Climate One

Under the Weather: The Climate Crisis is a Health Crisis

As the planet warms, the story of climate change is increasingly becoming a story about human health. Rising temperatures, wildfire smoke, flooding, and shifting disease patterns are no longer distant threats; they are everyday realities. The climate crisis is reshaping health care systems, exposing inequalities, and forcing doctors and policymakers to rethink some of their practices. Medical schools are beginning to adopt climate as part of their curricula, yet such education is widely variable across the country. So what policy and system changes might help address both the climate and health crises at the same time? Episode Guests: Jeni Miller, Executive Director, Global Climate and Health Alliance Cecilia Sorensen, Director, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Columbia University  Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO, PAI For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 03:30 – Cecilia Sorensen on consulting for a Grey’s Anatomy episode on heat 07:00 – Climate impact she’s seen in the ER 10:00 – Medical education is variable across the country, including climate awareness 16:00 – Importance of public health and the role of preventive medicine 21:00 – Jeni Miller on interconnections between climate and human health 29:30 – Climate crisis puts pressure on global health systems 34:30 – Ways health care systems can better prepare for climate impacts 44:30 – Connection between climate change and reproductive/sexual health 51:30 – Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls around the world 56:00 – Navigating efforts by the Trump administration to increase fertility and birth rate while cutting social services 58:30 – Climate One More Thing ***** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond the Obvious: What We’re Watching in 2026

We’re only about a month into 2026, and already so much has happened — from the Trump administration’s forcible removal of Venezuela’s president to the US pulling out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change… It’s easy to get caught up in the headlines of the moment and lose sight of the big picture.  But important developments are happening in sectors like agriculture and renewable technology that don’t break through the noise to the extent they deserve. So, what should we be watching in 2026? Guests:  Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan Michael Grunwald, Journalist, Author, We Are Eating The Earth Jessie Bluedorn, Founder & Executive Director, The Carmack Collective For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org/podcasts Highlights: 00:00 Intro 05:33 Justine Johnson on the importance of mobility 08:48 Justine Johnson on the future of EV charging 11:20 Justine Johnson on the practicality of new EV charging technology 19:05 Justine Johnson on innovation in financing 22:52 Michael Grunwald on making more food with less land 30:17 Michael Grunwald on the new tech used to constipate beetles to death 37:24 Michael Grunwald on what to watch in politics 43:00 Jessie Bluedorn on the fossil fuel industry’s control over cultural narratives 47:57 Jessie Bluedorn on the comedy in the climate crisis 56:36 Jessie Bluedorn on other areas to keep an eye on in the culture ***** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crop Shoot: Farmers Caught Up In Policy Turmoil

Agriculture is directly responsible for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers and ranchers face growing climate impacts every day, from more severe storms to intense droughts, making it harder to grow food.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates emissions from the agriculture sector will modestly increase over the next 30 years. Yet the Trump administration is slashing programs that help reduce emissions, feed people, protect farmworkers and animals and sensitive lands. In addition, the Trump administration’s tariffs and trade wars have affected the cost of machinery and sales of major crops. What will these changes mean for our national food system? How are farmers weathering these impacts? And where are people building resilience regardless of federal policy?  Episode Guests: Lisa Held, Senior Staff Reporter and Contributing Editor, Civil Eats Megan O'Rourke, Congressional Candidate NJ07; Former USDA Scientist John Bartman, Illinois farmer Byron Kominek, Owner and Manager, Jack's Solar Garden Highlights: 00:00 – Intro 05:30 – Lisa Held on major climate and agriculture stories in 2025 07:30 – Climate change is making it harder to be a farmer 09:15 – Changes at USDA 15:00 – How SNAP cuts affect consumers and farmers/growers 18:30 – Trump admin penalizing efforts/grants that support DEI efforts in agriculture 24:00 – John Bartman shares his journey to regenerative agriculture 30:00 – Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities Program and cutbacks under Trump 34:30 – Trade war between China and US is hurting soybean sales and Amazon rainforest 37:10 – Byron Kominek on how he got into agrivoltaics and the benefits it offers 42:00 – Agrivoltaics is climate adaptation 51:20 – Megan O’Rourke on research around kernza, a perennial grain 54:00 – Most pressing challenges for agriculture right now 59:00 – Importance of food security at home and abroad, and role of US farmers 1:03:30 – Climate One More Thing For show notes , transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts ****** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside The Chaotic, Lucrative ‘Disaster Economy’ With Grist

It’s been a year since catastrophic fires tore through Los Angeles. For those who lived through them, the impacts are still being felt. Rebuilding in the aftermath of more frequent and severe fossil-fueled disasters is becoming a big business. Enter the disaster economy, powered by a grab bag of dedicated people helping communities rebuild, and by contractors who may overpromise, underdeliver, and profit from tragedy. Caught in the middle are the survivors, often left to navigate red tape, scams, and soaring costs just to rebuild their lives. In this episode, produced in collaboration with Grist, we explore the people and systems behind this booming, often exploitative multi-billion dollar industry, and share strategies to help listeners stay protected. Episode Guests:  Haley Geller, Photo Stylist; Mother Ayurella Horn Muller, Staff Writer, Grist Cricket Logan, Wastewater Management Mechanic, City of St. Petersburg, Florida Naveena Sadasivam, Writer and Editor, Grist For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit ClimateOne.org Highlights: 00:00 - Intro 05:06 - Haley Geller on her personal wildfire experience 07:22 - Haley Geller on how life has changed since the fire 11:04 - Haley Geller on navigating the recovery process 16:21 - Ayurella Horn Muller on covering recovery workers 18:39 - Cricket Logan on his disaster recovery work experience 24:16 - Ayurella Horn Muller on the mental health work of disaster recovery 28:25 - Ayurella Horn Muller on working conditions for recovery workers 38:03 - Naveena Sadasivam on talking to people who experienced disaster recovery 40:22 - Naveena Sadasivam on one person’s experience with rebuilding after a fire 49:51 - Naveena Sadasivam on what regulations exist to help prevent fraud 53:41 - Naveena Sadasivam on steps people can take to protect themselves ******** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE: Gloria Walton and Wawa Gatheru Believe in Grassroots Change, Not Just Charity

Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren’t seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture: “ The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience.  Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like? Guests: Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org 00:00 – Intro 05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires 10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA 13:00 – Living with idea of abundance 19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy 21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston 22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs 24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims 27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities 36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai  42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy 44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces 48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people  55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization 59:00 – Climate One More Thing **** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne.  Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices