Many corporations are pledging to hit net zero emissions. But target dates may be far in the future, and definitions of “net” can be slippery. How can consumers, investors and policy leaders distinguish between greenwashing and meaningful action?

Western law generally treats the natural environment as property, with all rights held by its owners. But more jurisdictions are making the argument that natural systems – from rivers to forests to glaciers – are entitled to their own legal rights to exist and thrive.

Two venture capitalists have written a new plan for how to address the accelerating climate crisis. This week we talk with John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram of Kleiner Perkins about their new book, Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now.

This week we feature a conversation with marine biologist, policy expert and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Climate One’s winner of the Schneider Award for excellence in science communication. We also talk with past winner Naomi Oreskes about how the field of science has changed for women during her career.

As climate threats intensify and sea levels rise, coastal communities are some of the first to face hard questions about relocating. How do we decide when to stay and when to go? Managed Retreat: When Climate Hits Home, this week on Climate One.

From extreme weather events to the climate summit in Glasgow to the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure deal, 2021 has been a banner year. Join hosts Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious as we review the good and bad of this year in climate.

What a student learns about climate science depends a lot on which state they live in and who’s teaching. This week, we unpack climate miseducation with investigative reporter Katie Worth and learn about the undue influence of industry on school curricula.

President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will pour billions of dollars into projects, but does it go far enough?

Talking about climate disruption can be difficult no matter your background. Simply delivering information is rarely enough; communicating hard truths may depend on first forming heartfelt human connections.

After two weeks of negotiations, presentations and protests in Glasgow, COP26 is a wrap. This week we discuss what was achieved - and what wasn’t - at the international climate summit, and whose voices were heard.

Patagonia’s infamous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad campaign paradoxically advocated sustainability and increased sales. What’s the role of corporations in sustainability and wildland conservation, and how can the outdoor industry be more accessible and welcoming for all?

Solar geoengineering could provide an emergency brake on the disruptive and deadly effects of carbon emissions, but it is complicated.

Fully electrifying our homes, cars and industries could cut the amount of total energy we need by half, says Saul Griffith, entrepreneur, inventor and author of Electrify. Meanwhile automakers are increasingly investing in EVs, responding to consumer demand. This week, we explore the climate potential of electrifying everything.

Delegates from across the globe will soon meet for the international climate summit known as COP26. Six years on from the Paris agreement, is there finally enough urgency to turn ambition and promises into action?

How do we manage our own anxiety around an uncertain climate future – let alone help our children work through their feelings and fears? This week we explore Zen, mindfulness and psychotherapeutic approaches to building emotional resilience for adults and children in face of the climate crisis.

With human-caused climate change making lands hotter and drier, we are increasingly living in flammable landscapes. In an era of climate-driven megafires, how can we better live with fire, rather than always fighting it?

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says we should start conversations from the heart, not the head, in order to drive action on climate change. By talking about climate, we can help ourselves and others understand why it matters — and what we can do about it.

How can we prepare for a future wholly unlike the past we’ve known? Like COVID-19, climate disruption is a threat multiplier that will disrupt our lives in myriad ways. This week we discuss what changes we can make now to better prepare for future risks and climate disasters.

Fifty years ago, Frances Moore Lappé challenged people to think about the larger systems underpinning the food on their plates, particularly meat. Since then, the industrial food systems in America have only grown bigger and more consolidated. This week we discuss the intersections between democracy, environment, food, and justice.

“Modern water infrastructure has replumbed the planet,” says Giulio Boccaletti, author of Water: A Biography. But the story of water is not technological, it is political. What can 10,000 years of human history with water teach us about how we should handle this essential element in a climate-disrupted future?

Why have oil pipelines become such a flash point in the environmental movement? And what can all sides agree on to work toward the same less-carbon-reliant future? We talk about Line 3 and other pipelines on this week’s show.

Climate disruption features in the headlines nearly every day, penetrating deeper into our personal lives. In these uncertain times, how do we weigh the decision of whether or not to bring more children into the world?

Swing voters can have an outsized impact on elections. But many of those voters don’t know much about our climate emergency. We talk with Rich Thau of the Swing Voter Project about how these voters engage with climate news, like the most recent IPCC report.

President Biden has set a goal of conserving 30% of our land and waters in the next decade to sustain essential biodiversity and counteract the damaging impacts of climate change. About one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. Some private landowners are concerned about where those lands will come from.

This year, Washington became the second state to place a price on carbon across most of its economy ― with the surprise support of oil company BP. Governor Jay Inslee says he welcomes the change of stance because there’s no time to waste. “We don’t have the luxury of sort of dividing the world into two camps.”

Indian eco-feminist Vandana Shiva has spent much of her career fighting against industrial agriculture. She advocates against corporate, industrialized agriculture and for small-scale, biodiverse farms--a sea change that she believes has the potential to heal our bodies and the planet.

Good public transit can solve for pollution, congestion, mobility and even the mental and physical health of urban dwellers. But most Americans get around by car, and changing that model can be expensive and difficult. How can we make good public transit the default mode of transportation?

What does a feminist climate renaissance look like? Authors Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson advocate for resolving the climate crisis by first addressing the systemic imbalances that have fueled it – racism, capitalism and patriarchy.

The world is currently on track to double the emission goals set during the Paris Climate Agreement. Can the combined powers of government, industry and the market still get us on a path to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and avoid the worst impacts of climate change?

Extreme heat events may be less visibly destructive than hurricanes or wildfires, yet they silently kill far more people and cause vast economic harm. Some cities have started appointing “chief heat officers” to better respond to a hotter world.

A song, poster or mural can be a powerful tool to spark conversation and reflection. So how can the arts advance the climate conversation? We explore the power of art with renowned graphic artist Shepard Fairey and hip hop artist Mystic.

Reservoirs on the Colorado River are at historic lows as extreme drought continues across the region. As water managers gear up for another round of negotiations, tribes and climate advocates hope to get a bigger say this time.

Talking about climate disruption can be difficult no matter your background. Simply delivering information is rarely enough; communicating hard truths may depend on first forming heartfelt human connections.

Western law generally treats the natural environment as property, with all rights held by its owners. But more jurisdictions are making the argument that natural systems – from rivers to forests to glaciers – are entitled to their own legal rights to exist and thrive.

Data and maps can be powerful tools in the effort to understand and combat the effects of climate change. From GIS mapping to satellite imagery to a human-sized mobile weather station, researchers are finding new approaches to the climate emergency.

Grassroots activism sometimes gets short shrift compared to the more powerful, national players in climate and environmental movements. Yet many community-based advocates have achieved major successes. What can we learn from grassroots activists?

What stories do we tell ourselves to cope with a changing climate? Author Nathaniel Rich and journalist Meera Subramanian discuss the power of listening and how our identities and values shape the way we understand how others experience climate.

In the US, a zero-sum mentality has taken hold on climate and other issues whereby progress for “them” comes at the expense of “us.” Are racism and other false dichotomies distorting our ability to respond to big problems and advance collective solutions?

We’ve been living with the impacts of a changing climate for years, but those impacts don’t all hit the same way. With dramatic events like wildfires, the ramifications are immediate. But the slower effects of climate disruption can lead to anxiety and emotional distress. How do we live alongside these changes?

Some wealthy Americans visit nature via a private jet, glossing over the history of native peoples who inhabited these lands. Billionaires give generously to preserve wilderness, even while access to nature is out of reach for many. How much is access to nature tied to wealth?

The Biden Administration’s COVID recovery plans promise to prioritize climate and equity alongside economic growth — can those values carry over to a post-pandemic workforce? How will climate resilience be built into America's economic recovery?

It’s a make or break moment for implementing climate solutions. From big tech to clean energy, what are Joe Biden’s post-covid opportunities for scaling new solutions — and where do inequity and politics continue to set us back?

Warmer, shorter winters may sound like a relief, but rising temperatures and dwindling snowpacks are threatening water supplies, ecosystems, and economies that depend on winter. How are outdoor enthusiasts and the multi-billion dollar winter sport industry preparing?

President Biden has vowed to address the climate crisis head on. But how much can he actually get done? While he faces certain blowback from Republicans in Congress, there are signs that when it comes to conservative thought, the wind may be changing.

After months of dealing with a volatile political climate, it’s easy to overlook the actual climate, and how it’s impacting Americans daily. Is the current chaos due to a failure of policy, a lack of attention to science, or a combination of both?

In this program, we revisit conversations with these and other Climate One guests from the past year that have been named to prominent roles in the Biden-Harris administration.

How can climate stories (fiction and otherwise) help us reckon with our changing environment? Do we need a new climate narrative — a road map for reimagining how we understand and take action to solve the climate emergency?

While climate disruption, environmental health and the COVID pandemic may seem like three distinct problems, to those in the environmental justice field, they’re all connected. What happens when climate, public health and poverty converge?

How quickly can the Biden administration turn around a gutted EPA, myriad environmental law rollbacks, and a legacy of climate denial from fossil fuel companies? What are the key tools and actions they can take to address the urgency of the climate crisis?

A decade ago, polls showed that only around twelve percent of Americans were alarmed about climate change. Today, that percentage has nearly tripled. Americans are more concerned than ever - what’s driving the shift in public perception of climate?

Hopes and expectations are high for President Biden’s first weeks in office. His recovery plans promise to take on COVID-19, a battered economy, and a rapid clean energy transition in a way that doesn’t leave communities behind. But Navajo Nation, which until recently was home to the largest coal-fired power plant in the U.S., has been left out of economic and energy plans for a long time.“The community that has been the provider is the one that has the most homes that don't have access to electricity,” notes Wahleah Johns, Co-Founder and Director of Native Renewables. Can the incoming administration improve energy access for all Americans while phasing out fossil fuels? Loretta Lynch, Former President, California Public Utilities CommissionWahleah Johns, Co-Founder & Director, Native RenewablesPaula Glover, President, Alliance to Save Energy; former President and CEO, American Association of Blacks in EnergyJeremiah Baumann, Director of Federal Policy, Energy Innovation

Incoming President Biden faces an unimaginable set of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a gutted economy and a nation reeling from the recent capital attack. With all this and more on his plate, what of Biden’s climate plans?

With more employees holding CEOs accountable, how is the role of the corporation in the climate conversation shifting? Should we be scrutinizing the climate action plans of tech giants like Salesforce over energy companies like Exxon Mobil?

Can individual action make a difference? Twenty years ago, Erin Brockovich took on corporate polluter PG&E – and won. These days, environmental icons focus on the climate emergency. And how everyday choices may impact the planet more than you think.

Maintaining a consumption-driven economy while keeping emissions down seems more and more like a pipe dream -- is it time to re-think capitalism altogether? Short of a whole new capitalism, how can the stock market be used as a tool for climate action?

President-elect Joe Biden says he'll infuse climate change throughout his agenda. But come January 20th, a Republican-led Senate could oppose all his climate goals. Can the Biden Plan get us back on track to fight climate change?

Mary Nichols has arguably has done more than any other public official to reduce America's carbon pollution. As she steps down after 13 years as Chair of California's Air Resources Board, what’s ahead for a new national climate agenda in 2021?

How has the focus on climate shifted in a year shaped by a pandemic, racial unrest, a recession, and a divisive election? Join us for a look back on a year of climate conversations like no other.

California has pledged to end sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Fifteen countries, including some of the top auto markets, plan to phase out gas-powered engines and accelerate towards a zero-emission future. Can we get there quickly enough?

Events of the past year have shone a glaring spotlight on the racial inequities embedded in every aspect of American society, from climate injustice to COVID-19 to violence at the hands of police. How can art help us process these turbulent times?

Structural racism in the food system makes it increasingly challenging for non-white farmers to own and profit from land. How is climate gentrification shaping access to land? Is small-scale, regenerative agriculture the solution to climate disruption?

About seventy percent of Americans - Democrats, Independents and Republicans - say the election caused a significant amount of anxiety and stress in their lives. That’s up from fifty percent four years ago. How should we process those difficult emotions?

As we think about a transfer of U.S. presidential power, what can we learn about how other types of power are shaping our climate and our future?

Democrats and Republicans once basically agreed on the need to come together on a solution for the climate crisis. But in today’s ultra-partisan climate, can both parties ever get on the same page? How can we break up the political logjam on climate?

Environmental groups like NRDC, 350.org, and Greenpeace helped move climate onto the presidential agenda, pushing Joe Biden and other Democrats’ stance on bold action. Can activism finally bring America’s political ambitions in line with climate science?

What does a feminist climate renaissance look like? Authors Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson advocate for resolving the climate crisis by first addressing the systemic imbalances that have fueled it - racism, capitalism and patriarchy.

Technology has helped the world survive, thrive and stay connected through the COVID-19 lockdown. But is the tech sector poised for climate success, or is it suffering a pandemic setback?

Twenty years ago, Erin Brockovich took on corporate polluter PG&E – and won. These days, in addition to her work on water safety and toxins in communities, Brockovich has taken on the climate crisis. An unfiltered conversation with an environmental icon.

COVID, plummeting oil prices, and expectations for diversity and sustainability are changing the way the world does business. Will the pursuit of energy and economic efficiency help solve our dependence on fossil fuels — or leave many societies behind?

The 2020 wildfire season, fueled by climate change, is on track to be the worst ever, as millions of acres burn throughout the western U.S. Carbon dioxide released by burning trees threatens California’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

When it comes to public engagement and trust, the oil and gas industry is often ahead of its clean energy competitors. Is the industry an example of community leadership, manipulative greenwashing — or something in between?

The story of climate change is typically told in the language of facts and figures. But through dance, music, and other media, artists can reach people on a deeper level, designing cultural moments that can bring us together - and bring us to tears.

The coronavirus has disrupted every part of our food system. Devastated restaurants. Unemployed and vulnerable food workers. Risky trips to the grocery store. So what will COVID-19 mean for agriculture, our food supply systems — and our diets?

Miami may be the poster child of rising waters in the U.S., but further inland, states are grappling with torrential flooding that is becoming the new norm. The Great Flood of 2019 caused destroyed acres of farmland and caused billions in damage throughout the Midwest. And scientists predict that there’s more climate-related precipitation to come. What does that mean for America’s aging infrastructure? “It’s absolutely going to fail for future climate events,” warns Martha Shulski of the Nebraska State Climate Office. “If you're not planning for the climate of 2040 or 2060 then there's going to be failure. There's going to be impacts in a very extreme way perhaps.” What happens when there is too much water — or not enough? “The problem with water is we treat it as if it’s, you know, inexhaustible,” says Betsy Otto, Global Water Director at the World Resources Institute. How are companies and communities planning for a future of water saturation and scarcity? Visit climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts for more information on today's episode. Guests: Julia Kumari Drapkin, CEO and Founder, ISeeChange Ed Kearns, Chief Data Officer, First Street Foundation Martha Shulski, Director, Nebraska State Climate Office; Nebraska State Climatologist Betsy Otto, Global Water Director, World Resources Institute Additional interview: Jack Mulliken, farmer in Northeast Nebraska This program was recorded on July 28 and August 4, 2020, and is generously underwritten by the Water Foundation.

Lab-grown proteins have been upending the way we consume chicken, pork, and beef. Will food science and tech help us make better-informed decisions for our bodies and the planet, or do we need to get back to basics?

What if we could replace doom-and-gloom projections with a future of thriving equitable cities, renewed political consciousness, and carbon-free economies?

These days, being at one with nature could mean flying there in a private jet. And while billionaires contribute generously to preserve the pristine wilderness they love, access to nature is out of reach for many Americans.

Can the world’s major emitters decarbonize at the rate needed without throwing their economies over a cliff? With post-COVID economic recovery plans taking precedence, will the transition to a clean economy be pushed to the back burner?

Racism, police and the pandemic are dominating hearts and headlines, but will they translate to votes in national and regional elections? What issues are top of mind for Obama-Trump voters in swing states?

Air pollution, severe weather and economic upheaval brought on by climate change impacts communities of color first and worst, yet their voices are often left out of policy solutions. How can we create an inclusive and actively anti-racist green movement?

Expanding oil extraction and clean energy, supporting capitalism while fighting climate change – can anyone really have it all? How can a healthy climate coexist with a consumption-driven economy, and what needs to change to get the best of both worlds?

We often think of climate change and gender equality as separate issues. But women’s empowerment is directly linked to the climate fight in many ways - from food security and economic independence to education and reproductive freedom

With America in turmoil amid protests and pandemic, is anyone still thinking about climate in the 2020 election? Climate made big inroads as an issue in the Democratic primaries, but how will climate concerns rank come November?

America's latest oil boom began with a bang, literally, on Earth Day, 2010. That’s when an offshore oil rig owned by BP exploded, killing eleven workers and spilling nearly five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. John Hofmeister, co-founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy, was in Washington D.C. at the time.“We simply have to get what are called negative emissions. The oil and gas industry, I think, is supremely qualified to have the scale, to have the engineers, to have this expertise, to undertake problems like that.” But can this tiger change its stripes? Heather Richards, who follows the oil industry for Energy & Environment News, is not so sure.“Even though [the oil and gas business] has expertise, I don't think it's necessarily quite as easy to shift this industry,” she says. “It's difficult I think from this seat to say with great confidence ‘we’re just gonna move into the offshore wind, we’ll just do that.’”Visit climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts for more information on today's episode.Guests:John Hofmeister, Former President, Shell Oil Company; Founder and Chief Executive, Citizens for Affordable EnergyWilliam K. Reilly, Former U.S. EPA Administrator; Co-Chair, National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil SpillHeather Richards, Energy Reporter, Energy & Environment NewsThis program was recorded via video on May 19, 2020.

How do we go about feeding a planet that’s hotter, drier, and more crowded than ever? The connection between global warming and the dinner table isn’t always obvious when we go to the grocery store. But our choices about how we put food on our plates, and what we do with the waste, contribute to as much as one third of total greenhouse-gas emissions. How can we continue to feed the planet without destroying it in the process? Can a clean, climate-resilient food system be built to distribute calories in a way that is efficient and equitable? Visit climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts for more information on today's episode. Guests (Part 1): Twilight Greenaway, Contributing Editor, Civil Eats Amanda Little, Professor of Journalism, Vanderbilt University Guests (Part 2): Mark Kurlansky, Author, MILK! A 10,000-Year Food Fracas Anna Lappé, Author, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork) Part 1 was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco on June 18, 2019. Part 2 was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco on May 16, 2018.

The U.S. has become one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels – yet oil prices are tanking. Meanwhile, renewable energy is experiencing unprecedented growth. What is the future of energy in a post-pandemic world?

How are authors like Jenny Offill and Roy Scranton using stories to let readers experience climate change, while also keeping it at arms’ length? Can fiction give access to hopes and fears that we can’t handle in our daily lives?

Climate activists have long envisioned the zero-carbon cities of the future. With COVID-19 shutting down freeways and clearing the air, is this an opportunity to recreate cities that are just and sustainable for all their citizens?

When institutional investors divest from fossil fuel companies, does it make a difference, or is the impact merely symbolic? We may not all be managing billions in assets, but can we use our nest eggs to help finance a green economy?

The COVID-19 shutdown has come with some temporary environmental benefits. But crashing the economy isn’t exactly a climate solution. How will the coronavirus recession reshape the economy and prospects for addressing climate in a post-pandemic world?

What can the spread of coronavirus teach us about the spread of climate change? With increased human development encroaching into wildlife areas, should communities be preparing for more pandemics?

Once touted as a modern power source, nuclear fell out of favor after a series of major accidents. By the end of the century, the industry was languishing. But the urgency of climate change causes some to advocate giving nuclear a new lease on life.

Why does an invisible, life-threatening virus prompt a nationwide emergency, but invisible, life-threatening gases don’t? Can the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic teach us anything about how humans respond to other invisible, global threats?

More and more corporations are going green to stay in the green, realizing that protecting the planet can also protect their business. And innovative companies are “going circular” by transforming how their products are designed, used, and remade.

Addressing the climate challenge requires incremental and transformational change on both the personal and systemic levels. But how should we think about change — and how do our words shape those thoughts? Where does change really begin?

Scientists have been saying for years that to avoid climate catastrophe, global emissions must be halved by 2030, at net zero by 2050. Politicians and the media have picked up the message; some making it a rallying cry. But is a ten-year goal realistic?

Tackling climate change means taking everyone outside their comfort zone. Yale law professor Dan Esty and former Bush administration energy official Andy Karsner showcase innovative ideas designed to push the boundaries of possible climate solutions.

Tobacco, drug, gun and fossil fuel companies have all have been brought into court for knowingly causing public harm with their products. Should corporations be held liable for harmful outcomes like mass shootings, the opioid crisis, and climate change?