World Is Burning

First things first: we explain why we missed last week, and we think our excuse is pretty solid: Elise was caught in the middle of the ongoing snow-induced Texas energy disaster, which has been exacerbated by climate change and inequality. We talk about how, as white activists, we need to tell stories that help you talk about racial injustice, but we also need to tell celebratory stories of Black...

The perfect accompaniment for your Valentine's Day stroll through Target. Or not. This week we cover two subjects related to the holiday of love: chocolate and consumer traps. Olivia tells us about the ongoing lawsuits surrounding the cocoa industry, the companies that have been dragging their feet regarding exploitative practices for decades, and those who are fighting the good fight. Then Elise...

5 months in and we finally got around to making a trailer! Welcome to World Is Burning, an environmental storytelling podcast hosted by Olivia Hamilton and Elise Nye. We think the most powerful (and least boring) way to inspire action is through storytelling, so every week we tell each other a different story from the climate movement. Subscribe/follow/press the button to keep up with ne...

In the second installment of our Elements series (not like Olivia forgot or anything), we're taking off into the air. Elise tells us about Starlink, a project of Elon Musk's SpaceX, and how the race for space internet might come with a massive sacrifice. Also, space garbage? Then, Olivia tells the story of the relatively new 'flygskam' movement, all the industry executives pressed by Greta Thunber...

**Full content warning below.** This week we're approaching an oft-discussed topic in the environmental movement–veganism! Olivia goes back thousands of years to cover the history of plant-based diets, and Elise brings us through the high and lows of the now-booming meat replacement market. We also discuss our own complicated food journeys, white veganism and gatekeeping within the vegan community...

Boo fossil fuels! We talk about some joys heading into Inauguration Day and how we plan to demand climate action from the new administration. Elise tackles Joe Biden's wavering approach to a fracking ban and tells the story of Pawnee Nation in Oklahoma. Olivia recounts the best (worst) moments of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Climate Deception Dossiers, which expose decades of misinformation...

We're diving headfirst into 2021 with the first installment of our 'Elements' series. This week we're talking about water pollution from the perspective of two unexpected activists: corporate environmental lawyer Rob Bilott and author/advocate/multi-hyphenate Erin Brockovich. Olivia tells the story of a cattle farmer and small community that, with the help of Bilott, sued DuPont for PFOA water pol...

Our last episode of 2020 covers the complex issue of food deserts and one potential solution: food forests. Olivia talks about food deserts reaching the national conversation through Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, preference and processed food, and how it all ties back to our episode about… trains? Then Elise gives us a promising solution in the form of Atlanta’s free food fo...

This week we dive into the psychology of holiday shopping – how will Black Friday be impacted by the pandemic? Elise tells us which companies to avoid based on their bad behavior at the start of the pandemic, and Olivia recounts the history of Buy Nothing Day, the funny ways it has been celebrated, and the local groups taking it year-round. We also talk about buying things as a way to look forward...

This week is all about the collective movements that make people care about saving the earth. We talk about the conservation/preservation debates of the Progressive Era (and all the racist white dudes who led the conversation) and how the Sunrise Movement is building an inclusive wave of climate action with no permanent enemies and no permanent friends. Subscribe/follow/press the button to ke...

On this very special Halloween episode, we tell the creepy-crawly of environmental stories, including a new process for composting human remains and a supernatural motivation to follow the “Leave No Trace” principle. Plus, we make time for human skin books, barbecued grasshoppers, Indiana undertakers, and a few personal ghost stories. Elise’s story starts at 33:45. Subscribe/follow/press the...

World Is Burning, book club edition. We talk about reading to ease climate anxiety, how art helps us process complicated emotions, and coming back to your favorite work over the years. We read from The Wreck of Time by Annie Dillard as well as poetry by Wumen Huikai, Nnimmo Bassey, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, and Mikko Harvey. Subscribe/follow/press the button to keep up with new episodes...

This episode marks our first foray into the world of fashion and its relationship with the Earth. We talk about the Tiktok-famous strawberry dress, how clothing consumption has changed in the age of social media, and the odd ways artificial leather has been marketed over the years. Subscribe/follow/press the button to keep up with new episodes every Wednesday! You can also follow us&nbsp...

Climate policy is intimidating as hell! This week we broke our format to break down the Green New Deal and the Biden climate plan in the wake of the first presidential debate to directly reference climate change in a question since Al Gore in 2000 (seriously!). We talk about why Biden had to distance himself from the Green New Deal during the debate, climate change and inequality as interconn...

Remember going places? This week we explore why the United States is so behind on high-speed trains and a new mandate to ban gas-powered cars in California by 2035. Plus we discuss why the U.S. needs to lead on climate change (and why we focus so much on American policy), how “clean” biodiesel can be, and we pitch some song ideas for the next eco-inspired country star. Follow us @worldisburni...

This week was rough because of *gestures broadly* but we're still here to burst your bubble! But really though. We cover the juicy secrets of the "gum base" in your chewing gum and the truth behind "biodegradable" balloons. Then we find ways to still have a fun party and how to use design to change the way we consume plastics.  Follow us @worldisburnin on Instagram and Twitter, and check out...

This week we tackle the Amazons – Amazon.com  and the Amazon rainforest. We talk about the shame and accessibility issues tied up in boycotting Amazon, Indigenous land rights and parallels between US and Brazilian environmental regulations, and Olivia spoils The Jinx for everyone. Follow us @worldisburnin on Instagram and Twitter, and check out our website  worldisburning.com  for e...

This week we talk about our first environmental heroes, conservationists Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall. We go through the social politics of conservation we definitely did NOT understand as kids, falling in love with the only man around, and how our childhood idols are breaking down climate change in 2020. Follow us @worldisburnin on Instagram and Twitter, and check out our website  worldisbur...

In our very first episode we cover a ghost town on fire and a neoprene factory in a small Louisiana town. Welcome to World Is Burning, the podcast for your climate anxiety. We talk about who the heck we are, how government and climate disasters are inherently connected, and why the boiling frog fable is more human than you’d think. Follow us @worldisburnin on Instagram and Twitter, and check out o...