Warming Signs

Tree planting campaigns have taken root around the world.  But has the secret to curbing climate change really been in our backyards all along? Join Kait for a chat with Dr. Tom Crowther of the United Nations Trillion Tree initiative as he uncovers the power trees hold as a weapon against warming.

The hit series Chernobyl is sparking conversations about nuclear energy. Disasters like Chernobyl, Fukushima and Three Mile Island also make it one of the most controversial sources of energy.  Join Kait for a chat with Dr. Todd Allen, Chair of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Services at the University of Michigan, as she demystifies nuclear energy, and the role it could play in curbing the climate crisis.

With hurricanes like Michael, Harvey, Irma and Maria in recent memory it may seem like cyclones are becoming more devastating. But is a warming world really making hurricanes worse? Join Kait for a chat with Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science of the Union of Concerned Scientists, to find out.

Mothers go out of their way to give their children every advantage in life. But emerging research suggests a factor beyond any mother’s control could put her baby at risk. This week Kait speaks to Dr. Ashley Ward, senior policy associate at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, about how a warming world is boosting the odds more babies will be born too soon.

What if after a natural disaster you could return to a home rather than to a pile of rubble? Stricter building codes could help stop disrupting lives, displacing families and cut the huge cost of storms. But are we up for the challenge to implement them for a warming climate? Join Kait as she learns how you can ready your home for a disaster from Roy Wright, CEO of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Hurricane season began Saturday.  For some, it marked the start of 183 days of fear and anxiety. Natural disasters can leave survivors dealing with life-changing trauma. This week Kait talks to mental health professionals about how much stress is  normal and how to tell if your fear has gone too far.

Gender equality is a basic human right, and it might just be our best bet for saving the planet. This week’s episode is all about equality. Join Kait for a chat with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, author of Project Drawdown, and find out why we need women if we want the world to stop warming.

Kait Parker profiles two television meteorologists who've stepped away from daily forecasting to take on the complicated issue of climate change. Hear how their work is helping to bring the science of climate change into local newsrooms.

The Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump has rolled back regulations that protect the environment and our health. How much should we be concerned? Join Kait for a chat with Gina McCarthy, who led the EPA under President Obama, and offers her take on the agency’s direction and whether she thinks her legacy is being undermined.

Hurricane Michael ripped through the Southeast U.S. six months ago. The damage at the coast was unreal, but inland, another astounding loss: pecan, timber and row crops. While row crops can be planted again this year, it’ll be a decade before farmers can grow pecans and earn an income. Join Kait as she goes on a journey through the hard-hit farmland of the South to find out if it’s not just hurricanes, but climate, that’s making it even more difficult to farm.

Switching to reusable bags probably wouldn’t be a huge deal for most of us. But how about ditching bottled shampoo and switching to cloth diapers? In honor of Earth Day, we asked a colleague to try a zero-waste lifestyle. Join Kait and Pam Wright as they uncover the challenges of going waste-free, and get some tips on how to reduce the garbage in your life.

Are Earth’s resources ours to exploit, or is it our duty to protect them? Join Kait for a chat with the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, head of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., and Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, author of Between God and Green: How Evangelicals are Cultivating a Middle Ground on Climate Change, and find out why more and more church leaders are bringing politics into the pulpit.

Join Kait for a chat with Rob Moore, Senior Policy Analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and find out how flood insurance has left so many homeowners underwater long after the inundation is gone.

Yes, the sun provides our heat. But no, it’s not causing climate change.  Join Kait for a talk with Dr. Phil Plait. You may know him as The Bad Astronomer, but he’s really good at breaking down the actual relationship between the sun and our climate.

America is under attack from an unseen enemy. Climate change isn’t just threatening our national security – it’s contributing to conflicts across the globe. Join Kait for a chat with Sherri Goodman, Senior Strategist at the Center for Climate and Security, about why a warming world is a warring world.

The consequences of climate change are hitting some communities in the South hard. But, as author Rick Van Noy discovered, they’re far from waving the white flag. Join meteorologist Kait Parker for a discussion about his book Sudden Spring and discover the unique challenges facing a climate changed South.

Why are El Niños still so mysterious and what's it like to testify before Congress? Join Kait for a chat with Dr. Kim Cobb, who's technically the director of Georgia Tech’s Global Change program, but more like the Oprah of El Niños, as they cover the climate phenomenon and a research trip fit for a Hollywood script.

Australia is still reeling from a brutal, deadly summer in which intense heat waves killed bats by the thousands. But they’re not the only animals living on the brink of disaster, and a warming world could push some species over the edge. Join Kait and Dr. Bill Laurance, a biologist and expert on Australian wildlife, to find out why two degrees can mean the difference between life and death for some species.

Our oceans are under threat. From pollution to climate change, life underwater has gotten much harder. Join Kait and marine biologist Matt Savoca as they chat about the world’s largest whales and the insights they can give us about the health of our oceans and our impact on the marine environment.

As recently as 2008, Democrats and Republicans agreed climate change is a threat that needs to be addressed.  Now, it’s one of the most divisive issues in politics. So why did the Republican party reverse its stance? Join Kait for a chat with former Republican congressman Bob Inglis about the politics of climate change, and why it should be on the Republican agenda.