffing decisions and how adaptation is and isn’t being prioritized through the Executive Orders. Also, in a new recurring segment, Judge Alice Hill shares insights on what FEMA can do to prioritize climate change. Topics covered: What happened at the recent Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 and what were the themes covered. Climate gossip among early policy decisions. Who/what makes up the climate power landscape in Washington, D.C. Dissecting the Climate Executive Order Understanding the National Climate Task Force Climate Action Plans (looking internally, not externally) The state of climate data and challenges ahead. Jesse’s gut check on what’s going on with adaptation in these early Executive decisions. Bonus conversation: Judge Alice Hill “What will it take for FEMA to take climate change serious

In episode 129 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Cheryl Slean of the Natural Resources Defense Council and TV writer Alexander Maggio. Cheryl discusses the Rewrite the Future Initiative she co-founded at NRDC on ways the science community can engage with the entertainment industry. We learn about the power of storytelling and how Hollywood can be a major ally in creating awareness around climate change. Also joining the podcast is Alex, who is a TV writer for shows like Madame Secretary on CBS. Alex shares how he has brought climate change into the story lines of some of their shows and the challenges of getting the entertainment industry to expand their role in climate education. Topics covered: Learn how NRDC is engaging the entertainment industry. What is the Rewrite the Future initiative. The value of storytelling in creating climate awareness. How some tv and movies have integrated climate change science into their narratives. What it’s like to write on network TV and talk climate change. Will clima

In episode 128 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Carolyn Kousky, the Executive Director at the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Carolyn has developed 8 recommendations for the incoming Biden administration to prioritize climate adaptation. We go through each of the recommendations, which cover topics ranging from disaster preparedness, strengthening our infrastructure to utilizing nature based approaches to adaptation. The recommendations are a timely and important contribution as President Biden begins his efforts to mitigate AND adapt to climate change. 8 Recommendations for Climate Resilience: Provide just disaster mitigation and assistance. Make recovery easier. Improve the financial resilience of households, small businesses, and communities. Annually fund actions to lower our risk. Rebuild for the future, not the past. Strengthen our infrastructure. Harness nature for risk reduction. Pay for resilience investments by fighting climate chan

In episode 127 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons is joined by Dr. Ladd Keith, an Assistant Professor in Planning and Chair of Sustainable Built Environments at The University of Arizona and Dakota Larrick, a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, who is finishing her master’s thesis on human adaptations to the landscape in the Southern Great Plains.  Doug and his guests list their top climate stories of the year; the impact of covid-19 on their work; the diversity of adaptation professionals; their top America Adapts episodes of the year and their recommendations for the pod in 2021! Topics discussed in this episode: Top Climate Stories of 2020 The state of adaptation professionals How the coronavirus impacted their work in 2020. Podcast ideas for 2021 Favorite America Adapts episodes of 2020 And much more! America Adapts was nominated for “Best Green Podcast’ by I Heart Radio! Learn about the other nominees here. And the awards ceremony will be streamed live (and virtually) on January 21st! Wi

In episode 126 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Commander Andrea Cameron of the U.S. Naval War College. In this episode, we discuss how the US military is approaching climate change; teaching this topic to military officers; learn what military branch is ahead on climate planning; how other countries like China and Russia are aggressively ramping up their adaptation efforts; the process of prioritizing a national threat and what we might expect to see in a Biden Administration. This episode will ground you on the fundamentals of climate change and national security. Topics covered: What is the U.S. Naval War College. History of the US military thinking about climate change. Developing climate curricula for the military officer class. Does the DoD actually see climate change as a direct military threat? Learn what branch is farther ahead on climate planning. Are other countries, like China and Russia, factoring in climate change in their national defenses more effectively than the US? We discuss “aggres

In episode 125 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Amy Westervelt, host of the Drilled podcast and founder of the Critical Frequency podcast network. Doug and Amy discuss media coverage of climate change and how climate podcasts are becoming more popular. We go behind the scenes of her podcast Drilled and learn how fossil fuel companies created the modern public relations industry. We also discuss her essay contribution in the new book, “All We Can Save” and the controversies of having children in the age of climate change. And we also cover how the media is doing connecting recent wildfires with climate change. It’s a full episode with a legend in the climate podcast space! Topics covered: How Amy got her start in climate journalism and what inspired her to start the podcast Drilled. How Amy constructs a Drilled episode. We discuss the boom in climate podcasts and the challenges of launching a podcast. Learn how the fossil fuel industry created the modern public relations sector. Should we ‘humanize’ the

In episode 124 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons talks barrier beaches and adaptation with The Trustees of Reservations, a coastal conservation group in Massachusetts!  This is the third episode in a 3-episode arc, focusing on coastal issues and climate adaptation. We talk with experts and local residents  about Norton Point Beach on Martha’s Vineyard. You’ll hear the unique challenges facing this region and how the local population is taking action in the face of climate change.    Topics covered: Learn about Norton Point Beach, a barrier island on Martha’s Vineyard. Hear how local residents are taking action to ensure the beach adapts to the changes brought by climate change. Listen to what experts think needs to be done. Hear first-hand about an adaptation workshop The Trustees led with local residents and experts from the region and how they will use that information to adapt to climate change. See what steps the Trustees are currently taking to ensure the long term stability of this barrier beach. Find a

In episode 123 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts returning guest - climate fiction expert - Dr. Amy Brady!  This is Amy’s third time on the podcast and we catch up on topics like:  climate writers reaching out to scientists; can cli-fi influence people’s behavior to take action on climate change; is a climate pulp fiction emerging; how the tv and movie industry are taking note of climate fiction; the prevalence of climate justice in cli-fi; and the challenges of storytelling when climate change is a recurring story device. These and other topics are covered with this conversation with Dr. Amy Brady!   Topics covered: How climate fiction writers are reaching out to climate scientists. Is climate ‘pulp fiction’ emerging? Turning people into climate activists through climate fiction! The current state of climate fiction. How climate fiction is making the leap to movies and TV. Updated survey work of Matthew Schneider-Mayerson Is climate justice showing up in climate fiction work? How can you write fiction

In episode 122 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Laura Schifter to discuss K12-Climate Action, an initiative to seeks to “unlock the power of the education sector to be a force for climate action.”  Laura is a Senior Fellow  in the Energy and Environment program at the Aspen Institute and she’s a lecturer of Education at Harvard University’s Graduate school of Education. Doug and Laura discuss the current state of climate education and how this initiative will engage with education stakeholders to ensure students have access to climate change curricula. Adaptation is also a focus of these climate education efforts! Topics covered: What is the K-12 Climate Action Initiative? How educating our children in schools is a key strategy for climate action. Incorporating resilience and adaptation planning into school standards and curricula How you can get involved with the K-12 Climate Action during their virtual listening tours. Discussion of existing climate standards and education and the large disparity betw

In episode 121 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Dr. Renee Lertzman. Dr. Lertzman is an environmental psychologist and founder of Project InsideOut, a forthcoming resource hub and emerging community of practice that unites activists with clinical psychologists. Doug and Renee discuss what is climate grief and anxiety; steps individuals and organizations can do to address these issues and turn to action; the value of emotional intelligence and how adaptation and mitigation have more in common that you think. Topics covered: What is climate grief and anxiety. Step by step process of working with organizations and individuals on the psychological implications of climate change. Learning from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and how it’s relevant to climate impacts. Dealing with climate anxiety in the workplace. Does climate anxiety differ for those working in the adaptation and mitigation spaces? How to avoid feeling judgmental of others in the climate space. We need to prioritize emotional intelligenc

In episode 120 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons talks adaptation and publicly accessible shorelines with The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s first and the Massachusetts’ largest preservation and conservation nonprofit! This is the second episode in a 3 episode arc, focusing on coastal issues and climate adaptation. We talk with experts and local residents  about Crane Beach on the Crane Estate near in Ipswich, Massachusetts.  We discuss the challenges they are currently facing and what it means to adapt to climate change at this beach.  Hear from local residents and shoreline experts on what steps are needed to ensure future access to Crane Beach from the impacts of climate change. Topics covered: What it takes to maintain publicly accessible shorelines in the face of climate change. What makes Crane Beach unique and the specific challenges it faces. Learn why Crane Beach is so beloved by local residents. Hear first-hand about an adaptation workshop The Trustees led with local residents and experts fro

In episode 119 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold. Doug and Senator Feingold discuss his work on the Campaign for Nature; why protecting biodiversity is as important, or more so, than climate change; the science partners involved; what international efforts are needed for biodiversity protection; the role of his new org, the American Constitution Society and we also dabble a bit in domestic politics! Topics covered: What is the Campaign for Nature. Protecting 30% of the Earth for Nature Argues threat to biodiversity is a bigger issue than threat of climate change. Update on Sen. Feingold’s work and the impact of Covid-19. Discussed his new organization, The American Constitution Society. International and domestic implications of an international biodiversity treaty. Highlighting science partners such as Dr. Thomas Lovejoy. Should we expand the supreme court (yes, we went there). Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Sign up to be

In episode 118 of America Adapts, Doug Parsons hosts Maxine Burkett, a Professor of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  In this episode, Doug and Maxine discuss: the moral and intellectual case for climate reparations; climate migration; differences in climate justice in the global north and the global south; will adaptation take a peaceful or conflict oriented approach in the years ahead; and adaptation studies at the University of Hawaii. Topics covered: Background on The Institute for Climate and Peace The state of climate migration. As we adapt, what will dominate, peaceful approaches to adaptation or more conflict oriented approaches? Differences in Climate justice in the global north and the global south. Response differences between climate change and covid-19. Repairing relationships through climate reparations. Carbon based climate reparations. Reparations and their role in helping frontline communities adapt. Climate reparations are meant to ‘rebuild trust’.  Learn about the climate program