Climate Champions

EcoAthletes is a new international non-profit that offers athletes the resources and coaching they need to feel confident speaking out about climate change. In this episode, Maddy is joined by EcoAthletes founder Lew Blaustein, strategic advisor Kristen Fulmer, and EcoAthletes members Alena Olsen (USA Rugby) and Jeremy Casebeer (AVP Volleyball).

Adam Kreek is an Olympic Gold Medallist, best-selling author, and leadership consultant who also runs a start-up focused on making carbon offsets available to communities in British Columbia. He came on the podcast to chat about his athletic career, his successes and failures in the business world, and the potential for organizations to go carbon neutral through partnerships with other organizatio...

Chris Dickerson, former MLB player and founder of Players for the Planet, joins the podcast to discuss growing up in LA, his time in the minor league when he activated his first sustainability initiative, taking public transit to games as an MLB player, and how Players for the Planet began and grew.

Dr. Sheila Nguyen is the Executive Director of Sports Environment Alliance and joins the show to discuss her career trajectory, the work happening in Australia and New Zealand to make sport organizations more resilient in the face of climate change, and the Sport for Climate Action Framework.

Katie Rood, a professional footballer from New Zealand, currently in the UK playing for Lewes Ferns, joined Maddy on this episode to discuss her childhood and early exposure to sport, her experience playing in Italy, and how becoming vegan invigorated her health and propelled her into an advocacy role. 

Dr. Cyrus Wadia is the Head of Sustainable Product at Amazon. Previously, he worked in sustainability leadership roles at Nike and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He joins the show to talk about his upbringing in Upstate NY, an early internship that spurred his interest in sustainability, and the dynamics of leading change in large organizations like the White House,...

Brian McCullough is the Co-Director of The Sport Ecology Group and an Associate Professor of Sport Management at Texas A&M University. He joins the podcast to share his story of becoming a sport ecologist and discusses his latest research on fan engagement and measuring environmental impact.

It's been a year since Season 1 was released and in that time, a LOT has changed.  Season 2 will be launched with episodes released weekly through the summer of 2020. At the end of Season 2, Season 3 titled the Ecojustice Listening Sessions, will be dropped all at once, just ahead of the back-to-school season.  This intro episode offers an overview of both Seasons 2 and 3, and the conver...

This 2 minute episode offers an overview of the Climate Champions Podcast.

Aubrey McCormick, retired LPGA golfer and sustainability consultant to the golf industry, joins Maddy Orr to discuss strategies for addressing politically charged topics with hesitant audiences, sustainability on golf courses, and the impacts of climate hazards (e.g. wildfires, rising sea levels) on golf courses.

Linda Gancitano, member of the original USWNT for soccer and Founder of the How Low Can You Go Challenge, joins Maddy Orr to discuss energy use reductions, galvanizing the energy of youth, 

Dee Caffari, 6x Circumnavigator and Chair of the World Sailing Trust, joins Maddy Orr to discuss the role of sport participants and athletes as influencers, ocean plastics in the most remote parts of the world, and how small changes can have big impact.

Joey McColm, Professional NASCAR driver and ambassador for Earth Day Canada, joins Maddy Orr to chat about sustainability in the automotive industry, his experiences with advocacy, and future innovations.

Ovie Mughelli, former NFL Fullback and Founder of the Ovie Mughelli Foundation, joins Maddy Orr to discuss the importance of including marginalized communities in sustainability conversations, the potential for comic books and edutainment to connect with kids, and how poor air quality has affected those he loves most.

Caroline Gleich, professional skier and mountaineer and Founder of the Big Mountain Dreams Foundation, joins Maddy Orr to discuss her experiences with climate advocacy in schools and in Washington, the importance of spending time outside, and role models in the sustainability space.

Monica Rowand, Sustainability Manager at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, joins Maddy Orr to discuss zero waste, green transportation, and the importance of aligning values to get people on board with sustainability.

Dave Newport, Director of the Environmental Centre at CU Boulder and Chief Sustainability Officer at Phase 3 Sport, joins Maddy Orr to discuss sustainability in college sport, the challenge of monetizing sustainability initiatives, and the potential for Gen Z to make a big impact.

Lew Blaustein, Founder and Chief Blogger at the Green Sports Blog, joins Maddy Orr to discuss jobs in the green sport movement, the historical significance of climate change action, and strategies for getting people to pay attention. 

Dr. Daniel Scott, Executive Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo, joins Maddy Orr to discuss the difference between weather and climate, how climate change is affecting seasonal sport and tourism, and the future of the Olympic Games.

Erik Distler and Garrett Wong of the Green Sports Alliance join Maddy Orr to discuss the first ten years of the GSA, the awesome initiatives of their member organizations, and ways for fans to get involved in the sport sustainability movement.