The Climate Conversation

October 26, 2022 marks the two-year anniversary of EESI’s comprehensive report called A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities. This report is a guidebook for policymakers on coastal resilience, featuring policy recommendations, guiding principles, case studies from across the country, and so much more. To mark this anniversary, Dan and Emma speak with Shana Udvardy, Senior Climate Resilience Po...

Many faith buildings across the country are old and inefficient, racking up huge energy bills that faith groups sometimes cannot afford to pay. In Delaware, two state nonprofits have formed a partnership to help address this problem, running energy audits and providing educational outreach to faith communities across the state. Dan and Emma speak with Shweta Arya from Delaware Interfaith Power &am...

People are always inventing new climate solutions, but it is challenging to go from an idea to a commercially-viable product. But we urgently need these technologies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, especially in heavy industries like steel manufacturing. Enter: Third Derivative, a climate accelerator with a mission to help climate start-ups bridge finance and resource gaps to enter the mar...

Welcome to season 4 of The Climate Conversation! We are heading back to school to learn about reducing cafeteria food waste with Food Policy Researcher Melissa Terry and representatives from the Boulder Valley School District and the Chef Ann Foundation in Colorado. Each day, the school district cooks over 15,000 fresh, cooked-from-scratch meals that kids actually want to eat. At the same time, th...

It’s the final episode of Season 3 of The Climate Conversation, which takes a close look at the newest version of the Climate Opinion Maps developed by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Yale has been publishing these maps since 2014, which display responses to prompts such as “global warming is happening” and “Congress should do more to address global warming” across different geog...

It's the launch of the Beneficial Electrification Toolkit at EESI! This resource is a one-stop-shop for utilities to learn, plan, and implement a beneficial electrification program. To explore this kind of electrification in action, we travel to Durango, Colorado, a small rural town in the southwest corner with a big source of pride: the first electric school bus with vehicle-to-grid capabilities...

In April 2021, Washington State passed the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, a landmark piece of environmental justice legislation that defines environmental justice, establishes an Environmental Justice Council, requires the use of an environmental health disparities map to analyze cumulative impacts, and builds community input into the decision making process. Dan and Emma discuss how the...

In Puerto Rico, sustainable agriculture practices are helping residents regain food sovereignty and break free from the roots of colonialism. Investing and supporting farmers cultivating these techniques will help Puerto Ricans reduce their dependence on foreign imports, help make food systems more resilient to extreme weather, bolster the local economy, and provide more options for a healthy diet...

On February 28, 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report focusing on the impacts of climate change and our capacity to adapt to them. This 3,000+ page document can help inform policymakers about the latest climate science and possible solutions. But what are the biggest takeaways from the report and where do we go from here? Dan and EESI Policy Manager Anna...

The aviation industry will be one of the toughest sectors to decarbonize. Yet, most of the major airlines have announced net zero emissions goals by 2050. So how are they going to get there? Dan and Emma talk with Aaron Robinson, Senior Manager of Environmental Strategy and Sustainability at United Airlines, about how United is investing in more efficient aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, and...

In Louisiana, rising sea levels, more intense storms, and high tide flooding threaten coastal ecosystems and livelihoods of people in those communities. But Louisiana has been both planning for coastal resilience for a long time - and putting those plans into action. In this episode, Dan and Emma explore the benefits that wetland restoration can have for the coast and the role that wetlands play i...

Welcome to the first episode of season 3 of The Climate Conversation! In this episode, EESI’s Dan Bresette and Amber Todoroff interview coastal resilience expert, Western Carolina University professor, and EESI Advisory Board member Dr. Rob Young. They discuss climate change threats to Charleston, a proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seawall project, and solutions to make the coastline more res...

With all the depressing climate news out there, it’s sometimes hard to see progress. The Climate Conversation cuts through the noise and presents you with relevant climate change solutions happening on the Hill and in communities around the United States. Twice a month, join Environmental and Energy Study Institute staff members as they interview environmental, energy, and policy experts on practi...

It’s the last episode of Season 2 of The Climate Conversation! This week, Dan and Emma look back on EESI’s 2021 briefings and projects to discuss favorites, lessons learned, and what’s coming up next year. They are joined by EESI Senior Associate Dan O’Brien and Policy Associate Savannah Bertrand. The Climate Conversation will return for Season 3 in February 2022.

Dan and Emma explore in this episode how climate adaptation work is being done on the ground in communities across the United States. Through the USDA Climate Hubs, communities can get the regionally-specific tools and resources they need to better prepare for future climate impacts. Our guests today include Dr. Emile Elias, the director of the Southwest Climate Hub, and Dr. Julian Reyes, the nati...

Dan and EESI Senior Associate Miguel Yañez-Barnuevo spoke with Denise Abdul-Rahman, a field organizer for the National NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Program, about the NAACP Equitable Solar Policy Principles. These principles can help develop a shared understanding of equitable solar policy and assist advocates and policymakers craft solutions. Dan, Miguel, and Denise discuss the formation o...

The Great Lakes is an incredibly diverse and important region, providing millions with water, contributing billions for the economy, and supporting the continuation of Indigenous lifeways for the approximately 20 tribal nations with land within the basin. But climate change and other environmental threats could upend all of that. Dan and Emma learn about the federally-funded climate resilience wor...

This week, Dan and guest host Susan, sat down with Lukas Haynes of the David Rockefeller Fund to discuss how grant-awarding foundations can help power climate solutions. The David Rockefeller Fund recently joined the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, one of the first U.S. foundations to do so, in an effort to drive decarbonization and inspire other asset owners to do the same.

Rural Broadband may not seem like a climate issue, but as more and more devices are connected to the internet, from smart thermostats to water heaters, that need to be balanced on the electric grid, having access to broadband is critical. Dan and Emma take listeners to the San Juan Islands in Washington State to learn why installing broadband there was so difficult but so necessary to support resi...

This week, Dan and Syd spoke with American businessman, environmental engineer, and retired three-star general, Jeffrey Talley, about how the military’s perspective towards climate change has evolved over time as well as how the business sector is taking strides for a decarbonized future.

From North Carolina to Chicago to DC, hear how standardizing the steps to resilience will help communities withstand a changing climate. Dan and Sydney explore the complexities of resilience planning in different parts of the U.S. and uncover how communities are utilizing the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit to keep people safe.

Season 2 of The Climate Conversation will debut in September! In this short episode, we tell you what to expect from the new season and all about the topics we are going to explore. If you haven’t yet, subscribe!

For our final episode in Season 1, we wanted to take a minute (or twenty) to introduce you to our newest team members, Savannah Bertrand and Emma Johnson! Emma and Savannah both joined EESI in the spring and are bringing an immense amount of expertise to our communications and policy teams. Listen to learn what brought them both to EESI and what gets them up in the morning!

Every year, natural disasters destroy communities, leaving people without vital resources like food and shelter. And climate change is only making these disasters more frequent and severe. Join us this week with NRDC Senior Policy Analyst Anna Weber, as we explore how the establishment of a National Disaster Safety Board could help nationalize disaster planning and preparedness, saving lives and m...

What are the major challenges for Congressional lawmakers and their staff in drafting and passing reconciliation bills? And why does it matter for climate policy? This week, Dan and Sydney thought through those questions and more by recapping the key takeaways from our BONUS Congressional Climate Camp, condensing the briefing into just 15 minutes.