Climate One

Climate One from The Commonwealth Club

Empowering conversations that connect all aspects of the climate crisis

  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Trash Talk: Fresh Takes on Food Waste

    Food loss and waste account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and cost $1 trillion annually, according to the United Nations. About a third of all food grown on the planet gets wasted, rather than eaten. In developing countries, waste usually occurs between the field and the store, due to poor infrastructure, lack of refrigeration, and broken supply chains. In rich countries, most waste happens after food reaches the store, where consumers don’t buy imperfect food – or buy too much and toss what they don’t get around to consuming. How much pollution, deforestation and starvation could be reduced if we got this problem under control? And how can new tech, including AI, be brought to bear on the problem?


    Guests:

    Matt Rogers, Co-Founder and CEO, Mill Industries; Co-Founder, Nest

    Page Schult, CEO, Topanga 

    Kayla Abe, Co-Owner, Shuggie’s

    David Murphy, Co-Owner and Chef, Shuggie’s


    For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit climateone.org/podcasts.


    Highlights:

    00:00 – Intro

    04:30 – Matt Rogers on surviving Hurricane Andrews and his climate journey

    06:30 – On the climate impact of HVAC and the creation of Nest thermostat

    08:30 – On creating Mill food recycler and addressing food waste

    13:45 – Partnership with Whole Food to recycle food waste and feed it back to chickens

    17:00 – On AI as a tool for climate solutions

    19:30 – Clean tech in Silicon Valley 

    23:00 – Matt Rogers shares his views on advocacy, philanthropy and impact investing

    30:00 – Shuggie’s restaurant sources ingredients that would otherwise be wasted

    37:00 – David Murphy makes the case for sustainable food and upcycled ingredients

    40:00 – Page Schult on global impact of food waste

    44:00 – Topanga’s work providing reusable food containers for college campuses

    52:30 – Thinking about it circularity as systems change

    54:00 – Role of AI in reducing food waste in commercial kitchens

    58:00 – Climate One More Thing


    **********

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    13 March 2026, 7:15 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Cities Leading the Way

    While the federal government has all but abandoned trying to address the climate crisis, cities around the world are stepping up. C40 is an international network of 97 cities representing 920 million people and 23% of the world’s economy. Almost three out of four of these cities have already peaked their emissions. Here in the U.S., Climate Mayors is a bipartisan network of nearly 350 municipal leaders, representing 48 states and more than 70 million Americans. How are cities innovating on reducing emissions, adapting to increasing climate risks, and — perhaps most importantly — sharing their knowledge?


    Episode Guests: 

    Eric Garcetti, C40 Ambassador for Global Climate Diplomacy; Former Mayor, Los Angeles 

    Kate Gallego, Mayor of Phoenix; Former Chair, Climate Mayors 


    For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit https://climateone.org/podcasts


    Highlights:

    00:00 Intro

    2:46 Eric Garcetti on his time as mayor of LA

    9:45 Eric Garcetti on where cities are moving the needle

    17:47 Eric Garcetti on cities on the world stage

    22:11 Eric Garcetti on the work of C40

    26:20 Eric Garcetti on knowledge sharing

    32:17 Eric Garcetti on co-leading

    40:11 Kate Gallego on dealing with the heat in Phoenix

    43:46 Kate Gallego on affordability

    48:10 Kate Gallego on regulating data centers

    52:35 Kate Gallego on working with other mayors


    **********

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    6 March 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Electric Bills are Bonkers. What Can We Do About It?

    Rising electricity rates across the country are adding pressure to families and businesses already dealing with inflation in other aspects of their lives. Most Americans get their power from a utility that needs to turn a profit for its investors. And people are fed up with the status quo.

    “Across the country, the utilities have just gotten greedy and are asking for more than they need,” says Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. 

    Some communities are considering cutting out the profit motive for utilities, taking on the complicated and expensive prospect of moving to public power. But switching from an investor-owned utility to public power is an uphill battle. What are other strategies for reining in corporate greed and making electricity more affordable?


    Episode Guests:

    Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General

    Naveena Sadasivam, Investigative Reporter and Editor, Grist

    Carroll Fife, Councilmember, District 3, Oakland, California

    Jackson Kaspari, Director of Member Services, Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire


    For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts


    Skill Up for Earth: ⁠https://skillup.earth⁠



    04:00 – Naveena Sadasivam breaks down electric bill drivers by region

    14:00 – High bills affected outcome of Georgia Public Utility Commission

    17:00 – Tucson town hall held by AZ AG Kris Mayes to discuss power bill

    19:00 – Mayes explains why she’s intervening in rate cases

    27:00 – Imbalance of power between utility companies and PUCs and consumer advocates

    33:00 – Would Arizona legislators consider allowing community choice aggregation

    36:00 – Carroll Fife on why she supported a state bill to explore other options to power suppliers

    43:40 – Jackson Kaspari explains how community choice aggregation works in New Hampshire

    48:00 – Utility pushback

    54:00 – Kaspari explains how much work it took to set up CCA in New Hampshire

    56:30 – Climate One More Thing

    **********

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne


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    27 February 2026, 8:15 am
  • 54 minutes 51 seconds
    EPA Cancels Billions in Grants. Recipients Won’t Back Down

    Congress approved billions for federal grants and programs through the EPA during the Biden administration. Those dollars were meant to help disadvantaged communities and fund community resilience projects, public health programs, and initiatives to reduce energy insecurity on tribal lands. But just as these projects were getting underway, the Trump administration froze many of the grants, put others under indefinite review, or canceled them outright. 

    Now, some of the groups that were awarded federal funds have banded together and are suing the federal government for the money they’re owed. Others are seeking alternative funding streams. In this episode, we speak with people whose projects are on hold, but who continue to serve their communities.  


    Episode Guests: 

    Ben Grillot, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center

    Wahleah Johns, Former Director, U.S. DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

    Ilyssa Manspeizer, CEO, Landforce

    Bryan Cordell, Executive Director, Sustainability Institute

    For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit ⁠⁠climateone.org/podcasts.⁠⁠

    Skill Up for Earth: ⁠https://skillup.earth⁠

    Highlights:

    00:00 Intro

    03:01 Ilyssa Manspeizer on what her organization, Landforce

    06:29 Ilyssa Manspeizer on the impact of federal grant funds

    08:58 Ilyssa Manspeizer on losing the grant funding

    11:38 Ilyssa Manspeizer on Landforce joining the lawsuit against the EPA

    14:08 Ben Grillot on the original EPA grantees

    19:08 Ben Grillot on the politicization of the grants

    24:54 Ben Grillot on the loss of trust with the federal government

    26:42 Bryan Cordell on the work of the Sustainability Institute

    30:38 Bryan Cordell on the status of their work after federal grants were pulled

    33:51 Wahleah Johns on growing up on a Navajo reservation

    45:59 Wahleah Johns on the community response to IRA rollbacks

    48:20 Wahleah Johns on working toward the future


    **********

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at ⁠⁠patreon.com/ClimateOne⁠⁠


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    20 February 2026, 8:15 am
  • 31 minutes 12 seconds
    Figure It Out…Or Else: Feds to Colorado River States

    It’s been an unusually warm and dry winter across the west, and that’s bad news for the seven states and 40 million people that rely on water from the Colorado River. The water flowing into the river from snowmelt and rain is dwindling, partly because of climate change. The basin's two major reservoirs are at historic lows, and without a sudden influx of snowstorms, streamflow forecasts for the coming year aren’t looking good. That adds stress to an already drought-stricken region where negotiations on how to share the river’s water in the future are tense and stalled out. 

    “We’re at a point where we have to make some serious long-term adjustment of expectations. In other words, people need to agree to take a lot less water than they've been counting on. And that is always really hard when water is scarce,” says Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.

    The federal government has given states a deadline of Feb. 14th to reach an agreement, after which the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner could divvy up the water between states as it deems fit. It’s already released its draft environmental impact statement with possible alternatives.

    What’s led to this point of crisis? What is keeping states from reaching agreement? And what will the cities, farmers and industries that depend on the river do as climate change leads to a lower volume of water in an increasingly hotter and drier future?  


    Episode Guests:

    Sarah Porter, Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University


    For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/podcasts


    Skill Up for Earth: https://skillup.earth


    **********

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne


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    13 February 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Crude Behavior: Venezuela and the Global Politics of Oil

    On January 3, U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, and flew them to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking and narco-terrorisim. At the same time, President Trump has not been shy about stating his other motivation for intervening in the country: Back in December, he said, “We had a lot of oil there. As you know they threw our companies out, and we want it back." So what are the geopolitical ramifications of these actions?  And in a world increasingly powered by renewable energy, could fossil-fueled conflicts become a thing of the past? 


    Episode Guests: 

    Luisa Palacios, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University 

    Amy Myers Jaffe, Director, Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, NYU 

    Bill McKibben, Founder, Third Act and 350.org

    For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ⁠⁠climateone.org/podcasts⁠⁠.


    Highlights:

    00:00 Intro

    04:54 Luisa Palacios on growing up in Venezuela

    08:59 Luisa Palacios on the risks in Venezuela's oil industry

    15:15 Luisa Palacios on the climate impact of increasing Venezuela’s oil output

    18:01 Amy Myers Jaffe on her reaction to the Maduro’s forced removal

    21:08 Amy Myers Jaffe on what the military action is really about

    28:32 Amy Myers Jaffe on the importance of the action in Venezuela

    35:21 Amy Myers Jaffe on the national security aspects of clean tech

    38:39 Bill McKibben on the military action in Venezuela

    49:45 Bill McKibben on the “last gasp’ of the fossil fuel industry

    52:26 Bill McKibben on the US reversal on climate policy and clean tech


    **********

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    6 February 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Under the Weather: The Climate Crisis is a Health Crisis

    As the planet warms, the story of climate change is increasingly becoming a story about human health. Rising temperatures, wildfire smoke, flooding, and shifting disease patterns are no longer distant threats; they are everyday realities. The climate crisis is reshaping health care systems, exposing inequalities, and forcing doctors and policymakers to rethink some of their practices. Medical schools are beginning to adopt climate as part of their curricula, yet such education is widely variable across the country. So what policy and system changes might help address both the climate and health crises at the same time?


    Episode Guests:

    Jeni Miller, Executive Director, Global Climate and Health Alliance

    Cecilia Sorensen, Director, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Columbia University 

    Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO, PAI


    For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts


    Highlights:

    00:00 – Intro

    03:30 – Cecilia Sorensen on consulting for a Grey’s Anatomy episode on heat

    07:00 – Climate impact she’s seen in the ER

    10:00 – Medical education is variable across the country, including climate awareness

    16:00 – Importance of public health and the role of preventive medicine

    21:00 – Jeni Miller on interconnections between climate and human health

    29:30 – Climate crisis puts pressure on global health systems

    34:30 – Ways health care systems can better prepare for climate impacts

    44:30 – Connection between climate change and reproductive/sexual health

    51:30 – Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls around the world

    56:00 – Navigating efforts by the Trump administration to increase fertility and birth rate while cutting social services

    58:30 – Climate One More Thing

    *****

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne


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    30 January 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Beyond the Obvious: What We’re Watching in 2026

    We’re only about a month into 2026, and already so much has happened — from the Trump administration’s forcible removal of Venezuela’s president to the US pulling out of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change… It’s easy to get caught up in the headlines of the moment and lose sight of the big picture. 

    But important developments are happening in sectors like agriculture and renewable technology that don’t break through the noise to the extent they deserve. So, what should we be watching in 2026?


    Guests: 

    Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, Michigan

    Michael Grunwald, Journalist, Author, We Are Eating The Earth

    Jessie Bluedorn, Founder & Executive Director, The Carmack Collective


    For show notes, transcript, and related links, visit ClimateOne.org/podcasts


    Highlights:

    00:00 Intro

    05:33 Justine Johnson on the importance of mobility

    08:48 Justine Johnson on the future of EV charging

    11:20 Justine Johnson on the practicality of new EV charging technology

    19:05 Justine Johnson on innovation in financing

    22:52 Michael Grunwald on making more food with less land

    30:17 Michael Grunwald on the new tech used to constipate beetles to death

    37:24 Michael Grunwald on what to watch in politics

    43:00 Jessie Bluedorn on the fossil fuel industry’s control over cultural narratives

    47:57 Jessie Bluedorn on the comedy in the climate crisis

    56:36 Jessie Bluedorn on other areas to keep an eye on in the culture


    *****

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne

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    23 January 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    Crop Shoot: Farmers Caught Up In Policy Turmoil

    Agriculture is directly responsible for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers and ranchers face growing climate impacts every day, from more severe storms to intense droughts, making it harder to grow food. 

    The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates emissions from the agriculture sector will modestly increase over the next 30 years. Yet the Trump administration is slashing programs that help reduce emissions, feed people, protect farmworkers and animals and sensitive lands. In addition, the Trump administration’s tariffs and trade wars have affected the cost of machinery and sales of major crops. What will these changes mean for our national food system? How are farmers weathering these impacts? And where are people building resilience regardless of federal policy? 


    Episode Guests:

    Lisa Held, Senior Staff Reporter and Contributing Editor, Civil Eats

    Megan O'Rourke, Congressional Candidate NJ07; Former USDA Scientist John Bartman, Illinois farmer

    Byron Kominek, Owner and Manager, Jack's Solar Garden


    Highlights:

    00:00 – Intro

    05:30 – Lisa Held on major climate and agriculture stories in 2025

    07:30 – Climate change is making it harder to be a farmer

    09:15 – Changes at USDA

    15:00 – How SNAP cuts affect consumers and farmers/growers

    18:30 – Trump admin penalizing efforts/grants that support DEI efforts in agriculture

    24:00 – John Bartman shares his journey to regenerative agriculture

    30:00 – Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities Program and cutbacks under Trump

    34:30 – Trade war between China and US is hurting soybean sales and Amazon rainforest

    37:10 – Byron Kominek on how he got into agrivoltaics and the benefits it offers

    42:00 – Agrivoltaics is climate adaptation

    51:20 – Megan O’Rourke on research around kernza, a perennial grain

    54:00 – Most pressing challenges for agriculture right now

    59:00 – Importance of food security at home and abroad, and role of US farmers

    1:03:30 – Climate One More Thing


    For show notes , transcript, and related links, visit climateone.org/podcasts


    ******

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    16 January 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Inside The Chaotic, Lucrative ‘Disaster Economy’ With Grist

    It’s been a year since catastrophic fires tore through Los Angeles. For those who lived through them, the impacts are still being felt. Rebuilding in the aftermath of more frequent and severe fossil-fueled disasters is becoming a big business. Enter the disaster economy, powered by a grab bag of dedicated people helping communities rebuild, and by contractors who may overpromise, underdeliver, and profit from tragedy. Caught in the middle are the survivors, often left to navigate red tape, scams, and soaring costs just to rebuild their lives.

    In this episode, produced in collaboration with Grist, we explore the people and systems behind this booming, often exploitative multi-billion dollar industry, and share strategies to help listeners stay protected.


    Episode Guests: 

    Haley Geller, Photo Stylist; Mother

    Ayurella Horn Muller, Staff Writer, Grist

    Cricket Logan, Wastewater Management Mechanic, City of St. Petersburg, Florida

    Naveena Sadasivam, Writer and Editor, Grist


    For show notes, related links, and episode transcript, visit ClimateOne.org


    Highlights:

    00:00 - Intro

    05:06 - Haley Geller on her personal wildfire experience

    07:22 - Haley Geller on how life has changed since the fire

    11:04 - Haley Geller on navigating the recovery process

    16:21 - Ayurella Horn Muller on covering recovery workers

    18:39 - Cricket Logan on his disaster recovery work experience

    24:16 - Ayurella Horn Muller on the mental health work of disaster recovery

    28:25 - Ayurella Horn Muller on working conditions for recovery workers

    38:03 - Naveena Sadasivam on talking to people who experienced disaster recovery

    40:22 - Naveena Sadasivam on one person’s experience with rebuilding after a fire

    49:51 - Naveena Sadasivam on what regulations exist to help prevent fraud

    53:41 - Naveena Sadasivam on steps people can take to protect themselves


    ********

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    9 January 2026, 8:15 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    ENCORE: Gloria Walton and Wawa Gatheru Believe in Grassroots Change, Not Just Charity

    Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren’t seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture:

    “ The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience. 

    Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like?


    Guests:

    Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project

    Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist


    For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org



    00:00 Intro

    05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires

    10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA

    13:00 – Living with idea of abundance

    19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy

    21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston

    22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs

    24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims

    27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities

    36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai 

    42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy

    44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces

    48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people 

    55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization

    59:00 – Climate One More Thing


    ****

    Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today at patreon.com/ClimateOne


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    2 January 2026, 8:15 am
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