Climate Conversations: A Climate Change Podcast

How well have humans adapted to the current climate, and how will we adapt to new climate complexities? This week, the Climate Conversations team is joined by climate research scientist Nick Obradovich, who discusses the many ways the climate affects us in our day-to-day lives, including the way we sleep and exercise. Nick explains how he uses data science to look at climate and behavior, such as social media indications of how people’s mood changes with weather. We discuss climate change as a human cooperation challenge, and explore how developing countries will struggle to adapt to climate change: is it time to pay reparations to these countries?

In this week’s episode, we are joined by climate activist and Harvard / MIT researcher Geoffrey Supran, whose recent peer-reviewed paper exposed ExxonMobil for misleading the public about climate science and its implications. Geoffrey discusses the importance of the science community going beyond facts and figures to reach the heart of the climate action movement and engage the public. We also explore the way fossil fuel companies need to transition if we are to move successfully towards decarbonisation.

In the first episode of Climate Conversations Season 2, we are joined by ex-coal miner and author of The Thoughtful Coal Miner blog, Nick Mullins. We discuss the history of coal mining in the Appalachian region, including the coal industry’s exploitation of coal miners, and what a just transition away from coal should look like. Nick explains how activists and environmentalists can improve the way they communicate with mining communities in order to engage them in productive environmental action.

This week, the Climate Conversations team explore why some social groups, including women and people of color, are disproportionately affected by climate change. We examine how justice issues play out in climate disasters such as hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and consider what a “just transition” away from fossil fuels might look like in local communities.

This week, we’re discussing the human response to extreme weather and climate change, with Patrick Field, Managing Director at the Consensus Building Institute. Pat explains his role in intricate climate change negotiations, and how governments fund and adapt to climate challenges in coastal and island locations. Additionally, Pat explores the complex relationship between people and place, considering the role that the market-based solutions in climate adaptation in the wake of natural disasters.

This week we are joined by Associate Professor Noelle Selin, from MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society, who has an intimate knowledge of international climate negotiations. Professor Selin explains the complexities of international environmental agreements, including the impact of social media, and we discuss the importance of integrating of government, policy and science when studying the environment. Profesor Selin also discusses MIT’s new interdisciplinary minor, Environment and Sustainability, which links the science and engineering with governance and policy.

This week, we interview MIT student and Fossil Free MIT member, Jeremy Poindexter. We discuss Fossil Free MIT’s new career pledge, which encourages students to prioritize climate change and sustainability when making future career choices, fossil fuel divestment and much more.

This week, the climate conversations team are joined by Élodie Blanc and Erwan Monier, research scientists at MIT who are investigating the way climate change affects the amount of water available for agriculture. We discuss how climate modelling and collaborative research are used to assess the way climate influences regional agriculture, the economy and industry. Erwan and Élodie also stress the importance of bringing different disciplines together within universities to solve complex problems such as climate change.

Renewable energy, geoengineering and other technological solutions dominate the climate action spotlight, but are they the only way forward? As our reading of Project Drawdown shows, some of the highest impact solutions are low-tech: stop eating meat, empower women and girls. We have been thinking about these questions for a while and a recent interview with Richard Heinberg on this very topic on the Warm Regards podcast gave us the perfect opportunity to air thoughts in the guise of a response. Listen to this “Big Questions” episode to find out what Curt, Dave and Rajesh think about techno-fixes. And let us know what do you think – when should we trust technology and when should we look elsewhere? OWR podcast with Richard Heinberg," There's No App for Climate Change: A Manifesto for Moving Forward" - https://soundcloud.com/warmregardspodcast/climate-change-geoengineering-post-carbon-institute-manifesto There's No App for That -http://noapp4that.org/ Drawdown, pp. 80-82, Educating Girls - http://www.drawdown.org/solutions/women-and-girls/educating-girls

In this bonus episode, the Climate Conversation team asks, should we reduce how frequently we fly?

This week, the team are joined by MIT Professor of Materials Chemistry, Don Sadoway. In this fascinating discussion, we explore extreme electrochemistry, Don’s novel efforts to cut the carbon footprint of steel, his liquid metal battery for grid-scale storage, and the great things you can do simply by understanding some basic chemistry.

This week, the Climate Conversations team are joined by MIT’s Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, David McGee. We discuss the many climate changes that the Earth has experienced in the last half million years, our dependence upon climate stability and David’s role in Terrascope, a freshman learning community at MIT. Additionally, David explains the many ways he and his team track historical changes in the Earth’s climate, including the measurement of tree and lake rings.

In this bonus episode of Climate Conversations, the team discusses the environmental impact of using Amazon versus physical stores.

This week, the Climate Conversations team interviews the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Somerville, Hannah Payne. Hannah explains Somerville’s climate mitigation and adaptation plans, and how Somerville is preparing to be carbon neutral by 2050.

This week, Rajesh and Laura Howells discuss the pervasiveness of plastic and which countries contribute the most plastic to the world's oceans. The two also talk over some recent natural events happening in Siberia.