Falter: Bill McKibben’s Latest Warning

Environmentalists have been talking for a long time about the threat to the planet. Now, a prominent voice is directing our attention to a related threat: he says our very humanity is in peril. This week on Sea Change Radio, we welcome back author and environmental leader Bill McKibben. The founder of 350.org, McKibben most notably spearheaded the resistance to the Keystone Pipeline and launched the fast-growing fossil fuel divestment movement. His new book is Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? While his thesis may seem grim, the book includes a call to action and engagement. In our conversation we discuss the new book, how climate change activism is disrupting right wing plans, and what people can and must do to advance and support a sustainable future.

Georgina Gustin on the Farm Bureau

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You may or may not have heard of the Farm Bureau but it is one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in this country, representing over six million members. And what does the Farm Bureau advocate for? More than you might think. As this week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, Inside Climate News reporter Georgina Gustin, explains, the Farm Bureau has been pushing conservative policies for over four decades now. Gustin gives us a better understanding of what the Farm Bureau does, whom it represents, and the environmental threat that it poses. Then, we revisit our discussion with Zero Mass Water CEO Cody Friesen who explains his company’s unique technology that turns humidity in the air into drinking water, using solar energy.

From Sea to Shining Sea: Jeff Boehm and David Abel

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Oceans cover about 70% of our planet, and represent over 95% of all of the earth’s water. The human impact on the ocean includes temperature rise, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and changing chemical composition of the water – all of these things, of course, have an effect on the organisms that live in these vast ecosystems. This week on Sea Change Radio, we take a look back into the archives. First, we revisit our discussion with Jeff Boehm, the Executive Director of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA as he talks about the work his organization does to protect seals up and down the Pacific coast. Then, we speak with Boston Globe reporter David Abel about the surprising resurgence of Atlantic cod.

Kevin Walker on our Grand Food Bargain

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You’re walking the aisles of your local grocery store, picking out fresh ingredients for dinner — you get to the counter, pay for it, bag it, and you’re off. Pretty simple, right? Well, that little mindless exchange was the product of thousands of years of human development. There was a time, not that long ago, when acquiring what you needed to survive entailed far more individual effort. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to Kevin Walker about his new book, The Grand Food Bargain, to learn about the ups and downs of all this food abundance. We take a look back at how we got here, some of the unforeseen outcomes from this grand bargain, and what we ought to do moving forward. You may just take a step back in wonder the next time you go to the store for a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter.

Crosstown Traffic: The Preven Report

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They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to two brothers who are trying to make a little noise for the issues they care about through citizen journalism. Eric and Joshua Preven put out a weekly publication, The Preven Report, from their hometown of Los Angeles. We discuss the issue of congestion pricing, a proposal to reduce traffic currently being considered by local government there. Then, we dip into the Sea Change Radio archives and hear from Rahwa Ghirmatzion, the Executive Director of PUSH Buffalo, to learn about her organization’s efforts to make Buffalo, NY greener while also helping communities of color.

Jeremy Hance: From Bottleneck to Breakthrough

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How do you usually react to the stream of dire warnings about climate change and wildlife extinction? Does it motivate you to do more to make a difference, or does it submerge you into depressed inertia? This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with environmental journalist Jeremy Hance about his ongoing series for Mongabay which shines an encouraging light on the future of our planet’s flora and fauna. Hance outlines the Bottleneck-to-Breakthrough theory and looks at the driving factors that may save our species and others from extinction. Who knew that earth science prognostications could actually serve as an antidote to climate change malaise?

Ash Kalra + Stefan Kalb: Saving Food and Forests

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What can we do to be better citizens, better consumers and better advocates for the planet? Fighting waste and saving forests are a good place to start. This week on Sea Change Radio, we first talk to California Assembly member Ash Kalra about his new bill to save tropical forests. California may not have rainforests of its own, but Kalra explains how we are all playing a role in their destruction and how we all have an obligation to help save them. Then we hear from Stefan Kalb about his company, Shelf Engine, which helps grocery stores eliminate waste. We learn how stores usually handle their perishables and how Shelf Engine intends to change all this.

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Tiny Houses and Homelessness

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Shelter is on the first rung of renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s hierarchy of needs. And yet, as a society, we have not cracked the code for how to house people in a way that is equitable and sustainable. While millions consume cubic acres of carbon heating and cooling their McMansions, others combat housing insecurity on a daily basis. This week on Sea Change Radio, we discuss two different facets of the housing puzzle. First we take a look at the tiny homes movement with two builders, Fatih and Deniz Saat. They describe what the target customer base is for their Lilliputian locales, their design inspiration, and how these itty bitty domiciles could potentially transform communities of the future. Next, we hear from San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to learn about his unique journey into politics and to talk about the issue of homelessness in America.

Strange Brew: Atomo Bean-less Coffee

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Many people around the world wouldn’t dream of starting their day without their coffee ritual. And they tend to be pretty particular about it — what to buy, where to buy it, how to make it and when to drink it. But how much thought do they put into the coffee bean itself? The global popularity of coffee contributes to deforestation and erosion, and consumes enormous quantities of water — some estimate that a standard cup of coffee eats up about 34 gallons of our planet’s most vital resource. Furthermore, climate scientists are predicting that as the earth’s temperature rises, coffee may become an untenable crop. But this week’s guests on Sea Change Radio want us to be able to keep our coffee rituals while at the same time radically revolutionizing the beverage. We talk with the co-founders of Atomo Coffee, Andy Kleitsch and Jarret Stopforth, about their quest to build the perfect cup of bean-less joe. That’s right, they have created a lab-grown java-alternative with none of the environmental impact and all of the punch. We discuss some of the problems plaguing the traditional coffee industry, their process for creating coffee from scratch, and the challenges they face in getting their business brewing.

Aaron Huertas on the Green New Deal

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Back in the 1930s, when the US was in the midst of an economic crisis, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt enacted a set of policies to protect the people of the US from the worst ravages of poverty: it was called The New Deal. Our planet is currently in the midst of an environmental crisis. Some lawmakers in Washington D.C. are asserting that this crisis requires a set of policies no less deep or sweeping than FDR’s New Deal. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak to political consultant Aaron Huertas to better understand the ins and outs of the initiative set forth by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. We take a look at the history behind the idea, delve into some of the policy specifics, and consider how the two major political parties are responding to this Green New Deal.