Climate Check: Stories and Solutions

Our host Audrey is joined by Madeleine MacGillivray, Climate Justice Lead at Seeding Sovereignty, to discuss the health impacts of microplastics, why recycling isn't enough, and how New York's Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA) could transform the way we deal with plastic waste. We also explore the power of hyperlocal civic action, building stronger communities, and share...

Our host Audrey is joined by Alex Beauchamp, Northern Region Director at Food and Water Watch. Food & Water Watch fights for the safe and healthy food, clean water, and livable climate we all deserve.  In this episode, Alex talks about the proposed bill to ban mega-dairies in New York State. Alex brings us through the issues with mega-dairies, what the bill would do, and what it's going to...

Our host Audrey is joined by Katherine Alford, Co‑facilitator of Third Act NYC — a member organization of folks aged 60+ dedicated to protecting our planet and our democracy. Third Act NYC has collaborated on major climate actions including the September 2023 Climate March, Summer of Heat, the Albany Teach‑in for the Superfund Act, and Sun Day. In this episode, Katherine explains why distributed s...

Our host Audrey is joined by Jodi Smits Anderson. Jodi is a subject matter guide (SMG) and collaborative leader with deep experience in embodied carbon, energy codes, the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, and identifying the synergies between the false silos we have created in her industry. She is the Founder and CCDD of 2bGreener, LLC, consulting on and offering education, integration of susta...

Our host Audrey is joined by Erika Jozwiak and Katie Zwick, admin members of North Brooklyn Mutual Aid. North Brooklyn Mutual Aid is an entirely volunteer-run collective of neighbors helping neighbors and working to create a more equitable neighborhood. Their efforts began with a focus on access to food and medical supplies during the pandemic, partnering with local food pantries and soup kitchens...

Our host Eva is joined by Dr. Anton Seimon, climate scientist. From a home base in the Hudson Valley, Anton leads research programs on diverse themes in the atmospheric and environmental sciences.  Current projects include classifying a new type of windstorm and developing warning systems for it, monitoring climate change impacts in alpine watersheds of the tropical Andes, and mapping surface airf...

Our host Eva is joined by Abby Jordan, Climate Education Program Manager at the National Wildlife Federation. Abby Jordan is a Brooklyn native, the daughter of immigrants from El Salvador who settled in Brighton Beach. She was an Environmental Fellow at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Climate School, where she earned her Master of Public Administration in Envir...

Brynn is joined by Julie Raskin, Executive Director of the Sanitation Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of New York City’s Department of Sanitation. We all touch trash every day, but do you know what happens after you put it in the bin? Julie explains how our waste is actually full of valuable resources that can save energy and money if properly sorted and processed. Educating everyone fr...

Audrey is joined by Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and equity Policy at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. TSTC advocates for increased mobility in the greater NYC region. Its priorities are expanding public transit, creating safer streets, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and fighting for equitable funding of transportation projects. Their approach is talking to communities to learn abo...

Our host Eva is joined by Rachel Coyle, Coalition Organizing Fellow at NY Renews. Rachel is a climate advocate and activist based in NYC. She holds a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and, prior to joining NY Renews has worked as a sustainability consultant supporting businesses with carbon accounting and decarbonization efforts and as a community organizer for climate & housing justic...

Our host Eva is joined by Michael Burger, Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, and a Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer-at-Law at Columbia Law School. He is a co-author of Urban Climate Law (Columbia U Press, 2023), and an editor or co-editor of Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (ABA Publishing, 2023); Combating Climate Change with Section 115 of the Clean Air Act: Law...

Eva is joined by Nancy Romer of the Professional Staff Congress, the 30,000 member labor union of faculty and staff of the City University of New York. She chairs its Environmental Justice Working Group that is leading the effort to cut fossil fuel use at the 25 campuses of CUNY. Key to their efforts is pressuring the New York Power Authority, which is required by the Build Public Renewables Act t...

Our host Eva is joined by Kimmy Cushman of Plant Based Treaty. Kimmy Cushman is a scientific advisor and campaigner at Plant Based Treaty, a global grassroots organization working to bring the food system to the forefront of climate change policy. While studying physics at Yale University, Kimmy became an organizer for the graduate student union, and after completing her PhD in 2023, Kimmy is now...

Audrey Stanton is joined by Jessica Schreiber of FABSCRAP. Jessica explains how her established nonprofit collects and recycles the unending stream of fabric waste generated by the fashion design industry. Textiles experience the typical issues of any kind of waste, but have unique sources and solutions that FABSCRAP has pioneered. The organization utilizes a crew of volunteers every day. Learn wh...

Our host Eva is joined by Sameer Ranade, the ‘The Climate Change Prophet.’ Sameer is a climate justice activist and spoken word rhyme artist who believes social progress can be made through art, education, organizing, & inclusivity. Sameer has dedicated his career and artistic endeavors to the cause of social justice and climate protection. Instagram: @theclimatechangeprophet About World Ocean...

Guest host Brynn Fuller-Becker is joined by Andrew C Revkin of the Sustain What webcast and revkin.substack.com newsletter. Andy discusses his 41 year career as a journalist covering environmental stories, including climate change. In that period he has lived the news media’s transformation from a few institutional giants to numerous smaller outlets. Andy articulates his current belief that effect...

Eva is joined by Lynn Neuman of Artichoke Dance Company to preview a plastic-free summer. Four events in May and June 2024, highlighted by the Mermaid Parade, kick off the summer. In July individuals are asked to join a global pledge to reduce plastic use in their daily lives. Learn what actions you can take to fight the perils of microplastics to our environment and our own bodies. Links: Articho...

On today's episode, we're discussing Enbridge's proposal to expand the Algonquin Pipeline, also known as Project Maple. Our guest is Santosh Nandabalan.  Santosh Nandabalan is a Senior Organizer at Food & Water Watch. Alongside working on state and federal legislation to tackle climate change, Santosh has years of experience managing coalitions and building out strategic campaigns to stop foss...

On today’s episode, we’re discussing the New York Heat Act. Our guest is Lisa Marshall, Advocacy & Organizing Director of New Yorkers for Clean Power.  Lisa’s long-standing interest in climate change began decades ago when she wrote her first high school research paper on global warming. It wasn’t until moving to NY’s Southern Tier and buying a home that was leased to a gas company, that she b...

Eva is joined by Liat Olenick, co-founder of Climate Families NYC. Liat explains that young children can understand that climate pollution is bad and they love to solve problems. She describes how the youngest members of our society can participate in actions targeting the adults who can change the course of the climate crisis. It’s hard for people to ignore toddlers protesting outside their homes...

On today’s episode, we’re discussing how art can help deepen our understanding of the impact of climate change and empower us to take collective action. Our guest is Chantal Bilodeau. Bilodeau is a Montreal-born, New York-based playwright whose work focuses on the intersection of storytelling and climate change. She is the founder of the Arts & Climate Initiative and in her capacity as artisti...

Our guest is Fletcher Harper, an Episcopal priest and the executive director of GreenFaith. GreenFaith is a global multi-faith environmental and climate justice organization.  Fletcher is the author of GreenFaith: Mobilizing God’s People to Save the Earth . one letcher Harper,

On September 17th 2023, 75,000 activists converged on New York City for the March to End Fossil Fuels. Eva takes to the streets to capture the concerns and hopes of people from as far as Peruand as close as New Jersey. Their voices range across the spectrum of issues affected by the climate crisis, from environmental justice to carbon capture of forests to subsidies for the petro industry. https:/...

Eva is joined by Tom Roderick author of the new book Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education . Tom discusses his vision for radical transformative climate justice education, currently lacking in our schools. He believes K-12 students need to envision a positive future, determine how they can help, and then get to work doing it, what Tom calls “active hope.” Links:  https://h...

In our 19th episode of Climate Check: Stories and Solutions, Raine Manley tells the story of her journey from frustration to activism as she tackles plastic waste here in New York City. The outcome? NYC passed “Skip the Stuff," a law in NYC that requires restaurants and food delivery apps to leave out the single-use plastic from deliveries, unless the customer specifically asks for it. Find out ho...